High-profile Projects Research Articles

The Human Rights Act in a Culture of Control

This paper uses a socio-legal perspective to shed light on the UK’s current backlash against human rights. While Euro-scepticism and the UK’s political constitutionalist tradition does somewhat explain the hostility towards judicial protection of human rights, this paper argues that this is not the entire picture. Perspectives from politics, sociology and criminology reveal that the political conditions in which the HRA was introduced were already inimical to the judicial protection of human rights. Since the mid-to late Twentieth Century, criminal justice policy in the UK underwent what David Garland terms ‘dramatic changes’. These changes include, amongst other factors: an increasingly active legislature in the criminal justice field; changes in the emotional tone of crime policy; the politicisation of crime; and populist rhetoric and policies. This paper will argue that the current political climate that is hostile towards criminals or other ‘others’ (e.g. immigrants) is symptomatic of this ‘culture of control.’ Defenders of human rights have identified this problem of unpopular ‘others’ and have attempted to counter them by downplaying the role that human rights have had in such contentious cases or emphasising the importance of human rights in cases that are seen as more publicly pleasing. These defences however, fail to address why this othering occurs, and what, if anything, can be done to counter this. At the same time, the reach of the legislature in other areas of public policy has receded to the rise of the executive and ‘technocracy’ in what has been termed ‘the decline of parliaments’. High profile projects such as Policy Exchange’s ‘Judicial Power Project’ which make the case for a more restrained approach to judicial review are conceptualising the increase in judicial powers as a unilateral decision made by the judicial branch. This, however, ignores the aforementioned sociological and political factors that affect the dynamic and balance of power between the legislature and the executive, and in turn how this affects judicial power. By placing the existing debate regarding the judicial protection of rights in this broader context, a more comprehensive explanation of rights hostility can be understood. This paper will conclude by arguing that as a result of this culture of control, hostility towards the judicial protection of human rights in the UK will not abate with the repeal of the HRA and its replacement with a ‘British Bill of Rights’.

Chinese engagement in Southeast Asian energy and mineral resources: motivations and outlook

The energy and mineral resource base of Southeast Asia is relatively modest by international standards. Nevertheless, Chinese energy and mining companies have been investing heavily in the region over recent years, in comparison with multinational companies and state-backed companies from other Asian countries. This paper applies a framework derived from the field of business studies to analyze why the scale of China’s engagement in Southeast Asia has become so great and how the motivations vary between the different energy and resource industries. The motivations for these activities reflect a mix of corporate and state objectives. Corporate objectives include securing energy or resource supply chains, increasing or diversifying their asset base, and enhancing their profits or market share. The motivations of the government range from straightforward support of the companies for the purpose of industrial strategy and security of resource supply, to development assistance and regional strategic positioning. The different motivations of the oil and gas, hydropower, and mining industries arise from the particular character of each market, both within China and globally. Southeast Asia has the twin advantages of geographic and apparent cultural proximity to China. Nevertheless, inexperience and a desire to catch up with their international peers have resulted in companies applying low social and environmental standards in some high profile projects. The subsequent disputes, together with the current low level of resource prices, may constrain the further growth of Chinese investment in the near future.

Passive seismic techniques are developing in many directions

Abstract Yasin C. El-Taha, Petroleum Development Oman, reports on the 6th EAGE Passive Seismic Workshop held on 1-3 February in Muscat with the theme ‘From Data to Decisions’. Attended by approximately 50 participants, the workshop was well received both in discussions during the event and in excellent feedback submitted since. Strongly supported by various operators and service companies, the industry showed renewed commitment to the technology and its development worldwide. After an opening address from keynote speaker Salim Rawahi, geosolutions manager, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the workshop continued with a regional focus. From a European perspective, projects were shown with a link to strong drivers or requirements from regula­tory bodies. This situation is currently under heavy scrutiny amongst industry and media alike with high profile projects such as the Groningen gas field. An overview was given of hydraulic fracture monitoring (HFM) in China showcas­ing a rapid rise in uptake of this technology. Monitoring of fracking completions in China has progressed to an advanced stage and is now being regularly used for field development decisions, well placement optimisation and fracking design improvement.

Crowdfunding the City: The End of 'Cataclysmic Money'?

