Attributes of successful place-making in knowledge and innovation spaces: evidence from Brisbane’s Diamantina knowledge precinct

Place-making in knowledge and innovation spaces is a challenging task for planners and designers due to the lack of competent conceptual frameworks and design guidelines. To address this issue, this study adopts a qualitative methodological approach to carry out an empirical investigation in a case study from Brisbane, Australia, i.e., Diamantina Knowledge Precinct. This investigation is guided by a conceptual framework derived from the interdisciplinary literature review. Interviews, supported with various data sources, are conducted among a range of key stakeholders. The findings reveal the key design attributes and considerations for successful place-making in knowledge and innovation spaces.     

Directions for future research in project management: The main findings of a UK government-funded research network

In 2003 the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) agreed to fund a research network – Rethinking Project Management – to define a research agenda aimed at enriching and extending the subject of project management beyond its current conceptual foundations. The main argument for the proposed Network highlighted the growing critiques of project management theory and the need for new research in relation to the developing practice. Being the first paper of this Special Issue, this paper presents the Network’s main findings: a framework of five directions aimed at developing the field intellectually in the following areas: project complexity, social process, value creation, project conceptualisation, and practitioner development. These areas are based on a comprehensive analysis of all the research material produced over a 2-year period and represent the dominant pattern of ideas to emerge from the Network as a whole. They are not meant to be the agenda for future research, but an agenda to inform and stimulate current and future research activity in developing the field of project management. Methodologically, the five research directions represent a synthesis of ideas for how the current conceptual base needs to develop in relation to the developing world of practice. As well as presenting the main findings, the paper also presents a practical research framework aimed at researchers working in the field. The intended audience for the paper is the project management research community, and also researchers in other management areas for whom the Network’s findings might be of interest.     

高放废物地质处置中的地质、水文 地质、地球化学关键科学问题

 深地质处置是目前国际上普遍接受的高放废物最终处置方案。该方案对处置库采用人工屏障和天然屏障的“多重屏障系统”概念设计。天然屏障是处置库长期安全至关重要的保证。如何选择可靠的天然屏障,主要靠地质、水文地质、地球化学等工作来完成。通过对国内外高放废物地质处置研究的回顾,阐述高放废物地质处置研究中与地质、水文地质、地球化学相关的关键科学问题,重点介绍预选场地地质、水文地质、地球化学研究的主要内容、主要方法和手段,讨论目前国际上关注的关键水文地质、地球化学问题,如水文地质、水文地球化学模拟、核素在天然介质中迁移、地下水–废物–岩石相互作用、岩体地球化学封闭性等。     

Editorial special issue: house, home and dwelling

The aim of this special issue is to further our understanding of ‘house’, ‘home’ and ‘dwelling’ by presenting five empirical studies that investigate different aspects of these concepts. All three are complex, multi-faceted and multi-layered concepts, whose diverse connotations are often used interchangeably. For example, the word home is used for the physical structure of the house, for the meanings attached to the house, as well as for the process of homemaking. From an analytical point of view this is undesirable, since we require our concepts to be as unambiguous as possible. Therefore, in this introductory paper, the guest editors present a conceptual framework for studying house, home and dwelling that is based on the fundamental distinction between an environmental object and the affordances attached to it. The studies presented in this special issue investigate different aspects of house, home and dwelling, but they all use this conceptual framework and share the same theoretical perspective on people—dwelling relations. And, although each of the papers has its own merits, together they demonstrate that the conceptual framework is an effective tool for dismantling the concepts of house, home and dwelling.     

