Abstract This paper, which forms part of the UNEP White Papers series on Eco-Efficient Cements, provides a brief discussion of the class of cementing materials known as ‘alkali-activated binders’, which are identified to have potential for utilization as a key component of a sustainable future global construction materials industry. These cements are not expected to offer a like-for-like replacement of Portland cement across its full range of applications, for reasons related to supply chain limitations, practical challenges in some modes of application, and the need for careful control of formulation and curing. However, when produced using locally-available raw materials, with well-formulated mix designs (including in particular consideration of the environmental footprint of the alkaline activator) and production under adequate levels of quality control, alkali-activated binders are potentially an important and cost-effective component of the future toolkit of sustainable construction materials.
This notice continues a Regional Emphasis Program (REP) for the purpose of conducting inspections within the oil and gas industry. The employers to be targeted are in the oil and gas industry and are classified within NAICS 213111 , Drilling Oil and Gas Wells; NAICS 213112, Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations; NAICS 541360, Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services; NAICS 237120, Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction; and 238910, Site Preparation Contractors. The goal of this REP is to reduce the days away and fatality rates in this industry in line with OSHA's targeting of high risk industries.
Alkali activation is a highly active and rapidly developing field of activity in the global research and development community. Commercial-scale deployment of alkali-activated cements and concretes is now proceeding rapidly in multiple nations. This paper reviews the key developments in alkali-activated materials since 2011, with a particular focus on advances in characterisation techniques and structural understanding, binder precursors and activation approaches, durability testing and design, processing, and sustainability. The scientific and engineering developments described in this paper have underpinned the on-going scale-up activities. We also identify important needs for future research and development to support the optimal and appropriate utilisation of alkali activated materials as a component of a sustainable future construction materials industry.
Abstract Energy saving has become a strategic goal in the whole world, that will lead to protect the environment and conserve natural resources. The energy consumption in buildings for heating and cooling is considered as one of the major sources of energy consumption in a lot of countries. Therefore, there is an ongoing search for finding the proper alternatives to preserve energy and minimize energy losses. Subsequently, heat insulators, part of building materials, are steadily getting their importance as a means of saving energy. Although, a lot of insulation materials are used commercially, this part of building construction still faces different difficulties and challenges such as the cost, thermal and mechanical properties, health problems, etc. Current insulation materials used in construction industry are generally polymer based materials such as polystyrene and polyurethane foam. Although these materials have a high performance in thermal insulation, but the environmental impacts in their production processes are significant. Consequently, the researchers find that there is a necessity to develop and come up with insulating materials that possess excellent properties and at the same time, they have less environmental impacts, and are relatively cheap. In this review paper, the researches carried out in the formulation and development of different kinds of thermal insulation in the last decades are presented. The focus was placed on researches utilized of renewable resources and wastes in thermal insulations development. In addition, the light was shed on the composites materials which was developed as a construction material with high thermal insulation capacity.
In this introduction the editors showcase the papers by way of a structured project and seek to clarify the two key concepts cited in the title. We consider the history of the idea that knowledge is an economic factor, and discuss the question of whether regions provide the relevant system of reference for knowledge-based economic development. Current transformations in university-industry-government relations at various levels can be considered as a metamorphosis in industry organization. The concept of constructed advantage will be elaborated. The various papers arising from a conference on this subject hosted by Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada are approached from this perspective.
