bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noise exposure ‘the new secondhand smoke’ - How is it addressed in building certification schemes
Authors: Van Dort P , Schöner G
Published: November 2020

(introduction) Building certification schemes have expanded to include both the environmental impact of the construction and operation of the building, as well as the building’s influence on the occupants. Drawing attention to the indoor environmental quality, thus the well-being of the occupants, means evaluating a building’s impact on all 5 of the human senses. Hearing, acoustics, can easily be overlooked, but distracting sound can affect our bodies in more ways than we may realize.

Buildings that provide a pleasant indoor acoustic environment, allow employees to be more productive, students to learn easier and hospital patients to recover quicker. A survey concluded that 75% of office employees list noise as an important workplace feature, yet only 30% are satisfied with the noise levels in their office. In schools, up to 70% of the consonants spoken by teachers cannot be heard by pupils.

A survey of the countries in the EU, requested by the EC, showed that 80% of respondents believed that noise affects their health, either to some or to a great extent. Additionally, noisy environments increase physical and mental risks for example hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. As such, it links to SDG 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.

(method) An analysis of the specific room acoustic requirements for open offices, which is the biggest building segment for green building schemes, and schools is the key component of the study. The analysis compares the quantitative requirements such as reverberation time and absorption area in 4 schemes (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB and WELL) to 8 national building regulations in Europe. As the building regulations only exist in their national languages these in depth comparisons are not common.

(results & conclusions) This comparison shows that several schemes do not require the anyhow legally required thresholds whereas few schemes go beyond.
A certification scheme for operation of buildings with well-planned and ambitious environmental improvements
Authors: Wahlström Åsa , Warfvinge Catarina
Published: November 2020

The development of environmental certification schemes has increased rapidly during the last twenty years and are often used as benchmarks during design of new buildings or reconstruction. However, for management of our existing buildings the members of Sweden Green Building Council request for clear guidelines and a certification scheme. Therefore, a new certification scheme called Miljöbyggnad in Operation has been developed within close cooperation with branch actors through interviews, workshops and suggestions for consideration. The scheme will be launched in summer 2020. The new scheme act as a guidance tool for the property sector to meet the environmental quality objectives. Today many of our existing buildings do not even meet the requirements within the Swedish Environmental Code and many tenants are suffering with health problems due too low indoor environment qualities in their homes, in schools or at work. Therefore, high focus is on indoor environment and occurrence of dangerous substances but also aspects that consider improved health. Use of energy and resources are considered to reduce the impact of global warming. Building’s status is evaluated in order to make deliberate environmental improvements. Eighteen environmental aspects are assessed with about 250 statements that should be answered with yes in order to give one score. With the scores the building owner will get a good identification of the worst parts of the building and which measures that directly will give substantial results. The aim is to give a clear presentation of the building’s status, irrespective of building category or age, and to inspire for a well-planned and ambitious environmental improvement with gamification.
Use of a wellbeing framework for establishing building sustainability performance requirements in building regulations
Authors: Bellamy L , Pancholy P , Bolton A , Pahlow M
Published: November 2020

Improving the sustainability of New Zealand’s housing stock is a significant challenge. Economic, indoor climate and energy use data indicates the affordability, healthiness and environmental impacts of new and existing houses in New Zealand are relatively poor compared with other OECD countries. Poor performance is largely due to the building energy and environmental performance requirements prescribed by regulations, which are low in New Zealand compared with other jurisdictions. Building performance requirements will need to be raised in order to improve the sustainability of housing.

A wellbeing approach to determining public benefits from raising building performance requirements in regulations is outlined in this paper. This approach draws on the Living Standards Framework (LSF) developed by The New Zealand Treasury. This framework links 12 domains of wellbeing to each other and to 4 capital stocks, including housing, that underpin future wellbeing. The LSF is used to assess the impacts of raising building performance requirements on community wellbeing. Results indicate better knowledge of the relationships between the domains of wellbeing and the underpinning capital stocks is needed to improve the identification and analysis of preferred regulatory settings.
Opportunities and challenges of integrating daylight and electric lighting principles to achieve healthy & sustainable environments in the Nordics
Authors: Villar I , Shalaby M
Published: November 2020

An office building in Malmö to be LEED and WELL certified, was chosen as a case study to investigate how daylight and electric lighting principles are to be integrated throughout the building design and certification processes.

