Municipal Construction Research Articles

Design and Construction of a Piled Mountain with Engineered Municipal Construction Waste over Soft Clay

The deformation mechanism of engineered municipal construction waste (EMCW) is complicated and different from that of the traditional soil. A series of field tests and field measurements were performed on the piled mountain project to investigate the deformation characteristics of EMCW during the construction waste accumulation. Experimental studies revealed that EMCW was defined as a kind of heterogeneous soil with well-graded soil. The coefficients of uniformity were all greater than 10, while the coefficients of curvature were between 1 and 3. The permeability had approximately the same performance as the sandy gravel did. The field test results showed EMCW had the characteristics of small deformation and the time effect of loading. The p–s curves indicated that the bearing capacity of construction waste improved after 1 year’s filling. These phenomena were mostly caused by the complexity, diversity, and inhomogeneity of EMCW. According to the proposed control standards of settlement and lateral deformation, as a method of foundation treatment, EMCW was an effective way to build a large piled mountain on soft soil foundation.

Pollution Characteristics Revealed by Size Distribution Properties of Aerosol Particles at Urban and Suburban Sites, Northwest China

High temporal resolution (5 min) particle size distribution data (0.5. 20 mu m) were collected using aerodynamic particle sizer at an urban (Lanzhou) and a suburban (Yuzhong) site at Lanzhou, northwest China from 1(st) August to 31(st) October 2010. Variations of particle concentrations and properties of volume size distributions (PVSD) were analyzed and urban pollution characteristics were investigated using PVSDs and chemical analysis. The average particle number, surface area and volume concentrations for size range 0.5. 10 mu m were 280.54 +/- 270.92 cm(-3), 331.04 +/- 316.95 mu m(2) cm(-3) and 93.01 +/- 127.75 mu m(3) cm(-3), respectively, at the urban site, which were 2.87, 1.50 and 1.62 times higher than those at the suburban site. Compared with the suburban site, shifts of accumulation mode (0.5. 1.0 mu m) to a smaller size and the coarse mode (1.0. 10 mu m) to a larger size of the PVSDs were observed at the urban site, which may be related to elevated fossil fuel burning and municipal construction or fugitive dust, respectively, in urban area. K-means cluster analysis was used to group the PVSD into six clusters representing the effect of different sources and meteorological conditions. PVSDs at the urban site were dominated by clusters affected by local anthropogenic sources and secondary aerosols, which was characterized by bimodal with peaks at accumulation mode and coarse mode, respectively, while those affected by construction works, wind-borne dust, and dust events were dominated by coarse mode. Chemical composition analysis of PM2.5 samples collected on days representing different clusters confirmed the assignment of clusters to different sources.

Weak-Points Diagnosis and Optimization of Shield Machine Cutter Tool Based on Characteristic Parameters

Shield machine plays an indispensable role in the mining, transportation, underground engineering, hydraulic engineering and municipal construction. Shield cutters of shield construction process often appears serious deformation, damage that leads to engineering accident, or even a threat to human life and safety. In order to provide high precise data for shield machine cutter tool dynamic modification and to diagnose the shield machine cutter tool fault, the dynamic characteristic of the shield machine cutter tool system, which is the main component of a shield machine cutter tool, has to be obtained precisely. The compute modal parameters identification method base on the finite element method is proposed to identify the modal parameters of the shield machine cutter tool. By means of Solidwords software, the knife ring structure of the shield machine tool and the tool is designed; then build the tool the finite element model, modal analysis, obtained the dynamic characteristics, and find out the weak link, put forward the improvement measures and prolong its life. Therefore, the study on dynamic characteristics of shield machine cutter, for the optimization design of domestic tool, has an important significance improve tool life.

Spatiotemporal Characterization of Land Subsidence and Uplift (2009–2010) over Wuhan in Central China Revealed by TerraSAR-X InSAR Analysis

The effects of ground deformation pose a significant geo-hazard to the environment and infrastructure in Wuhan, the most populous city in Central China, in the eastern Jianghan Plain at the intersection of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Prior to this study, however, rates and patterns of region-wide ground deformation in Wuhan were little known. Here we employ multi-temporal SAR interferometry to detect and characterize spatiotemporal variations of ground deformation in major metropolitan areas in Wuhan. A total of twelve TerraSAR-X images acquired during 2009–2010 are used in the InSAR time series analysis. InSAR-derived results are validated by levelling survey measurements and reveal a distinct subsidence pattern within six zones in major commercial and industrial areas, with a maximum subsidence rate up to −67.3 mm/year. A comparison analysis between subsiding patterns and urban developments as well as geological conditions suggests that land subsidence in Wuhan is mainly attributed to anthropogenic activities, natural compaction of soft soil, and karst dissolution of subsurface carbonate rocks. However, anthropogenic activities related to intensive municipal construction and industrial production have more significant impacts on the measured subsidence than natural factors. Moreover, remarkable signals of secular land uplift are found along both banks of the Yangtze River, especially along the southern bank, with deformation rates ranging mostly from +5 mm/year to +17.5 mm/year. A strong temporal correlation is highlighted between the detected displacement evolutions and the water level records of the Yangtze River, inferring that this previously unknown deformation phenomenon is likely related to seasonal fluctuations in water levels of the Yangtze River.

