Since reaching their LIAMs, Himalayan glaciers have generally undergone a period of retreat, evident from large moraines left at former ice limits. Currently, however, detailed assessments of Himalayan glacier fluctuations over the past century are limited and fail to compare spatially or temporally to records available in Central Europe, North America and Scandinavia. Consequently, the variability and magnitude of glacial change across the Himalayas, which is a key indicator of climatic change in this region, is yet to be fully understood. Against a background of poor data availability, Corona imagery and historic GLIMS glacier outlines now offer an opportunity to assess glacier extent for regions of the Himalayas pre-1980. Corona imagery, acquired by a US space-borne reconnaissance mission operational from 1960 to 1970, represents a particularly unique dataset offering high resolution imagery (~1.8 m) with stereo-scopic capabilities. Utilising Corona imagery, there is an opportunity to produce detailed maps of Himalayan glacier extent and extract ice surface elevation estimations, in some instances, for the first time. Despite having been de-classified in 1995, the use of Corona data in the Himalayas has been neglected, mainly because of orthorectification challenges related to its unique geometric distortions. Hence, there remains a need to develop a low cost and easily replicable method of accurately orthorectifying Corona imagery enabling its use as a large-scale glacier mapping tool in the Himalayas. In response to this need, Corona images are orthorectified in this study through the use of: (1) a non-metric photogrammetry approach; and (2) horizontal and vertical reference data acquired from ortho-ASTER imagery and the freely available ASTER GDEM. By comparing glacier measurements derived from Corona imagery, GLIMS data and more contemporary ASTER data, changes in glacier area, length and in some instances volume, between the 1960/70s and early 2000s, were quantified for glaciers selected within four study areas located in Uttarakhand, India and Central Nepal. Importantly, this cross-regional glacier change dataset both complements and enhances current Himalayan records. Most notably, results indicate that glaciers selected in the Bhagirathi and Pindar/Kali basins, Uttarakhand, reduced in area by a relatively small 7.97±0.29% and 7.54±0.26%, respectively. Contrastingly, glaciers selected in the more easterly located Seti and Trisula basins reduced in area by 29.78±0.2% and 50.55±0.08%, respectively. Comparisons of Corona DEM (derived from Corona stereo-pairs) and ASTER Global DEM elevations at the terminus regions of four glaciers revealed extensive surface lowering, ranging from 87±27 m to 142±27 m. For Corona processing, the methods applied were shown to orthorectify Corona images to an accuracy that allows comparable glacier outlines to be delineated, further demonstrating the mapping potential of this dataset. However, for Corona DEM extraction, the use of ASTER spatial control data was shown to be inadequate and the presence of large vertical errors in the DEMs generated hindered the measurement of glacier volume change. For this purpose, it is therefore recommended that the methods developed are tested with the use of very high resolution spatial control data.

The focus of study is to determine the relationships between clients and FM service providers by developing a yardstick for measuring and appraising the relationships in main FM outsourcing contracts in the higher education sector of Hong Kong. In this study, “outsourcing relationships” are defined as “the extent to which an FM outsourcing contract facilitates effective ownership or control of FM assets, and enhances the competitive positioning and long-term strategies of the outsourced FM portfolio whilst the client’s requirements are met”. The most practical and successful approach for improving FM outsourcing relationships reported in the literature is a model based on quantitative assessment. A review of the literature suggests that the Four Outsourcing Relationship Types (FORT) model, used in the information technology industry, can be adapted for use in FM outsourcing. The data from two Delphi surveys and two questionnaire surveys, administered to 38 clients and 34 FM service providers, were used to build the proposed Contingency Outsourcing Relationships (CORE) model. The data analyses included the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U test and a Multi-nominal logistic regression. The Analytical Hierarchy Process and two focus group meetings were also used to develop the model. The CORE model can be used to assess the four categories of outsourcing relationships by focusing on the four main FM outsourcing service contracts in Hong Kong’s higher education sector: (i) building maintenance; (ii) security; (iii) cleaning; and (iv) catering. Other FM outsourcing service contracts are not covered by the CORE model. In the model, the combination of two different outsourcing relationship components or dimensions contributes to an outsourcing relationship type. In conclusion, the empirical investigation reveals a significant relationship between FM outsourcing relationship types and services in the context of Hong Kong’s higher education sector. Clients and service providers have indicated that applying the FM outsourcing relationship types improves the quality of the services. The findings indicate a match in the preference for the extent of outsourcing relationship dimensions on the ownership and control of service provider involvement on current outsourcing contracts for building maintenance, cleaning and catering in Hong Kong’s higher education FM industry. This study also discusses that the importance of matching demand and supply of FM services plays a major role in the FM outsourcing success.