Along the process, challenges when considering energy efficiency and the design of healthy environments were identified, including the need for international certification systems to implement local means for the representation of health and well-being to fit Nordic conditions, where latitude and climate play a major role. As a conclusion, working closely in interdisciplinary teams is crucial when creating lighting solutions that aim to be respectful to our environment and to provide the best possible lighting conditions, fitted for humans needs.
To what extent can solar control be effective in enhancing indoor comfort in a fully glazed office building?
Authors: Farouk H , Elsharkawy H
Published: November 2020

It is acknowledged that people spend almost 90 percent of their time in indoor spaces. Therefore, achieving a comfortable indoor environment that encourages productivity is crucial, particularly in office buildings. This paper investigates the design and performance of a modern office building in London characterized by fully glazed facades of open plan office spaces with no natural ventilation. The purpose of the research is to investigate the correlations between the control of direct solar radiation access and the effect on occupants’ thermal comfort in the summer followed by assessing the potential effect of the application of passive solar shading on thermal comfort levels in the office spaces. The research methodology involves a survey questionnaire undertaken with employees of the office building, followed by dynamic thermal modelling of the building using Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) software. The questionnaire has been designed to understand occupants’ experiences within their office spaces and their strategies to improve the indoor environment. Furthermore, IES modelling and simulation provide in depth understanding of the building thermal performance and investigating the solar shading strategies. Overall, 66 questionnaire forms were completed where preliminary results demonstrated that most employees relied heavily on secondary cooling and heating systems to adjust the indoor air temperature for more satisfactory thermal comfort levels in their office spaces. The building modelling and simulation is used to quantify the direct solar radiation accessing the office space, the risks of overheating and the potential impact of solar control on occupants’ indoor comfort. The findings from this study demonstrate the potentially high hours of discomfort in the summer within the office spaces mainly due to the lack of control of direct solar access through the extensive area of glazed facades. In order to maintain the thermal environment within the comfort level threshold in the warmer seasons a solar shading strategy should be considered.
Use of vegetation to increase building energy efficiency: application to a real case study
Authors: Forzani L , Mazzucchelli E S , Rigone P
Published: November 2020

The research here presented deals with the relationship between vegetation and architecture, and how its presence can influence a building project and performance. In the last years, many ways of integrating green in building envelopes have already been experimented, for their potential of reducing thermal loads; the research investigates a specific solution, the vertical forest, which integrates trees and small bushes in specific permanent planters on balconies of high-rise buildings. The main scope is to understand if trees, treated as shadings, can really affect positively the building energy consumptions. Moreover, other aspects, such as trees mechanical stability, construction issues and maintenance are deepened. Through a particular case study, energy consumptions are analysed using dynamic simulations tools, developed with Grasshopper™ and EnergyPlus™ software, in which trees are considered as special external shadings, characterized by a variable permeability to solar radiation during the year. Results demonstrate that trees can contribute to reduce energy loads, depending on species and orientation, especially in association with traditional shading systems. Eventually, some guidelines on technological and construction aspects, as well as on trees species selection, are given, in order to assure the optimal vegetation life and to maximize its benefits on the building.
Design Pedagogy for Learning Sustainability with Communities
Authors: Persov E , Yehuda R Udyavar , Kantor R , Blit-Cohen E , Sadan E
Published: November 2020

This paper discusses tools and methods of learning for upcoming professionals to explore and understand sustainability in relation to people, neighborhoods and communities during the workshop ‘Small is Beautiful’. The workshop has been jointly developed since 2016 by academic faculty in Architecture, Interior Design, Visual Communication, Design Management and Social Community Work from India and Israel. The workshop takes place each summer in India and Israel simultaneously. Students from the above fields and countries participate in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. Each team is assigned a case study in a community where people live in dense environments and often have limited economic resources. Students are challenged with a design task and develop together with people in the community concepts that can improve living conditions in the specific site and might hopefully be scaled up to be implemented elsewhere in the world. According to ‘Habitat III New Urban Agenda’ the main tool for urban sustainability and resilience is the ability to design solutions that cover different scales, time frames and disciplines, all through a cultural and human-based perspective. Such solutions can be derived from communities in different cultures, living within limitations of small spaces, who develop intrinsic design responses that are remarkably resilient and suitable to the context. This forms a significant area of study largely ignored by designers. The research method is based on the triangulation of qualitative (before and after interviews with all participants) and quantitative methods, as well as design analysis of the case studies. The research suggests that a combination of multidisciplinary, multicultural and participatory practice is a viable pedagogical tool for sustainable transformative education. Findings indicate that this multi-layered design education facilitates the development of skills critical to the understanding of complex systemic socio-technological problems, and to foster the development of creative solutions viable for implementation in the community.
The In-between space: Lessons from vernacular architecture in North Macedonia
Authors: Atkovska I , Murata R
Published: November 2020

