Life Cycle Assessment with BIM Towards Sustainable Energy Policy-Making: The Case of Urban Transformation in Istanbul

Buildings are responsible for almost forty percent of global energy. Due to their high consumption of energy, buildings are on the front line of sustainability researches. In Turkey, six million out of twenty-two million buildings need to be demolished and rebuilt to meet seismic standards. These buildings are also far below the standards in terms of energy efficiency. Therefore, urban transformation can be thought of as a great opportunity for energy efficiency. This study investigates four things: (i) the energy-efficient urban transformation strategy in GaziosmanpaÅŸa-Istanbul region, which is selected as a case study; (ii) the effect of energy efficiency in this market; (iii) the adequacy of energy standards of Turkey; and (iv) contribution of digitalization in construction to sustainability with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and energy analysis. According to the energy efficiency scenarios, energy analyses were carried out on the BIM model. The most cost-effective strategy was determined with the Life Cycle Cost method. When compared with the current situation, it is possible to save energy up to 227 GWh a year, which is equal to the annual heating energy demand of approximately 30,000 housing, in the case study area with the most efficient scenario to be realized

The Changes in Maternal Mortality in 1000 Counties in Mid-Western China by a Government-Initiated Intervention

BACKGROUND: Since 2000, the Chinese government has implemented an intervention program to reduce maternal mortality and eliminate neonatal tetanus in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals 5. To assess the effectiveness of this intervention program, we analyzed the level, trend and reasons defining the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the 1,000 priority counties before and after implementation of the intervention between 1999 and 2007. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The data was obtained from the National Maternal and Child Health Routine Reporting System. The intervention included providing basic and emergency obstetric equipment and supplies to local medical hospitals, and also included providing professional training to local obstetric doctors, development of obstetric emergency centers and "green channel" express referral networks, reducing or waiving the cost of hospital delivery, and conducting community health education. Based on the initiation time of the intervention and the level of poverty, 1,000 counties, containing a total population of 300 million, were categorized into three groups. MMR significantly decreased by about 50%, with an average reduction rate of 9.24%, 16.06%, and 18.61% per year in the three county groups, respectively. The hospital delivery rate significantly increased. Obstetric hemorrhage was the leading cause of maternal deaths and significantly declined, with an average decrease in the MMR of 11.25%, 18.03%, and 24.90% per year, respectively. The magnitude of the MMR, the average reduction rate of the MMR, and the occurrence of the leading causes of death were closely associated with the percentage of poverty. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The intervention program implemented by the Chinese government has significantly reduced the MMR in mid-western China, suggesting that well-targeted interventions could be an efficient strategy to reducing MMR in resource-poor areas. Reduction of the MMR not only depends on conducting proven interventions, but also relies on economic development in rural areas with a high burden of maternal death