Yuen Hin Yu, Echo. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2007-2008, design report." / Includes bibliographical references. / Includes Chinese characters. / Chapter 1.0 --- Title / Chapter 1.1 --- Thesis Statement / Chapter 1.2 --- Synopsis / Chapter 2.0 --- Definition - Eco-tourism / Chapter 2.1 --- Facts / Chapter 3.0 --- Issues / Chapter 3.1 --- Tourism branding 一 Green Labeling / Chapter 3.2 --- Locality and Greenwash / Chapter 4.0 --- Observations 一 Guangxi Chongzuo Bio-Park / Chapter 4.1 --- Transition of use / Chapter 4.2 --- Fragmentation / Chapter 5.0 --- Critique on current situation / Chapter 5.1 --- Disjuncture / Chapter 5.2 --- Energy Resource Dependency / Chapter 6.0 --- Design Strategies / Chapter 6.1 --- Implementation of Tourist Control / Chapter 6.2 --- Technique - Handmadeness / Chapter 6.3 --- Process / Chapter 6.4 --- The Design

Building industry is one of the most influential economic sectors, which accounts for 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP) globally and 40% of the world energy consumption. To achieve the goal of sustainable development, it is necessary to understand the sustainability performance of building construction in the environmental, the economic and the social aspects. This study quantitatively evaluates impacts of building construction in the three aspects by using the recently developed life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) methodology, in which environmental life cycle assessment (ELCA), environmental life cycle costing (ELCC), and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) are integrated. The scope of this research covers ‘cradle-to-site’ life cycle stages, from raw material extraction to on-site construction. Three life-cycle models are developed, namely the Environmental Model of Construction (EMoC), the Cost Model of Construction (CMoC), and the Social-impact Model of Construction (SMoC). EMoC is a comprehensive ELCA model that evaluates environmental impacts of building construction by considering eighteen impact categories. CMoC is an ELCC model that provides analyses on construction costs and externalities. SMoC is an innovative S-LCA model being able to quantify social impacts of building construction in thirteen social impact categories. The three models are then integrated into a newly proposed LCSA framework. In order to select an appropriate LCIA method for EMoC, the differences among existing life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods are investigated. It is found that LCIA methods are consistent in global impact categories, while inconsistent in regional impact categories. ‘ReCiPe’ is selected as the LCIA method to be used in EMoC. Midpoint and endpoint approaches of ‘ReCiPe’ can lead to different interpretations. Endpoint approach emphasizes on certain impact categories and can only be used when midpoint results are provided. A life cycle inventory is established for ready mixed concrete and precast concrete based on site-specific data from concrete batching plant and precast yard. EMoC is employed to compare environmental performance of precast and cast-in-situ construction methods. It is found that adoption of precast concrete can significantly improve environmental performance of building construction. SMoC suggests that adoption of precast concrete can have both negative and positive impacts on local employment. A case study is conducted to test the model performance. It demonstrates that environmental impacts of ‘cradle-to-site’ construction activities are mostly attributed to the material stage. The external cost due to carbon emission is about 2% of the total construction cost. Environmental-friendly on-site construction practices can significantly improve social performance of building construction. The major findings of this study are verified through interviews with the local experts in Hong Kong. These validation interviews confirm that the proposed LCSA framework and the developed models contribute to the building industry in Hong Kong. In particular, this study can be used as a supplementary to the building assessment scheme, HK BEAM Plus. Results from this study can improve the understanding of building sustainability. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-102). / x, 102 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

