scholarly journals CIB W040: International Surveys Considering Moisture Safety in Buildings During Design and Construction

2021 ◽  
Vol 2069 (1) ◽  
pp. 012042
Author(s):  
N Morishita-Steffen ◽  
A Laukkarinen ◽  
T Lewis ◽  
S Wolny ◽  
R Peuhkuri ◽  
...  

Abstract We conducted comparative surveys of design consultants in three countries to determine current knowledge and experienced moisture problems. The study is part of the CIB W040 research roadmap needs analyses for realigning research efforts with stakeholder requirements for moisture safety. Survey results show that a third of construction projects in the last five years were affected by moisture problems, even though practitioners applied multiple preventative measures at least some of the time. Water installations caused approximately 20 % of the moisture damage. In each country, preventing moisture damage was necessary; the means to address problems varied, with no one dominating solution. Design and construction guidelines were more helpful than the building code requirements. Information is available, but designers need dedicated time and budget for implementing better moisture safety. A quantitative goal is to increase the frequency of moisture safety measures while increasing the availability of tools. The usefulness of selected measures and instruments is strongly case-specific. Subtopic analysis such as causes of moisture damage due to leaky water installations needs more detailed investigation. Further research is needed building upon the online survey results to develop intelligent tools preventing moisture damage in the design, construction, and building occupancy phases.

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klára Báliková ◽  
Tereza Červená ◽  
Isabella De Meo ◽  
Rik De Vreese ◽  
Tuğba Deniz ◽  
...  

Nowadays, great emphasis is placed on the relationship between forest and water because forests are considered as substantial sources of many water ecosystem services. The aim of this paper is to analyze the stakeholder opinions towards the relationship between forests and water and the potential development of water-related payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes. The study is developed in the context of COST Action CA15206–PESFOR-W (Forests for Water) aimed at synthesizing current knowledge about the PES schemes across Europe. The stakeholder opinions were mapped out using a structured questionnaire consisting of 20 questions divided into four thematic sections. The data were collected through an online survey. The results showed opinions of 142 stakeholders from 23 countries, mainly from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. In order to analyze the collected data, the stakeholders were grouped in buyers, sellers, intermediaries, and knowledge providers. The survey results indicated that the most important category of water ecosystem services according to our sample of stakeholders is regulating services followed by provisioning services. Further findings pointed out the highest importance that shared values and direct changes in land management can have when designing water-related PES schemes. The role of public authorities and collective collaboration of different stakeholders, with emphasis on local and expert knowledge, are also identified as of crucial importance. The results show that stakeholder opinions can serve as a starting point when designing PES schemes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
Ning Sa ◽  
Xiaojun (Jenny) Yuan

AbstractWith the development of mobile technologies, voice search is becoming increasingly important in our daily lives. By investigating the general usage of voice search and user perception about voice search systems, this research aims to understand users’ voice search behavior. We are particularly interested in how users perform voice search, their topics of interest, and their preference toward voice search. We elicit users’ opinions by asking them to fill out an online survey. Results indicated that participants liked voice search because it was convenient. However, voice search was used much less frequently than keyboard search. The success rate of voice search was low, and the participants usually gave up voice search or switched to keyboard search. They tended to perform voice search when they were driving or walking. Moreover, the participants mainly used voice search for simple tasks on mobile devices. The main reasons why participants disliked voice search are attributed to the system mistakes and the fact that they were unable to modify the queries.


Public Voices ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Rachel Lange ◽  
Kimberly Nelson

Despite gains by women in many professional fields, the top level of local government management ranks continues to be populated primarily by man. The percentage of females serving as local government chief administrators has not increased since the 1980s. Little empirical research exists that attempts to uncover the reason for the gender gap. The purpose of this research is to identify some of the obstacles and barriers that affect a woman’s decision to advance her career in local government. Utilizing an online survey, the authors surveyed female chief administrative officers (CAOs), assistant CAOs, assistant to the CAOs, and deputy CAOs in Illinois. The survey results show that barriers such as a male dominated culture and time commitment to work life and family life are preventing females from achieving higher authority. Mentoring proves to be a positive solution to many of the barriers facing women in local government.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilie Tăucean ◽  
Matei Tămășilă ◽  
Larisa Ivascu ◽  
Șerban Miclea ◽  
Mircea Negruț

Sustainability and leanness are organizational approach concepts for more efficient activities and increased competitiveness. This paper presents a study and an application of the concepts of sustainability and lean, with the purpose to capitalize on the benefits of the two concepts’ tools when used together in an industry and education activity. A literature review was carried out to evaluate qualitatively and empirically the concepts of sustainability, lean, and enterprise games, and the possibility to integrate the first two concepts into a new tool applied into an enterprise game. An online survey was done to identify which tools are used within companies in the region, how and what training methods they used, and what the reported benefits are. The survey results were used to design a new tool integrated in a new enterprise game (SLIM) developed by the authors. The game was tested and validated in educational laboratory with students and actual employees from companies. The game follows the frame of an enterprise game, considering the simulation of enterprise classical functions. The game’s purpose is to improve the activity in successive rounds. A scorecard is used to fill in and compute the key performance indicators (KPIs), and a new indicator is proposed (SLIMx). Applications of the instrument/game include: students’ training in an educational laboratory; lifelong learning; professional training in companies; and professional perfection/reconversion of potential employees and the unemployed. The SLIM game was simulated in a team of 15 players over three rounds, with teachers playing the role of the supervisor. A number of possible improvements have been identified. The next step is testing it in enterprises with various fields of activity. SLIM has proven to be an effective solution to improve organizational efficiency and motivate players to gain new knowledge.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3399
Author(s):  
Robert Kuceba ◽  
Grzegorz Chmielarz ◽  
Marcin Soltysiak

The underlying objective of the paper is to identify and evaluate in the research process vital factors that impact the development of design and construction enterprises of photovoltaic farms on the energy markets, in particular narrowed down to renewable energy sources (RES) markets, including energy coming from photovoltaic sources. The first part of the paper, the epistemological one, introduces a scientific discourse pertaining to conditionings and restrictions related to RES markets in the dimensions of sustainable development. This has been done with the use of literature query, legislative and administrative acts, and reports drawn up for the European Commission. In this reference, we summarized the EU’s essential measures aimed at promoting the idea of sustainability. The second part of the paper, the empirical one, presents a summary of the results obtained within the research pertaining to “opportunities and threats in managing projects of photovoltaic farms in production enterprises of energy appliances”. The research was conducted in a group of 24 design and construction enterprises of photovoltaic farms. The concentration of the research, in the context of the underlying objective of this paper, pertained to the aggregation and evaluation of selected factors that stimulate the development and competitiveness of construction projects and the implementation of photovoltaic farms. We considered the hierarchy of strategic objectives of the investigated enterprises and selected threats to their market position. Two primary criteria were adopted to aggregate and evaluate vital factors that impact the development of design and construction enterprises of PV farms. The first of them is the qualitative one—top scores, weighted averages of respondent evaluations on the five-point Likert scale. The second one is the quantitative criterion—number of indications N ≥ 22 of the respondents (over 90%). A measurable value of the paper is the scientific discourse pertaining to dimensions of competitiveness of the investigated and analyzed enterprises on the RES market, in particular narrowed down to photovoltaic farms.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neringa Gudienė ◽  
Audrius Banaitis ◽  
Nerija Banaitienė

This paper aims to identify a comprehensive list of critical success factors for construction projects in Lithuania. Based on the available literature review, this paper identified 71 success factors under 7 broad groups. Based on the survey results, ten factors including project manager competence, project management team members' competence, project manager coordinating skills, client clear and precise goals/objectives, project value, project management team members' relevant past experience, project manager organising skills, project manager effective and timely conflict resolution, client ability to make timely decision, and project manager experience were determined as the most important success factors for construction projects. These critical success factors are of great significance both to researchers and industry practitioners.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 926
Author(s):  
Ángel Rosa-Alcázar ◽  
José Luis Parada-Navas ◽  
María Dolores García-Hernández ◽  
Sergio Martínez-Murillo ◽  
Pablo J. Olivares-Olivares ◽  
...  

