scholarly journals Towards the Circular Soil Concept: Optimization of Engineered Soils for Green Infrastructure Application

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 905
Author(s):  
Pia Minixhofer ◽  
Bernhard Scharf ◽  
Sebastian Hafner ◽  
Oliver Weiss ◽  
Christina Henöckl ◽  
...  

At conventional construction sites, the removal of soil and other excavated materials causes enormous mass movement, with a significant climate impact and contribution to global CO2 release. This study aimed to generate a Circular Soil concept for reusing excavated materials by creating engineered soils for landscape construction at large building sites. Engineered soils act as a substitute for natural soils and fulfill vital technical and soil functions when installing an urban green infrastructure (GI). In a field study, the vegetation performance on engineered soils was evaluated to establish a methodological approach, to assess the applicability of the Circular Soil concept. First, the technical specifications (grain-size distribution) were modeled for intensive green roof and turfgrass applications. Then, the soil components were optimized, mixed, installed and tested for greenery purposes, focusing on plant growth performance indicators (vitality, projective cover ratio and grass-herb ratio) to assess the vegetation performance. The results showed that the engineered soils match the performance of the reference soil alternatives. In conclusion, the Circular Soil concept has a high potential to contribute considerably to sustainable on-site soil management and the circular economy. It can be applied on a larger scale for urban GI development and sustainable resources management in the landscaping and construction sector.

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuma Akaki ◽  
Tomoyuki Gondo

The purpose of the present study is to grasp the situation of construction sites easily by distinguishing the movements of construction workers at construction sites from the accelerometer data attached to their waists. For the construction manager to accurately perceive the active or inactive state of his workers, their movements were classified into three distinct categories: walking, standing, and sitting. We tracked and observed two rebar workers for 5 days at a large building construction site. Their movements were classified by two-axis plots of (1) the difference between the maximum and minimum absolute values and (2) the value of acceleration at each second, and visualized by a heatmap among others for this trial. The results showed that despite the difficulty in distinguishing rebar work without a total body movement while sitting, the accuracy of discrimination was 60–80% in walking and sitting. From this analysis, we were able to identify repetitive tasks and the differences between morning and afternoon tasks. Furthermore, by applying simple visualization, we could concisely represent changes in work intensity over a relatively long period.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahmyddin Araaf Tauhid

Climate change is affecting urban areas by increasing the intensity and frequency of climate-related disasters such as flooding, sea level rise, drought, etc. The trend is expected to rise significantly without proper intervention. Urban housings as the concentration of people and economic growth are the most impacted. This condition calls to study green infrastructure/GI strategies as a more sustainable way than the conventional. Such GI approach not only mitigate and adapt the impacts but also improve the urban climate resilience, particularly in the housing sector. Therefore, this study aims to propose a conceptual framework to integrate the elements for the implementation of GI for mitigating and adapting climate impact for urban resilience improvement. This study identified elements to employ GI for housing climate resilience: public awareness; land use and development regulation; land and property acquisition; environmental management plan; housing strategy; fiscal and taxation; and governance. This framework is a new tool for scoping and assessing urban housing vulnerability to climate change by helping stakeholders to systematically consider the benefit to introduce GI scheme in respective efforts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Kendzera ◽  
Yuliia Semenova

The article discusses a technique for determining the nonlinear characteristics of the layers of computational models of the soil profile for the equivalent linear and nonlinear modeling of its response to seismic effects. The results of studying the factors influencing the curves of the strain-dependent shear modulus G (γ) and damping ratio D (γ) are analyzed. Based on the results of the analysis, the main parameters have identified that control the shape of the curves and allow you to quickly select the corresponding curves from the existing database with acceptable accuracy for each layer of the soil profile model. For clayey rocks: this is the plasticity index PL and the depth of occurrence; for sandy rocks: particle size, percentage, and depth. The paper presents the results of studying the effect of relative errors that arise when choosing the curves G (γ) and D (γ) for the soil layers of the computational seismic-geological model on the parameters of the frequency response of the soil, calculated using the equivalent linear modeling of ground vibrations during earthquakes. It was found that errors in determining the strain characteristics of soil layers in the calculation model lead to a shift in the maxima of the amplitude-frequency characteristic, to a change in the amplification factors of oscillations, as well as to the appearance of "false" maxima at high frequencies. The methodological approach to the formation of computational seismic-geological models of soil strata, by introducing the curves G (γ) and D (γ), which reflect the nonlinear properties of the soil, makes it possible to improve the computational methods for determining the resonance properties of soils under construction sites. The most accurate values of the frequency characteristics of the soil strata under construction sites are necessary for the development of effective measures to ensure the seismic resistance of the designed and existing facilities. As a result, the validity and accuracy of determining the quantitative parameters of seismic hazard at the construction and operational sites under study are increased. 


