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[Objective] In the future, China′s urban development will shift from construction-orientation to governance-orientation. As an important part of the Chinese-style modern social governance system, urban planning is an important lever and tool to improve urban governance. Prophase research on urban rail transit is a key component of urban planning and an important cut-in on urban planning improvement, construction and governance. It is the top-level design, key deployment and important guarantee of urban rail transit project construction. Analysis of research focuses at different stages of the prophase research is crucial to the collaborative development of urban planning and the construction of urban rail transit projects. [Method] The prophase research of urban rail transit mainly refers to the planning and research prior to the overall design, mainly including three aspects i.e. network planning, construction planning and project feasibility study. Based on the research characteristics and differences of the three aspects, research focuses at different stages of urban rail transit prophase works in the new era are analyzed. [Result & Conclusion] The above mentioned three aspects present characteristics of "stage-by-stage implementation, macro to micro working layer, and different emphasis for each work". Strengthening the prophase research on urban rail transit in the new era will help promote high-quality development of urban rail transit construction in China, and improve the governance level of urban planning and construction.

Manpower demand for construction projects is roughly budgeted based on planners’ personal experience. This research study explores an analytical way to characterise project labour demand profiles throughout project duration. Labour multiplier (LM) approach was advanced to characterise the labour demand profiles. Optimistic, most-likely, and pessimistic LM and labour demand profiles at 10 project stages are defined by using manpower and payment data derived from 91 completed public construction projects under 21 project types in Hong Kong. The root-mean-square-error and root-mean-squared-logarithmic-error are used to quantify the difference between the budgeted and the benchmarked manpower. A text-book example is successfully adopted to demonstrate the steps of the proposed approach, validated by two practical projects. This research is the first to study the use of LM to characterise optimistic, most-likely, pessimistic resource demand profiles for validating manpower resource budgets. Also, the approach provides a basis to evaluate the reasonableness of planned resource.

Each stage of the construction of the rail transit network has unique dynamic characteristics. It can provide recommendations for rail transit network planning and phased construction by evaluating the degree of evolution of the urban rail transit network and dividing the evolution stages precisely. Starting from the allometric growth relationship between transfer nodes and ordinary nodes in the urban rail transit network, this paper defines the evolution level of the rail transit network and the growth rate difference between transfer nodes and ordinary nodes and deduces the dynamic logistic equation of URT network evolution level using the mathematical derivative and logarithmic relationship. This paper reveals the dynamic law of the evolution process of the urban rail transit network at a theoretical level, analyzes the dynamic evolution process on this basis, determines the threshold for phasing the evolution stage, and divides it into four evolution stages. Finally, the results of the theoretical derivation are validated by the evolution data of the Beijing Rail Transit Network (1984–2020) over 45 years. The verification results are substantially congruent with the conclusions of the theoretical derivation, demonstrating the accuracy of the theoretical model and its practical usefulness in directing the building of the rail transit network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower and photovoltaic power are widely used as clean energy sources around the world. Hydro-Photovoltaic complementary is precisely the use of the regulation performance of hydropower stations and the peak regulation performance of PV electric fields to improve the system's power generation efficiency. The Yalong River basin as one of China's clean energy bases, is rich in water and light resources. And now its midstream Yangfanggou hydropower station has just been completed, and the relevant PV electric field is in the construction planning stage. It is worth studying how to effectively utilize its hydropower and PV output resources. Therefore, Yangfanggou hydropower station and its PV electric field are taken as the research objects in this paper. The possibility of hydro-photovoltaic complementarity is analyzed within the year and day respectively. Then, a short-term scheduling model of hydrophotovoltaic complementarity is constructed according to the principle, and its operation mode and effect are optimized using the genetic algorithm NSGA-II. The results indicate that the annual power generation of the system is increased by about 1.4 billion kWh from the original hydropower through the hydrophotovoltaic complementary, and the annual guaranteed output is also increased with a large increase degree at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background--The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China attaches great importance to the construction of a healthy China, stressing that ensuring the health of the people should be placed in a strategic position of priority development. Forest health care is a new industry that aims at public health and is beneficial to human physical and mental health, and is an effective way to realize the national "big health" strategy. (2) Methods--Based on the abundant forest resources in Taiyuan City, this paper first constructed a scientific and effective evaluation framework for the suitability of the location selection of forest health care base. On the basis of summarizing relevant cases and combining with the actual needs of target customers, this paper selected 17 evaluation factors from two aspects of the natural ecological functions and the socio-economic attributes of forest health care base. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and expert scoring method were used to determine the weight of each factor. Based on GIS platform and weighted summation model, the suitability of the location selection of forest health care base in Taiyuan City was visually analyzed. (3) Results--The location selection range of forest health care base in Taiyuan City is finally divided into four areas; suitable area, more suitable area, less suitable area and unsuitable area. The total area suitable for the location selection of forest health care base is 3 994. 52km², accounting for 47. 76% of the total area of Taiyuan City, among which the total area of suitable area is 1 444.05km², accounting for 21. 10%, and the more suitable area is 2 550. 47km², accounting for 26. 66%. The total area unsuitable for the location selection of forest health care base is 3 574. 50 km², accounting for 52. 24% of the total area of Taiyuan City, among which the total area of less suitable area is 2 392. 14 km, accounting for 34. 96%, and the area of unsuitable area is 1 182. 36 km², accounting for 17. 