Abstract Groundwater, a key part of the hydrological cycle, is under increasing pressure from different land uses and changing climate. However, less attention has been paid to integrated groundwater management than surface waters. This thesis combined hydrological and socio-economic research for the case study of the Rokua esker aquifer in order to update current concepts of groundwater management. The Rokua area contains groundwater-dependent lakes and a periodic water level decline has raised concerns about the future of these lakes. Peatland drainage in the vicinity of the aquifer has been accused of changing the aquifer conditions. Groundwater discharge from the esker aquifer to drained peatland was studied to identify relevant hydrological processes for groundwater-surface water interactions. The results revealed a connection between the aquifer and the peatland whereby groundwater can enter the ditches through seepage or preferential flow. Modeling was used to determine critical factors in the management of the esker aquifer-peatland system. The results showed that climate and land use can affect esker groundwater, while peatland drainage in the vicinity can have similar impacts to groundwater abstraction and drought. Peatland restoration by filling in drainage ditches could possibly restore the aquifer groundwater levels. However, for the Rokua aquifer, which will possibly experience less severe dry periods in the future, extensive drainage restoration is currently too major, uncertain, and expensive a measure relative to the expected benefits. Multi-criteria decision analysis was used to identify ways of facilitating stakeholder involvement and learning in groundwater management. The results obtained with this participatory process confirmed that it can foster learning on complicated groundwater issues and collaboration in a process encompassing disputes and diverse interests. The decision analysis process led to the initiation of dialogue on more integrated management, where the preferences of all stakeholders were discussed and taken into account. Overall, this thesis shows how different aspects of aquifer management, such as land use, climate, ecological and economic values, and stakeholder preferences, can all be taken into account using a combined method which reduces the mistrust between opposing interests through research and information, resulting in more robust future planning. / Tiivistelmä Pohjaveteen, hydrologisen kierron avainosaan, kohdistuu kasvavia paineita eri maankäytön muodoista ja ilmastonmuutoksesta. Pohjaveden hallintaan ei kuitenkaan ole kiinnitetty tarvittavaa huomiota. Tässä väitöstyössä yhdistettiin hydrologista ja sosioekonomista tutkimusta Rokuan harjualueella pohjaveden hallintakonseptin päivittämiseksi. Rokuan alueella on useita pohjavedestä riippuvaisia järviä, joiden vedenpinta on kausittain laskenut voimakkaasti. Pintojen lasku on kasvattanut paikallisten huolta järvien tilasta. Harjua ympäröivät metsäojitetut turvemaat, ja ojituksia on syytetty pohjaveden tilan ja sitä kautta myös järvien tilan heikkenemisestä. Työn ensimmäisessä osassa tutkittiin pohjaveden hydrologisia purkautumisprosesseja harjun pohjavesiesiintymästä ojitetulle suoalueelle. Tulokset osoittivat hydraulisen yhteyden akviferin ja turvemaan välillä: pohjavesi pääsi purkautumaan metsäojiin joko suotautumalla tai turpeen kaksoishuokoisuusrakenteiden kautta. Seuraavassa vaiheessa työtä pohjavesimallinnusta käytettiin määrittämään kriittisiä pohjaveden tilaan vaikuttavia tekijöitä pohjavesi-turvemaa-systeemissä. Mallinnustulosten perusteella niin ilmasto kuin maankäyttökin vaikuttavat kumpikin suoraan pohjaveden pinnankorkeuden tilaan. Turvemaiden ojituksilla pohjavesialueella voi olla samoja vaikutuksia pohjaveden pinnankorkeuden tasoihin kuin pohjaveden otolla tai kuivilla kausilla. Turvemaiden ennallistaminen ojia täyttämällä voi osittain palauttaa vedenpinnan tasoja pohjavesialueella. Rokuan harjualueen tapauksessa suuren mittakaavan oja-alueiden ennallistaminen todettiin kuitenkin liian epävarmaksi ja kalliiksi toimenpiteeksi hyötyihin nähden, varsinkin jos kuivien kausien vaikutus suurilla harjualueilla heikkenee tulevaisuudessa sademäärien kasvun myötä. Työn kolmannessa osassa käytettiin monitavoitearviointia eri sidosryhmien osallistamiseen ja oppimiseen pohjavesien hallinnassa. Osallistavasta prosessista saadut tulokset vahvistivat, että menetelmää voidaan käyttää oppimisen edesauttamiseen vaikeissa pohjavesiasioissa sekä yhteistyön muodostamiseen ristiriitaisessa ja monimutkaisessa tapauksessa. Monitavoitearvioinnin prosessi johti keskustelun avaukseen yhtenäisemmän suunnittelun puolesta, joka ottaa huomioon eri sidosryhmien näkökulmat ja tuo ne osaksi keskustelua. Tämä väitöstyö osoitti miten eri pohjavesialueen hallintaan tarvittavat näkökulmat, kuten maankäyttö, ilmasto, ekologiset ja ekonomiset arvot, sekä sidosryhmien mielipiteet voidaan kaikki ottaa huomioon yhdistämällä eri metodeja. Näin tutkimuksella ja informoinnilla vähennetään epäluottamusta eri intressitahojen välillä ja luodaan pohja vakaammalle pohjavesialueiden tulevaisuuden suunnittelulle.

