Predicting fuel energy consumption during earthworks

This research contributes to the assessment of on-site fuel consumption and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions due to earthworks-related processes in residential building projects, prior to the start of the construction phase. Several studies have been carried out on this subject, and have demonstrated the considerable environmental impact of earthworks activities in terms of fuel consumption. However, no methods have been proposed to estimate on-site fuel consumption during the planning stage. This paper presents a quantitative method to predict fuel consumption before the construction phase. The calculations were based on information contained in construction project documents and the definition of equipment load factors. Load factors were characterized for the typical equipment that is used in earthworks in residential building projects (excavators, loaders and compactors), taking into considering the type of soil, the type of surface and the duration of use. We also analyzed transport fuel consumption, because of its high impact in terms of pollution. The proposed method was then applied to a case study that illustrated its practical use and benefits. The predictive method can be used as an assessment tool for residential construction projects, to measure the environmental impact in terms of on-site fuel consumption. Consequently, it provides a significant basis for future methods to compare construction projects.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A BIM Template for Construction Site Planning

Building Information Modelling is gradually becoming the standard method for building design all over the world. Its rapid development is visible not only in the many researches carried on it but also in the several standards released in different countries. The spread of the method implied continuous software improvements with the aim to comply as much as possible different design needs. Nevertheless, an insufficiency of tools specifically developed for construction site planning is still detectable among BIM panorama. The principal aim of the presented research is then to develop BIM use for making more efficient construction site design. Having defined, in an early report, the structure and the contents of the postulated Construction Site Information Model, the research goes on by customizing the available tools in order to fit the needs of a construction site designer. One of these tools is a predetermined template, useful as a starting point for the design, as it is for other design disciplines. The aim is to have at disposal, since the beginning of the project, a model completed of a series of elements, parameters, visualization tools and many other issues able to satisfy the needs of construction site design in term of information contents, level of detail and model efficiency. A step-by-step procedure is also provided to assure the correct use and guarantee the completeness of the model. In particular the research steps has been the following: (i) analysis of some software to evaluate the chances of customizing templates; (ii) creation of the template according to the defined contents and aims of the Construction Site Model; (iii) test and improvement of the tool in a project simulator specifically created for the purpose; (iv) practice in real case study and evaluation about its operation. The case study permits to evaluate how this tool make more efficient site designer task in term of time spent and mistakes avoided

BIM DESIGN FLOW FOR CONSTRUCTION SITE

Construction site planning is an important task in a design team whereas a proper design of construction activities has a great influence in time and cost saving as well as in workers’ safety. Designers need to focus on site planning since the preliminary phase of building design in order to point out construction criticalities of the project that can affect execution phase. On the contrary, a scarce attention to operational issues during design phase is detectable in industry. Despite of the rapid diffusion of Building Information Modeling (BIM), a lack of BIM tools specifically studied for site design is detectable. Then the purpose of this paper is to describe a workflow developed with the aim to integrate site planning in a BIM design process, gaining thus operational advantages. The development of the workflow follows designers’ needs collected through the active participation of the authors in several design teams. A strong coordination and information sharing with other disciplines is the main task of the workflow, so that design choices can take into consideration operational issues as well. In order to simplify and accelerate the tasks of the site designer, the system is based on the use of some tools (such as databases of construction site elements and automatic checking tools), specifically developed for the purpose. The satisfaction of the designers involved demonstrates the efficiency of the system, in particular concerning the decrease of design time and the assistance of design choices thanks to operational information management

SAFETY AND HEALTH SITE INSPECTIONS FOR ON-FIELD RISK ANALYSIS AND TRAINING

The field of construction is always affected by a large number of accidents at work that have many different causes and responsible. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to focus on all these issues, in order to reduce all risk factors that can undermine individuals’ safety on building sites. The objective of the research is then the development of a method for quick on site analysis of all critical issues that can create accidents and identification of the related causes in order to directly provide a correct and focused training identified as the best method to act on the causes to reduce accidents. The research was carried on during construction of the Universal Exhibition of Milan – Expo 2015 – that counted almost 70 contemporary construction sites. To reach the goals further research steps has been followed and in particular: (i) inspections on building sites through all the Expo area; (ii) analysis of the main identified problems; (iii) development of a methodology to quickly identify the cause of problems; (iv) validation of the method through back office analysis of site documents; (v) correct on-site training according to found problem. During the whole construction site, the improvements in criticalities solving have been visible thanks to the focused training. The developed method, carried on in a high-risk environment, is applicable in any other building sites and environment as independent from the boundary conditions of the place