By raising money from a large number of people via the internet, crowdfunding offers the promise of a “democratization of finance”. Recently, the crowdfunding of large-scale urban projects appears to have gained traction as a handful of high-profile real estate and infrastructure projects are making headlines around the globe for relying on distributed-network online financing. Instead of their purported promise, this paper argues that large-scale efforts to crowdfund the urban fabric carry all the hallmarks of what Jane Jacobs termed “cataclysmic money”. As such, crowdfunding the city might simply represent the next phase of entrepreneurialism in the financial transformation of urban governance. The main thrust of the argument developed in this paper suggests that it is precisely because of such financialising potential – and the relational importance of money and finance in an urbanised society more generally – that crowd financing might undermine, rather than fortify, the “right to the city” in the sense of Lefebvre. Indeed, the detailed workings of the modern monetary-financial system – from the technical complexity of financial engineering to the institutional architecture of money and the political economy of its regulatory governance – are still insufficiently recognised in much of the public discourse on the social consequences of finance.

Analytical structural reliability analysis of a suspended cable

Suspended cables, including transmission lines, suspension bridge cables, and edge cables of roof structures, feature in high profile and large span projects for architectural reasons, for their functional efficiency, and for ease of construction, particularly over large spans. A suspended cable predominantly reacts external loads by means of axial tension, and is, therefore, able to make full use of the material strength. Because of the slenderness of the suspended cable, the structural response is nonlinear, even if the material property is within the elastic range. From a mechanics perspective, therefore, these types of structure exhibit high levels of geometric non-linearity. For this reason, the nonlinear relationships between tension force, normal displacement, and the external loads need to be considered. In aiming to determine the structural safety of a suspended cable, and to understand which uncertainty features have the greatest influence, these relationships are written within a probabilistic framework.This article briefly sets the analysis of suspended cables within the context of geometrically nonlinear elastic structures and corresponding finite element analysis methodologies. Analytical solutions to the tension and normal displacement of a suspended cable subjected to external loading are presented. Nonlinear performance functions, in the form of either the cable tension or normal displacement are stated. Analytical expressions for the required gradients of the performance function of a suspended cable with respect to the basic variables under static loads are developed. The structural reliability of a suspended cable is studied using a first-order reliability method (FOSM) and verified by comparison with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and Monte Carlo simulation based optimization principles (MCOP) for a number of examples. Load cases including, wind, snow, and temperature variation are included.

Incorporation of Velocity Pulses in Design Ground Motions for Response History Analysis Using a Probabilistic Framework

Ground motions that contain velocity pulses may cause greater structural damage than ground motions that do not contain pulses. The effects of pulse-like motions are best approximated in the time domain using nonlinear response history analysis. Current approaches for incorporating pulse effects are not reproducible since they largely rely on engineering judgment and often result in unrealistic representation of the hazard. This study extends a method by Shahi and Baker (2011) that incorporates the effects of pulse-like motions in probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHA). It uses disaggregation information from the PSHA to construct suites of target spectra that are used for matching an appropriate proportion of pulse-like motions with characteristics (pulse amplitude and pulse period) representative of a desired hazard intensity level. The methodology has been successfully employed for several high-profile projects in California that were subjected to a rigorous peer review process, including the Transbay Tower in San Francisco.

Unveiling Vegas: urbanism at the nexus of private profit and public policy

In the capitalist economy of the United States, the material city is largely built by the private sector, especially investors, developers, and builders. How does public policy interface with this private dynamic of the contemporary American city? The purpose of this article is to craft an empirical analysis of the private/public interface of one of the most high-profile projects of the early 21st century: CityCenter in Las Vegas, Nevada. Based on site visits, visual documentation, interviews, and analysis of government documents and other reports, the article demonstrates how the role of public policy is in fact shaped by private initiatives, corporate discourse, and profit motives at the cost of public benefits. The article concludes with insights into the process of urbanism, including how intertwined the private and public realms actually are, and ways in which the benefits of urban projects are unevenly distributed through this private profit/public policy nexus.

Medical Aid, Repression, and International Relations: The East German Hospital at Metema.

Between 1984 and 1988, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) built a hospital in a remote part of Ethiopia, close to the Sudanese border. The project evolved in a complex combination of contexts, including the general foreign policy goals of the GDR, its specific alliance with Ethiopia, the famine of 1984-85, civil war in Ethiopia, and a controversial resettlement program by the government of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Though almost unknown today, it was a high-profile project at the time, which received the personal support both by Erich Honecker in the GDR and Mengistu Haile Mariam in Ethiopia. However, their interest was directed more at the political goals the project was expected to serve than at the hospital itself. Both the preparation and the implementation of the project were extremely difficult and almost failed due to problems of transportation, of red tape, and of security. The operation of the hospital was also not ideal, involving frustrated personnel and less than complete acceptance by the local population. Ironically, for all its practical difficulties, the hospital has outlived both governments and their political goals, surviving as a medical institution.