28%. According to the evaluation results of the location selection of forest health care base in Taiyuan City, the location selection of 59 forest health care bases are finally delimited with suitable area and more suitable area as the location selection range, and the spatial layout with Wanbolin District and the suburbs of Jinyuan District as the two core areas is formed. This result is basically consistent with the planning scope in the Overall Plan for the National Forest City Construction in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province (2020-2035), which shows that the evaluation system and the evaluation results are reasonable and scientific. (4) Conclusions and Discussions--On the whole, Taiyuan City has a certain potential for the development of forest health care industry, and the layout of the location selection of forest health care base has a certain selection range. The regional characteristics of the best location selection are relatively obvious, and the distribution is concentrated in the scope of the existing forest parks and the suburbs of the city. Through the comparison of single impact factor evaluation, it can be found that there is a certain correlation between landscape aesthetics and traffic convenience. The higher the accessibility area, the wider the visibility area of the regional landscape, and the higher the suitability of location selection of forest health care base. Therefore, we should strengthen the traffic construction in Taiyuan City. The evaluation system and results can provide concrete and scientific basis for the future construction planning of Taiyuan forest health care base, and also provide theoretical reference for the scientific location selection of forest health care base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between transportation infrastructure and entrepreneurship has been widely discussed by scholars. However, as an important transportation infrastructure, the impact of subway construction on entrepreneurship has been less studied. Based on the Synthetic Control Method, this paper takes the urban data of China from 2003 to 2017 as the research sample and uses the synthetic control method to study the influence of eight cities with subway service on entrepreneurship. The results show that: (1) The impact of subway openings on entrepreneurship varies across different cities. Specifically, it has a positive effect on entrepreneurship in Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Changsha, while it has a negative impact on entrepreneurship in Harbin and Ningbo. In the cases of Suzhou, Wuxi, and Kunming, the influence on entrepreneurship levels could not be conclusively established. (2) For cities where entrepreneurship activity increased following the opening of subways, further investigation revealed that subway openings did not directly stimulate entrepreneurship within transport-related industries. Instead, they indirectly boosted the entrepreneurial landscape in Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Changsha by accelerating the flow of resources and enhancing spillover effects within their respective advantageous industries. This study's contributions are twofold. Firstly, it introduces innovative perspectives and methodologies for assessing the impact of subway systems on entrepreneurship, highlighting the differentiated effects observed across various cities and industries. Secondly, it emphasizes the importance of considering local advantageous industries in subway construction planning for government authorities, as this can maximize the subway's potential to drive entrepreneurship in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saleyard Bridge carries the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road over the River Clydach near Gilwern, Monmouthshire, UK. It comprises a 67 m single-span steel–concrete composite multi-girder superstructure made integral with the abutments. A full-depth precast deck was chosen to tackle site constraints and improve constructability. The alternative precast panel connection detail developed used straight laps to overcome the problems that can arise from using typical U-bar loop type connections between precast deck panels. The successful use of the precast panels proved that a deck design with straight laps was a practical alternative. The ability to increase the multi-beam centres and avoid cantilever edge formwork created a more economical solution with savings estimated at £500 000. The paper examines the detailed design and construction planning needed to realise the savings and speed up construction as well as improving site safety. The lessons learnt are also applicable to the wider use of precast panels as an alternative to in situ concreting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Family-planning policies have focused on contraceptive approaches to avoid unintended pregnancies, postpone, or terminate pregnancies and mitigate population growth. These policies have contributed to significantly slowing world population growth. Presently, half the countries worldwide exhibit a fertility rate below replacement level. Not including the effects of migration, many countries are predicted to have a population decline of >50% from 2017 to 2100, causing demographic changes with profound societal implications. Policies that optimize chances to have a child when desired increase fertility rates and are gaining interest as a family-building method. Increasingly, countries have implemented child-friendly policies (mainly financial incentives in addition to public funding of fertility treatment in a limited number of countries) to mitigate decreasing national populations. However, the extent of public spending on child benefits varies greatly from country to country. To our knowledge, this International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) consensus document represents the first attempt to describe major disparities in access to fertility care in the context of the global trend of decreasing growth in the world population, based on a narrative review of the existing literature. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The concept of family building , the process by which individuals or couples create or expand their families, has been largely ignored in family-planning paradigms. Family building encompasses various methods and options for individuals or couples who wish to have children. It can involve biological means, such as natural conception, as well as ART, surrogacy, adoption, and foster care. Family-building acknowledges the diverse ways in which individuals or couples can create their desired family and reflects the understanding that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to building a family. Developing education programs for young adults to increase family-building awareness and prevent infertility is urgently needed. Recommendations are provided and important knowledge gaps identified to provide professionals, the public, and policymakers with a comprehensive understanding of the role of child-friendly policies. SEARCH METHODS A narrative review of the existing literature was performed by invited global leaders who themselves significantly contributed to this research field. Each section of the review was prepared by two to three experts, each of whom searched the published literature (PubMed) for peer reviewed full papers and reviews. Sections were discussed monthly by all authors and quarterly by the review board. The final document was prepared following discussions among all team members during a hybrid invitational meeting where full consensus was reached. OUTCOMES Major advances in fertility care have dramatically improved family-building opportunities since the 1990s. Although up to 10% of all children are born as a result of fertility care in some wealthy countries, there is great variation in access to care. The high cost to patients of infertility treatment renders it unaffordable for most. Preliminary studies point to the increasing contribution of fertility care to the global population and the associated economic benefits for society. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Fertility care has rarely been discussed in the context of a rapid decrease in world population growth. Soon, most countries will have an average number of children per woman far below the replacement level. While this may have a beneficial impact on the environment, underpopulation is of great concern in many countries. Although governments have implemented child-friendly policies, distinct discrepancies in access to fertility care remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shawsheen, a model mill village planned and built in Andover, Massachusetts, between 1906 and 1924, was based on the vision of William Wood, then president of the American Woolen Company. It was arguably the most unique textile mill village ever built in New England. The article begins with a discussion of the motivation for the project. It then shifts to a summary of the critical features of Wood's vision and identifies the historic institutional paths that informed him. This is followed by an analysis of how the plan was successfully implemented and an explanation of what happened to Shawsheen over time. The article ends with an interpretation of the significance of the Shawsheen experience in the context of the history of New England mill towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic segmentation of remote sensing (RS) images is vital in various practical applications, including urban construction planning, natural disaster monitoring, and land resources investigation. However, RS images are captured by airplanes or satellites at high altitudes and long distances, resulting in ground objects of the same category being scattered in various corners of the image. Moreover, objects of different sizes appear simultaneously in RS images. For example, some objects occupy a large area in urban scenes, while others only have small regions. Technically, the above two universal situations pose significant challenges to the segmentation with a high quality for RS images. Based on these observations, this paper proposes a Mask2Former with an improved query (IQ2Former) for this task. The fundamental motivation behind the IQ2Former is to enhance the capability of the query of Mask2Former by exploiting the characteristics of RS images well. First, we propose the Query Scenario Module (QSM), which aims to learn and group the queries from feature maps, allowing the selection of distinct scenarios such as the urban and rural areas, building clusters, and parking lots. Second, we design the query position module (QPM), which is developed to assign the image position information to each query without increasing the number of parameters, thereby enhancing the model's sensitivity to small targets in complex scenarios. Finally, we propose the query attention module (QAM), which is constructed to leverage the characteristics of query attention to extract valuable features from the preceding queries. Being positioned between the duplicated transformer decoder layers, QAM ensures the comprehensive utilization of the supervisory information and the exploitation of those fine-grained details. Architecturally, the QSM, QPM, and QAM as well as an end-to-end model are assembled to achieve high-quality semantic segmentation. In comparison to the classical or state-of-the-art models (FCN, PSPNet, DeepLabV3+, OCRNet, UPerNet, MaskFormer, Mask2Former), IQ2Former has demonstrated exceptional performance across three publicly challenging remote-sensing image datasets, 83.59 mIoU on the Vaihingen dataset, 87.89 mIoU on Potsdam dataset, and 56.31 mIoU on LoveDA dataset. Additionally, overall accuracy, ablation experiment, and visualization segmentation results all indicate IQ2Former validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model‐based development and implementation of the digital building file – BIM from construction to operation The use of BIM in bridge construction is currently limited to the design and construction phases, but BIM can be particularly useful for the operation of structures. The basis for the use of BIM in the operation life cycle phase is the transfer of relevant information from the planning and construction life cycle phases to operation. The creation of a model‐based digital building file enables the transfer of relevant information for operation. The article classifies the creation and use of model‐based digital construction files both in the scientific context and in the current working methodology with analog construction files and construction files. It also includes the practical implementation of a specific project. Furthermore, the reference to the standardized use cases 190 "Project and building documentation" and 200 "Use for operation and maintenance" is presented. The implementation of the model‐based digital construction file is demonstrated using the example of the Cologne Heumar highway interchange. The objectives and principles associated with the use of BIM, the project development and the background are discussed. The implementation and handover of the model‐based digital construction file is described in detail for the practical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global seed distribution market is rapidly transforming into a high-value-added seed market, with the production and distribution of processed seeds expanding, led by multinational seed companies. However, domestic seed companies still lack investment in seed processing, and the level of technology for processing distributed seeds is relatively low. The proportion of seeds processed and produced by seed companies must be increased to transform the domestic seed industry into an internationally competitive export industry. According to the results of a survey of 2,679 domestic companies by the National Seed and Variety Service (2021), the main business field of seed companies is seed production (1,192 companies), followed by seed sales (1,041 companies), nurseries (328 companies), and seed processing (35 companies). In conclusion, few companies conduct business in the field of seed processing. Accordingly, the government plans to build seed-processing facilities for joint utilization by seed companies to expand the supply of high-quality seeds from domestic seed companies. To this end, we investigated the seedprocessing status of major seed companies and conducted a demand survey for facilities and equipment in the seed-processing field. Details and operational plans for the establishment of a tentatively named ‘Seed Enterprise Joint Utilization Seed Processing Center,’ based on domestic companies' processing status and demands, are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marketing of Scientific & Research Organizations / Marketing Instytucji Naukowych i Badawczych is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As a national Oil and gas Company, PERTAMINA guarantees optimal Fuel Storage capacity throughout Indonesia. This paper responds to the pressing demand for streamlining planning and construction activities related to New Storage Tanks so that PERTAMINA can fulfill its target. The solution presented is a standardized Work and Cost Breakdown Structure (WBS/CBS) that was crafted for effortless implementation and could ease the scheduling and cost estimation processes. Furthermore, the author thoughtfully designed this framework to integrate it into the BIM system, boosting its efficiency and effectiveness. Utilizing Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM), the author chose the Omni Class WBS standard for constructing the WBS/CBS. The study concludes with a comprehensive proposal for a functional 3D WBS architecture. The emphasis lies on precise definitions, comprehensive stakeholder coverage, and seamless integration into the Building Information Modeling (BIM) system. Moreover, this paper suggests potential research areas for the future, including coding structure development, improved cost estimation process using new WBS/CBS, and technology integration (WBS, CBS, BIM) for more efficient PERTAMINA project control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of PLANARCH - Design & Planning Research is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Urban Mass Transit is the property of Urban Mass Transit Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cut patio construction was a critical process