Wind Power Project Development is a complicated, capital and resource-inclusive process, where a wide variety of factors have to be considered and several stakeholders have a significant say in the process. Decision making in such an environment is complex and has to be approached comprehensively. In order to sustain a structured and clear decision-making process, the sustainable energy industry has recognized Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method as a suitable set of tools to aid in the decision-making process. One of the MCDA tools – PROMETHEE II, has been examined in this master thesis, to evaluate its eligibility as a decision making aid in wind power project development. To structurally and realistically evaluate the tool, it has been applied to a case study in Ventspils region, in Latvia. The author of this thesis has a preliminary agreement with the owners of the sites to develop the project, therefore, this thesis has a strong potential for a practical implementation in future. Four scenarios have been developed for an evaluation, contributing to four variations of the different amount of turbines erected, with two different hub heights, on two differently sized sites. The scenarios are assessed based on the interests of six key stakeholders. Their opinion on twelve criteria is examined. Input data for each criterion has been generated via WindPro and MS Excel software or by authors assessment based on the researched literature. PROMETHEE II is used to extrapolate a comprehensive and clear representation of the results. The evaluation of the MCDA method proved that MCDA tools, and PROMETHEE II, in particular, can provide excellent support in decision making in wind power development. A wide variety of input data, as well as the various and often contradicting interests by different stakeholders, can be taken into account, while, at the same time, a clear result that can assist in decision making, is generated.  Wind Power Project Development is a complicated, capital and resource-inclusiveprocess, where a wide variety of factors have to be considered and severalstakeholders have a significant say in the process. Decision making in such anenvironment is complex and has to be approached comprehensively. In order to sustaina structured and clear decision making process, sustainable energy industry hasrecognized Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method as a suitable set of tools toaid in the decision making process. One of the MCDA tools – PROMETHEE II, hasbeen examined in this master thesis, to evaluate its eligibility as a decision making aidin wind power project development.To structurally and realistically evaluate the tool, it has been applied on a case study inVentspils region, in Latvia. The author of this thesis has a preliminary agreement withthe owners of the sites to develop the project, therefore, this thesis has a strongpotential for a practical implementation in future. Four scenarios have been developedfor an evaluation, contributing to four variations of different amount of turbines erected, with two different hub heights, on two differently sized sites. The scenarios are assessed based on the interests of six key stakeholders. Their opinion on twelve criteria examined. Input data for each criterion has been generated via WindPro and MS Excel software orby authors assessment based on the researched literature. PROMETHEE II is used to extrapolate a comprehensive and clear representation of the results.The evaluation of the MCDA method proved that MCDA tools, and PROMETHEE II in particular, can provide excellent support in decision making in wind power development. Wide variety of input data, as well as the various and often contradicting interests by different stakeholders can be taken into account, while, at the same time, a clear result that can assist in decision making, is generated.

