Sustainable architecture evaluation method in an African context: transgressing discipline boundaries with a systems approach

This paper presents a method for poverty-inclusive evaluation of architectural sustainability. Existing evaluation tools largely ignore poverty—an omission that renders them inadequate for use in a developing country context. Methodological challenges arise from the complexity due to inclusion of poverty alongside numerous other sustainability aspects. Moreover, the shared transdisciplinary nature of architecture and sustainability coupled with inherent scale polarities add to the complexity. The evaluation method discussed here adopts concepts from systems theory to develop a framework that addresses the above challenges. It yields credible results in a developing country context with a dearth of research precedents and databases. The method was applied in an empirically based study of the sustainability performance of earth walling techniques in Uganda. The study showed that, from a sustainability viewpoint, wattle-and-daub performs best, followed by adobe, whereas the most popular brick was only better than compressed earth blocks. In their transparency, the evaluation method and results here presented can stand conventional academic scrutiny. But the conclusions point to the need for greater acceptance of transdisciplinary approaches to knowledge conceptualism if the holistic disposition of sustainability, architecture and sustainable architecture is to be accommodated.     

Remediation of MTBE-Contaminated Water and Soil

As the number of leaking underground fuel tank sites with methyl tertiary butyl ehter (MTBE) contamination continues to grow, there is a need to develop cost-effective solutions for treatment of soil and water contamination. MTBE poses special challenges because of its physicochemical properties, in particular high solubility and low Henry's constant, low affinity for sorption, and very slow rate of microbial degradation. Advanced oxidation processes tend to generate undesirable by-products. Based on laboratory studies with hollow fiber membranes (HFM), a field-scale unit was constructed and tested at a number of sites, to determine the effectiveness of this technology in dealing with MTBE contamination. In addition, to treat the soil contamination, the HFM unit was coupled with a Spray Aeration Vapor Extraction (SAVE) unit, which is based on an internal combustion engine. The engine provides the means to treat soil vapors, as well as organic vapors from the spray aeration and HFM units. The overall treatment objectives of 5μg/l for MTBE and 1 μg/l for benzene were achieved with a treatment train consisting of an ion exchange unit, a spray aeration system, a hollow fiber membrane module and two granular activated carbon (GAC) units, for flowrates ranging from 3.8 to 30 l/min (1 to 8 gal/min). The ion exchange unit sewed to reduce water hardness and avoid scaling in the subsequent treatment units, extending the run-time of the entire system. Overall removal efficiencies for the spray aeration system and hollow fiber membrane module ranged from 85 to over 99 percent. High removal efficiencies (> 97%) were obtained at elevated water temperatures (54°C) or lower flowrates (up to 11 l/min). The GAC units were used only to polish the effluent and meet the discharge requirements. Soil, water, and gas phases are treated with this system. Cost estimates are provided for similar treatment processes, for water flowrates up to 38 l/min (10 gal/min). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

冶金尘泥混合垃圾燃烧飞灰熔融重构固化重金属的研究

针对冶金固废组分复杂且难以高附加值利用的特性,结合当前垃圾燃烧飞灰重金属污染现状,通过将两者混合进行熔融固化及成分重组,研究了重金属固化及浸出毒性.结果表明:随着温度升高,固化渣出现明显结块,且燃烧过程中矿物发生重组,Zn、Cu、Pb和Cr取代硅酸盐中Ca~(2+)、Al~(3+)等离子而被固熔于网状基体中,生成了Cu_6Zn_4Al_2O_4、FeCr_2O_4、Cd_(0.75)Zn_(0.25)Fe_2O_4、Zn(AlO0.5Fe1.5)O4、MgCr0.4Fe1.6O4及Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4等物质;且随着温度升高,Ca-Fe-Si-O体系形成一种耐热硅酸盐稳定相CaFe_3(SiO_4)2OH,由于其覆盖或包裹住含有重金属的晶体,从而延缓并阻止了灰渣分解及重金属的浸出,降低了重金属对环境的污染.