Among the vast diversity of plants in the mid-South to which grazing livestock are exposed, there is a need to address certain species that are potentially harmful to livestock health and production. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted on endophyte-infected tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort = Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.], a cool-season perennial forage, and perilla mint, (Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton) an herbaceous annual, to determine management techniques and control measures for healthier pasture and livestock systems. When seedheads reached maturity, spring and autumn glyphosate applications at 1.68 kg ae ha-1, coupled with autumn tillage and summer and winter cover crops effectively reduced tall fescue coverage to < 27% by 10 months after initial treatment (MAT) following a single year of management. If seedhead maturity is inhibited prior to first glyphosate application, tall fescue was reduced to <1% coverage 10 MAT. Despite seedhead suppression, at least 78% increase in coverage occurred in 24 months from remnant populations suggesting two years of renovation is required. Forage soybeans proved to be a valuable cover crop that maintained nutritive quality and mean dry matter yields of 5487 kg ha-1 across two years. Tall fescue seedheads were suppressed below 14% coverage (> 68% visual control) by nicosulfuron + metsulfuron (20 + 5 and 40 +11 g ai ha-1), imazapic (26 and 53 g ai ha-1), and sulfosulfuron (53 g ai ha-1) at 90 DAT. Reduction in forage heights may be expected, but was not consistently reduced when compared to untreated plots across locations. To control perilla mint, postemergence applications of aminocyclopyrachlor blends, glyphosate, picloram + 2,4-D, aminopyralid + 2,4-D, and 2,4-D alone provided superior control when applied prior to the plant’s reproductive growth stage. Picloram + 2,4-D also provided inield soil residual activity and the most effective preemergence control, followed by aminocyclopyrachlor + chlorsulfuron, pendimethalin, and aminopyralid + 2,4-D for at least 141 DAT. Seed from weedy populations in north Mississippi tend to germinate in a range of night/day soil temperatures from 10/15 C to 25/30 C. Therefore, effective preemergence treatments should be applied by mid- to late- February in this region.

The concern of climate change and Greenhouse Gas emission have increased national consideration toward energy efficiency. Despite noticeable action which have taken by EU cities and Sweden government to mitigate the climate change, there is still shortage in appropriate energy measurements in old residential buildings. Due to the fact that a large share of residential buildings in Sweden have constructed more than 40 years ago, most of them need energy renovation  to enhance efficiency and saving more energy. In order to encourage home owners toward energy efficiency renovations, some cost effective measurements have to introduce to people with the view of effect on property value.  To this end, 50 detached houses and villas in Kronoberg County in Sweden have been chosen and analyzed to identify how renovation can increase the property value. These houses have been set in different categories by location, heating system, deep renovation, energy and aesthetic renovation. After that, compares the sold prices and biding prices for each category. Moreover, it analyses the people behavior toward renovation to see how can motive people to adopt necessary energy efficient renovation. This research also shows the current situation of building renovation, the most favourite renovation which are adopted by people as well as providing information about the factors affect the value of the house after renovation.

Building renovation projects are unique in its nature and quite different from new building construction projects. Uncertainties and unforeseen conditions play a much bigger role in building renovation projects making construction planning traditional methods not suitable for these purposes. Soft-logic allows for the modification of predefined network models when a new set of conditions is encountered. An existing computer simulation program called SIMSUPER provides such approach. SIMSUPER (SIMulation SUPERvisor) is a network-based, discrete-event simulation model that has the capability of incorporating conditions of uncertainty and to dynamically respond to changed conditions. The model is capable of combining different networks to respond to changed external factors already embedded in the model networks. The logic followed by SIMSUPER has the flexibility of selecting between networks depending on the conditions inputted. SIMSUPER was primarily developed to conduct research in productivity analysis for adaptable tunneling construction, where excavation and support methods are adapted to changing ground conditions. The main objective of this research is to determine the ability of SIMSUPER to analyze the dynamics of the building renovation process under its particular conditions of uncertainty and to provide the user with the flexibility of adapting the model as these conditions change, optimizing project's productivity. The renovation of Daniels Hall, a four-story dormitory facility at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, Massachusetts, is used as the case study of this research. Two computer runs, the contractor's plan, and observed data were tested using the WPI's running version of SIMSUPER. Differences between the computer simulation and observed actions were found. A hand simulation that incorporates resource allocation, preempting rules and conflict management capabilities was conducted to investigate the observed actions in more detail. The hand simulation was able to replicate the observed actions. The concept contained in the program proved to be efficient. The soft-logic rules that drive the simulation of the process replicated the observed plans.

