Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 64-68).

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Montana, 2009. / Title from author supplied metadata. Description based on contents viewed on August 12, 2009. Author supplied keywords: native plant restoration ; nonnative seed ; road decommissioning ; road removal ; seed establishment ; soil bulk density ; water holding capacity ; watershed restoration. Includes bibliographical references.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Technische Universität Berlin, 2009. / "D 83"--T.p. "SEA, Strategic Environmental Assessment"--P. 14. Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-260).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Stanford University, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 315-325).

Background: Considering increased global challenges and societal issues, more and more people are directing skepticism towards governments' and established businesses' abilities to fully address urgent social problems. Social entrepreneurship constitutes a new entrepreneurial movement where societal issues are addressed by a combination of market-based methods and social value creation. Social entrepreneurship generates social and sustainable benefits to society and has thus received growing attention from both researchers and policy makers around the world. Social enterprises may take on varies forms, ranging from non-profit organizations to commercially driven enterprises. To focus on sustainable business models, this thesis has delimited the study to solely focus on for-profit or hybrid organizations.   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe what inhibiting factors Swedish social enterprises face in scaling processes. Scaling refers to the magnitude a social business maximizes its social impact, primarily, but not limited to, through organizational growth. Furthermore, the thesis aims at explaining how social forces co-shape preconditions and actor decisions connected to scaling.     Method: To fulfil the purpose of the study, a qualitative research methodology was used. The empirical data was primarily collected through semi-structured interviews held with founders, COO’s and CEO’s from seven social enterprises in Sweden. To fully explain inhibiting factors of scaling, an abductive research approach was used with a combination of open and encouraging questions to promote discussion and develop theory.   Conclusion: The empirical findings of the study revealed a total of 14 inhibiting factors for scaling social impact in Sweden. From the findings, a development of existent theory resulted in a model illustrating the relationship between inhibiting factors, social forces and scaling social impact.

Les produits high-tech sont couramment utilisés dans de nombreux secteurs industriels ainsi que dans nos vies de tous les jours. Ils améliorent notre qualité de vie, mais à quel prix ? En effet, la fabrication, l’utilisation et la fin-de-vie de ces produits high-tech génèrent des impacts environnementaux, économiques et sociaux importants. Ces impacts proviennent principalement des matériaux utilisés, de l’énergie consommée pour leur fabrication et pendant leur utilisation et des mauvaises conditions de travail pour l’extraction des matières premières et leur transformation. L’étape de fin-de-vie des produits high-tech contribue également à une grande partie des impacts, car cette phase est souvent négligée lors du processus de conception.Certaines études ont été faites afin de réduire l’impact environnemental des produits, mais ne considèrent qu’une partie des étapes de cycle de vie (par ex. la fabrication) et excluent d’autres étapes comme la fin-de-vie. D’autres études essayent d’intégrer les contraintes de toutes les étapes de cycle de vie mais négligent l’intégration des enjeux environnementaux et ne considèrent que les enjeux classiques de la conception (coûts, qualité, performance, etc.). D’autres études encore visent à intégrer les contraintes de toutes les étapes de cycle de vie et les enjeux environnementaux, mais ne sont pas adaptées à l’évolution rapide des développements dans le cas des produits high-tech (nouvelles technologies, nouveaux matériaux, etc.).Nous proposons donc un outil d’aide à la conception de produits high-tech, qui a pour objectif la prise en compte de toutes les étapes de cycle de vie — et notamment de la fin-de-vie — pour mieux considérer les enjeux environnementaux en plus des enjeux classiques de la conception. Il s’agit d’un modèle-produit agile pour l’écoconception : le MPAE, capable de guider les concepteurs tout au long du processus de conception sur les questions environnementales, malgré les nombreuses alternatives de conception envisagées lors de la conception des produits high-tech.Dans cette thèse, l’outil est appliqué sur un cas théorique de conception avec l’exemple des batteries Li-ion utilisées dans les véhicules électriques. Le modèle développé permet de cibler les paramètres de conception et les acteurs du cycle de vie à l’origine des impacts environnementaux, pour mieux considérer et tenter de les réduire.En résumé, cette thèse réinterroge l’application du concept de modèle produit dans le cas de la prise en compte des impacts environnementaux en conception afin d’aboutir à leur intégration efficace. / High-tech products are widely used in many industrial sectors as well as in our everyday lives. They improve our quality of life, but with a high price to pay? The manufacture, use and end-of-life of these products cause strong environmental, economic and social impacts. These impacts are mainly due to the materials and to the energy used for the manufacturing, to their use, but also to bad working conditions to obtain raw materials. The end-of-life stage for high-tech products is a huge source of impacts because not considered during the design.Some researches have been conducted to reduce the environmental impact of high-tech products, but they only consider partially the life cycle stages (eg. The manufacturing phases) and exclude other stages, such as the end-de- life. Further studies are trying to integrate all the life cycle constraints but neglect the integration of environmental issues and they only consider the classical design constraints (cost, quality, performance, etc.). Other studies aimed at integrating the al the life cycle constraints and the environmental issues, but they are not adapted to quick features evolutions during the design process of high-tech product (new technologies, new materials, etc.We therefore propose a tool to guide the design of high-tech products, which aims to integrate all life-cycle stages including the end-of-life and environmental issues in addition to classic design issues. This is an agile product model for eco-design (APME), which considers the rapid evolution of the solutions during the development of high-tech products.In this thesis, the model is theoretically applied in a case study related to Li-ion batteries for electric automotive applications. The developed model is able to highlight the main design parameters and the main actors of the product life cycle which induce high environmental impacts to try to reduce them.This thesis considers the use of the product model concept when taking into account environmental impacts during the design process, for their efficient integration.

