Active Building Facades to Mitigate Urban Street Pollution

This multidisciplinary research utilizes current thinking in planning, engineering, science and architecture, and proposes an interdisciplinary solution for addressing urban air pollution related to increasing urbanization. The premise that buildings are interconnected with urban infrastructure, with buildings serving as a resource and not just as a load, and the use of an active building facade to remediate environmental air pollutants beyond the building’s perimeter, represents a fundamental paradigm shift as to the nature of buildings in the urban environment. Form Based Codes (FBCs) are urban design guidelines which also provide requirements for street dimensions between building facades and height limitations of buildings based upon the number of stories. If these FBCs do not control for height to width ratios, they can result in a morphology called an urban street canyon. The vertical dimension of a street canyon corresponds to the height of a building (H) which is typically regulated by the number of stories (floors). The horizontal dimension of a street canyon, the width of the street (W) and associated frontage, corresponds to the right of way (ROW) which is the space between building lot lines. The most important geometric detail about a street canyon is the ratio of the canyon height (H) to canyon width (W), H:W, which is defined as the aspect ratio because when the value of the aspect ratio is >= 1:1, air pollution can accumulate at the street level. The problem becomes one where FBCs are setting urban design guidelines for streets, ostensibly for walkability, but are unintentionally creating street canyons which are accumulating unhealthy air pollutants in the very locations where they hope to encourage people to walk. Within the envelope of an urban building, air quality is an issue addressed almost completely as an internal requirement. Building ventilation systems rely on internal air quality monitoring and are designed to optimize energy efficiency for the building and its occupants. There are no studies that suggest that the building HVAC system should be used to ameliorate air pollution found outside the building, except for use within the building perimeter. This research investigated the capacity of a double-skin-facades (DSF), an active façade system typically used only for building HVAC, to evacuate air at the street level within the frontage zone of influence, as well as whether the DSF could actually remove criteria pollutants from the streetscape where human interaction is being promoted. Aside from matters of cost, DSFs have had little impact in the United States because they do not effectively filter air pollutants, which is especially troubling if they are to be used for fresh air intake. Plant integration into a DSF has been proposed for thermal mitigation; however, the suggestion that the plants could also create a functional component to filter the air has not. The NEDLAW vegetated biofilter reduces concentrations of toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene as well as other VOCs and PMs. A DSF integrated vegetated biofilter has numerous benefits for streetscapes and opportunities for expanded use of an energy efficient system that serves not only the building occupants but the urban environment. This research developed and evaluated an active DSF building system for the evacuation and amelioration of street level air pollutants. Several modeling methods, including computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation and experimental validation through the use of a boundary layer wind tunnel were employed. The results based upon CFD modeling showed definitive removal of street level air pollution with mixing with upper boundary air. The numerical modeling process identified gaps in the CFD analyses particularly with regarding to multi-scalar meshing of the DSF within the street canyon. Experimental verification and validation of the active DSF using an urban boundary layer wind tunnel also showed definitive ventilation of street level air pollution and mixing with upper boundary air. Furthermore, the data showed that a vegetated biofilter would be able to operate within the operational parameters of the DSF. This research identified a means to extend the building systems to function as urban infrastructure for purposes of air pollution removal. The development of a method where investment in a building system is an investment in the city’s infrastructure is a paradigm shift that has led to the identification of multiple avenues of future interdisciplinary research as well as informing future urban design guidelines

How Advanced Building Systems Can Offset Water Infrastructure Needs

Water infrastructure requirements will be reaching crisis proportions in the coming years. Increasing urban populations, drought conditions due to climate change, and increasing EPA rule limits for drinking water contaminants set the tone for diminishing water resources. The American Society of Civil Engineer’s 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gives a grade of “D” for much of America’s drinking water infrastructure. The report states that capital funding has not kept pace with the needs for water infrastructure and that state and local governments will continue to assume the bulk of investment requirements in the coming decades. If we think holistically, however, many of these water infrastructure needs can be offset by how we address the historic view of buildings’ systems. The current premise is that buildings should simply “plug-in” to existing water infrastructure. The expectation is that a new building connects to a municipal water main and clean water flows and that waste water is flushed away and disposed of at a municipal treatment plant. This belies our growing institutional knowledge of holistic building design and urban development. Rather than becoming a point source load on water infrastructure, buildings are capable of becoming water resource generators. Precedent models for building based rainwater harvesting, reuse and treatment systems already exist, such as in the new San Francisco Public Utilities Commission building. This 277,500 square foot office building houses more than 900 employees, utilizes rainwater harvesting, and has an onsite “Living Machine” reclaiming and treating all of the building’s wastewater to satisfy 100% of the water demand for the buildings low-flow toilets, urinals and irrigation. If we couple these advanced building systems with model water conservation ordinances such as Tucson’s rainwater harvesting and gray water stub outs, we will rethink how buildings can actually offset water infrastructure needs.Yesconference paper selected for proceedings eRepor

