When the Tank’s Empty: Design Strategies for the Adaptive Reuse of Urban Tank Farms

<p>Urban tank farms, technically known as bulk fuel storage facilities, have been a feature of the urban industrial landscape for close to 100 years. Often established in prime waterfront locations near city centres, their future in these locations is uncertain. The toxic and volatile nature of their operations pose a threat to the environment and public safety, while many of the sites they occupy are being vacated as the oil industry consolidates and their activities are moved elsewhere. City waterfronts and industrial areas are also undergoing regeneration as urban centres increase in residential density and change in use from industrial and commercial activities to those based more on leisure and lifestyle. Tank farms and similar industrial ‘non-buildings’ have only relatively recently been recognised as having significant industrial heritage and cultural value, often only attained after a period of abandonment. Adaptive reuse of industrial buildings has long been applied to factories and warehouses but industrial non-buildings present greater challenges for a reuse project. Built with a singular purpose unintended for human inhabitation, the uncompromising nature of this type of structure and the difficulties in reusing them means few have been retained for reuse. The poisonous legacy of contamination further reduces the opportunities for retention of this heritage and reuse of the structures. Such sites and structures often face conflicting notions of site rehabilitation, industrial heritage retention, urban redevelopment and adaptive reuse. The design exercise of this thesis attempts to reconcile these notions by combining strategies of existing models and precedents with the necessities and aims of a continually evolving urban environment. Alongside these strategies, a step further than the typical landscape park and industrial sculpture of earlier examples is taken, proposing a new multi-use solution for an existing tank farm on Sydney Harbour. An architectural intervention for several of the largest tanks is presented, together with other elements of urban infill, environmental regeneration and public access and recreation.</p>

When the Tank’s Empty: Design Strategies for the Adaptive Reuse of Urban Tank Farms

<p>Urban tank farms, technically known as bulk fuel storage facilities, have been a feature of the urban industrial landscape for close to 100 years. Often established in prime waterfront locations near city centres, their future in these locations is uncertain. The toxic and volatile nature of their operations pose a threat to the environment and public safety, while many of the sites they occupy are being vacated as the oil industry consolidates and their activities are moved elsewhere. City waterfronts and industrial areas are also undergoing regeneration as urban centres increase in residential density and change in use from industrial and commercial activities to those based more on leisure and lifestyle. Tank farms and similar industrial ‘non-buildings’ have only relatively recently been recognised as having significant industrial heritage and cultural value, often only attained after a period of abandonment. Adaptive reuse of industrial buildings has long been applied to factories and warehouses but industrial non-buildings present greater challenges for a reuse project. Built with a singular purpose unintended for human inhabitation, the uncompromising nature of this type of structure and the difficulties in reusing them means few have been retained for reuse. The poisonous legacy of contamination further reduces the opportunities for retention of this heritage and reuse of the structures. Such sites and structures often face conflicting notions of site rehabilitation, industrial heritage retention, urban redevelopment and adaptive reuse. The design exercise of this thesis attempts to reconcile these notions by combining strategies of existing models and precedents with the necessities and aims of a continually evolving urban environment. Alongside these strategies, a step further than the typical landscape park and industrial sculpture of earlier examples is taken, proposing a new multi-use solution for an existing tank farm on Sydney Harbour. An architectural intervention for several of the largest tanks is presented, together with other elements of urban infill, environmental regeneration and public access and recreation.</p>

Assessment of Exposure to Flash Flooding in an Arid Environment: A Case Study of the Jeddah City Neighborhood Abruq Ar Rughamah, Saudi Arabia

In arid areas, flash floods represent one of the most severe hazards for people and infrastructure alike. The associated risks are compounded by increasing exposure and vulnerability through rapid and unregulated urbanization, poor infrastructure, and sociocultural factors, among other elements. This research explores the flash flooding risk in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah with a particular focus on the Abruq Ar Rughamah neighborhood, which experienced a destructive flood in November 2009 that resulted in 116 deaths and 1,200 families becoming homeless. The neighborhood is an interesting case study as it has two distinctive urban layouts representing planned and irregular settlement types. In this paper, the focus is placed on exposure to flash flood hazards using a geographic information system to study urban layouts, building types, and resident populations in conjunction with data from satellites, flood mapping studies, and topographic data. The results show that most of the study area is located along a natural flood path. The regions that were affected by the 2009 disaster received no comprehensive site rehabilitation. This paper concludes that it is important to develop a risk management strategy that includes limiting urban expansion in flood-prone areas and redesigning neighborhoods to increase flood resilience.

