Ethics in Transaction Cost Economics

This paper provides Aristotelian virtue ethics analysis of decisions regarding the UN internal oversight governance structures focused on Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) theory. We explore “probity” and “independence” transactions’ attributes through historical narrative case based research to answer to the question – Why consecutive decisions to strengthen internal oversight structures did not relieve “probity” hazards? Our analysis shows that, at the UN, increased oversight governance structures, i.e. incentives, did not relieve probity/ethics hazards as predicted in TCE (Williamson, 1999). It follows that executive powers’ as well as overseers’ systematically trumpeted the UN “rules of the game”, breaching probity/ethics, disregarding the oversight independence prerogative as well as the UN Charter failing to contribute to the “common good” and to protect the UN mission. It also follows that, as it stands by now, the internal oversight mechanism design is deffective insofar as the UN Charter, positions the Secretary-General in constant conflict of interest empowering he/she with both executive and judiciary powers. We apply Williamson’s Public and Private Bureaucracies TCE for the first time. It results that it should be modified to include “virtue ethics” behavioral assumption as a transaction costs’ reduction device and explanatory framework for ethical failures abandoning the opportunism behavioral assumption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of test methods for the durability of thermal mortars exposure to freezing

Thermal mortars are a trend in the construction industry in recent years, owing to the required decrease of the thermal transmission of building envelopes. The high porosity of thermal mortars leads to permeability values that can affect their durability since it creates more favourable conditions for the penetration of aggressive agents. Water is observed as one of the most common and harmful degradation agents. Regarding the climatic variability in Europe, freezing is a usual degradation mechanism both in severe and moderate climates. Since thermal mortars have higher water absorption than a common insulation, the freezing may occur. As no durability assessment methodologies to evaluate the exposure of thermal mortars to freezing degradation mechanisms exist, the present work has the objective to analyse existing accelerated ageing procedures, which envisage freezing degradation mechanism. As such, the durability assessment described in EN 1015-21 and ETAG 004 was adapted and implemented in different thermal mortars. It was observed that the higher number of cycles and the severity of the freeze-thaw ageing cycles, according to ETAG 004, may reproduce the effect of the northern European climates, while the ageing cycles, described in EN 1015-21, combine degradation mechanisms that occur in central and southern European climates. This adaptation allowed collecting reliable data and inputs to the development of durability assessment methodologies directly applicable to thermal rendering and plastering systems

Effect of hygrothermal loads applied to thermal render systems

Thermal renders applied in multilayer systems are a recent trend in the building industry, besides ETICS. This type of systems aims at lowering the envelope U-Value with an upgraded thermal resistance of its components. As building rehabilitation has been increasing on a large scale, these solutions are of major interest, due to its easier application (by mechanical spraying) and enhanced hygrothermal properties. Durability assessment is a crucial issue to systematize and improve the knowledge of wall multilayer systems. Optimizing their application must take into account the actual climatic conditions. However, durability assessment procedures applied specifically to thermal render systems do not exist. The main goal of the present paper is to cover the gap in terms of durability assessment of thermal render systems defining a methodology based on accelerated ageing, taking into account the render matrix, hygrothermal and mechanical properties and also climate action. The first part of the work focus the analysis of durability assessment of existing standards, which are applied to renders and multilayer systems (EN 998-1, EN 1015 and ETAG 004). Also, some authors have worked on the calculation of acceleration factors and definition of new accelerated ageing protocols, by analysing the results of natural ageing tests and climate data. In a second part, hygrothermal simulations, using the WUFI Pro software, are performed to evaluate the thermal render systems performance, in different climates. The results were analysed to support and complement the previous knowledge and lead to the definition of a durability assessment methodology applied to thermal render systems