Introduction: "Do Not Try to Remember": Pedagogy in Transition

This introductory session was part of the 2020 Schools of Thought Conference hosted by the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.This introductory section of the "Do Not Try to Remember": Pedagogy in Transition portion of the Schools of Thought proceedings contains an overview of the session's chairs, its themes, and included papers.N

Are osteoporotic fractures being adequately investigated?: A questionnaire of GP & orthopaedic surgeons

BACKGROUND: To investigate the current practice of Orthopaedic Surgeons & General Practitioners (GP) when presented with patients who have a fracture, with possible underlying Osteoporosis. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 140 GPs and 140 Orthopaedic Surgeons. The participants were asked their routine clinical practice with regard to investigation of underlying osteoporosis in 3 clinical scenarios. 55 year old lady with a low trauma Colles fracture 60 year old lady with a vertebral wedge fracture 70 year old lady with a low trauma neck of femur fracture. RESULTS: Most doctors agreed that patients over 50 years old with low trauma fractures required investigation for osteoporosis, however, most surgeons (56%, n = 66) would discharge patients with low trauma Colles fracture without requesting or initiating investigation for osteoporosis. Most GPs (67%, n = 76) would not investigate a similar patient for osteoporosis, unless prompted by the Orthopaedic Surgeon or patient. More surgeons (71%, n= 83) and GPs (64%, n = 72) would initiate investigations for osteoporosis in a vertebral wedge fracture, but few surgeons (35%, n = 23) would investigate a neck of femur fracture patient after orthopaedic treatment. CONCLUSION: Most doctors know that fragility fractures in patients over 50 years old require investigation for Osteoporosis; however, a large population of patients with osteoporotic fractures are not being given the advantages of secondary prevention

Finding the Balance: Creating an open, sustainable future for OU

Today’s scholars have more publishing options available to them than ever before. In addition to traditional publishing venues, open publishing has become a viable and practicable option for communicating research to ever broadening audiences. This breadth of publishing options focuses new attention on the way business models, accessibility, copyright and intellectual property, and research dissemination are envisioned. Moreover, these considerations have important and pressing implications for OU faculty members and graduate students who are authors, readers, reviewers, editors, society associates, and advisory board members dependent upon effective scholarly communication for professional development and advancement. Scholars are on the cusp of a transformative shift toward a more sustainable system of scholarly communication. In 2019 the University Libraries Committee convened a Scholarly Communication Taskforce to examine these issues. The Taskforce met during the 2019-2020 and will continue their work through the spring of 2022. The Taskforce has met monthly to discuss selected readings and how these scholarly communication topics will effect their colleagues and students in their colleges and departments.The Taskforce's work culminated in this report "Finding the Balance: Creating an Open Sustainable Future for OU," to be presented to the OU community. For more information, visit the Taskforce website at https://bit.ly/SCTFReport.N

Origin and insertion of the medial patellofemoral ligament: a systematic review of anatomy.

PURPOSE: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is the major medial soft-tissue stabiliser of the patella, originating from the medial femoral condyle and inserting onto the medial patella. The exact position reported in the literature varies. Understanding the true anatomical origin and insertion of the MPFL is critical to successful reconstruction. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine these locations. METHODS: A systematic search of published (AMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane Library) and unpublished literature databases was conducted from their inception to the 3 February 2016. All papers investigating the anatomy of the MPFL were eligible. Methodological quality was assessed using a modified CASP tool. A narrative analysis approach was adopted to synthesise the findings. RESULTS: After screening and review of 2045 papers, a total of 67 studies investigating the relevant anatomy were included. From this, the origin appears to be from an area rather than (as previously reported) a single point on the medial femoral condyle. The weighted average length was 56 mm with an 'hourglass' shape, fanning out at both ligament ends. CONCLUSION: The MPFL is an hourglass-shaped structure running from a triangular space between the adductor tubercle, medial femoral epicondyle and gastrocnemius tubercle and inserts onto the superomedial aspect of the patella. Awareness of anatomy is critical for assessment, anatomical repair and successful surgical patellar stabilisation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review of anatomical dissections and imaging studies, Level IV

Biomechanical considerations in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease and a major cause of disability. The knee is the large joint most affected. While chronological age is the single most important risk factor of osteoarthritis, the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis in the young patient is predominantly related to an unfavorable biomechanical environment at the joint. This results in mechanical demand that exceeds the ability of a joint to repair and maintain itself, predisposing the articular cartilage to premature degeneration. This review examines the available basic science, preclinical and clinical evidence regarding several such unfavorable biomechanical conditions about the knee: malalignment, loss of meniscal tissue, cartilage defects and joint instability or laxity

Role of biomechanics in the understanding of normal, injured, and healing ligaments and tendons

Ligaments and tendons are soft connective tissues which serve essential roles for biomechanical function of the musculoskeletal system by stabilizing and guiding the motion of diarthrodial joints. Nevertheless, these tissues are frequently injured due to repetition and overuse as well as quick cutting motions that involve acceleration and deceleration. These injuries often upset this balance between mobility and stability of the joint which causes damage to other soft tissues manifested as pain and other morbidity, such as osteoarthritis