scholarly journals Integrated Ecosystem Design: An Evaluation Model to Support the Choice of Eco-Compatible Technological Solutions for Residential Building

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rosaria Guarini ◽  
Pierluigi Morano ◽  
Francesco Sica
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Energy Materials

The technological components regarding building cladding are designed for ensuring thermo-hygrometric comfort conditions within habitable spaces and realising smart buildings. Often the solutions adopted are identified referring only to the characteristics of mechanical and energy materials without considering the ecological–environmental properties in an urban context. Thus, it is appropriate to choose technological components not only according to material type, but also ecological aspects pursued through presence and/or structured integration of natural elements. The technical-design forms based on “building–nature” integration allows, on one hand, the sustainable soil use with multiple benefits (ecosystem services) that natural systems produce, on the other hand, the identification of technological solutions sized referring environmental quality levels achieved through appropriate natural species use. In this way, it can be obtained lower buildings investment and maintenance costs, and greater energetic–environmental benefits. So, it is proposed an evaluation protocol for settlement transformation interventions structured considering environmental effects obtained with Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) into the project. According to ecological–environmental quality level achieved with NBSs, the technological component is sized according to preliminary design parameters (noise reduction and solar irradiation degree) obtained through NBSs. The total performance level of technological solutions is expressed using Economic–Environmental Indicators. The protocol is tested on social housing case in Anagnina district of Rome (Italy).

scholarly journals Multi-Criteria Selection of Additives in Porous Asphalt Mixtures Using Mechanical, Hydraulic, Economic, and Environmental Indicators

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2146
Author(s):  
Anik Gupta ◽  
Carlos J. Slebi-Acevedo ◽  
Esther Lizasoain-Arteaga ◽  
Jorge Rodriguez-Hernandez ◽  
Daniel Castro-Fresno
Keyword(s):  
Cellulose Fiber ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Asphalt Mixtures ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Modified Bitumen ◽  
Porous Asphalt ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Product Assessment ◽  
Polymer Modified Bitumen ◽  
Selection Of

Porous asphalt (PA) mixtures are more environmentally friendly but have lower durability than dense-graded mixtures. Additives can be incorporated into PA mixtures to enhance their mechanical strength; however, they may compromise the hydraulic characteristics, increase the total cost of pavement, and negatively affect the environment. In this paper, PA mixtures were produced with 5 different types of additives including 4 fibers and 1 filler. Their performances were compared with the reference mixtures containing virgin bitumen and polymer-modified bitumen. The performance of all mixes was assessed using: mechanical, hydraulic, economic, and environmental indicators. Then, the Delphi method was applied to compute the relative weights for the parameters in multi-criteria decision-making methods. Evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS), technique for order of the preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) were employed to rank the additives. According to the results obtained, aramid pulp displayed comparable and, for some parameters such as abrasion resistance, even better performance than polymer-modified bitumen, whereas cellulose fiber demonstrated the best performance regarding sustainability, due to economic and environmental benefits.

scholarly journals Overcapacity Risk of China’s Coal Power Industry: A Comprehensive Assessment and Driving Factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1426
Author(s):  
Delu Wang ◽  
Xun Xue ◽  
Yadong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Correlation Effect ◽  
Power Industry ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Correlation Based Feature Selection ◽  
Coal Power ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

The comprehensive and accurate monitoring of coal power overcapacity is the key link and an important foundation for the prevention and control of overcapacity. The previous research fails to fully consider the impact of the industry correlation effect; making it difficult to reflect the state of overcapacity accurately. In this paper; we comprehensively consider the fundamentals; supply; demand; economic and environmental performance of the coal power industry and its upstream; downstream; competitive; and complementary industries to construct an index system for assessing coal power overcapacity risk. Besides; a new evaluation model based on a correlation-based feature selection-association rules-data envelopment analysis (CFS-ARs-DEA) integrated algorithm is proposed by using a data-driven model. The results show that from 2008 to 2017; the risk of coal power overcapacity in China presented a cyclical feature of “decline-rise-decline”, and the risk level has remained high in recent years. In addition to the impact of supply and demand; the environmental benefits and fundamentals of related industries also have a significant impact on coal power overcapacity. Therefore; it is necessary to monitor and govern coal power overcapacity from the overall perspective of the industrial network, and coordinate the advancement of environmental protection and overcapacity control.