Clara Mosso, Stephanie Kampf, Andrea Baudoin Farah
Abstract Wildland–urban interface (WUI) expansion is accelerating in numerous regions around the world due to increasing amenity‐led migration processes, defined as the movement of people seeking higher environmental quality. While WUI areas are complex social–ecological systems requiring holistic planning and management, they are usually approached from wildfire risk mitigation perspectives that overlook broader people–nature relations. We explored the drivers of WUI expansion and the planning and management practices used to address WUI expansion‐related issues through two case studies: the Roaring Fork Valley (US) and San Martín de los Andes (Argentina). Through semi‐structured interviews, we assessed stakeholders' perceptions regarding current WUI planning and management practices and potential strategies for improvement, identifying opportunities to implement transdisciplinary landscape planning and management approaches in these systems. In particular, we highlighted WUI planning and management aspects that go beyond wildfire mitigation, addressing underlying causes of WUI expansion like amenity‐led migration. The drivers of WUI expansion in the study areas mirror those of amenity‐led migration, with a perceived higher life quality as compared to fully urban areas. The interaction of WUI areas with the tourism industry and the consequent rise in real estate prices increases the demand for housing solutions for both low‐ and high‐income sectors, putting pressure on WUI and wildland areas to serve as sites for new construction. This challenges the conception of amenity‐led migration as a process that solely affects wealthy sectors. In addition, different socioeconomic sectors may have varying vulnerability to WUI‐related risks. To improve WUI planning and management approaches, participants emphasized the need to integrate environmental and ecological considerations, such as changes in ecosystem services provision to identify potential sites for future housing development as well as housing density criteria. This latter idea proved contentious, with different stakeholders advocating for low‐density and high‐density developments, options that should be discussed through participatory processes. This study invites reflection on the benefits of transdisciplinarity (knowledge integration, bridging science and practice and enhancing stakeholder engagement) in the context of WUI social–ecological systems, providing insights into more comprehensive and collaborative approaches to WUI planning and management that consider people–nature relations. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Despite David Fine’s consideration of Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil! (1926) as the most ambitious novel about Los Angeles in the 1920s (2004), the novel received limited critical attention, except for an early reading of the novel as a debunking of Los Angeles’ crooked capitalist monopoly, and a recent renewed interest in ecocritical perspectives related to the oil industry and oil trade. Venturing beyond these two main threads, the essay offers a reading of the novel that focuses on human interaction with the Southern California flora and fauna and explores how human/animal relationships influence the social dynamics between the protagonists and oil workers. The analysis is thus structured in two main parts. First, it briefly situates the novel within literary transitions: as a “new frontier” novel and as one of the earliest examples of extractive fiction (M. S. Henry 2019). Second, drawing on “animality studies” (M. Lundblad 2013), it analyzes several instances of humans’ animalization and animality – the construction of the human/animal categories based on Darwinist-Freudian terms – and interrogates the application of the “survival of the fittest” discourse to the conflict of capital (oilmen) versus labor (socialist workers). Ultimately, it demonstrates that the conflict is instead resolved on the grounds of Christian piety and morality, due to the religious component with which the narrative imbues Socialism.
Jasim Mohammed Abed, Hiba A. Abdul Kareem Al-Uzbaky, Muthanna Abbu
The rapid expansion of the construction industry worldwide has led to a significant increase in resource use, hence depleting the existing reserves. Utilizing recycled aggregates might potentially reduce the use of natural raw materials in the production of concrete and mortar. This would further aid in reducing the quantity of waste thrown into the environment due to demolition procedures. This study investigated the feasibility of recycling recycled fine aggregate from construction and demolition waste. Limestone powder was utilized as a filler, together with waste from three different kinds of construction and demolition waste (concrete, clay bricks, and ceramics). Cement mortar mixtures of 1:3:0.5 and 1:4:0.5 were used to design 32 different mortar mixes (cement: fine aggregate: filler). Except for the control mixes, the following replacement ratios were tested: 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% for construction and demolition waste as a partial replacement for natural fine aggregate. Cubes, prisms, and cylinders were all used to measure the physical and mechanical properties of the mortar. In this study, the physical properties (workability, dry density) were analyzed. In addition to investigating the mechanical properties (compressive, flexural, and splitting strength), The experimental results showed that the optimal percentage of natural fine aggregate replacing recycled aggregate from construction and demolition waste was 20%. Additionally, the research demonstrated that, due to its cementitious properties, recycled fine aggregate from concrete waste significantly outperformed the reference mixes in terms of all physical and mechanical properties.