In the early 1990s, the United Nations (UN) recognized water as a finite resource to the entire ecosystem with an economic value that should be developed and managed based on the participatory approach using the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) strategy. Many studies on water management practices have thus emerged in the developing world. Of particular interest to this work is the management of water through metering, price-setting, and rule enforcement in the rural setting in piped, community-owned water systems. There is very little published information regarding metering, enforcement experiments, and experiences in these systems. This is because metering and enforcement mechanisms are not typically included in rural piped community-managed water supply system design and water committee training schemes. Along with an increase in population growth and changing climate patterns, there is a burgeoning interest to manage demand and reduce non-revenue water (NRW) in urban utilities in developing countries. Metering is often the demand management tool considered because it has been reported to increase customer payment rates as well as social equity. Rural, community-managed systems often suffer high failure rates due to the lack of preventative maintenance, which maybe closely linked to customer dissatisfaction and non-payment of tariffs. The inclusion of a metering and enforcement program to such systems may help to address the problem of high rates of premature failure. An inclusion of a metering program for rural community-managed water supply systems is a non-trivial task in terms of cost as well as the system designer’s time, thus there is significant interest in ensuring such a program’s success. Many field workers may have familiarity with water system design but not specifically in the area of water flow metering and currently no beginner-level resources are publicly available. This work is ultimately intended to facilitate the inclusion of metering into rural, piped, community-managed water supply systems through: 1) compilation of technical information regarding metering which would be accessible to field practitioners and relevant to the rural community-managed setting, 2) a proposed decision-making tool to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate meter for the community, 3) proposed installation tips, and 4) suggested strategies for including metering into the community-management model. Objectives 1, 3, and 4 were pursued via review of industry, peer-reviewed, and field literature along with the author’s personal experience. Multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was the method proposed for aiding in the selection of the most appropriate meter type. It was determined that four types of meters are used for residential metering in developed and developing urban utility-managed systems: the nutating disc, oscillating piston, multi-jet, and single-jet. The nutating disc and oscillating piston meters operate through a volumetric or displacement mechanism, while the single- and multi-jet meters function through a velocity or non-displacement mechanism. While a lot of variation between models of meters exists, there are fewer characteristics that can be used to differentiate between mechanisms. After applying the multiple-criteria decision analysis to aid in the selection of the most appropriate meter for a rural, community-managed systems, the nutating disc and oscillating piston types of meters were most preferred under the set of criteria chosen by the author for the purpose of example in this analysis. It is recommended that meter selection be performed on a site-specific basis with local stakeholder involvement for criteria determination. Meter installation is similar for all four types of meters and whichever type of meter is chosen, it should be protected from tampering. Increasing-block pricing is recommended to accompany metering in order to motivate water conservation. The size and price of the initial block of water should be determined according to the system’s operation and maintenance costs as well as users’ willingness to pay information. Field practitioners should prepare the community to take over the metering program by providing basic training to the users and selected meter readers/technicians.

This report analyses and describes how the bid/no-bid decisions are made at one ICT service company. The analysis is based on current available research within the area of multi criteria decision analysis to enhance the company’s decision process. It proposes how the bid engagement decision can be structured and evaluated. Through a questionnaire at the ICT company, data from its own bids was collected to identify the factors perceived to be relevant to the bid/no bid decision. It is found that the factors can vary depending on industry, market and potentially bid situation, requiring experts’ assessment of which factors to use for each bid situation. Concluding the study, an initial bid model is proposed, but with reservations due to lack of validation in real life situations. A recommendation to expand the existing bid model with probability distribution based risk estimates is made.

No description available.

This thesis deals with the optimization of structural details for flat single-leaf roofs. In the first part of the thesis, 3 groups of structural details for flat roof (flat roof parapet, gutter at flat roof without overhang of the roof cladding, intersection of the flat roof and vertical supporting structure) are characterized, classified and examined. In every group one of these structural details is designed with use of modern composite material based on secondary raw materials (still in development process). The theory describes the current issue of thermal bridges at constructions and applicable legislative documents. The next part introduces thermal engineering analysis (based on finite element method) of structures with annotated data outputs. The another main part of thesis provides with designed innovative optimization algorithm using multi-criteria decision analysis methods, which is then practically tested on the surveyed construction details. The conclusion summarizes the results and provides with improvements based on completed research.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird der Beschaffungsprozess der MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG analysiert. Zu diesem Zweck werden drei verschiedene Methoden angewendet. Das Ziel besteht darin herauszufinden, inwieweit die Berücksichtigung ökologischer Aspekte den Entscheidungsprozess beeinflusst, sodass nachhaltige Beschaffung eine sinnvolle Option bieten kann. Dazu werden verschiedene Beschaffungsalternativen unter Verwendung der Ansätze zur Lebenszykluskostenrechnung, Ökobilanzierung und Hemmnisanalyse verglichen. Ziel ist es, Empfehlungen für zukünftige Investitionsentscheidungen abzuleiten. Die vorliegende Ausarbeitung zeigt, dass die Ausweitung der Investitionsbetrachtung auf den gesamten Lebenszyklus weit über konventionelle Ansätze hinaus gehen.

