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Norra Djurgårdsstaden is the largest ongoing construction project in Sweden and is planned to be completed in 2030. The city district is situated in north-eastern Stockholm, in a former industrial area where approximately 12 000 new homes and 35 000 workplaces are planned. The city district focuses strongly on reducing energy consumption and the negative impacts on the environment. One idea for realizing this goal is to implement coordinated freight logistics. This can be accomplished by building a consolidation centre where goods from different logistics companies and freight carriers can be loaded together on the same delivery vehicles and then be delivered in the same area in Norra Djurgårdsstaden.   The purpose of this master thesis is to evaluate five earlier evaluation reports on consolidation centres. Based on these evaluation reports and other relevant literature, it is recommended how a coordinated freight logistic project should be organized in Norra Djurgårdsstaden and how the impact on the environment and energy consumption should be calculated. The evaluation reports are from the logistic centre in the Old Town of Stockholm, the pilot project Samlic in Linköping, the urban consolidation centre in Norwich, the micro-consolidation centre in London and several urban logistic practices in Utrecht. A thorough comparative analysis of the five different evaluation reports has looked at the initiators and the stakeholders, the delivery situation before and after the implementation of the consolidation centre as well as done a deeper evaluation analysis of all the evaluation reports. The comparative analysis showed that the consolidation centres have had a positive effect on decreasing the number of delivery vehicles in the city district and thereby reducing the emissions and the energy consumption from the delivery vehicles.   Based on the comparative analysis and other literature it is suggested that the initiative to build a consolidation centre in Norra Djurgårdsstaden has to come from the City of Stockholm. The stakeholders should be the City of Stockholm, logistics companies, freight companies, the different businesses in the area and the Ports of Stockholm. To encourage even more businesses to have deliveries from the consolidation centre and get more environmentally friendly delivery vehicles in the city district it might be necessary to use several management control instruments. Examples of control instruments are environmental zones, time windows and implement different restrictions on the delivery vehicles. It is essential to gather information about the delivery vehicles in the city district to estimate emissions and the energy consumption. The collection of data from the delivery vehicles can be gathered from consignment notes, driver notes, invoice data or statistics of the number of vehicles that have delivered goods in the city centre from freight and logistics companies. Then the delivery vehicles impact on energy consumption and the environment can be estimated with the computer tool Network of transports and environment (NTM-method). / Norra Djurgårdsstaden är det största pågående byggprojektet i Sverige och är planerat att slutföras under 2030. Stadsdelen ligger i nordöstra Stockholm, i ett före detta industriområde där cirka 12 000 nya bostäder och 35 000 arbetsplatser är planerade att byggas. Stadsdelen har ett starkt fokus på att minska miljöeffekterna och påverkan av energianvändningen. En av idéerna för att uppfylla detta är att införa samordnad varulogistik. Detta kan göras genom att bygga ett logistikcenter där gods från olika logistikföretag och godstransportörer kan lastas på samma leveransfordon och sedan levereras inom samma område i Norra Djurgårdsstaden.   Syftet med detta examensarbete är att utvärdera fem tidigare utvärderingsrapporter om logistikcenter. Med hjälp av dessa utvärderingsrapporter och annan litteratur ges det förslag på hur ett projekt inom samordnad varulogistik kan organiseras i Norra Djurgårdsstaden och hur miljöpåverkan och energiförbrukning från leveransfordonen kan beräknas. Utvärderingsrapporterna kommer från logistikcentret i Gamla Stan i Stockholm, pilotprojektet Samlic i Linköping, logistikcentret i Norwich, mikro-logistikcentret i London och olika logistikmetoder i Utrecht. En noggrann jämförande analys av de fem olika utvärderingsrapporterna har undersökt initiativtagare och intressenter, leveranssituationerna före och efter uppförandet av logistikcentren samt gjort en fördjupad utvärderingsanalys av samtliga utvärderingsrapporter. Den jämförande analysen visar att införandet av logistikcenter har haft en positiv effekt för att minska antalet leveransfordon i stadsdelen och därmed inneburit minskade utsläpp och lägre energianvändning för leveransfordonen.   Baserad på den komparativa analysen och annan litteratur föreslås det att initiativet i Norra Djurgårdsstaden måste komma från Stockholms stad. Intressenterna bör vara Stockholms Stad, logistikföretag, godstransportörer, de olika företagen i området och Stockholms Hamnar. För att få fler företag att använda logistikcentret samt att få miljövänligare leveransfordon i stadsdelen kan det vara nödvändigt att använda flera styrmedel. Exempel på styrmedel är miljözoner, tidsfönster och att införa olika begränsningar på leveransfordon. Det är väsentligt att samla information om leveransfordonen i stadsdelen för att beräkna utsläpp och energianvändning. Insamlingen av data från leveransfordon kan hämtas från fraktsedlar, fakturaunderlag eller statistik över antalet fordon som har levererat varor i stadsdelen från frakt-och logistikföretag. Då kan miljö- och energieffekterna från leveransfordonen beräknas med dataverktyget Nätverket för transporter och miljö (NTM-metoden).