Alfred Hardiman, RA, and the vicissitudes of public sculpture in mid-twentieth-century Britain

Alfred Hardiman (1891–1949) is now known mainly for his equestrian monument to Field Marshal Earl Haig in Whitehall, but his sculpture is also prominently sited in Edinburgh, Norwich and in several locations of historic significance across London: Westminster Abbey, County Hall, St James’s Piccadilly and Eltham Palace. This article traces his rise to prominence and looks at why, after being awarded the most prestigious public commission available in 1929, Hardiman’s career over the next twenty years appears to have faltered. Despite being selected for a succession of high-profile projects and fulfilling the terms of his contracts, the impact of war, austerity and a volatile economy prevented several of his sculptures from being either cast or installed. A tireless and articulate defender of the sculptural profession, his personal experience in the public realm contributes to a fuller understanding of how contemporary public art subsequently evolved.

Application of stochastic frontier analysis in evaluation of technical efficiency and influencing factors of the 2007 Beijing Medicine Development Foundation

This article applied stochastic frontier analysis to estimate the efficiency of the 2007 Beijing Medicine Development Foundation,and analyzed the dominant influencing factors of the performance.The following results were found out..(1) The performance of 2007 Beijing Medicine Development Foundation was good in general,however there was a 23％ gap between the actual output and the frontier output.As time passes by,the expected performance will get better.(2) There are large differences existed between various categories of projects and the different levels of institutions and project leaders.The relatively high profile projects,which means large input and more complexity,requires higher level of facility and environmental support,project manager's degree,professional title,while technical efficiency is not obvious for small scale independent innovation projects. Key words: Stochastic frontier; Technical efficiency; Beijing Medeicine Development Foundation; Performance evaluation; Influencing factors

Repatriating American film heritage or heritage hoarding? Digital opportunities for traditional film archive policy

This article investigates the high-profile film repatriation projects between such organizations as the US Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Film and Sound Archive in Australia, and the New Zealand Film Archive. Heralded for bringing ‘home’ the so-called lost films, repatriation projects capture public imagination and prove vital in galvanizing the much needed press interest in the media preservation movement. National film archives, however, continue to pursue traditional modes of repatriating film material, spending thousands of dollars to ship nitrate film prints to underfunded and overwhelmed US media repositories, and perpetuating the dominance of the nation-state in preservation discourse. This article challenges the long-standing, celluloid-focused approach by providing an overview of media repatriation practice and policy, contemporary analysis of cultural property theory and law, and offering a pragmatic suggestion for digital repatriation models that can empower a greater number of regional participants.

Transformative geomorphic research using laboratory experimentation

Laboratory experiments in geomorphology is the theme of the 46th annual Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium (BGS). While geomorphic research historically has been dominated by field-based endeavors, laboratory experimentation has emerged as an important methodological approach to study these phenomena, employed primarily to address issues related to scale and the analytical treatment of the geomorphic processes. Geomorphic laboratory experiments can result in transformative research. Several examples drawn from the fluvial and aeolian research communities are offered as testament to this statement, and these select transformative endeavors often share very similar attributes. The 46th BGS will focus on eight broad themes within laboratory experimentation, and a diverse group of scientists has been assembled to speak authoritatively on these topics, featuring several high-profile projects worldwide. This special issue of the journal Geomorphology represents a collection of the papers written in support of this symposium.

INTELLECTUAL [DIS]HONESTY IN ARCHITECTURE

Many, if not a majority, of the world’s citizens view contemporary architecture as ineffective in accommodating the lives of everyday human beings. And yet, voluminous texts by prominent architects and the media argue just the opposite; that, in fact, flashy and expensive new projects profoundly benefit humanity. Those buildings supposedly provide continued advancement in how humans occupy the world. While there is no doubt that the built environment is instrumental to human achievement and wellbeing, what is the true value of the ill-formed, and perhaps ill-conceived, products of today’s leading architects? This essay argues that the elite power structure behind high-profile architectural projects is focused more upon promoting like-minded architects, and their narrow ideological interests, than in satisfying the ordinary everyday user. In doing so, this activity irrevocably damages the environment and markedly diminishes human neuro-physiological engagement with the man-made world. The logical conclusion from this purposeful misrepresentation is that the profession deliberately manipulates both the general public and architecture students to serve its own agenda.

Felix Frolow (1947-2014).

Felix Frolow (1947-2014).

Basics of Project Finance

The term “project finance” is used mostly by entrepreneurs, bankers and authors to describe a range of financing arrangements. Project financing is an innovative and timely financing technique that has been used on many high-profile corporate projects, including Euro Disneyland and the Eurotunnel (Finnerty, 1996). The core of a project financing is typically the project company, which is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that consists of the consortium shareholders (Fight, 2006). This paper examines the reasons why project financing is relied on to fund investments, it determines the advantages over traditional corporate finance as well as the major short-comings, and last it describes a typical project finance transaction.