scholarly journals Developing a Novel Fuzzy Evaluation Model by One-Sided Specification Capability Indices

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1076
Author(s):  
Wei Lo ◽  
Chun-Ming Yang ◽  
Kuei-Kuei Lai ◽  
Shao-Yu Li ◽  
Chi-Han Chen
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Critical Value ◽  
Process Quality ◽  
Quality Characteristic ◽  
Fuzzy Membership Function ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Fuzzy Evaluation ◽  
Radar Chart ◽  
Fuzzy Evaluation Model

When all of the one-sided specification indices of each quality characteristic reach the requirements of the process quality level, they can ensure that the process capability of the product meets the requirements of the process quality level. This study constructs a fuzzy membership function based on the upper confidence limit of the index, derives the fuzzy critical value, and then labels the fuzzy critical value on the axis of the visualized radar chart as well as connects adjacent critical points to shape a regular polygonal critical region. Next, this study calculates the observed value of the index to estimate and mark it on the axis for forming a visualized fuzzy radar evaluation chart. Obviously, this fuzzy evaluation model not only reduces the testing cost but also makes the quality level quickly meet the requirements of the specifications. Further, the radar chart can reduce the risk of misjudgment attributable to sampling errors and help improve the accuracy of evaluation by a confidence-upper-limit-based fuzzy evaluation model. Therefore, this easy-to-use visualized fuzzy radar evaluation chart is used as an evaluation interface, which has good and convenient management performance to identify and improve critical-to-quality quickly. Improving the quality of the process before the product is completed will also have the advantage of reducing social losses and environmental damage costs.

A Step Towards Environmental Mitigation: How Do Economic Complexity And Natural Resources Matter? Focusing On Different Institutional Quality Level Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parisa Esmaeili ◽  
Meysam Rafei ◽  
Daniel Balsalobre- Lorente
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Renewable Energy Consumption ◽  
Vector Autoregressive ◽  
Economic Complexity

Abstract Changes in the economic structure and human lifestyle lead to environmental pollution, one of today's prime challenges. With this in mind, the main objectives of this study are to evaluate the impacts of economic complexity, natural resources, renewable energy consumption, and foreign direct investment on the ecological footprint in weak, medium, and high levels of institutional quality countries. This study is probably one of the first studies to examine the effect of the economic complexity on ecological footprint and classify countries based on their institutional quality levels. Furthermore, the interaction of economic complexity and natural resources is considered a new variable. For this purpose, the panel vector autoregressive model is used. The results revealed that economic complexity in all countries has a positive impact on ecological footprint, and also it has the greatest impact on ecological footprint among the considered variables. Conversely, the interaction of economic complexity and natural resources contributes to environmental quality. Notably, the impacts of study variables on ecological footprint are more robust in a medium level of institutional quality countries. According to the study's outcomes, the main recommendation is the R&D activities improvement to develop environmentally friendly technologies and clean energy infrastructure to improve environmental quality.

scholarly journals Study of Psychomotor Development and Environmental Quality at Shelter Homes for Children Aged 0 to 2 in the Department of Chuquisaca (Bolivia)

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4191
Author(s):  
Sagrario Pérez-De La Cruz ◽  
Ivonne Ramírez ◽  
Carolina Maldonado
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Motor Development ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Psychomotor Development ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Early Stimulation ◽  
Child Relationship

Children in situations of destitution who become institutionalized commonly display developmental disorders, including delayed growth. The aim was to evaluate the environmental quality of the casas cuna of the Department of Chuquisaca (Plurinational state of Bolivia) in children aged 0 to 2 years old after receiving an early stimulation program based on psychomotor therapy. Thirty-six children who were institutionalized at shelter homes in the Department of Chuquisaca were selected to receive sessions of psychomotricity over a five-month period. The Infant/Toddler Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (IT-HOME) scale and the Attachment During Stress Scale (ADS) were used. The adult−child relationship with factors of responsiveness (−0.89; p = 0.037), acceptance (0.57; p = 0.024), organization (−1.03; p < 0.001), learning material (−2.57; p < 0.001) and involvement (−1.92; p < 0.001) scored below expectations, showing that environmental indicators are a poor stimulation for children growing up in shelter homes. Improvements were found in the children’s development after receiving this therapy. In conclusion, an early stimulation program based on psychomotor therapy over five months provided favorable results for the acquisition of skills for communication, motor development and social skills, which positively affect the psychomotor development.