in the medium-deep hole or deep hole mining methods, which mainly included staged blasting or one-time grooved blasting. Cut patio was essential in the medium-deep hole mining technology. The common method, the conventional raising, cage raising and climber raising method was usually used to construct the cutting patio, which has great safety risks and low excavation efficiency, which seriously affects the mine production. In recent years, Sanshandao Gold Mine has researched downward sublevel filling mining with medium and deep hole blasting. This research was currently facing the problem of cut patio construction under the backfill roof. This study demonstrated a one-time grooved blasting method fitting the backfill roof condition and its application. By comparing the characteristics of the straight-hole cutting method and the blasting crater method, the straight-hole cutting method was selected for the cut patio construction. By calculating blasting parameters, the diameter of the charging hole was Φ65 mm, and the diameter of the compensation hole was Φ110mm. The distance between the charging and empty holes was 0.3m, which could meet the requirements of blasting compensation space and free surface. In consideration of the surrounding rock stability conditions, a nine-hole cutout method was selected, containing 29 holes, where the cutout hole was designed with 1 central charging hole, 12 empty holes as compensation holes, 4 auxiliary holes, and 12 peripheral holes, after determining the blast hole plugging length, explosive selection, charge structure, differential time, detonation sequence and other process parameters, an in-situ industrial test of cut patio construction was carried out. The industrial test showed that the one-time grooved blasting plan for patio construction was feasible. The blasting rock particle size is uniform with no large blocks and excessive powder, the blasting disturbance is minor, and the blasting patio dimensions meet the design requirements. Overall, this test provided experiences and a reference basis for other one-time grooved blasting technical applications with similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving automatic 3D reconstruction for indoor scenes is extremely useful in the field of scene understanding. Building information modeling (BIM) models are essential for lowering project costs, assisting in building planning and renovations, as well as improving building management efficiency. However, nearly all current available scan-to-BIM approaches employ manual or semi-automatic methods. These approaches concentrate solely on significant structured objects, neglecting other unstructured elements such as furniture. The limitation arises from challenges in modeling incomplete point clouds of obstructed objects and capturing indoor scene details. Therefore, this research introduces an innovative and effective reconstruction framework based on deep learning semantic segmentation and model-driven techniques to address these limitations. The proposed framework utilizes wall segment recognition, feature extraction, opening detection, and automatic modeling to reconstruct 3D structured models of point clouds with different room layouts in both Manhattan and non-Manhattan architectures. Moreover, it provides 3D BIM models of actual unstructured elements by detecting objects, completing point clouds, establishing bounding boxes, determining type and orientation, and automatically generating 3D BIM models with a parametric algorithm implemented into the Revit software. We evaluated this framework using publicly available and locally generated point cloud datasets with varying furniture combinations and layout complexity. The results demonstrate the proposed framework's efficiency in reconstructing structured indoor elements, exhibiting completeness and geometric accuracy, and achieving precision and recall values greater than 98%. Furthermore, the generated unstructured 3D BIM models keep essential real-scene characteristics such as geometry, spatial locations, numerical aspects, various shapes, and orientations compared to literature methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the cornerstone of intelligent transportation systems, accurate traffic prediction can reduce the pressure of urban traffic, reduce the cost of residents' travel time, and provide a reference basis for urban construction planning. Existing traffic prediction methods focus on spatio-temporal dependence modeling, ignoring the influence of weather factors on spatio-temporal characteristics, and the prediction task has complexity and an uneven distribution in different spatio-temporal scenarios and weather changes. In view of this, we propose a weather interaction-aware spatio-temporal attention network (WST-ANet), in which we integrate feature models and dynamic graph modules in the encoder and decoder, and use a spatio-temporal weather interaction perception module for prediction. Firstly, the contextual semantics of the traffic flows are fused using a feature embedding module to improve the adaptability to weather drivers; then, an encoder–decoder is constructed by combining the Dynamic Graph Module and the WSTA Block, to extract spatio-temporal aggregated correlations in the roadway network; finally, the feature information of the encoder was weighted and aggregated using the cross-focusing mechanism, and attention was paid to the hidden state of the encoding. Traffic flow was predicted using the PeMS04 and PeMS08 datasets and compared with multiple typical baseline models. It was learned through extensive experiments that the accuracy evaluation result is the smallest in WST-ANet, which demonstrated the superiority of the proposed model. This can more accurately predict future changes in traffic in different weather conditions, providing decision makers with a basis for optimizing scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, many efforts have provided remarkable contributions to construction planning and control processes during work execution. Nevertheless, frequent coordination issues among stakeholders and difficulties in dealing with unexpected events can be explained by the complexity featuring the construction sector. Several approaches to deal with this issue were investigated in the manufacturing area, among which this paper looks at the holonic approach as one of the most promising strategies. This study first analyzes the more fragmented and dynamic nature of the construction industry as compared with the manufacturing one. Secondly, it suggests developing a process-based holonic construction management system based on building information modeling (BIM) and a conceptual architecture for manufacturing control called Product Resource Order Staff Architecture (PROSA). The process-based paradigm ensures exploiting the benefits of BIM towards the development of sustainable and efficient regeneration methods of the built environment. Subsequently, a first management system prototype was developed and tested for the purpose of renovation works management. For the first time, results from an actual implementation of PROSA were applied to a real construction site, and its feasibility was assessed using the data on the field. Key performance indicators (KPIs) evaluated during the onsite demonstration confirmed a good performance of PROSA and the presented holonic approach, which contributed to the overall success of the energy efficient refurbishment project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By integrating land use and transportation systems, transit-oriented development (TOD) focuses on transit and land development, development potential, and the balance between transportation and land use. The TOD level assessment not only helps optimize existing TODs but also guides TOD planning. Based on previous literature, methods for assessing TOD around rail transit stations can be roughly divided into three categories: TOD index, the node-place model, and