Financial Risk and its Mitigation

Project finance is the preferred financing mechanism for large infrastructure projects that are essential for developing countries, emerging economies, and developed countries alike. For decades, project finance has been the preferred form of financing for large scale infrastructure projects worldwide. Several studies have emphasized its critical importance, especially for emerging economies, focusing on the link between infrastructure investment and economic growth. Over the last few years, however, episodes of financial turmoil in emerging markets, the difficulties encountered by the telecommunications and energy sectors and the financial failure of several high-profile projects have led many to rethink the risks involved in project financing. This research paper will define project finance and risks associated with project finance. It provides insight into the future of project finance.

Project Cost Management – Global Issues and Challenges

This paper examines the global issues and challenges facing the project cost management profession. This relates to professionals in the fields of quantity surveying, cost engineering, project controls and project managers providing cost management services. As a profession that is not widely recognized in society compared to professional disciplines such as engineers and architects, the project cost management profession faces many challenges in creating greater awareness of the value that they provide for projects. The global construction industry is littered with many examples of high profile projects that have experienced significant time and cost overruns and this is merely a reflection of similar problems at all project levels. However, these high profile projects attract considerable attention in the wider community and highlight the need for more effective cost management and project controls. The paper is based on a literature review of global project cost management issues and research undertaken through professional cost management associations that include the International Cost Engineering Council, the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors, the African Association of Quantity Surveyors, the International Project Management Association, the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering, the China Engineering Cost Association and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The research identifies the need for global recognition of the profession and the development of global professional standards and certification programs. The paper culminates with a series of recommendations and strategies for the profession that includes formal recognition through global organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation and the International Management Fund, the development of ISO cost management standards, formal recognition under the global Central Product Classification (CPC) scheme, development of a project cost management certification program for the European region and raising of global professional standards particularly in developing countries and countries where the profession is not traditionally recognised.

Promising options, dead ends and the reform of Australian contract law

The Australian government has launched a consultation on the possible reform of domestic contract law. The Attorney-General's Department is currently seeking stakeholder views on the need to reduce inconsistencies and/or remove outdated rules, and on ways to improve legal certainty generally both for businesses and consumers alike. Its current discussion paper, though open-ended as regards next steps, appears to be talking the language of simplification and coherence that has resonated particularly in the EU for well over a decade. Yet, the ongoing, high-profile project aimed at delivering a more coherent and uniform contract law for Europe's internal market has to date proved controversial, and recent concrete initiatives have generated much adverse commentary, particularly from law-and-economics scholars. The European experience therefore offers a series of signposts but equally a number of hazard markers for the Attorney-General's Department. Indeed, many of the broad assumptions underlying developments in the EU rest on weak foundations. The European institutions have further followed a number of dead ends in the pursuit of ‘coherence’ that ought reasonably to be avoided. This paper explores potential risks underlying the current Australian reform process and offers a number of suggestions on a possible way forward.

Public–private partnerships during waterfront development process: The example of the world exposition

Normally waterfront development entails high profile projects that blend into the local developmental requirements and the global economic situation. While various groups often wrestle with each other during development of a waterfront, based on their own interests, seeks to find a dynamic balancing point that will satisfy the prospects and requirements of all participants. In recent years, the trend of urban development and construction is to integrate the public–private resource and capital in order to ensure the feasibility and continuity of project implementation. The large-scaled waterfront renewal has been the main characteristic of world expos and plays an important role in PPP development. In this research we have seen the how risk management is involved in waterfront development. The risk induced and shared will depend on how involved the participants are in the project and on the financial schemes used to fund any given project.

A Linear Strain, Curvature-Driven Triangular Element for the Analysis of Membrane Structures

The analysis of membrane structures is made complex by the essentially anti-clastic geometry and flexibility introducing significant geometric non-linearities. With the increasing application of these structures in high-profile projects, the introduction of new materials in the form of ETFE foil, for example, and the impending requirements of a membrane structures-specific Eurocode, the need for high quality analysis capabilities is paramount. Existing formulations lag behind shell element counterparts and are based on a range of principles, from discrete to continua, and uniaxial to plane stress constitutive laws. In this paper, we present a linear strain triangular element for the efficient and accurate analysis of membrane structures. The triangular geometry of the element meets typical patterning needs, whilst the novel inclusion of curvature means that each element closely matches the characteristics of the local surface of the membrane efficiently. This is achieved without the introduction of rotational degrees-of-freedom, therefore negating bending stiffnesses that may compromise the quality of the simulation. The element is also shown to work well in predicting the onset and development of wrinkling.