In apparent realisation of the place of procurement in driving the implementation of socio-economic policies, successive governments across the globe are increasingly demanding more from suppliers as it pertains to the delivery of socio-economic benefits. This has resulted in a significant shift in what constitutes success in the respective projects which they commission; from factors related to the ‘iron triangle’ to contributions of the project to the growth of the local economy. Policies such as the Social Value Act, and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICDA) in the United Kingdom and Nigeria respectively readily come to mind. Judging by the plethora of literature bemoaning the prevailing high poverty and unemployment rates in developing and resource-rich countries such as Nigeria; it would appear that the implementation of such policies has failed to deliver the expected outcomes. This opinion is affirmed by several studies which point to the possibility of implementation failure in such countries. Surprisingly, none of these studies has made any attempt to explore the manner in which implementation is organised and governed. Obviously, the seeming absence of a veritable platform for implementation analysis constitutes an immense challenge to effective analysis. As a result of this, previous investigators appear to have failed to properly tackle this imbroglio from a holistic and systemic perspective. To bridge this gap, this qualitative study embarked upon an evaluation of the implementation process using the NOGICD Act as an exemplar. The failure of the nation’s economic sectors to achieve sufficient backward linkage with the oil and gas industry, as evidenced by the reported failure of local suppliers to gain entry into the supply chains of major infrastructure projects contributed to this choice. The Viable Systems and Temporary Multi-Organisations theoretical lenses were applied in the conceptualisation of the inherent complex interorganisational relationships thus resulting in the development of a Viable Infrastructure Delivery Systems Model (VIDM); a model premised on systemic and cybernetic principles. The VIDM was then applied in conceptualising and evaluating the extant interorganisational relationships within selected infrastructure delivery system case studies in Nigeria and the United Kingdom depicting the multi-case study nature of the study. A mixture of unstructured, semi-structured, and structured interviews were employed at various stages of the study. Also, policy and publicly available contract documents were explored. Subsequently, the emergent data was qualitatively analysed using pre-set themes, with NVivo software. The findings obtained were used to test various propositions on a within-case and cross-case basis. It was observed that the VIDM was better positioned to conceptualise and evaluate the various interorganisational interactions within infrastructure delivery systems and how they influence implementation success. Furthermore, the application of the VIDM within the selected cases enabled the discovery of various issues within the IDS capable of undermining successful implementation such as non-alignment of goals within the IDS, excessive government interference, lack of appropriate criteria for measurement of benefits and cognition-related issues. It is expected that the VIDM would be used by implementation advisors for conceptualising and evaluating interorganisational relationships during policy or strategy implementation cycles and/or for (re)designing implementation processes for viability within the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

No description available.

