Projects In Urban Areas Research Articles

Following the money: climate adaptation finance in the Marshall Islands

The significant body of research on the distribution of international finance for climate change adaptation shows that it is not well correlated to the vulnerability of countries. Vulnerability differs greatly within countries as well, yet very few studies examine subnational flows of adaptation finance. Here, we present evidence of the subnational allocation of international adaptation finance within the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The RMI is a highly salient case as it is a small island developing state comprised solely of low-lying atolls that is both in need of and a recipient of adaptation finance. We describe patterns of adaptation finance in the RMI between 2015 and 2019 based on analysis of a comprehensive government database of bilateral and multilateral aid projects. We find that flows of adaptation finance were heavily skewed towards a small number of large-scale civil works projects in urban areas funded by multilateral institutions. Rural areas attracted smaller scale projects funded largely by bilateral donors. The overall distribution of adaptation finance across islands is highly sporadic, with hotspots of activity and areas of neglect. Our results suggest the allocation of adaptation finance to the RMI is insufficient relative to needs, poorly coordinated, and fails to reach places where it is most needed.

Urban community development: Reviewing non-profit impact in the USA and Africa

Urban community development: Reviewing non-profit impact in the USA and Africa

Addressing sustainability in mobility: a study on Finnish smart mobility innovation projects

This research studies how recent Finnish smart mobility innovation projects have addressed sustainability in their objectives. A framework and a coding scheme were built upon scientific literature and was used for analysing documented project materials. A truth table was generated that quantifies how the different aspects of sustainability have been addressed in the projects’ objectives. The observed differences between the projects were analysed from two directions: in terms of funding sources (European Union vs. national) and project location (urban vs. rural areas). The results of qualitative comparative analysis showed that while sustainability was by and large present in the projects, some of the aspects of sustainability were more dominantly addressed than others. Also, there were differences in how sustainability was addressed between the projects in urban areas and the projects in rural areas.

Evaluating the impact of construction-induced vibration on nearby structures when building road embankment in Hanoi

Vietnam is currently undertaking numerous transportation and infrastructure projects in urban areas, particularly in densely populated cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These cities have high traffic density and frequent traffic congestion, which necessitates the use of construction equipment such as vibratory rollers and pile drivers. However, these machines can cause vibrations that affect the surrounding structures. This study investigates the impact of roller compaction-induced vibration on the building structure of Ring road No.2 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The finite element method (Plaxis 2D) was applied to evaluate the impact of vibration on surrounding structures. The maximum measured velocity is similar to the values derived from numerical analysis. The Finite element method (FEM) results exhibited a high degree of correlation with the actual velocity measurement and frequency dominant structure responses caused by ground-borne vibration induced by roller compaction within the frequency range of 5 Hz to 10 Hz.

Optimal Network Design for Microseismic Monitoring in Urban Areas - A Case Study in Munich, Germany

Well-designed monitoring networks are crucial for obtaining precise locations, magnitudes and source parameters, both for natural and induced microearthqakes. The performance of a seismic network depends on many factors, including network geometry, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the seismic station, instrumentation and sampling rate. Therefore, designing a high-quality monitoring network in an urban environment is challenging due to the high level of anthropogenic noise and dense building infrastructure, which can impose geometrical limitations and elevated construction costs for sensor siting. To address these challenges, we apply a numerical optimization approach to design a microseismic surveillance network for induced earthquakes in the metropolitan area of Munich (Germany), where several geothermal plants exploit a deep hydrothermal reservoir. First of all, we develop a detailed noise model for the city of Munich, to capture the heterogeneous noise conditions. Then, we calculate the expected location precision for a randomly chosen network geometry from the body-wave amplitudes and travel times of a synthetic earthquake catalog considering the modeled local noise level at each network station. In the next step, to find the optimum network configuration, we use a simulated annealing approach in order to minimize the error ellipsoid volume of the linearized earthquake location problem. The results indicate that a surface station network cannot reach the required location precision (0.5 km in epicentre and 2 km in source depth) and detection capability (magnitude of completeness Mc = 1.0) due to the city´s high seismic noise level. In order to reach this goal, borehole stations need to be added to increase the SNR of the microearthquake recordings, the accuracy of their body-wave arrival times and source parameters. The findings help to better quantify the seismic monitoring requirements for a save operation of deep geothermal projects in urban areas.