the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. The TOD index aggregates indicators from different dimensions into a single value for evaluation. The node-place model emphasizes transportation, land use, and the balance between them, as well as expansion factors. And the DEA model is suitable for situations without input indicator weights or consideration of different units of measurement. TOD indicators are the basis of the evaluation, and in both the TOD index and node-place models, indicator weights are mostly determined by using subjective methods. Furthermore, a limited number of studies to date have pre-evaluated the implementation of TOD at rail stations under construction or in planning. This paper aims to assess the level of TOD areas at the rail transit station level, which can help in constructing the evaluation index system, selecting TOD stations, and optimizing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient semantic segmentation of buildings in high spatial resolution remote sensing images is a technical prerequisite for land resource management, high-precision mapping, construction planning and other applications. Current building extraction methods based on deep learning can obtain high-level abstract features of images. However, the extraction of some occluded buildings is inaccurate, and as the network deepens, small-volume buildings are lost and edges are blurred. Therefore, we introduce a multi-resolution attention combination network, which employs a multiscale channel and spatial attention module (MCAM) to adaptively capture key features and eliminate irrelevant information, which improves the accuracy of building extraction. In addition, we present a layered residual connectivity module (LRCM) to enhance the expression of information at different scales through multi-level feature fusion, significantly improving the understanding of context and the capturing of fine edge details. Extensive experiments were conducted on the WHU aerial image dataset and the Massachusetts building dataset. Compared with state-of-the-art semantic segmentation methods, this network achieves better building extraction results in remote sensing images, proving the effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritage landscapes provide a cost-effective solution for mitigating noise and creating adaptable open spaces in urban ecological construction and planning. In this study, we examined 27 distinct landscapes in a city in northern China to assess their effectiveness in reducing traffic-related noise. The acoustic properties of the landscapes, considering various surfaces, slopes, elevations, structures, and topography, were systematically analysed and compared. The findings indicate that vertically rigid descending landscapes exhibit the highest acoustic performance, followed by vertically flexible dense landscapes without slopes. Additionally, the noise reduction effects of horizontal landscapes with rough rigid surfaces surpass those of landscapes covered by low-growing vegetation and landscapes with sparse high-growing vegetation. The insights derived from this study can enhance our understanding of heritage landscapes, provide valuable information for their protection and micro-updates, and support quantitative research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a model that aims to support the construction contractor in the process of construction workforce planning by verifying initial assumptions about the planned number of man-hours, determined using a widely available and widely used method. The construction of the mathematical labour planning model of was based on the fuzzy sets theory. As a result of the operation of the model, four detailed coefficients are obtained, which, after applying the weights of normalized groups of factors, allow to determine the overall result of the model. The model, by verifying the planned number of man-hours, directly influences the employment planning process at a construction site and also supports the scheduling of the overall progress of the works, making it assumedly closer to reality in terms of the involvement of employees as well as the execution time of the construction works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the latest energy efficiency European directive (EED 2023/1791/EU), the expected energy renovation rate of at least 3% of the buildings' floor area each year towards nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) is extended to include public buildings not only of the central government (as per the first EED 2012/27/EU) but also of regional and local authorities. This poses a great challenge, especially for Municipalities that often manage large building stocks with high energy demands. In response to this challenge, this paper presents the application of the so-called "typology approach" for conducting public buildings' energy renovation plans at the local level. A computational survey is initially introduced to decide the optimal set of building-stock clustering criteria among all possible combinations, involving the minimization of the RMSE index regarding the primary energy consumption of each building. For a representative building from each identified typology, the key performance indicators (KPIs) are computed for alternative energy-upgrading scenarios. Exploiting the IMPULSE Interreg-MED project tools, the KPIs from each representative building are at first extrapolated to all buildings of the examined stock and, finally, a gradual energy renovation plan is automatically produced based on user-defined decision parameters including the required annual renovation rate. The methodology is applied for the case of the Municipality of Hersonissos in Greece. For the specific 44-buildings' stock it was found that the optimal clustering set included four criteria, building use, construction year, heating, and a cooling system, leading to 15 building typologies. Finally, assuming a 7% renovation rate per year, a 12-year gradual renovation (nZEB transformation) plan is obtained foreseeing an 85% CO2 emissions' reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve climate and energy goals in the building sector, the current pace of renovating existing structures must double, overcoming prevailing barriers. Key Performance Indicators play a pivotal role in science-based decision making, emphasizing both direct and indirect benefits of building retrofits. The authors aim to contribute to proper metric identification for multi-perspective building performance assessment and formulate a methodology supporting energy planning decisions. They introduce the Global Cost per Emission Savings (GCES), an aggregated indicator encompassing both public (CO2 emissions) and private (global cost) perspectives of diverse retrofit technologies for building HVAC systems. Applied to the Italian residential building stock via the Reference Building approach, the methodology is tested using condensing gas boilers, biomass boilers, and electric heat pumps, revealing diverse environmental and economic performances. Addressing the establishment of effective decision-support tools for policymakers, the paper explores the potential impact of various policies on the favorability of technologies. Different policy scenarios are delineated to analyze how distinct approaches may influence the attractiveness of technologies. Notably, in the baseline scenario, biomass boilers hold an advantage over heat pumps according to the GCES index. However, scenarios involving technology-specific incentives or a greenhouse gases emission tax failed to alter the technological ranking, leaving heat pumps financially uncompetitive. In contrast, the TXPM scenario positions heat pumps as the most financially appealing option, penalizing biomass boilers for high particulate matter emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacement of Strombrückenzug The project "Replacement of Strombrückenzug" is intended to replace the existing bridge