Balkonger har funnits i Sverige i över 200 år och är nu på modet. De är i allmänhet utsatta för stora påfrestningar och orsakar ofta en vanlig typ av köldbrygga. I synnerhet de balkonger som byggdes till flerbostadshus i betong under miljonprogrammet måste renoveras. De är byggda med dåtidens teknik vilket innebär att de bildar en köldbrygga. Denna rapport är till för att vägleda fastighetsägare vid en renovering av utanpåliggande balkonger i betong. Metoder på marknaden har undersökts med hjälp av intervjuer och litteraturstudier. Kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med en kunnig konstruktör, en betongexpert, en beläggningsexpert, en rutinerad förvaltare samt en expert på balkongräcken. Rapporten beskriver betong och armering, dess uppbyggnad och egenskaper. Balkongers olika skador beskrivs. De skador som kan uppkomma är frostsprängningar, armeringskorrosion, kemiska angrepp, sprickor samt nötning. Balkongers varierande uppbyggnad från sent 1800-tal till dagens teknik förklaras med hjälp av text och figurer. Beskrivningar ges på balkongers betong, räcken, eventuell köldbrygga samt bärande funktion. Balkongers konstruktion har förändrats, allt från genomgående stålbalkar till isolerade balkonganslutningar. Balkongers kontroller beskrivs, allt från okulära inspektioner till olika prover i laboratorium. Slutligen beskrivs balkongers reparationer beroende på skada. En balkong kan vara för skadad för att repareras. Rapporten ger därför exempel på nya konstruktioner, bland annat genom användning av dragstag och pelare. Arbetets slutsats är att analysen för en balkong ska utgå från enkla frågor angående skadorna samt materialen. Dessa frågor i samråd med kunskap om skador, kontroller och åtgärder är ett lämpligt sätt att bestämma vilka åtgärder som bör tas för en balkong. Det mest väsentliga är att kontrollera balkongens bärande delar så risk för ras eller nedfallande betongbitar kan undvikas. / Balconies have been built in Sweden for over 200 years and are now very popular. They are generally exposed to a lot of strains and are often a common thermal bridge. The balconies at concrete multifamily building from the 1960-1970s need to be renovated, among others. They were built with the technology of the past which means that they have a thermal bridge. The report is made for guiding property owners through the renovation process of an external concrete balcony. It summaries the markets methods based on interviews and literature studies. The interviews where qualitative with the help of: a skilled constructor, a concrete expert, a paving expert, an experienced building manager and a balcony railing expert. The thesis describe concrete and reinforcement; their structure and their properties. A balcony’s different damages are describes. For example, the damages that can occur on concrete are frost weathering, reinforcement corrosion, chemical attrition, cracks and abrasion. Balconies varying construction from late 1800s to today’s technology are explained with text and figures. Descriptions are given on their concrete, rails, any thermal bridge and load baring function. The construction has changed from constant steel beams to isolated balcony connections. How balconies can be checked is described; ranging from ocular inspections to taking different samples to a laboratory. Finally, balconies different repairs due to damage are described. In case the balcony is too damaged to be able to be repaired, there are several examples of how a new construction can be applied. This is often with traction rods and columns. The conclusion of this work is that an analysis for a balcony should proceed from simple questions about the damages and the materials. These questions in consultation with knowledge about damages, controls and corrections are a suitable way to decide which action to make for a balcony. The most important thing is to check the balcony's structural parts so there is no risk of collapse and also that no falling concrete can occur.

With the onset of one of the worst economic downturns in recent history, the face of poverty is changing. This project seeks to explore a design solution aimed at helping a newly emerging segment of the population: the “half homeless”, formerly middle class individuals/families who lost their jobs and homes during the recession. Set in the building known as the Lucky Strike Power Plant, the project contains two distinct, but overlapping, programs: 1) multi-family housing, and 2) a continuum of supportive services accessible to both the residents and the community at large. The main focus of this project is the housing component; more specifically, exploring an unconventional housing typology designed to encourage interaction between the residents, as well as the residents and non-residents. Ultimately, this project is a study of how through the interplay between public vs. private and mass vs. void, design can heal, inspire, and bring people together.

A condição extemporânea do complexo de pavilhões Torino Esposizioni, em Turim, na Itália, foi o que provocou e guiou o estudo realizado neste trabalho. As reformas que adaptaram os espaços desde a inauguração em 1939, modificaram a trajetória dos pavilhões, desconstruindo a linearidade de sua linha do tempo e os conduzindo até os dias de hoje. A intervenção mais expressiva, comandada pelo engenheiro italiano Pier Luigi Nervi, alçou o complexo à categoria de patrimônio, qualificando os espaços tanto formalmente quanto historicamente. A forma atual dos pavilhões é a expressão de sua extemporaneidade, revelando as etapas de sua trajetória. As intervenções foram aqui estudadas considerando a dimensão imaterial da transformação: a influência do tempo e das memórias nas decisões que o profissional responsável pela reforma toma durante o processo de projeto. / The extemporaneous condition of the Torino Esposizioni pavilions, in Turin, Italy, caused and guided de study here presented. The renovations that adapted the spaces since the inauguration in 1939, changed the trajectory, deconstructing the linearity of their timeline and leading to these days. The most expressive intervention was leaded by the italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, and lifted the pavilions to the heritage category, qualifying the spaces formally and also historically. The today shape os the pavilions is te expression of their extemporality, and shows the phases of their trajetory. The interventions here studied considered the immaterial dimension of transformation: the influence of the time and memory in the decisions made by the architect during the project process.

