Green roofs are increasingly being employed as a sustainability feature of buildings. The sustainability approach in building designs requires reducing energy consumption and adopting low carbon energy sources without compromising the increasing expectations of comfort and health levels. Given the wide range of building designs, climates and green roof types, it is desirable to evaluate at the design stage the energy saving impact and other potential benefits from the application of green roofs. Currently, the abilities of building simulation programs to simulate the influences of green roofs are limited. For example, they have limitations in representing dynamic inter-layer interactions and moisture infiltration mechanisms. This research aims to develop a new model for the simulation of green roofs based on the control volume approach and to integrate the model within a whole building energy simulation program. The green roof elements consist of special layers such as plants and soil for which the control volume approach is capable of capturing their special characteristics with regards to the thermal and moisture exchanges. The model has been integrated within the ESP-r whole building energy simulation program. Within the ESP-r, the new green roof model alters the boundary condition of a roof surface on which green roof is constructed. The model development is carried out by a series of steps which include a careful selection of governing equations that describe the thermal and moisture balances in various layers of green roof, the numerical implementation for a simultaneous solution of the governing equations for the whole green roof, algorithm and code development and finally developing the interface with ESP-r. After successful integration, the model results were validated on an experimental test cell, which consists of an approximately 2 m2 planted medium on an insulated box with facilities for thermal, moisture and drainage measurements. The results for the thermal validation were promising with the significant boundary temperature values within a root mean square deviation (RMSD) in the vicinity of 0.5 K, whereas the moisture validation results are found to depend on initial conditions, the lower layers showing an RMSD of approximately 0.05 m3/m3 and the top layer nearly 0.12 [m3/m3]. The model is also able to predict the slowing down of water run-off. A methodology for collecting soil and plant properties which are required to be used along with the program has also been described. Based on the current state of the model and also considering the new developments in green roofs, some suggestions are proposed at the end of the thesis as a continuation of this research.

Building construction industry has significant impact on sustainability. The construction, operation and maintenance of buildings account for approximately 50% of global energy usage and anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In recent years, the embodied energy and carbon are identified increasingly important in terms of sustainability throughout building life cycle. Incorporation of sustainable development in building structural design becomes undoubtedly crucial. The effective building design requires smart and holistic tools that can process multi-objective and inter-connected domain knowledge to provide genuine sustainable buildings. With the advancement of information and communication technologies, various methods and techniques have been applied to accomplish the multiple objectives of sustainable development in building design. One of the most successful approaches is building information modelling (BIM), which requires further enhancement of interoperability. The emergence of Semantic Web technology provides more opportunity to improve the information modelling, knowledge management and system integration. The research presented in this thesis investigates how ontology and Semantic Web rules can be used in a knowledge-based holistic system, in order to integrate information about structural design and sustainability, and facilitate decision-making in design process by recommending appropriate solutions for different use cases. A research prototype namely OntoSCS incorporating OWL ontology and SWRL rules has been developed and tested in typical structural design cases. The holistic approach considers five inter-connected dimensions of sustainability, including structural feasibility, embodied energy and carbon, cost, durability and safety. In addition, the selection of structural material supplier and criteria in sustainability assessment are taken into account as well. This research concludes that the Semantic Web technology can be applied to structural design at early stage to provide multi-criteria optimised solution. The methodology and framework employed in this study can be further adapted as a generic multi-criteria and holistic decision support system for other domains in construction sector.

<p dir="ltr">Circularity or circular economy (CE) offers an approach to creating a closed-loop system toward minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency. Such a solution is vital in construction as it is known for its substantial resource consumption and waste generation. Despite the growing adoption of this framework in the construction industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lag behind their larger counterparts. This study examines the barriers to implementing circularity practices within SMEs in the United States (U.S.). Through a comprehensive investigation involving case studies comprised of company data and semi-structured interviews with industry professionals from three varying-sized construction firms, the research elucidates client preferences, financial constraints, supply chain fragmentation, and a prevalent skills gap as significant obstacles to the adoption of circularity in construction SMEs. Large enterprises with more resources exhibit a distinct set of challenges, particularly in aligning their established practices with the emerging paradigms of CE. Despite the hurdles, circularity's potential economic, environmental, and societal benefits motivate SMEs and large enterprises alike. The research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable construction by identifying strategic, operational, and market-based factors stymieing CE adoption. It recommends financial incentives, regulatory support, and increased stakeholder collaboration to overcome identified barriers. The study also underscores the need for continued research to advance the understanding and practical application of circularity principles within the construction industry.</p>

