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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Building Information Modeling in Support of Space Planning and Renovations in Colleges and Universities

Keegan, Christopher James 29 April 2010 (has links)
The construction industry is responsible for approximately $1 trillion in work annually. A large percentage of this work is tied to the renovation of older structures. Due to increases in sustainable initiatives and the growing lack of green field development sites, the renovation of older buildings is becoming an even more substantial portion of construction work. Old, or urban based, college and university campuses require renovation of their buildings to sustain an efficient and comfortable campus. Renovations on a college or university campus are often the effect of a change in space requirements, and the planning of the space in a building is a major driver for renovations. The renovation of an older structure on a college or university campus has many inherent issues associated with it. Included among these is the likelihood of unknown existing conditions, constantly evolving needs of the campus, cost implications of minor changes, and scheduling and phasing conflicts. Improvements in technology have the potential to increase the efficiency of the renovation and space planning process. One particular technology that could be of particular benefit is Building Information Modeling (BIM), a technology based collaborative process utilizing 3-Dimensional visualization software as its tool. It was the objective of this research project to explore the benefits of using Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the delivery of renovation projects as well as its possible utilization in space utilization management. This study attempted to identify opportunities for BIM to improve upon the process that universities and institutions, in particular, currently use for their renovations and space utilization management. This research project collected information from the WPI facilities management department specifically and from surveys of other institutions to better understand the current issues associated with renovations and space planning and to attempt to validate the use of BIM as a viable solution. A case study was performed on a building on the WPI campus, Salisbury Laboratories as part of this research study. The case study utilized 3-Dimensional Building Information Model to validate the possible use of the platform to streamline the delivery of renovation projects as well as its ability to benefit space planning process. The study was able to identify several benefits of utilizing BIM in the delivery of renovation projects, including increased efficiency in the design phase and generation of conceptual estimates and phasing plans for the owner. The principal benefit found by the study in the utilization of BIM was the ability for spatial visualizations and the ease of modifying the design in a consistent and efficient fashion. There were several observed barriers to the utilization of BIM in this regard, namely the lack of knowledge of the software and the cost of implementing and updating the system.
2

Understanding and influencing energy efficient renovation decisions

Wilson, Charles 11 1900 (has links)
This thesis is an investigation of why and how homeowners decide to renovate their homes. Energy efficient renovations are of particular interest given their potential contribution to public policy goals including greenhouse gas emission reduction. Policies seeking to improve energy efficiency in existing homes have to influence homeowners’ decisions. This requires a psychologically and behaviourally realistic understanding of the renovation decision process. Different research traditions offer competing models. These are tested through a series of hypotheses on the form and content of the renovation decision. The empirical dataset used combines both stated and revealed preference data. 809 homeowners in British Columbia were surveyed at three different cross-sections of the renovation decision process. The sample included both energy efficient (e.g., windows, insulation) and amenity renovators (e.g., kitchens, bathrooms), and was broadly representative of the population of renovating homeowners in British Columbia. Survey responses were calibrated using actual energy consumption data, and a supplementary survey of realtors. Calibration allowed homeowners’ expectations of the financial costs and benefits of renovating to be evaluated. Firstly, sampled homeowners systematically over-estimated their energy costs. Secondly, these estimates were subject to common information processing and recall biases. Thirdly, even homeowners in the middle of energy efficient renovations had expectations of capital costs, energy cost savings, and property value impacts that were largely unknown or unreliable. More generally, sampled homeowners lacked the basic knowledge necessary to appraise energy efficient renovations as financial investments. Homeowners’ motivations for renovating were more likely to be emotional and aesthetic in the case of amenities, but related to functional outcomes like thermal comfort in the case of energy efficiency. Social norms were influential in both cases but were underreported by homeowners. This was consistent with rationalisation biases which help individuals maintain self-esteem by emphasizing instrumental explanations for their actions. This psychologically realistic characterisation of the renovation decision suggests a range of design criteria for policy, and questions the effectiveness of narrowly-targeted information and incentive policies in their current form. However, policy implications should be generalised with caution given the low energy price and appreciating real estate market characteristics of the study region.
3