Facility managers use various cost models and techniques to estimate the cost of renovating a building and to secure the required funds needed for building renovation. A literature search indicates that these techniques offer both advantages and disadvantages that need to be studied and analyzed. Descriptive statistical methods and qualitative analysis are employed to identify and compare techniques used by facility managers to calculate the expected renovation costs of a building. The cost models presently used to predict the cost and accumulate the budget required for renovation of a building were determined through interviews with ten Texas-based university facilities managers. The data and information gathered were analyzed and compared. Analysis of results suggests that traditional methods like Floor Area Method (FAM) is the most accurate, less time consuming, easy to use as well as convenient for data collection. Case-Based Reasoning (CBR), though not as widely used as FAM, is known to facilities managers. This is due to the fact that, if a new type of project needs to be renovated, and the data for a similar project is not available with the facilities manager, a completely new database needs to be created. This issue can be resolved by creating a common forum where data for all types of project could be made available for the facilities managers. Methods such as regression analysis and neural networks are known to give more accurate results. However, of the ten interviewees, only one was aware of these new models but did not use them as they would be helpful for very large projects and they would need expertise. Thus such models should be simplified to not only give accurate results in less time but also be easy to use. These results may allow us to discuss changes needed within the various cost models.

This thesis proposes the renovation of existing rental units in ten low-rise apartment buildings in order to foster urban and ecological resilience. Existing ex-military apartments on the north shore of Maynard Lake in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada are adapted through strategic additions and subtractions to create a gradient of spaces: from private to communal to public. The site is conceived as an urban threshold to the lake, organized around new communal amenity spaces for the inhabitants and new diverse mixed-use spaces for the public. At the heart of the project lies the design strategy of effecting big change in the quality of existing space through small interventions. Relatively low-cost incremental design moves transform bleak and alienating spaces into livable places where renters will benefit from the support of their community.

In recent years, it is becoming more and more common to utilize 3D modeling technology to reconstruct cultural heritages. The most common way to deliver the 3D model of an existing object is based on hands-on surveys and CAD tools which could be impractical for large or complex structure in term of time consumption and cost. Recently, laser scanning technology and more automated photogrammetric modeling methods become available, and making the 3D reconstruction process of real world objects easier. Photogrammetry is one of the most cost-effective approaches we could use to gather the physical information of an object, such as size, location, and appearance. Also, the operation of the equipment of photogrammetry, which is a camera, is very easy and cost-effective. However, it also has its drawback, which is mainly caused the outcome’s low accuracy level. Accurate drawings or models only have been achieved with other approaches, such as 3D laser scanning or total station. The 3D model of the Francis Hall at Texas A&M University, which will be renovated soon, was created in order to investigate whether the image-based 3D model produced using photogrammetry technology would be acceptable or not for the use in renovation projects. For this investigation, the elapsed time for data acquisition and 3D modeling was measured. The accuracy level of the image-based 3D model and the deficiencies of this approach were also recorded. Then, the image-based 3D model of Francis Hall was presented in the BIM CAVE to four industry professionals and one graduate student. The regular 3D model of the Francis Hall, which was created, using dimensions extracted from 2D drawings, was also presented to the interviewees in the BIM CAVE. After watching two different 3D models (image-based 3D model and regular 3D model) of the same Francis Hall, five interviewees were requested to describe the differences they noticed between image-based 3D model and regular 3D model presented in the BIM CAVE. By reviewing and analyzing the data from interviews. Following conclusions could be made. First, the image-based 3D model of Francis Hall gave people more feeling of reality than the traditional CAD drawings or BIM models. Second, the image-based 3D model could be used for saving travels, showing details, improving coordination, improving design, facilities management tool, and marketing tool. Third, in order to make it practical for the industry, the time consumption and cost of generating the image-based 3D model should be at least equivalent to time consumption and cost for architects to conduct survey and generate CAD drawings or BIM model.

A condição extemporânea do complexo de pavilhões Torino Esposizioni, em Turim, na Itália, foi o que provocou e guiou o estudo realizado neste trabalho. As reformas que adaptaram os espaços desde a inauguração em 1939, modificaram a trajetória dos pavilhões, desconstruindo a linearidade de sua linha do tempo e os conduzindo até os dias de hoje. A intervenção mais expressiva, comandada pelo engenheiro italiano Pier Luigi Nervi, alçou o complexo à categoria de patrimônio, qualificando os espaços tanto formalmente quanto historicamente. A forma atual dos pavilhões é a expressão de sua extemporaneidade, revelando as etapas de sua trajetória. As intervenções foram aqui estudadas considerando a dimensão imaterial da transformação: a influência do tempo e das memórias nas decisões que o profissional responsável pela reforma toma durante o processo de projeto. / The extemporaneous condition of the Torino Esposizioni pavilions, in Turin, Italy, caused and guided de study here presented. The renovations that adapted the spaces since the inauguration in 1939, changed the trajectory, deconstructing the linearity of their timeline and leading to these days. The most expressive intervention was leaded by the italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, and lifted the pavilions to the heritage category, qualifying the spaces formally and also historically. The today shape os the pavilions is te expression of their extemporality, and shows the phases of their trajetory. The interventions here studied considered the immaterial dimension of transformation: the influence of the time and memory in the decisions made by the architect during the project process.