3D Finite Element Model and Measurement Comparison for Roller Compaction Ιnduced Vibration: The Case Study of a Ring Road in Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnam is currently constructing many transportation and infrastructure projects in urban areas. During the construction process of road foundations such as pile driving and vibratory compaction often causes vibrations that can affect nearby structures. Therefore, it is necessary to study the impact of vibrations induced by construction activities. A study was conducted to investigate the impact of roller compaction-induced vibration on the buildings and structures of Ring Road No.2 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study also applied a 3D FEM method to evaluate the impact of vibration on surrounding structures. The results showed a good correlation between finite element calculations and field measurements.

Frequency Analysis of Hydrological Data for Urban Floods—Review of Traditional Methods and Recent Developments, Especially an Introduction of Japanese Proper Methods

Frequency analysis has long been an important theme of hydrology research. Although meteorological techniques (physical approaches) such as radar nowcasting, remote sensing, and forecasting heavy rainfall events using meteorological simulation models are quite effective for urban disaster prevention, statistical and stochastic theories that include frequency analysis, which are usually used in flood control plans, are also valuable for flood control plans for disaster prevention. Master plans for flood control projects in urban areas often use the concept of T-year hydrological values with a T-year return period. A flood control target is a “landside area that is safe against heavy rainfall or floods with a return period of T years”. This review emphasizes discussions of parameter estimation of stochastic models and selection of optimal statistical models, which include evaluation of goodness-of-fit techniques of statistical models. Based on those results, the authors criticize Japanese standard procedures recommended by the central government. Consistency between parameter estimation and evaluation of goodness-of-fit is necessary. From this perspective, we recommend using the maximum likelihood method and AIC, both of which are related to Kullback–Leibler divergence. If one prefers using SLSC, we recommend not SLSC itself but SLSC’s non-exceedance probability. One important purpose of this review is the introduction of well-used Japanese methods. Because some techniques that are slightly different from the international standard have been used for many years in Japan, we introduce those in the review article.

Assessment of trace elements pollution in snow piles removed from residential areas in Perm, Russia

Atmospheric deposition, vehicular transportation and de-icing agents are major sources polluted snow in urban. This study investigates the current trace elements concentrations of snow and de-icing using ICP-MS, and phytotoxicity using three vascular plants in snow. The study assesses the contamination, classification and phytotoxicity of snow quality removed from roads of residential areas and piled on children’s playgrounds in residential territories. The research found that according to Russian environmental quality standard for water has been identified the exceeding trace elements in snow by W, Se, Mn, Cu, V, Mo, Ni and Zn. The pollution indices ( PLI, CF and Zc) were identified pollution level of snow piles from moderate contamination to very high contamination. Based on average germination index values for Sinapis alba L., Lepidium sativum L., and Triticum aestivum L., the degree of inhibition in snow piles varied from no inhibition to strong inhibition. The trace elements content in de-icing “Galit А” and salt sand mix are defined in the following descending order: Zn > Mn > Ba > V > Rb > Sr and Mn > Ba > Cr > V > Sr > Ni, respectively. High concentrations of trace elements in snow piles are a source of environmental pollution. To prevent snow storage and disposal in residential areas should be involved in future studies of environmental pollution and circular economy, so that environmental managers can reduce threats to the environment and public health, as well as initiate circular economy projects in urban areas.

Study of the Factors Affecting the Quality and Safety of Deep Excavations in Urban Areas of Casablanca-Settat Province-Morocco

Understanding the project environment is essential in managing the works and controlling the risks associated with deep excavations in urban areas. The study was carried out on 33 risks related to the project site (SR) and the company (CR). The projects concerned are located in the Casablanca region. A structured survey questionnaire was sent to 100 project managers, researchers, and construction management experts to attract relevant data, which resulted in a relatively high response rate of 54%. This paper applies the principal component analysis (PCA) method to reduce the original data variables and identify risk factors associated with deep excavations. Spearman rank correlation tests show a good consensus among respondents to corroborate the results further. The PCA results in four principal factors (SR) accounting for 68% of the variance explained. Site geology, geotechnics, and hydrogeology account for 32% of the environmental and social impacts of excavation (17%), natural hazards (10%), and proximity to existing structures (8%). Moreover, four main factors (CR) explain about 72% of all the factors analyzed; non-security of the works (32%), non-quality of project staff (18%), project cost overrun (14%), and non-quality of excavation works (9%). These results are useful for critical thinking in planning excavation projects in urban areas. This study provides the urban development community with valuable information to reassess risk factors and realign project management strategies to ensure the quality and safety of deep excavations.

