Material Intrusion as a Key Factor for the Physical Vulnerability of the Built Environment to Debris Flows

This paper explores door-to-door commuting pa erns and the way commuting time is associated with three factors: the built environment, transport mode (from residence and workplace to HSR stations), and commute frequency. Econometric and statistical analyses are employed to examine evidence from China that draws on a survey targeting Suzhou-based HSR commuters who travel to work in Shanghai. The findings present three major points. First, a dense urban environment around residence and workplace is associated with reduced commuting time to high-density healthcare facilities (Suzhou and Shanghai) and financial institutions (Shanghai only). However, the density of public transport facilities near both residence and workplace has no association with commuting time. Second, taking the metro to and from HSR stations shows signi ficant association with increased commuting time for the first and last miles, while walking from HSR stations to the workplace shows signi ficant reduction of commuting time. Third, daily commuting is associated with reduced commuting time in the first mile, while weekly commuting is reversely related to longer commuting time in the last mile, which is coupled with a shorter commuting time for the first mile than the last mile. These findings lead us to conclude that reducing the total commuting time for a door-to-door journey is a key factor in associated commuting pa erns, commuting frequency, and travel mode choice. This re flects the choices commuters make in relation to where they live rather than where they work, which off ers fewer options. A longer last mile relates to a weekly commuting pa ern rather than a daily commuting. The current public metro systems in both home and work cities appear to be lengthy and inefficient. Transitoriented and integrated development is required to provide more efficient experiences for commuters.

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Debris-flow volume quantile prediction from catchment morphometry

Geology ◽

10.1130/g45950.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 791-794 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tjalling de Haas ◽

Alexander L. Densmore

Keyword(s):

Debris Flow ◽

Debris Flows ◽

Volume Estimation ◽

Catchment Characteristics ◽

Reconstructed Volume ◽

Elevation Data ◽

Key Factor ◽

Watershed Boundary ◽

Catchment Morphometry ◽

Frequency Curves

Abstract Estimation of the volumes of potential future debris flows is a key factor in hazard assessment and mitigation. Worldwide, however, there are few catchments for which detailed volume-frequency information is available. We (1) reconstructed volume-frequency curves for 10 debris-flow catchments in Saline Valley, California (USA), from a large number of well-preserved, unmodified surficial flow deposits, and (2) assessed the correlations between lobe-volume quantiles and a set of morphometric catchment characteristics. We found statistically significant correlations between lobe-volume quantiles, including median and maximum, and catchment relief, length (planimetric distance from the fan apex to the most distant point along the watershed boundary), perimeter, and Melton ratio (relief divided by the square root of catchment area). These findings show that it may be possible to roughly estimate debris-flow lobe-volume quantiles from basic catchment characteristics that can be obtained from globally available elevation data. This may assist in design-volume estimation for debris-flow catchments where past flow volumes are otherwise unknown.

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Coordination, negotiation, and social attention

Pragmatics & Cognition ◽

10.1075/pc.23.3.06bad ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 416-436 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Oren Bader ◽

Aya Peri Bader

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Cognitive Science ◽

Social World ◽

Social Attention ◽

Urban Life ◽

Human Beings ◽

Urban Architecture ◽

Architectural Space ◽

Key Factor ◽

The Subject

Living with others is a key factor shaping our urban life. Their bodily presence scaffolds our social world and is involved in the way the built environment appears to us. In this article we highlight the influence of the embodied presence of other human beings on the constitution of a special type of urban architecture — the extraordinary architectural space. Our analysis, which lies at the intersection between architecture, phenomenology and cognitive science, suggests that being in the direct presence of others constitutes this extraordinary architectural space in the sense that it transforms the built setting into a negotiated place and reveals for the subject some of its extraordinary properties. The architectural examples we discuss show that these intersubjective advantages are often embedded in and encouraged by the design of such built objects.

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Matrices, curves and indicators: A review of approaches to assess physical vulnerability to debris flows

Earth-Science Reviews ◽

10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.06.007 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 171 ◽

pp. 272-288 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Maria Papathoma-Köhle ◽

Bernhard Gems ◽

Michael Sturm ◽

Sven Fuchs

Keyword(s):

Debris Flows ◽

Physical Vulnerability

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A POI-Based Machine Learning Method for Predicting Residents’ Health Status

10.1007/978-981-16-5983-6_13 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 139-147

Author(s):

Shicong Cao ◽

Hao Zheng

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Health Status ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Built Environment ◽

Machine Learning Method ◽

Learning Method ◽

Planning Decisions ◽

Key Factor ◽

Control And Prevention ◽

Healthier Living

AbstractHealth environment is a key factor in public health. Since people’s health depends largely on their lifestyle, the built environment which supports a healthy living style is becoming more important. With the right urban planning decisions, it’s possible to encourage healthier living and save healthcare expenditures for the society. However, there is not yet a quantitative relationship established between urban planning decisions and the health status of the residents. With the abundance of data and computing resources, this research aims to explore this relationship with a machine learning method. The data source is from both the OpenStreetMap and American Center for Decease Control and Prevention (CDC). By modeling the Point of Interest data and the geographic distribution of health-related outcome, the research explores the key factors in urban planning that could influence the health status of the residents quantitatively. It informs how to create a built environment that supports health and opens up possibilities for other data-driven methods in this field.

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Assessing physical vulnerability in large cities exposed to flash floods and debris flows: the case of Arequipa (Peru)

Natural Hazards ◽

10.1007/s11069-014-1172-x ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 73 (3) ◽

pp. 1771-1815 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Jean-Claude Thouret ◽

Susanne Ettinger ◽

Mathieu Guitton ◽

Olivier Santoni ◽

Christina Magill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Debris Flows ◽

Flash Floods ◽

Physical Vulnerability ◽

Large Cities

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Construction Waste as a Resource in a Sustainable Built Environment

Igra ustvarjalnosti - Creativity Game ◽

10.15292/iu-cg.2020.08.028-036 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (08) ◽

pp. 28-36

Author(s):

Martina Zbašnik-Senegačnik ◽

Ljudmila Koprivec

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Built Environment ◽

Building Materials ◽

Waste Treatment ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Raw Material ◽

Sustainable Construction ◽

Construction Waste ◽

Key Factor

The built environment requires ever-increasing amounts of raw material resources and at the same time bears the responsibility for the resulting waste. Waste is generated throughout the life cycle. In the initial phases it is referred to as industrial waste, while during construction, reconstruction, and demolition it is called construction waste. Construction waste is most voluminous but it also has a great potential in circular economy that aims at the closed loop cycle where already used construction materials and components are recovered as raw materials. Sustainable building principles include four basic strategies, waste avoidance, construction materials and components re-use, continued use, and recycling. The possibility of construction waste treatment and its possible recovery in the building process depends on the type of prevailing materials that are contained in building elements as well as on detachability, separability and inseparability of structural joints and components. The architect plays a responsible role in decreasing the volume of construction waste as the conception of a building represents the key factor in sustainable construction waste management. Planning a construction with a good dismantling potential at the end of the building’s life cycle includes a number of factors such as the choice of building materials with a low environmental impact, the design of detachable composite materials and structures as well as the design of mono material structures. This article focuses on waste resulting from the built environment and discusses architectural concepts with a potential of reducing the volume of construction waste and its potential recovery as a construction resource.

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A GIS-Based Method for Analysing the Association Between School-Built Environment and Home-School Route Measures with Active Commuting to School in Urban Children and Adolescents

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17072295 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (7) ◽

pp. 2295 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Francisco Sergio Campos-Sánchez ◽

Francisco Javier Abarca-Álvarez ◽

Javier Molina-García ◽

Palma Chillón

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Built Environment ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Roc Curves ◽

Well Being ◽

Home School ◽

Active Commuting ◽

Key Factor

In the current call for a greater human health and well-being as a sustainable development goal, to encourage active commuting to and from school (ACS) seems to be a key factor. Research focusing on the analysis of the association between environmental factors and ACS in children and adolescents has reported limited and inconclusive evidence, so more knowledge is needed about it. The main aim of this study is to examine the association between different built environmental factors of both school neighbourhood and home-school route with ACS of children and adolescents belonging to urban areas. The ACS level was evaluated using a self-reported questionnaire. Built environment variables (i.e., density of residents, street connectivity and mixed land use) within a school catchment area and home-school route characteristics (i.e., distance and pedestrian route directness—PRD) were measured using a geographic information system (GIS) and examined together with ACS levels. Subsequently, the association between environmental factors and ACS was analysed by binary logistic regression. Several cut-off points of the route measures were explored using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In addition, the PRD was further studied regarding different thresholds. The results showed that 70.5% of the participants were active and there were significant associations between most environmental factors and ACS. Most participants walked to school when routes were short (distance variable in children: OR = 0.980; p = 0.038; and adolescents: OR = 0.866; p < 0.001) and partially direct (PRD variable in children: OR = 11.334; p < 0.001; and adolescents: OR = 3.513; p < 0.001), the latter specially for children. Mixed land uses (OR = 2.037; p < 0.001) and a high density of street intersections (OR = 1.640; p < 0.001) clearly encouraged adolescents walking and slightly discouraged children walking (OR = 0.657, p = 0.010; and OR = 0.692, p = 0.025, respectively). The assessment of ACS together with the environmental factors using GIS separately for children and adolescents can inform future friendly and sustainable communities.

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The application of numerical debris flow modelling for the generation of physical vulnerability curves

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-11-2047-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 2047-2060 ◽

Cited By ~ 127

Author(s):

B. Quan Luna ◽

J. Blahut ◽

C. J. van Westen ◽

S. Sterlacchini ◽

T. W. J. van Asch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Debris Flow ◽

Debris Flows ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Quadratic Model ◽

Internal Stresses ◽

Shear Stresses ◽

Flow Depth ◽

Physical Vulnerability ◽

Physical Damage ◽

Lombardy Region

Abstract. For a quantitative assessment of debris flow risk, it is essential to consider not only the hazardous process itself but also to perform an analysis of its consequences. This should include the estimation of the expected monetary losses as the product of the hazard with a given magnitude and the vulnerability of the elements exposed. A quantifiable integrated approach of both hazard and vulnerability is becoming a required practice in risk reduction management. This study aims at developing physical vulnerability curves for debris flows through the use of a dynamic run-out model. Dynamic run-out models for debris flows are able to calculate physical outputs (extension, depths, velocities, impact pressures) and to determine the zones where the elements at risk could suffer an impact. These results can then be applied to consequence analyses and risk calculations. On 13 July 2008, after more than two days of intense rainfall, several debris and mud flows were released in the central part of the Valtellina Valley (Lombardy Region, Northern Italy). One of the largest debris flows events occurred in a village called Selvetta. The debris flow event was reconstructed after extensive field work and interviews with local inhabitants and civil protection teams. The Selvetta event was modelled with the FLO-2D program, an Eulerian formulation with a finite differences numerical scheme that requires the specification of an input hydrograph. The internal stresses are isotropic and the basal shear stresses are calculated using a quadratic model. The behaviour and run-out of the flow was reconstructed. The significance of calculated values of the flow depth, velocity, and pressure were investigated in terms of the resulting damage to the affected buildings. The physical damage was quantified for each affected structure within the context of physical vulnerability, which was calculated as the ratio between the monetary loss and the reconstruction value. Three different empirical vulnerability curves were obtained, which are functions of debris flow depth, impact pressure, and kinematic viscosity, respectively. A quantitative approach to estimate the vulnerability of an exposed element to a debris flow which can be independent of the temporal occurrence of the hazard event is presented.

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The ability of tree stems to intercept debris flows in forested fan areas: A laboratory modelling study

Journal of Agricultural Engineering ◽

10.4081/jae.2018.712 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 42-51

Author(s):

Francesco Bettella ◽

Tamara Michelini ◽

Vincenzo D'Agostino ◽

Gian Battista Bischetti

Keyword(s):

Debris Flow ◽

Debris Flows ◽

Sediment Concentration ◽

Damage Potential ◽

Protective Function ◽

Runout Distance ◽

Depositional Processes ◽

General Terms ◽

Flow Motion ◽

Key Factor

Debris flows are one of the most common geomorphic processes in steep mountainous areas. The control of their propagation on alluvial fans is fundamental; valley bottoms are usually characterised by high damage potential because they contain concentrations of inhabitants and infrastructure. It is well known that forests have a protective function in that they reduce the triggering of debris flows, as well as hinder their motion and promote deposition, but a quantitative assessment of these effects is still lacking. Using laboratory experiments that simulate debris-flow depositional processes, this research investigated the ability of forests to reduce debris-flow runout and depositional area. The experiments considered two different forest types, high forests and coppice forests, and four volumetric concentrations of sediment (0.50, 0.55, 0.60, and 0.65). The results confirmed that the sediment concentration of the flow is a key factor in determining the geometry of the deposits. On the other hand, forests can reduce debris-flow runout distance and, in general terms, affect the characteristics of their deposits. The results showed that vegetation appear to reduce debris-flow motion especially when the debris-flow kinematic load at the fan apex is low. About the sediment concentration of the mixture, high forest did not exhibit a clear behaviour while coppice forest appears to promote significant deposition at all of the tested concentrations, and this effect increases with the solid concentration (reductions in runout between approximately 20% and 30% at CV=0.50 and CV=0.65, respectively, were observed). Due to their higher tree density, in fact, coppice forests seem to have a better protective effect than the rigid trunks of high forest trees. For this last type of forest, a relationship between the H/L ratio, which represents energy dissipation, have been found and compared with the scenario without forest.

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