Increasing uptake of low impact urban design and development: The role of sustainability assessment systems

Abstract

‘Market transformation’ of the significant urban development industry towards more sustainable practices is not moving at great pace. Design and assessment systems that may promote uptake of more sustainable urban design and development are reviewed briefly followed by a comparison between building and neighbourhood scales. For the latter there is a dearth of design and assessment tools for the residential built environment and of indicators to monitor progress towards sustainable development. Local authorities increasingly require an integrated approach to data collection and inclusion of infrastructure service providers in design, assessment and monitoring of urban development and associated environmental effects. By examining attempts to increase uptake of more sustainable residential development, the potential for tools and indicators at the neighbourhood scale to reduce environmental impact of the built environment is highlighted. It is recommended that built environment initiatives need to be combined with research into behavioural changes to achieve the desired outcome of a sustainable built environment and to increase the dialogue between communities, developers and local authorities.     

Book reviews

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Environmental Policy in an International Context, Vols 1–3: Perspectives, Conflicts and Prospects. P. Glasbergen &; A. Blowers (Series Eds) London, Arnold

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盾构切削桩引起的桩基承载特性变化及可行性研究*

为分析兰州地铁盾构隧道穿越既有桥梁工程方案的可行性,采用有限元数值模拟,研究盾构施工切削桩引起的桩基承载特性变化,分析盾构切削桩基前后桩体轴力、侧摩阻力和弯矩变化,探讨地表及桩基的位移变化。结果表明:直接切削桩将导致桩顶荷载重分布,隧道两侧1,4号桩桩顶荷载增大且增大19.3%~26.7%,而切断桩荷载减小且减小25.5%~29.2%;桩土相对位移随着盾构掘进而增大,促使基桩侧摩阻力的发挥整体呈增强趋势;各基桩弯矩均增大,致使桩基在桩顶以下4 m及隧道中心平面附近存在2个不利截面,各基桩最大弯矩增大2.0~5.2倍;直接切削桩将导致地表、基桩沉降激增,从而导致水平位移增大,致使承台由初始受力状态时的整体沉降变为挠曲变形为主,最大相对沉降达到5.01 mm,超过控制限值。可见,直接切削桩对既有桥梁桩基的承载特性影响显著,此方案不可行,应在盾构施工前采取加固措施。该研究结果可为类似工程提供参考。     

川藏铁路沿线地区夏季气温日较差的影响因素研究

利用ERA5再分析资料,分析了1979—2018年川藏铁路沿线区域气候特征.研究了2014—2018年夏季气温日较差(DTR)的变化趋势,以及2014—2018年夏季DTR与地面太阳辐射(SSR)、总降水量(TP)、总云量(TCC)、海拔(DEM)和地表平均蒸发率(MER)的相关性.结果表明:研究区域气温呈上升趋势,2014—2018年气温上升明显,温度升高达到1.8—2.0℃.区域降水集中,夏季多冬季少,降水东部多西部少.DTR在2014—2018年处于下降趋势,趋势为东部大西部小,南部大北部小.DTR与SSR呈正相关(P<0.05),DTR与TP、TCC、MER呈负相关(P<0.05),且相关性程度受海拔的影响.DTR与TP、MER的相关性均表现为由东向西减小,与区域内降水东多西少的分布特征相一致.各影响因素与DTR相关性程度为SSR>MER>TCC>TP.     

20 Years on lessons learned from Piper Alpha. The evolution of concurrent and inherently safe design

It has now been well over 20 years since the North Sea Piper Alpha disaster in 1988. There have been many lessons learned; some documented others just etched in memory. The event chronicled many significant changes in the offshore industry. The emanating point for most sweeping changes has been the Cullen Report and the UK North Sea industry. This paper reviews some of the critical lessons and identifies many ‘secondary’ finer points that constitute important learnings. The paper looks at major changes instigated by step changes in safety criticality. It is argued that the ‘second tier’ modes of failure such as corrosion, materials degradation, environmental cracking, erosion, plant ergonomics, etc. need to be better examined. These mechanisms are dangerous threats to the integrity of deep subsea assets, and it is noted that such root causes of failure as witnessed or predicted have yet to be fully appraised. The authors’ use wide experiences and case histories to highlight such concerns, offering rational fit-for-purpose solutions. The industry disconnections between, urgency to build, knowledge transfer, and management of change, are refocused. Powerful advances in risk-based mechanical, process, materials, and corrosion engineering are emphasized and the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) are reasoned for best life-cycle integrity. To keep up with the pace of growth in the deepwater sector, methods of concurrent and inherently safe design have evolved in a world where the practicalities and costs of modification, repair and retrofit are extremely difficult. Hence getting it right at the outset is paramount. Thus the drive for purposeful investment, at design is more justifiable, than the traditional practice of postponing costs (and problems) to operations. In this way the ominous ‘gray’ zone between the two cost centers is better bridged for reasons of safety and commercial advantage.     

三峡库区棺木岭危岩体涌浪风险防控研究∗

三峡库区棺木岭危岩体基座岩体强烈劣化，稳定性持续下降，潜在涌浪灾害严重威胁九畹溪漂流景区和长江航道的安全。本文围绕棺木岭危岩体涌浪风险防控问题，开展了基于流固耦合数值模拟的危岩体涌浪危险性评估和涉水危岩体防治设计，研究表明：在景区旺季的 145 m 水位工况下，棺木岭危岩体失稳可能产生的涌浪最大高度约为 19.2 m，在对岸九畹溪旅游码头最大爬坡高度约 15.1 m，长江干流最大涌浪爬高约 1.6 m，严重威胁约 15 km 的九畹溪航道和长江航道安全。针对危岩体处于偏心受压状态和消落区基座岩体劣化情况，对其下部凹腔进行“模袋砼围堰+岩腔填充”的工程防治设计，使得棺木岭危岩体稳定性系数从 1.3 提升至 2.6。本次研究直接指导了棺木岭危岩体防治工程，可为库区其他涉水危岩体涌浪风险防控提供借鉴。