Ce mémoire présente une étude sur l’usure générée par des impacts glissants obliques faiblement chargés, et plus particulièrement par les impacts répétés entre les tubes de générateur de vapeur et les barres antivibratoires dans les réacteurs à eau pressurisée. L’étude expérimentale de la dynamique des impacts obliques montre une très forte dépendance de leurs caractéristiques à l’angle d’incidence, avec l’existence de deux régimes de frottement distincts, caractérisés par du glissement pendant tout l’impact pour les angles rasants et par une phase de glissement suivi d’une phase d’adhérence pour les angles proches de la normale. Les caractéristiques dynamiques des impacts, telles que le rapport de percussion, la perte d’énergie ou la distance glissée au cours d’un impact, sont exprimées en fonction des paramètres incidents, du coefficient de frottement cinétique et du coefficient de restitution, en étendant les formulations érosives de Brach [1] au cas d’impacts percussifs multi-aspérités faiblement chargés. L’étude de l’usure générée par des impacts obliques en air et en eau à température ambiante montre que celle-ci est reliée linéairement à la perte d’énergie sans période d’incubation, par un coefficient constant en air, et par un coefficient qui dépend fortement de l’angle d’incidence en eau. Les surfaces usées présentent des stries semblables à de fines rayures d’abrasion, sans trace d’adhésion ou de déformation plastique importante, incitant à proposer un scénario d’endommagement fondé sur un enlèvement de matière uniquement généré par des micro-rayures d’abrasion. Deux modèles d’usure par impacts en eau sont formulés, exprimant d’une part le volume usé et d’autre part la profondeur usée en fonction des paramètres incidents des impacts, du coefficient de restitution, du coefficient de frottement cinétique, des caractéristiques géométriques du tube GV et de la BAV et d’un coefficient d’usure constant. / This thesis presents a study on wear induced by low-loaded sliding impacts in general and on wear induced by repetitive impacts between steam generator tubes and antivibration bars in pressurized water reactors in particular. The experimental study of the impacts dynamics shows that their characteristics strongly depend on the incidence angle. Two friction regimes are observed, characterized by sliding throughout the impact for grazing angles and by the existence of a sliding phase followed by an adhesion phase for the angles close to normal. The dynamic characteristics of the impacts, such as the impulse ratio, the energy loss or the sliding distance during an impact, are expressed as functions of the incident parameters, the kinetic friction coefficient and the restitution coefficient. These expressions extend the erosive formulations of Brach [1] to the case of low-loaded percussive multi-asperities impacts. The study of wear induced by oblique impacts at ambient temperature in air and water environment shows a linear relationship between the wear volume and the energy loss without any incubation period, with a constant proportionality coefficient in air, and with a proportionality coefficient which strongly depends on the incidence angle in water environment. Ridges similar to thin abrasion scratches are observed on the worn surfaces, without any mark of adhesion or significant plastic deformation. Thus, a damage scenario based on micro-scratching abrasion only is proposed. Two impacts wear models in water environment are proposed, which express firstly the worn volume and secondly the maximal worn depth as functions of the impacts incident parameters, the restitution coefficient, the kinetic friction coefficient, the SG tube and AVB geometrical characteristics and a constant wear coefficient.

