The complexities of managing historic buildings with BIM

Purpose The adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in managing built heritage is an exciting prospect, but one that presents complexities additional to those of modern buildings. If challenges can be identified and overcome, the adoption of historic BIM (HBIM) could offer efficiencies in how heritage buildings are managed. Design/methodology/approach Using Durham Cathedral as a case study, we present the workflows applied to create an asset information model to improve the way this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site is managed, and in doing so, set out the challenges and complexities in achieving an HBIM solution. Findings This study identifies the need for a better understanding of the distinct needs and context for managing historic assets, and the need for heritage information requirements (HIR) that reflect this. Originality/value This study presents first-hand findings based on a unique application of BIM at Durham Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The study provides a better understanding of the challenges and drivers of HBIM adoption across the heritage sector and underlines the need for information requirements that are unique to historical buildings/assets to deliver a coherent and relevant HBIM approach

An implicit Generalised Interpolation Material Point Method for large deformation and gradient elasto-plasticity

The ability to correctly capture large deformation behaviour in solids is important in many problems in geotechnical engineering such as slope failure or installation of foundations. The Material Point Method (MPM) is a computational method with particular suitability for modelling problems involving large deformations. In the MPM, a domain is modelled using a set of material points at which state variables are stored and tracked. These material points move through a fixed background grid upon which calculations take place with variables being mapped between the material points and the grid. This thesis sets out to develop the MPM as a method with potential for use in geotechnical problems. Problems are encountered with the original MPM when material points cross between grid cells, and one solution to this is the Generalised Interpolation Material Point (GIMP) method, where material points are able to influence nodes beyond the currently occupied grid cell. Most development of the GIMP method has used an explicit approach, however there are a number of advantages of an implicit approach including larger load steps and improved error control. This thesis focuses on the development of a large deformation elasto-plastic implicit GIMP method. A way of calculating the deformation gradient consistent with the MPM is introduced and convergence is demonstrated using this method which has previously been frequently omitted from MPM research. An alternative way of updating material point domains using the stretch tensor is also proposed. The MPM has a number of similarities to the FEM, and it is often suggested that FEM technologies are trivial to use with the MPM. The MPM can encounter localisations caused by shear banding and, to overcome this, a gradient plasticity approach previously implemented for the FEM is investigated with the GIMP method for the first time. The addition of gradient plasticity to the GIMP method introduces a length scale parameter which governs the width of these shear bands and removes the mesh dependency which is encountered with conventional approaches. It is shown that implementation is possible however, there are a number of problems that are present in the combination of the two methods which should not be overlooked in the future

Self-Concept, Healthcare, and Leadership: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Physician Leaders in Urban Community Healthcare Centers

Reducing disparities in health services delivery and outcomes is a continued challenge. The consistence of healthcare disparities, despite advances in medical technology and increased awareness of the problem, poses an ongoing test to the nation. There is a growing body of work that demonstrates providing access to good primary care may be the most effective intervention at hand. For over 40 years, community health centers have been providing quality, comprehensive primary care focusing on reducing health outcome disparities. Increased awareness is now emphasizing primary care elimination of health disparities within disadvantaged, underserved populations. A major failing of the system that delivers healthcare to the urban poor is the dearth of appropriate health care providers. The overarching research question that my study addressed is: How do physicians, who lead in urban community health centers, make meaning of their self-concept and identity in their leadership? The research represented by this dissertation adds to the domain of healthcare leadership because what is needed to transform the landscape of healthcare begins with understanding the “being” aspect of a human being. This study focuses on eight physicians who work in urban community health centers in the southwestern Ohio region, and thirteen interviews describing the phenomena of their meaning making of self and identity. Key findings for understanding motivations, lived backgrounds, career decisions, and/or other rewards that might influence physicians in UCHCs are well established. This qualitative study also represents a unique opportunity to showcase how physician leaders make meaning of self during a pandemic, as well as significant findings of how UCHC physicians are leading in practice for social change. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu)