Key factors determining the energy rating of existing English houses

In the UK, the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is used to rate the energy performance of existing dwellings whenever they are let or sold. This study investigates which of the inputs to SAP account for the most variance in energy rating across existing gas central heated houses in England. Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) 2009 are used to generate a representative set of dwellings and variance-based global sensitivity analysis is then applied to assess each input's contribution to the variance in the calculated ratings. It is demonstrated that heating system efficiency, external wall U-value and dwelling geometry account for 75% of the variance of the energy rating of gas central heated houses in England. This suggests that improving heating system efficiencies and wall U-values of the worst performing dwellings will go a long way towards improving their energy rating and potentially reducing their energy consumption. It is also demonstrated that dwelling geometry has a much bigger influence on the calculated carbon emissions (accounting for 80% of the variance) than it does on the SAP energy rating (accounting for 30%), meaning that significant improvements in energy rating might not be accompanied by significant reductions in carbon emissions.     

Multiple Phase Neighborhood Search-GRASP for the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem

Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) has been proved to be a very efficient algorithm for the solution of the Traveling Salesman Problem. Also, it has been proved that expanding the local search with the use of two or more different local search strategies helps the algorithm to avoid trapping in a local optimum. In this paper, a new modified version of GRASP, called Multiple Phase Neighborhood Search-GRASP (MPNS-GRASP), for the solution of the Vehicle Routing Problem is proposed. In this method, a stopping criterion based on Lagrangean Relaxation and Subgradient Optimization is utilized. In addition, a different way for expanding the neighborhood search is used based on a new strategy, the Circle Restricted Local Search Moves strategy. The algorithm was tested on two sets of benchmark instances and gave very satisfactory results. In both sets of instances the results have solution qualities with average values near to the optimum values and in a number of them the algorithm finds the optimum. The computational time of the algorithm is decreased significantly compared to other heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms due to the fact that the new strategy, the Expanding Neighborhood Search Strategy, is used.     

Pricing strategy in the US construction industry

This paper presents several issues related to pricing in construction. First, problems with current pricing strategy in construction are explored. Second, pricing strategies based on a market-based approach are proposed. Third, survey findings of the top 400 US contractors are presented regarding their current pricing practices and the applicability of the proposed pricing strategies. In conclusion, the belief that current pricing strategy in construction is predominantly cost-based is confirmed by the survey findings; indeed, in setting the markup, most contractors rely on their intuition after subjectively assessing the competition. The three internal pricing variables that have the largest statistically significant contingency coefficients with pricing strategy are ‘marketing intelligence capabilities’, ‘annual contract value’, and ‘the type of client in most projects’. ‘Owner's characteristics’, ‘competitors'characteristics’, and ‘market demand’ are statistically significant external variables in making pricing strategy decisions. A change of bidding procedure is proposed so that all parties in construction can maximize the benefits of market-based pricing strategies.     

Kinetics of the process of electroslag surfacing and the tructure of deposited metal based on nickel aluminide

The course of overlay welding technology qualification using welding procedure test according to the PN-EN ISO 15614-7 specifications is described. How the preliminary welding procedure specification (pWPS) should be prepared is clarified and the type of test pieces as well as the type of tests that should be carried out after overlay welding are presented. The criteria to be met by test pieces so that the welding procedure may be qualified as acceptable are discussed. The qualification range and the details of the welding procedure qualification record (WPQR) also presented. Numerous examples of overlay welding procedure qualification tests, carried out at the Welding Institute are described.     

一种冷冲压复合模具优化设计

分析某变电器开关压圈结构特点,提出一种合理优化的成形工艺设计。在一次成形过程中,只需一副复合模具,既实现不同3种工序的复合,又实现3种不同类别工件的冲压复合,模具经现场生产使用,工作稳定可靠,制件质量满足要求,满足现代智能制造高精度、低成本、高效率的要求。     

基于过程蓝图的程序环路复杂性度量方法

提出一种基于过程蓝图的程序环路复杂性度量实现方法。将传统基于程序控制流图的度量信息抽取变为对过程蓝图的实现层表示-抽象实现结构图的信息抽取，避免程序源代码的语法分析和控制流图的构造，简化度量过程和实现，并提高度量处理的效率。     

用．Net开发WEB下项目可配置的测评系统

使用ASP．NET和SQL—Server2000开芡一个基于WEB管理系统下的项目可配置的管理信息系统，将大大增加系统的柔性而实现项目的可配置将更加深入地涉及．Net庞大体系中的关键技术，其数据驱动的WEB应用涉及到数据访问和数据库管理：其中，ADONet提供的数据库接入对象的使用、服务器端控件的设定及数据库中编写动态SQL是问题的关键，依据开发一个具体的考评系统，本文对此进行了探讨。     

使用存储过程实现复杂的数据统计查询

存储过程是一种重要的数据库对象，恰当地使用存储过程可以简化应用程序的开发，提高系统的运行性能。本文通过两个具体的例子，介绍了在SQL Server数据库中如何使用存储过程实现复杂的数据统计查询。     

二进制翻译中的过程恢复技术

目前对处理器速度的追求促使体系结构不断发展,但是软件的支持却不能与其匹配,造成新体系结构推广的困难,研究、解决代码迁移问题的二进制翻译方法应运而生。文中介绍了在开发一个静态二进制翻译系统(XM翻译器)中的过程恢复技术,包括参数恢复和返回值恢复,并提出了解决返回值恢复问题的一个新的实现方法。它回避了一般方法中必须要进行数据流、控制流分析的复杂性,基于x86机器本身的调用特点以及实例的分析,是一种简单实用的实现返回值恢复的方法,经XM系统验证是行之有效的。     

基于B/S模式的远程教学平台的设计

该文在分析B/S模式特点的基础上,讨论了远程教学平台的设计与开发,分析了已有系统的不足,提出了系统的总体结构,并进一步对系统设计中ASP/ADO、系统安全控制、数据库设计等一些关键技术提出了解决办法。