The basic principles of architecture are founded on the simple need for providing shelter from climate events. In the natural environment, man was searching for more comfort and preferences to adapt the environment to his presence, instead of adjusting to it. This process of evolution and the fast pace of technological rise in the past century resulted in man occupying the natural space for easier sharing conditions within society. Nevertheless, society is sharing this space with nature and architecture is producing something that becomes part of the environment itself. Can we share the built environment with nature? Instead of controlling and occupying the space, how do we connect, interact? What is the right way of prevention without designing obstacles? In vernacular architecture in many places in the world, the semi-outdoor space is an example of transition between the inside and the outside, between the nature and the building. The aim of this paper is to analyse the characteristics of the in-between space in the vernacular architecture and clarify its responses to climate and social conditions for the purpose of realizing the possibilities of sharing the space between the human and the natural environment. The research method conceives of recognizing architectural patterns in case studies of traditional houses in North Macedonia, which analysis shows few essential parameters, i.e. size, shape, enclosure/edges, orientation, use/occupancy, linkages, layers, cycles… By labelling and making cross-references, the connection between the environmental and social influence on the architectural elements is identified. The observed results promote one way of managing how we can make beautiful architecture by learning from the past.
Sustainable Courtyards: Practical Experience Potentials
Authors: Ibrahim Iman
Published: November 2020

A courtyard is an architectural design element traditionally and commonly applied in UAE vernacular architecture for its environmental and social potentials. This research highlights a real project that won a national award for excellence in Sustainability education, where the project involved Interior Architecture students in creating their own courtyards external outdoor furniture to be a hub for social communication in the College of Fine Arts & Design at the University of Sharjah. The research will explore the social potentials in the courtyards as an architectural element used to recognize the traditional architecture in Arab countries. Where about four courtyards in the College were redesigned with recycled outdoor furniture collaborating with waste management institute Bee’ah in Sharjah, where volunteering students started the project from concepts’ statements that inspired by the UAE nature to be abstracted in two dimensional drawing and developed to create three-dimensional outdoor pieces of furniture. The Sustainable Courtyard Project is a practical application of the theoretical principles of sustainability as one of the UAE visions 2050 to preserve the environment and spread awareness of its importance for future generations. Spreading awareness among students of the value of environmental and social sustainability, where the designs were inspired by the heritage of the UAE in various forms and using recycled materials.
The transport footprint of Swedish construction sites
Authors: Sezer Ahmet Anil , Fredriksson Anna
Published: November 2020

Earlier studies related to GHG emissions from the construction industry are focusing mainly on impact from the phases of building use and on-site production while neglecting the footprint due to transportation during the production phase. In this paper the aim is to investigate transport footprint owing to material and waste transports to and from construction sites in Sweden, based on secondary data analysis of construction projects. The choice between efficient logistics considering the time pressure in construction projects and logistics with reduced GHG emissions is a difficult one, however previous studies report that with better logistics solutions and planning, both goals can be achieved. This study contributes by delivering a better understanding of the transport patterns of construction projects as well as the GHG emissions from construction transport. Among the studied projects, 2450 transports/project and 31 transports/flat are noted. Transport footprint from the new flat production at 2017 in Sweden is estimated around 422800 tonsCO2. Increasing the understanding of the transport patterns will lead to better policies to control traffic and better use of construction logistics setups for different phases of projects. Since the main limitation here is data quality and lack of data, further research aims to improve data collection, investigating possible data sources and their quality.
User acceptance of mixed-traffic autonomous shuttles in Gothenburg, Sweden
Authors: Malmsten Lundgren V , Andersson J , Enerbäck O , Dolins S
Published: November 2020