Remote Sensing of Mine Site Rehabilitation for Ecological Outcomes: A Global Systematic Review

The mining industry has been operating across the globe for millennia, but it is only in the last 50 years that remote sensing technology has enabled the visualization, mapping and assessment of mining impacts and landscape recovery. Our review of published literature (1970–2019) found that the number of ecologically focused remote sensing studies conducted on mine site rehabilitation increased gradually, with the greatest proportion of studies published in the 2010–2019 period. Early studies were driven exclusively by Landsat sensors at the regional and landscape scales while in the last decade, multiple earth observation and drone-based sensors across a diverse range of study locations contributed to our increased understanding of vegetation development post-mining. The Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI) was the most common index, and was used in 45% of papers; while research that employed image classification techniques typically used supervised (48%) and manual interpretation methods (37%). Of the 37 publications that conducted error assessments, the average overall mapping accuracy was 84%. In the last decade, new classification methods such as Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) have emerged (10% of studies within the last ten years), along with new platforms and sensors such as drones (15% of studies within the last ten years) and high spatial and/or temporal resolution earth observation satellites. We used the monitoring standards recommended by the International Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) to determine the ecological attributes measured by each study. Most studies (63%) focused on land cover mapping (spatial mosaic); while comparatively fewer studies addressed complex topics such as ecosystem function and resilience, species composition, and absence of threats, which are commonly the focus of field-based rehabilitation monitoring. We propose a new research agenda based on identified knowledge gaps and the ecological monitoring tool recommended by SER, to ensure that future remote sensing approaches are conducted with a greater focus on ecological perspectives, i.e., in terms of final targets and end land-use goals. In particular, given the key rehabilitation requirement of self-sustainability, the demonstration of ecosystem resilience to disturbance and climate change should be a key area for future research.

Cost–benefit analysis of restoring an ephemeral desert stream after an ecological accident

This paper presents a methodology for examining the net benefit of site rehabilitation after an ecological disaster. While restoration of the site seems reasonable on the face of it, the cost of proactive restoration can be very high. In this article, we present a tool for decision makers to decide on the optimal route to rehabilitation – proactive or natural rehabilitation (or some combination thereof). We present a case study of an ecological catastrophe that occurred in June 2017 at an ephemeral desert stream in the south of Israel. We estimated the restoration costs and the benefits of restoration over the relevant time frame using a contingent valuation method. Comparing the present costs and benefits revealed a net present value of ILS 355.5 million in favor of proactive restoration of the stream. We also demonstrate that not all sections of the stream pass the benefit cost test, so a higher net benefit could be achieved through partial restoration. Our study demonstrates the importance of cost–benefit analysis when policy makers are contemplating proactive versus natural restoration.

Effect of a Single Session of Facial Distortion Model Manual Physiotherapy and a Selected Foam Rolling Technique on Treatment Outcomes in Cervical Spine Overload. Pilot Study

Background. The prevalence of neck pain is on the increase. A sedentary life style, poor ergonomics in the workplace and in daily life, and stress all contribute to neck overload. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single session of a Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) intervention combined with foam rolling in patients with cervical spine overload. Material and methods. The study enrolled 90 patients, who were randomized to an FDM group, a foam rolling group (who exercised with a Duoball against a wall) and a control group, of 30 patients each. Mobility was measured with a digital inclinometer, pain intensity was assessed with a VAS scale and (upper and middle) trapezius tone was evaluated by sEMG. These measurements were carried out twice in each group and analysed in Matlab and Statistica 13. Results. Both groups subjected to a therapeutic intervention (FDM and foam rolling) reported a significant reduction in neck pain intensity and improved cervical spine mobility (p<0.01). The control group did not demonstrate changes in mobility or pain intensity. The resting trapezius tone did not change in any of the groups. Conclusions, 1. A single session of FDM therapy can effectively reduce and eliminate cervical spine pain, which may be of use in work-site rehabilitation. 2. Single sessions of FDM and foam rolling can effectively improve neck mobility in patients with cervical spine overload. 3. There is a rationale for conducting further prospective randomized studies of larger samples to assess the duration of the beneficial effects of both therapies and determine an optimum session frequency.

279 Quality Improvement Audit on Bone Health Assessment and Secondary Prevention of Patients Discharged from an In-patient Rehabilitation Unit Post Fracture

Background Osteoporosis accounts for more disability-adjusted life years than many non-communicable diseases. Identification and treatment is important to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with further fracture.(1) National Osteoporosis Guideline Group recommends all patients with a fragility fracture should undergo a bone health assessment and commence pharmacological therapy if indicated.(2) Methods Electronic discharge summaries of all patients with a diagnosis of fracture discharged from an off-site rehabilitation unit from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018 were reviewed. Patient details, location and mechanism of fracture, bone health assessment and discharge prescription were assessed. Following data collection, an education session directed at NCHDs was performed and a discharge checklist prompting bone health review and consideration of pharmacological therapy was introduced. A re-audit was performed at 4 months to assess change following this intervention. Results 74 patients had a diagnosis of fracture. 4 were excluded as fracture resulted from high impact trauma. 100% had corrected calcium measured. 93%(n=65) had Vitamin D(OH) measured. 91%(n=64) had PTH measured. 55%(n=39) were discharged on calcium/vitamin D(OH) supplementation. 33%(n=23) were discharged on Vitamin D(OH) alone. 66%(n=46) were discharged on antiresorptive therapy: 28%(n=13) bisphosphonate, 67% (n=31) denosumab, 4% others. 33%(n=23) were not prescribed any bone protection on discharge. 4 had advanced chronic kidney disease. 6%(n=4) were discharged without calcium/Vitamin D or antiresorptive therapy. A re-audit from January to April 2019 of 15 patients post NCHD education has shown an increase in antiresorptive therapy prescription 86%(n=13) Conclusion Bone health assessment and prescribing practices of antiresorptive therapy in patients undergoing rehabilitation post fracture is sub-optimal. Education of non-consultant hospital doctors can substantially improve rates of antiresorptive therapy prescription.