bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of Noise and Vibration Impacts to Buildings Due to Urban Rail Transit and Mitigation Measures
Authors: Hao Ying , Qi Haifeng , Liu Shengchun , Nian Victor , Zhang Zhongyao
Published: March 2022

The developments in urban rail transit (URT) construction are associated with the benefits of moving people efficiently and the negative impacts of noise and vibrations caused to surroundings. Despite a proliferation of studies conducted throughout the world, very few studies employed the field measurement approach due to various limitations. Using a metropolitan city, Tianjin (China), as an example, field measurement was set up to monitor the indoor vibration and noise spectrum in buildings near urban rapid transit lines to establish a baseline as well as the effectiveness of corresponding mitigation measures, namely wheel-rail polishing and train speed reduction. While our study suggests a maximum 6 dB reduction in indoor vibration, the effectiveness of noise and vibration reduction measures depends on the attenuation of the main frequency corresponding to the secondary radiation noise of the indoor vibration excitation in the building. In our field test, the peaks of the frequency spectrum were found to be 40, 50, 63 and 80 Hz. The secondary radiation noise attenuation and vibration were invariant to the change in frequency spectrum. Mitigation measures such as polishing may cause vibration frequency to peak in non-main frequency spectrums. URT speed reduction will lead to vibration and noise attenuation energy being concentrated at around 50 Hz. Given the presently inconsistent and widely varying industrial and international standards, this study can provide important field measurement data supporting future development in standards, regulation and legislation with respect to URT development, especially in mature townships.
Assessment of Geosites within a Natural Protected Area: A Case Study of Cajas National Park
Authors: Navarrete Edison , Morante-Carballo Fernando , Dueñas-Tovar Jairo , Carrión-Mero Paúl , Jaya-Montalvo María , Berrezueta Edgar
Published: March 2022

Cajas National Park (CNP), located in southern Ecuador, comprises an area of high natural, scientific and cultural value with wide recognition worldwide. This national park has a large number of elements that, as a whole, constitute a relevant geological heritage. However, this geological heritage requires an enhancement that complements the important contribution made by the Natural Park in terms of conservation and protection of the natural heritage. This study aims to evaluate sites of geological relevance present in CNP through international geosite assessment methodologies and thus provide knowledge favouring these resources’ sustainable use and geoconservation. The study phases comprise four stages: (i) a base information analysis of the study area; (ii) identification and selection of sites of geological interest; (iii) a geosite and geomorphosite assessment using the Inventario Español de Lugares de Interés Geological (IELIG) method and Brilha method; (iv) a qualitative assessment using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis for the contribution and influence of geomorphosites in the development of the study area. This work made it possible to determine that all the analysed geosites and geomorphological sites (14) have a high and very high interest. The Llaviucu valley site stands out for its relevant scientific, academic and tourist value. The IELIG method revealed that 50% of the evaluated sites have a high protection priority, while the rest are in the “medium” category. In addition, the investigation through the SWOT analysis revealed that the geomorphosites could provide significant added value to the development of geotourism and of the NP itself, complementing the already known natural attractions; moreover, the study presented strategies for the use of these in the sustainable development of the area.
Exchange Rates, Optimization of Industrial Resources Allocation Efficiency, and Environmental Pollution: Evidence from China Manufacturing
Authors: Jiang Chun , Wu Fan
Published: March 2022

The impact of exchange-rate fluctuations on resource reallocation is of particular interest to researchers and policymakers with China’s further opening to the international market and the transformation of economic growth. With high-speed growth, pollution issues have become an international concern. This paper examines how RMB exchange-rate movements affect resource allocation efficiency within industries at different pollution levels, based on the data of Chinese industrial enterprises during 1998–2007. Unlike previous studies, we analyze how within-industry productivity dispersion reacts to exchange-rate appreciation from the perspective of the heterogeneity across firms in their exposure to foreign competition in each industry. Our findings suggest that appreciation causes an increase in productivity dispersion, which implies a decrease in resource allocation efficiency. The increased dispersion of industries with higher pollution levels is more diminutive than lower levels. The productivity dispersion is intended to shrink for high-polluting industries due to the real exchange-rate appreciation. Appreciation plays a positive role in efficiency for pollution-intensive industries.
The Impact of Pb from Ammunition on the Vegetation of a Bird Shooting Range
Authors: de la Peña Eva , Seoane José Manuel , Carranza Juan
Published: March 2022

