Quantifying the carbon footprint of coastal construction – a new tool HRCAT

UK and European regulation aimed at achieving a low carbon society is currently not being sufficiently backed up by tools for the quantification of construction-related carbon emissions. Recent UK Government findings have highlighted that the amount of carbon emitted by construction and maintenance of infrastructure is largely unknown and that consistent carbon accounting is needed (BIS, 2010). It is expected that carbon accounting will become a standard requirement for engineering option appraisal and for any investment justification (be it project specific or at a national scale). Coastal schemes are no exception. Existing tools such as the Environment Agency Carbon Calculator are useful for the UK river and coastal protection market but currently lack the breadth of data and functionality required for the wider range of coastal construction works and for overseas schemes. This paper explains the process of development of a new carbon accounting tool suitable for coastal construction schemes, illustrating its application on a real breakwater option appraisal

Methods of assessing flood resilience of critical buildings

An overview is presented of recent advances in the assessment methods and mitigation solutions for the performance of critical buildings during flood events. This draws on research focusing on critical urban infrastructure, which is defined as assets that are essential for the continuity of economic activities in cities and for the basic living needs of the urban population. These assets include networks as well as buildings, the latter (termed ‘critical buildings’) having an important role in protecting equipment and personnel associated with the networks. Examples include power stations, transport control centres, communication hubs, fire stations, shelters and hospitals. Unlike domestic constructions, due to their specificity, these buildings cannot easily be categorised in terms of type of construction or age, and have to be treated as individual buildings. Three methods are presented as a framework with a logical progression for the assessment of building flood vulnerability and the identification of improvement measures: the ‘quick scan’ method, the ‘selection and evaluation tools for flood proofing of buildings’ and the ‘individual building flood damage tool’ (IBT). It is expected that building owners, insurance companies, local authorities and agencies with urban flood management responsibilities will benefit from the application of the framework and tools presented

A new standard for flood resistance and resilience of buildings: new build and retrofit

With around three million properties in England affected by severe weather-driven surface water (pluvial) flooding, and the number likely to increase as a result of climate change, it is important that homeowners and businesses are encouraged to take steps to minimise the effects of future flood events. This is where property-level protection and resilience measures are important, and there continues to be a steady increase in the uptake. However, stakeholders will continue to need assistance and advice on how to select appropriate measures. Based on laboratory testing and other desk studies between 2005 and 2007, a guidance document was developed in 2007 on behalf of DCLG and Environment Agency (with support from Defra) which provided advice for resilient approaches for new buildings. This was referred to by many local authorities and others, to inform measures that could be used, particularly to deal with residual flood risks, given that such risks cannot always be designed out. Since 2009, through the ‘Statement of Principles’ with the insurance industry and the NPPF, unsuitable development has been discouraged in areas at high flood risk. However, with the increased awareness of the need to deal with surface water for a large existing housing stock, a new standard was needed. Therefore the British Standards Institution has developed a new standard that updates and extends the guidance document, including to retrofitting flood resistance and resilience measures to existing properties as well new buildings. This presentation will outline the standard’s contents and some of the key issues associated with its development

An introduction to violence against women as a human rights and public health problem

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar àqueles(as) que se iniciam no estudo da violência praticada contra as mulheres uma breve contextualização histórica do modo como, gradualmente, este se tornou um tema do campo dos Direitos Humanos e da Saúde Pública. Partimos da Declaração Universal dos Direitos dos Homens para, em seguida, discutirmos sua importância para o campo dos Direitos Humanos e analisarmos a polêmica entre direitos humanos versus direitos das mulheres. Posteriormente, apresentamos as diversas convenções e tratados internacionais de proteção dos direitos das mulheres e sua importância para a conscientização da Saúde Pública, com relação ao fenômeno da violência. Inicialmente abordada como "causas externas" de morbidade e mortalidade, devido à grande incidência e aos elevados prejuízos sociais, econômicos e de saúde (física e psicológica), atualmente a violência é reconhecida como um campo específico e urgente de intervenção sob a perspectiva da Saúde Pública. De modo particular, a violência praticada contra as mulheres é um problema de proporções mundiais, que atinge pessoas de todas as classes sociais, religiões e etnias. Afirmamos que, a partir da inclusão da violência contra as mulheres na arena dos direitos humanos e da Saúde Pública, começaram a ocorrer transformações mais efetivas nas políticas legais de muitos países, como a criação de programas de intervenção e outros suportes. Por fim, apresentamos a situação do Brasil com relação à igualdade de gênero.The aim of this paper is to show to those who are beginning to study the subject of violence against women a brief historical overview of the way it gradually became a theme of the fields of Human Rights and Public Health. We start with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to discuss its importance for the field of Human Rights and to analyze the polemic between human rights versus women's rights. After that, we present the international treaties and conventions that protect women's rights and their importance to raise the awareness of the Public Health field about violence. Initially seen as "external causes" of morbidity and mortality, because of its high incidence and several social, economic and health (physical and psychological) damages, nowadays violence is seen as a specific domain of the Public Health field that needs urgent intervention. In particular, violence against women is a global problem that reaches people of all social classes, religions and ethnic groups. We claim that, since the inclusion of violence against women in the fields of Human Rights and Public Health, more effective transformations in the legal policies of several countries have begun to occur, like the creation of interventional programs and other supports. At the end, we show Brazil's position about gender equality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