Groundwater is an important resource that is relied on by approximately half of the world’s population for drinking water supply. Source water protection efforts rely on an understanding of flow and contaminant transport processes in aquifers. Bedrock aquifers are considered to be particularly vulnerable to contamination if the overburden cover is thin or inadequate. The objective of this study is to further the understanding of modeling, sampling, and the potential for anthropogenic contamination in fractured bedrock aquifers. Two numerical modeling studies were conducted to examine geochemical groundwater sampling using multi-level piezometers and the role of discretization in a discrete fracture radial transport scenario. Additionally, two field investigations were performed to study the variability of bacterial counts in pumped groundwater samples and the potential for anthropogenic contamination in a bedrock aquifer having variable overburden cover in a semi-urban setting. Results from the numerical modeling showed that choosing sand pack and screen materials similar in hydraulic conductivity to each other and the fractures intersecting the borehole can significantly reduce the required purge volume. Spatiotemporal discretization was found to be a crucial component of the numerical modeling of solute transport and verification of the solution domain using an analytical or semi-analytical solution is needed. Results from the field investigations showed fecal indicator bacterial concentrations typically decrease on the order of one to two orders of magnitude from the onset of pumping. A multi-sample approach that includes collection at early-time during the purging is recommended when sampling fecal indicator bacteria for the purpose of assessing drinking water quality. Surface contaminants in areas with thin or inadequate overburden cover can migrate quickly and deeply into the bedrock aquifer via complex fracture networks that act as preferential pathways. While the presence of fecal indicator bacteria in groundwater samples signifies a possible health risk through human consumption, it was the suite of pharmaceuticals and personal care products that allowed the identification of septic systems and agriculture as the dominant sources of contamination. Land-use planning and source water protection initiatives need to recognize the sensitivity of fractured bedrock aquifers to contamination. / Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-02-28 17:27:54.806

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamas orlaivių sukeliamas triukšmas gyvenamojoje aplinkoje. Analizuojamas triukšmo susidarymas įvairiose orlaivių judėjimo situacijose: orlaiviams kylant, leidžiantis ir judant oro uosto teritorijoje. Vertinama Tarptautinio Vilniaus oro uosto triukšmo lygių bei dažnių charakteristikų sklaida į greta oro uosto esančias gyvenamas teritorijas. Darbą sudaro 4 skyriai. Pirmajame skyriuje apžvelgiama garso fizikinė prasmė, triukšmo šaltiniai, problema bei poveikis. Antrajame skyriuje aprašomi tyrimo objektai, pateikiama matavimo vietų charakteristika bei eksperimentinė orlaivių keliamo triukšmo tyrimų metodika. Trečiajame skyriuje pateiti skirtingas funkcijas atliekančių orlaivių tyrimų rezultatai bei analizė. Ketvirtajame skyriuje pateikiama kylančių, besileidžiančių ir oro uosto teritorijoje judančių orlaivių keliamo triukšmo modeliavimo rezultatai taikant programą „IMMI“. Taip pat pateikiamos bendros išvados, literatūros sąrašas ir publikacijų sąrašas šio darbo tema. Darbo apimtis – 92 p. teksto be priedų, 64 iliustr., 10 lent., 52 bibliografiniai šaltiniai. / The master thesis deals with aircraft noise in the living environment. Analyzing the generation of noise in various situations: aircraft take-off and landing and movement of the aircrafts in airport area. Treating the spread of noise levels and frequency characteristics of the International Vilnius Airport to the nearby airport located residential areas. The work consists of four chapters. The first chapter provides an overview of sound physical meaning, sources of noise, the problem and the impact. The second chapter describes the objects of research, the characteristics of measured locations (places) as well as experimental aircraft noise research methodology. The third chapter presents the different functions for aircraft research results and analysis. The fourth chapter provides modeling results caused noices due aircraft take-off, landing and movements in airport area, using the „IMMI“ program. Also contains general conclusions, bibliography, and a list of publications on this topic. Volume of the work - 92 p. text without attachments, 64 pictures (illustrations), 10 tables and 52 bibliographic sources.

