Architectural competitions are a fascinating, yet controversial, subject. Building from cross-disciplinary studies on competitions, creative professional service management literature and paradox theory, this research explores the paradoxes of competitions from the viewpoint of the architects’ strategizing for them. Paradox is used as a research focus and as a theoretical lens. A paradoxical inquiry links conflicting insights from four case studies of Italian and British architectural firms. This work is relevant for architecture as well as management scholars. On the one hand, it develops a theory of competitions’ paradoxes whose roots are legal, procedural, sectoral and organisational and it offers an understanding of competitions that can train architects to reduce mixed feelings and system contradictions and to compete more effectively. On the other hand, it offers an application of paradox theory to creative professional service industries and it advances paradox theory with regard to the interplay between acceptance, resolution, synthesis and separation. More specifically this research shows that paradox is a distinctive way to make sense of competitions’ contradictions. With regard to the competition process, several paradoxes are identified, namely those related to: strategic intent (acquiring the job vs. exploring in design terms and diversifying the business), staffing (availability vs. competence; diversity vs. cohesiveness), scheduling work (planning vs. allowing for flexibility), design strategy (following vs. challenging the brief), design proposal (depth vs. breadth of design contents), design submission (simplicity vs. complexity) and facilitating design work (directing vs. empowering the team). For each paradox, this research classifies underlying tensions; it proposes management approaches, categorised into synthesis and separation, and it highlights the relationships between paradoxes and a) contextual legal and procedural factors (writing of the brief, selection and shortlist, proposal design, jury assessment) framing the tensions and b) organisational ones (goals and strategic planning, marketing and sales, project, people and knowledge management) inculcating actions.

This thesis evaluates the UK construction price and cost indices and their use in measuring inflation, construction output and productivity. It proposes theoretically grounded and econometrically sound models for construction demand and supply. This study reviews the compilation methods of the published tender price indices (TPIs) in the UK and finds that they have distinct advantages. However, some components (M&E trades), some procurement methods (design and build), and some sub-sectors (private commercial and housing) are disproportionally under-represented or absent from the sampling of projects that underpins the TPIs. The TPIs are found to be very likely biased upwards. The review of the construction cost indices in the UK, measures of the input prices facing contractors, finds that the measure of labour cost is based on increasingly unrepresentative national wage agreements, and appears to be biased upwards. The construction new orders series published by ONS are reviewed as a possible measure of demand and predictor of quantity of construction output, and are shown to be unfit for either purpose. Grounded on a simple demand-and-supply theoretical model, the method proposed by Haynes and Stone (1985) is applied to estimate a system of demand-and-supply equations for new construction work in the UK, which is tested against and supported by the results of the data-driven vector autoregressive model. Findings from EU-KLEMS show that the rate of productivity growth of the construction sector is lower than that of the whole economy. Applying Baumol’s two sector unbalanced growth model, econometric studies are undertaken for the UK and other European countries. Results confirm the proposition that the relative rate of growth of labour productivity of the construction sector determines the long-run relative price movement of its outputs. The positive productivity growth in UK construction industry explains the differential between its (higher) input price growth and (lower) output price growth.

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Architects are not fond of columns because they obscure views and interrupt space. Previous work has focus on columns made of glass as it creates an interesting visual feature because of its uniqueness i.e. its transparent characteristics. However, the brittleness of glass may make it unsuitable, if used for a load bearing structural member. Nevertheless, if in a correct environment, structural glass shows good stability and build-ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the structural performance of the basic tubular single glass column and a combination of more than one tubular single glass column, bundled using structural silicone sealants. This study provides a factual basis of structural behaviour of tubular glass columns for different arrangements (single and bundled) and geometrical dimensions by the use of annealed borosilicate glass. A series of compression test was carried out on several different geometrical dimensions of tubular single and bundled glass columns to determine their failure mechanism, load carrying capacity and buckling performance and also to evaluate the strain measurements on the glass surface. Finite element analysis (FEA) using the simplified Riks method was performed using ABAQUS v6.10 to verify the test results and to provide method of analysis which can be used as a guideline for structural engineers to predict structural behaviour of tubular glass columns in general. The structural performance to evaluate the column failure behaviour i.e. crushing or buckling was carried out by looking at the effect of different geometrical dimensions and shear connections in the bundled system. In addition, this study proposed a novel glass column arrangement by combining the single and bundled glass into one layered tubular glass column, namely multiple glass columns. This was studied to investigate the structural behaviour of layered glass columns and its effectiveness compared to monolithic glass of similar geometrical dimensions. Design methods for tubular single and bundled glass columns under compressive load were evaluated using second order differential equations and direct stress analysis. Column buckling curves were developed to simplify the design method by carrying out a parametric study on single glass columns of different thickness using finite element analysis. Key words: Structural Behaviour, Tubular Glass Columns, Compressive Forces, Single Glass Columns, Bundled Glass Columns, Monolithic Glass, Layered Glass, Failure Mechanisms, Load Carrying Capacity, Buckling Strength, Design Method of Tubular Glass Columns, Column Buckling Curves.