Orientador: Douglas Altamiro Consolo / Resumo: Neste trabalho investiga-se a abordagem de avaliação da proficiência oral do professor de línguas estrangeiras empregado por um exame brasileiro voltado a essa finalidade específica, o EPPLE – Exame de Proficiência para Professores de Línguas Estrangeiras. O estudo tem por objetivo propor uma abordagem que atenda a necessidades levantadas pela literatura da área acerca da importância da democratização e transparência do processo avaliativo e do emprego de processos decisórios que garantam os princípios de validade sem causar interferências na praticidade das avaliações. Assim, a abordagem proposta subordina-se à elaboração de uma escala de mensuração e à reestruturação da escala de proficiência do exame, agregando-se a opinião de usuários com diferentes graus de especialidade sobre a avaliação de proficiência. Trata-se, portanto, de um estudo de caso de natureza híbrida e cunho exploratório-descritivo que se utiliza de dados secundários e primários para auxiliar a investigação. Os dados secundários consistem em estudos e documentos sobre a caracterização da proficiência linguística para finalidades gerais e para finalidades de ensino, bem como sobre a avaliação dessas proficiências; em dados de fala do teste oral do EPPLE referentes à participação de formandos em Letras de uma universidade pública paulista e de duas universidades públicas mineiras, na qualidade de candidatos ao exame, nos anos de 2015 e 2017; e nos respectivos conceitos atribuídos aos candidatos, seguindo-se ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This research study investigates the assessment model used by a teaching-oriented language examination, the EPPLE – Proficiency Examination for Foreign Language Teachers, in the assessment of foreign language teachers’ oral proficiency. We aim at evaluating the model used by the oral test and proposing a new one that meets current concerns raised by the literature regarding the importance of democratizing the assessment process, guaranteeing transparency and using decision models that assure validity principles without causing interferences in the test’s practicality. Therefore, the model we propose relies on the reorganization of the oral proficiency scale used in the exam through the inclusion of its stakeholders’ opinions. The investigation conducted consists on a quali-quantitative and exploratory-descriptive case study that uses primary and secondary data. Secondary data consist of research studies and documents on the concept of general and teaching purpose language proficiency; speaking data from candidates to the oral test of the EPPLE examination; as well as the respective rates assigned to such candidates according to the proficiency scale used in the exam. The candidates to the EPPLE examination that participate in this study are Letters course undergraduate students from Brazilian public universities, one located in the state of São Paulo and two in the state of Minas Gerais, in the years of 2015 and 2017. Primary data, on the other hand, consist of the answers ob... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Bike share system (BSS) has received increasing attention in research for its potential economic and environmental benefits. However, some research has pointed out the negative sustainability impacts of BSS from rebalancing activity, due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and additional vehicle travels. Additionally, bike and station manufacturing also bring considerable emissions to the system. Therefore, it is important to analyze the current rebalancing efficiency and sustainability of BSSs, and to assist the BSS operators in optimizing the BSS design. Existing studies lack tools to estimate the real-world rebalancing activities and vehicle usage for system sustainability evaluation and improvements. To address this gap, this research first proposed a framework to estimate rebalancing activities and applied a clustering-based method to estimate the rebalancing vehicle use. Applying the framework to the BSSs in Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles, this study estimated the rebalancing operation and compared the rebalancing efficiencies among the three systems. The analysis results show that 1) only a small proportion of stations and bikes were involved in the daily rebalancing activities; 2) most rebalancing activities were operated during the daytime, while the overnight rebalancing was limited; 3) the system scale, trip demand, and station types are critical for the rebalancing efficiency; and 4) reducing the rebalancing activities at self-rebalance stations could help to improve the rebalancing efficiency and benefits system sustainability. Additionally, the sustainability performance (e.g., carbon emissions) of BSS is not only decided by the rebalance, but also the manufacturing of bikes and stations. It is important to consider all these factors when optimizing a BSS. The existing literature on system improvement for the BSSs lacks an integrated view, and a well-designed integrated model for current BSS improvement is needed. The second part of this thesis built a simulation-based optimization model and generated 2400 scenarios for evaluation. This model aims to minimize the expansion investment, rebalancing mileage, and maximize the system demand and service rate. A Weight Sum Model is applied to solve the multi-criteria decision analysis. The model results show that the best system improvement is to build a new station with a small capacity and initial bikes. The investment and location impacts are discussed to find the tradeoff among expansion strategies. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate how different weight combinations (refer to different preferences in decision making) impact the preferred station configuration (docks and bikes) and new station locations.

