QC 20100921

This thesis has been developed inassociation with Strängbetong AB, Sweden. A few years backCementa AB introduced a new type of cement on the Swedish market: Byggcement,which is a Portland Limestone Cement. This type of cement is better for theenvironment and cheaper than Rapid Hardening Cement which is used today at SträngbetongAB. Strängbetong AB isvery interested in a change of cement in the factory and wants to know what ittakes to make a transition from Rapid Hardening Cement to Byggcement. This final projectaims at investigating how the workability and strength development are affectedby a transition from the existing cement to Byggcement and how we can change theproperties of the concrete by adding different types of superplasticizers.  Laboratory and factoryexperiments were made, to investigate the transition.

Current water shortages in the United States and Texas are expected to only worsen so that by 2050, approximately 40% of both U.S. and Texas residents will live in areas of water scarcity (U.S. House Committee, 2003; Texas Water Development Board, 2003). In response to these grim projections, both lawmakers and environmentalists are calling for conservation measures so that future shortages or costly new supply initiatives are avoided. One area where substantial consumption decreases could be made is the municipal sector, which is projected to account for 35% of all water consumed in Texas by 2050 (Texas Water Development Board, 2002). Both organizations and voluntary programs have been established to reduce water consumption in this area. One of the largest and most innovative programs in the state is the Austin Green Building Program (AGBP). It was the first program of its kind in the U.S. that rates new homes and remodels in regards to five categories related to sustainability: energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency, health and safety and community (City of Austin, 2001). This research identified the factors (weather, home size, lot size, appraised value, and existence of a pool) that effect water consumption for residences qualifying as "Austin Green Homes", and identified those green features or designs that had the greatest effect on water consumption, that were most commonly included, and the reasons why contractors incorporated them. Non-green features such as temperature, rainfall, home and lot size, appraised value and a pool seemed to have the greatest impact on water consumption, from an analysis of R2 values, albeit a positive relation for each variable. When green features were investigated, findings showed that different features were effective in reducing water consumption for different builders and in many cases, water-conserving features actually led to increased use. Finally, results showed that large builders incorporated fewer water-related green features in their homes and achieved lower star ratings in general than small green builders.

This study examined the effects of construction types on the indoor environment of selected prison facilities in the State of Texas. Three collocated facilities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice were monitored for temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure over a period of fifteen months. The objectives of the study were to examine the response of the built environment to the stressors of ambient conditions, characterize the influence of the construction method for each facility and study the responses of the occupants of the buildings. From the data, an apparent temperature was calculated and then compared to the data collected by the regional National Weather Service facility for ambient conditions. A relationship between the type of facility and the resulting indoor environmental conditions was established. The construction materials chosen for a particular facility affected not only the rate of heating of the indoor environment but also the maximum temperature, apparent temperature and thermal variation experienced by the occupants. The peak temperature and relative humidity were higher in the metal facilities when compared to the concrete facility. Therefore, the difference in occupant living conditions was considerable when the internal environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) were compared between construction types. The concrete construction also moderated the changes in the occupant environment through a lag of internal conditions behind those of the external environment. This resulted in a slower apparent temperature rise over the course of the day in the concrete buildings and a delay in the internal high temperature of the day. Finally, the data shows that measures of aggression vary with the seasonal changes, Increasing in the warming months and decreasing in the cooling months. This increase in the metal constructed facilities is greater than the rate of increase found in the concrete constructed facility.