River and channel revetments: a design manual

This comprehensive new guide provides an extensive compilation of the characteristics of major revetment systems and offers independent advice on the choice of the most suitable type of revetments. Contents: Introduction; Stability of channel bed and banks; Design procedure; Types of revetment and design formulae; Use of granular filters and geotextiles; Construction issues; Maintenance procedures; Worked examples; Appendices; References; Index

Channel protection: Turbulence downstream of structures

An experimental study, funded by the Department of the Environment, was made of the stability of riprap and concrete blocks for channel protection in highly turbulent environment. An extensive literature review on riprap sizing formulas is presented in this report as well as some general background on turbulence generated downstream of hydraulic structures. It was found that the existing guidelines do not apply to highly turbulent flows and that the nominal stone size given by the different equations can vary as much as four times. The second part of the study was concerned with the stability of concrete blocks on a flat bed and on sloped of 1:2.5 and 1:2 as an alternative material to riprap. It was found that the same type of equation proposed for the design of riprap can be applied to concrete blocks on a flat bed and on slopes of 1:2.5 (or flatter)

Improving urban resilience to flooding: a vital role for civil engineers

Being resilient against flooding is a key challenge for urban communities – and one for which civil engineers can play a vital role. Manuela Escarameia of HR Wallingford highlights findings of two themed issues of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ journal Water Management on the topic. Much has been written in recent years about resilience in many sectors of society and, equally, many definitions of resilience have been suggested. In the context of urban resilience to flooding, the following definition by van Veelen et al. (2015: p. 50) is arguably the most appropriate: ‘Resilience [is] the capacity of a system to buffer natural variations, recover from disturbances and return to its previous state without experiencing changes to the system as a whole.’ However, when certain thresholds are reached (‘tipping points’) systems are no longer able to recover and need to adapt to face changing circumstances. This is what civil engineers need to bear in mind when designing and managing infrastructure that limits personal and economic damage from flooding

Investigating hydraulic removal of air from water pipelines

The presence of air in pipe systems can result in problems such as loss of carrying capacity, disruption of the flow, reduced pump and turbine efficiency, effects on pipe materials and pipeline structure; it can also change the fluid properties and create environmental concerns at the point of discharge. Considerable costs are incurred in providing air release valves and chambers, and in deepening pipe trenches so as to provide the minimum gradients thought necessary to enable air bubbles and pockets to move towards the valves. If the accumulated air can be moved hydraulically out of the pipe system, then potentially large cost savings are possible. At present there are a number of often contradictory recommendations for assessing how air may be moved through a pipe system. In order to assess the viability of hydraulically removing air that accumulates in pipes, an experimental investigation was undertaken of the movement of air pockets in a pipeline with different slopes, from horizontal to around 22°. From the test results a prediction equation was developed for determining the critical velocity required to remove air from a water or sewerage carrying pipe. This study, which was part of a wider project aiming at providing practical guidelines, confirmed the results of previous researchers and extends current understanding of air movement, particularly in horizontal and near horizontal pipes

Channel protection - gabion mattresses and concrete blocks

Tests were carried out with loose solid concrete blocks, scale models of 300mm thick Reno mattresses (1:5 scale), and cabled and interlocking blocks both at a scale of 1:8. The materials were placed on a flat bed and tested for a wide range of flow conditions, from normal river flow to very high levels of turbulence

Air problems in pipelines - a design manual

The entry, control and release of air from pipelines is a major, though often hidden, problem in pipelines used for water supply, foul water drainage and effluent discharge. Considerable costs are incurred in providing air release valves and chambers, and in deepening pipe trenches so as to provide the minimum gradients that are thought necessary to enable air bubbles and pockets to move towards the valves. Air valves require regular maintenance, but in practice this is rarely undertaken and there are numerous instances of their leaking and/or failing to operate correctly. In certain cases, vibration of the valves during start-up or shut-down of pumps can cause air to be drawn into a pipeline – the exact opposite of what is intended. Where effluent and water transfer pipelines need to be laid under water in coastal or tidal areas, air valves cannot be used at all and the bed topography may result in very flat pipe gradients. Also, air valves cannot be used on potable water systems in situations where they might admit ground water into the pipeline. It is therefore very important for professionals involved in the design and construction of water and wastewater pipelines to understand the potential problems caused by the presence of air (either as bubbles or large pockets), identify its sources and then take measures to reduce or eliminate as much as possible the presence of air. Since the removal of all sources of air may prove impossible in many cases, it will be necessary for practitioners to know how to design for air/water mixtures and minimise air’s detrimental effect. This manual aims to provide engineers with concise and up-to-date advice. However, it is realised that much is not yet known in this complex field of multi-phase flow and the guidance provided represents a simplification of what is an extremely complex, though fascinating, subject