bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The transport footprint of Swedish construction sites
Authors: Sezer Ahmet Anil , Fredriksson Anna 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract

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

Abstract
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

Abstract

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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.