This thesis is about improving the suitability of the time domain Boundary Element Method (BEM) for predicting the scattering from surface treatments used to improve the acoustics of rooms. The discretised integral equations are typically solved by marching on in time from initial silence; however, this being iterative has potential for divergence. Such instability and high computational cost have prohibited the time domain BEM from widespread use. The underlying integral equation is known to not possess unique solutions at certain frequencies, physically interpreted as cavity resonances, and these manifest as resonant poles, all excited and potentially divergent due to numerical error. This has been addressed by others using the combined field integral equation; an approach built upon in this thesis. Accuracy and stability may also be compromised by poor discretisation and integration accuracy. The latter is investigated on real-world surfaces, demonstrating that the popular Gaussian integration schemes are not suitable in some circumstances. Instead a contour integration scheme capable of resolving the integrands‟ singular nature is developed. Schroeder diffusers are Room Acoustic treatments which comprise wells separated by thin fins. The algorithm is extended to model such surfaces, applying the combined field integral equation to the body and an open surface model to the fins. It is shown that this improves stability over an all open surface model. A new model for compliant surfaces is developed, comparable to the surface impedance model used in the frequency domain. This is implemented for surfaces with welled and absorbing sections, permitting modelling of a Schroeder diffuser as a box with surface impedances that simulate the delayed reflections caused by the wells. A Binary Amplitude Diffuser - a partially absorbing diffuser - is also modelled. These new models achieve good accuracy but not universal stability and avenues of future research are proposed to address the latter issue.

Conflicts bring deaths and disabilities, population displacements, destruction of properties and changes to societies. Conflicts also devastate the economy, health, education and institutions. Within this context post conflict reconstruction contributes to overcome the legacies of conflict through reconstructing the enabling conditions for a functioning peacetime society. Post conflict reconstruction involves a wide range of interventions needed to reactivate the development process that has been disrupted by the conflict. With regard to the post conflict interventions, post conflict housing reconstruction plays a vital role in establishing the development and peace in conflict affected countries. Despite its importance, the success of post conflict housing reconstruction is hindered by a number of problems such as lack of community participation, lack of strategies to address the challenges faced by vulnerable people, lack of consideration of local and cultural conditions, lack of consideration of socio-economic conditions of affected people, poor technical oversight and a lack of security of land tenure. Consequently these problems have caused dissatisfaction resulting in some people to remodel or abandon the houses. Furthermore, it has been revealed that the lack of consideration of housing needs in post conflict housing reconstruction has directly or indirectly given rise to most of these issues. Therefore addressing these needs would contribute to minimising the issues of post conflict housing reconstruction and adequate housing measures provide guidelines in such situations in addressing housing needs in post conflict housing reconstruction. However, the countries emerging from conflicts have different characteristics that add a different dimension to post conflict housing reconstruction. Accordingly, addressing housing needs cannot be considered in isolation without considering the challenges pose by the characteristics of the post conflict setting. In this context, there is a need to understand how these particular housing needs can be effectively addressed. Accordingly, this study addresses this eminent need by exploring how can the housing needs be effectively managed in post conflict housing reconstruction. As Sri Lanka’s long lasting conflict came to an end in 2009 leaving a legacy of immense damage to housing, post conflict housing reconstruction remains prominent within post conflict interventions in the country. Accordingly, Sri Lanka provides a sound basis for this study and hence the study is centred on it. Ontological and epistemological positions of this study led to subjectivism and interpretivism respectively. Grounded theory approach was used as the research strategy. While unstructured interviews were used as the primary data collection technique, interviews were supplemented by creative visual images. Interviews were also verified through a documents review. Grounded theory data analysis procedure was used to analyse the unstructured interviews. The study reveals the challenges, contributing factors and strategies in addressing housing needs in post conflict housing reconstruction. It also identifies the gaps in managing housing needs and recommendations to minimise such gaps in managing housing needs in post conflict housing reconstruction. Furthermore, the study develops a theoretical framework that presents the associated challenges, contributing factors, strategies, gaps and recommendations to minimise such gaps in managing accessibility, habitability, affordability, location, facilities, cultural consideration and security of land tenure in post conflict housing reconstruction. Key words: Conflict, Post conflict, Post conflict reconstruction, Post conflict housing reconstruction, Housing needs and Managing housing needs.