A user acceptance questionnaire study was carried out during the first phase of the Shared Shuttle Services (S3) pilot project in Gothenburg Sweden. Autonomous vehicles in the form of shuttle buses (AV shuttles) embody three major developments in transportation: mobility solutions that are electrified, shared, and automated. The adoption of these three developments is closely connected to the UN SDG (11) Sustainable cities and communities and in order to achieve any broader societal benefits, it is crucial to understand and address user acceptance and adoption of these services in real-life settings. The questionnaire included attitudinal and context specific questions, resulting in overall high ratings except for perceived speed and comfort. Still, the main reasons for not wanting to use the AV shuttle services could be linked to performance expectancy, route reasons and effort expectancy. Future implementations of AV shuttles will need to address this in order to expect any widespread adoption.
Reviewing the adaption of a wellbeing framework for asset management investment analysis on a three waters network
Authors: Barnes Erik , Pancholy Purvi , Henning Theunis , Bellamy Larry , Preston Greg
Published: November 2020

Water infrastructure world-wide is facing a number of pressures including increasing demand due to population growth and urbanisation, increasing legislative requirements, climate change, and ageing infrastructure. Supporting growth and prosperity across the country require smarter investment decisions to deliver cost-effective and innovative solutions. The focus on investment planning is moving away from the simple economic or risk-based decision to community wellbeing.

The New Zealand Treasury has developed a wellbeing framework to guide policy and investment that focuses on improved community outcomes for the nation. The purpose of this framework is to track changes to the wellbeing outcomes over time and improve public policy making, with the ultimate goal of lifting living standards and improving intergenerational wellbeing. This framework, largely based on the OECD wellbeing framework, was adapted for New Zealand (NZ) and includes a stock model to simulate the inter-relationship between investment and wellbeing outcomes. This framework focuses more on providing guidelines around the domains of wellbeing from a macro policy level decision making level, however their linkages to localized infrastructure development are weak.

This paper describes a strategy to develop a holistic decision-making framework for three waters (drinking water, wastewater, & stormwater), which include; finding the impact of investment in three waters on community’s wellbeing, conducting performance analysis, and the development of a mathematical model and trade-off model for such investment. The results have suggested that the existing wellbeing framework provides an excellent monitoring framework for water infrastructure, yet to establish inter-relationships between wellbeing factors on a meso-level, a different model needs to be considered.
Analysis of ISO 37120 indicators for small municipalities in Brazil: a case study in Piumhi
Authors: Melo H C , Dantas H S , Camargo P L T
Published: November 2020

Brazil does not have a city which has reported to the International Standard ISO 37120 (Sustainable cities and communities - indicators for city services and quality of life) neither has available results on the World Council on City Data (WCCD) data bank. Furthermore, the country is facing an important set back on discussions about environmental and sustainable development issues. Piumhi, with approximately 38 thousand inhabitants and a mostly agricultural economy, is now getting started towards a sustainable future. In this scenario, this paper aims to verify Piumhi’s current status towards locally accomplishing the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable cities and communities. Thereby, it aims to help design a strategy for the city to meet the referred SDG by the 2030 deadline. In order to reach this purpose, the authors qualitatively analysed open data provided by public agencies. The results indicate that Piumhi is not responding to the above-mentioned guidelines as expected. Therefore, effective actions must be put into practice to assure the SDG 11 fulfilment. Finally, the authors suggest that new researches are made in order to list the opportunities and ways so Piumhi and similar cities get their passport into a resilient future. Thus, Brazil and other developing countries can become sustainable nations.
Ventilation and Thermal Comfort Performances of Combined Climate-Buffer-Zone Systems in Subtropical Area
Authors: Lu Yao , Liu Suijie , Lin Hankun , Liu Siwei , Xiao Yiqiang
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the ventilation and thermal comfort performances of combined climate-buffer-zone systems in low-rise buildings in the subtropical area. FLUENT and Honeybee were used to simulate and calculate the air velocity and PET in a reference building and six varieties. The results indicated that adding side-opening to a climate-buffer-zone system influences the ventilation and thermal comfort performances of the climate-buffer-zone system. However, the overall-performance of a combined climate-buffer-zone system does not always positively relate to the complexity of the system. Moreover, this study proposed the best position for inserting a new side-opening to a climate-buffer-zone system.
Balancing data requirement and modelling quality in neighbourhood life cycle assessments
Authors: Zara O , Guimarães G , Zibetti M , Pompermayer K , Leite I , Gomes V
Published: November 2020

