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Pioneering Net Zero Carbon Construction Policy in Bath & North East Somerset:Evaluating the effectiveness of novel planning policies over time
No full textIn January 2023, Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES) introduced the UK’s first planning policies requiring all new buildings to have net zero operational emissions and limiting embodied emissions for larger developments. Coinciding with this, a collaboration was formed between University of Bath academics, planning and climate officers at B&NES, and other local organisations, which studied the impacts of, and reception to, these pioneering policies in the first six months following their introduction [1]. This 2023 pilot study was published in a previous report [2], and the current publication builds on the findings of the first. This project evaluates the success of the policies two years on, establishing long-term trends, opportunities for refinement, and the national policy implications of this unique policy case study. This report provides the outcomes of this follow-on project, aiming to:• Understand the effectiveness and experiences with the policy, with a comparison to the initial pilot study. • Investigate how projects perform compared to their initial planning applications.• Gather in-depth insights from a variety of applicants and stakeholders.Incoming planning applications received over a 12-month period were analysed, and a questionnaire was sent to applicants to understand their views on the policy two years after its adoption. In total, 59 planning applications were reviewed, with 56 out of 59 submissions for minor residential buildings, meaning the homes need to be net-zero operationally. Only five responses to the questionnaire were received, representing a significantly lower response rate compared to the 2023 pilot study. Additionally, four interviews were conducted with participants from the 2023 study to capture, in more detail, the experiences of applicants working with the B&NES policy.The rate of compliance and key design parameters, such as thermal performance and air tightness, were compared for the 2023 and 2025 studies to see if there have been any noticeable changes in submissions and the reasons for non-compliance. This study has highlighted the need to follow projects through to completion after they receive planning to track the performance of real-world as-built thermal performance, air tightness and resulting energy use of new residential buildings in the region. Additionally, we make recommendations for clearer policy communication to applicants, refinement of the energy policy and an increase in ambition for the embodied carbon target values. <br/
An intelligent data-driven flow regime recognition method for horizontal air-water two-phase flow
Full text linkFlow regime recognition is very important in the two-phase flow measurement. However, considering that two-phase flow is much more complicated than single-phase flow, flow regime cannot be accurately identified by mechanism model. In this work, a novel intelligent data-driven method based on image encoding and transformer is proposed to recognize typical flow regimes encountered in the horizontal air-water flow. Dynamic experiment is carried out using a ring-shaped conductance sensor to collect voltage signals of bubble flow, bubble-slug flow, slug flow, slug-stratified flow and stratified flow. To highlight the characteristic differences between different flow regimes, the measured signals are encoded into two-dimensional images. To classify the encoded images of the five flow regimes, transformer models are then established. With the encoded images as the input of the model, flow regime identification is implemented by training of the model. The results demonstrate that the characteristics of different flow regimes can be better reflected in the encoded image with Gramian angular field. Meanwhile, the recognition accuracy of Swin Transformer is advantageous to that of Vision Transformer in the classification of the encoded images of the five flow regimes. Comparing with other identification methods, the method which combines Gramian angular field with Swin Transformer shows the best performance in the recognition of the flow regimes. The total accuracy reaches as high as 99.1 % This study offers an alternative for accurate flow regime recognition in two-phase flow measurement
Numerical and experimental investigation of silk/carbon hybrid composites:Mechanical properties and progressive damage
Full text linkThe limited toughness, fracture energy, and elongation of carbon fiber-reinforced composites restrict their broader application. In contrast, silk fiber exhibit high toughness and ductility, making them attractive candidate for hybrid reinforcement. In this work, silk/carbon hybrid fiber reinforced composite were fabricated using continuous natural fiber 3D printing followed by vacuum-assisted hot pressing. Mechanical tests combined with scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the effect of silk fiber content on the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of hybrid fiber reinforced composite. The incorporation of silk fiber enhanced the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness by 62.32 %. With higher silk fiber fractions, tensile fracture energy and flexural ultimate strain improved by 153 % and 182 %, respectively. A finite element model based on the Hashin failure criterion was developed to accurately predicted the progressive damage, and the numerical simulation showed good agreement with experimental results. These findings demonstrate that hybridizing carbon with silk fibers provides a viable pathway to tailor toughness, ductility and other mechanical properties in composite systems.</p
