Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
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Social Housing Construction in Ireland; Achieving Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) Standards Through Passive House Methodologies and Renewable Energy Systems
No full textSince 2018, nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) standards have become effective on all public buildings, and since 2020, for all new build dwellings in the European Union (EU). This standard requires buildings to have a high-energy performance as defined in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Recast 2010. Passive House (PH) standards require high-performance dwellings to achieve a consistently comfortable internal environment. In Ireland, over 97,000 new social homes are to be built between 2022 and 2030, thus, there are huge sustainable opportunities for social housing construction. This research aims to establish capital and operating costs of passive housing versus typical housing construction in Ireland and to identify energy-efficient solutions to reduce space heating energy demands in households. A mixed-method research approach is utilised, incorporating a literature review, a case study, semistructured interviews, and a questionnaire survey with experienced professionals within the Irish construction industry. Findings show that additional construction costs were associated with increased airtightness, extra quantities of insulation, mechanical heat recovery systems as well as higher-performing windows and doors. Cost reductions are achievable by changing from the conventional heating system and removal of the chimney stack. Challenges such as inflated material costs, workmanship, finances, and airtightness were identified. Passive Houses are outstandingly cheaper to operate in comparison to an average dwelling in Ireland. Renewable energy systems such as solar photovoltaics, air source heat pumps, and mechanical heat recovery systems offer substantial savings over time. Low-income tenants and homeowners are negatively affected by energy inefficiency as it affects their dietary decisions, disposable income, and both physical and mental health due to financial stress. Ultimately, the key contribution of this research illustrates that while higher initial expenditures are incurred, nZEB dwellings built to Passive House standards are a viable solution for social housing in Ireland while offering various benefits.</p
The Health and Safety Audit Report as an essential document – a case study investigating Audit Reports in terms of their value in knowledge management and the implications for, and impacts on, delivering behavioural change in construction organisations
No full textThe Health and Safety (H&S) audit process is implemented on construction sites worldwide and Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) are used to streamline the process of gathering, capturing, transferring and sharing knowledge allowing organisations to drive behavioural change. But what happens to the findings of H&S audits and what value can be derived from them from the behavioural change perspective? This forms the research question investigated in this case study. Themes investigated were: the importance of H&S audits by regulatory authorities, KMS and their benefits to behavioural change in the organisation and finally, the main reasons for poor linkage of H&S audit outputs with the KMS. The research investigated the audit process and how effectively lessons learned are captured and transferred into the KMS in a construction company operating across multiple sites. This involved a mixed methods approach with completion of 20 on-line surveys and 10 individual semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed in line with information from a literature review and a number of recommendations emerged. It was important that these recommendations were realistic, implementable and cost efficient so they could bring value in terms of allowing the outputs from H&S audits assimilate into KMS thereby facilitating behavioural change in the organisation.</p
The Health and Safety Risks of Working during Heatwaves on Construction Sites in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom
No full textThe construction sector is vulnerable to extreme weather events due to most of the industry's activities being carried out manually by workers outdoors. However, there has been little study of the consequences of heatwaves on construction sites unlike other extreme weather events, such as floods and snowfalls. This research project aims to investigate the health and safety risks associated with heatwaves on construction sites in western Europe, specifically the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The research applies Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, with the help of five experts in both countries to evaluate these risks based on their likelihood of occurrence, the severity of their impact and their ease of detection. Semi-structured interviews were also carried out with these experts to investigate potential solutions to these risks and barriers to their implementation. The results show there is a lack of knowledge in the area, and an ill-preparedness with regards to employee welfare during hot weather events. There is also a significant lack of governing laws with respect to outdoor working in high temperatures, thus the need for the industry to improve upon health and safety on construction sites during heatwaves. The research explores solutions such as conducting pre-employment health checks and toolbox talks, supplying breathable personal protective equipment, providing suitable rest and welfare facilities, practicing crew rotation and providing mechanical aids where possible. More in-depth interviews with other experts are needed due to the lack of research in the area and its abstract nature.</p
Psychological well-being among members of sport organizations
No full textCompetitive sport represents a cauldron full of experiences that shape how performers feel, function, and adapt to their organizational sport environment. Governmental white papers have recognized the need to redefine what success looks like for athletes, coaches, and support staff. Indeed, ‘performers’ can experience a range of organizational stressors that can incur severe health (e.g., burnout) and performance (e.g., expectations) consequences. Little is known, however, about how performers can individually or collectively experience a ‘good life’ in sport. This epitomised the significance of psychological well-being (PWB), a subject that eludes definition, conceptualization, and application among scientist-practitioners. These conundrums justified the need for a deeper understanding of PWB among sport performers; spotlighting the individual, interpersonal, and organizational leadership experiences. The purpose of this doctoral thesis was to advance understanding of how PWB is perceived, experienced, protected, and facilitated among members of sport organizations.
