Concrete is widely used in modern construction, particularly for building foundations. However, the materials included in concrete constructions have a significant negative impact on the environment. To mitigate this, the construction industry must explore more environmentally friendly alternatives. This study focuses on a relatively new technique called the Koljern foundation, which replaces traditional reinforced concrete slabs with a combination of cellular glass and lightweight steel beams. The cellular glass used in this technique is made up of approximately 60% recycled glass and possesses excellent insulation and strength properties. The report compares the cost and environmental impact of the traditional concrete slab with the Koljern foundation. Other factors considered in this study includes construction time, waste, and potential for reuse. A case study was conducted on a preschool building in Gunsta, serving as a reference for the analysis. Climate and cost calculations were performed using Bidcon software, along with manual calculations. The Gunsta preschool utilized green concrete for its foundation slab, and this is also included in the comparison to provide a broader perspective. The results demonstrate that opting for a Koljern foundation reduces environmental impact by 50% compared to a traditional concrete foundation, although costs increase by 103%. When compared to green concrete, the Koljern foundation has a nearly 42% lower carbon footprint but incurs a cost increase of 101%. Green concrete has a nearly 13% lower carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete. The price difference between green and traditional concrete is only 1%, with green concrete being the more expensive option. Furthermore, the Koljern foundation generates minimal waste due to the prefabrication of Koljern elements by Evia AB. In conclusion, the result of the study shows that a slab-on-grade foundation using the Koljern technique can be a possible alternative to the traditional concrete solution, depending on the specific project's objectives and goals. Despite higher costs, the Koljern foundation greatly reduces environmental impact, construction time, and enables high reusability.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis examines Mark Twain’s use of the dialectic between the characters Huck and Jim to illuminate Jim’s humanity in the classic novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Over the course of their adventure, Huck learns that Jim is a human being and not property. This realization leads Huck to choose to assist Jim in his escape from captivity, and risk eternal damnation according to his religious beliefs. Huck’s decision is driven by the friendship that develops between him and his fellow fugitive on their adventure. Jim’s kindness and stewardship also provide a stark contrast to the treachery of the characters on the banks of the river. Twain thus crafts a message that slavery and race discrimination are wrong without taking the tone of an abolitionist, combining an amusing children’s story with a profound social message. Although definitive proof of his intention to do so has never been found, human friendship is the sliver of common ground Twain used to reach across the profound racial gap in the United States in the late 19th century. The analysis takes place in four parts: (1) a comparison of AHF to other nineteenth century works that featured slavery to establish it as unique among those works; (2) an analysis of the aforementioned dialectic from a modern text of the novel featuring previous deleted parts from the early manuscript; (3) a review of the critical response to the novel which reveals that if Twain was trying to send a message of racial equality, he was not doing so overtly; and (4) a conclusion in which I posit that Twain found a creative solution to a social problem and cite critical discourse that notes Twain’s course of action. This yielded a work that was both more widely read and timeless than a work that confronted slavery directly. Chapters one, three and four utilize critical dialogue and history from print and digital sources. Jane E. Schultz, Ph.D., Professor

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Filmmakers have had four main difficulties adapting The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to film: point of view, structure, audience and the novel's ending. By studying the different approaches of various directors to each obstacle, certain facts emerge about both the films and the novel. While literary scholars have studied Huck from practically every angle, none have sufficiently viewed the book through the lens of adaptation, despite the fact that it has been adapted to film and television over twenty times. The few critics who have studied the adaptations have done so using dated methodologies that boil down to little more than a question of how faithfully the films recreate the novel. By judging a movie solely on the basis of the book's merits, critics ignore the fact that a change in medium necessitates a change in material. With each adaptation, a new opportunity arises to study the novel from a fresh standpoint.

The current and forecasted global consumption of plastic packaging and products through the 21st century combined with the already reported and growing negative impact of plastics on the environment due to plastics being synthesized from nonrenewable resources that do not biodegrade is of serious concern. However, recent advances in starch technology including the development of thermoplastic starch (TPS) materials —polymers that are both renewable and biodegradable—have brought hope to reducing this impact. The mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch have often been improved by blending with synthetic polymers. One issue that arises with blending is volatilization of the melt from moisture in the TPS materials. Ecostarch™ a proprietary, pelletized thermoplastic starch resin formulated from potato starch, was processed and tested to observe injection molding processability at various moisture levels, in pure TPS as well as various blend ratios with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP). This study evaluated and analyzed the effects of the TPS pellet moisture content on void formation in the plastic pre-injection melt and subsequent molded part mechanical properties. Statistical analysis of the test results showed that moisture had a significant effect on void formation in the plastic melt. In TPS/HDPE blends, voids percent (as measured by cross section area) increased by 300-350% from 0.6% to 1.4% moisture levels. In unblended TPS, void percent increased by 150% from 0.4% to 1.4% moisture levels. In the unblended TPS parts, impact strength (energy in ft-lb) was decreased by 1% from 0.6% to 1.4% moisture level. In the TPS/HDPE and TPS/PP blends, there was no significant effect on impact strength due to the moisture percent levels of the TPS. Modulus decreased by 25% from 0.4% to 1.4% moisture level in unblended TPS parts. From 0.6% to 1.4% change in TPS moisture content, the modulus of the TPS/HDPE blend decreased by 9% at a 30% TPS/70% HDPE blend and decreased by 14% at a 70% TPS/30% HDPE blend. Though the moisture of TPS did not have a significant impact on the tensile strength of TPS/HDPE blends, the tensile strength of TPS/PP blend samples were significantly affected: a change from 0.6% to 1.4% moisture increased tensile strength 34% at a 70% TPS/30% PP blend and increased tensile strength by 22% at a 30% TPS/70% PP blend. Thus the results of this study highlight the relationships between moisture, voids, and mechanical performance of TPS and TPS/Polymer blends.

Changes in the abundance and distribution of free (drinking) water can influence wildlife in arid regions. In the western USA, free water is considered by wildlife managers to be important for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Nonetheless, we lack information on the influence of habitat and landscape features surrounding water sources, including wildlife water developments, and how these features may influence use of water by sexes differently. Consequently, a better understanding of differential use of water by the sexes could influence the conservation and management of those ungulates and water resources in their habitats. We deployed remote cameras at water sources to document water source use. For mule deer specifically, we monitored all known water sources on one mountain range in western Utah, during summer from 2007 to 2011 to document frequency and timing of water use, number of water sources used by males and females, and to estimate population size from individually identified mule deer. Male and female mule deer used different water sources but visited that resource at similar frequencies. On average, mule deer used 1.4 water sources and changed water sources once per summer. Additionally, most wildlife water developments were used by both sexes. We also randomly sampled 231 water sources with remote cameras in a clustered-sampling design throughout Utah in 2006 and from 2009 to 2011. In association with camera sampling at water sources, we measured several site and landscape scale features around each water source to identify patterns in ungulate use informative for managers. We used model selection to identify features surrounding water sources that were related to visitation rates for male and female bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. Top models for each species were different, but supported models for males and females of the same species generally included similar covariates, although with varying strengths. Our results highlight the differing use of water sources by the sexes. This information will help guide managers when siting and reprovisioning wildlife water developments meant to benefit those species, and when prioritizing natural water sources for preservation or enhancement.