Environmental regulatory policy in the U.S. is a mixture of federal, state, and local activity and impacts. This is true of air quality regulations, which are governed at the federal level by the Clean Air Act. This dissertation analyzes both the political economy of federal environmental regulations and the empirical effects of ozone regulations under the Clean Air Act.A political economy model is developed that offers a motivation for political support of national environmental policy that regulates strictly local pollution. Altering local environmental policies in other jurisdictions will cause capital migration, which may increase local welfare. Thus, individuals have an incentive to influence local policies in other jurisdictions. National environmental policy then becomes a potential tool for inter-jurisdictional competition.The empirical impacts of ground-level ozone regulations under the Clean Air Act are also analyzed. The Clean Air Act established minimum air quality standards; localities failing to meet the established standards are classified as nonattainment areas and are subject to additional environmental regulations. These new regulations have a direct impact on polluting industries, and therefore also an indirect impact on the revenues and expenditures of local governments.First, nonattainment status is seen to alter regional industrial geography. Overall economic activity declines in both nonattainment areas and the surrounding jurisdictions. Gaining attainment status partially mitigates these impacts, although to some extent theeconomic impacts in both nonattainment areas and the surrounding jurisdictions do permanently persist. I also find evidence that manufacturing activity relocates from nonattainment areas to surrounding areas that face more lenient air quality regulations.Ozone nonattainment status is also seen to produce fiscal effects for local governments as changes in industrial geography alter local tax bases. Revenues and expenditures decline in regulated population centers, while they increase in surrounding areas. These increases diminish with distance from the urban center. Also, the fiscal impacts persist even after attainment status has been gained.

Subsurface solutional pathways make limestone terrains sensitive to changes in soil properties that regulate flows to the epikarst. This study examines biogeomorphic factors responsible for changed water movements and erosion in fluviokarst slopes deforested 200 years ago along the Kentucky River, Kentucky. In this project, infiltration and water content data from forest and fescue grass soil profiles were analyzed within a detailed overview of system factors regulating hillslope hydrology. Results show that grass has growth and rooting characteristics that tend to create a larger volume of lateral water movement in upper soil layers than occurs under forests. This sets up the current emergent pattern of erosion in which water perches at grass slope bases and overwhelms pre-existing epikarst drainage. Tree roots are able to cause solution at multiple discrete points of entry into fractures and bedding planes, increasing storage capacity and releasing sediment over time. Grass roots do not enter bedrock, and their rooting depth limits diffuse vertical preferential flow in root channels to above one meter. In the areas dense clay soils, flow under grass is conducted sideways either through the regolith or at the bedrock surface. Rapid flow along rock faces in hillslope benches likely moves fines via subsurface routes from the hillslope shoulders, causing the exposure of flat outcrops under grass. Lower growing season evapotranspiration also promotes higher grass summer flow volumes. Gullying occurs at sensitive points where cutters pass from the uphill grassed area into the forest, or where flow across the bedrock surface crosses grass/forest boundaries oriented vertical to the slope. At these locations, loss of the protective grass root mat, coupled with instigation of tree root preferential flow in saturated soils, causes soil pipes to develop. Fluviokarst land management decisions should be based on site-specific slope, soil depth, and epkarst drainage conditions, since zones sensitive to erosion are formed by spatial and temporal conjunctions of a large number of lithologic, karst, soil, climate, and vegetation factors. This study shows that it is the composite of differing influences created by forest and grass that make forests critical for soil retention in high-energy limestone terrains.