Body mass index, personality traits, and body image in Italian pre-adolescents: An opportunity for overweight prevention

We investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and personality traits, socioeconomic status (SES), and body image (BI) at the beginning of preadolescence. Data were collected from 238 Italian children aged 10?11 years using self-report scales. Information about SES was derived from parental education and professional status. BI was the variable the most strongly associated with BMI. Controlling for BI, SES, and gender, Agreeableness was inversely associated with BMI, whilst Extroversion was related to BMI in girls only. Gender did not moderate the associations between BI and BMI at this age. The relationship of certain personality traits with BMI is likely to emerge during preadolescence. Early interventions to reduce overweight and obesity could consider the interplay of Agreeableness and Extroversion with gender, BI, and SES

5D BIM FOR CONSTRUCTION SITE SURVEYNG

The scope of work presented in this paper is to provide a BIM-based workflow supporting clients and contractors in construction site surveying. It is well known that BIM technology offers many profitable issues that benefit owners, designers and constructors, especially in terms of design efficiency and interoperability. Moreover, it can become a powerful instrument for the client’s team and the General Contractor all along the construction phase, starting from the construction site organization to answer the bid requests. It can also support the supervision of work progress and amount, and allow to periodically reconsider them in compliance with available resources. Starting from these statements, the authors have developed some studies to obtain a systematic and methodological approach for site surveying and optimization. Then, the research focuses primarily on the definition of proper requirements to outline a 5D site management throughout the whole construction process. After the definition of different needs for the different actors of construction process, the research moved to the possible BIM use for the satisfaction of these needs by the definition of customized parameters dealing with site spaces and facilities, quantities, time and cost management. The parameters have been identified to respond the needs of the on-field case study concerning the realization of a school complex in Cernusco sul Naviglio (Milan). Furthermore the field test proved efficiency and promptness to changes of the developed method in particular concerning scheduling optimization. By further inspections, this process is also supposed to become an instrument of dialog and comparison with the Health & Safety team, to verify work items clashes against health and safety on construction site

Lactic acid fermentation of pomegranate juice as a tool to improve antioxidant activity

An increasing consumer demand for pomegranate has been globally observed, mainly thanks to the scientific evidence related to its functional and health-promoting features. Pomegranate fruits from twenty accessions identified in Southeastern Italy were characterized according to morphological and chemical features. Juices extracted from pomegranate fruits were fermented with selected Lactobacillus plantarum PU1 and the antioxidant activity investigated. Whey was added to juices to promote the microbial growth. Fermentation led to the increase of the radical scavenging activity (up to 40%) and significant inhibition of the linoleic acid peroxidation. The three fermented juices showing the highest antioxidant activity, and the corresponding unfermented controls, were further characterized. In detail, the cytotoxicity and the protective role toward artificially induced oxidative stress were determined on murine fibroblasts Balb 3T3 through the determination of the viability and the intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavenging activity (RSA). RSA reached values of ca. 70% in fermented juices, being ca. 40% higher than the unfermented and control samples. Phenols compounds of the pomegranate juices obtained from accessions “Bitonto Piscina,” “Sanrà nero,” and “Wonderful (reference cultivar) were analyzed through ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, showing that a marked increase (up to 60%) of the ellagitannins derivatives occurred during fermentation. Sensory analysis showed suitability of the fermented juices to be used as beverage and food ingredient