Understanding and influencing energy efficient renovation decisions

Wilson, Charles 11 1900 (has links)
This thesis is an investigation of why and how homeowners decide to renovate their homes. Energy efficient renovations are of particular interest given their potential contribution to public policy goals including greenhouse gas emission reduction. Policies seeking to improve energy efficiency in existing homes have to influence homeowners’ decisions. This requires a psychologically and behaviourally realistic understanding of the renovation decision process. Different research traditions offer competing models. These are tested through a series of hypotheses on the form and content of the renovation decision. The empirical dataset used combines both stated and revealed preference data. 809 homeowners in British Columbia were surveyed at three different cross-sections of the renovation decision process. The sample included both energy efficient (e.g., windows, insulation) and amenity renovators (e.g., kitchens, bathrooms), and was broadly representative of the population of renovating homeowners in British Columbia. Survey responses were calibrated using actual energy consumption data, and a supplementary survey of realtors. Calibration allowed homeowners’ expectations of the financial costs and benefits of renovating to be evaluated. Firstly, sampled homeowners systematically over-estimated their energy costs. Secondly, these estimates were subject to common information processing and recall biases. Thirdly, even homeowners in the middle of energy efficient renovations had expectations of capital costs, energy cost savings, and property value impacts that were largely unknown or unreliable. More generally, sampled homeowners lacked the basic knowledge necessary to appraise energy efficient renovations as financial investments. Homeowners’ motivations for renovating were more likely to be emotional and aesthetic in the case of amenities, but related to functional outcomes like thermal comfort in the case of energy efficiency. Social norms were influential in both cases but were underreported by homeowners. This was consistent with rationalisation biases which help individuals maintain self-esteem by emphasizing instrumental explanations for their actions. This psychologically realistic characterisation of the renovation decision suggests a range of design criteria for policy, and questions the effectiveness of narrowly-targeted information and incentive policies in their current form. However, policy implications should be generalised with caution given the low energy price and appreciating real estate market characteristics of the study region.
4

Understanding and influencing energy efficient renovation decisions

Wilson, Charles 11 1900 (has links)
This thesis is an investigation of why and how homeowners decide to renovate their homes. Energy efficient renovations are of particular interest given their potential contribution to public policy goals including greenhouse gas emission reduction. Policies seeking to improve energy efficiency in existing homes have to influence homeowners’ decisions. This requires a psychologically and behaviourally realistic understanding of the renovation decision process. Different research traditions offer competing models. These are tested through a series of hypotheses on the form and content of the renovation decision. The empirical dataset used combines both stated and revealed preference data. 809 homeowners in British Columbia were surveyed at three different cross-sections of the renovation decision process. The sample included both energy efficient (e.g., windows, insulation) and amenity renovators (e.g., kitchens, bathrooms), and was broadly representative of the population of renovating homeowners in British Columbia. Survey responses were calibrated using actual energy consumption data, and a supplementary survey of realtors. Calibration allowed homeowners’ expectations of the financial costs and benefits of renovating to be evaluated. Firstly, sampled homeowners systematically over-estimated their energy costs. Secondly, these estimates were subject to common information processing and recall biases. Thirdly, even homeowners in the middle of energy efficient renovations had expectations of capital costs, energy cost savings, and property value impacts that were largely unknown or unreliable. More generally, sampled homeowners lacked the basic knowledge necessary to appraise energy efficient renovations as financial investments. Homeowners’ motivations for renovating were more likely to be emotional and aesthetic in the case of amenities, but related to functional outcomes like thermal comfort in the case of energy efficiency. Social norms were influential in both cases but were underreported by homeowners. This was consistent with rationalisation biases which help individuals maintain self-esteem by emphasizing instrumental explanations for their actions. This psychologically realistic characterisation of the renovation decision suggests a range of design criteria for policy, and questions the effectiveness of narrowly-targeted information and incentive policies in their current form. However, policy implications should be generalised with caution given the low energy price and appreciating real estate market characteristics of the study region. / Science, Faculty of / Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for / Graduate
5

Rekonstrukce kulturního domu / Reconstruction of the House of Culture

Podstata, Tomáš January 2014 (has links)
Thesis Theme is the reconstruction of the cultural house in Suchý Důl. The building is divided into a restaurant with rooms and multi-purpose hall with facilities. Reconstruction of the building is additional insulation of substructures, exchange floor structures, replacing ceiling structures, creating new roof construction, replacement of doors, windows and changing the layout. The reconstruction and extension of the part of the building.
6

Examining framing effects on the decision-making processes of households in energy investments : An online experiment / Examining framing effects on the decision-making processes of households in energy investments : An online experiment