Large-scale mining modifies the existing physical environment and has multiple long-term impacts on landscape but also on communities, and their cultural values. In Finland, social impact assessment has become a customary practice in assessing and estimating mining impacts that cause changes to the well-being of individual people and their livelihoods. However, the assessment is often lacking notions of social dimensions of the environment, neglecting discussing aspects such as localities and subjective well-being. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of considering the cultural benefits of the environment to human well-being in environmental decision-making. The purpose of this study is to explore and illustrate how cultural ecosystem services could contribute to the current practice in social impact assessments in Finnish mining projects by highlighting the relation between local people and environment through the valuation of cultural services. The study used a conceptual framework approach of cultural ecosystem services and conducted eight qualitative semi-structured interviews in two villages in Finnish Fell Lapland. The aim was to explore how the local people themselves describe their non-material benefits from the environment. Six out of the eight interviews were conducted walking with the participants. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed for analysis against the conceptual cultural ecosystem services framework. The results show how the well-being of local people was strongly linked to cultural benefits such as sense of place, enabled by meaningful activities in places that were often happening in mundane everyday places. The study implies the importance of considering cultural ecosystem services such as sense of place in the current social impact assessment practice as they help unveiling connections between people, the natural environment and subjective well-being.

L’objectif de ce travail est d’effectuer une campagne d’essais expérimentaux d’impact et de compression après impact sur chant de stratifiés composites afin d’établir les scénarios d’endommagements. Un dispositif d'essai au poids tombant a été utilisé afin de réaliser les impacts sur chant sur stratifiés avec différents drapages. Des coupes microscopiques, des radiographies aux rayons X et des analyses ultrasonores ont ensuite été effectuées afin de visualiser et de déterminer le scénario d’endommagement. Des essais de compression après impact ont également été réalisés. Les résultats des tests expérimentaux sont comparés avec un modèle numérique composé d'éléments d’interface pour décrire les fissures matricielles et d’éléments volumiques. Enfin, la prédiction numérique de la tenue résiduelle après impact permettra de diminuer les masses, d’éviter des essais coûteux, et donc de raccourcir la durée de développement. / Low velocity / low energy edge impact and quasi-static experiments have been carried out on carbon fiberreinforced plastic (CFRP) structures. A drop-weight testing machine was used to impact four different UDlaminates at 10, 20 and 35 J impact energy levels. In parallel, a quasi-static study has been conducted in order to compare its results with the impact ones. The impact results show that the static and dynamic behaviors are different. An analytical approach, to understand the impact damage scenario, is provided in order to explain the difference between static and dynamic edge impacts, regardless the stacking or impact energy. This approach explains well the dynamic and static initial stiffness and a crushing plateau. The fiber properties control the initial impact stiffness, while in the quasi-static indentation case, the properties of the matrix control the initial indentation stiffness. The crushing plateau is also controlled by the matrix properties. The impact scenario could be simulated easily knowing the material properties, the stacking sequence and the impact energy. In addition, that is crucial to model the residual strength. And all these experimental results have been compared with a finite element analysis that consists of interface elements to describe the matrix cracks and volume elements in order to simulate the impact and compression after impact damage and to predict the residual strength after impact. The model is in good agreement with the experiment. That will avoid expensive tests, and thus shorten the development time.