Vatten- och avloppssystem har stor betydelse i moderna samhällen där dag-, spill- och dricksvatten måste hanteras. En del av vatten- och avloppssystemen är ledningar förlagda i marken vars syfte är att försörja bostäder och verksamheter med vatten samt att avleda dag- och spillvatten. Stockholm Vatten och Avfall äger och förvaltar totalt över 200 mil vattenledningar och 300 mil avloppsledningar i Stockholm. Att nylägga ledningar och omlägga det befintliga ledningsnätet kräver att hållbara investeringsbeslut tas i ett tidigt skede av projekt. Vid uppskattning av kostnader för ett ledningsarbete måste flera olika kostnader beaktas, framförallt kostnader för schaktmassor, maskiner och material. För att göra detta har Stockholm Vatten och Avfall tidigare använt sig av ett kalkylverktyg som uppskattar kostnaden för ett ledningsarbete i schaktad rörgrav. Detta kalkylverktyg baseras på á-priser som inte är aktuella för dagens läge. För att göra kalkylverktyget användbart med dagens priser har referensprojekt insamlats och delats upp i kategorierna extern entreprenör och egen regi och därefter innerstad och ytterstad med tillhörande indata och ekonomiska fakta. Utifrån uppdelningarna har faktorer beräknats som utdata från kalkylverktyget multiplicerats med och därefter jämförts med kalkylverktyget när verktygets á-priser blivit uppdaterade. En regressions – och korrelationsanalys gjordes därefter för att bestämma vilken av metoderna som beskriver referensprojekten bäst och den största korrelationen visade sig vara hos kalkylverktyget med uppdaterade á-priser. / Water- and waste water systems plays a huge role in today’s management of storm-, waste and drinking water. Part of the water- and waste water systems are pipelines located below ground level whose purpose is to supply homes, schools and companies with water and to drain storm – and waste water. Stockholm Vatten och Avfall manages over 200 Swedish miles of water pipelines and 300 Swedish miles of waste water pipelines in Stockholm. Adding new pipelines to the system and change the existing pipelines requires sustainable investment decisions to be taken at early stages of projects. When estimating the costs of a pipeline construction project, many different costs has to be taken into account, especially the excavation costs and machinery and materials costs. In order to do this, Stockholm Vatten och Avfall has previously been using a calculation tool that estimates the cost of a pipeline construction project in an excavated pipeline trench. This calculation tool is based on prices that are not current for current conditions. In order to make the calculation tool useful with today’s prices, reference projects have been collected and divided into inner city and suburban areas along with inputs and economic facts. Based on these inputs, factors have been calculated which the output from the calculation tool has been multiplied with and then been compared t o the calculation tool after the tool’s prices have been updated. A regression – and correlation analysis was then made to determine which of the methods best describe the reference projects and the largest correlation was found in the calculation tool with updated prices.

Världen står under en förändring med att en allt större andel av alla människor har flyttat eller flyttar in till städerna samtidigt finns en osäkerhet i hur klimatet kommer se ut i framtiden. Klimatet förväntas bli varmare, mer oförutsägbart samt få ett extremare väder. Detta ställer nya krav på framtidens matproduktion. FN har i Agenda2030 identifierat att jordbruket behöver bli mer motståndskraftigt mot dessa förändringar och samtidigt öka produktionen för att tillmötesgå den ökande efterfrågan på mat. Baserat på studiebesök på två odlingar i Stockholmsområdet (den ena en urban odling baserad under mark och den andra en kommersiell växthusodling ute på landet) samt på litteraturstudier jämförs odlingarna för att sedan diskutera hur de står sig med avseende på hållbarhet och hur de på ett hållbart sätt kan främja framtidens jordbruk och matförsörjning, framför allt med fokus på den urbana odlingen. Odlingen under mark uppfyller en del av FNs hållbarhetsmål men det finns stor potential för förbättring; bland annat med en ökad integration till byggnaden odlingen ligger i och med mer avancerad odlingsutrustning / The world is facing new challenges in the form of climate change and the fact that more and more people are moving to, and living in, cities. The climate is expected to become warmer, more unpredictable and trending towards more extreme weather conditions. These changes will undoubtedly have an effect on agriculture and food production all over the world which is one of the reasons that the UN has identified the need for more resilient agriculture and in Agenda2030 set goals for how to respond to these challenges and at the same time produce more food in order to meet the increasing demand. This study is looking at an urban farming project in Sweden and comparing it to a commercial greenhouse farm in order to identify similarities and differences between the farms and trying to relate them to sustainability. The urban farming project is based underground and relies solely on artificial light which sets it apart from its greenhouse counterpart. By analysing their different ways of producing crop, together with literature studies the sustainable opportunities of future food production is explored and related to the UN goals in Agenda2030. While the urban farm examined in this study might not be able to produce food in a sustainable way urban farming, especially in combination with an increased integration with buildings and industry, is identified as a farming method with great potential.