Submitted by Simone Souza (simonecgsouza@hotmail.com) on 2017-10-13T15:40:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Marcello Victor Monteiro Dondo.pdf: 1337135 bytes, checksum: 457996e9b77abfd8e0707f729e9c2baa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jordan (jordanbiblio@gmail.com) on 2017-11-07T11:32:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Marcello Victor Monteiro Dondo.pdf: 1337135 bytes, checksum: 457996e9b77abfd8e0707f729e9c2baa (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-07T11:32:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Marcello Victor Monteiro Dondo.pdf: 1337135 bytes, checksum: 457996e9b77abfd8e0707f729e9c2baa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-22 / Nos termos da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (Lei Nº 12.305 de 2010) e da Resolução do Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente Nº 307 de 2002, os resíduos da construção civil (RCC) são aqueles gerados nas construções, reformas, ampliações e reparos de obras de construção civil, incluídos os resultantes da preparação e escavação de terrenos para obras civis sendo de responsabilidade do gerador, transportador, receptor e beneficiador. O trabalho visa avaliar a gestão dos resíduos da construção civil nos municípios de Cuiabá e Várzea Grande, em termos quali-quantitativas, bem como apresentar recomendações para o aperfeiçoamento da gestão de resíduos, exequíveis às municipalidades mato-grossenses. De acordo com o objeto de estudo, para avaliar as nuanças da indústria da construção civil, no que tange aos resíduos da construção civil, elegeu-se as obras de engenharia civil, oriundas dos proponentes públicos e privados, localizadas dentro do perímetro urbano de Cuiabá e Várzea Grande, na modalidade novas construções em andamento, no período de junho de 2012 a junho de 2013, no setor da habitação. Para tanto, foram realizados estudos de caso com aplicação de questionários e levantamentos junto aos órgãos oficiais públicos e privados, canteiro de obras com utilização de estatística descritiva. Diante das obras investigadas e cálculos estatísticos, Cuiabá apresenta geração estimada de resíduos da construção civil de 1.085.500 Kg por dia, contra 609.500 Kg por dia em Várzea Grande. Já, as estimativas de geração de resíduos da construção civil, devido metodologia empregada, para novas construções em andamento, no setor da habitação, de grandes volumes, com áreas acima de 12.000 m², em Cuiabá e Várzea Grande, respectivamente, são 130.850 e 72.770 Kg por dia. / According to National Waste Solid Politic (Law Nº 12.305/2010) and Environmental Council Resolution Nº 307/2002, waste construction generated in buildings, renovations, extensions and repairs construction, including those resulting from the preparation and excavation belongs to generator, transporter, receiver and processor. The proposed is to evaluate the waste construction management works in Cuiabá and Várzea Grande, through qualitative and quantitative terms, as well offer recommendations for improving the waste management enforceable to Mato Grosso cities. According to the object, to evaluate the construction industry, about waste construction, was elected civil engineering construction, coming from public and private sector, located within the cities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande, modality new ongoing constructions type, from June/2012 to June/2013, concern dwelling sector. Thus, it will be done: studies with questionnaires and surveys of qualitative and quantitative data with public and private official agencies, buildings and also using descriptive statistics. Through the constructions studied and statistics calculation, waste construction estimated in Cuiabá is 1.085.500 Kg daily, versus 609.500 Kg daily in Várzea Grande. Estimates of generating for new constructions in progress, of housing sector, with large volumes, more than 12.000 m², is 130.850 Kg and 72.770 Kg daily, respectively, according to the methodology use, in Cuiaba and Várzea Grande.

Published Article / The purpose of this paper is to analyse the thermal performance of two buildings. The one has a large thermal mass and the other a highly insulated low thermal mass. A typical 120 m2 suburban building was modelled in Ecotect. As part of the model infiltration rate, wind sensitivity and a central Pretoria weather file were used. New material composites were introduced in the materials database to represent typical building materials used in the construction of heavy and light-weight buildings in South Africa. The thermal characteristics of these new materials were then calculated within Ecotect. Ecomat was used to calculate thermal lag which was used as an additional input into Ecotect. The research indicates that a low thermal mass and highly insulated building have been shown to use 18.3% less annual space heating and cooling energy when compared to the high thermal mass building. The good thermal performance results of the light-weight building will help in clearing scepticism to adopting this construction technology in southern Africa where high thermal mass masonry is still predominant.

This thesis presents a study of the characterisation of fine aggregates manufactured from waste quarry material and their use in concrete supported by artificial neural network models of the fresh and hardened concrete properties. The reutilization of rock filler, a by-product of the sand manufacturing process, as a soil liming material is explored. A set of tests and techniques were identified to characterise fine aggregates manufactured from quarry dusts via a dry processing system. Granite, limestone, sandstone and basalt manufactured sands and their unprocessed counterparts “feed quarry dusts” were characterised with respect to their shape and texture, grading and quality of fines (presence of clays). The results showed that the reprocessing of quarry dusts improves the particle shape and grading irrespective of rock mineralogy. Plasticised and non-plasticised concrete mixes were developed and the fresh and hardened properties tested. Concrete consistency, compressive and flexural strength is correlated with the fine aggregate characterisation test results. The manufactured fine aggregates showed a higher water demand when compared with natural sand whereas compressive and flexural strengths were enhanced. Artificial neural network models were developed to enable the prediction of the consistency and compressive strength of concrete. These models used the fine aggregate properties and mix composition parameters as input variables and were validated using a separate testing dataset, additional concrete mixes and numerical evaluation. Artificial neural network models were shown to be able to predict fresh and hardened concrete properties based on the fine aggregate characteristics. The excess fillers created in the sand manufacturing process were evaluated for soil liming potential through standard tests and a soil incubation study. The main finding was that materials with high silicate content exhibit a potential for liming, however, a higher dosage is required when compared to the dosage of high purity limestone to achieve the same liming potential.