First results of Technosols constructed from municipal waste in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)

Construction of Technosols offers interesting alternatives to two current problems in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain): waste recycling and degraded plot recovery. To evaluate the viability of their use, 6 types of Technosols were created by mixing four different byproducts from municipal waste treatment plants. The less than 40 mm size fraction material from the municipal construction and demolition waste treatment plant was used as the main ingredient, bio-stabilized material from the solid urban waste treatment plant mixed with triturated pruning was used as organic matter input, recycled bentonites and topsoil from the public plots of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) completed the mixture. Mixes were prepared in triplicate and installed in 48 m<sup>2</sup> cells along with another 4 control cells containing only one of the ingredients at the municipal landfill of Gardelegui. A monitoring program for different parameters on soil, eluates and natural leachates was established to test the Technosols’ capacity to sustain vegetation without negative impacts on the environment. The final objective is to test their ability to restore unused municipal plots. Results from the first year show that Technosols are a suitable option for degraded sites restoration and green infrastructure support. All controlled parameters on soil are within the limits set by autonomic legislation for land use as public park. The eluate analysis concludes for all studied parameters that all mixes would be classified by legislation as inert waste, except for the sulphate concentration (which exceeds the inert waste limit of 1 000 ppm), that currently would label the soil as non-hazardous. In the natural leachate analysis strongly basic pH values were present above 9.5, the limit allowed in Royal Decreet 849/1986, but acidified throughout the year moving towards neutrality, with final values between 7.31 and 7.51. Leachate from CDW30, TS15 and RB30 Technosols showed not allowed values with respect to sulfates and Fe during the last sampling, surpassing the limits of 2 mg/l and 2000 mg/l respectively. All studied Technosols presented a low ecological potential risk (RI < 150) for heavy metals in soil and eluates.

Modern Approaches to Publicity and Independence of Local Government: Experience of American Municipalities

Publicity and independence are basic principles of the exercising local government. Due to them not only local problems can be solved openly and without interference from state bodies, but also local authorities can become closer to people in municipalities in order to solve these problems. The aim of this work is the investigation of American experience in the part of legal regulation and realization of publicity principle when people and municipal bodies solve local problems independently.Turning to the experience of the United States of America it is caused by some factors. Firstly, in this country durable and firm traditions are formed in the sphere of local government. Secondly, this country and Russia are united by the Anglo-Saxon model of local government, on which the organization of municipal power is based. Thirdly, both states are the largest federations, which are objectively difficult to govern from the federal centre. Without participation of citizens and bodies formed by them in processes of government solution of problems of providing local communities with life necessities it is impossible under modern conditions.A lot of international law acts, including European Charter of Local Self-Government, connect democracy with the local government as the effective government, which is close to citizens (European Charter of Local Self-Government, 1985). However, influence of the publicity principle on the processes of local government remains an underinvestigated scientific direction. As the result of considering the status of the problem under investigation in the local communities in the United States of America specific features of performing publicity and openness were discovered in the interrelation between authorities and people Characteristics of the American model of local government are pointed out. They may be recommended to be applied in the home municipal construction. In this connection, the investigation is new, it contains theoretical conclusions and positive experience, what brings new knowledge to science and practice of local government. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p31

The Current Problems of Urban Ecological Food Construction and Counter Measures

The paper presents problems of eco-environmental construction on municipal virescence, water environment, water ecology, and landscape as well as urban ecological system of quantity, quality and capacity in our country, and analysis the causes of these problems. Measures are proposed, such as knowing the meaning of municipal eco-environmental construction, increasing the environmental protect consciousness of managers and enhancing the municipal eco-systemic construction.