Optimizing Material Parameters to Best Capture Deformation Responses in Supported Bottom-up Excavation: Field Monitoring and Inverse Analysis

Deep excavation projects in urban areas need to control ground deformation to avoid structural damage from construction activities. Because of the inherent uncertainties of subsurface conditions, it is not easy to predict the ground deformation during the design phase. The inverse analysis technique can be a practical solution, which involves updating the soil parameters to find the best fit to the field observations. This paper describes the inverse analyses and the results for supported bottom-up excavation site located in Incheon, Korea. Observations of the lateral deformation of the excavation support wall were used for the inverse analyses to find the optimized stiffness. To understand how the optimized parameter evolves throughout the excavation process, the Mohr-Coulomb (MC), hardening soil (HS), and hardening soil with small strains (HSS) models were employed in the investigation, and the responses of each model were compared. This paper summarizes the stiffness evolution of each soil model as the excavation proceeded. Ground settlement results with the optimized stiffness were also discussed.

Exploring the Case Beijing 798 Arts District Demonstrates the Power of Cultural and Creative Industry

Introduction The success of the 798 Arts District stems from the grassroots movement initiated by the artists and non-profit institutes. They challenged the authorities, who intended to carry out the demolition of the 798 Arts District, to preserve the cultural heritage of that area and shift power to the people. The 798 Arts District can serve as a model of sustainability for other arts districts or redevelopment projects in urban areas.

Beijing 798 Arts District Demonstrates the Power of Cultural and Creative Industry

Abstract The success of the 798 Arts District stems from the grassroots movement initiated by the artists and non-profit institutes. They challenged the authorities, who intended to carry out the demolition of the 798 Arts District, to preserve the cultural heritage of that area and shift power to the people. The 798 Arts District can serve as a model of sustainability for other arts districts or redevelopment projects in urban areas. VIU logo WLCE logo Information Vancouver Island University World Leisure Centre of Excellence Main image by Leeluv (2011) © Lihui Wu 2022

New rail transit projects and land values: The difference in the impact of rail transit investment on different land types, values and locations

This study explores differences in the effects of rail transit investment across various types of lands with different values and locations, using the development of Seoul Metro Line 9 (SML9) in Korea as a case. Seoul Metro Line 9′s proximity, neighbourhood and wider economic effects are assessed. A spatial autoregressive difference-in-difference (SAR-DID) model is developed to control for the issue of spatial autocorrelation, together with a standard difference-in-difference model and a quantile regression model. The findings of these analyses are as follows. First, office and apartment lands received the largest proximity and wider economic benefits from SML9 development in their respective category. Second, SML9′s neighbourhood effects are larger for lands that increased their business and development opportunities due to the opening of SML9, such as retail and low-rise multi-family house lands. Third, the proximity and wider economic effects of rail transit investment and its neighbourhood effect generally increase with proximity to a rail station. Finally, residential and commercial lands at low price levels received fewer benefits from the completion of SML9 than those at the upper price levels. These differences are related to the various factors presented in this paper, such as the amount of capital accumulated on the lands, the number of users of the network on the lands and the different nature of each type of residential and commercial land. Based on the improved understanding of the relationship between the effects of rail transit investment and land characteristics, a well-organised land use plan for new rail transit projects can be formulated. An important implication for policymakers is that a well-organised land use plan can not only regulate land uses in the area of rail stations, but is also one of key tools to promote successful rail transit projects in urban areas.

Contextualising Compulsory Land Acquisition Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development in Burundi

Compulsory land acquisition is inevitable for developing countries so that they can implement projects in urban areas for the quest of sustainable urban development. However, the decisions on land acquisition have to be contextualised so that the PAPs should be protected from disruptions and loss of livelihoods that may lead to uncertain sustainable urban development. This paper examines two projects implemented in Bujumbura City through compulsory land acquisition. A desk review and checklist question have been mobilised to collect data that are source of information presented herein. The results show that compulsory purchase, purchase by agreement and the combination of the two have been applied to acquire land. Furthermore, these approaches caused the eruption of informal settlements and petty trading activities where PAPs were involved in. Therefore, the paper recommends to have a contextualised approach in the process of compulsory land acquisition.

Integrated InSAR monitoring and structural assessment of tunnelling‐induced building deformations

Structural deformation monitoring is crucial for the identification of early signs of tunnelling-induced damage to adjacent structures and for the improvement of current damage assessment procedures. Satellite multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (MT-InSAR) techniques enable measurement of building displacements over time with millimetre-scale accuracy. Compared to traditional ground-based monitoring, MT-InSAR can yield denser and cheaper building observations, representing a cost-effective monitoring tool. However, without integrating MT-InSAR techniques and structural assessment, the potential of InSAR monitoring cannot be fully exploited. This integration is particularly demanding for large construction projects, where big datasets need to be processed. In this paper, we present a new automated methodology that integrates MT-InSAR-based building deformations and damage assessment procedures to evaluate settlement-induced damage to buildings adjacent to tunnel excavations. The developed methodology was applied to the buildings along an 8-km segment of the Crossrail tunnel route in London, using COSMO-SkyMed MT-InSAR data from 2011 to 2015. The methodology enabled the identification of damage levels for 858 buildings along the Crossrail twin tunnels, providing an unprecedented number of high quality field observations for building response to settlements. The proposed methodology can be used to improve current damage assessment procedures, for the benefit of future underground excavation projects in urban areas.

