Established communities pursue revitalization to transform struggling downtowns into vibrant hubs and walkable neighborhoods. Vacant and underused parcels can help communities grow sustainably by using excess capacity in existing infrastructure. However, many communities experience limited urban infill activity due to persistent bias favoring low-density development at the community’s edges. In small communities perceptions and processes can favor low-density growth. Infill development can be complicated due to site conditions and neighborhood context, yet planners work with ad hoc techniques and limited staff time. There is a need for efficient ways to identify suitable sites and generate information to use for community decision-making around redevelopment. The primary aim of this research is to develop an Urban Infill Assessment Framework (UIAF). It is organized around three questions: Can the framework assess infill’s potential in a small post-industrial downtown? Is it replicable? Does the framework change how local stakeholders perceive infill potential? To answer these questions this study will develop and test a UIAF in Turners Falls, MA, then test resulting information through stakeholder interviews. The framework uses mixed-methods to integrate social values, fiscal efficiency, and spatial awareness through procedures organized in three Phases. Phase I examines quantitative and qualitative information (e.g., local planning documents, tax data, site visits, and consultations with local experts) to produce mapped context data, and local building typologies with corresponding tax yield per acre. In Phase II these components are used in scenario building, to calculate composite capacity of infill acreage and annual tax yield for defined areas. Finally, interviews with ten stakeholders test how the information influences perceptions of infill in Turners Falls. As a result of this research, planners should be able to replicate the framework. Based on preliminary results, the relevance of an infill assessment tool to planning practice is threefold: It promotes strategic land-use planning by generating information to compare development projects across diverse locations, scales, and spatial configurations. It supports structured application of concepts uniquely suited to managing urban environments. Improved redevelopment tools and expertise can offset procedural and perceptual factors that favor low-density growth and sprawl.

The tool-less additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing processes (3DP) use incremental consolidation of feed-stock materials to construct part. The layer by layer AM processes can achieve spatial material distribution and desired microstructure pattern with high resolution. This unique characteristics of AM can bring custom-made form and tailored functionality within the same object. However, incorporating form and functionality has their own challenge in both design and manufacturing domain. This research focuses on designing manufacturable topology by marrying form and functionality in additively manufactured part using infill structure. To realize the goal, this thesis presents a systematic design framework that focuses on reducing the gap between design and manufacturing of complex architecture. The objective is to develop a design methodology of lattice infill and thin shell structure suitable for additive manufacturing processes. Particularly, custom algorithmic approaches have been developed to adapt the existing porous structural patterns for both interior and exterior of objects considering application specific functionality requirements. The object segmentation and shell perforation methodology proposed in this work ensures manufacturability of large scale thin shell or hollowed objects and incorporates tailored part functionality. Furthermore, a computational design framework developed for tissue scaffold structures incorporates the actual structural heterogeneity of natural bones obtained from their medical images to facilitate the tissue regeneration process. The manufacturability is considered in the design process and the performances are measured after their fabrication. Thus, the present thesis demonstrates how the form of porous structures can be adapted to mingle with functionality requirements of the application as well as fabrication constraints. Also, this work bridges the design framework (virtual) and the manufacturing platform (realization) through intelligent data management which facilitates smooth transition of information between the two ends. / National Science Foundation #OIA-1355466 / National Science Foundation-DMR- MRI #1625704 / National Institute of Health - COBRE: CDTSPC; Grant # P20GM109024 / US-DOT # 693JK31850009CAAP / Dept. of Commerce Research-ND, Award # 17-08-G-191 / CSMS, NDEPSCoR / NDSU Grand Challenge and Development Foundation

In this work I study the advanced geophysical method - the time domain electromagnetics. In the theoretical part I summarize principles of the method, describe several measuring systems and guide the reader through the software for data processing. I further prove reliability of the applied methodology by forward and inverse computations for a simplified model of supposed target structures. The results show that for the selected configuration of field measurements with a depth range of 100-200 m the influence of 3D structures is significant when placed in a distance smaller than approximately 100 m. In the practical part I test the method in the sedimentary environment and find that results of the method are in accordance with the vertical electrical sounding method. Subsequently, I show that the artificial highly conductive object placed inside the current loop significantly affects the outcomes of the method. Artificial conductive object has only minute effect if placed in a close distance but outside of the current circuit. Besides the theoretical and experimental findings about the reliability of the method I have applied the method for research of maar volcanoes. I have confirmed with high probability the presence of maar volcano near the Jablonná village. The results measured close to the...