scholarly journals Towards Urban Mining—Estimating the Potential Environmental Benefits by Applying an Alternative Construction Practice. A Case Study from Switzerland

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5041
Author(s):  
Efstathios Kakkos ◽  
Felix Heisel ◽  
Dirk E. Hebel ◽  
Roland Hischier
Keyword(s):  
Impact Category ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Experimental Unit ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Urban Mining ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Residential Building Stock ◽  
Construction Practice

Modern cities emerged as the main accumulator for primary and waste materials. Recovery of both types from buildings after demolition/disassembly creates a secondary material stream that could relieve pressure from primary resources. Urban mining represents this circular approach, and its application depends on redefining current construction practice. Through the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and assuming primary resources as step zero of urban mining, this study estimates the impacts and benefits of conventional versus a circular construction practice applied to various buildings with different parameters and the country-level environmental potential savings that could be achieved through this switch in construction practice—using the increase of the residential building stock in Switzerland between 2012 and 2016 as a case study and key values from the experimental unit “Urban Mining and Recycling”, designed by Werner Sobek with Dirk E. Hebel and Felix Heisel and installed inside the NEST (Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies) research building on the Empa campus in Switzerland. The results exhibit lower total impacts (at least 16% in each examined impact category) at building level and resulting benefits (i.e., 68–117 kt CO2-Eq) at country level over five years, which can be further reduced/increased respectively by using existing or recycled components, instead of virgin materials.

Empirical study of comprehensive benefits for prefabricated buildings: A case study of Hefei city

2020 ◽  
pp. 002072092092846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao Weishu ◽  
Zhang Beibei ◽  
Yang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Evaluation Indexes ◽  
Benefit Evaluation ◽  
Theoretical Support ◽  
Benefit Level ◽  
Analysis Theory ◽  
Comprehensive Benefit ◽  
Building Project

The emergence of prefabricated buildings is helpful to solve the problems of serious energy consumption and environmental pollution in traditional cast-in-place buildings. However, the current unclear benefits of prefabricated buildings have led to great constraints on its development in China. Therefore, in order to clarify the comprehensive benefit level of prefabricated buildings and promote the development of prefabricated buildings, the comprehensive benefits of prefabricated buildings are analyzed from four aspects of economy, environment, society, and security, and 19 evaluation indexes of economic benefits, environmental benefits, social benefits, and safety benefits of prefabricated buildings are selected from the life cycle dimension in this paper. The comprehensive benefits of prefabricated buildings are constructed by using set pair analysis theory. Finally, through the analysis of the prefabricated building project in Hefei, the feasibility of the model was verified, and comprehensive benefit level of prefabricated buildings in Hefei was further judged. This paper provides a feasible and operable evaluation model for the comprehensive benefit evaluation of prefabricated buildings and also provides a theoretical support for the development of prefabricated buildings.

Evaluation of an indoor environmental quality model for very small residential units

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwok Wai Mui ◽  
Tsz Wun Tsang ◽  
Ling Tim Wong ◽  
Yuen Ping William Yu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Small Variation ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Small Unit ◽  
Residential Units ◽  
The One

This study investigates the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) responses from occupants living in very small residential units that are unique to Hong Kong. Through the changes in environmental parameters, including thermal, indoor air quality, visual and aural, the study demonstrates that the overall IEQ acceptance in these units is different from the one in general residential building environments. Results show that occupants of these units are more sensitive to warmth and operative temperature change as compared to occupants of general residential buildings. A small variation of thermal acceptance suggests that the small unit occupants have already developed certain degree of tolerance to hot conditions. The adaptation to the reality of a hot environment is also reflected in the overall IEQ acceptance. It is believed that very small space residents have developed tolerance and adaptation to an unchangeable reality, changing environmental conditions does not necessarily alter their acceptance of individual IEQ aspects and overall IEQ.

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