The environmental aspect of sustainability is currently high on many agendas due at least in part to the issue of climate change, manifesting in the monitoring of C02 emissions from all activities within all industrial sectors, with construction projects being no exception. The concept of Whole Life Carbon (WLC) involves understanding the carbon impact of an infrastructure project from its beginning, through its serviceable life, to the end of its life. The WLC concept can be applied to future infrastructure projects to assist in decision making, to ensure the correct project is taken forward in terms of minimising carbon emissions across the life time of the infrastructure. The life cycle of a highway project comprises the planning, design, construction, operation, use and decommissioning phases. For a new 23km motorway project in the UK, when considering the construction and use phases, the C02 emissions from vehicles using the road comprised 91% over a 40 year period. With the majority of C02 resulting from the use phase, any measures taken to minimise the impacts of this could potentially significantly reduce the C02 over the lifetime of a highway. It is during the planning stage that decisions can be made to reduce the WLC; by forecasting the impact of different design options at the different future phases of the life cycle. This thesis considers the effect of highway alignment, which is a decision taken early in a project's life cycle. The gradient of a highway can have a significant impact on the fuel consumption (and hence C02 emissions) of the vehicles operating on it. To design the alignment around an optimum earthworks phase in terms of time, cost and carbon may result in a construction phase with a lower impact, yet the long term effect of the subsequent gradients on vehicle fuel consumption may yield a significantly higher level of C02 emissions than the amount saved during the efficient construction operation. Conversely, an intensive earthworks operation may result in a C02 intensive construction phase yet result in long term benefits throughout the life cycle, as the fuel consumed by the vehicles operating on the highway is reduced. To understand the effect of the vertical alignment through the life cycle, the C02 in both the construction and use phases has been calculated. A methodology to calculate the C02 from the earthworks operations has been developed. The instantaneous emission model, PHEM, has been used to calculate the C02 from the vehicles using a highway. Different vehicle types have been assessed over hypothetical terrains, with the application of varying fleet mixes and vehicle speeds enabling an understanding of the effect of alignment on typical vehicle flows. These alignments have been modified, requiring more C02 intensive earthworks operations, to understand the potential benefits the new alignment can bring to the use phase, and the overall life cycle. The methodology developed has been applied to an actual case study that had six very different horizontal and vertical alignments. A second real and current project was used to gain an understanding of the C02 impacts of choosing an embankment over a viaduct structure.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

xvi, 150 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Floodplain roads and railroads are common features in river landscapes, but their distribution and impacts have not been explicitly studied. This dissertation discusses the impacts of floodplain roads and railroads on channel and floodplain processes in river landscapes at the continental, regional, and local scales. At the continental scale, I documented the spatial patterns of roads and railroads in the floodplains of the continental United States and the regional variability of their potential impacts. Based on these results, I developed a conceptual model based on topography and the interaction of transportation and stream networks that suggests that the area of lateral disconnection caused by transportation infrastructure should be most extensive in mid-sized alluvial valleys in relatively rugged settings, such as those located in the western United States. I used pre-existing digital geologic, hydrologic, and transportation data with Geographic Information Systems software to map floodplain areas and lateral disconnection along the floodplains of two river systems in Washington State. I developed methods to quickly and inexpensively delineate potential or historic floodplain surfaces, to analyze lateral floodplain disconnection caused by different types of structure, and to rank floodplain reaches in terms of salmon habitat potential. Although all floodplains exhibited disconnection, the floodplain maps and habitat rankings helped identify opportunities for habitat preservation and restoration. At the local scale, I mapped and measured the impacts of lateral disconnection, showing that channel and riparian habitat was degraded in locations with floodplain transportation infrastructure confining the channel compared with similar nearby sites lacking such confinement. Railroad grades and road beds function as confining structures in the riparian zone, disrupting flood pulses and the exchange of water, sediment, and biota between channels and their floodplains and within the floodplain. Over longer time periods, these structures can also impede the natural meandering and migration of channels across their floodplains, disrupting the erosional and depositional processes that drive the high habitat and biological diversity characteristic of floodplains. My results show that human-caused disconnections need to be further incorporated into river science and management. This dissertation includes previously published and unpublished co-authored material. / Committee in charge: W. Andrew Marcus, Chairperson, Geography; Daniel Gavin, Member, Geography; Patricia McDowell, Member, Geography; Joshua Roering, Outside Member, Geological Sciences

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Building (Property Development and Management). / This study investigated the outlook business travellers to and within South Africa have towards green hotels. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which greenness affects consumers in South Africa. This was achieved by reviewing literature related to green hotels and consumers’ attitudes towards green products and its competitiveness in the market. A questionnaire was compiled based on existing literature. Data was collected by means of an online survey and the data was tested using the chi square frequency test. The findings indicated that respondents had a positive attitude towards greening hotels but the chi-test indicated that there was agreement on the positive relationship between greening hotels and perception. Guests believed that a standard should be set for green hotels as well as that if a conventional and green hotel served the same function, the green hotel would be the preferred choice. It is important for green hotels to incorporate a premium into the hotel bill. Future research should establish a model that the hotel can adopt to include a premium in the pricing of the hotel. The potential benefits of this study will be to improve the brand and corporate image of the hotel alongside contributing to a sustainable environment.