The current decision-making processes involved in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in South Africa suffer from a lack of coherence and do not include evaluation of trade-offs between qualitative and quantitative impacts, as well as environmental, economic, and social dimensions. In addition, insufficient capacity and knowledge among authorities, a lack of objectivity among Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs), and mediocre reports add to the problems associated with effective decision-making. This work presents a framework aimed at improving the effectiveness and objectivity of the decision-making process applied in South Africa’s EIAs in the energy sector. A number of decision-making models and tools are available to researchers and practitioners throughout the world that could potentially be applied in EIAs. Among these are Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM), and Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA). Each of the tools has its own advantages and disadvantages. With respect to the CBA, its biggest disadvantage is the fact that it requires conversion into monetary terms of all impacts, which is sometimes difficult to achieve. The RIAM, on the other hand, fails to provide a systematic approach to the ranking of alternatives. Both of these issues are addressed by the MCA tools. The MCA framework, furthermore, is universal, transparent, easy to replicate, and does not require a particularly large amount of labour and financial resources to complete. It is, however, subjective, but this shortcoming can be overcome by making the decision process more transparent. The framework proposed in this research paper is based on the Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) technique that allows the identification of the proposed development's cumulative impact versus the current status of the environment. It then compares possible alternatives, where available, in order to identify the most optimal solution. The proposed solution takes into account the trade-offs between the different impact metrics. The research methodology followed in this paper comprised four steps, namely:<ul><li> Selection of case studies, </li><li> Information collection, </li><li> Framework application and testing and </li><li> Feedback. </li></ul> The development of the framework followed an eight-step approach that is generic for MCA and was tested on two case studies that have already gone through the Environmental Impact Assessment process, i.e. the Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) plant in the Western Cape and the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant in the Northern Cape. The former was evaluated against the "no-go option", but included a decision tree comprised of impact areas, categories of impacts and dimensions (environmental, social, and economic). The latter included alternatives for four components of the project, but the decision tree comprised only of categories and dimensions. The effectiveness of the framework was verified by testing the results of the case studies against the recommendations proposed in the respective Environmental Impact Reports. In all cases, but one, the results of the framework correlated with the recommendations made by the Environmental Assessment Practitioners in the respective studies. In addition, a workshop with the decision-makers was held to obtain their viewpoints regarding the usefulness of the framework in their decision-making environment. These decision-makers supported the use of the framework in their environment as it offered an integrated and transparent approach to the evaluation of projects and alternatives. They emphasised, however, that the decision-making process was complex and the application of the framework alone would not be able to address all the challenges. The case studies demonstrated that the proposed framework could be successfully applied in the process of undertaking impact assessments in the energy sector. It can be used to determine the trade-offs between impacts and dimensions, while taking into consideration the opinions of specialists and decision-makers when assigning weights. The framework has the ability to clearly illustrate the benefit of introducing mitigation measures and it also indicates an alternative that produces the optimal cumulative impact. In conclusion, the work presented contributes to the new body of knowledge in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment in the energy sector as it will assist authorities in making objective and informed decisions, while ensuring greater transparency in the process. It also opens opportunities for conducting follow-on investigations, such the application of the framework in other sectors of the economy, undertaking a sensitivity analysis to compare the range of scores used in the evaluation of impacts, and investigating the possibility of acquiring input from Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) and integrating those into the framework. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted