The granularity of sand: Analogies of production, consumption, and distribution

2021 ◽  
pp. 204382062110048
Author(s):  
Monika Arnez
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Force Chains ◽  
Global Demand

Due to high global demand, sand is known as a scarce and controversial resource. Jamieson’s article, ‘For Granular Geography’, starts from this premise, presenting force chains, friction, and phase transitions to illustrate production, consumption, and distribution processes of sand from upstream to downstream by means of analogies. This commentary is divided into two parts. The first section discusses how these three elements are used as analogies, with particular attention to Singapore. The second part reflects on the added value and limitations of such an approach, drawing on a specific case study of land reclamation.

For granular geography

2020 ◽  
pp. 204382062095005
Author(s):  
William Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Human Geography ◽  
Force Chains ◽  
Granular Dynamics ◽  
Reclamation Project ◽  
Sovereign Territory ◽  
Sand Extraction

This article makes the case for developing granular geographies as an intervention into materialist geography. It does so by exploring sand extraction, which has so far been little explored within human geography, and how the granular dynamics of force chains, friction, and phase transitions make the discrete geographies of sand’s commodification porous to one another. By framing sand’s materiality through granular relations, I examine the ubiquity of sand in contemporary urbanization and its transformation into a resource. This is illustrated through a focus on Singapore’s excessive appetite for importing sand to fuel construction and its extensive land reclamation project, mapping sand’s trajectory as a resource from cheap nature to sovereign territory.

scholarly journals Architectural and Urban Attractiveness of Small Towns: A Case Study of Polish Coastal Cittaslow Towns on the Pomeranian Way of St. James

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 724
Author(s):  
Alicja K. Zawadzka
Keyword(s):  
Small Towns ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Size Criterion ◽  
The Town ◽  
Modern Technologies

The paper presents the results of a study on the attractiveness to tourists and natives of the cultural qualities of coastal towns on The Pomeranian Way of St. James that are members of the Cittaslow network. Attention to the quality of urban life is inscribed in the development policies of towns applying to join the Cittaslow movement. In order to join the network (apart from the size criterion), towns need to meet a minimum of 50% plus one of the 72 criteria grouped into seven categories. One of the category is Quality of Urban Life Policy, so the towns applying to join Cittaslow commit themselves to actions aimed at improving the quality of urban life. The study on the attractiveness of cultural qualities of towns to tourists and natives was conducted using the author’s BRB method, whose added value is its universality and the possibility to study small towns regardless of their membership in the Cittaslow network. BRB is an acronym that stands for BUILDINGS, RELATIONSHIPS, BALANCE, and comprises three scopes of activities: BUILDINGS (iconic building and important sites where the inhabitants and the tourists are present); RELATIONSHIPS (the visual effects of the relations between the inhabitants and the town) and BALANCE (solutions that implement modern technologies). This method enables identification of places that are important to the inhabitants, where urban life takes place and which are often created with the involvement of the inhabitants. These are often the same spaces as those that attract tourists and perhaps stimulate them the desire to visit the town again (BRB—be right back). The aim of the BRB method is shown the attractiveness of small towns. The study has shown that the characteristic feature of Polish Cittaslow towns is their diversity: the architectural attractiveness of three towns is high both to tourists and natives. On the other hand, the urban attractiveness of the examined towns is an insufficient.

Rheed Studies of a-Axis Oriented DyBa2Cu3O7 Films Grown by All-MBE

1997 ◽  
Vol 502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Bozovic ◽  
J. N. Eckstein ◽  
Natasha Bozovic ◽  
J. O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Secondary Phase ◽  
Atomic Layer ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Growth Modes ◽  
Flow Surface ◽  
Surface Phase Transitions

ABSTRACTReal-time, in-situ surface monitoring by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) has been the key enabling component of atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE) of complex oxides. RHEED patterns contain information on crystallographic arrangements and long range order on the surface; this can be made quantitative with help of numerical simulations. The dynamics of RHEED patterns and intensities reveal a variety of phenomena such as nucleation and dissolution of secondary-phase precipitates, switching between growth modes (layer-by-layer, step-flow), surface phase transitions (surface reconstruction, roughening, and even phase transitions induced by the electron beam itself), etc. Some of these phenomena are illustrated here, using as a case study our recent growth of atomically smooth a-axis oriented DyBa2Cu3O7 films.

scholarly journals Investigating temperature breaks in the summer fruit export cold chain: A case study

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinri W. Freiboth ◽  
Leila Goedhals-Gerber ◽  
F. Esbeth Van Dyk ◽  
Malcolm C. Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Variation ◽  
South African ◽  
Temperature Data ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
The South ◽  
Export Supply ◽  
Cold Store ◽  
Summer Fruit

There is concern in the South African fruit industry that a large amount of fruit and money is lost every season due to breaks in the fruit export cold chain. The possibility of a large percentage of losses in a significant sector of the economy warranted further investigation. This article attempted to highlight some of the possible problem areas in the cold chain, from the cold store to the port, by analysing historic temperature data from different fruit export supply chains of apples, pears and grapes. In addition, a trial shipment of apples was used to investigate temperature variation between different pallets in the same container. This research has added value to the South African fruit industry by identifying the need to improve operational procedures in the cold chain.

Design workshops in the age of climate change

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen De Waegemaeker ◽  
Eva Kerselaers ◽  
Maarten Van Acker ◽  
Elke Rogge
Keyword(s):  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Water System ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Project ◽  
Design Workshop ◽  
Specific Barriers

Purpose As policy makers address the issue of climate adaptation, they are confronted with climate-specific barriers: a long-term horizon and a high degree of uncertainty. These barriers also hamper the development of spatial planning for climate adaptation. So how can spatial planners encompass these barriers and steer the general debate on climate adaptation? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This research analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of an international design workshop on climate adaptation, and drought issues in particular. Design workshops are originally an educational setting but they are increasingly employed as a tool to explore alternative futures on a complex, real-life design problem. The case study illustrates how climate-specific barriers emerged throughout the design workshop and clarifies how they were encompassed by the participating design students. Findings The research clarifies the added value of a design workshop on climate adaptation. The paper highlights specific promising characteristics of the design workshop: the visualization of future adaptation challenges and the current water system, the focus on a regional project instead of sectoral adjustments and the integration of the adaptation challenge with other socio-economic goals. In the case study Flanders, however, the necessary participation of climate experts and policy makers of other domains proved challenging. Originality/value The paper argues that a design workshop has the potential to enrich the debate and policy work on climate adaptation. In many countries with low-planning tradition, however, additional tools are needed to help set the “adaptation agenda.”

Vacuum preloading consolidation of reclaimed land: a case study

1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 740-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Q Shang ◽  
M Tang ◽  
Z Miao
Keyword(s):  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Soil Improvement ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Vacuum Preloading ◽  
Reclaimed Land ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Prefabricated Vertical Drains ◽  
Vertical Drains ◽  
Soft Clays

This case study presents the design, operation, and results of a soil improvement project using the vacuum preloading method on 480 000 m2 of reclaimed land in Xingang Port, Tianjing, China. The areas treated with vacuum ranged from 5000 to 30 000 m2. The effects of soil improvement are demonstrated through the average consolidation settlement of 2.0 m and increases in undrained shear strengths by a factor of two to four or more. The study shows that the vacuum method is an effective tool for the consolidation of very soft, highly compressive clayey soils over a large area. The technique is especially feasible in cases where there is a lack of surcharge loading fills, extremely low shear strength, soft ground adjacent to critical slopes, and access to a power supply.Key words: vacuum preloading consolidation, soil improvement, soft clays, land reclamation, prefabricated vertical drains.

Towards Chinese smart manufacturing ecosystem in the context of the one belt one road initiative

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafif Al-Sayed ◽  
Jianhua Yang
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Industrial Clusters ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Regional Collaboration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically China’s determined thrust to attain a high level of technological innovation and the factors affecting moving towards a smart and sophisticated manufacturing ecosystem in conjunction with the Belt and Road Initiative (OBOR). Design/methodology/approach This research provides empirical determination of the factors affecting moving towards smart manufacturing ecosystems in China. The method is based on combining two approaches: semi-structured interview and questionnaire-based with academics, experts and managers in various Chinese industrial sectors. The results are based on the multivariate analysis of the collected data. A case study of the current manufacturing ecosystem was also analyzed, in order to understand the present state as well as the potential for China’s competitive edge in the developed OBOR countries. Findings The results illustrate the importance of the infrastructure dimension comprising variables related to ecosystems, industrial clusters and Internet of Things IoT and other advanced technologies. A case study of the city of Shenzhen’s transformation into a smart cluster for innovative manufacturing points out how China’s OBOR initiative for regional collaboration will further transform the regional smart clusters into an ultra-large innovation based smart ecosystem. Originality/value This research is the first to study China’ policies towards playing a prominent role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4IR in the context of the OBOR initiative, through empirically defining the factors affecting moving towards a knowledge-intensive smart manufacturing ecosystem where the added value is mostly innovation based.

scholarly journals Impact of Social Responsibility on the Quality of Company Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
Ana Jurić ◽  
Aleksandra Zupanc ◽  
Tjaša Štrukelj
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Limited Liability ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Company Governance ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
A Company

AbstractThe central aim of the article is company governance, i.e., researching governance of a company that does not want to be only financially successful but also direct its governance toward socially responsible governance. The article begins with the definition of “theoretical backgrounds,” in which social responsibility in regard to company governance improvement in quality is explained. The article then focuses on the measurement of the quality of company governance; in the research, the selected tool chosen to evaluate the governance of the chosen company regarding social responsibility, i.e., SEECGAN index, is used. Further, the case study of a Slovenian public limited liability company is used. One of the important research findings is the recognition that the addressed part of the SEECGAN index needs to be innovated and further developed. Additional questions for the completion of the index used presents the added value of the article. This article has two limitations: 1) it focuses only on the tool chosen to evaluate the governance of the chosen company regarding social responsibility; 2) the case study is based on publicly accessible data.

scholarly journals LAND CONSOLIDATION AND IRRIGATION, CASE STUDY, MUNICIPALITY OF VELIKA PLANA

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Trifković ◽  
Goran Marinković ◽  
Boban Ilić ◽  
Goran Pejičić ◽  
Jelena Lazić
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Water Regime ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
Annual Basis ◽  
Hydrographic Features ◽  
Morava River ◽  
Morava River Basin

The Municipality of Velika Plana has been taking serious steps when it comes to initiating landconsolidation projects which help realize the land reclamation projects in the simplest way. Whit theaim of obtaining the base for carrying out land reclamation projects, this work deals with and presentsthe survey of the hydrographic features of Municipality of Velika Plana, as well as, water regime andthe river basin of the Velika Morava River. Based on measuring data obtained at Ljubicevski most,water gauge survey station we have performed and presented the analysis of the distinctive annual flowover a longer period of time as well as the analysis related to the changes in parameters which occur onan annual basis. On the basis of performed analysis we have been able to determine the amounts ofwater for irrigation available in the Velika Morava River basin at the territory of Velika Plana, whichwas the main focus and objective of this research.

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