Chapter one foregrounded the terminology, rationale, and aims that underpinned the thesis. Chapter two presented the first systematic review of organizational stress and well-being in competitive sport. This review of 57 included studies critically identified that PWB is underexamined, prone to monism (e.g., focuses on hedonia), and that interpersonal understandings of PWB were a worthwhile focus. Chapter three highlighted the methodology for the remainder of the thesis, including philosophical assumptions, narrative analysis, and reflexivity. Chapter four offered a novel understanding of PWB among three coach-athlete-sport psychology practitioner triads. Both individual and novel triadic interview methods spotlighted PWB among athletes (n=3), coaches (n=3), and sport psychology practitioners (n=3). Reflexive thematic analyses illuminated the dynamic nature of intraindividual and interpersonal PWB. Themes relating to intraindividual PWB denoted nine antecedents (e.g., recharging and recovering away from sport, novel and inevitable experiences, close dyadic sport relationships) and three cyclical factors (without discomfort, fear, or judgement; grasping and navigating stress-related growth, and interpersonal characteristics). Turning to interpersonal PWB, four antecedents (e.g., new and uncertain territory, navigating change and withstanding pressure), three transfer mechanisms (interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraisal), and three cyclical factors (trust and let’s do our thing, meaningful experiences of growth, and relational dynamics) were constructed. This chapter emphasised the need to move toward perspectives of PWB within close sport relationships.
Chapter Five, thus, examined how PWB was experienced and subsequently supported by 15 performance leaders and managers [PLMs]. Two interviews and four weekly audio-recorded diaries per participant explored longitudinal experiences of PWB. Thematic narrative analyses showcased the precarious nature of the role and its impact on self-care experiences. Indeed, PLMs often went ‘above and beyond’ through high challenge-support leadership, but at the expense of their own PWB experiences. This chapter centralized vertical and horizontal relationships, and the need to understand how personal needs are negotiated alongside the needs of others. Chapter six provided a deeper discussion on the study chapters, their contributions to theory and research, and broader implications for research and practice. Followed by thesis strengths and limitations, future research directions, and concluding remarks. This thesis advances conceptual, methodological, and applied understanding of how PWB is perceived, experienced, and supported among members of sport organizations. Original contributions to organizational sport psychology are offered pertaining to how PWB can be understood through individual and interpersonal lenses, and how the support of PWB is relationally negotiated with individual PWB. It is integral that governing bodies and decision-makers thoroughly consider the needs of the ‘performer,’ harness the power of vertical and horizontal mentoring initiatives and empower their PLMs to facilitate a ‘trickle-down effect’ of PWB among members of sport organizations.</p
Implication of AI for integrated decision making in housing energy efficiency from outside: A conceptual platform.
No full textOver the past several years, efforts have been made to use artificial intelligence (AI) in explaining what people are thinking, thus facilitating their decision-making. In a housing context, AI is employed to identify the housing heat loss from the external environment. Recent studies stress the lack of attention on exploring the interplay between the different aspects of housing energy efficiency. Occupants’ perceptions and attitudes are also identified as another gap in achieving the housing energy efficiency target baseline. Although there are many online databases which provide proper information in relation to housing energy efficiency, they are not able to explain the interplay between different aspects of this concept, and to link the information to different people’s perceptions and attitudes. In the context of the current study, we argue that AI is able to tell which building is suitable for responding to an occupant’s perceptions of housing energy efficiency from the outside. This paper develops a conceptual platform for this study, drawing on an extensive review of the literature. The literature was reviewed in two different stages. Firstly, an overall review collated evidence and rationale for supporting the main argument of the study. Then a number of previous studies which adopted different research methodologies were discussed to develop the methodological platform of the study. The conducted reviews show that AI is able to predict the interplay between the different aspects of housing energy efficiency and to explain occupants’ perceptions of housing energy efficiency from the outside, via developing a smart online photo-based database through a combination of secondary data related to different aspects of housing energy efficiency and primary data related to occupants’ perceptions of housing energy efficiency. This database is applicable in evaluating the energy efficiency of a house in relation to occupants’ needs, expectations, and preferences, and in providing a balanced interplay between the different aspects of housing energy efficiency.</p
SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH CENTRE (SRCe) – MEASURING COMMUNITY OUTCOMES, AN AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLE
No full textIn accordance with Sustainable Development Goals, achieving sustainable, regenerative development requires continuous measuring of outcomes on multiple bottom lines. The measurement of economic and environmental/ecological outcomes of sustainable development are reasonably well researched and implantation is in some cases well advanced. Measuring social outcomes, on the other hand, is lagging. New technologies, like AI, blockchain, smart cities, Digital Twins, and new methodologies, as Circular Economy, are providing opportunities to address this gap in innovative ways. The question is: who evaluates outcomes? Who determines what the successful community is? How do we prevent misuse of these new technologies? Our research indicates that active participations of citizens would be necessary in defining and measuring outcomes of planning.In this paper we have investigated the current system of public engagement and consultation as well as few alternative systems/tools explored in Australia. As a result, we have developed a proposal for an alternative model that could address some of identified problems of the existing system and anticipated difficulties in the future. The heart of that framework is the Sustainability Research Centre (SRCe), a hub and a place, physical and virtual, where community, industry and research collaborate. Our plan is to implement this framework on our specific pilot project, in collaboration with specific community. The location of North Arm Cove in New South Wales (NSW), Australia is used as a case study for creation of an innovative, sustainable, regenerative development framework – North Arm Cove Initiative. This location has been selected 105 years ago by an American urbanist, architect and community builders couple Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin, as a preferred location for their plans for the New York of Australia. Their Master Plan did not progress beyond the subdivision and sale of more than 3000 lots, to landowners who have been subsequently affected by prohibition of building homes on their land.</p
Acclimation Interventions for Olympic competition in hot and humid environments
No full textThe Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were due to be the hottest on record, with hot (>30 °C) and high-humidity environmental conditions (70-90% relative humidity). Olympic Distance Triathlon comprises a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km bike ride, and a 10 km run performed successively. Prolonged exercise in the heat produces greater physiological and perceptual strain compared to exercising in temperate environmental conditions at the same intensity. Athletes competing in middle- and long-distance events are at a higher risk of reductions in exercise performance and incidence of heat illness compared to short distance events in the heat. Heat acclimation (HA) is the most effective countermeasure to protect athlete health and improve performance. Research on applied and effective HA strategies which confer the necessary heat adaptation responses while still conforming to the ecological training needs of highly trained athletes is limited.
The first study (Chapter 4) of this thesis established the reliability of novel blood biomarkers and classical physiological and perceptual markers of heat stress during a new cycling heat stress test (HST) which fixes the intensity relative to body mass. The test offers a reliable assessment tool to evaluate the effectiveness of HA protocols employed. Chapter 5 evaluated whether 5-days isothermic HA was an effective preparation strategy for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in endurance trained athletes. Reduced cardiovascular and perceptual strain, plasma volume expansion and an increase in sweat loss were evident. However, there was no change in body temperature or surrogate biomarkers of physiological stress. Chapter 6 investigated the effectiveness of a novel and ecologically valid 8-day HA strategy which combined modes of HA; isothermic HA and post-temperate exercise hot water immersion (HWI). There was reduced thermal, cardiovascular, and perceptual strain after 4-days HA, with no further improvement at day 8 of HA. Diminished sympathetic activity and fluid-regulatory stress were evident after 8-days HA. However, no change in performance was demonstrated during a 20-km cycling time trial in the heat.