connection of the existing Anna Ebert Bridge. As a result of the 2013 flood, this has suffered irreversible and irreparable total structural damage and must be relieved immediately and as quickly as possible by a new replacement structure. The centerpiece of the new inner‐city construction plan consisting of two bridge structures and six junctions is the cable‐stayed bridge over the Alte Elbe, for which strict requirements regarding the assembly technology had to be taken into account due to its location in the FFH area of the Alte Elbe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most resource-intensive sectors, the building industry has a significant role in environmental degradation and global emissions. Deconstruction can highly enhance resource efficiency by closing materials loops and enabling a circular economy model as a sustainable and environmentally friendly paradigm. This study presents an integrated method for complete disassembly planning and deconstructability assessment (DA) as a novel strategy to facilitate designing deconstructable buildings. The asynchronous parallel disassembly planning (aPDP) approach from the manufacturing industry is utilized to develop a complete disassembly planning method for building assemblies. This is the first study on the complete disassembly planning of buildings in which both sequential and parallel modes are supported. Moreover, a new DA approach based on the environmental impact (i.e. the global warming potential) of components is devised to show the deconstructability percentage. The method can create valid and feasible complete disassembly plans, and the higher complexity does not decrease its performance. Besides, the DA approach is able to raise environmental awareness and draw more attention to the profound implications of the material selection procedure. The method's provided information can assist decision-makers in designing buildings with a higher deconstructability degree by enriching the deconstruction plan, reducing the lack of disassembly information, and enhancing decisions' quality in DA. The method can create valid and feasible complete disassembly plans Both sequential and parallel disassembly planning are supported A new deconstructability assessment (DA) approach is devised The DA method presents a new perspective on DA to raise environmental awareness The integrated method can help to select more deconstructable design alternatives [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its early start in urbanization, Europe has accumulated a wealth of practical experience in urban agriculture (UA), exploring various development models. This paper compares and analyzes the characteristic patterns of UA in Europe and China through theoretical research, academic frontier exploration, and case analysis. In order to investigate and analyze theoretical developments and the current state of academic frontiers in a systematic, accessible, and comprehensive approach, the methodology of bibliometric analysis has been utilized. A bibliometric method is applied to analyze relevant data from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection database and 2230 CNKI publications. The case study section conducts separate field research on nine representative European practices of urban food gardening and urban farming. Additionally, the study scrutinizes UA research development and its implementation in Hangzhou, China. Based on the findings of this study, the authors recommend that European approaches to the development of UA in China's future UA practice be taken into account, in particular their methods and strategies for realizing social and cultural benefits. It is imperative to integrate UA projects into urban green space system planning and to rationalize their construction types. Simultaneously, Chinese scholars are encouraged to explore the socio-cultural functions of UA, with a particular focus on urban agricultural heritage conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper intends to provide a building assessment methodology for the conservation planning of concrete buildings, presenting the demonstrative case-study of the Ocean Swimming Pool (design 1960–1966; conservation 2018–2021) conceived by the Pritzker Prize Álvaro Siza, in Portugal. The building is a landmark of 20th century architecture in the national and international context, being listed as National Monument and included in the World Heritage Tentative List. The article will focus particularly on the building assessment methodology, supported by the cross-analysis of the 'documentary evidence' and 'physical evidence', allowing for an integrated approach for conservation planning. The paper includes documentation on the building chronology and construction, as well as on the inspection and diagnosis using both non-destructive and minor destructive testing. Moreover, the article presents a pilot demonstration of concrete repair supported on the building knowledge and diagnosis. This real case study shows the advantages of integrating conservation criteria and methods used for traditional buildings to modern heritage in concrete (going beyond the common visible patch repair), in which there are still few case-studies illustrating good practices. This holistic approach has also contributed to the development of detailed policies for risk assessment, concrete conservation and maintenance in the framework of the Conservation Plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial building structure planning complies with standards and regulations, such as Procedures for Earthquake Resistance Planning, Minimum Loads for Building Design, and Specifications for Structural Steel Buildings. Vertical and lateral loads are fundamental to the structure's load flow process. Industrial buildings handle roof, wind, earthquakes, crane, and wall loads. Structural design must consider these elements, including the choice of lateral force-resisting systems such as X-bracing. In determining building loads, including earthquake and wind loads, various parameters such as wind speed, exposure category, and other factors must be considered by standard requirements such as SNI 1727-2020 and SNI 1726:2019. Selection of site class, wind direction, topographic, and ground surface elevation factors are essential in determining wind loads. This research method focuses on supporting structures consisting of purlins and girts in the context of industrial buildings. Purlins, made from hot or cold rolled steel, generally use C and Z profiles. Girts, made from cold or hot rolled steel, have profile variations such as C, Z, or hollow square sections. The girt structure design process determines dimensions, rod sag, internal requirements, and sag rod capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts are frequent within the complex professional environment of the construction industry. If claims cannot be overcome amicably, they result in disputes that lead to litigation. Identification of the causes of these claims and their impact on the duration, cost, and quality of the final project is expected to facilitate the prevention of unsuccessful performance of construction contracts. The novelty of this study is that after codifying the most common causes of construction contract claims derived from the extant literature, they are further investigated in terms of their probability of occurrence and the perceived impact they have on the project completion time, its total cost, and quality. Based on calculated relative importance indices from expert opinion, this paper proposes probability and severity of impact values for 39 common causes of claims in the construction industry. These can be applied to calculate their risk values for stakeholders in public construction contracts to plan mitigation measures for contractual claims. The findings show that the top five highest risk causes of contractual claims in the Greek construction industry are changes in quantities, work, or scope, design