Background: The main aim was to examine changes in coping strategies, anxiety and depression in obsessive–compulsive and schizophrenia patients during COVID-19, in addition to controlling the influence of intolerance to uncertainty and experiential avoidance. Method: The first time, the study comprised (15–30 April 2020) 293 patients, 113 of whom were diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder, 61 with schizophrenia and 119 healthy controls, aged 13–77 years (M = 37.89, SD = 12.65). The second time (15–30 November), the study comprised 195 participants (85 obsessive–compulsive patients, 42 schizophrenic patiens and 77 healthy controls participants). The evaluation was carried out through an online survey. Results: The clinical groups worsened over time in cognitive coping, anxiety and depression, while the control group only worsened in depression. Intergroup differences in anxiety, depression and coping strategies were maintained, highlighting the use of some maladaptive strategies (avoidance, spiritual) in clinical groups. Experiential avoidance and tolerance for uncertainty mainly affected coping. Conclusions: The duration of COVID-19 not only produced changes in anxiety and depression in clinical groups but also in coping strategies to face this pandemic and its consequences.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakeun Koo

PurposeThe present study aims to examine how consumers evaluate the extended human brands of athlete celebrities beyond their unique brand personality associated with sports. Athlete celebrities' unique image in sports is used as a human brand, and attitude toward the athlete brand extensions is investigated when the athlete's name is included in a new non-sport brand. The concepts of brand extensions were employed to develop the ideas of human brand extensions.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 198 participants answered online survey questions before and after being informed of athlete brand extensions. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is utilized to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe survey results indicated that athlete–product fit and image transfer positively influenced attitude toward the extension. In addition, attitude toward the athlete brand extensions was significantly influenced by consumers' pre-existing attitude toward the celebrity; however, not by celebrity's expertise.Originality/valueThe research findings imply that some brand extension concepts are applicable to human brands to understand the effectiveness of athlete brand extensions for non-sport products.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ruth Cristina Hernández-Ching

The experience of applying problem-based learning (PBL) technique in the Bibliographic Research course from a Bachelor of English study plan of a public university during the first half of 2014 is shared. The investigation aimed to answer the following question: Does the problem-based learning technique in the Bibliographic Research course allows to implement the main tenets of the teaching model: epistemological foundation, learning theory, methodology and didactics, and communication processes? The research approach proposed was qualitative, and triangulation for measuring variables was implemented. The following instruments were applied: observation, experience record books, and focus groups. Furthermore, formative learning was measured by means of an online survey. Results of the instruments were categorized using technology-based tools such as Wordle (observation), NVivo (record books) and MindNode (focus groups). A convenience sampling was used to collect data from eight students enrolled in the Bibliographic Research course, ten students of Integrated English II for non-English majors, and the researcher, as professor of the courses. It was determined that the PBL technique permitted to reach the main tenets of the teaching model. It was identified that the teacher was the main learner, and the one who benefited from the process, since a culture of knowledge, throughout the course, was created. It was also concluded that this technique allowed to develop twenty-first century skills. It would be valuable to quantify whether the development of the four basic skills of English, especially the conversation one, improves using the technique along with technologies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 990-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Williamson ◽  
Grant E. Norte ◽  
Donna K. Broshek ◽  
Joseph M. Hart ◽  
Jacob E. Resch

Context Recent recommendations have emphasized return-to-learn (RTL) protocols to aid athletes in recovery from sport-related concussion (SRC) but have been based primarily on anecdotal evidence. Objective To investigate the RTL practices of certified athletic trainers (ATs) after an SRC. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Online survey. Patients or Other Participants A total of 1083 individuals (27%) from a random sample of 4000 ATs in the National Athletic Trainers' Association membership database completed an electronic survey. Participants consisted of 729 self-identified secondary school ATs (SSATs; 67.3%; experience = 14.0 ± 9.7 years) and 354 self-identified collegiate ATs (CATs; 32.7%; experience = 13.4 ± 9.7 years). Main Outcome Measure(s) We used χ2 analyses to assess respondent differences related to current knowledge, current practices, and available resources. Independent t tests were used to compare SSATs and CATs on years of certification and annual number of SRCs evaluated. Results Of our total respondents, 41.2% (n = 446) correctly indicated the absence of evidence-based RTL guidelines. Whereas most (73.9%, n = 800) respondents had an established RTL policy, only 38.1% (n = 413) used such guidelines in their clinical practice. Most (97.1%, n = 708) SSATs and 82.2% (n = 291) of CATs had access to (a) mental health professional(s); however, minorities of SSATs (21.4%, n = 156) and CATs (37.0%, n = 131) never accessed these resources to care for concussed student-athletes. Conclusions Our results suggested that, despite the absence of empirical evidence, most surveyed ATs incorporated some form of RTL protocol in their SRC management policy. The varying AT knowledge, clinical practices, and resources highlighted by our results should be considered when creating or refining an RTL protocol.


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