Introduction: When modelling complex systems such as cities, a quality-complexity compromise is to subdivide them into smaller cells. Life Cycle Assessment can help to comprehensively handle urban intricacies but is a data-intensive technique. Balancing data requirement and collection feasibility while acknowledging uncertainty become key. Methods: This research explored top-down and bottom-up approaches to generate information input for environmental modelling at neighbourhood scale and to identify strategies to improve modelling while balancing data collection needs. SimaPro v.9 supported the assessments. Results: Influence of elements like interior finishings and wall partitions is not captured by the top-down approach, but should not be neglected, for their impacts are substantial. Modelling can be improved by application of cut-off rules to limit data requirements and cluster sampling techniques to derive a minimum range of archetypes to adequately describe the studied area. Finally, an evolutive hybrid approach is suggested to gradually improve both background archetypes and foreground bottom-up objects.
Supply chain mapping and stakeholders’ assessment towards the Sustainable Development Goals: the case of the construction sector in the informal settlement of Mathare, Nairobi
Authors: Celentano G , Salcedo Villanueva J , Habert G
Published: November 2020

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for all. One of these targets to be tackled by their implementation is the improvement of the livelihood of 1/6 of the global population, housed in unsafe informal settlements. This paper explores the correlation between GOAL11 – Sustainable cities for all - and other aspects of the societies relevant for the achievement of the SDGs –Responsible consumption and production, No poverty, Gender inclusion, Decent work and economic growth- in a mutual and potentially virtuous relationship. The work is based on months of fieldwork conducted in 2018 in the informal settlement of Mathare and in the city of Nairobi, through observation and semi-structured interviews, with the objective of understanding the current productive and economic flows of the construction sector supplying the informal city. From the study, the following statement emerged: a) different final building users (clients) operating in Mathare have access to different building materials b) the diffusion of materials inside the settlement is strictly related to the access to the shop and to the potential client sites c) the diffusion of materials inside the settlement is highly impacted by the availability of space both by the supplier store and on the building site d) tribal division plays a significant role in the distribution of roles in the construction sector. The study shows the relevance of applying a metabolic approach to the city throughout its supply chain in order to understand its ongoing logic prior to a construction intervention. This allows to understand ongoing construction practices, identify gaps and bottlenecks and propose improvement solutions fitting with the ongoing dynamics. The local economy would benefit from such an approach, tailored on its needs and potentials.
LCA-Framework to Evaluate Circular Economy Strategies in Existing Buildings
Authors: Zimmermann Regitze Kjær , Kanafani Kai , Rasmussen Freja Nygaard , Andersen Camilla , Birgisdóttir Harpa
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Buildings are responsible for 39 % of CO2 emissions in the world and have the largest consumption of natural resources. The concept of Circular Economy can be used as an approach for mitigating environmental impact in this sector. Circular economy in the built environment can be implemented on a building level through preservation instead of demolition and new construction. In order to assess the environmental impact, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework can be used. The purpose of this study is to expand the existing building-LCA framework from the CEN TC 350 standards to include existing buildings on the building site in the assessment of buildings and demonstrate the framework on a building case. This is done in order to include the environmental benefits from preserving the building materials that already exists on the building site. Methods: The framework is developed based on the existing standard for LCA for buildings and the framework is demonstrated on an existing school building. Results: The study develops and demonstrates a framework for performing LCA on buildings when an existing building is the starting point. The framework includes scenarios for 1) preservation, 2) renovation and 3) demolition and new construction. The case building shows the importance of including demolition of the existing building as it accounts for 12 % of impacts. It furthermore illustrates how the scenarios can be compared, especially in terms of when the impacts occur, i.e. that most impacts from scenario 3) happen today, which can be a challenge with a limited climate budget. Conclusion: The developed framework allow us to broaden the LCA scope to include existing buildings in the assessment such as demolition of existing buildings on building site. This makes it possible to evaluate the circular strategies on building level using LCA to the benefit of building designers, clients and policy makers.
A review of online sources of open-access life cycle assessment data for the construction sector
Authors: Pagnon F , Mathern A , Ek K
Published: November 2020