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1152
Author(s):  
Oliver Weiss ◽  
Pia Minixhofer ◽  
Nadine Werner ◽  
Stefan Riedenbauer ◽  
Elisabeth Olesko ◽  
...  

Green Infrastructure measures such as seepage troughs are an integral part of sustainable urban rainwater management. In Austria, seepage troughs are currently almost exclusively produced with a 30 cm thick active soil filter passage made of topsoil. A standard seed mix is used as vegetation, which usually consists of only three different turfgrass species. During a three-year trial, engineered soils with improved properties (increased water storage capacity, infiltration rate and pore volume) were tested for their suitability as seepage troughs compared to topsoil. In addition to the standard turf seed mix, a flowering turf seed mix (34 species) and flowering meadow seed mix (53 species) were applied. The engineered and reference soils were analyzed for infiltration rate, vitality, cover ratio and inflorescence. The results were further assessed with the evaluation chart showing quantitatively the suitability of the tested soils for rainwater management. The investigations showed that engineered soils in combination with flowering meadow seed mix lead to the best results. Therefore, this type of vegetation for seepage troughs is recommended for future applications. The reference alternatives cannot be recommended.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander James Furneaux

ABSTRACT Urban development represents a fundamental threat to the viability of the functional ecological networks from which humans derive ecosystem services. As urbanized areas continue to grow and intensify, they fragment landscapes removing the connective green tissue capable of supporting a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem. Yet in many cities across North America and beyond, linear adaptive re-use parkland projects are transforming the landscapes of cities by reintroducing functional green spaces through the conversion of abandoned or underutilized utility corridors into greenways for the restoration of habitat, recreation, public transit, and art. In Toronto, the recently announced development of the Meadoway in Scarborough represents one of such opportunities to [re]connect human and wildlife habitat to and within each other along its 16-kilometre length. Planning for a new linear adaptive re-use parkland represents a ‘wicked problem’ with no clear solution, only better or worse responses learned through the continued re-evaluation of these responses and by grounding them in their place-specific conditions. This project integrates lessons learned from case examples of linear adaptive re-use parkland projects from across North America to consider the impacts these new amenities have generated on surrounding land uses and the communities that inhabit them. Applying these key lessons to the policy and physical landscape of the Meadoway provides an opportunity to unpack the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated the redevelopment of this landscape, articulated through three study areas. Using a mixed-methodological approach of case study and policy analysis paired with site observation, this study provides recommendations to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Weston Foundation, and the City of Toronto, all key development stakeholders of the Meadoway, to inform the implementation of the project’s goals and highlight key areas that should be considered given precedents from similar projects. Overarching recommendations highlight the need to consider: the various physical, temporal, and social understandings of connectivity; the land use changes associated with the introduction of a new greenspace amenity; and the imperative to meaningfully consult and collaborate with communities along the Meadoway to understand how this space can support their growth and vitality. Ultimately, learning from these key areas may provide useful context to future development of other hydro corridors in the Greater Toronto Area. Keywords: Landscape connectivity, Green infrastructure, Adaptive re-use, Parkland