quality deficiencies or errors, payment delays, delays in work progress, and the financial failure of the contractor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China's "double carbon" goal continues to advance, logistics as a key area of carbon emissions and low-carbon logistics center site selection are key links in the process. However, existing studies on logistics center location often ignore the impact of demand uncertainty, which leads to a waste of resources in the planning and construction processes. We take logistics cost and carbon emission as the objectives, and the multi-objective site selection model established based on stochastic programming theory takes demand uncertainty as a stochastic constraint. We transform the stochastic constraint model into a 0–1 mixed integer multi-objective planning model by utilizing the idea of equivalence transformation. The Aptenodytes Forsteri Optimization (AFO) algorithm is combined with the Ideal Point Method to solve the model, and the algorithm is compared with the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Differential Evolutionary (DE), Tabu Search (TS), Sparrow Search (SS) algorithms, and the exact solver Linear Interactive and General Optimizer (LINGO). The examples verify the validity of the models and algorithms, with an average reduction of 6.2% and 3.6% in logistics costs and carbon emissions in the case of demand determination, and at the confidence level of 0.9 under demand uncertainty, both logistics costs and carbon emissions are decreased to varying degrees. This study provides a new research idea for the low-carbon logistics location problem under demand uncertainty, which helps to promote the transformation of the logistics industry to low-carbon and high-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compact internal structure of the bulb tubularturbine generator (BTTG) leads to poor ventilation and heat dissipation capability (VHDC). It will result in high- temperature faults and lead to losses for the hydro-power station, if the staff at the hydropower station fail to promptly regulate the external forced air cooling for effective heat dissipation. Thus, a specific and effective ventilation control strategy (VCS) is of utmost importance for the operation of the BTTG. In this study, the finite element method (FEM) was employed to solve the magnetic- flow-thermal coupled field of a 24-MW BTTG. The distribution characteristics of electromagnetic losses and their impact on the temperature field were revealed. Experimental validation was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the numerical results. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to design an experimental plan by building upon this foundation. Integrated with a multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA), an optimal relationship between ambient temperature, fan flow rate, and heating components' temperature was established. This relationship serves as the optimized ventilation control strategy for the BTTG. This research provides a theoretical framework for the formulation of operational guidelines to ensure the safe operation of generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Annually, medical students vie to secure a seat with an orthopedic residency program. This rigorous competition places orthopedic surgery as one of the most competitive specialties in the medical field. Although several international studies have been published regarding the factors that influence program directors when choosing their ideal applicant, the data for Saudi Arabia in that regard is absent. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to survey all orthopedic program directors regarding the factors that influence them when choosing their ideal orthopedic surgery applicant. A survey was sent to all program directors via email during the month of August 2022. A reminder was sent 2 weeks later to maximize the response rate. The survey was completed by 22 out of 36 orthopedic program directors, which gave us a response rate of 61.11%. Results: In this study, 22 orthopedic surgery program directors responded to our survey. When program directors were asked to rank the factors of residency selection criteria, the top ranked factors were good impression on interviews; prior experience in orthopedic surgery with, for example, electives; and performance on ethical questions during interviews, with means of 9.18, 8.95, and 8.82 out of 10, respectively. Furthermore, program directors preferred letters of recommendation from recommenders that they personally know, clinical experience such as electives taken at the program director's institution, and the quality of publications as the most important aspects of research. Most program directors (90.9%) relied on their residents' and fellows' opinions when selecting candidates, and 77.3% did not think gender has an influence on selection of applicants. Conclusion: By providing comprehensive data regarding the factors that influence and attract program directors of orthopedic surgery when choosing residency candidates. With the data provided by this study, applicants for orthopedic surgery have the advantage of early planning to build a strong application that may help persuade program directors to choose them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of high-rise objects in solid rocks characterized by frequent changes in its vertical profile requires a more detailed study of lithological layers, tectonic characteristics and analysis of physical and mechanical parameters. Layers of different strength and characteristics in all elements make it possible to separate it by geological environments, in order to choose the most favorable one for the foundation of objects. As part of the construction of additional silos at the existing "Molaris" Mill complex in Kozluk near Zvornik, research was conducted at the central points of the future facilities and the immediate surroundings. Investigation works up to a depth of 12.0 m defined all the complexity of the terrain structure in a small area. Conducted research on rock samples from exploration works and from the open terrain profile showed differences in the physical and mechanical characteristics of softer rocks susceptible to solubility in water. Separated environments show that the foundation of objects cannot be done only in one environment, given the folds of the layers in a very small area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgency of the energy transition is in conflict with delaying effects and options that are not optimally used in the complex, multi-stage German planning system. This also applies to the law and procedures of spatial planning, as well as the interaction of spatial planning with construction planning and sectoral law. Here, fundamental reform options have not yet been exhausted, despite many current legislative projects. Some procedural steps and options for legislative deviations can be eliminated altogether, the interaction of planning and decision-making levels can be made more effective, and subject-related certain hierarchical levels in the planning system could be omitted on a topic-specific basis. Based on a brief analysis of the initial situation for spatial planning, this paper first provides corresponding general considerations on such far-reaching acceleration options and their consequences. This is followed by the presentation of numerous specific spatial planning-related optimisation options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a groundbreaking application of the Bellman-Ford algorithm for optimizing evacuation routes in multi-floor academic buildings, extending its traditional use in single-source shortest-path problems to address complex multiple- source multiple-exit (MSME) problems. A comprehensive computational model was developed, reflecting real-world evacuation scenarios and incorporating key constraints and assumptions. The model was rigorously benchmarked