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The paper presents ongoing research to develop a sustainability enhancement framework for the major Dundee Central Waterfront urban re-development project. The enhancement concept recognises a need to ensure that sustainability is considered in decision-making at all stages of major projects to ensure a more sustainable outcome overall. The paper describes a set of procedures, developed by the authors and drawn from IT and knowledge management fields, to identify appropriate indicators and ensure the effective incorporation of sustainability issues throughout the Central Waterfront project decision-making processes. The procedures include the production of information flow diagrams to identify the wide range of stakeholders involved in the project and their means of interaction, and decision flow maps to identify and categorise use of the information by the stakeholders. The paper reviews current sustainability indicators related to infrastructure provision in the UK and Europe, emerging indicators from Scottish government, EU commission and research groups, and presents a set of strategic 'sustainable development benchmark indicators' suitable for enhancing the sustainability of the Central Waterfront project. Conclusions are drawn on the appropriateness of the indicators for assessing sustainable infrastructure provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is already with us. It is the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time. The effects of changing weather patterns and more extreme climate events can be seen around the world. Examining the scale of the global challenge through the threats posed by a changing climate across Europe and in the UK, this paper indicates that leadership and policy responses are needed at all levels - international, European national and local. The urban environment amplifies the impacts of climate change and adaptation of our towns and cities is essential to accommodate this change. Regional and local planning can make a major contribution to tackling climate change by shaping decisions that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and positively build community resilience to problems such as extreme temperatures or flood risk. Looking to examples of best practice across local authorities in Europe, the EU-funded green and blue space adaptation for urban areas and eco-towns (GRaBS) project is showcased. This paper presents the case for climate change adaptation and, in particular, argues that people or places facing poverty and disadvantage must not be disproportionately affected by climate change, or by policy or practice responses to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building platforms are described, and their purposes are explained. Historically, construction standards for engineered fill were not good, but following development of new specifications in the UK, and after major failures in Hong Kong, good practices were established to improve the construction of building platforms. In the UK this work was strengthened by the Building Research Establishment, with valuable contributions from individual authors. The paper summarises the advice in the literature in the context of almost 50 years' experience in the UK, central Europe and China, and sets out recommended procedures for constructing filled building platforms. Site practices in the UK and elsewhere do not always follow the established guidelines. Several examples of good practice and departures from best practice are provided, with some photographs. For legal and commercial reasons the cases are not identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantages of double-skin facade (DSF) systems, ranging between their aesthetic architectural benefits, acoustic benefits and ability to decrease the heating demand of the internal environment, have increased their popularity in Europe since the mid-1980s. However, appropriate consideration must be accorded to their design to ensure that their possible advantages are not negated. This work evaluates how the effect of extraction fans installed in the cavity of the DSF adjoining a central atrium impacts the thermal condition of the atrium and, consequently, the overall energy consumption of an existing UK hotel building. The results of the investigation demonstrated that the DSF extraction fans improve the internal temperature and condition of the adjacent central atrium, particularly in the summer. The fans result in a marginal increase in the overall energy consumption when operated throughout the year; hence, the optimum schedule for the operation of the extraction fans is during the cooling-dominant period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on geotechnical codes and standards in Europe. It reports that the geotechnical Eurocode, an engineering standard and associated document may have been a long time coming, but now their arrival has been confirmed. Their official arrival will herald some changes in geotechnical practice in Great Britain and much of continental Europe. In a collection of national design codes that have evolved over decades, sometimes in a rather piecemeal fashion, British engineers have been used to fairly detailed recommendations. Each country is required, through its national standards body to implement the Eurocodes by publishing them without alteration.