Comparative Evaluation of Optimization Algorithms for Truss Shape Design
Full text linkComputational optimization methods are increasingly employed in structural engineering to achieve efficient and reliable designs. This paper introduces a framework that integrates finite element analysis (FEA) with three optimization algorithms – Derivative-Free Optimization (DFO) Nelder- Mead, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Genetic Algorithms (GA) – to perform shape optimization of truss structures. Unlike previous works that studied these algorithms separately, this paper benchmarks them under identical problem formulations, providing a fair basis for selecting suitable methods in structural design optimization. The framework ensures a standardized problem setup, allowing a fair comparison of algorithmic performance in terms of convergence speed, optimization quality, consistency, and flexibility. Detailed steps for implementation using Python libraries are provided to facilitate future implementation and further development by other researchers. Applications to several truss configurations, including cross-braced bays and bridge systems, demonstrate that while all algorithms achieved significant displacement reductions, distinct trade-offs exist: DFO provides rapid and consistent results with minimal computational overhead; PSO converges quickly with high-quality solutions; and GA offers strong adaptability but at the cost of higher computational effort. By establishing a reproducible computational workflow, this study provides insights into algorithm selection for structural optimization and highlights Python’s suitability as a platform for applied engineering computations
People-Led Digitalisation (P-LD) Metrics in UK Manufacturing:An Analysis of Workforce Impact Assessment
Full text linkKey Points People and Culture are critical: The UK government‑backed Made Smarter Innovation programme notes that one of the major barriers to adopting digital technologies is “people and organisational culture.” People-Led Digitalisation Metrics are not widely used: Based on responses by 410 professionals within UK manufacturing, most companies either do not use or have not considered using people‑focused metrics for assessing the impact ofdigitalisation on their workforce. Unwillingness is not about data collection: Low use of people-led metrics is not related to data collection. Our survey revealed metrics where data was easy to collect were assessed as ‘modest’ in terms of Usefulness. The same results were found for difficult to collect metrics
Recent trends in the chemical modification of polysaccharides for food packaging:A review
Full text linkThe environmental impact of petroplastics that do not readily biodegrade has intensified the search for sustainable packaging materials. Polysaccharides derived from plant and marine sources are biodegradable and renewable, but their hydrophilicity and weak mechanical and barrier properties limit their use in high-performance packaging. Chemical modification offers an effective solution by introducing hydrophobic or functional groups that enhance physicochemical performance, making modified polysaccharides strong candidates for sustainable packaging applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the chemical modification and development of plant-based polysaccharides (starch, cellulose and its derivatives, and pectin) and marine-based polysaccharides (agar, carrageenan, alginate, and chitosan) for food packaging applications. Emphasis on how chemical modifications influence key functional properties relevant to sustainable packaging, including barrier performance, biological activities, and freshness-monitoring capabilities. Film fabrication techniques such as solution casting, extrusion, coating, and electrospraying are also discussed regarding their impact on material performance. Overall, the reviewed studies demonstrate that chemical modification can substantially enhance the functional properties of polysaccharides and enable active and intelligent packaging functionalities. While challenges related to food safety, scalable production, environmental impact, and real-world performance remain, chemically modified polysaccharides show strong potential as sustainable and functional materials for the next generation of food packaging
The Quality of Government and Educational Performance Across Countries
Full text linkUsing a new indicator of government quality, two different indicators of educational performance and two different datasets covering up to 120 countries, this study finds robust evidence that a higher quality of government improves educational performance. This is probably because a competent bureaucracy, a good legal system, and an able government that is responsive to its people all combine to support and impel education providers to achieve high standards. By contrast, poor governance, as exemplified by widespread corruption, military involvement in politics and a weak, incompetent and unpopular government, hampers the working of the educational system, thus reducing learning outcomes.</p
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