Developing and Testing an Online Tool for Probing Customer Preferences

This article describes the development of a new online tool for collecting data about customer preferences. The tool was created to produce comprehensive data on the connections between important variables, while offering an interesting and easy-to-use tool for respondents and researchers. The tool uses the principle of a mind-map. It was applied to two cases concerning housing preferences, and to one of municipal construction. Consumer preferences are complex and the authors thought that a visual tool could prove helpful in data collection. We present examples of network analysis, which give good insights into the complexity of preferences. Ways to improve the usability and analytical potential of the tool are also discussed. The mind-map tool shows potential for being a good data collection method, although further development is necessary to uncover the whole potential of the tool.

Contractors’ performance using the balanced scorecard approach (BSC) and Fuzzy AHP (Study case: municipal construction projects in Baqer Shahr in Tehran)

Abstract. The goal of current research is identifying performance evaluation indicators of construction companies in Baqer Shahr municipal using balanced scorecard approach in six dimensions (Financial, stakeholders, internal processes, learning and development, employee satisfaction and the environment and society) and using fuzzy AHP approach for weighting to indicators and ranking contractors. The statistical population of this research is 100 managers and municipal experts of Baqer Shahr that was minimized to 79 using Cochran’s method. The results of this research can give a comprehensive attitude in recognizing performance evaluation indicators of construction companies in Tehran municipal and propose a systematic way for ranking these companies considering their performance in each study index and help them in choosing these contractors.

Differential Settlement due to Ground Fissures in Xi’an

From 1950s 13 NEE ground fissures have been found in the suburb and downtown area of Xi’an city. Ground fissures bring harm to the Xi'an municipal construction, especially to the subway construction. By dynamic characteristics of Xi’an ground fissures, factors influencing differential settlement are analyzed and a conclusion is drawn that exploitation of ground water and the differential clay thickness on both sides of ground fissures is the governing factor. The amount of differential settlement in the following 50 years is predicted by ground-water Model and Verhulst Model. Good agreement is shown between these results. It leads us to suggest that the differential settlement will cut off the subway tunnel in the future and actions must be taken in the design phase of subway tunnel.

Application of Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation in the Bid Evaluation of Municipal Engineering Construction Projects

In this paper, four bidding enterprises participated in the tendering of municipal engineering construction are evaluated in the bidding process, tendering process and bid evaluation of a large museum by applying the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and referring to features of municipal engineering construction projects, so as to select the best bidder. With this method, there will be few subjective factors influencing the decision makers during the bid evaluation process, which can reflect the strength of each bidder objectively and accurately, and improve the bid evaluation method in comprehensiveness and rationality.

Eco-Environmental Construction in Zhengzhou

After a discussion of present problems of eco-environmental construction on municipal virescence , water environment and water ecology, and landscape as well as urban ecological system of quantity, quality and capacity in Zhengzhou, the causes of these problems are analyzed. Measures are put forward, such as knowing the meaning of municipal eco-environmental construction, increasing the environmental protect consciousness of managers and enhancing the municipal eco-systemic construction.

Factors influencing municipal construction project performance

There is a strong correlation between practised critical success factors and the efficiency of performance measurement systems in delivering satisfactory service. Construction project success is affected by multiple diminution factors, including critical success factors. Determining success factors is a vital tool that leads to project success. However, application of critical success factors alone is not enough but is necessary as a part of performance measurement systems. Despite the significance of critical success factors in the construction industry and the vast amount of research conducted, Saudi Arabia's construction industry in general and its performance measurement in particular have not yet been investigated. The objectives were to investigate and identify the various attributes that affect the performance of municipal construction projects in Saudi Arabia. The study was carried out through review of previous research and postal questionnaire returns from 261 Saudi municipalities. The field work was conducted for three key participants, namely contractors, owners and consultants, to identify performance measures and critical success factors to design performance measurement systems. The review concentrated on critical success factors, performance measures and obstacles associated with their application. Statistical analysis techniques used were mean values and analysis of variance. The survey concluded that the most important critical success factors for three stages reduced from 69 to 20 factors.

Characteristics of water-soluble inorganic ions in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 in the coastal urban agglomeration along the Western Taiwan Strait Region, China

PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 aerosol samples were collected in four seasons during November 2010, January, April, and August 2011 at 13 urban/suburban sites and one background site in Western Taiwan Straits Region (WTSR), which is the coastal area with rapid urbanization, high population density, and deteriorating air quality. The 10 days average PM2.5 concentrations were 92.92, 51.96, 74.48, and 89.69 μg/m(3) in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively, exceeding the Chinese ambient air quality standard for annual average value of PM2.5 (grade II, 35 μg/m(3)). Temporal distribution of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in PM2.5 was coincident with PM2.5 mass concentrations, showing highest in spring, lowest in summer, and middle in autumn and winter. WSIIs took considerable proportion (42.2 ∼ 50.1 %) in PM2.5 and PM2.5-10. Generally, urban/suburban sites had obviously suffered severer pollution of fine particles compared with the background site. The WSIIs concentrations and characteristics were closely related to the local anthropogenic activities and natural environment, urban sites in cities with higher urbanization level, or sites with weaker diffuse condition suffered severer WSIIs pollution. Fossil fuel combustion, traffic emissions, crustal/soil dust, municipal constructions, and sea salt and biomass burnings were the major potential sources of WSIIs in PM2.5 in WTSR according to the result of principal component analysis.