Remember the Future is a typological addition to the renowned Stockholm suburb of Fittja, an area built during the Million Programme in the early 70’s, and the project tries to weave itself into this unfashionable urban fabric. Fittja’s different building types share a strong common language, they remind us of a family, a group of siblings, all of the same generation. Our project enacts the return of a lost sibling, raised under very different circumstances, but unmistakably of the same blood, and its return changes the family dynamic forever. / Remember the Future är ett typologiskt tillägg till den ontalade Stockholmsförorten Fittja, byggd under Miljonprogrammet på tidigt 70-tal, och projektet försöker tråckla sig in i denna otidsenliga stadsväv. Fittjas olika byggnadstyper delar ett utpräglat gemensamt språk, de påminner om en familj, en syskonskara, alla från samma generation. Projektet iscensätter återkomsten av ett förlorat syskon, uppväxt under helt andra förutsättningar men tveklöst av samma blod, och dess återkomst förändrar familjedynamiken för alltid.

Soccer accounts for a third of the Swedish sports movement with 3 503 fields of both natural and artificial turf. The European Union will make a decision in 2021 on how to handle the issue of rubber performance infill. This infill can be found in artificial turf fields and are used for performance properties. The problem with this infill is the microplastics that spreads into the nature which is considered as toxic. Because of this the EU have decided to either ban or provide mandatory rules to reduce the spread of rubber performance infill. The north and the majority of Sweden’s climate is not adapted for play of soccer on natural turf according to FIFA, and EU want to ban or provide mandatory rules for artificial turfs. This action from the EU can perturb the entire Swedish sports movement since soccer accounts for a third of that movement. This study was therefore created to show if artificial turf fields are as bad for the environment as rumours has said compared with the natural turfs. To investigate this, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed regarding the global warming potential (GWP) and embodied water consumption for three different field types: an artificial turf field with recycled SBR, an artificial turf field with cork and a natural turf field. The result visualised that a natural turf field had the highest embodied water consumption and the highest impact on the GWP of a ten-year life cycle while the artificial turf field with recycled SBR had the least embodied water consumption and the least impact on the GWP. The findings of this LCA were that Sweden for the moment is dependent on artificial turf and the rubber performance infill, since the material properties are the best adapted to their climate. Therefore, a ban would be a risk for the Swedish sports movement. It was also revealed that natural turf fields in Sweden consumes at least 50 % municipal drinking water when irrigate. The high GWP impact came from the production of fertilisers (NPK). This report has shown how artificial turf and natural turf can work together in an industrial symbiosis by making the artificial turf field constructed to collect rainwater and use that water to irrigate the natural turf with.

