Lager‐ und Abfüllanlagen in Biogasanlagen – Zulassungen für Bauprodukte und Bauarten

Biogas‐storage‐ and Biogas‐filling‐facilities – Approvals for construction products and techniques In accordance with the building and water regulations, assessments of fitness for use pursuant to the Building Codes can be issued for construction products and techniques used in storage and filling facilities of biogas plants since September 2015. The article explains which building and water regulations apply to construction products and techniques intended for such use. The requirements in both legislative areas have considerable effects on the characteristics of construction products and techniques intended for contact with fermentation substrates and fermentation residues. In particular, the water regulations set out strict requirements for construction products intended for use in such facilities, which are reflected in high verification requirements for functional reliability and fitness for use. The paper focuses on general aspects, which apply to all approval elaboration and granting processes for construction products and techniques used in the before‐mentioned areas of biogas plants. More specific aspects of approval elaboration will also be addressed, using the example of selected construction products and techniques. The article provides guidance for product manufacturers and for qualified planning and design. It also explains certain specific provisions to be met by specialised firms and qualified professionals within the meaning of water legislation and by operators of biogas storage and filling facilities.     

Specification guidelines to avoid the state space explosion problem

During the last two decades, we modelled the behaviour of a large number of systems. We noted that different styles of modelling had quite an effect on the size of the state spaces of the modelled systems. The differences were so substantial that some specification styles led to far too many states to verify the correctness of the model, whereas with other styles, the number of states was so small that verification was a straightforward activity. In this article, we summarize our experience by providing seven specification guidelines to keep state spaces small. For each guideline, we provide an application, generally from the realm of traffic light controllers, for which we provide a ‘bad’ model with a large state space, and a ‘good’ model with a small state space. The good and bad models are both suitable for their purpose but are not behaviourally equivalent. For all guidelines, we discuss circumstances under which it is reasonable to apply the guidelines. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Environmental and economic sustainability

This review paper details the current status of environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation framework and procedures of implementation of EIA systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council States. The paper discusses the similarities and the different practice approaches of EIA studies between the States through assessment criteria of EIA systems. Performance evaluation criteria consisting of systematic and foundation measures are used for comparative assessment. This paper hence, seeks to develop a compilation on these EIA systems with regard to its legislation, practices and performance in the respective countries. A set of recommendations on how such practices can be enhanced and improved is presented.     

Cleaning up the world with renewable energy: From possibilities to practicalities

The increased exploitation of renewable energy sources is central to any move towards sustainable development. However, casting renewable energy thus carries with it an inherent commitment to other basic tenets of sustainability: openness; democraticization etc.The implications of this commitment for the developers of renewable energy projects are significant. Moreover, a failure to apply these broader principles to the development process risks alienating the very public whose views will determine the political future of renewable energy.From recent experience of the development of wind power in the UK, it is clear that it is no longer enough just to know the future technical potential of renewable energy, or even the regulatory and/or fiscal framework that would enable that potential to be realised. Increasingly we must concentrate on the practical politics of developing renewable energy that will ensure it is accepted and embraced by the public. Drawing on UK experience, guidelines can be established for renewable energy developers such that the principles of sustainable development are as central to exploitation renewable energy as renewable energy is to sustainability.     

浅析城市设计导则的作用与编制原则

城市设计导则是城市设计项目编制的核心内容,是城市设计参与城市建设管理的重要途径。加强城市设计导则的编制工作将有助于城市设计及其控制在城市建设中的实施。本文着重介绍城市设计导则的分类、基本功能以及设计导则编制应遵循的原则。     

面向健康微气候环境的城市设计导则优化策略

近年来,城市热岛、空气污染加剧严重影响人体健康,城市设计导则作为城市空间形态设计的指引框架,对热岛、空 气污染等微气候环境改善可望产生积极作用。尝试从营造健康的微气候环境角度对城市设计导则提出优化策略：（1）首先, 阐述改善热岛和污染的3 种途径（控源- 流通- 汇集）;（2）然后,梳理现行城市设计导则基本框架,并从中提炼出8 类 与微气候环境密切相关的关联要素;（3）接着,分别对总则与专项设计、总体城市设计、区段城市设计和地块城市设计4 个编制层次给出具体的导则优化策略,并提出城市空间系统优化思路;（4）最后,指出未来需要在增加气候分析、片区分 类引导、加强实施管理等方面继续探索。