1,721,015 research outputs found
Preface
No full text© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems facilitate the collection, filtration and storage of runoff, usually from roof catchments. The stored rainwater is then either gravity-fed or pumped to supply non-potable points of use within a building to save highly treated potable water. Utilisation of RWH systems could become increasingly important under scenarios of rising population and climate change, as potable water resources are put under pressure and as the cost of water may increase. The aim of the research described in this chapter was to fill some of the socio-technical knowledge gaps in relation to RWH system implementation and utilisation in the specific context of the UK. The research utilised a range of methods to collect, analyse and interpret data and evidence, from a number of local, national and international case studies, which resulted in the formulation of a vision and strategy for RWH in the UK
From taps to toilets and ponds to pipes-A paradigm shift in sustainable water engineering
No full textThis chapter introduces the main themes in the book, contextualising them in terms of current issues of sustainability, in terms of infrastructure, buildings, businesses and behaviours. The role of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is discussed; they are integral to the achievement of sustainable water engineering principles, in particular the aims encapsulated in SDG6, the Water SDG, whereby the stated ambition is “clean, accessible water for all”. The influence of engineering in achieving all of the SDGs, their interdependence and complexity is critically evaluated. Droughts, water shortages, flooding - these current issues are discussed at a variety of scales, from the single household, to the river catchment using sustainably designed, operated and maintained infrastructure. There is a critical balance to be struck between water resources management, sustainability and engineered approaches; furthermore, the chapter concludes, human behaviour and behaviour change must be accounted for, with community engagement vital in striving to achieve sustainable water engineering.</p
Understanding consumer responses to water efficiency strategies
No full textUnderstanding how consumers engage with and view their water usage is crucial to the design of more effective water demand management policies and programmes. This chapter argues that while consumers of water may be aware of the need for water conservation, with many expressing good intentions, consumers can often appear to be disengaged or discouraged from positively responding to measures designed to prompt the adoption of water-efficient strategies and behaviours. This disengagement, or inability of the consumer to engage with water-efficient strategies, is highlighted as being due to a range of socio-economic variables, such as age, gender, income, education as well as wider issues of emotional involvement, personal responsibility and institutional trust, and the existence of a gap in expressed attitude and actual behaviour. As a consequence, it is argued that the adoption of single-track water efficiency strategies, such as water metering or education campaigns, is unlikely to be sufficient in its own right, particularly in the medium to long term. Instead, it is suggested that the complexity of human behaviour is more openly recognised and that more diverse and innovative approaches to water efficiency are develope
Dataset for "Participatory Design in Refugee Camps: Comparison of Different Methods and Visualisation Tools"
No full textShelters for the displaced can suffer from socio-cultural incompatibility and significant levels of occupant dissatisfaction. Participatory Design (PD) is known to help reduce such issues. This is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of different PD methods at engaging and capturing users’ needs for shelter design in refugee camps. It also aimed to identify which visualisation tools are best at: engaging participants; communicating designs (e.g. concept, size and materials); and facilitating proposing modifications. This is a particularly large study with 16 workshops and 161 participants. Two PD methods were deployed: (i) Design-your-own (where refugees proposed their ideal shelter); (ii) Adapt-a-design (where refugees evaluated and modified pre-existing shelter designs). The shelters in (ii) were presented using three visualisation tools: computer models, physical prototypes and virtual reality.
This dataset includes demographic information of the participants of the workshops, and the participant evaluations of the three visualisation tools tested in the Adapt-a-design workshops.Four series of workshops were conducted to evaluate the use of traditional and contemporary methods as viable tools for capturing user values and requirements for shelters. These workshops can be categorised under two approaches:
a. The first approach termed ‘Design your Own’ focused on giving participants a ‘blank canvas’ – in the form of paper, pens and pencils, plasticine, Lego® and a kit-of-parts. Participants were asked to use any of these mediums to conceptualise and articulate their ‘ideal’ shelter. This first workshop approach was one step further than asking the refugees a series of standard questions in order to capture their shelter needs and requirements and can be used at the early design stages.
b. The second approach is termed ‘Adapt a Design’ and it utilised four pre-designed shelter typologies (deployable, modular, assemblage and freeform) presented in three ways: b1. Computer-produced architectural drawings and models in 2D and 3D shown on A2 paper and/or projected on screen (ACM); b2. Physical models or prototypes (PP); and b3. Virtual reality (VR). This approach can be implemented after an initial design has been developed by the humanitarian agencies to gain feedback on the proposed design. The evaluation was based on three activities; design assessment, design modification & method assessment.