The importance of life cycle sustainability in the construction sector is increasing in the light of rising awareness on sustainability issues in society. A means to identify more sustainable options is to assess and compare their sustainability performance. The standards ISO 21931-2 and EN 15643-1 to 5 establish the framework and requirements for sustainability assessment of buildings and civil engineering works. The standards require life cycle assessment (LCA) to be the basis for the environmental part of the sustainability assessment. LCA is a powerful evidence-based method but it requires extensive data. Access to free, easily available and preferably machine-readable LCA data is essential to increase the use of LCA in the construction sector and to make competition fair for all tenderers. This paper aims to compile existing online sources for open-access LCA data of interest for the construction sector. The purpose is to provide a reference document that facilitates the use of LCA in construction. An in-depth search of publications and internet resources was performed, focusing on European sources of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) and process-based LCA datasets. A comprehensive overview of the European data sources available online and relevant to the construction sector is presented. This research work reveals the existence of numerous sources, often difficult and time-consuming to find. The overview in the paper facilitates finding online data needed for LCA, in many cases in a machine-readable format. This can contribute to increasing the use of LCA in the construction sector, which is important when developing buildings or civil engineering works that are more sustainable over their whole life cycle. A greater use and better integration of LCA in the design process contributes to evidence-based life cycle sustainability of our built environment.
Benefits of BIM implementation in the French construction industry
Authors: Lahiani M
Published: November 2020

As for aeronautics or automobile industry, digital transition has been well underway in the building sector. These new technological and managerial developments have been entailed changes in the construction process. Building Information Modeling, or commonly called “BIM”, is a new digital approach in the building sector that introduced new management materials, new concepts and ICT-based designs and communication. This new digital tool is moving away from traditional methods that lead to isolated and static understanding of building performance in terms of design, to processes and practices that contribute to sustainable patterns of living throughout the built environment. These ecological gains have yet to be proven as research has not been able to objectively demonstrate the actual costs and benefits of BIM. The goal of this study is to detect the impact of this new dynamic digital tool and its contribution to a better understanding of the implications of the building lifecycle and their ecological performance.

Through a focus group discussion and interviews with BIM related participants from France, we discovered how digital approach improve institutional mechanisms to ensure building compliance in terms of sustainability. Therefore, we highlighted the importance of collaboration within BIM project teams in the construction phase improved by the ease of access to information and its interoperability. Our results provide quantitative and qualitative measures of the benefits of BIM related to cost savings and energy performance for better sustainable construction.
A sustainable solution for ceramic and steel wastes in Self-consolidating, high-performance concrete
Authors: Soleimani S M , Alaqqad A , Afrasiab T , Jumaah A , Behbehani A , Majeed A , AlSawwaf M H , AlMuhanna S
Published: November 2020

This study aims to investigate the applicability of using waste materials produced in Kuwait as partial replacements of conventional concrete materials in self-consolidating, high-performance concrete. Processed ceramic products, along with steel slag obtained from electric-arc furnaces, were used as partial replacements of coarse and fine aggregate at various dosages. The fresh and hardened properties of the concrete were then measured and compared. Results have shown that using crushed ceramic products (in the form of sand-like and 3/16” aggregates) increases the rate of strength gain as the concrete cures, while using electric-arc furnace slag to replace 3/8” aggregates increases the compressive strength when compared to a benchmark mix.
Toxicity of cement-based materials
Authors: Maia Margarida Braga , Brito Jorge de , Martins Isabel M , Silvestre José D
Published: November 2020

Clinker production represents a high percentage of global CO2 emissions and a significant decrease by 2030 is mandatory. Therefore, there is a permanent search for innovative and sustainable cement-based construction materials (CBM) around the world. The increased development and demand of sustainable construction solutions pushed the incorporation of nontraditional raw materials in CBM mixes. Due to the insufficient knowledge on the use of these components, it is fundamental to perform studies to assess their toxicological effects on the relevant environmental compartments. Some studies are found in the literature that analysed the environmental impacts of new CBM but there are not many that include a toxicity analysis. The procedures followed in the latter are varied since there were no specific recommendations to analyse construction materials until 2017, and the results were obtained following different standards or directives. Therefore, the direct comparison of the results of these studies is generally not possible. In that year, a guidance on the use of ecotoxicity tests on construction products was published - technical report CEN/TR 17105:2017 (Construction products - Assessment of release of dangerous substances). Nevertheless, the process to evaluate the potential toxicity of construction materials is complex, but fundamental. In fact, there is no direct correlation between existing metals’ concentration in one product and leached metals’ concentration, which makes it difficult to know the toxicity level. The aim of this paper is to review and present available CBM toxicity information, including standards, databases or labels. The tools that already exist to support the evaluation of the toxicity risks of CBM will also be analysed. Based on this, an approach for the toxicity evaluation of CBM is proposed in order to provide researchers with real-time support for the development of sustainable CBM with reduced risks associated with toxicity.
Urban Transformation and Implementation of Green Development Strategies – Case of Gothenburg
Authors: Kaczorowska A
Published: November 2020

Urban green space strategies in Gothenburg have been recently developed for planning biodiverse and resilient urban environments, where densification is perceived as an opportunity for achieving higher-quality urban green space. Loss of important ecosystem services (ES) such as habitat for species and its fragmentation has long been considered the primary cause for biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. The concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is currently promoted to provide simultaneous environmental, social and economic benefits, and help to build urban resilience. Yet, there is an observed knowledge and methodological gap on the development links between the built and natural environment. This article aims to discuss modelling urban environments for biodiversity of green areas. The main idea behind the research work presented in this paper is to investigate and explore possibilities to model and develop future integrated built and natural habitats that meet needs of people. This aims to investigate what are the tools that better integrate urban ecosystem services into built development and reflect on planning strategies for Gothenburg’s green urban space. The results show a necessity to promote an approach of going beyond calculating accessibility to green areas, but also taking into consideration planning for qualities of urban green space in relation to city’s shape and urban form. Spatially explicit indicators for ES like Green Area Factor are required to support real urban planning practice for biodiversity conservation and prioritization of green infrastructure in the urban development process. Complexity of urban systems, ecological assessment of quality of “urban green” is an emerging prerequisite in Gothenburg’s planning strategy due to ongoing rapid densification process. There is an expressed need for long term perspectives in planning with new tools and methods for assessing values and benefits associated with urban green space.
Better Urban Drainage for Liveable Cities - creating blue green infrastructure through science translation, collaboration and multi-stakeholder governance
Authors: Maher Jeremy
Published: November 2020

The paper describes drainage management as a wicked problem, where one agency’s solutions to their objectives created problems for another; with competing storm water design objectives and a splintered approach to the spending of government monies for flood prevention, water quality, and the liveability of the City. At the strategic level, the issue was addressed through integrated water policy. The paper identifies how science and policy translation were used to achieve a radically different and sustainable strategic direction for the City. The City has taken advantage of an opportunity to re-envision assets from grey to blue-green in the regeneration of the drainage system; achieved through multi-stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and policy development as part of its transition towards a water sensitive city.
Enhancing ecosystem services at urban brownfield sites – what value does contaminated soil have in the built environment?
Authors: Drenning P , Norrman J , Chowdhury S , Rosén L , Volchko Y , Andersson-Sköld Y
Published: November 2020

Urban environments are challenged with a plethora of wicked problems in the face of rapid urbanization and land use change, not least natural capital degradation and widespread land and water contamination. Brownfields, under-used sites with real or perceived contamination, are significant urban and peri-urban land resources which, with well-designed remediation and management strategies can address these concerns. Gentle remediation options (GRO) are scalable nature-based techniques which provide significant opportunities for multi-functionality: managing risks posed by contaminants and at the same time enhance ecosystem services (ES) by improving the soil ecosystem in a low-impact, cost-effective manner. GRO align with an increasing interest in taking a holistic view on soil and land management to protect and improve the soil ecosystem for direct human benefit in the form of ES as well as for its indirect, intrinsic value as a haven for biodiversity. This short review aims to present a synthesis of ideas to raise awareness for urban planners about GRO techniques as nature-based solutions which can promote green infrastructure in the urban environment.
The MIMIC construction logistics game: facilitating group discussion and understanding of construction logistics through gameplay
Authors: Bergström K , Billger M , Fredriksson A , Janné M
Published: November 2020

In order to facilitate discussion on construction logistic solutions in both homogenous and heterogeneous groups, the MIMIC CLS game has been developed, that allows players to negotiate transport routes and common logistics solutions surrounding an abstract construction area. Through game mechanics specially chosen to create appropriate friction between the players, discussion on the topics of the game is stimulated. The design process included significant amounts of testing and provided two key insights: the manner in which specific game design patterns influenced the game’s purpose, and the difficulties involved in creating, playing and presenting games for a target group with little or no experience of games. It was also evident that a designated game facilitator made it possible to further reinforce the impact of the game, and likely necessary to be able to use it in an appropriate timeframe. Future venues of work include the integration of the game and subsequent discussions into an overall workshop format.
A systematic review of the scientifically demonstrated effects of densification
Authors: Berghauser Pont M Y , Perg P G , Haupt P A , Heyman A
Published: November 2020