This thesis provides practitioners and coaches within British Triathlon Federation a reliable assessment tool of heat dissipation capacity in Tokyo specific environmental conditions. 5-days isothermic HA induced partial HA, affording athletes a time-efficient approach for rapid adaptation. However, a combined HA protocol of isothermic HA and HWI over 4 and 8-days induces superior thermoregulatory, perceptual, and biochemical adaptations. Hence, is the recommended approach for elite triathletes prior to competition at the Tokyo 2020 Games.</p
Enhancing data to evidence transitions required for player management decision-making processes: a case study in professional rugby union
No full textBased on a sport informatics approach, this thesis aimed to digitally optimise data to evidence transitions occurring within player management decision-making processes in a professional rugby union environment. With the objective of translating the findings to sport, the first study systematically reviewed the use of Business Process Management (BPM) for improving patient management processes in healthcare. Consequently, from
the results, guidelines for using BPM to optimise data-informed player management processes were proposed. Thereafter, by using the first three stages of a BPM lifecycle (process identification, discovery and redesign), the next study utilised those prior findings to identify issues existing in the current state of an information flow pertaining to player management decision-making processes within a Gallagher Premiership rugby
union club in England. The results indicated that there was inaccessible data, unavailable data, unavailable information, information noise, incomplete decisions and no consensus for flagging players with risks. In the next experimental study, directed by the remaining three phases of the BPM lifecycle (process redesign, implementation and monitoring) and by applying innovation and design thinking approaches, a pre-post-test study design was used to examine if the inaccessibility of daily player strength and conditioning data can be optimised through digitalisation techniques. The outcomes indicated that the designed digital systems enhanced information quality, thereby, signifying an improved data to information transition. The fourth study employed consensus methods to organise practitioner judgements when flagging players with risks. Specifically, by using the expertise within the considered environment, a consensus statement, as a subjective standard was formulated to standardise judgements on the existence of peaks/troughs in external training loads experienced by
the players, identified from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) based information. The final experimental study implemented the developed standard via digitalisation techniques and evaluated the impact of it on practitioner decision-making, by detecting
the change in reliability of agreement between staff for a given decision at four time points before and after implementing the standard. The outcomes signified that practitioner agreement increased from moderate pre-standard levels to almost perfect
post-standard agreement. Thus, signifying an enhanced information to evidence transition. Overall, this thesis provides a philosophical and methodological approach to optimising data-informed player management decision-making processes in professional sport environments like rugby union.</p
Environmental Management Practices on South African Construction Projects
No full textConstruction projects are usually associated with an adverse impact on the natural environment. Furthermore, there is a range of environmental legislation and regulations that regulate aspects relative to the environment. A quantitative study was conducted among general contractors (GCs) in South Africa to determine: the status of construction environmental management practices; general perceptions of contractors with regards to environmental management, the role and influence of project stakeholders in a project environmental management system, and the benefits that accrue. Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) contractors registered in grades 2 to 9 constituted the sample stratum. Findings include: inadequate environmental management knowledge, and noncompliance with environmental regulations predominate in terms of the causes of environmental degradation on projects; provision for environmental rehabilitation, and implementation of the project’s environmental management plan on site predominate in terms of the frequency at which environmental issues are dealt with on sites; a range of environmental management practices can be deemed to be undertaken; clients and principal contractors predominate in terms of the extent to which the various project stakeholders influence environmental management practices on sites; reduction in environment incidents and legal compliance predominate in terms of the benefits that accrue due to an environmental management system being implemented on a project. Conclusions include: contractors realise that environmental management is a key project parameter; environmental management interventions are implemented; environmental degradation occurs on site, and there is a need to improve environmental management on projects. Recommendations include: the role of each project stakeholder should be identified; employer and professional associations should evolve environmental guidelines; environmental management should be embedded in tertiary built environmental programmes, and professional associations and statutory councils should evolve and / or promote environmental continuing professional development (CPD).</p
Pre-retrofit building performance evaluation of existing UK social housing dwellings
No full textAs part of the transition to Net Zero by 2050, the UK Government’s Social Housing Demonstration Fund has been launched to upgrade a significant amount of the social rented homes in England to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C standard, while delivering warm, energy-efficient homes and tackling fuel poverty. This paper uses building performance evaluation (BPE) methods to empirically examine pre-retrofit building fabric thermal performance, energy use, indoor environmental conditions and household characteristics of 32 social housing dwellings located in Warwickshire, England. Empirical data was gathered between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2022. Thermography revealed a lack of insulation, with significant heat loss around wall joints. This was more pronounced in the 1920s triangular semi-detached dwellings which had the highest gas consumption at 12,000kWh/year compared to 4,500kWh in the 1960s terraces. The average annual energy cost across the sample was £1,645, with a maximum of £4,320/year. Statistical analysis of time-series data revealed that the 1960s terrace typology experienced the lowest indoor temperature across all seasons due to less number of exposed sides. Summer indoor temperature was 4°C higher than other seasons, often exceeding 30°C. Relative humidity of 52% was relatively stable. The 1960s terraced dwellings experienced the highest diurnal CO2 levels with peaks exceeding 1400ppm during occupied hours. Peak CO2 concentrations reached 5000ppm with some daily averages over 3300ppm due to prolonged occupancy and inadequate window-opening to conserve heat. Since the dwellings overheated in the summer and were cold in the winter, an approach to retrofitting needs to combine building fabric and heating system upgrades with passive measures (shading, ventilation) for tackling overheating so that these homes can stay warm in winter and cool in summer. A data driven based approach to retrofit assessment and evaluation will also help in reducing performance gap.</p