EXPANDING THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM TO COVER COASTAL EROSION DAMAGE

The National Flood Insurance Program does not currently cover damage strictly attributable to coastal erosion. This paper uses the results of a nationwide survey of coastal property owners to estimate the demand for such insurance. We find that there is significant demand at prices in the range of current flood insurance premiums. Demand is influenced in the hypothesized way by increased measures of erosion risk as well as by insurance price and income.Land Economics/Use, Risk and Uncertainty,

AN ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF BEACH EROSION MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES

This paper examines the relative economic efficiency of three distinct beach erosion management policies — beach nourishment with shoreline armoring, beach nourishment without armoring, and shoreline retreat. The analysis focuses on (i) the recreational benefits of beaches, (ii) the property value effects of beach management, and (iii) the costs associated with the three management scenarios. Assuming the removal of shoreline armoring improves overall beach quality, beach nourishment with shoreline armoring is the least desirable of the three alternatives. The countervailing property losses under a retreat strategy are of the same order of magnitude as the foregone management costs when the beneficial effects of retreat — higher values of housing services for those houses not lost to erosion — are considered. The relative desirability of these alternative strategies depends upon the realized erosion rate and how management costs change over time.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

COSTS OF COASTAL HAZARDS: EVIDENCE FROM THE PROPERTY MARKET

A hedonic price model suggests that flooding and erosion hazards, and the actions taken against them, are major determinants of property values in American coastal areas. A zoning ordnance against new construction within the 60-year erosion hazard area would increase property values and perhaps conserve the coastal ecosystem.Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Simulations of aging and plastic deformation in polymer glasses

We study the effect of physical aging on the mechanical properties of a model polymer glass using molecular dynamics simulations. The creep compliance is determined simultaneously with the structural relaxation under a constant uniaxial load below yield at constant temperature. The model successfully captures universal features found experimentally in polymer glasses, including signatures of mechanical rejuvenation. We analyze microscopic relaxation timescales and show that they exhibit the same aging characteristics as the macroscopic creep compliance. In addition, our model indicates that the entire distribution of relaxation times scales identically with age. Despite large changes in mobility, we observe comparatively little structural change except for a weak logarithmic increase in the degree of short-range order that may be correlated to an observed decrease in aging with increasing load.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure

Precision measurement of the 5 2S1/2 - 4 2D5/2 quadrupole transition isotope shift between 88Sr+ and 86Sr+

We have measured the isotope shift of the narrow quadrupole-allowed 5 2S1/2 - 4 2D5/2 transition in 86Sr+ relative to the most abundant isotope 88Sr+. This was accomplished using high-resolution laser spectroscopy of individual trapped ions, and the measured shift is Delta-nu_meas^(88,86) = 570.281(4) MHz. We have also tested a recently developed and successful method for ab-initio calculation of isotope shifts in alkali-like atomic systems against this measurement, and our initial result of Delta-nu_calc^(88,86) = 457(28) MHz is also presented. To our knowledge, this is the first high precision measurement and calculation of that isotope shift. While the measurement and the calculation are in broad agreement, there is a clear discrepancy between them, and we believe that the specific mass shift was underestimated in our calculation. Our measurement provides a stringent test for further refinements of theoretical isotope shift calculation methods for atomic systems with a single valence electron

Methodology for urban rail and construction technology research and development planning

A series of transit system visits, organized by the American Public Transit Association (APTA), was conducted in which the system operators identified the most pressing development needs. These varied by property and were reformulated into a series of potential projects. To assist in the evaluation, a data base useful for estimating the present capital and operating costs of various transit system elements was generated from published data. An evaluation model was developed which considered the rate of deployment of the research and development project, potential benefits, development time and cost. An outline of an evaluation methodology that considered benefits other than capital and operating cost savings was also presented. During the course of the study, five candidate projects were selected for detailed investigation; (1) air comfort systems; (2) solid state auxiliary power conditioners; (3) door systems; (4) escalators; and (5) fare collection systems. Application of the evaluation model to these five examples showed the usefulness of modeling deployment rates and indicated a need to increase the scope of the model to quantitatively consider reliability impacts

Test results of the Chrysler upgraded automotive gas turbine engine: Initial design

The upgraded engine as built to the original design was deficient in power and had excessive specific fuel consumption. A high instrumented version of the engine was tested to identify the sources of the engine problems. Analysis of the data shows the major problems to be low compressor and power turbine efficiency and excessive interstage duct losses. In addition, high HC and CO emission were measured at idle, and high NOx emissions at high energy speeds

Academic staff take the lead : experimenting with social software at Deakin University

This paper reports on a two staged staff development exercise to help new academic staff to integrate Web 2.0 technologies including web-based communication and some digital technologies into their curricula. It involved professional development for the teaching staff in the first stage followed by these teachers providing professional development for the course participants. The teachers engaged in a blended community of inquiry with face-to-face sessions and online work while the professional development for the course participants included technical support, training and a peer group environment with formal allocation of time for the course, finally leading to an institutionally recognised qualification. Evaluations conducted through focus group interviews revealed that collegial networks and time were important for effective professional development. The paper reflects on the successes and limitations of the model and its potential for further development. It also highlights the importance of providing professional development in a safe environment for academics to adopt technologies for teaching and learning.<br /