Hunting with lead ammunition represents a source of heavy metal pollution to the environment that can be potentially high at the local scale. Intensive hunting of small game species can concentrate high levels of ammunition discharging in small areas. This type of hunting is a relevant economic resource for private landowners in some regions of Spain, and current legislation allows the use of lead ammunition in these scenarios. It becomes, therefore, highly relevant to study whether this activity may pose concerns to the conservation of the environment in the areas where it takes place. Using a red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) shooting range as a study area, we examined the effect of intensive hunting on this species on the vegetation present. We found significantly higher lead levels in the sprouts of plants of shooting areas related to control sites of the same property where partridge shooting does not occur. We found differences in the presence of lead between sprouts of different plant species. In addition, old sprouts of existing vegetation in shooting areas also showed higher lead levels than newly emerged sprouts of the same plants. These results demonstrate the impact of lead ammunition on vegetation in terms of persistence over time and differences between species. Further analyses using chemical and ecotoxicological data are necessary to evaluate the extent of environmental pollution risks. Our results provide new support in favor of the use of alternative ammunition, with particular emphasis on scenarios where hunting activity is intensive.
Circularity of Bioenergy Residues: Acidification of Anaerobic Digestate Prior to Addition of Wood Ash
Authors: Moure Abelenda Alejandro , Semple Kirk , Aggidis George , Aiouache Farid
Published: March 2022

The present study investigated the acidification treatment of an agrowaste digestate and a food waste digestate, which is necessary before the addition of the wood ashes to attain the pH of zero point of charge in the blend intended to behave as a slow-release fertilizer. The 336-h acidification treatments of the 2.39 ± 0.35 g of digestates were performed with high and low doses of four commercial acids (sulfuric, hydrochloric, nitric, and lactic acids) in 50-mL capped Corning® tubes. For analytical purposes, after the incubation, ultrapure milli-Q® water was added at a rate of 10 mL for each gram of digestate to create a water-soluble phase that allowed the measurement of the pH and the electric conductivity. The results showed that the optimum dose and type of acid were very dependent on the nature of the anaerobic digestate. The maximum buffer capacity of the agrowaste digestate was 0.07 mmol H+-H2SO4/g, but this increased by adding the food waste digestate with a greater content of ammoniacal nitrogen. The agrowaste digestate with a greater content of undigested fiber was more easily oxidized by nitric acid. On the other hand, sulfuric acid oxidized the food waste digestate to a greater extent than the other acids did. Since a high dose of acid was required to achieve a greater efficiency in the solid–liquid separation, which would ease any subsequent handling of the digestates, hydrochloric acid was considered to be the most suitable acid. Lactic acid promoted the growth of filamentous microbes in the agrowaste digestate and microbial colonies in the food waste digestate, which is an indication of the poor preservation of the organic matter under these conditions.
Optimal Control of Energy Systems in Net-Zero Energy Buildings Considering Dynamic Costs: A Case Study of Zero Carbon Building in Hong Kong
Authors: Lv Tao , Lu Yuehong , Zhou Yijie , Liu Xuemei , Wang Changlong , Zhang Yang , Huang Zhijia , Sun Yanhong
Published: March 2022

Net-zero energy buildings coupled with multiple energy demands on the load side, which utilize renewable energy to a larger extent, are an effective way to consume distributed capacity in situ and need to face the operational challenges brought by the uncertainty of renewable energy while meeting different energy demands. To this end, this paper proposes a Dynamic Cost Interaction Optimization Model (DCI-OM) with Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) based on dynamic cost (i.e., oil price, electricity price) and considers a larger proportion of renewable energy capacity to be consumed. In this model, the optimized electricity and cooling demand dispatch scheme is given with daily operating cost as the objective function. Using the Zero Carbon Building in Hong Kong, China, as an example, simulations are performed for typical days (i.e., 21 March, 21 June, 22 September, and 21 December) in four seasons throughout the year. The results show that the electric and cooling load demand response scheme given by DCI-OM achieves peak and valley reduction according to the dynamic cost and reduces the original operating costs while ensuring that the customer’s comfort needs are within acceptable limits. The optimized scheduling scheme meets the demand while reducing the daily operating cost.
Integrating Soundscape Criteria in Urban Sustainable Regeneration Processes: An Example of Comfort and Health Improvement
Authors: Herranz-Pascual Karmele , Iraurgi Ioseba , Aspuru Itziar , Garcia-Pérez Igone , Santander Alvaro , Eguiguren José Luis
Published: March 2022

This paper reports an example of an urban sustainable regeneration process in a small open square following the soundscape approach in urban design and involving a transdisciplinary team. The renovation of this urban public space brought changes in its acoustic environment and improved soundscape perception as much more pleasant (enhanced comfort). The rehabilitation broadened the use of the square and enhanced users’ wellbeing and health, showing a significant positive impact of sound: reduction in negative emotions and perceived stress while increasing positive feelings. To conclude, the implications of the results about restorative environments in urban sound planning and future areas of research are discussed.
Bacterial Community Structure and Predicted Metabolic Function of Landfilled Municipal Solid Waste in China
Authors: Ke Han , Li Jinghang , Zhang Xuanqi , Hu Jie
Published: March 2022

The biodegradation behavior of municipal solid waste (MSW) depends on the diversity and metabolic function of bacterial communities, which are affected by environmental factors. However, the diversity of the bacterial communities and metabolic functions in MSW, as well as their influencing factors, remain unclear. In deep-aged MSW, the abovementioned deficiencies are more significant, and will effectively hamper landfill disposal. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was performed to examine the bacterial community structure and metabolic function from depths of 10 m to 40 m, of two large MSW landfills on the southeast coast of China. Thermotogota (1.6–32.0%), Firmicutes (44.2–77.1%), and Bacteroidota (4.0–34.3%) were the three dominant phyla among the 39 bacterial phyla identified in aged MSW samples. Bacterial genera associated with the degradation of many macromolecules, e.g., Defluviitoga, Hydrogenispora, and Lentimicrobium were abundantly detected in MSW samples, even in aged MSW. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that bacterial diversity in the landfills was most strongly correlated with electrical conductivity, age, and moisture content of the MSW. Tax4fun2 analysis predicted that there were abundant metabolism functions in aged MSW, especially functional enzymes (e.g., glycine dehydrogenase and cellulase) related to amino acids and cellulose degradation. This study increases our understanding of the bacterial diversity and functional characteristics in landfilled MSW.
Identification of Weak Buses for Optimal Load Shedding Using Differential Evolution
Authors: Amusan Olumuyiwa T. , Nwulu Nnamdi I. , Gbadamosi Saheed Lekan
Published: March 2022

For the sustainability of power supply and operation systems, planners aim to deliver power at an optimum value to consumers, while maintaining stability in the system. The load-shedding approach has proven to be an effective means of achieving the desired stability. This paper presents a nodal analysis to establish critical bus identification in the power grid. A power simulation for load shedding was created using the power system analysis toolbox (PSAT) for identifying and isolating weak buses on the power system. A computational algorithm was developed using differential evolution (DE) for minimizing service interruptions and blackouts, and was tested against the conventional genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed algorithm was implemented on an IEEE 30-bus test system. The simulation results were analyzed before and after the application of DE. It was observed that after the application of DE, load shedding gives an efficient result of 10.6%, 8.7%, and 13.4% improvement at buses 26, 29, and 30, respectively, after being tested using a genetic algorithm (GA), with a result of 10.2%, 7.6% and 13.1% on the same respective buses. This work will further expand the reliability and availability of power systems toward a sustainable, steady power supply that is void of nodal or bus cutoffs.
Household Solid WasteManagement in the Dominican Republic: Case of the Municipality of Puñal, Santiago
Authors: Franco Edian F. , Padrón Iglesia Wilfredo , Pérez Teruel Karina
Published: March 2022

One of the biggest problems that the Dominican Republic has had in recent decades is the efficient management of solid domestic waste. This problem has worsened in recent years due to the decrease in available areas for the construction of sanitary landfills, the lack of recycling culture in the population, the deficiency in waste collection, and the scarce legal controls aimed at preserving water, air and soil among other factors. The objective of this study is to explore the management of solid waste by the population and the municipality of Puñal, province of Santiago, to evaluate and analyze the situation and generation of solid waste, municipal solid waste management services, and the attitudes of the population regarding recycling projects and waste management. A total of 275 households from 29 localities in the municipality of Puñal were surveyed, which allowed for a significant population sample. According to the results, the most significant type of waste produced by families is organic waste, followed by plastic waste and paper. Of the total organic waste produced in the municipality, 53% of solids wastes are handled through the municipal waste collection system, while 47% is used as plant fertilizers or animal feed. On the other hand, most households receive the municipal waste collection service and pay for this service, through which the municipal government collects, processes, and deposits the waste in different landfills. However, a more efficient waste collection system and the development of programs and projects that allow households to manage the solid waste efficiently they produce would be necessary.
Systems Thinking and Leadership of Teachers in Education for Sustainable Development: A Scale Development
Authors: Prabawani Bulan , Hadi Sudharto Prawata , Zen Irina Safitri , Hapsari Nurul Retno , Ainuddin Ilham
Published: March 2022

This study aims to develop scales to measure teachers’ systems thinking and leadership in education for sustainable development (ESD) at an environmental care and culture school, which is important because the school serves as an ESD benchmark for other public schools. However, there is no adequate performance measurement scale that incorporates the three dimensions of the triple bottom line (TBL). The 133 samples in this study were collected from four schools in regencies and cities in Indonesia. We developed a scale to measure teachers’ systems thinking and leadership in ESD. The developed scale was then tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We found that the teachers had the lowest performance in systems thinking competence compared to other competences, such as ability to plan content and social dimensions. The teachers set a good example by using polite language and gestures but did not model green behavior. The teachers also had low scores in peer participation in external organizations and activities. The scale formulated in this study can be used to measure teacher performance in ESD, although some indicators must be further developed. In the future, purely confirmatory studies can validate the dimensional structure of this exploratory factor analysis.
Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in the Amazon Region: A Case Study in a Federal Public University in Western Pará, Brazil
Authors: Gomes Luis Alípio , Brasileiro Tânia Suely Azevedo , Caeiro Sandra Sofia F. S.
Published: March 2022

Sustainable development (SD) in higher education has occupied the agenda over recent decades. Higher education institutions make efforts to promote sustainability in education, curriculum, research, outreach, and campus operations. This article aims to analyze the level of implementation of sustainability in higher education in the Amazon. The specific objectives of this paper are to identify the curriculum greening (CG) characteristics in institutional development plans (IDPs) and to analyze the perceptions of students from a higher education institution in the Amazon region about sustainability. It follows a qualitative approach, with documentary research and questionnaires applied to students. Analysis content was used in the data analysis. The main findings are the presence of some CG characteristics in institutional documents that were analyzed as a commitment to the transformation of society–nature relations, contextualization, disciplinary order, democracy, theory and practice, students as knowledge protagonists, cognitive aspects, alternative scenarios, and methodological adequacy. The results show that commitment to sustainability cannot just be a declaration of good intentions. It is essential to discuss the ways of implementing sustainability in the academic environment, as it implies changes in epistemological, political, and social conceptions.
Meeting Design Supporting Sustainability in Early Planning Practice: A Combination of ‘Hard and Soft’ Characteristics
Authors: Grosse Elise , Femenias Paula
Published: March 2022

While research on the sustainable built environment has acknowledged the need to integrate multidisciplinary perspectives in the early planning phases, few studies have focused on early-phase meetings and how these can support such co-creation of sustainability. In this study, a set of “characteristics” for collaborative meetings integrating multidisciplinary perspectives was tested in 16 meetings that took place in the early phase. An action research insider perspective was used, where a researcher was also the facilitator of these 16 meetings. The cases provide insights into the early-phase processes where the building industry can achieve sustainable impacts on the built environment. This was exemplified by two of the cases becoming demonstration projects in terms of sustainability. Empirical material was gathered through discussions and surveys with meeting participants and was analyzed through the lens of the meeting design characteristics. The findings show that processes with ‘soft’ interpersonal characteristics (expressing emotions, tempo change during dialogue, engaging in social interaction, moving the body) support the development of a shared understanding of sustainability that integrates multidisciplinary perspectives. For larger groups and in digital meetings, a combination of ‘soft’ (interpersonal) and ‘hard’ (digital communication tools and platforms) characteristics were found to be supportive, especially when the meeting time was limited. This research suggests a revision of the design of multidisciplinary early-phase meetings towards including social, emotional, bodily, and collaborative exercises supported by digital tools.
An Approach to Determine Missing Life Cycle Inventory Data for Chemicals (RREM)
Authors: Huber Elena , Bach Vanessa , Holzapfel Peter , Blizniukova Daria , Finkbeiner Matthias
Published: March 2022

Chemicals impact the environment. However, life cycle assessments (LCA) of products containing chemicals are often not possible due to a lack of available datasets. Existing methodologies to address this problem have several shortcomings. Therefore, a new approach to model chemicals is introduced to fill dataset gaps in inventory databases. Further data for 60 chemicals are provided. The approach consists of four steps: (i) general research on the chemical and the synthesis processes, (ii) setting up the reaction equations, (iii) researching the required thermal energy, and (iv) modeling of the dataset (RREM). Depending on the obtained data, calculations are carried out or assumptions are applied. The environmental impact of the chemicals is modeled in the LCA software linking to existing datasets. A case study of the chemical octocrylene illustrates the application of RREM. An overview is given of the environmental profile of 60 chemicals modeled based on RREM. The validity of the assumptions and their influences on the results are examined by a sensitivity analysis. By modeling chemicals with the RREM approach, previously unknown environmental impacts of chemicals and products containing them can be determined.
Relationship of Residential Location Choice with Commute Travels and Socioeconomics in the Small Towns of South Asia: The Case of Hafizabad, Pakistan
Authors: Masoumi Houshmand , Aslam Atif Bilal , Rana Irfan Ahmad , Ahmad Muhammad , Naeem Nida
Published: March 2022

The existing literature of emerging markets fails to provide evidence to clarify if people choose their residential location based on commuting to work or other socioeconomic or household factors. The present paper seeks to provide such evidence in South Asia using the case study of a small city in Pakistan. This exploratory study was facilitated by primary data collected from 365 adults in Hafizabad, Pakistan, using face-to-face interviews in 2018. Two research questions were answered: (1) with what socioeconomic or mobility-related variables are the residential self-selections correlated? (2) how strong is the possible association of commuting to work to residential location choices compared to other factors, including social, economic, and family-related issues? The results of Chi-square tests and Proportional Reduction in Error analyses show that the three variables of neighborhood place, gender, and housing tenure type are associated with residential location choices. These findings are partly in line with studies on high-income countries, but gender and housing tenure are more specific to developing countries. Moreover, results of a Binary Logistic model show that marital status and house ownership of other household members define whether people choose their living place based on commuting rather than other socioeconomic and household issues. The finding of the latter variable contrasts with behaviors in high-income countries, whereas the former variable has some similarities. These findings highlight some contextual differences between house location selection in South Asia and other regions.
Performance Evaluation of Phase Change Materials to Reduce the Cooling Load of Buildings in a Tropical Climate
Authors: Sangwan Punita , Mehdizadeh-Rad Hooman , Ng Anne Wai Man , Tariq Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman , Nnachi Raphael Chukwuka
Published: March 2022

Tropical region such as Darwin has similar weather patterns throughout the year, thus creating higher energy demands in residential buildings. Typically, buildings consume about 40 per cent of the total energy consumption for indoor heating and cooling. Therefore, building envelopes are linked with design strategies such as the use of thermal energy storage and phase change materials (PCM) to minimize this energy consumption by storing a large amount of thermal energy. Primarily, PCMs are targeted by researchers for use in different components of buildings for thermal efficiency; thus, this study aimed to provide a suitable PCM to optimize indoor thermal comfort and minimize the cooling loads of residential buildings in tropical climates through simulation of a tropical climate building and provide optimum thickness for the selected material. Microencapsulated PCM mixed with gypsum in wallboards were used to reduce the cooling load of a building located in Darwin. The cooling load of the building was calculated using Revit software. A comparison of the cooling load of the building was carried out using PCM-incorporated wallboards of thicknesses of 0 cm, 1 cm and 2 cm in Energy Plus software. The total cooling load decreased by 1.1% when the 1-centimetre-thickness was applied to the wall, whereas a 1.5% reduction was obtained when a 2-centimetre-thick PCM layer was applied. Furthermore, the reduced cooling loads due to impregnation of the PCM-based gypsum wallboard gave reduced energy consumption. Ultimately, the 2-centimetre-thickness PCM-based gypsum wallboard gave a maximum reduction in cooling load with a 7.6% reduction in total site energy and 4.76% energy saving in USD/m2/year.
Interactive Effects of Rainfall Intensity and Initial Thaw Depth on Slope Erosion
Authors: Su Yuanyi , Zhang Yang , Wang Huanyuan , Lei Na , Li Peng , Wang Jie
Published: March 2022

Seasonal freeze–thaw processes have led to severe soil erosion in the middle and high latitudes of the world, so understanding the freeze–thaw erosion process is of great significance for soil and water conservation as well as for ecological engineering. The area affected by freeze–thaw erosion in China exceeds 13% of the national territory. However, there is little data regarding the impact of rainfall intensity and initial thaw depth on soil erosion. Here, the effects that different rainfall intensities (0.6 mm/min, 0.9 mm/min and 1.2 mm/min) and different initial thaw depths (0 cm, 2 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm) had on the soil erosion process on the loess slope were studied under simulated rainfall conditions. The results showed that the infiltration rate decrease with prolonged runoff time, and then stabilized. Runoff occurred more quickly during increasingly intense rainfall, especially when little soil had thawed. The variation in runoff and sediment yield occurred in two stages: slow growth and rapid growth. As soil thawed to greater depths, rainfall intensity had less influence on the sediment. A linear relationship existed between the cumulative runoff and the sediment yield of all treatments. (R2 > 0.92, p < 0.01). Rainfall intensity and thaw depth had interacting effects on erosion. At low rainfall intensities, the initial thaw depth played a leading role in the erosion process, but at higher rainfall intensities, rainfall intensity played a larger role. Stage II erosion amount accounted for more than 90% of the total erosion across all treatments. The results of this research provide a guide for furthering the understanding of the soil water erosion mechanism of thawing slopes.
Impact of Wastewater Spreading on Properties of Tunisian Soil under Arid Climate
Authors: Gargouri Boutheina , Ben Brahim Samia , Marrakchi Fatma , Ben Rouina Bechir , Kujawski Wojciech , Bouaziz Mohamed
Published: March 2022

