Clean and safe water is important for the well being of all organisms on earth. Therefore, it is important to reduce harmful emissions from industrial processes that use water in different ways. In vehicle washing processes, water is used in high-pressure processes, as a medium for detergents, and for rinsing of vehicles. The wastewater produced by these functions passes through a water reclamation system. A water reclamation system has two main functions, to produce reusable water to be used in future washing cycles, and to separate contaminants and purify the wastewater so it can be released back into the commercial grid. The reclamation system achieves this by using a combination of different water handling processes, these include: sludge tanks, an oil-water separator, a water reclamation unit, buffer tanks, and a water purification unit. The two components that stand for the more advanced cleaning processes are the water reclamation unit and the water purification unit. In this thesis, in collaboration with the company Westmatic, the water reclamation unit consists of cyclone separators that use centrifugal forces to separate heavy particles and ozone treatment to break up organic substances and combat bad odors. The Purification unit of choice is an electrocoagulation unit that, by a direct current, creates flocculants of impurities that rises to the surface and can be mechanically removed in a water volume inside the unit. This purification process is completely chemical-free thus making the process more environmentally friendly than other purification processes used in other circumstances. This master thesis aimed to develop a dynamic design tool for a modular solution of the different parts in the water reclamation system. This design tool uses specific user input to produce construction information for each instance. As an additional sub-aim, this design tool was linked with a computer-aided design program to produce parametric 3D models with underlying blueprints. This to produce a light solution, that has a short manufacturing time and that are highly customer adjusted. The first course of action was to mathematically define the complete water reclamation system and its components. These sections were described in a flowchart that shows how the different parts interact and operate. From the wash station, wastewater runs trough a course- and fine-sludge tank. From the fine sludge tank, the wastewater is directed in two different directions. Firstly, the water is pumped to the water reclamation unit and to one or multiple buffer tanks to finally be used in the wash station as reclaimed water. Secondly, the water travels to an oil separator, pump chamber, and water purification unit. In the purification unit, 99% of the inlet mass is directed out of the system as purified water. The remaining 1% is directed to a depot that acts like the end stage of the whole system. After all equations were defined and the design was related to the user-defined input flow the design tool was structured. The program of choice to house the design tool is Microsoft Excel. In this Excel document, a user interface with navigation was constructed and the intended user is directed through a series of input pages where input data is defined. This data is used in a normally hidden page where constructional dimensions are calculated. The constructional dimensions are displayed to the user on the second last page. At this stage the Excel document can be connected to a CAD program and 3D models with blueprints can be opened that depend on the output from the Excel file. Additionally, a pipe calculator is provided on the last page of the Excel document where pipe dimensions for different cases can be found. With this solution, glass fiber tanks are molded according to the resulting blueprints that are customer specific. In this way the solution is more adaptive and easier to handle. Additionally, the provided design tool enables an easier and more well-defined methodology when deriving the different needed volume and accompanied constructional dimensions for an arbitrary water reclamation system.

Durch die Novellierung der AbfKlärV im Jahr 2017 wurde die bodenbezogene Nutzung von Klärschlamm stark eingeschränkt. Dadurch rückt dessen thermische Verwertung zunehmend in den Vordergrund, wobei durch eine Mitverbrennung Nährstoffe verloren gehen. Diese Arbeit betrachtet alternative Möglichkeiten zur stofflichen Verwertung, wie den Einsatz als Rekultivierungsmaterial auf Deponien in Form von Komposten. In die Arbeit fließt die Betrachtung von Pilzkultursubstraten als weiterer Zuschlagstoff ein, da diese aufgrund von Hygienisierungsvorschriften ebenfalls meist thermisch verwertet werden und auch hier wichtige Nährstoffe verloren gehen. Weiterhin wird untersucht, ob Deponieflächen generell für den Anbau von Bewuchs geeignet sind und insbesondere, ob auf derartig rekultivierten Flächen Rohstoffgewinnung aus Energiepflanzen möglich ist. Dafür wurden verschiedene Materialmischungen hergestellt und in Pflanzversuchen unter Laborbedingungen sowie im Freiland und in geotechnischen Versuchen auf ihre Eignung überprüft. Es wird gezeigt, dass Deponien ein Flächenpotential darstellen und diese auch für Bewuchs geeignet sind. Auch eignen sich die hergestellten Materialmischungen grundsätzlich als Rekultivierungsmaterial. Diese müssen aber in zukünftigen Versuchen in Hinsicht auf die Einhaltung von Grenzwerten und bspw. deren Wasserdurchlässigkeiten weiter angepasst werden, bevor die Mischungen produktiv im großen Maßstab einsetzbar sind.

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Den här studien utgår ifrån två svenska koppargruvor varav den ena, Aitik i Gällivare, är idrift och den andra, Falu gruva, stängde 1992. Studiens syfte är att undersöka förutsättningarna för att använda Falu gruva som modell för den framtida avvecklingen av Aitik, med särskilt avseende på efterbehandling, kulturarvsprocesser och återanvändning. Inom ramen för kulturarvsprocesser och återanvändning beaktas särskilt lärande.Metodansatsen är kvalitativ och den teoretiska utgångspunkten är att en gruva kan ses som ett stort sociotekniskt system bestående av artefakter och sociala komponenter. Genom intervjuer med representanter från Falu gruvas ägare och Aitiks ägare samt från Gällivare kommun genererades data. Data från intervjuerna samt från en mindre dokumentstudieut gjorde studiens resultat. Detta analyserades tematiskt och diskuterades utifrån uppsatsens teoriavsnitt. Resultatet visar att Aitik kan utvecklas vid en framtida avveckling och att Falu gruva i vissa avseenden kan användas som modell för denna process. Bland annat kan Falu gruva användas som modell för Aitik avseende utbildning som en del av återanvändning, där Aitikkan lära av Falu gruva genom att inte göra samma misstag som gjorts där. Resultatet visar emellertid också att samhällena Gällivare och Falun skiljer sig mycket åt, både vad gäller samhällsidentitet och samhällets relation till gruvan. Slutsatsen av den här studien är att aspekter såsom att betrakta artefakter som en resurs; gruvans roll i samhället; samt vem som definierar kulturarv är centrala för att kunna använda Falu gruva som modell för Aitikmed hänsyn till lärande. / This study is about two Swedish copper mines, Aitik in Gällivare which is still in use and theFalun mine, which closed in 1992. The aim of this study is to explore the prerequisites for using the Falun mine as a model for the future closure of the Aitik mine, with regards specifically to mine reclamation, heritagisation and reuse. In particular, the aspect of learning within the heritagisation and reuse framework is discussed. A qualitative research method has been used and the theoretical starting point is that a mine can be seen as a large technological system consisting of artifacts and social components. Data has been collected through interviews with representatives from the Falun mine owners, the Aitik mine owners and from the local government of Gällivare. This data, along with data from a limited document study, made up the results of this study. The results were then analyzed thematically and discussed against the theoretical frameworks used in this study. The results show that Aitik can be developed post-closure and that the Falun mine can, ins ome regards, be used as a model for this development process. Among other aspects, theFalun mine can be used as a model for Aitik for education as a part of reusing the mine, where Aitik can learn from the Falun mine by not making the same mistakes that were made there. However, the results show that the Gällivare and Falun societies are different in terms of identity and in their relations towards the mines. The conclusion of this study is that aspects such as regarding artifacts as resources; the mine’s role in society; and who determines what a cultural heritage is, are all important in order to use the Falun mine as a model for Aitik from an educational perspective.