Yefanova, Iryna January 2019 (has links)
With the increased energy demands which are needed to fuel the human development and economic growth we also observe a trend for global environmental problems caused by burning fossil fuels. Tackling problems like global warming would mean either tapping into the large CO2 emitters and having them shift to renewable energy alternatives or motivating change on the level of individuals which would lead to a general reduction in energy consumption. This thesis features an online experiment with 320 participants, recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, who were randomly assigned to either an environmental or an economic frame, and performed tasks on energy-related investments, risk elicitation and environmental preferences (by framing we mean controlling the formulation of the decision problem). The main purpose of the experiment was to examine the effects of framing on the decision-making processes of households in regards to energy investments. The results we obtained with 90 and 99% confidence provide evidence that framing does have an effect on investment choices, moreover we have also observed that environmental concern is an important predictor of households’ investments. Going beyond our main hypothesis, we have conducted some exploratory analysis of the data which highlighted a great potential for the scientific method within the domain of energy-related investments. Finally, the results from our experiment suggest that framing could be a successful instrument in the hands of those working with policy-making and communication.
7

Life Cycle Assessment Of Building Materials In Hotel Refurbishment Projects: A Case Study In Ankara

Cakmakli, Aysem Berrin 01 June 2007 (has links) (PDF)
Buildings generate millions of tons of greenhouse gases, toxic air emissions, water pollutants and solid wastes that contribute to negative environmental impacts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology for assessing the environmental performance of products over their life time. However, many building products are discarded much before the end of their service life, especially as a result of refurbishment and renovation projects. The need for such projects is increasing because most buildings are not designed to accommodate changes in their functions and needs of their occupants. This is particular to commercial buildings, especially hospitality facilities, which are unique with regard to operational schemes and the type of services offered that are highly resource-intensive. In this investigation, statistical data related to refurbishment and renovation projects in Turkey were analysed to determine the percentage of refurbishment projects for hotels. Bills of quantities for refurbishment projects of three five-star hotels in Ankara were obtained and evaluated with regard to the volume and type of material discarded as a result of the renovation works. ATHENA, an LCA software, was used to evaluate these projects according to the six environmental impact indicators: primary energy consumption, solid waste, air pollution index, water pollution index, global warming potential and weighted resource use. A system was formulated for evaluating materials according to each indicator by calculating their &ldquo / eco-scores&rdquo / the total score is considered to be the yard-stick for comparing environmental appropriateness of these materials. Finally, recommendations on the choice of materials were made, with an aim to reducing material waste and harmful emissions.
8

Thermal comfort study on a renovated residential apartment in Tjärna Ängar, Borlänge

Mnla Ali, Tammam January 2021 (has links)
The Swedish government in the 1960th initiated “The Million Program” to build million residentialunits to cover the housing shortage between 1965 to 1975. Tjärna Ängar neighborhood in Borlängemunicipality was built during the million-program period, where these residential units became old,and the indoor environment is uncomfortable for the residents.Recently, there have been extensive energy-efficient renovations to improving the energyefficiency,indoor air quality, and thermal comfort of these buildings. The renovation project, withcooperation between Dalarna University and the local housing company (Stora Tunabyggen)started in 2015 by renovating three buildings in the Tjärna Ängar neighborhood.This study was conducted at one of these three retrofitting buildings (Kornstigen 25) to investigatethe thermal comfort in the building following energy retrofit. The assessment of the thermalcomfort in this study is based on Fanger's model with the use of predicted mean vote (PMV) andpredicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) to assess the obtained measurements.An online questionnaire survey with building occupants was conducted to give a betterunderstanding of the current situation of the retrofitting building before and after the renovationregarding thermal comfort. Based on the measurement, the thermal sensation of the occupants isslightly cool according to the standard’s sensation scale during the period of the measurement. Anonline questionnaire survey assures that the occupants were feeling slightly cool during someperiods of the day inside the apartments.
9

Hållbara renoveringar : Hur bostadsbolags hållbarhetsstrategier tillämpas i en renoveringskontext / Sustainable renovations : How housing companies' sustainability strategies are applied in a renovation context