This research recognizes the need for building simulation/performance tools that can easily be integrated into the building design process. The study examines available simulation tools and attempts to determine why these tools are not used by building designers/architects. Findings confirm that the complexity of simulation tools created by scientists, who are more technically oriented, discourages use by architects who are more visually oriented people. The evaluation and analysis of available simulation tools suggests a thorough research methodology for creating a new front-end interface that solves current usage problems. The research is limited to the interface design of the new front-end which is named Integrated Building Design Information Interface (IBDII). The new front end provides an interface that allows designers to make more informed decisions during the design process while providing a front-end that supports AutoCAD and permits a user interface where the mode of input is graphical and not numerical. Criteria for the new front-end interface enable the development of a series of mock-up interface designs that are responsive to the needs of architects. A working graphical user interface of the building information prototype is created and is then put through an empirical user testing. The usability testing establishs the usefulness, effectiveness, likeability and learnability of the developed interface design. The testing includes six factors which act as indicators of usability and provide suggestions for future developments. The testing evaluation ascertains that the interface is easy to learn and use. Findings also show that the best feature of integrated building design information front-end is its interface design and there is room for improvement in the way input is selected.

Career development (CD) is a multilevel topic involving both the individual and the organization and influencing outcomes at the individual, group and organization level. The established limitations in current CD theory and human resource development (HRD) theory building can be addressed by examining the topic of CD through a multilevel lens. Using multilevel theory building (MLTB) to bridge the theoretical gap between individuals and organizations, this approach to theory building provides an opportunity for HRD professionals to address goals important to both individuals and organizations. Based on the CD and HRD interests described above, the threefold purpose of this study is to develop a multilevel theory of CD as a means of strengthening the theoretical connection between CD and HRD, advancing theory building in HRD, and contributing to meaningful convergence amongst existing CD theory. A new MLTB framework is developed and subsequently used to develop a multilevel theory of CD. Finally, future research options are suggested in order to make the appropriate theory refinements, continue the dialogue about MLTB and multilevel considerations in HRD, and add to the convergence of CD theory by providing a multilevel perspective of CD.

The Study of Management of Illegal Constructions in Kaohsiung City ABSTRACT The architecture against regulations is dealt with to manage in the building and have a political ring most in the field, depend on the legal aspect and the speech, the principle dealt with in architecture against regulations is ' remove without exception '; But because the architecture against regulations exists generally with the characteristic of the complicated origin cause of formation, cause the local government to disobey relevantly while building removal work, although and disobey and build management method to carry out in accordance with the building law which the central authorities issue, its relevant norms are not yet thorough enough, make the architecture against regulations of the local government managed and raised apparently by effected. This study department carries on depth interview with such 13 people as relevant administrative organs, folk architect's industry representative, popular representative,etc., adopt quality induction to analyse, implement the achievement and gather but succeed via probing into relevant regulations and current policies of architecture against regulations after gathering together the whole materials. Law's source foundation is for the regulations, upper strata location steps ordered, the relevant building laws of our country are to follow American-European countries, how unseasonable, there is a scrupulous necessity that revises again in fact. Stipulated by oneself by every local government about the treating method of the architecture against regulations, so the uneven difference that have with people's cognition emerges on a lot of decrees, so the the decree one declares leading even more important. My deal with on architecture against regulations business present situation direct decree topic, political topic, social psychological topic, administrative execution topic these 4 aspects against now, grind and plan to analyse that proposes the following suggestion: First, decree aspect: Central according with reality is easy to breed breaking rules and regulations and must make a self-criticism and improve the affiliated decree in a large amount by local decree, improve regulation decrees, such as ' City plan of the law ', ' Building law ', ' the treating method of architecture against regulations ',etc. dealing with the architecture against regulations partly to revise. Second, political aspect: Government to check newspaper and remove to build to disobey, should give consideration to feeling, pay attention to at the same time, law 3 face, feeling and it pays attention to to be should on decree, in order to advise by oneself removing for having priority. Third, social psychological aspect: III After hoping to communicate with the people first, examine all unreasonable decrees in detail, and then strengthen the communication to declare and lead to the people and popular representative after revising. Fourth, the administrative execution track: The government should be by (1) Make up the manpower of filling and carry out the removal work outside the committee, and remove worker's affair by talking about a performance type; (2) Revise the regulation of such relevant unreasonable decrees as ' City plan of the law ', ' Building law ',etc.; (3) it fine to build, build law remove expenses is disobey persons who will build pay by oneself disobey to aggravate; (4) It¡¦s remove worker affair to carry out strictly, It¡¦s imprison person who say announce online in order to speak greedy to show disrespect on the illegal item to imprison stop remove.