Vad är det i den urbana väven av platser och byggnader som på lokal nivå gör den välfungerande, hållbar och till en plats vi människor kan leva i och verka på tillsammans?Hur utformar vi bäst staden när behovet av dess infrastruktur, service, platser att bopå och så många andra aspekter ökar i takt med en ständigt ökande urbanisering?Ett verktyg som tas till hjälp allt oftare i denna utmaning är en förtätning av de redanbefintliga miljöerna med ytterligare nya byggnader, i vilka olika former av funktioner ochverksamheter ska erbjudas i en lämplig blandning för att förtäta och koppla ihop stadenoch dess invånare än mer.Vi undersöker i detta projekt hur ett antal internationella exempel på urban förtätninghar fallit ut och försöker dra generaliserande lärdomar av det, med målet att hitta ochverifiera principer som kan vara vägledande för att skapa väl fungerande och täta urbanabyggnader och miljöer framöver. Utifrån dessa principer samt platsanalys skapar viett designförslag för en obebyggd tomt i centrala Malmö. I vår analys och de tester avgestaltning och form vi genomför av de funna principerna, ska vi se att det är möjligt attlära av den förtätning som skett under de senaste åren och kanske också redan nu dravissa slutsatser av hur framtida urban förtätning bör ske. / What is it in the urban fabric of places and buildings that at the local level makes it wellfunctioning, sustainable and a place where people can live and work together? Howdo we best structure and shape the city when the need for its infrastructure, services,places to live and so much more increase at a rate on par with an ever increasing levelof urbanization? A tool used more and more frequently to handle this challenge is that ofurban infill of the already existing environments with additional new buildings, in whichvarious forms of functions and activities are to be offered in a suitable mix to densify andconnect the city and its inhabitants even more.In this project, we investigate how a number of international examples of urban infill haveworked out and try to deduce generalized principles from it, with the aim of verifyingthose principles to work as guidelines in the creation of well-functioning and dense urbanbuildings and environments in the future. Based on these principles together with siteanalysis we create a design proposal for an undeveloped plot in central Malmö. In ouranalysis and the research-by-design test we carry out of said principles, we shall see thatit is possible to learn from the urban infill projects which has taken place in recent yearsand that we already may draw some conclusions as to how future urban infill shouldpreferably be carried out.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Mikroplaster och dess miljöeffekter är ett forskningsområde under utveckling. Provtagning och analysmetoder försvåras av att mikroplaster kan komma från olika råvaror, vilket innebär att dess innehåll, partikelstorlek samt densitet kan variera. Det är däremot tydligt att mikroplaster är ett problem i marina miljöer då intag och ackumulering av mikro- och makroplaster har registrerats i ryggradslösa djur, fiskar, däggdjur och fåglar. Mikroplaster kan påverka bland annat matsmältningen och reproduktionen för vattenlevande djur. Mikroplaster har även registrerats i föda som är relevant för människor, men vilka effekter mikroplaster har på människor är ännu oklart. I en rapport från år 2017 uppskattade Svenska Miljöinstitutet (IVL) konstgräsplaner till att vara den näst största kvantifierade källan till spridning av mikroplaster till miljön med 1638 – 2456 ton per år, efter slitage från däck och vägar. Fotboll är en av Sveriges populäraste sporter och antalet konstgräsplaner i landet uppgick år 2016 till 1336 stycken. Till följd av att konstgräsplaner anses som en viktig källa till spridning av mikroplaster är det viktigt att utröna orsakerna till hur och varför mikroplaster sprids från konstgräsplaner och även vilka åtgärder som kan sättas in för att minska spridningen. Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera orsakerna till spridning av mikroplaster samt att presentera åtgärder som kan minska den totala spridningen av mikroplaster från konstgräsplaner. Metodiken utgick från tidigare studier av mikroplaster i vattenmiljö och vattenprover inhämtades från två konstgräsplaners dräneringsbrunnar och från en konstgräsplans lysimetrar, vilka har samlat upp vatten som har infiltrerat genom planen. Utöver detta har även fältstudier med observationer utförts vid två konstgräsplaner och samtal med driftsansvariga har bidragit med ytterligare relevant information om hur mikroplaster kan spridas. Resultaten visar att mikroplaster sprids från konstgräsplaner och att de identifierade orsakerna till spridningen, utan inbördes storleksordning, främst är: Aktivitet på planen Borstning av planen Snöröjning Regn (vilket innebär infiltration genom planen samt ytavrinning) Dessa orsaker, samt möjliga spridningsvägar för mikroplaster från en konstgräsplan till omgivningen, har visualiserats i en konceptuell modell, figur 11. Modellen har två systemgränser; det inre systemet utgörs av själva konstgräsplanen, medan det yttre systemet utgörs av närområdet runt omkring planen och kan likställas med idrottsanläggningen. Det är endast mikroplaster som sprids från det yttre systemet ut till omgivningen som bedöms kunna ha ekologiska konsekvenser. Okulära mikroskopstudier av vattenprover från dräneringsbrunnar visade på förekomst av mikroplaster. Kvantifiering av mängden fast