Studies on recycled aggregates-based concrete.

Reduced extraction of raw materials, reduced transportation cost, improved profits, reduced environmental impact and fast-depleting reserves of conventional natural aggregates has necessitated the use of recycling, in order to be able to conserve conventional natural aggregate. In this study various physical and mechanical properties of recycled concrete aggregates were examined. Recycled concrete aggregates are different from natural aggregates and concrete made from them has specific properties. The percentages of recycled concrete aggregates were varied and it was observed that properties such as compressive strength showed a decrease of up to 10% as the percentage of recycled concrete aggregates increased. Water absorption of recycled aggregates was found to be greater than natural aggregates, and this needs to be compensated during mix design.     

浅层天然气井喷对地层的损伤影响与桩基工程危害分析

针对杭州湾大桥在勘探过程中发现桥址区地层有浅层天然气分布并发生井喷这一现象,基于现场勘探时浅层气井喷特点与影响因素,认为引起井喷的主要原因是起钻抽吸作用和灌浆不及时所致。井喷是含浅层气土体的渗透比降超过其气压临界比降条件下的非饱和渗流破坏过程,对地层的影响表现为对土体的损伤和扰动,按扰动程度可分为剧烈扰动区、严重扰动区、轻微扰动区和含气层压密区。桥址区粘土层中的浅层气不会对桩基工程产生明显的危害,但砂土层中的浅层气可能会引起土体剧烈扰动显著降低桩基承载力、桩基发生不均匀沉降或桩腿下沉、桩基中产生负摩擦力和阻碍桩基础顺利施工等不利影响,应从桩基础合理选型、预先进行不扰动土体控制释放浅层气、充分考虑不利因素的安全设计,以及在施工过程中增高钻孔桩作业平台与增大泥浆比重等几方面进行灾害防治。     

The interactive relationship of competitive climate and trait competitiveness with workplace attitudes,stress, and performance

There has been a considerable debate about the individual and organizational benefits of competition. Adopting a person–environment fit perspective, this research examined the influence of competition as an interaction between trait competitiveness and competitive climate. Using a sample of information technology workers, competitive climate was considered as both an individual level variable and a workgroup variable. Results show that the effect of competitive climate depended on trait competitiveness and the level at which climate was assessed for four of the outcomes assessed: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job dedication, and supervisor‐rated task performance. In general, the effect of competitive climate was more negative for individuals lower in trait competitiveness. Competitive psychological climate was associated with greater stress regardless of the level of trait competitiveness but was not directly related to self‐rated task performance. Findings suggest that managers should be cautious in encouraging competitive climate. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deconstructing compassionate conservation

Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public.     

对环境水体中目标化合物——杀虫剂的快速、灵敏的飞行时间（TOF）筛查

飞行时间（TOF）筛查方式技术以其特有的优势,如全扫描数据采集、非预期化合物历史数据再查询等在环境监测领域的应用已经取得了稳步增长.满足全球食品需求,杀虫剂、除草剂和杀真菌剂使用泛滥.这些化学物质施用到庄稼上,将不可避免地污染土壤和河道.因此需要执行严格的环境监察,以保护环境、植物和野生动物     

Maintaining a neutral water balance in a 450 MWe NGCC-CCS power system with post-combustion carbon dioxide capture aimed at offshore operation

A post-combustion CO₂ capture process intended for offshore operations has been designed and optimised for integration with a natural gas-fired power plant on board a floating structure developed by the Norway-based company Sevan Marine ASA—designated Sevan GTW (gas-to-wire). The concept is constrained by the structure of the floater carrying a SIEMENS modular power system rated at 450 MW_e, with a capture rate of 90% and CO₂ compression (1.47 Mtpa) for pipeline pressure at 12 MPa. A net efficiency of 45% (based on a lower heating value) is estimated for the system with CO₂ capture, thus suggesting that the post-combustion CO₂ capture system is accountable for a fuel penalty of nine percentage points.The rationale behind the technology selection is the urgency of replacing the dispersed aero-derivative gas turbines which power the offshore oil and gas production units in Norwegian waters with near-zero emission power.As (inherently) fresh water usually constitutes a limiting factor in sea operations, efforts are made to obtain a neutral water balance to obtain an optimal design. This is primarily achieved by controlling the cleaned flue gas temperature at the top of the absorber column.     

Oil-dispersant mixtures: understanding chemical composition and its relation to human toxicity

The ability for the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of oil-dispersant mixtures to become aerosolized following natural sea surface activity markedly increases the probability of inhalation exposure to this aerosolized mixture and subsequent adverse respiratory health effects. Thus, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the chemical composition of WAF of these mixtures as well as determine how this relates to lung epithelial cell cytotoxicity. WAF was prepared by mixing each dispersant (Corexit 9500/9527/9580) with crude oil. For “chemical constituent fingerprinting,” these prepared WAF were extracted prior with dichloromethane, analyzed by Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and qualitatively evaluated using the NIST08 database. Results from chemical analysis revealed an increase in structure complexity of the WAF oil-dispersant mixtures when compared to WAF of crude oil only. This complexity was characterized by high molecular weight compounds such as alkyl derivatives, esters, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Previously a concentration-dependent reduction in cultured A549 cells was noted at 2 or 24?h time points following exposure to either the WAF-oil/9500 or WAF-oil/9527. Thus, a possible correlation exists between the chemical complexity of these mixtures and the ability to induce lung epithelial cell death in potentially exposed individuals.     