The environmental impacts of irrigating an olive field with olive mill wastewater (OMW) and treated wastewater (TWW) on soil properties were investigated. The effect of different irrigation treatments of OMW (50 m3 ha−1, 100 m3 ha−1, and 200 m3 ha−1) and TWW at different soil depths was studied. The obtained findings revealed that TWW application augmented soil pH; EC values; and P, K and Ca contents in all soil layers. However, Mg and Na concentrations, as well as organic matter content (OM), were proven to decrease with TWW irrigation throughout the experiment. Whereas soil adjusted with OMW showed a decrease in K, Ca, Mg and Na contents with soil depth, a significant increase was observed with the increase in applied OMW dose. On the other hand, total phenols and OM content increased significantly with the rise in OMW levels in all the investigated layers compared to the control sample.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Nam Che 1 Hydropower Plant, Thathom District, Laos: An Ex-Post Analysis
Authors: Nhiakao Kongyang , Yabar Helmut , Mizunoya Takeshi
Published: March 2022

Hydropower construction is accompanied by both biodiversity loss and creation of livelihood opportunities for community members. The Nam Che 1 Hydropower Project (NCH1HP), intended to support the economic development of Laos, was subjected to an initial environmental examination that yielded a feasibility report. This feasibility report focused on financial analysis rather than detailed and comprehensive socio-economic and environmental analysis. However, the project development affected the hydrological landscape, leading to significant environmental and social impacts, and called into question the project’s actual costs and future benefits. Therefore, we conducted an ex-post economic evaluation of the NCH1HP. Specifically, we used cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the NCH1HP, considering the environmental and economic ripple effects of its long-term economic impact. In this study, we found that while the NCH1HP could be beneficial according to the financial analysis only, it may have a negative side effect when considering the environmental impact after the dam construction. However, a comprehensive long-term economic analysis that also took into account the spillover effects of the project showed that the project was beneficial. Policymakers need to be aware of the potential environmental impacts and economic spillovers when evaluating such projects and the NCH1HP should be re-evaluated taking them into account in a comprehensive manner.
New Development Direction of Underground Logistics from the Perspective of Public Transport: A Systematic Review Based on Scientometrics
Authors: Zhang Han , Lv Yongbo , Guo Jianwei
Published: March 2022

Research on the underground logistics system (ULS) has been carried out for nearly 30 years, but the description of the global research network, research trends, and the discussion of advanced theories and practices have not been systematically reviewed so far. The concept of public freight has expanded a new development direction: metro-based underground logistics system (M-ULS). The purpose of this paper is to analyze this new model by taking underground logistics and public freight as the research object. We performed statistical analyses of 222 references and constructed three kinds of visualized bibliographic information experiments for regional collaboration, authorship collaboration, and keywords co-occurrence. Based on the scientometrics results, the evolution path of the literature evolution was drawn. We used cluster-analysis-based taxonomy to structure the recent relevant literature. According to the comprehensive review, the research stays in the theoretical research stage, mainly focusing on system concept and planning, traffic organization, and network operation. There is still a lack of discussion on engineering quantification and application implementation. Finally, this study highlights some brief ideas, discussions, and potential suggestions for future research. This bibliometric research is expected to provide researchers and practitioners with a panoramic description and in-depth understanding of ULS and M-ULS research.
Does Government-Led Publicity Enhance Corporate Green Behavior? Empirical Evidence from Green Xuanguan in China
Authors: Wu Yuan , Zhang Jin , Liu Shoulin , Ma Lianrui
Published: March 2022

Promoting green behavior among corporations is essential to the green transition of industrial sectors in China. There is a unique government-led green publicity institution, ‘Xuanguan‘, that expects to accelerate the green idea and policy spread top-down in the economic system in China. However, few studies discussed its role in formulating corporate green behavior. By constructing an integrated model of Government-led publicity-Internal and external perception-Corporate green behavior, this paper explored the effect of government-led green publicity on corporate green behavior, based on the survey data of 199 industrial manufacturing corporations in Henan Province, China. A structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to detect the influence and influential path. The results found that government-led green publicity could positively enhance green behavior via improving the corporate internal perception of risk and opportunity and improving the corporate perception of external environment actors. The heterogeneity tests showed that type of publicity channels, corporate ownership, and corporate scale made different effects on the results. Further analysis proved that government-led publicity could enhance the function of formal environmental regulation. It implies that government-led publicity can be a good compensation for formal regulations and stimulate green behavior. This paper demonstrates a new factor of enhancing corporate behavior and contributed new evidence of China’s green development story.
Roles of Selective Agriculture Practices in Sustainable Agricultural Performance: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ali Basharat , Dahlhaus Peter
Published: March 2022