Research on Budget Control at the Stage of Municipal Road Design

With the rapid development of economy, the investment of municipal road construction project also has a quick growth. Design phase is crucial that determines the cost of a construction project. Stage of the project cost only ensure the timeliness and accuracy in order to manage the whole process of the project cost in the effective control of project cost of the occurrence, and improve investment returns and social benefits. This paper studies the budget control in design phase of municipal roads.

Green's Function Solution of Multiple Shallow-Buried Cavities and Inclusions in Elastic Semi-Space

In engineering composite materials, earthquake engineering and modern municipal construction, it can be found that there are shallow-buried cavity or inclusion structure near surface. When structure is impacted by dynamic load, scattering field will be produced because of the cavity or the inclusion, and it could cause dynamic stress concentration at the edge of the cavity or inclusion. In this paper, Green's Function is studied, which is the solution of displacement field for elastic semi-space with multiple shallow-buried cavities and inclusions while bearing anti-plane harmonic line source force at any point. In the complex plane, considering the symmetry of SH-wave scattering, the displacement field aroused by the anti-plane harmonic line source force and the scattering displacement field impacted by multiple cylindrical cavities and inclusions are constructed. Through applying the method of multi-polar coordinate system, the equations with unknown coefficients can be obtained by using the stress or displacement condition of the cylindrical cavities and inclusions in the radial direction. According to orthogonality condition for trigonometric function, these equations can be reduced to a series of algebraic equations. By solving these algebraic equations the value of the unknown coefficients can be obtained. So the total wave displacement field could be got. By using the expressions, an example is provided to show the effect of the change of relative location of the cylindrical cavities, inclusions and the location of the line source force.

Design of Key Parts of a Pneumatic Conveying System Used in a New Small Trenchless Drilling Robot

Through research on Pneumatic Conveying technology and the principle of Laval Jet, we completed the design of key parts of a mud dust conveying system used a new small trenchless drilling robot in municipal road construction.

The Whole Process Tracking Audit of Municipal Engineering Cost

By analyzing the performance of traditional audit approach in municipal engineering construction, this paper put forward the whole process tracking audit, and proposed its superiority in controlling engineering cost emphatically from the content of each auditing stage.

Taipei City Smooth Pavement (Luping) Project

This thesis explains that Taipei City actively conducted various municipal constructions to create a proactive city with global perspectives. Road construction was undoubtedly one of the major tasks, thus Taipei promoted the Luping Project to improve roads under a project management model. The plan was to complete renovation of all main road in the city in six years, from 2009 to 2014. It has been over four years now (2013) since the initiation of the Luping Project began in 2009. The promotion has executed from the aspects of technology, system and management through standardization of construction procedure, popularization of education and training and fulfillment of excavation management to solve problems including too many and uneven manholes, poor roadbed, rough roads and poor durability. The outcomes of manhole reduction, roadbed improvement and smoothness of roads have been quite well these past three years, and have been approved by citizens.

Evaluation of Green Cement Manufacturing Seeking Joint Treatment for Urban Refuse

Sanitary landfill, Burning, Compost are the main method to dispose gabage in China.If urben refuse is put into the cement kiln, processing it, producing cement, it will benefit all. This mature method has no influence on neither the cement production nor the quality of cement products,however the indexes of all emissions in the manufacturing meet the national standards. Statistics show the heat generated by every ton of waste is equal to that of 183kg standard coals; the cinders are mixed in cement during the treatment process, thus 107kilograms substitute raw materials can be generated by every ton of waste, and 6 to 7 percent are added. Moreever, it reduces carbon dioxide emission 8000 tons for every 10,000 tons waste. This paper concludes: the utilization of cement kiln to incinerate domestic waste has obvious advantages in environmental protection and total investment does not cost much. The municipal engineering construction has the priority to use the products from domestic treatment cement factories, and domestic waste incineration cement factories should be under self-management. Also supportive policies as well as the readjustment of waste treatment management and interest pattern can promote the development of treating urban domestic waste by cement production.