浅析岩土工程勘察中水文地质勘察的问题

岩土工程勘察工作中,水文地质问题对于保证工程建设安全有着极其重要的意义。本文就岩土工程勘察过程中出现的水文地质问题进行了简要地阐述,并对水文地质问题的主要危害进行了分析。     

Property attribution of 3D geological models in the Thames Gateway,London: new ways of visualising geoscientific information

Rapid developments in information technology and the increasing collection and digitisation of geological data by the British Geological Survey now allow geoscientists to produce meaningful 3D spatial models of the shallow subsurface in many urban areas. Using this new technology, it is possible to model and predict not only the type of rocks in the shallow subsurface, but also their engineering properties (rock strength, shrink-swell characteristics and compressibility) and hydrogeological properties (permeability, porosity, thickness of the unsaturated zone or the likelihood of perched water tables) by attribution of the 3D model with geological property data. This paper describes the hydrogeological, engineering and confidence (uncertainty) attribution of high resolution models of the Thames Gateway development zone (TGDZ), east of London, UK, and proposes a future in which site investigation sets out to test a pre-existing spatial model based on real data rather than a conceptual model.      

The costs and benefits of water demand management: evidence from New Zealand

Worldwide, there has been an increasing trend for water supply managers to look towards the use of water demand management (WDM) initiatives as an alternative to other more traditional approaches for ensuring that water supply can meet demand. Despite increasing recognition of the wide range of benefits possible through these WDM initiatives, there are few published works that are readily accessible to decision makers laying out concepts and methods through which a valuation of WDM initiatives can be made. To address the issue, this paper describes a comprehensive framework to evaluate WDM and alternative initiatives. It describes the results of applying the framework ex‐post to the assessment of WDM initiatives put in place by Tauranga City Council in New Zealand. This case study is one of the leading examples of the implementation of WDM in New Zealand, and provides a strong value case for investigating other possible applications of WDM.     

南水北调西线一期工程区水文地质条件评价

针对南水北调西线一期工程区地形、地质、地貌和气候条件复杂,及工作条件差、工期短、基础资料缺乏等特点,建立了以遥感水文地质判释为主,结合野外地面调查、现场钻孔地下水流速流向测试、现场钻孔压水试验资料分析、水化学分析、环境同位素测试分析等多手段多方法的水文地质条件综合评价方法,研究了该工程区的地下水类型、地下水化学特征及其形成条件、主要含水层的分布,主要水文地质单元及其地下水运动和补径排条件。结合水利工程勘探的特点,充分利用钻孔压水试验成果,分析探讨水文地质参数及其变化特征,对沿线隧洞涌水量进行初步估算。探讨了主要的水文地质问题。为高山覆盖地区的水文地质条件研究提供了一种新思路。     

微水试验技术的应用研究

水文地质试验是工程地质勘察的重要组成部分,对工程设计及施工具有重要作用。常规的水文地质试验,包括稳定流试验和非稳定流试验的现场操作过程,均具有试验周期长,设备数量多,工作效率低等特点,而微水试验作为一种相对快速的水文地质试验方法,在一定程度上弥补了这些不足。本文通过对微水试验的理论基础、试验方法以及关键技术的分析,并结合铁道第三勘察设计院集团有限公司研制的“地层渗透系数快速测定系统”,通过现场实践,进一步优化微水试验的应用效果,以期达到缩短水文试验周期,降低现场技术人员的工作强度和试验费用的目的。     

A conceptual framework and research strategy for the study of power in urban renewal

In this article some conceptual and methodological notes are made for the development of empirical research on the relations of social power in urban renewal. The article relates to the theoretical debate on community power and urban change. Power is defined as a structurally based capacity to control resources which constrain and sanction the behaviour of other social agents. Urban renewal involves different parties such as property owners, building firms and different user categories as well as state and local authorities. These parties typically have or must handle conflictual interests when it comes to changes in the built environment. A research strategy is outlined which includes the investigation of power resources, interests, sanctions and outcomes in different urban renewal cases. The conceptual framework is illustrated by a case study of housing renewal.     

