Port Of Portland Research Articles

Deconstructing Sustainability Perceptions: Investigating Technological Innovation-Environmental Interaction in Green Buildings and the Influence of Architectural Design

Sustainability principles impact green building infrastructure design, planning and construction decisions. The influence of social perceptions in transforming notions of green architecture and sustainable designs as desirable are also interesting contexts for urban design researchers in addressing environmental impacts. The aim of this paper is to discuss a breadth of available literature on architectural sustainability, and the many effects of urbanisation. Few scholars have attempted to frame qualitative discussions of sustainability perceptions with regards technological interaction with built environments. Research utilises two green building design frameworks to analyse differences between sustainability perceptions of innovation and environmental design aesthetics, namely technological innovation interaction with architecture, and architectural design interaction with nature. Findings from case studies of three examples namely The Port of Portland, The Pompidou Centre Paris, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s First Unitarian Society are deconstructed using qualitative approach to demonstrate that while architectural interaction with nature is viewed as ideal characteristics, green building design innovations with technological interactions play a larger role in influencing social perceptions towards sustainability. Findings suggest that green buildings should encompass a wider range of aesthetic-based designs, from passive ventilation to lighting systems and materials, but in order to sustain positive stakeholders’ perceptions, social benefits and education among green building policymakers, designers and architects is crucial. Recommendations on how to cultivate a balance in pragmatic, cost-conscious approaches, including interactions with technologies, will be discussed in conclusion.

THE UK RESPONSE TO THE NAPOLI INCIDENT

Incident Overview During severe weather conditions on the morning of 18 January 2007, the MSC NAPOLI, a UK-registered vessel, suffered flooding in her engine room in French Territorial Waters. The MSC NAPOLTs Master took the decision that the danger to the vessel was sufficient to order the crew to abandon the ship. All the crew were successfully rescued by UK helicopter from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has instigated a full investigation into the causes of the incident. The English Channel is a zone of joint responsibility between France and the UK with regards to maritime pollution incidents under the auspices of the multi lateral Bonn Agreement. There is an Anglo-French joint maritime contingency plan, which is referred to as the Mancheplan. The French and English authorities were faced with a large container ship known to be carrying a cargo that included potentially hazardous materials and to have more than 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil on board. Particular a...

Growth in blue gum forest harvesting and haulage requirements in the Green Triangle region between 2008 and 2020

Summary The Green Triangle blue gum industry has a forecast sustainable yield of 3.7 million t y−1 that should be realised by 2013. We estimate that the industry will require between 166 and 249 harvest-related machines to achieve this yield, with a total capital value of between $82 and $107 million. Haulage needs of the emerging blue gum industry are likely to put significant pressure on Green Triangle roads, in particular at the Port of Portland where the bulk of this wood will be delivered. To handle this harvest we estimate that either 109 semi-trailers or 81 B-double units will be required. Use of larger units will reduce the traffic density but will require ‘education’ of other road users. The skill levels required by workers using alternative harvesting systems vary; in particular in-forest chipping with debarking at the forest edge is predicted to place the least demand on operator skills. Additional in-forest labour, estimated to be between 246 and 389 workers, will be needed. The greatest demand for training is likely to occur in 2011. This study has identified a clear need for the blue gum industry to undertake significant planning and preparation for harvesting and hauling the resource. This task includes liaison with road providers, development of loading and unloading infrastructure, and provision of operator and driver training. The expansion provides considerable opportunities in many sectors of the forest and related industries.