Stoor, Anna, Malmborg, Olivia January 2023 (has links)
Problemformulering: Det blir viktigare och viktigare i dagens samhälle att tänka hållbart. Bolag behöver bidra till hållbar utveckling och redovisa sina hållbarhetsarbeten i sina rapporter för att vara med och konkurrera med andra bolag. I fastighetsbranschen kan man tänka hållbart när man bygger nytt men för att skapa ett hållbart samhälle måste man även tänka hållbart i förvaltningsskedet där man tar hand om det befintliga fastighetsbeståndet. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att erhålla en djupare förståelse för bostadsbolags hållbarhetsarbete genom att studera hur de tillämpar sin hållbarhetsstrategi i en renoveringskontext. Metod: Arbetet har genomförts genom en rapportstudie där information om bolagens hållbarhetsstrategi, mål och renoveringsåtgärder har samlats in från deras års- och hållbarhetsredovisningar. Vidare har en kvalitativ metod använts i form av intervjuer med respondenter från respektive bolag. Resultat & Slutsats: Rapporten kommer fram till att bolagen applicerar sin hållbarhetsstrategi på liknande men lite olika sätt. Vissa arbetar mer med social hållbarhet medan andra har mer fokus på energieektiviseringar och lönsamhet. Några av bolagen har ett tydligare bevarandetänk då de hellre renoverar än att installera nytt. Bolagen försöker att balansera alla hållbarhetsaspekter men ekonomin är det som styr vilka projekt som kan genomföras eftersom att investeringarna i slutändan måste vara lönsamma. Resultatet visar även att bolagen prioriterar sina renoveringar efter behov men att akuta åtgärder alltid går i första hand. Man kan man se att bolagens hållbarhetsstrategi genomsyrar deras hållbarhetsarbete i ett renoveringskontext. Det finns däremot många sätt de kan förbättra sitt hållbarhetsarbete och mer att lära kring hur man renoverar hållbart. / Problem formulation: It is becoming more and more important in today's society to think in a sustainable manner. Companies need contribute to sustainable development and report their sustainability work in their reports in order to compete with other companies. In the real estate industry, you can think sustainably when you build new properties, but to create a sustainable society, you also have to think sustainably in the management phase, where you take care of the existing property stock.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of sustainability efforts of housing companies by studying how they apply their sustainability strategy in a renovation context.  Method: The work has been conducted through a report study where information about the companies' sustainability strategy, goals and renovation measures have been collected from their annual and sustainability reports. Furthermore, a qualitative method has been used in the form of interviews with respondents from each company. Results & Conclusion: The report concludes that the companies apply their sustainability strategy to similar but slightly different way. Some work more with social sustainability, while others focus more on energy effciency improvements and proftability. Some of the companies have a clearer conservation mindset as they prefer to renovate rather than install new. The companies try to balance all aspects of sustainability, but the economy is what governs which projects can be implemented because the investments must ultimately be proftable. The results also show that the companies prioritize their renovations as needed, but that urgent measures always come first. You can see that the companies' sustainability strategy permeates their sustainability work in a renovation context. However, there are many ways they can improve their sustainability work and more to learn about how to renovate sustainably.
10

Geografia política e geopolítica no Brasil (1982-2012) / Political Geography and Geopolitics in Brazil (1982-2012)

Karol, Eduardo 31 January 2014 (has links)
Esta tese discute a Geografia Política e Geopolítica produzida por geógrafos no período de 1982-2012, procura identificar quais os temas mais tratados, os lugares da produção e a existência de especialistas com ligação na formulação de políticas territoriais do Estado brasileiro. Neste sentido, questiona a renovação da Geografia no Brasil, mostra que a negligencia dos geógrafos com a análise do Estado não passou ao largo das instituições de ensino e pesquisa. Dentre os resultados alcançados, expõe a concentração da produção em poucos geógrafos, fato marcante em todo o século XX, a localização em grandes universidades dos centros urbanos e a ligação dos geógrafos como formuladores de políticas estatais de organização territorial. Conclui-se que, no período analisado, a obra de Bertha K. Becker é preponderante na Geografia Política e Geopolítica e que a renovação que pretendia olvidar a ligação dos geógrafos com o Estado não se efetivou, ao contrário viu crescer o número de trabalhos sobre políticas territoriais para o Estado. / This thesis discusses Political Geography and Geopolitics produced by geographers between 1982 and 2012, looking to identify which topics were the most discussed, the places where they were produced and the existence of specialists linked to the formulation of territorial policies of the Brazilian State. Thus, this thesis debates a new moment in Brazilian Geography, showing that the negligence of the geographers towards an analysis of the State did not go off the education and research institutions. Among the results achieved, this thesis also exposes the concentration of production in the hands of few geographers, an observed situation throughout the whole 20th century, the location of the production based on large universities in the biggest urban centers of the country, and the bond of geographers with State policies of territorial organization. It concludes that, during the period observed, the works of Bertha K. Becker are widely spread in the Political Geography and Geopolitc, and that the renew, which intended to make geographers not to produce studies about the State has failed, an in fact, the number of studies about territorial policies of the State has grown.

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