The Jamaican hurricane history goes back a long time. The country has an average ratio of getting hit or brushed every 3.84 years and it is estimated to be hit directly every 9.47 years. This underscores the relevance of this paper since it seeks to investigate the construction, social structure and policy response of Jamaica. The impressions of the author combined with the interviews and literature study resulted in the conclusion of the constructions and social structure not being the main issue, but the policy response.

By 2003 the first Irish Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects had reached the operational stage. Media reports were emerging of significant differences in the effectiveness of these projects. This research set out to find a means by which effectiveness of PPPs could be increased and to develop a model that would assist PPP practitioners with this task in the future. Through a literature review, the Irish PPP process was mapped, the changes encountered in the introduction of PPP were investigated and a conceptual model – based on a traditional process model - was proposed. The model was tested by examining the outcomes of two projects and assessing the effect of participant attitudes on these outcomes. The projects were analysed in terms of Risk, Value and Innovation, and three propositions were offered: • there were differences in project outcomes; • there were differences in the attitudes of the project participants; • the attitudes influenced the outcomes. Using a combination of research methods, the data were gathered and analysed. The first two propositions were proven for Risk and Value but not for Innovation. In addressing the third proposition, a pattern matching exercise was undertaken and a number of findings were reached. These findings were further tested to establish their validity, credibility and reliability. The results showed that specific elements of participant attitudes were found to affect some of the project outcomes and that these had a significant effect on the overall success of the project. The findings showed that PPP conducted as outlined by the conceptual model would not maximise effectiveness. The model was revised so that it commenced with analysis of the desired outcomes and proceeded by working back through the PPP process to define the inputs necessary for success. Using this information, the model was refined, making it ready for use by future PPP practitioners.

Social and organisation theorists have become increasingly interested in studying information and communication technologies over the last two decades. This thesis examines how information and communication technologies are organised, and what is organised by information and communication technologies. The thesis contributes to the interest in detailed studies of information and communication technology through an analysis of the implementation and deployment of a mobile data system-the Vehicle Mounted Data System (VMDS)-by firefighters, fire crews and officers at a United Kingdom fire brigade. This thesis examines what becomes of the Vehicle Mounted Data System when it is introduced into a UK fire brigade. This includes an exposition of how recurring issues including the boundaries of the brigade, what is meant by standardisation and risk, what counts as information, and what is understood by devolved incident management is reordered as the VMDS becomes a constitutive part of the problematic fire service provision. The VMDS is bound up with reality constituting effects and this means that what is meant by technology and organisation becomes an important topic of scholarly study. This thesis develops a non-essentialist ontology of technology and organisation-an ontological turn in organisation theory. It is argued that the VMDS is a relational effect that is aligned with existing boundaries and assumptions at Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade, that the VMDS is a multiple object that is a mutable mobile and is deployed not only to manage safety at incidents but also for managing performance and organisational flexibility, and that the instabilities of the VMDS are responded to ambivalently by various actors as they are enrolled in the collective upkeep of the VMDS. In analysing the Vehicle Mounted Data System a range of analytical resources are drawn upon, including, most significantly, actor-network theory, but also the writings of Deleuze and Guattari. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the politics of theory and suggests that researchers would remain faithful to their intellectual tradition and a sense of critical and creative purpose if they engaged with and helped to construct the heterogeneous ways in which technological devices such as the Vehicle Mounted Data System transform what organisation theorists understand by organisation.

<div> <p>The residential building sector is one of the most energy intensive sectors in today’s civilization. With population growth and a rise in number of homeowners the effect is bound to worsen. A wave of green and sustainable strategies is on the rise hoping to moderate some of the negative effect on the environment. From embracing renewable sources of energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, to improving existing home systems to become more efficient, the construction industry is evolving into becoming more energy conscious. One of the biggest obstacles to this wave is a lack of awareness and a fear of initial costs among contractors, homeowners and clients alike. This research will use Life Cycle Cost Analysis on a varying combination of residential energy systems and the researcher hopes to establish the trade-off between initial investment and long-term benefits. The case being considered is a residence located in Indiana, US. Using past and current utility bills and energy simulation data of different energy consuming systems in the residence over its lifetime, economic models are generated. This research establishes that a combination of passive and active energy conservation measures results in the lowest life cycle cost. The study will be beneficial for further research and as a framework for residential life cycle cost analysis.</p></div>