T Rays vs. Terrorists: Widening the Security Spectrum

The 10 August 2006 arrest in Britain of 24 terrorists bent on smuggling bomb components aboard airplanes and combining them en route is just the latest salvo in the Darwinian battle between developers of terrorist weaponry and those seeking to defeat them. The array of diabolical methods available to terrorists is truly terrifying, ranging from nuclear weapons and “dirty bombs” to biological and chemical weapons and explosives. Detection and assessment of terrorist threats is generally possible today with enough time, money, and laboratory equipment, but the ideal technology would be fast, accurate, cheap, easy to use, and portable or able to remotely detect threats, with an emphasis on prevention. No technology now exhibits all these virtues, but under the pressure of terrorists’ inventiveness, researchers are working steadily to develop and apply improved systems. Now researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are getting promising results from experiments using “T rays,” the terahertz (THz) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In March 2006 Argonne announced that a research team there had shown for the first time that T rays can be used to identify explosives and poison gas precursors. The Argonne team also successfully used millimeter-wave radar to remotely detect airborne chemicals and the effects of radiation in the air. These results are currently being written up for publication. T rays and millimeter waves are at the low-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum, between microwaves and infrared frequencies. According to Nachappa “Sami” Gopalsami, a senior electrical engineer at Argonne and a lead researcher on the THz sensor project, the general characteristics of T rays and millimeter waves are the same. “But,” he says, “new physics and phenomena are beginning to be explored as we move up in frequencies.” Although many detection techniques currently in use are based on electromagnetic radiation and mass spectrometry, T rays and millimeter waves have not previously been used in this context, mainly due to an inability to generate broadband pulses in these frequencies. In the Argonne experiments, however, THz spectrometry sensors provided unambiguous identification of explosive chemicals, including TNT and plastic explosives. Gopalsami says this method is “highly specific” and will eliminate interference from confounding elements. The Argonne team has been collaborating with researchers at Dartmouth College, Sandia National Laboratory, Sarnoff Corporation, and AOZT Finn-Trade of St. Petersburg, Russia. Funding has come from the U.S. Air Force, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. But although national security imperatives are the driving force behind current research, many of the resulting technologies could also prove useful in environmental health applications. Being able to remotely detect and identify chemicals will be helpful in monitoring gas pipeline leaks, chemical plants, vehicle emissions, and the like. Gopalsami says the T ray technology can detect some of the most important environmental hazards including ozone, volatile organics, and cyanide compounds. Medical applications, particularly imaging techniques for body tissues and teeth, are also in the offing, especially because the THz zone is on the opposite end of the electromagnetic spectrum from X rays, and thus of lower energy and far less damaging to living tissue.

Acoustical Acceptance Testing of Portland (Oregon) International Airport Ground Run-Up Enclosure

The Port of Portland constructed an aircraft ground run-up enclosure (GRE) at Portland International Airport (PDX) to allow unrestricted daytime and nighttime aircraft maintenance run-ups while complying with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) standards for community noise levels. To ensure compliance with the DEQ standards, a rigorous acoustical acceptance testing specification was developed and implemented. The PDX specification included measurements of three representative aircraft run-ups conducted at the GRE site (i.e., with GRE) and at a nearby equivalent site (i.e., without GRE). At each test site, measurements were required at six microphone locations at a reference distance of 400 ft (120 m) from the test aircraft, where variability in measured sound levels due to meteorological conditions would be limited. Although not part of the official acceptance test, simultaneous measurements were conducted in representative community locations as the start of ongoing community monitoring to be conducted by the Port of Portland. In April 2001, the GRE met the acoustical acceptance testing specifications and demonstrated compliance with the DEQ community requirements. The multiple-microphone arrays displayed the significant effect of noise shielding provided by aircraft fuselages and suggested that modifications may be appropriate for future applications of the test procedure.

Working with a Community in Crisis: Sustaining and Strengthening the Portland, Maine Seafood Industry

A crisis in the commercial fishing industry jeopardized long term survival of the Port of Portland, the second largest seaport in New England and a significant contributor to Maine’s economic health. The State of Maine Department of Marine Resources and the City of Portland wanted to find a solution such that industry stakeholders would self-organize, define the industry’s future, and create and implement a viable strategy. The consultant conceptualized the project using complexity theory because this theory reflected the deep, complex, community inter-relationships and also provided the opportunity to integrate activities and outcomes across all phases of the project.

Financing the Airport Light Rail Line in Portland, Oregon

Airport MAX is a 5.5 mile light rail project in Portland, Oregon, connecting the city9s public transit system to its airport. Bechtel Enterprises, the designer and builder of the facility, received in return for its services an 85-year ground lease on 120 acres of commercial property that it is developing with its partner, Trammel Crow. The $125 million cost of the light rail facility was financed jointly by the City of Portland; the Port of Portland; the Portland Development Commission; Tri-Met, the public transportation authority; and Cascade Station Development Company, the Bechtel-Trammel Crow joint venture. The interagency cooperation required to structure this complex undertaking was facilitated by a collegial management style and long-term working relationships among parties in the various organizations involved.