Although requirements in relation to indoor environment quality (IEQ) have been made in green building rating systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and China GBL (Green Building Label) to promote occupant comfort, health and productivity, in practice, very little is known about user perception and satisfaction with IEQ in green buildings. Recruitment and post-occupancy evaluation of 10 office buildings (8 green buildings and 2 non-green buildings) and their 696 occupants for this study generated a dataset representing many potential avenues of inquiry. From the occupant’s point of view, the green offices in buildings with whole-building certification were significantly more satisfactory than the non-green offices, whereas the green offices certified only on the basis of their interiors were comparable to the non-green offices. Mixed-mode ventilation performed much better than other ventilation types (central air-conditioning and split air-conditioning). However, the mixed-mode green buildings were invariably perceived to be too cold in winter. A correlation model showed that green building users tended to appreciate a well ventilated, daylit, and quiet indoor environment for their health and productivity. The findings in the study made critical suggestions with regard to pursuing green building certification and addressing human factors in sustainable building design and research. The strengths and weaknesses of this study were discussed to inform future studies. / published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The principle of sustainability in the built environment has become much more significant in the past decade, resulting in a push to develop building systems that are more energy efficient, durable, and use fewer natural resources. For residential and light commercial buildings, insulated concrete forms (ICF) have enjoyed increasing popularity for their ability to meet these new demands. ICFs are a stay-in-place concrete formwork system for building structural walls that are also highly insulated, among other benefits. Screen-grid ICFs (SGICF) are a small subset of ICFs that tend to use less concrete than standard ICFs and are sometimes made of recycled materials. These traits make SGICFs attractive, but there is a lack of understanding of their structural characteristics due to their irregular internal concrete structure. Because of this, structures using SGICFs are limited to heights no higher than two stories. Further study should show whether SGICFs structures can safely built to greater heights. This investigation studied two types of SGICFs at a component level in order to gain understanding of their lateral force and drift ratio capacities under cyclic loading. Several variables, including steel reinforcement details, the type of concrete, and the presence of the forms, were altered to measure their impact on the performance of the systems. Test results suggested that the ICF formwork increased lateral strength by up to 100% and lateral deformation capacity by up 60% when compared to identical specimens tested with the formwork removed. Results also showed that confinement of the cement, either by mesh hoops, spiral wire, or fiber-reinforced concrete improved the drift ratio at failure up to 500% when compared to specimens with no confinement material. Computer models were created to gauge their ability to replicate the behavior of the experimental test results. The models typically overestimated the lateral load resistance of the samples by 50-100%, and even more in some cases, depending on the reinforcement. The models were not reliable in determining the drift ratio at which the sample was considered to have failed. In some cases the model failed at 50% lower lateral deformations than the test specimen, while in others the model did not fail at all. Future studies should explore refinements of the models to increase their accuracy and usefulness, as well as accounting for the contributions do to the form material. Future studies should also include using spiral wires, mesh hoops, or fiber reinforced concrete in full-scale walls to verify their efficacy in improving overall wall performance.

This study presents the results of a modeling effort to explore the role that sustainable roofing technologies play in impacting the rooftop energy balance, and the resultant net sensible heat flux into the urban atmosphere with a focus on the summertime urban heat island. The model has been validated using data from a field experiment. Roofing technologies explored include control dark membrane roof, a highly reflective (cool) roof, a vegetated green roof, and photovoltaic panels elevated above various base roofs. Energy balance models were developed, validated with experimental measurements, and then used to estimate sensible fluxes in cities located in six climate zones across the US. To evaluate the impact on urban air temperatures, a mesoscale meteorological model was used. Sensible flux profiles calculated using a surface energy balance were used as inputs to the mesoscale model. Results for a 2-day period in Portland, OR are analyzed. Average findings indicate that the black roof and black roof with PV have the highest peak daily sensible flux to the environment, ranging from 331 to 405 W/m2. The addition of PV panels to a black roof had a negligible effect on the peak flux, but decreased the total flux by an average of 11%. Replacing a black roof with a white or green roof resulted in a substantial decrease in the total sensible flux. Results indicate that if a black membrane roof is replaced by a PV covered white or a PV covered green roof the corresponding reduction in total sensible flux is on the order of 50%. Mesoscale modeling results indicate peak daytime temperature reduction of approximately 1°C for both white and green roofs. However, there is a nighttime penalty on the order of 0.75°C for the green roof case, which has been attributed to the additional thermal storage of a green roof. Findings also reveal that the addition of PV panels to a roof has a nighttime cooling effect. This is most pronounced on a white roof, with magnitudes of 1°C. The methodology developed for this analysis provides a foundation for evaluating the relative impacts of roof design choices on the urban climate and should prove useful in guiding urban heat island mitigation efforts.