A Stochastic Computational Framework to Investigate the Initial Stage of Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Superstructures

This article presents a stochastic computational framework to investigate the chloride‐induced corrosion of reinforced concrete superstructures. For this purpose, three‐dimensional finite‐element models are developed to determine the extent of chloride penetration into the superstructure components. One of the unique capabilities of this framework is to simultaneously consider all the major factors that affect the corrosion process. Furthermore, the developed framework integrates various sources of uncertainty into the performance predictions. This will be achieved by modifying the element properties and boundary conditions of the finite‐element models at each time step. For a reliable durability assessment of deteriorating structural components, the proposed framework incorporates the temporal and spatial uncertainties of the influential parameters into the finite‐element analysis. Considering that most of the parameters involved in the corrosion process follow non‐normal distributions, a series of non‐Gaussian stochastic fields are generated following a computationally efficient procedure. The results calculated from extensive stochastic simulations are expressed in terms of the likelihood and extent of corrosion initiation. The outcome of this study indicates that the computational investigation of the corrosion process can be significantly improved if a reliable probabilistic framework is employed instead of conventional deterministic approaches.     

Potenziale der Nutzung organischer Spurenstoffe als Indikatoren in Grundwasserleitern

Risk assessment for drinking water requires a conceptual hydrogeological model of the catchment as well as an understanding of flow pathways, residence times and processes on the catchment scale. In fractured and karst aquifers, this is a challenging task, in part because the application of artificial tracers, environmental tracers or stable isotopes for understanding processes on the catchment scale is limited. Recently, a large number of organic compounds with different properties in very small concentrations have been detected in groundwater, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, corrosion inhibitors and caffeine. In this article, we use a case study to demonstrate the potential of employing these compounds as indicators to reflect selected aquifer characteristics and properties, and to answer specific questions on the hydrogeological system.     

半承压含水层中地下水非稳定流参数计算

通过水文地质勘察获取水位、流量等数据，建立半承压含水层地质概念模型和数学模型，采用直线图解法求得渗透系数、贮水系数等水文地质参数，为围护结构设计和基坑降水工程设计提供设计依据。     

A conceptual framework to support solar PV simulation using an open-BIM data exchange standard

With the construction industry moving rapidly towards Building Information Modelling (BIM), it is essential that various analysis tools used in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) domain are interoperable with a non-proprietary open BIM schema such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The UK government will be requiring fully-collaborative BIM in all public sector projects by 2016 and is also chasing the target of achieving zero-carbon buildings by 2019. This dual target will require the use of renewable energy analysis tools in the early stages of the building design process and establish the need for these tools to be IFC-compliant. This paper presents a conceptual framework for developing IFC-compliant renewable energy simulation tools using a multi-model concept in which the IFC data model provides partial input data required to run simulation models. A prototype has been developed as a ‘proof-of-concept’ for an IFC-compliant solar PV simulation tool. The prototype has been validated against other solar PV simulation tools such as PV*Sol, RETScreen® and HOMER to provide credibility to the simulation model. The developed conceptual framework is applicable not only to solar PV simulation but other renewable energy simulation models as well, thereby making an IFC-compliant renewable energy modelling tool capable of conducting, energy, carbon emissions and financial analysis.     

Conceptual phase of construction projects

An important topic addressed in the Emerson report in 1962 and the Latham report in 1994 is the issue of productivity in the construction industry. However, attention has only been focused on phases other than the conceptual phase of construction projects. The conceptual phase is of strategic importance in the project environment. Understanding this phase is a prerequisite for improving productivity on site. The paper discusses the conceptual phase of construction projects. An extensive literature review and interviews with four experienced practitioners from major client and construction organisations identified the definition, relationships and tasks for the conceptual phase. These characteristics of the conceptual phase will be the basis of an a priori hypothesis, which will be tested through a postal survey of 144 companies throughout Europe. Case studies will be carried out of six major projects: a nuclear power station, a petrochemical plant, a sewage treatment plant, an off-shore North Sea oil project, a major international airport, and a motorway project.     