A relatively new method used to reduce the amount of cement-treated base (CTB) shrinkage cracking is microcracking of the CTB shortly after construction. Three portable instruments used in this study for monitoring the microcracking process include the heavy Clegg impact soil tester (CIST), portable falling-weight deflectometer (PFWD), and soil stiffness gauge (SSG). The specific objectives of this research were 1) to evaluate the sensitivity of each of the three portable instruments to microcracking, and 2) to compare measurements of CTB stiffness reduction obtained using the three devices. The test locations included in this study were Redwood Drive and Dale Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah; 300 South in Spanish Fork, Utah; and a private access road in Wyoming. Experimental testing in the field consisted of randomized stationing at each site; sampling the CTB immediately after the cement was mixed into the reclaimed base material; compacting specimens for laboratory testing; and testing the CTB immediately after construction, immediately before microcracking, immediately after each pass of the vibratory roller during the microcracking process, and, in some instances, three days after microcracking. Several linear regression analyses were performed after data were collected using the CIST, PFWD, and SSG during the microcracking process to meet the objectives of this research. Results from the statistical analyses designed to evaluate the sensitivity of each of the three portable instruments to microcracking indicate that the PFWD and SSG are sensitive to microcracking, while the CIST is insensitive to microcracking. Results from the statistical analyses designed to compare measurements of CTB stiffness reduction demonstrate that neither of the instrument correlations involving the CIST are statistically significant. Only the correlation between the PFWD and SSG was shown to be statistically significant. Given the results of this research, engineers and contractors should utilize the PFWD or SSG for monitoring microcracking of CTB layers. The heavy CIST is unsuitable for monitoring microcracking and should not be used. For deriving target CTB stiffness reductions measured using either the PFWD or SSG from specified targets measured using the other, engineers and contractors should utilize the correlation chart developed in this research.

Asian countries are urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, which has led to significant demand for sand. While sand mining fuels infrastructure development, creates livelihoods, and stimulates local economic activity, it also drives a series of environmental and socio-economic consequences which cannot be ignored. These include erosion, the destruction of habitats and loss of biodiversity, the deterioration of traditional livelihoods, forced displacement of communities, and damage to homes and infrastructure. On the one hand, this thesis uses mixed methods to study the multifaceted impacts of sand mining along the Red River in China, near the Vietnamese border. On the other hand, using qualitative methods, it explores how these impacts unfold along the Mekong River in Cambodia, near Phnom Penh. Using a political ecology approach, it identifies the actors involved in sand mining, their motives, and their impacts on the environment and local communities. The extractivism framework is used to describe sand mining activities and practices. In doing so, this thesis contributes to the literature on the understudied sand mining industry and its far-reaching impacts.

The surface mine Hambach is located in the west of Germany, close to Cologne and was founded in 1978 from the electric company RWE to dig up brown coal and produce electricity. The mine measures a surface of 8.500ha and a depth of 470 m and was planned to be operated until 2045. After mining RWE plans to recultivate the area with forest, agriculture and a remaining lake of 3900ha. The mine is a site that is out of proportion. This proposal is a composition of interventions in different time and scale aiming to tell the story of soil, water, vegetation, animals and humans. The excavator is a scale figure to these dimensions and becomes the protagonist of the story. On it‘s way down to its final position at the bottom of the pit, it is sculpting the soil one last time. After that last operation nature will take over. Water will find its path and reshape the pattern of the excavator. With water, vegetation comes back and then gives space for animals to live and humans to watch the transition from a colourful desert to a flourishing oasis. This stream of interventions is connecting the pit‘s terraces to a spiral sculpture that over time will fill with water.