161 refugees participated in these workshops. At the end of 'adapt a design' workshops, participants were asked to evaluate the visualisation tool used. This data set provides the participants background and responses on the evaluation sheets
Zero-net energy management for the monitoring and control of dynamically-partitioned smart water systems
Full text linkThe optimal and sustainable management of water distribution systems still represent an arduous task. In many instances, especially in aging water net-works, pressure management is imperative for reducing breakages and leakages. Therefore, optimal District Metered Areas represent an effective solution to decreasing the overall energy input without performance compromise. Within this context, this paper proposes a novel adaptive management framework for water distribution systems by reconfiguring the original network layout into (dynamic) district metered areas. It utilises a multiscale clustering algorithm to schedule district aggregation/desegregation, whilst delivering energy and supply management goals. The resulting framework was tested in a water utility network for the simultaneously production of energy during the day (by means of the installation of micro-hydropower systems) and for the reduction of water leakage during the night. From computational viewpoint, this was found to significantly reduce the time and complexity during the clustering and the dividing phase. In addition, in this case, a recovered energy potential of 19 MWh per year and leakage reduction of up to 16% was found. The addition of pump-as-turbines was also found to reduce investment and maintenance costs, giving improved reliability to the monitoring stations. The financial analyses to define the optimal period in which to invest also showed the economic feasibility of the proposed solution, which assures, in the analysed case study, a positive annual net income in just five years. This study demonstrates that the combined optimisation, energy recovery and creation of optimized multiple-task district stations lead to an efficient, resilient, sustainable, and low-cost management strategy for water distribution networks
BIM FM: An International Call for Action
Full text linkDespite significant progress for the adoption of BIM in AEC, currently its adoption for FM has been sparse, scarce, and extraneous. There are few cases in the world where robust adoption has taken place that are able to demonstrate success and are willing to disseminate the positive impact of BIM FM on sustainability, operational efficiency, and cost reduction. To date, there is no approach, motivation, or support in place to enable the extensive adoption of BIM for FM worldwide. In the UK, for instance, the UK BIM initiative, mandate, and the Digital Built Britain cannot count on the participation of FM stakeholders; the government has only started promoting initiatives that could trigger an extensive BIM approach, generating benefits for organizations and more importantly, society as a whole. In this chapter, data from authors’ various research projects has been put together to generate an agenda for BIM FM implementation. The findings reveal that unless an intervention, such as a mandate for FM services suppliers, is put in place, very little will happen with regards to BIM FM
Mechanical properties of standard and commonly formulated NHL mortars used for retrofitting
Full text linkSelecting materials for retrofitting of historic and heritage buildings can be challenging. These materials must be sufficiently compatible and durable without risk of damage to the existing fabric. Therefore, mechanical properties of the retrofitting mortars are of great importance.Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) binders are classified according to their compressive strength at 28 days of ageing and lime content using standard EN 459-1. The standard test, however, although important for quality assurance and consistency of binder production, does not reflect the performance of mortars manufactured and used on-site, since these use different aggregates and water/binder ratios.This study investigates binder classifications, NHL 2, 3.5 and 5, from a single supplier and compares the standard formulation as defined in EN 459-1, with a formulation commonly used as a conservation mortar with 1:2 binder:aggregate ratio.The 28 day compressive strength of mortars manufactured using a formulation typical for conservation differed in strength from the standardised samples used to classify the binders. At later ages, some mortars were found to have a greater compressive strength than that implied from their classification.This study concludes that the prediction of aged mortar properties using the standard classification is problematic. The basis for development of a model to predict the performance of aged mortars based on chemical and physical properties of the binders is identified. The model we propose to develop from this work will allow conservators to predict strengths more accurately and reduce the risk of building damage attributed to the use of mortars with inappropriate strength.<br/
Mechanical properties of standard and commonly formulated NHL mortars used for retrofitting
Full text linkSelecting materials for retrofitting of historic and heritage buildings can be challenging. These materials must be sufficiently compatible and durable without risk of damage to the existing fabric. Therefore, mechanical properties of the retrofitting mortars are of great importance.Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) binders are classified according to their compressive strength at 28 days of ageing and lime content using standard EN 459-1. The standard test, however, although important for quality assurance and consistency of binder production, does not reflect the performance of mortars manufactured and used on-site, since these use different aggregates and water/binder ratios.This study investigates binder classifications, NHL 2, 3.5 and 5, from a single supplier and compares the standard formulation as defined in EN 459-1, with a formulation commonly used as a conservation mortar with 1:2 binder:aggregate ratio.The 28 day compressive strength of mortars manufactured using a formulation typical for conservation differed in strength from the standardised samples used to classify the binders. At later ages, some mortars were found to have a greater compressive strength than that implied from their classification.This study concludes that the prediction of aged mortar properties using the standard classification is problematic. The basis for development of a model to predict the performance of aged mortars based on chemical and physical properties of the binders is identified. The model we propose to develop from this work will allow conservators to predict strengths more accurately and reduce the risk of building damage attributed to the use of mortars with inappropriate strength.<br/
UK Nationally Representative Survey 2023: Householder acceptance and participation in the performance evaluation of homes
No full textThis dataset was created in the context of a fellowship that aimed to investigate the opportunities and barriers to householder acceptance and participation in performance monitoring of UK homes.
Performance monitoring supports the transition to net zero homes by providing evidence useful for understanding the quality and operational performance of new and existing homes, and promoting dialogue between policy makers, stakeholders, and householders. Smart technologies provide the cost and time efficiency, and technological readiness to deliver such monitoring. The findings of the study were informed by data derived from three nested research methods – a survey, interviews and focus groups. This dataset contains the data from the survey: a nationally representative sample of 972 responses.The survey sampling strategy was designed to reflect the relative populations of the four home nations of the UK, while at an overall level to provide findings which are statistically robust and reliable (i.e., to +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence level).
Therefore, the survey aimed to recruit 1000 participants from a total UK population of 66.9 million (mid-2019 estimate), broken down as follows:
- 700 from England (pop. 56.3 million, 84% of the total);
- 100 from Scotland (pop. 5.5 million, 8% of the total);
- 100 from Wales (pop. 3.2 million, 5% of the total);
- 100 from Northern Ireland (pop. 1.9 million, 3% of the total).
A further 33 telephone surveys (excluded from this dataset) were conducted to check for digital bias and the profile matched.A social research company was engaged to recruit participants for the survey based on their existing datasets. All data was anonymised prior to receipt and analysis by the researcher.The data file is in MS Excel format and can be viewed and analysed using standard statistical analysis packages
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