The cooperative approach to noise compatibility planning at Portland International Airport

The Port of Portland's cooperative approach to airport noise compatibility planning has produced a plan that seeks to balance the concerns of the community with the needs of the airport and its users. This plan has reduced the number of residents within the Ldn 55 contour by 85%, without employing costly operating restrictions. The success achieved is directly attributable to the cooperative process that involves the utilization of an advisory committee to help identify and resolve airport noise issues. This committee, consisting of all parties having an interest in the airport noise issue, has worked together since 1982 in structuring and implementing the noise abatement plan. This plan is made up of three interrelated programs: an operational program, a land use program, and a review and monitoring program. The operational program includes specific flight track assignments, while the land use program requires sound insulation of some residential dwellings, and adoption of city and county noise overlay zones. The review and monitoring program is the part of the plan that insures the ongoing cooperative process, and maintains compatibility with the community.

A simulation analysis for a transtainer-based container handling facility

The efficiency of a marine cargo terminal depends primarily upon a smooth and orderly flow of material during the container loading process. It has been observed that the transtainer operation is the bottleneck in the loading process due to the frequent container rehandles and its speed. Past attempts at improving port operations have concentrated on the computerization of the load planning function and the efficient warehouse of the outbound containers. These attempts have, to some extent, been successful but have not been able to significantly eliminate the unproductive movements of the material handling equipment during the load operation. This study proposes a methodology of utilizing a buffer space as a method to increase the utilization of the material handling equipment and reduce the total container loading time. A stimulation model using a graphics simulation system is developed to compare the proposed methodology with the current practice at the Port of Portland. The results from 96 simulation runs show that the use of a buffer space significantly improves the flow of material during the loading operation, resulting in an average of 4% reduction in the total loading time. The methodology proposed in this study can be evaluated and implemented for any transtainer-based container port operation, and is anticipated to make considerable contribution to the plannig of future container port design.

ADAPTING TECHNIQUES TO CONDITIONS: CLEANUP OF A WASTE OIL SPILL

ABSTRACT Waste oil from an oil recycling facility in Portland, Oregon, was discharged accidentally into nearby Smith Lake. The cleanup effort was hampered by a number of factors, including vegetation in the lake and subfreezing temperatures. The recovery method that proved most successful consisted of washing the oil toward the shore, where it was picked up by rope mop and belt mop skimmers. Approximately 10,000 gal of emulsified oil were eventually recovered. Topsoil was removed along the shoreline to a depth of 2 in. The property owner (the Port of Portland) also required that 18 in. of soil be removed in the area where the oil had entered the lake. New topsoil was installed and seeded.

Portland Harbor evaluation

Abstract Millions of tons of petroleum products are handled annually through the Port of Portland, Maine. In 1966, a citizens response to a local environmental problem focusing attention on this movement was instrumental in the formation of the Portland Harbor Pollution Abatement Committee, Inc. As a portion of the committee's activities, a study proposal was submitted to the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration which resulted in the award of: R&D Grant No. 150–80–DOZ “Test and Evaluate Mechanical and Pneumatic Barriers to Contain Spilled Oil and Means for Removing the Contained Oil in Harbors and Adjacent Waters.” The findings from this research and development study will result in the publication of a unique “cookbook” type manual for oil pollution control written specifically for use by the man on the scene at the waterfront. Controlled testing for this type of research was conducted in what can be considered one of the finest outdoor laboratories. Advanced testing will continue under the sam...

Portland Harbor Evaluation

Abstract Millions of tons of petroleum products are handled annually through the Port of Portland, Maine. In 1966, a citizens response to a local environmental problem focusing attention on this movement was instrumental in the formation of the Portland Harbor Pollution Abatement Committee, Inc. As a portion of the committee's activities, a study proposal was submitted to the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration which resulted in the award of: R&D Grant No. 150–80–DOZ “Test and Evaluate Mechanical and Pneumatic Barriers to Contain Spilled Oil and Means for Removing the Contained Oil in Harbors and Adjacent Waters.” The findings from this research and development study will result in the publication of a unique “cookbook” type manual for oil pollution control written specifically for use by the man on the scene at the waterfront. Controlled testing for this type of research was conducted in what can be considered one of the finest outdoor laboratories. Advanced testing will continue under the sam...