Term time employment of tertiary students has increased dramatically following funding policy changes in the global Higher Education sector. Taking a comparative approach, this study of students at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, investigates the decision to work during the academic term, the characteristics of such employment, and the perceived impacts on the university experiences of New Zealand domestic and Chinese international students. The study revealed similarities and differences between the two largest student populations. Compared to their New Zealand peers, Chinese international students are less likely to take term time employment. Among those who have worked, New Zealand domestic students do so for financial reasons, while Chinese international students value the work experience in the host country. Chinese international students receive much lower wages and tend to have shorter employment durations. In terms of perceived impacts, both New Zealand domestic and Chinese international students express a generally positive attitude towards their employment decisions, with a limited but clear awareness of the negative impacts. Interestingly, for those who have never worked, Chinese international students indicate a much stronger willingness to join the student workforce in the future. New Zealand domestic students, however, are much less likely to work if they can afford not to. This research provides empirical information about international students’ term time employment in the New Zealand context. Specific advice and mentoring services are needed at both university and government levels to provide ‘a more safe and supportive’ employment environment, especially for international students.

Problem discussion – we identified the gap concerning the lack of researches in exploring the impacts of both business and social networks in B2B companies’ internationalization process based on the network model proposed by Johanson and Mattsson (1988), especially taking the Chinese environmental factors into consideration. Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the importance of environmental factors and networks for B2B companies to internationalize into the Chinese market. Methodology – The thesis adopts the abductive approach and employs a qualitative research strategy. In order to obtain relevant information, multiple case study is chosen. The primary data are collected through semi-structured interviews with three Swedish B2B companies. Secondary data such as scientific articles, reports and books are also used in this thesis. Findings – Firstly, this thesis concludes that B2B companies’ business activities in internationalization process in China are influenced by four environmental factors: cultural, legal, economic and political factor. Secondly, business networks have impacts on the process of international extension, penetration and international integration, whereas the impacts of social networks are clearer in the phase of penetration. Thirdly, in China, there is no clear distinction between business- and social networks, but the building of trust is important in developing networks. Besides, B2B companies have to rely on their local employees when utilizing Guanxi in business activities. Managerial Implications – The managers should not only focus on the advantages, but also constantly perceive the risks in the Chinese market. Besides, managers could also take specific advantages of their Chinese employees’ social networks. Furthermore, managers should connect and coordinate the networks in different countries. Finally, managers could rely on their local employees to utilize Guanxi in business interactions. Theoretical Contribution – Firstly, this thesis identifies four key market environmental factors and their impacts for companies’ business activities in the Chinese market. Secondly, this thesis contributes to Johanson and Mattsson’s (1988) network approach by elaborating on the impacts of both business- and social networks in the three phases respectively. Thirdly, this thesis proposes a new conceptualized model that provides a deeper understanding and a clearer demonstration of the importance of environmental factors and networks when firms internationalize into global markets. Limitations – The results of this thesis might be limited to generalize to all kinds of market segments or industries. Moreover, in this thesis, the impacts of social networks are only identified in the phase of penetration. Keywords - Internationalization process, B2B companies, Environmental factor, Business network, Social network, Network approach, Impacts of network, the Chinese market