Feeding the growing global population while improving the Earth’s economic, environmental, and social values is a challenge recognised in both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Sustaining global agricultural performance requires regular revision of current farming models, attitudes, and practices. In systematically reviewing the international literature through the lens of the sustainability framework, this paper specifically identifies precision conservation agriculture (PCA), digital agriculture (DA), and resilient agriculture (RA) practices as being of value in meeting future challenges. Each of these adaptations carries significantly positive relationships with sustaining agricultural performance, as well as positively mediating and/or moderating each other. While it is clear from the literature that adopting PCA, DA, and RA would substantially improve the sustainability of agricultural performance, the uptake of these adaptations generally lags. More in-depth social science research is required to understand the value propositions that would encourage uptake of these adaptations and the barriers that prevent them. Recommendations are made to explore the specific knowledge gap that needs to be understood to motivate agriculture practitioners to adopt these changes in practice.
Parametric and Non-Parametric Analyses for Pedestrian Crash Severity Prediction in Great Britain
Authors: Rella Riccardi Maria , Mauriello Filomena , Sarkar Sobhan , Galante Francesco , Scarano Antonella , Montella Alfonso
Published: March 2022

The study aims to investigate the factors that are associated with fatal and severe vehicle–pedestrian crashes in Great Britain by developing four parametric models and five non-parametric tools to predict the crash severity. Even though the models have already been applied to model the pedestrian injury severity, a comparative analysis to assess the predictive power of such modeling techniques is limited. Hence, this study contributes to the road safety literature by comparing the models by their capabilities of identifying the significant explanatory variables, and by their performances in terms of the F-measure, the G-mean, and the area under curve. The analyses were carried out using data that refer to the vehicle–pedestrian crashes that occurred in the period of 2016–2018. The parametric models confirm their advantages in offering easy-to-interpret outputs and understandable relations between the dependent and independent variables, whereas the non-parametric tools exhibited higher classification accuracies, identified more explanatory variables, and provided insights into the interdependencies among the factors. The study results suggest that the combined use of parametric and non-parametric methods may effectively overcome the limits of each group of methods, with satisfactory prediction accuracies and the interpretation of the factors contributing to fatal and serious crashes. In the conclusion, several engineering, social, and management pedestrian safety countermeasures are recommended.
Dynamic Corporate Governance, Innovation, and Sustainability: Post-COVID Period
Authors: Csedő Zoltán , Magyari József , Zavarkó Máté
Published: March 2022

Recent complex changes of the organizational environment urge the boards of directors of energy corporations to step up quickly in crises (e.g., COVID-19) and foster innovation, to seize new strategic opportunities (e.g., environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments). The purpose of the study is to provide in-depth analyses of ESG projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the lens of an emerging theoretical approach, dynamic corporate governance (CG). The research is built on the multi-case study method at large energy companies and energy startups. The research goal was to empirically analyze theoretical opportunities of dynamic board behavior in this research context. The major findings show that ESG projects faced serious challenges in the fast-changing organizational environment generated by COVID-19, which induced board intervention regarding innovation, networks, and organizational changes. This study is among the first to offer a novel theoretical viewpoint, by integrating CG and strategic management theories, besides the already dominant financial and reporting aspects. From a practical perspective, our conclusions might direct the attention of boards of directors toward innovation, networks, and organizational changes, in order to enable adaptation in turbulent times and increase sustainability in the social and environmental dimensions.
“Values, Challenges, and Critical Success Factors” of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Malaysia: Experts Perspective
Authors: Al-Ashmori Yasser Yahya , Othman Idris , Al-Aidrous Al-Hussein M. H.
Published: March 2022

Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a major role in enhancing the building project process. However, BIM implementation in building projects has not been categorized, and no previous investigation of its value in the different building project types has been undertaken. This research intended to evaluate BIM implementation in building projects and to identify its values, challenges, and enablers. Experts from BIM consultancy organizations were the respondents in this study. Based on nine interviews and 26 responses to a structured questionnaire, a quantitative approach to the content validity method was adopted. The results reveal that BIM implementation in mid- and low-rise buildings is very low. Only top organizations are able to implement BIM in their projects. Experts suggested that local organizations are not able to implement BIM due to their inability to adopt the BIM system as a digital management process throughout the project life cycle. In addition, there was consensus agreement based on the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) that BIM adds significant value to building projects, which includes providing collaborative organizations, greater communication, increased client satisfaction, more cost-savings, increased productivity, and a new way of reasoning for projects. This research also identified 20 challenges and 45 enablers of BIM implementation in mid- and low-rise building construction by the local firms. From the result, it was found that the presented variables were reliable, as reported in the interview transcripts and based on the majority of experts’ opinions. This research provides an important list of challenges and success factors that need to be considered to overcome the critical issue of low BIM implementation in building projects.
RBF Neural Network Fractional-Order Sliding Mode Control with an Application to Direct a Three Matrix Converter under an Unbalanced Grid
Authors: Yang Xuhong , Fang Haoxu , Wu Yaxiong , Jia Wei
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a fractional-order sliding mode control scheme based on an RBF neural network (RBFFOSMC) for a direct three matrix converter (DTMC) operating under unbalanced grid voltages. The RBF neural network (RBF NN) is designed to approximate a nonlinear fractional-order sliding mode controller. The proposed method aims to achieve constant active power whilst maintaining a near unity input power factor. First, an opportune reference current is accurately generated according to the reference power and the RBFFOSMC is designed in a dq reference frame to achieve a perfect tracking of the input current reference. An almost constant active power, free of low-frequency ripples, is then supplied from the grid after compensating for the output voltage. Simulation and experimental studies prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Experimental Study of the Usability of Recycling Marble Waste as Aggregate for Road Construction
Authors: Benjeddou Omrane , Mashaan Nuha
Published: March 2022