One of the current dominant strategies proposed for sustainable urban development is densification. UN Habitat prescribes a density of over 150 inhabitants per hectare to realize the UN Sustainable Development Goals. While some authors advocate the very reasonable benefits of density, others emphasize the potential drawbacks. The main goal of this paper is to provide a systematic review of international research on urban density and its potential benefits and drawbacks for sustainable urban development. 1208 articles were selected from Web of Science and after the screening of abstracts, 330 papers were found eligible to be included in the quantitative synthesis. Results show that the effects of densification that dominate literature are transport related studies (41%), followed by studies focusing on economics (14%), social effects (12%) and human health (11%). Least studied effects are resource efficiency (1%), service (3%) and urban environment (4%). Positive correlations with higher density are reported for transport and economics, while ecology, social impact and health show mainly negative correlations with higher density. The findings reported are generic as similar trends are found in North America, Asia and Europe and only minor differences in outcome are found in studies using different measures of density, unit or scale of analysis.
Modeling the thermal interaction of geothermal boreholes with aquifers using asymptotic expansion techniques
Authors: Rico Javier , Hermanns Miguel
Published: November 2020

To design an optimally-sized geothermal heat exchanger it is crucial to accurately forecast its thermal response over the whole lifetime of the building. Since the presence of aquifers highly affects the heat exchange between geothermal boreholes and the ground, both heat transfer mechanisms, conduction and convection, must be taken into account in the ground. In the present work the existence of large disparities in time and length scales in the problem is exploited using asymptotic expansion techniques to develop a theoretical model capable of taking into account both aforementioned heat transfer mechanisms for any Peclet number of the groundwater flow.
The definition of urban surface uses: a systemic approach for climate resilient and sustainable cities
Authors: Croce S , Vettorato D
Published: November 2020

In the current scenario of massive urbanization and global climate change, the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development identifies among the main goals the necessity to make cities sustainable and resilient. The urban surfaces (i.e. streets, façades, roofs, etc.) are a key element in this process. Indeed, their exploitation offers the opportunity to increase resource efficiency, to produce renewable energy, to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and to reduce the overall environmental impact of cities.

Urban planning plays an essential role in defining the allocation of surface uses and ensuring their integration. This paper proposes an analytical framework to support planning decisions about the types of surface use allowable, their extent and location. First, urban surfaces typologies and their major cluster of uses have been classified. For each cluster, a set of criteria has been identified to evaluate the technical viability of its application. Finally, a workflow has been designed for characterising the most suitable surface uses in consolidated urban areas. The application of the proposed approach, which has been tested in Bolzano (Italy), is able to support the implementation of integrated policies aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals in cities.
Collaborative governance models towards sustainable infrastructure projects: the case of resources
Authors: Hällström A Af , Bosch-Sijtsema P
Published: November 2020

The construction and infrastructure industry contribute to almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the largest drivers of resource use. This sector of the global economy is thus a promising area to look at for reducing environmental impact and increase sustainability. The impact of collaboration and cooperation within the project organisation has begun to garner more attention as the scale and scope, as well as the levels of uncertainty and complexity in construction and infrastructure projects have grown. This has led to an increase in collaborative contracting models applied to complex construction projects. In order to investigate the impact of collaborative contracting and the possibilities to advance the goal of resource efficiency and decrease environmental impact, a case study of two Nordic projects, utilising a collaborative project management model, is conducted. The findings suggest that the potential of using collaborative project management models in order to increase the sustainability of construction solutions is high. However, the use and understanding of the models vary between project actors. We conclude that the new collaborative project management models are important features in reducing environmental impact from infrastructure construction, yet several organisational and practical issues remain to be solved.
Transforming energy infrastructure between market incentives and local cooperation
Authors: Oostra M A R , Herlaar R
Published: November 2020

Distribution system (grid) operators (DSO’s) currently experience turbulent times. Changes in society and the energy infrastructure related to the worldwide accords to diminish CO2 emissions and the rise of decentral energy production demand a different position from DSO’s. Until recently DSO’s were utilities part of larger companies combining energy production, transportation and delivery. This changed after the introduction of a market model in the EU, making sure that consumers had a choice and competition would promote more efficiency and the investment of private capital in energy production. Now we are facing major impacts of the results of man induced global warming current economic models are questioned. Therefore it is important to investigate whether a different way of organizing would be able to bring about social transformation and different results that would be of value in reducing CO2 emissions and addressing adverse effects of the current economic system. In this paper it is investigated what the different model of cooperation would bring. This paper uses a framework of cooperation to explore new ways of working for DSO’s in the Netherlands. For this a case study is used directed at facilitating internal cooperation within one Dutch DSO.