Quality has proven to be an effective management concept in the twentieth century and a powerful catalyst for driving organisational effectiveness and competitiveness. In recent years, research interests have shifted from the implementation aspects of quality and thus the shaping of local and organisational cultures that drive quality through continuous improvement and optimisation, towards the emerging concept of sustainable organisational excellence. The construction industry is a key pillar of every country’s economic activity. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, continued strong growth is demonstrated by the number of landmark projects, both residential and commercial, in development across the region. The construction industry in the GCC has become more sophisticated, complex and daring than ever before and the pace of development and expansion appears unabated, despite the economic downturn. This study looks specifically at the challenges the construction industry faces in the process of implementing quality management principles and creating effective quality cultures that can deliver organisational excellence and performance impacts on a sustainable basis. The research closely scrutinises how quality cultures are defined and created in various construction-based organisational settings and aims to assess the effectiveness of quality culture maturity. A combined integrated methodology was used to examine a list of critical success factors identified in the literature review. By using six case studies spread across three GCC countries and a survey questionnaire distributed to members of all GCC countries, plus the affiliate country of Jordan, 46 critical factors emerged as dominant (and with high significance). Several unique contributions to the existing body of knowledge were added through this study. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of the literature, this study used an integrated triangulated methodology suitable for researching the GCC construction industry.

The U.K. financial sector, being the largest contributor to the national economy, needs to have robust contingency arrangements to counter any major operational disruption. As such, this doctoral research identified the premise of the need to raise the status of BCM in financial organisations.

This thesis describes a theoretical, numerical and experimental heat transfer study of components of construction exposed to fire. Within the computational aspects of the work, one and two-dimensional finite difference and finite element methods have been developed to determine the transient temperature distributions in the cross-section of elements of construction subject to furnace fire tests. Either Cartesian or cylindrical polar coordinates can be used in order to conform to the shape of the element to be analyzed. The convective and radiative heat transfer boundary conditions at the exposed and unexposed sides of components can be simulated. Structures may comprise several materials each having thermal properties varying with temperature. They could be made of traditional construction materials, for example steel, concrete, plasterboard, or novel fire-resistant composite materials, for instance Glass- Reinforced Plastics (GRP) or intumescent coatings. The critical role of the thermal properties of materials with respect to the heat transfer rate was reviewed and the factors which significantly affect the heat transmission, such as the moisture content in hygroscopic materials and the decomposition of plastic matrices, have been investigated in considerable detail. A large number of experimental furnace tests have been conducted in order to reveal the fire-resistant performance of various materials and to verify the numerical modelling. Both the standard cellulosic and hydrocarbon time/temperature regimes have been used to simulate cellulosic and hydrocarbon fires. The comparison between the computational simulation and experimental measurements is generally excellent. In addition, a number of user-friendly, interactive computer programmes have been developed which may be used to predict the behaviour of building elements exposed to a specified fire environment. The general issues and relevant problems associated with the experimental and computational approaches to fire safety design are discussed. Some recommendations for the further improvement of the existing fire resistance standards are proposed and further required research in the subject areas are identified.

I wish to express my gratitude to Professor Martin Betts and Professor Luis Tadeu de Almeida, my joint supervisors, for their support and encouragement throughout the entire period of my research. My special thanks to Dr. David Eaton for his invaluable assistance, continued support, encouragement and patience. I would like to thank all staff from the School of Construction and Property Management of Salford University and from the Departamento de Engenharia e Gestão do Instituto Superior Técnico for their help during this period. My thanks to my colleagues in my Department in Lisbon and to my research colleagues in Salford. Their insights, opinions and support were of great value to my research and for myself. I would like also to express my gratitude to all that contributed to my research, making themselves available for interviewing and also providing material for my research. Thanks to my parents, all my family and friends for their support. Finally, a very special kiss to my sons and daughter: Luis Miguel, Maria Joana and Filipe Manuel for their love, encouragement and patience during this period as my time was short for them.