Managing climate change risks in New York City’s water system: assessment and adaptation planning

Managing risk by adapting long-lived infrastructure to the effects of climate change must become a regular part of planning for water supply, sewer, wastewater treatment, and other urban infrastructure during this century. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), the agency responsible for managing New York City’s (NYC) water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment systems, has developed a climate risk management framework through its Climate Change Task Force, a government-university collaborative effort. Its purpose is to ensure that NYCDEP’s strategic and capital planning take into account the potential risks of climate change—sea-level rise, higher temperature, increases in extreme events, changes in drought and flood frequency and intensity, and changing precipitation patterns—on NYC’s water systems. This approach will enable NYCDEP and other agencies to incorporate adaptations to the risks of climate change into their management, investment, and policy decisions over the long term as a regular part of their planning activities. The framework includes a 9-step Adaptation Assessment procedure. Potential climate change adaptations are divided into management, infrastructure, and policy categories, and are assessed by their relevance in terms of climate change time-frame (immediate, medium, and long term), the capital cycle, costs, and other risks. The approach focuses on the water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment systems of NYC, but has wide application for other urban areas, especially those in coastal locations.     

Quantifying chlorinated ethene degradation during reductive dechlorination at Kelly AFB using stable carbon isotopes

Stable isotope analysis of chlorinated ethene contaminants was carried out during a bioaugmentation pilot test at Kelly Air Force Base (AFB) in San Antonio Texas. In this pilot test, cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) was the primary volatile organic compound. A mixed microbial enrichment culture, KB-1, shown in laboratory experiments to reduce chlorinated ethenes to non-toxic ethene, was added to the pilot test area. Following bioaugmentation with KB-1, perchloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and cDCE concentrations declined, while vinyl chloride (VC) concentrations increased and subsequently decreased as ethene became the dominant transformation product. Shifts in carbon isotopic values up to 2.7 per thousand, 6.4 per thousand, 10.9 per thousand and 10.6 per thousand were observed for PCE, TCE, cDCE and VC, respectively, after bioaugmentation, consistent with the effects of biodegradation. While a rising trend of VC concentrations and the first appearance of ethene were indicative of biodegradation by 72 days post-bioaugmentation, the most compelling evidence of biodegradation was the substantial carbon isotope enrichment (2.0 per thousand to 5.0 per thousand) in ?13C(cDCE). Fractionation factors obtained in previous laboratory studies were used with isotope field measurements to estimate first-order cDCE degradation rate constants of 0.12 h(-1) and 0.17 h(-1) at 115 days post-bioaugmentation. These isotope-derived rate constants were clearly lower than, but within a factor of 2-4 of the previously published rate constant calculated in a parallel study at Kelly AFB using chlorinated ethene concentrations. Stable carbon isotopes can provide not only a sensitive means for early identification of the effects of biodegradation, but an additional means to quantify the rates of biodegradation in the field.     

Smoldering Combustion (STAR) for the Treatment of Contaminated Soils: Examining Limitations and Defining Success

Smoldering combustion, commercially available as the Self‐sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation (STAR) technology, is an innovative technique that has shown promise for the remediation of contaminant source zones. Smoldering combustion is an exothermic reaction (net energy producing) converting carbon compounds and an oxidant (e.g., oxygen in air) to carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Thus, following ignition, the smoldering combustion reaction can continue in a self‐sustaining manner (i.e., no external energy or added fuel input following ignition) as the heat generated by the reacting contaminants is used to preheat and initiate combustion of contaminants in adjacent areas, propagating a combustion front through the contaminated zone provided a sufficient flux of air is supplied. The STAR technology has applicability across a wide‐range of hydrocarbons in a variety of hydrogeologic settings; however, there are limitations to its use. Impacted soils must be permeable enough to allow a sufficient flux of air to the combustion front and there exists a minimum required concentration of contaminants such that the soils contain sufficient fuel for the reaction to proceed in a self‐sustaining manner. Further limitations, as well as lessons learned and methods to mitigate these limitations, are presented through a series of case studies. In summary, the successful implementation of STAR will result in >99 percent reduction in contaminant concentrations in treated areas, limited residual contaminant mass, reduced groundwater contaminant mass flux which can be addressed through monitored natural attenuation; and an enhanced site exit strategy, reduced lifecycle costs, and reduced risk. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.