Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
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An Experimental Conversion of Wasted Facemasks to Eco-Composites
No full textThe severe increase in the pollution caused by the discarded face masks during COVID-19 cannot be overstated. This research provides an innovative engineering solution to this issue by recycling polypropylene, the primary plastic found in the facemasks to manufacture ecocomposite by reinforcing it with natural flax fibres. This research highlights the environmental pillar of sustainability from an engineering perspective. Flax fibres were chosen as the most suitable natural fibre for polypropylene reinforcement due to their favourable mechanical properties, and their abundance as a plant in Northern Europe also reducing the carbon footprint of the product. The mechanical properties of the ‘Flax fibre reinforced polypropylene composite material’, named FlaxPP, were analysed using software simulations and mathematical calculations. FlaxPP composite materials were found to have more favourable vibrational damping properties than GlassPP composites, while GlassPP showed significantly superior strength and stiffness properties during tensile testing. FlaxPP manufactured using face masks had lower mechanical properties than Flax/vPP, highlighting the influence of additives, chemicals, and coloured dye on the mechanical properties of the face masks.</p
Naturalness and atypicality of mycelium bio-composites as influencers of preference
No full textThe biodegradable and regenerative nature of mycelium bio-composites provide architecture a novel solution for achieving more responsible productions (SDG12) and circular innovation (SDG9). This paper identifies the need for integrated, holistic issues of mycelium bio-composites to be addressed before their high-level adoption in architectural construction, and reports on results from a series of mixed-method investigations. The dimensional stability and aesthetic irregularities of mycelium bio-composites provide opportunities and challenges to mycelium bio-composites’ market diffusion. Completed preliminary user studies indicate that these senso-aesthetic qualities could provide psycho-physiological affects which could support endeavours to increase well-being in places of work, study, and recovery (SDG3). The results indicate the roles emotions and perceptions play in consumer decisions, despite these factors often being disregarded by market diffusion research that focuses on logic and reason. Uptake for temporal, novel materials such as these requires the architectural industry to observe the full holistic potential of our materials and review our desire for permanence we’ve ingrained in practices and standards.</p
A Study of 360° Video as a Learning Tool for Filmmaking
No full textFilmmaking is an inherently practical area of study, especially the production process. Not all students can access film school for monetary, location and health issues. Options without schooling are online in the form of tutorial videos. 360° video can have a more interactive approach than 2D videos, books and more traditional learning tools, and the technology can enhance learning and promote self-guided learning in this practical subject. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology through cyclic testing of mixed method data collection via six participant survey rounds, this study aims to create 360° video content and a proven technical workflow to see if 360° technology can aid practical filmmaking study. Using an online hub, www.filmschool360.com, a variety of 360° videos were shot and amended to create the theory that 360° video can aid students learning practical filmmaking online. The 360˚ videos and hub were examined through survey data from filmmaking students, alumni, academics, film school staff and professionals and re-drafted several times to reduce the content to its most effective. The data found 360° videos to be interesting, informative and immersive. The audio was found to be just as important as the visuals. Direction within a 360° video is essential for learners, so overlaid elements were tested. Adding finished shots of scenes are a way of formalising the process. The videos were found to be extremely useful for those who miss sessions or find it hard to learn actively or in a class environment. They can provide an accessible learning method for those with disabilities and have no barrier in the cases of gender or ethnicity. Short five-minute videos are better for focus and the ability to use one film resource to teach multiple processes reduces creation time and costs for educators. One 360° video has the potential for freedom of learning through unique viewpoints. The option given to the viewer to freely navigate the video also empowers that learner and enhances their self-guided learning skills, skills used throughout their learning life. The bridge between traditional learning and online learning can be opened using 360° video, which has not been used in filmmaking education before, making this research unique in its field
Who Cares? The Impact of Neo-Liberalism on the Care Workforce in the UK
No full textHarvey (2009) suggests that neo-liberalism has been a political-economic way of thinking since the 1970s which strives to deregulate, privatize and remove state control from many social welfare provisions. This neo-liberal doctrine has led to the privatization and marketization of the care sector in the UK and created a world where profit-making is of a higher priority than people (The Care Collective et al., 2020).</p
Is Big Data Destroying Democracy?
No full textWhen global companies, like Cambridge Analytica, use the leverage of behavioural data to sell certainty instead of truthful facts the balance between democracy, whereby governmental power is held by all citizens (Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, 1998) and Tyranny, whereby power is held by a small number of rulers often using unfair and unjust practices (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.), is toppled. Surveillance theory which conceptualises different strategies of surveillance that include dataveillance, access control, social sorting, peer-to-peer surveillance and resistance (Galič et al, 2017) is a growing phenomenon within an information society. This paper will seek to understand the developments of surveillance theory from Bentham’s structural panopticon to Michel Foucault’s metaphoric adaptations.</p
Geotechnical Insights into the Experimental Use of Proteus mirabilis for Calcite Precipitation of Lateritic Clay Soils
No full textThe uptake and use of microbial–induced calcite precipitation (MICP) for soil improvement has significantly increased since its application was discovered two decades ago. Most research and fieldwork focus more on its application in sandy soil improvement because soils with smaller pore sizes inhibit the movement of bacteria. The effects of Proteus mirabilis on the geotechnical properties of a lateritic clay was investigated. The index properties, compaction characteristics, strength characteristics, and chemical and morphological properties of the lateritic clay were determined. The soil is classified as a sandy clay (CL) based on the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) and as an A–7–6 soil based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) classification system. The soil was then treated with 0, 1.5×108 , 6.0×108 , 1.2×109 , 1.8×109 , and 2.4×109 cells/ml Proteus mirabilis suspension density. Comparing maximum dry density (MDD) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the natural soil and soil treated with 2.4 x 109 cells/ml bacteria suspension, the MDD of the natural soil increased from 1648 kg/m3 to 1768 kg/m3 while the UCS of the soil increased from 129.09 kN/m2 to 172.7 kN/m2 , respectively. Micrographs of the treated soils showed a reduction in pore spaces due to the precipitation of calcites in the pores. With a 33.8% increase in the UCS of the natural soil due to calcite precipitation, this study shows the prospect of using Proteus mirabilis as an environment–friendly means of improving the geotechnical strength of soils.</p
Know the Way, Go the Way, and Show the Way: Leadership Styles for Project Success in the Irish Construction Industry
No full textIn Ireland, research has shown that when it comes to management styles across all industries, Irish managers are among the most easy-going in Europe. The laidback culture of the Irish people has positioned them to be effective and supportive leaders, encouraging collaboration and teamwork. However, the dynamic and complex nature of the construction industry makes management and leadership much more difficult compared to other industries, where relationships between the workforce are more fluid, and various leadership styles are used. Therefore, this study aims to identify and analyse leadership styles used in the Irish construction industry, and document which styles, if any, are the most successful to implement in practice on-site. This pilot study encompasses a qualitative research method, incorporating seven semi-structured individual interviews with construction professionals in various management and leadership roles on projects across Ireland. The data is qualitatively assessed using thematic analysis, where emerging themes are identified for discussion. The results are centred around four key themes: the characteristics of effective leaders; how leaders create a vision; how leaders motivate the workforce; and how leadership is used as a success factor on construction projects. Although based on a small sample size, the findings indicate that there are three main leadership styles being used in the Irish construction industry: transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire. Moreover, results show that the respondents sometimes use all three styles simultaneously or in an ad hoc manner, depending on the situation. Overall, the key contribution of this research illustrates that there are three main leadership styles being utilised in the Irish construction industry, but due to the impromptu and spontaneous nature of the construction industry, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Nevertheless, this research encourages a more formalised and strategic approach to delivering leadership on-site and ensuring project success on construction sites in Ireland.</p
Understanding pedestrian red-light violation: Exploration of the impact of traffic engineering and traffic conditions
No full textThe design of the geometry and traffic controls at signalised junctions is often focused on the level of service offered to drivers and rarely takes into consideration the level of service offered to pedestrians. This results in pedestrian adopting illegal and unsafe behaviours – e.g. red light violation. This study aimed to identify the elements of signalised junction design that are critical in pedestrian safety by analysing how they affect pedestrian behaviour. Both traffic engineering design (e.g. junction geometry) and associated traffic conditions (e.g. traffic speed) were investigated. Over 6500 observations had been made at 10 signalised junctions in the city centre of Montreal, Canada. The 10 junctions were selected to ensure that a variety of environments, road users and junction designs were covered. Results show that the presence of a countdown display has the most significant and positive impact on pedestrian behaviour. Results also suggest that pedestrians cross at the red light when they feel confident about their ability to judge whether they can use the available traffic gaps to cross safely the street.</p
The current water and sanitation provision at rural schools KwaZulu-Natal: The Built Environment Professionals Perspective
No full textSouth Africa has made a substantial amount of progress with regards to basic service delivery since the end of apartheid in 1994, however, there still remains major disparities between the various provinces and municipalities within the country. Water and sanitation provisions particularly in schools in rural areas of South Africa, in many instances lack dignity for learners and teachers. This also undoubtedly raises health concerns for learners, teachers and administrative staff at the schools. Rural communities in particular, have access to far less, as a result of unequal development, poverty and the cost of providing bulk infrastructure services for water and sanitation, to distant rural areas of the country. This study adopted a quantitative research approach. Online questionnaires were purposively emailed to 120 built environment professionals who are involved in the provision of water and sanitation facilities to schools in KwaZulu-Natal. Fifty-two completed responses were received. The data was analysed, utilising descriptive statistics. It was found that the government has made a concerted effort to ensure that school going children have been provided with water and sanitation facilities. However, this paper highlights that once the provision was made, very little else was provided to advance the current situation. In many schools across the province, children are still subjected to unhygienic water and sanitation conditions at school which affects their health and learning experience.</p
Identifying the factors affecting University-Enterprise Collaborations for Disaster Resilience
No full textStrengthening collaborations among multi-stakeholder partnerships is one of the Sustainable Development Goals in delivering the development agenda. Such collaborations can be established at global, national and local levels. For example, the benefit of collaborations among multistakeholders has been evident during the COVID-19 pandemic in finding solutions to end the pandemic. Moreover, the vaccine's development and production can be considered one of the most successful collaborations between academia, industry, and the governments. Having understood the significance of such collaborations, a group of academics in Asia proposed a project to strengthen university-enterprirse collaborations (UEC) to strengthen disaster resilience in Asia. Aisa’s high hazard profile and the unequal and underdeveloped nature of UEC encouraged them to propose this study. Accordingly, they initiated the project called SECRA (Strengthening University-enterprise Collaboration for Resilient Communities in Asia) funded by the Erasmus Programme of the European Commission. The project aims to develop a framework for strengthening community disaster resilience through strengthening UEC. In order to develop the proposed framework, the study conducted an initial literature review to identify the factors that affected UEC. Then the study conducted a thematic analysis to identify key thematic areas based on their relatedness. The study revealed more than forty different factors affecting the UEC. The factors are grouped into cultural, structural, relational, and material as thematic areas. In addition, the literature review also found several good practices adopted in several countries supporting their UECs. These findings will be utilised to develop a more systematic, institutionalised and monitored framework for strengthening UEC for countries in Asia towards disaster resilience.</p