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This thesis compares four individual projects involving innovative approaches to the problems facing stormwater management in urban areas. The first study ‘The Glasgow Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) Management Project’ satisfies the first phase of the Glasgow Surface Water Management Project. The project showed also how SUDS can contribute to the overall catchment dynamics of cities. Detailed design and management guidelines were then drafted for selected representative demonstration areas. A combination of infiltration trenches or swales with ponds or underground storage were the most likely SUDS options for the majority of the demonstration areas. Soil contamination issues were considered when selecting SUDS because heavy metals such as lead and zinc can cause environmental health problems. During the second study, 103 sites within Edinburgh were identified to assess the applicability of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) being integrated into future development, regeneration and retrofitting plans. A practical SUDS Decision Support Model based on a matrix and weighting system, incorporating the Prevalence Rating Approach for SUDS Techniques (PRABT) has been developed. The aim of the third study was to assess constraints associated with the planning, design and operation of stormwater infiltration systems, the influence of aquatic plants on water quality and the overall water treatment potential. Runoff from a lightly trafficked road within The King’s Buildings campus, mixed with dog faeces was used to simulate the real life conditions. The experimental site comprising a silt trap, a below-ground detection tank and two infiltration ponds (one planted and one unplanted) was fed by road runoff. The last study examined whether multiple regression analysis and neural network models could be applied successfully for the indirect prediction of the runoff treatment performance with water quality indicator variables in an experimental storm water detention system rig. Five mature experimental storm water detention systems with different designs treating concentrated gully pot liquor were assessed in this study.

This thesis summarises research into the performance of tubular, hydrophilic pervaporative polymer membranes in the removal of salt and organic contaminants from water, with an emphasis on organic micro-pollutants which are commonly found in oilfield-produced water. The treatment and recovery of oilfield-produced water for beneficial uses, such as agricultural irrigation, was a motivation for testing whether a sub-surface pervaporative irrigation process may be suitable for such applications. Previously there was very limited information regarding the removal of salt and organics from water by pervaporative membranes and only theoretical hypotheses regarding the relative removal of organics based on their chemical properties; this research expanded the knowledge in this area. The removal of salts, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), humic acids (as a model for dissolved organic matter, DOM), fluorene, naphthalene, phenol, 1,2-diethylbenzene, 2-phenoxyethanol and 1,2-dichlorobenzene from water by pervaporation were considered experimentally. A solution-diffusion model was used to estimate the permeate (water) flux, selectivity and removal of contaminants. The results showed that the medium surrounding the tubular membrane, the contaminant type and concentration, and the membrane thickness were all factors which influenced the water flux as well as the selectivity of the membrane during the pervaporative treatment process. Sodium chloride rejection was generally very good, with >98% (by mass) rejection at room temperature observed when starting with salt concentrations simulating seawater or highly saline oilfield-produced water (150,000 mg/l). Scanning electron microscopy images of the polymer showed that salt crystals occupy voids in the polymer layers within the membrane walls and that the membrane has a thin outer active layer that is responsible for most of the separation of salt from the water as the latter passes across the membrane. However, salt breakthrough occurred in cases when both sides of the membrane were in contact with liquid water. Hydrogen bonding and other chemical properties have an effect on the selectivity of organics removal. Phenol and 2-phenoxyethanol exhibited the lowest removals of 47% and 58% (by mass), respectively, while fluorene was best removed at 86%. Greater than 99% of BTEX compounds, of particular relevance to produced waters, were removed. Molecular weight, molecular volume, kinetic diameter and hydrogen bonding characteristics correlated well with removal (r > 0.9), indicating that both a molecular sieving effect and hydrogen bonding are factors that determine the separation of organic contaminants from water by this pervaporative treatment process. Overall, this research confirmed previous findings that pervaporative membranes appear to be able to produce water fluxes which may be suitable for irrigation, however the rejection of salt and other contaminants was incomplete and contaminant penetration into soils should be closely monitored over the long term in irrigation trials, especially in cases where the surrounding soil becomes overly saturated with water.

Recent demand for very heavily serviced widespan office floors has led, as a natural development of the concept of haunched and tapered frames, to the use of composite flooring systems supported by tapered (varying web depth) beams. These systems are very attractive from an economic point of view, combining wide spans, rapid erection and easy access to services between the shallow parts of the beam and the ceiling below. One of the most pressing needs is for a better understanding of the local buckling behaviour of the relatively deep slender web at changes of slope in the lower flange, in particular at the slope change which occurs at the centre of a beam whose depth increases linearly from each support. In the past, with plate girders, this failure mechanism was less relevant than lateral torsional buckling. With the substantial top flange of a composite section, lateral buckling is less likely, and local buckling more likely to govern the design. The tapered beam sections are fabricated from plates by welding and are susceptible to imperfection effects and residual stresses. These phenomena may interact with the localized compressive stress field which is generated in the web at any slope change in the flange to cause local web buckling. The provision of local stiffening is technically feasible, but very expensive. The beam itself is produced fully automatically and the subsequent hand installation of stiffeners consumes man-hours out of all proportion to the weight of steel involved. The prime objective of the present study was to iucntify the relative importance of several parameters that influence the phenomenon, such as angle of taper, web thickness, flange area and others. For practical reasons, the experiments were executed at half-scale and the models simulated the concrete slab of the composite beam by a heavy steel top flange. Three tapered models have been tested with different web thicknesses i.e, 3, 5, and 7 millimetres. Three more specimens with different plastic neutral axis positions were also tested. An extensive parametric study has been made using a non-linear elastoplastic finite element program. This study covered practical ranges of the important parameters including the area of the tension flange and the position of the plastic neutral axis. Moment-rotation relations, peak moments and failure mechanisms have been predicted. Very good correlation was obtained between the results of the parametric study and the experiments. It has become apparent that in the great majority of practical cases it is possible to avoid the use of the expensive hand welded stiffeners. A design formulation has been developed to produce a very simple test of the need for stiffeners.