Reclamation has been required since the mid-1970s in Florida and many other states that mine land for phosphate. While often controversial, land reclamation has involved a variety of technologies and regulations which often reflect the complexity of economical ecological and political forces involved in the decision-making process. Most often reclamation procedures are dictated by economic constraints and less often by environmental concerns. In 1982, Borden, inc. donated a 6.040 7 acre abandoned phosphate mine, located within Polk County In Central Florida, to the State of Florida. In 1989, the site was designated by the State of Florida as a state recreation area known today as Tenoroc State Recreation Area. The Area currently provides facilities for hiking, picnicking, and horseback riding with a particular emphasis on quality fishing within its manmade lakes. lt is the intent of the state to integrate land reclamation functions with the recreational potentials of the site thus providing a public use area that will generate support revenue (Scruggs 1992). The primary difference between the reclamation activities at Tenoroc and those reclamation activities of today is the lack of a conceptual plan. For the most part reclamation at Tenoroc has been planned as stand-alone projects with minimal foresight of the needs for future recreational uses, drainage patterns, or continuing reclamation activities. At this point a conceptual master plan is needed to integrate hydrological and land reclamation functions with the recreational potentials of the site into a framework for future management and development of Tenoroc. The goals and objectives of this study are as follows 1 To produce a plan for the restoration of Tenoroc State Recreation Area which will address the reclamation of natural systems with an emphasis on wildlife habitat and landscape diversity. 2 To provide for safety and recreation of visitors and staff, and 3. To develop a plan for a unique, educational and recreational experience that will fulfill the objectives of the Florida Department of Natural Resources. The process of reclamation starts the moment man begins to explore the earth for its minerals. Since mining is here to stay reclamation should be looked upon as a continuation of succession of the landscape, rather than repair of a damaged landscape. By approaching reclamation holistically, as just another step in the mining process; through proper planning, management and program, the strife for achieving a balance between our quality of life and our sustainability become that much more of a reality. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The world is changing rapidly for the engineering community. Sustainability in every sense has become the watchword¿in terms of product manufacture and performance, and responding to global market and environmental pressures. A well thought-out manufacturing strategy can help organisations make choices that support its overall business objectives, respond to new opportunities and challenges as they arise. However, manufacturing strategy configuration and deployment in SMME¿s is a neglected field in manufacturing strategy literatures. More importantly, the application of lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and CIM strategies are said to be more applicable to batch production environments and large manufacturing organisations but not to SMMEs that operates a job shop type operating characteristics and with limited resource availability. With recognition that most of these methodologies were originally conceptualised and implemented in large manufacturing environments with batch and flow type manufacturing architecture, the need to develop solutions specific to SMME¿s with job shop type operating characteristics (tooling reclamation industry in particular) is imperative. The fundamental essence of this research is the development of an integrated manufacturing strategy which is based on Lean-Six Sigma-MRP-CADCAM methodologies at the case company. The framework for deploying this strategy is based on inputs from a business environment analysis, a lean strategic planning module (based on production planning and manufacturing/product cost structure analysis) and a lean resource planning interface that is predicated on value stream analysis and simulation models. The material and information flows of the case company manufacturing systems were studied. The approach taken emphasis the well know value engineering concepts of multiple-stage manufacturing system accumulating costs/time between individual stages as well as by transfer/material handling and work-in-process. The study shows that maximisation of capacity and resource utilisation, queue less work flow and flexible labour policies that support the case company¿s manufacturing system offer potential for reform which can substantially enhance customer service, product quality and overall improvement in investment returns. / NTR Ltd and KTP programme

Fort McMurray has experienced significant environmental disruptions, raising concerns about chemical releases that affect the environment, particularly berries. This thesis explores the relationship between environmental factors and the nutritional quality of pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica L.F.) and common blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx) fruits and soil in Fort McMurray (reclaimed and natural lands). Samples were collected in August 2022 and analyzed for chemicals and quality variables. The results revealed concentration variations among samples, with hydrocarbons higher in reclaimed areas and blueberries than others and soil surpassing those in fruits. Copper and iron in fruits exceeded regulatory limits. A strong association between soil chemicals and alkylated hydrocarbons in fruits explained most differences. Soil trace elements and properties were primary environmental drivers, while hydrocarbons were secondary influencers, evident mainly in reclaimed berry environments. Antioxidant-focused nutritional quality in reclaimed berries was predominantly influenced by these key drivers in soil, requiring consistent monitoring.