<p>The air gap method is a modification of the common way of building indoor walls and floors. The aim of the method is to make a construction, less fragile to water damage, with air gaps where moisture can be removed with a thermally driven air flow, caused by a heating cable. The thesis includes a number of experimental studies of this method.</p><p>Temperature and convective air flow in a vertical air gap was studied and it was noted how air flow increased with raised power of the heating cable. The air flow for one meter of wall varied between 50 m3/day (13 air changes per hour) and 140 m3/day (36 air changes per hour). The lower value was caused by a temperature difference in the range 0.2-0.3 oC. Without heating no air flow was found.</p><p>In studies of moisture and RH in wet “slab on ground” constructions, it was noted how the slab in the room with the air gap method dried to a much higher extent than the slab in the room built in an ordinary way. It was also noted that moisture was transported from the air gap in the floor and up through the air gap in the wall. In the room with the air gap construction, the RH values beneath the floor was at a lower level (and below 75 % RH) than the RH values beneath the floor of conventional construction. Mould does not grow below 75 % RH.</p><p>In the study of a flooded intermediate floor it was noted how the thermally driven convective air flow evidently speeded up drying of the construction. Mould growth was only noted in the case where the heating cables were turned off.</p> / <p>Spaltmetoden är en modifiering av det reguljära sättet av att bygga innerväggar och bjälklag. Syftet med metoden är att skapa en byggnadskonstruktion som är mindre skör med avseende på fuktskador. Detta görs med spalter där fukt kan avlägsnas genom ett termiskt drivet luftflöde som orsakas av en värmekabel. Denna avhandling innehåller ett antal experimentella studier på metoden. Spaltmetoden har studerats med avseende på 1. Samband mellan temperatur och luftflöde, 2. Uttorkning och RF nivåer i golvkonstruktioner samt 3. Översvämning av ett mellanbjälklag</p><p><strong>1. Samband mellan temperatur och luftflöde</strong></p><p>Temperatur och konvektivt luftflöde har studerats i en vertikal spalt och resultatet visar att luftflödet ökar med ökad effekt hos värmekabeln. Luftflödet i en vägg med en meters bredd varierade mellan 50 kubikmeter/dag (13 luftväxlingar per timme) och 140 kubikmeter/dag (36 luftväxlingar per timme). Det lägre flödet orsakades av en temperaturskillnad på 0,2-0,3 oC mellan luftspalt och rum. När värmekabeln var avstängd så registrerades inget luftflöde.</p><p><strong>2. Uttorkning och RF nivåer i golvkonstruktioner ovan betongplatta</strong></p><p>Detta experiment visade att fukt har transporterats från spalten i golvet genom spalten i väggen ut i rumsluften. I spaltkonstruktion var RF inuti golvkonstruktionen lägre (och understeg 75 % RF), jämfört med den konventionella konstruktionen, (mögel växer inte under 75 % RF). Det har också registrerats att betongplattan som hörde till spaltmetoden torkade ut snabbare än betongplattan som var inbyggd i ett gängse rum.</p><p><strong>3. Översvämning av ett mellanbjälklag</strong></p><p>I studien där ett mellanbjälklag blev översvämmat noterades att spaltmetoden förkortade torktiden från 21 dagar till 13 vid den fuktigaste mätpunkten. Mögelväxt noterades endast då värmekabeln hade varit frånslagen.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX204584.

Thesis (M.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009. / Title from PDF title page; viewed on January 6, 2010. Major professor: Cole McDaniel, Ph.D., P.E. "Presented to the faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo." "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree [of] Master of Science in Architecture with a Specialization in Architectural Engineering." "November 2009." Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64).