BIM Level of Detail for Construction Site Design

AbstractConstruction site design needs to be developed in different phases of a construction process. An early report of the research highlighted, in fact, a precise structure of contents both for pre-design (until tender) and for execution-phase design based on a systematic approach. The research is now going on applying Building Information Modeling technique to that structure, assuming the strategic role of site design in the whole design process in order to meet the safety goal as well as the time-cost requirements of a project. The actual stage issue is to identify and develop a standard design BIM-based method in order to create a proper “Construction site information model” (CoSIM). The final aim is therefore to help site designers to reach primarily the required health and safety employees’ standards. CoSIM method needs to be supported by an inventory of BIM elements, made on 3d-models, supplied with their ergo-technique information. That inventory has been therefore developed upon a precise classification made on different elements type (equipment, facilities, plants) according to their function on construction site. The research methodology for translating ergo-technique contents in a BIM has followed therefore these steps: (i) definition of elements to be contained in a CoSIM; (ii) definition of graphical level of detail of the model and its elements; (iii) definition of ergo-technique information level of development; (iv) translation of the model into proper deliverables.Some results of the first three steps of the research here presented show the development of construction site design from the pre-design to the execution-design phase in a case study through which it has been possible to asses and refine some guidelines for the creation of the postulated Construction Site Information Model

Human and animal integrated influenza surveillance: a novel sampling approach for an additional transmission way in the aquatic bird reservoir.

Background: infectious low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) have been recently detected on feathers of wild ducks. Laboratory trial results suggested that the preen oil gland secretion, covering waterbirds\u2019 feathers, may attract and concentrate virus particles from AIV-contaminated waters to birds\u2019 bodies. We evaluated whether ducks can become infected by the ingestion of preen oil-associated viral particles, experimentally smeared on their plumage. In addition, we compared virologic and serologic results obtained from mallards whose feathers were experimentally infected, with those from wild mallards naturally carrying AIVs on feathers. Methods: we experimentally coated 7 mallards (Anas plathyrynchos) using preen oil mixed with a LPAIV (H10N7 subtype), and housed them for 45 days with a control, uncoated duck. Cloacal, oropharyngeal and feather swabs were collected from all birds and examined for AIV molecular detection and isolation. Blood samples were also taken to detect influenza specific antibodies. In addition, sera from 10 wild mallards, carrying on feathers infectious LPAIV H10N7, were examined. Results: virologic and serologic results indicated that through self- and allopreening all the birds experimentally coated with the preen oil/AIV mix and the control duck ingested viruses covering feathers and became infected. Virus isolation from feathers was up to 32 days post-coating treatment. One out of 8 wild mallards showing antibodies against type A influenza virus was seropositive for H10 subtype too. Conclusions: our experimental and field results show evidences suggesting that uninfected birds carrying viruses on their feathers, including immune ones, might play an active role in spreading AIV infection in nature. For this reason, routine AIV surveillance programs, aimed at detecting intestinal and/or respiratory viruses, should include the collection of samples, such as feather swabs, enabling the detection of viruses sticky to preened birds\u2019 bodies

Acquisition Parameters Influence Diffusion Metrics Effectiveness in Probing Prostate Tumor and Age-Related Microstructure

: This study aimed to investigate the Diffusion-Tensor-Imaging (DTI) potential in the detection of microstructural changes in prostate cancer (PCa) in relation to the diffusion weight (b-value) and the associated diffusion length lD. Thirty-two patients (age range = 50-87 years) with biopsy-proven PCa underwent Diffusion-Weighted-Imaging (DWI) at 3T, using single non-zero b-value or groups of b-values up to b = 2500 s/mm2. The DTI maps (mean-diffusivity, MD; fractional-anisotropy, FA; axial and radial diffusivity, D// and D┴), visual quality, and the association between DTI-metrics and Gleason Score (GS) and DTI-metrics and age were discussed in relation to diffusion compartments probed by water molecules at different b-values. DTI-metrics differentiated benign from PCa tissue (p ≤ 0.0005), with the best discriminative power versus GS at b-values ≥ 1500 s/mm2, and for b-values range 0-2000 s/mm2, when the lD is comparable to the size of the epithelial compartment. The strongest linear correlations between MD, D//, D┴, and GS were found at b = 2000 s/mm2 and for the range 0-2000 s/mm2. A positive correlation between DTI parameters and age was found in benign tissue. In conclusion, the use of the b-value range 0-2000 s/mm2 and b-value = 2000 s/mm2 improves the contrast and discriminative power of DTI with respect to PCa. The sensitivity of DTI parameters to age-related microstructural changes is worth consideration