Author(s):  
Tanja Fluhrer ◽  
Jochen Hack

Green Infrastructures (GI) are considered key to reconcile ecological and social benefits by providing multiple functions. The concept is increasingly promoted and guidelines for its implementation have been developed in many countries and regions of the Western Hemisphere. However, for other parts of the world, especially for countries with less developed infrastructures, promotion, guidance for decision-making and manuals for GI are often lacking. But the state of infrastructure development and often unplanned character of settlements in the Global South differ and result in specific constraints as well as demands to GI that need to be addressed explicitly. This study presents a methodological approach to explicitly address the specific conditions and physical limitations to GI development in urban areas of the Global South. A four step methodology was developed to assess the implementation potential for retrofitted and multifunctional urban green infrastructure in public areas. An initial site analysis (1) and the definition of design criteria as well as general strategies (2) to achieve the different dimensions of multi-functionality are the basis to derive spatial typologies (3) for GI elements and finally the spatial suitability assessment for potential placements (4). An application of the methodology to a study area in the metropolitan region of San José, Costa Rica, shows exemplarily that the potential to improve the hydrological conditions (up to 34% of surface runoff reduction), ecological conditions (increase of green space by 2,2 %, creation of 1500 m length of roadside greenery and two new habitat types), and social conditions (2.200 m of road type upgrading) of multi-functionality of the site through Green Infrastructures. These assessment results of different multi-functionality dimension can serve as a guidance for GI promotion and implementation in urban areas of the Global South.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e51335
Author(s):  
Juliano Prado Stradioto ◽  
Ariel Orlei Michaloski

The economic growth of a country is directly linked to the growth of several sectors, in which the construction sector is prominent. The objective was to investigate by means of ergonomic analysis the external coating activity performed on building façades, due to its high degree of difficulty. The methodological approach was composed by a review of the literature and quantitative research using the OCRA checklist method, highlighting the biomechanical overload risk analysis of the external coating activity in mortar based on International Standard ISO 11228-3: 2009. The data collection took place in construction sites in Brazil in the cities of Ponta Grossa-PR and Porto Alegre-RS applying the mentioned method. The results of demand illustrate the concepts presented in the review, as well as the confirmation of the incidence of pain and lesions in the upper limbs and the repetitiveness in the analyzed activities. The results indicate that: a) the analysis of the chosen activity resulted in a high level of risk applying the immediate intervention, with improvements; b) proof by calculating the risk of biomechanical overload to implement improvements in the company; c) evidence that the improvements resulted in a reduction of ergonomic risks by more than 50%, with improvement in posture and strength requirements. In turn, the relevance of this work is highlighted, as it enables the development of public and private policies in the area of ergonomics with the purpose of developing the sector. In the end, the work opens up possibilities for the continuity of the research on the addressed topic.  


Erdkunde ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-223
Author(s):  
Leonie Krelaus ◽  
Joy Apfel ◽  
Andreas Rienow

Green infrastructure (GI) has a cooling effect owing to shading and evapotranspiration and therefore has a climate regulating function within metropolitan areas. Urban parks are a type of GI that act as park cool islands (PCIs) and play a major role in mitigating the surface urban heat island. This study aims to (1) investigate the status quo of the surface cooling effect intensity of selected urban parks in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), including their cooling range, and to (2) propose a methodological approach for investigating the PCI intensity using remote sensing data considering the occurrence of mixed pixels. To achieve these tasks, land surface temperature values based on Landsat 8 images from three different days in 2018 and 2019 were observed. In addition, a method for the reduction of mixed pixels was developed. The results confirm a surface cooling effect of 1–5 K and thus the existence of a PCI. The impact of the surface cooling effect was found within a minimum range of 150 m. However, the process of identifying the cooling area was complicated by the high proportion of GI in cities in NRW, compared to other study areas. Further research on the influencing parameters of the surface cooling effect is needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 07016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Vladimirov ◽  
Ioan Bica

The circular economy development has increased awareness on how construction products are treated at the end-of-life stage (EoL). With a growing recognition of the finite nature of primary resources, manufacturing processes are being shifted from the traditional take-make-dispose approach to a greater holistic practice, where valuable and/or scarce substances are recovered at the end of a product’s life. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is gaining wider attractiveness, as assessment of environmental impacts constitutes an effective quantitative decision tool to identifying sustainable solutions. At the same time, existing guidelines, technical specifications and methods for LCA assessment at EoL are rather heterogeneous regarding modelling and calculation of related secondary material and energy streams. For construction products, category rules for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) according to EN 15804 (issued through the European Committee for Standardization) and the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) (developed by the European Commission) currently represent the most advanced methodological references. The study presents the methodological approach per EN 15804, describing the benefits and loads beyond the typical disposal stage. Thus, the environmental impacts of a construction element can be credited in accord to its material and energetic recycling potential. An applied model is realized for water pipes made of composite material. The calculation is exemplified and comparative results of allocation scenarios per EN 15804 and PEF are discussed, demonstrating correlations between the normative requirements and their application. The results support further identification, assessment and ranking of recycling alternatives (i.e. mechanical, thermal, chemical).


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