The road construction industry consume a considerable amount of natural aggregates in the world. As a consequence, the increase in the natural aggregates demand increases the construction cost. On the other hand, marble spoil waste, generated from marble cutting and polishing process, is an environmental nuisance in the world. Indeed, an economical solution to this problem is the reuse of these wastes as an aggregates for road construction. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the usability of aggregate, obtained by crushing marble waste, as a conventional aggregate for road construction using an experimental investigation. To achieve this objective, these experimental tests were carried out on fine and coarse marble aggregate samples: sieve analysis, Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, calcium carbonate content, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-Ray- diffraction (XRD), densities, water absorption, equivalent of sand, Los Angeles, Micro Deval, flakiness index, and shape index. Finally, experimental test results show that the chemical composition and the physical and mechanical properties of marble aggregate recommend it to be used as a conventional aggregate for road construction.
From Intention to Implementation of Vertical Green: The Case of Ljubljana
Authors: Gantar Damjana , Kozamernik Jana , Šuklje Erjavec Ina , Koblar Simon
Published: March 2022

This article examines the need and opportunities to implement vertical green in Ljubljana as a case of a medium-sized European city with a relatively green feel. Sustainability-oriented urban development supports the introduction of nature-based solutions in principle; however, there is a lack of vertical green as well as actual legislative and administrative support. Therefore, several methods were applied in the present study to link this idea to execution, starting with semi-structured interviews and a workshop for selected city officials. Legislative and formal backgrounds for implementation were then assessed. An inventory of green façades and other structures (e.g., noise barriers and retaining walls) in Ljubljana was prepared, and a geographic information system-based decision support system was developed to identify the potential areas in the city where additional green space elements would be most favourable for humans, the environment, and climate indicators. The results reveal a gap between opportunities and the actual situation. The general opinion that there is never too much green space in urban areas is confirmed by direct information from the city administration and strategic documents. There are many potential sites for implementation; however, this is hindered by ownership, management, and economic issues. The study concludes with some suggestions for following the best practices in other central European capitals, such as Vienna and Berlin.
Dynamic Performances of Technological Vibrating Machines
Authors: Bratu Polidor , Drăgan Nicușor , Dobrescu Cornelia
Published: March 2022

Based on the research carried out within the Research Institute for Construction Equipment and Technology—ICECON S.A. Bucharest, consisting of the design and development of vibrating-action machines and of the technical analysis of optimization of the technological processes with vibrating equipment for highway construction works in Romania. Moreover, the physical and mathematical modeling of this mechanical system used the data obtained in the activity of the certification of the technical level of capability of the processing equipment in industry and construction, taking into account the provisions of procedures and regulations legally enforced by normative documents. These are based on a parametric analysis of the dynamics of the technological processing vibratory equipment and machines. Thus, both the evaluation method and the parametric optimization procedure were established. In this context, this paper presents a numerical analytical approach with discrete and continuous parametric variations, from where favorable areas of operation can be established. In this way, the optimization criteria in stabilized harmonic vibration regimes are approached based on the assessment of the vibration amplitude, of the force transmitted to the processed material and of the energy dissipated in the system. The presented dynamic model as well as the specific parameters were used in the design and/or numerical and experimental assessment for vibrating rammers with the amplitude of the perturbing force from 2 kN up to 100 kN, vibrating compactors with the amplitude of the perturbing force from 100 kN up to 200 kN and vibrating sieves for mineral aggregates with surface sieves of 6, 12 and 18 sqm. The symmetry/asymmetry properties are specific to the dynamic response in steady-state technological regime. Thus, the amplitude of vibrations in resonance presents asymmetry through a functional level necessary for the technological regime. The maximum force transmitted in the technological process is asymmetric in relation to the variation of the excitation pulsation; also, the dissipated energy has asymmetries in the postresonance. Hysteresis loops are symmetrical to the main axis. The originality of the research results comes from the establishment of dynamic parameters for the amplitude of technological vibration, the force transmitted to the working part, the energy dissipated on the cycle, hysteresis loops in a steady-state regime with digital display to identify the dynamic regime and the damping in the system. The calculation relations are specific to machines with a vibrating action and, on their basis, the vibrating equipment from Romania were designed, manufactured and tested, as mentioned in this paper.