against a Dijkstra's algorithm-based model, revealing a 3.5% improvement in the number of evacuees evacuated after the initial 9 seconds. Detailed simulation results and extended data analysis further substantiate these findings. While the current model assumes perfect evacuee compliance and overlooks human behavior, future research could address these limitations to enhance the model's realism. This study significantly advances the field of emergency evacuation planning, offering valuable insights for emergency response practitioners, facility managers, and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the dramatic increase in the number of cyclists, cycling safety has become a critical issue worldwide. It is important to ensure a safe, comfortable, and continuous cycling environment for cyclists. However, the safety effects of discontinuities in cycle network have been greatly ignored in the literature. This study aims to investigate the safety effects of discontinuities in cycle network inside and between Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) in London. Bayesian hierarchical spatial model is employed using the number of accesses as spatial weights. Covariates, including cycle network characteristics, road network characteristics, exposure variables, cycle-related facilities, traffic characteristics, and environmental conditions are also considered in the model. The results reveal that the discontinuities in cycle network are significantly associated with cycle crashes. For inside-TAZ level, "discontinuity in cycle lane class" and "standard deviation of cycle link length" have positive effects on cycle crashes. For between-TAZs level, the discontinuities in cycle lane accesses, and cycle lanes and tracks density are positively associated with cycle crashes. The results emphasize the importance of minimizing the discontinuities in cycle network, not only inside the TAZ but also between TAZs. This study also provides several practical implications for future cycling infrastructure planning and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successive economic and energy crises in Cuba have severely reduced the production of houses, effect not confronted by the current building housing policy. The retrospective analysis of previous research results and several experiences have been carried out with the objective to demonstrate the potential of certain building materials in order to attenuate the impacts of energy crises. Historical and documental research methods, as well as comparative and analysis-synthesis techniques were applied in order to process the bibliographical information and consulted documents; laboratory results; and field studies dealing with experimental buildings under use. The constructive and energy-saving qualities of pressed soil-cement blocks are recognized, and the advantages of using them in conditions of continued crisis. It is proposed to incorporate into the national housing construction plan, pressed soil-cement blocks or others with similar resistance properties; durability; possibility of local production; economy; environmental suitability; low energy consumption and low CO2 emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional landscape ecological risk (LER) assessment is of great significance for coordinating the relationship between land use and ecological environment, and for promoting the rational allocation of resources, and it is the basis and guarantee for achieving sustainable development. By assessing the landscape ecological risk of the Huaihe River ecological and economic zone, it can promote the development of ecological risk assessment theory, provide a scientific basis for the formulation of ecological civilization construction planning and policies, and help to strengthen environmental monitoring, planning and management, and promote the construction of ecological civilization. Based on the remote sensing image data of land use from 1985 to 2020, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of land use and LER in the Anhui section of the Huaihe River Ecological and Economic Belt in China were explored. The results showed that: (1) The construction land showed an increasing trend, with an increased area of 4753.35 km2, whereas the cultivated land showed a negative growth trend, with a reduced area of 4487.58 km2. (2) During the past 35 years, the ecological risks in the research area showed a decreasing trend as a whole, with medium-low and medium-risk areas ranking as the main; medium-high and high-risk areas are mainly distributed on both sides of the Huaihe River and in the northern-central part of Suzhou City. (3) Moran's I values of LER in each period were showing significant spatial autocorrelation and tending to converge spatially. In the future, the ecological security pattern should be optimized for local high-risk deterioration areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational culture is very important in creating a good work climate. With a good work culture, organizational performance can be further improved. However, the creation of an effective work culture cannot be separated from the right budget system in the company. Therefore, this study aims to explore budget planning system used by companies to create organizational culture. Budget planning is very precise in growing the perceptions, assumptions, and values shared by members of the organization. In gathering information, the informants conducted several interviews and observations at five electricity service companies in Indonesia. The interviews were addressed to 30 managers who spread in 5 electrical service companies in Indonesia. The result of this study is budget planning system can create a conducive work culture that fosters values and confidence in increasing organizational performance. Through this research, we offering budget planning constructions that are able to foster perceptions, assumptions, and values that are useful in creating an organizational culture that supports increased performance in organizations. So, the contribution of this research can be a reference for managers and practitioners in preparing budget plans that are useful for creating the right work culture to improve organizational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lean and sustainability are found to have the same agenda of waste reduction. Sharing waste reduction is particularly important for understanding how lean and sustainability can be weaved together to support mutual benefits. However, many publications concentrate on these strategies in isolation, paying less attention to their integration in the design phase. This paper presents an exploratory study from extant literature. It reviews more than 30 papers that have been published from 2018 to 2023 and examines the concepts of lean and sustainability on the issue of waste reduction from the early design phase. It explores the opportunities to enhance environmental and construction performance by implementing sustainability-lean practices to reduce the sources of waste generated in different design stages. Results indicate that 'Clearness, recognition, and Communication', 'Inappropriate supplying of information', 'Coordination and accuracy' and 'Design Expertise' are the most important sources of design waste since they have the highest number of waste causes. Results show that design waste sources are affected the most by a wide practice of embedding waste reduction strategies in the Preparation and Briefing and Technical Design stages. The paper shows the most applicable lean tools that aim to reduce waste from the early design phase. The overall conclusion of this study is compatible with the same studies worldwide, which were applied in terms of increasing the performance of the waste reduction plan in construction by identifying the sources of design waste to achieve positive outcomes in terms of environmental, social, and economic dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]