Service Provision and Prosperity in Urban Communities in the Greater Cairo Region

It is widely argued that the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) in Egypt suffers from failing urban communities resulting partially from unresponsive services. The local discourse on urban services has not paid attention to the investigation of the provision process of services and its impact on community satisfaction and prosperity. In the Global South, there is an ongoing debate on the shortcomings of service provision and ways to improve them. Yet, emerging theoretical/conceptual approaches to the provision of urban services are not sufficiently comprehensive to explain processes of service provision worldwide and, arguably, cannot be because they cannot take account of local diversity. Consequently, this research investigates the impact of the process of service provision on community satisfaction and prosperity in GCR, Egypt. To help collect and analyze data, we constructed a conceptual framework of a potentially responsive process of service provision. We studied two privately developed middle- and upper-middle-income urban communities, using questionnaires with inhabitants and semi-structured interviews with relevant official representatives as well as documentary data sources. The research finds, in line with the Global South debate, that absent public participation, ineffective governmental institutions, pseudo-decentralization, and deficient regulations stand behind the failure of services, their lack of responsiveness, and low levels of community satisfaction. Yet, it also shows that community prosperity could be aided by, for example, private developers playing an active role in the provision process. Hence, community prosperity is not tied only to a specific set of institutional arrangements.     

Composite hydrogeological investigation and characterisation methods applied at a nuclear power plant site in Taiwan

Drawing from the lessons learnt from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, the assessment of subsurface environmental hazard around nuclear power plants has emerged as a critical task. Consequently, aiming to better understand the possible environmental impact of radiation leaks into the groundwater, a prescreening programme was initiated in 2011 by the Taiwanese government. As part of this programme, this study conducted various borehole prospecting techniques to identify in situ hydrogeological characteristics at Chin‐Shan Nuclear Power Plant. Borehole electrical log, sonic log and temperature/conductivity log were conducted to explain the regional lithologic conditions and permeability of the formation. In conjunction with this, the interwell tracer and pumping test was carried out to simultaneously determine the hydraulic parameters. In our opinion, the implementation of such in situ end‐to‐end investigations is essential in interpreting in situ fluid and solute transport dynamics prior to programming any numerical scheme for early warning, vulnerability assessment and regular monitoring of a nuclear power plant site.     

Information modelling in the construction industry: The information engineering approach

Modelling of knowledge in the construction industry is a cumbersome task because of the large amount of data involved and the lack of automated information-modelling tools. Adoption of a method and an automated CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool could eliminate many problems encountered in the development of information systems in the construction industry. In particular, this approach may help to assess the information requirements and define strategies for such information systems. The Information Engineering Method (IEM) is introduced to illustrate hoar the conceptual models may be improved by using this method. Additionally Texas Instruments' Information Engineering Facility (IEF?) CASE tool is described to illustrate the advantages of automating such a method. The introduction of conceptual modelling in the construction industry using data and process models should lead to a better structuring of information. This should result in the development of well defined and structured, not ad hoc, applications. This conceptual modelling approach using information engineering is currently being used at the University of Salford to study the potential development of an integrated database (design, procurement and management of construction) for the construction industry. The case study describes the information analysis phase of the procurement process included towards the end of this paper.     

The development of strategic spatial planning in Central and Eastern Europe: between path dependence,European influence,and domestic politics

ABSTRACT

Focusing on three of the Central and Eastern European countries – Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary – the paper investigates the evolution of spatial planning systems and the introduction of strategic planning practices from the beginning of the post-communist transition in the early 1990s to the present. It sheds new light on this issue by applying the conceptual lens of historical institutionalism to explain this process and elucidate the role of the accession to the European Union (EU) as a catalyst for change. In particular, the paper identifies and analyses the critical junctures at which path dependencies emerged and later constrained the capacity of the regional and local actors to adjust to the EU Cohesion Policy framework and engage in strategic planning as part of it.