material som kan nå dräneringsbrunnar, där mikroplaster utgör en okänd andel, uppgick till maximalt 340 – 370 kg per år och konstgräsplan med måtten 105m×65m. Mängden mikroplaster som maximalt kan infiltreras genom en konstgräsplan ner till dess dränering kvantifierades till 0,003 kg per år och konstgräsplan med måtten 105m×65m. Detta indikerar att det kan krävas mer öppna transportvägar, exempelvis öppna brunnar, för att mikroplaster ska kunna nå dräneringsbrunnar i en större viktmässig omfattning. Kvantifieringen av övriga orsaker till spridning av mikroplaster från konstgräsplaner till omgivningen är osäker, men försiktiga uppskattningar visar på att de är viktmässigt omfattande. För att mäta och säkerställa antalet partiklar som sprids från konstgräsplaner skulle mer omfattande provtagningar och analyser behöva genomföras. Konkreta åtgärder som kan tillämpas för att minska den totala spridningen av mikroplaster från konstgräsplaner är att borsta av kläder och skor innan planen eller anläggningen lämnas, informera personer som uppehåller sig vid planerna om problematiken, täcka för brunnar vid driftsaktiviteter, strategisk hantering av snöröjning, återföra granulat från anläggningen till själva planen, installera filter i brunnar samt att tömma brunnar på vatten och material. För att sätta problemet med mikroplaster från konstgräsplaner i sitt sammanhang så är det viktigt att förstå problemet i sin helhet. Vidare studier föreslås fokusera på att kvantifiera ovan nämnda orsaker till spridning av mikroplaster från konstgräsplaner, samt att kartlägga och kvantifiera spridningen utifrån de olika spridningsvägarna. / Microplastics and its environmental impacts is a research area under development. Sampling and analysis methods are complicated by the fact that microplastics may come from different raw materials, which means that its content, particle size and density may vary. It is clear that microplastics is a problem in marine environments as intake and accumulation of micro- and macroplastics have been recorded in invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds. The microplastics may affect, among other things, the digestion and reproduction of aquatic animals. The microplastics have also been recorded in foods that are relevant to humans, but what effects microplastics have on humans is still unclear. In a report from 2017, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) estimated artificial turf fields to be the second largest quantified source for spreading the microplastics to the environment with 1638 - 2456 tons per year, after wear of tire and roads. Football is one of Sweden's most popular sports and the number of artificial turf fields in the country in 2016 reached 1336. Due to the fact that artificial turf fields is considered an important reason for the spreading of microplastics, it becomes important to investigate the reasons why and how microplastics are spread from artificial turf fields and also what measures can be taken to reduce the spread. The purpose of this study is to identify the reasons why microplastics are spread, as well as to present measures that can reduce the overall spread of microplastics from artificial turf fields. The methodology is based on previous studies of microplastics in aquatic environments and water samples were collected from drainage wells that belonged to two artificial turf fields and from a “water-infiltration-sampler” from a third field. In addition, field studies with observations have been carried out at two other artificial turf fields, and conversations with maintenance personal have provided additional relevant information on how microplastics can be spread. The results show that microplastics are spread from artificial turf fields and the identified reasons for this spreading, without specific order of magnitude, are mainly: Activity on the field Brushing of the fields Snow plowing of the fields Rain (which means infiltration through the field as well as surface runoff) These causes, as well as possible pathways for the spreading of microplastics from an artificial turf field to the surroundings, have been visualized in a conceptual model, Figure 11. The model has two system boundaries; the inner system consists of the field itself, while the outer system is the direct area around the field and can be equated with the sports facility. It is only microplastics that are spread from the outer system to the environment which is considered to cause ecological consequences. Ocular microscopy studies of water samples from drainage wells showed presence of microplastics. Quantification of the amount of solids that can reach the drainage wells, where microplastics constitute an unknown proportion, amounted to a maximum of 340 – 370 kg per year and artificial turf field measuring 105m×65m. The maximum amount of microplastics that can infiltrate through an artificial turf field down to its drainage system was quantified to 0,003 kg per year and artificial turf of 105m×65m. This indicates that more open transport routes, such as open wells, could be needed to allow microplastics to reach drainage wells to a greater extent. The quantification of other causes for the spreading of microplastics from artificial turf fields to the environment area is uncertain, but careful estimations show that they are weighty comprehensive. To measure and secure the number of particles that are spread from artificial turf fields, more extensive sampling and analysis would have to be carried out.