L'utilisation industrielle ou militaire des explosifs est largement répandue. La sécurité est devenue un axe majeur avec notamment l'ignition involontaire des explosifs composés de HMX lors des impacts à basse vitesse. L'objectif de cette thèse est de contribuer à la compréhension des mécanismes dissipatifs à l'origine des échauffements locaux dans le matériau. Le développement d'un essai aux barres d'Hopkinson a permis de coupler de grandes vitesses de déformations à des pressions élevées pour compléter les données expérimentales. Cet essai a montré un angle de frottement quasiment identique à celui obtenu en quasistatique mais une contrainte de cohésion supérieure d'environ 25 MPa. Ensuite, pour observer les mécanismes pouvant être sources d'échauffement, un essai de compression dans la tranche a été développé avec des observations en temps réel. Celles-ci ont permis de conclure qu'il y a très peu de frottements entre les gros grains et la matrice (l'ensemble des petits grains, du liant et de la porosité). De la plasticité des grains de HMX a pu être observée mais surtout beaucoup d'endommagement dans certaines zones y compris dans la matrice. Une microfissuration très intense de certains grains a été observée. Parallèlement, une représentation numérique biphasique (gros grains de HMX et matrice) de toute la microstructure du matériau a été considérée. Une confrontation entre les observations expérimentales et les simulations a permis de déterminer le seuil de plasticité du HMX. Le comportement de la matrice a été identifié pour prendre en compte l'effet de vitesse et l'endommagement observé. Enfin, les confrontations entre les essais et les simulations de ceux-ci ont montré que les échauffements devraient plutôt se localiser dans la matrice que dans les gros grains de HMX et que le mécanisme le plus probable est le frottement de lèvres de microfissures.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOM) is one of the largest cycled organic carbon pools on Earth and an important biogeochemical factor in aquatic systems. DOM can act as an energy source for microorganisms, alter the depth of the photic zone for photosynthesis, absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation, as well as alter the transport and toxicity of contaminants. The purpose of this research project was to characterize DOM in the Grand River watershed in Ontario, Canada using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative techniques and determine the impact of anthropogenic activities as well as seasonal and longitudinal changes on DOM processes. To reach the study objectives, historical data was analyzed to determine the seasonal cycle in the Grand River watershed. Intensive longitudinal sampling surveys were undertaken to evaluate the DOM characteristics and processes in the Grand River. Surveys of the less impacted Burnt River watershed were used as a comparison watershed to the Grand River to evaluate allochthonous and autochthonous indicators of DOM source and human impacts on DOM processes. Drinking water surveillance data was used to evaluate the effect of DOM in the Grand River on formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). Different trends were seen in the Grand River in terms of longitudinal area and season. The headwaters of the river showed more autochthonous DOM in the spring and winter compared to the fall and summer. The lower-central river peaked in autochthonous DOM in the summer and was more allochthonous in the winter. DOM generally became more autochthonous downstream in the Grand River and was most autochthonous below the large sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the central portion. Protein content, measured as protein-like fluorescence normalized to DOC concentration, was strongly related to ??15N of DON; both are associated with autochthonous DOM in the Grand River and show the effects of the major STPs. The increase in autochthonous DOM below the STPs is likely associated with nutrient enrichment stimulating primary production and macrophyte growth. Based on the comparison of the Burnt River with the more impacted Grand River, the effect of lakes and photodegradation can make discrimination of autochthonous and allochthonous DOM more difficult. The ratio of DOC/DON and protein-like fluorescence proved to be robust indicators despite photodegradation. Human impacts on the Grand River watershed result in a greater seasonal cycle, high primary production in the summer and a downstream trend of increasing autochthonous DOM compared to the Burnt River. Based on drinking water surveillance data and literature review, autochthonous DOM caused greater DBPs in the drinking waters fed by the Grand River. This is currently a threat to human health and DBPs in sewage treatment plant effluent may be a threat to ecosystem health.