Currently set climate targets regarding carbon dioxide emissions mean that emissions from the construction industry must be reduced. One option for reducing the carbon footprint of a building's foundation could be to completely replace the concrete slab with a CLT foundation slab. The aim of the report is therefore to investigate how a CLT slab can be designed and then determine whether it has a smaller carbon footprint than a conventional reinforced concrete slab.  For the study, an example house was designed to generate loads, for which the CLT slab and concrete slab were then designed. The CLT slab was designed using FEM design software. The concrete slab was designed using hand calculations according to Eurocode 2. The material quantities from the respective designs were applied in an environmental calculation tool where the climate impact from the manufacturing phase was calculated. The result showed a 61 - 68% lower environmental impact in the form of carbon dioxide equivalents from the CLT foundation compared to the concrete foundation. However, the results of the climate analysis do not show with certainty that a CLT slab has a lower climate impact than a concrete slab, even though it has a lower climate impact during the manufacturing process. One factor that affects the result is the lifespan of the materials in the different foundation constructions, which can differ by as much as 50 years. Further research in construction solutions for CLT foundation slabs, long-term moisture protection and lifetime climate analysis is required to obtain a more distinct result in this study.

The aim of this thesis is to report on a transdisciplinary approach, regarding the complexity of thinking about human embodiment in relation to machine embodiment. A practical dimension of this thesis is to elicit some principles for the design and evaluation of virtual embodiment. The transdisciplinary approach suggests, firstly, that a single discipline or reality is, on its own, not sufficient to explain the complexity and dynamism of the embodied interaction between the human and machine. Secondly, the thesis argues for thinking of transdisciplinary research as a process of individuation, becoming or transduction, that is, as a process of mediation between heterogeneous approaches rather than perceiving research as a stabilized cognitive schema designed to accumulate new outcomes to the already-there reality. Arguing for going beyond the individualized approaches to embodiment, this thesis analyzes three cases where the problems that appear in one case are resolved through the analysis of the following one. Consisting of three phases, this research moves from objective scientific ¿reality¿ to more phenomenological, subjective and complex realities. The first study employs a critical review of embodied conversational agents in human¿computer interaction (HCI) in a learning context using a comparative meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was applied because most of the studies for evaluating embodiment are experimental. A learning context was selected because the number of studies is suitable for meta-analysis and the findings could be generalized to other contexts. The analysis reveals that there is no ¿persona effect¿, that is, the expected positive effect of virtual embodiment on the participant¿s affective, perceptive and cognitive measures. On the contrary, it shows the reduction of virtual embodiment to image and a lack of consideration for the participant¿s embodiment and interaction, in addition to theoretical and methodological shortcomings. The second phase solves these problems by focusing on Mark Hansen¿s phenomenological account of embodiment in new media. The investigation shows that Hansen improves on the HCI account by focusing on the participant¿s dynamic interaction with new media. Nevertheless, his views of embodied perception and affection are underpinned by a subjective patriarchal account leading to object/subject and body/work polarizations. The final phase resolves this polarization by analyzing the controversial work of Alan Turing on intelligent machinery. The research provides a different reading of the Turing Machine based on Simondon¿s concept of individuation, repositioning its materiality from the abstract non-existent to the actual-virtual realm and investigating the reasons for its abstraction. It relates the emergence of multiple human¿machine encounters in Turing¿s work to the complex counter-becoming of what it describes as ¿the Turing Machine compound¿. / Ministry of Higher Education in the Sultanate of Oman