Damage Estimation in Masonry Buildings Based on Excavation-Induced Ground Movements

Excavation-induced ground movements and the resulting damages to adjacent structures and facilities is a source of concern for excavation projects in urban areas. The concern will be even higher if the adjacent structure is old or has low strength parameters like masonry building. Frame distortion and crack generation are predictors of building damage resulted from excavation-induced ground movements, which pose challenges to projects involving excavations. This study is aimed to investigate the relation between excavation-induced ground movements and damage probability of buildings in excavation affected distance. The main focus of this paper is on masonry buildings and excavations stabilized using soil nail wall method. To achieve this purpose, 21 masonry buildings adjacent to 12 excavation projects were studied. Parametric studies were performed by developing 3D FE models of brick walls and excavations stabilized using soil nail wall. Finally, probability evaluations were conducted to analyze the outputs obtained from case studies. Based on the obtained results, simple charts were established to estimate the damage of masonry structures in excavation affected distance with two key parameters including “Displacement Ratio” and “Normalized Distance”. The results also highlight the effects of building distance from excavation wall on its damage probability.

Spatial correlation analysis using the indicators of the anthropocene focusing on atmospheric pollution: A case study of Seoul

We analyzed the correlation between air pollution indicators representing the earth changes in urban areas and socio-economic indicators representing human influences in urban areas spatially. This study is meaningful as it spatially represents the correlation between human influences and Earth system changes. Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan area were selected as the case study area, as these areas have experienced urbanization at the same rates depicted in the Great Acceleration graphs of the Anthropocene. Data corresponding to the socio-economic and Earth system change indicators used in the Great Acceleration graphs were collected to create a spatial model. Four cases with different spatial ranges and variables were composed and compared. Of the four cases, the Seoul range model using ground-level ozone rate was observed to have the highest explanatory power. Ground-level ozone rate was highly correlated with air pollutant emissions, number of parking lots, number of residential facilities, and reconstruction projects in urban areas. The model that had used fine particulate matter rate as the dependent variable did not significantly correlate with the explanatory variables. The results from the spatial correlation analysis were meaningful as they may be used to inform policy decisions relating to mitigating changes in the district system in local urban areas.

Selection of Optimized Retaining Wall Technique Using Self-Organizing Maps

Construction projects in urban areas tend to be associated with high-rise buildings and are of very large-scales; hence, the importance of a project’s underground construction work is significant. In this study, a rational model based on machine learning (ML) was developed. ML algorithms are programs that can learn from data and improve from experience without human intervention. In this study, self-organizing maps (SOMs) were utilized. An SOM is an alternative to existing ML methods and involves a subjective decision-making process because a developed model is used for data training to classify and effectively recognize patterns embedded in the input data space. In addition, unlike existing methods, the SOM can easily create a feature map by mapping multidimensional data to simple two-dimensional data. The objective of this study is to develop an SOM model as a decision-making approach for selecting a retaining wall technique. N-fold cross-validation was adopted to validate the accuracy of the SOM model and evaluate its reliability. The findings are useful for decision-making in selecting a retaining wall method, as demonstrated in this study. The maximum accuracy of the SOM was 81.5%, and the average accuracy was 79.8%.

Special construction methods for tunnels with very shallow overburden – Challenge for innovation

AbstractInfrastructure in large cities is getting denser over time. Therefore, interferences with existing structures and complying to project constraints are fast becoming a very common feature during the implementation process of new projects in urban areas. As a consequence, actual geotechnical challenges often require application of innovative methods of construction in order to minimize potential construction impact or disruption. The paper intends to direct the focus on the application of unusual construction methods and will highlight and discuss some very specific solutions to some major challenges of constructing underground projects in urban environments. This is presented in the form of examples applying unusual construction methods for underground structures related to shallow overburden situations such as passenger linkways, which do not normally stand in the forefront of the attention. The paper is written from the viewpoint of a practitioner, who is deeply involved in the actual design for the implementation of such projects.

A Practical Method for Rapid Assessment of Reliability in Deep Excavation Projects

Many reliability analysis methods require complicated mathematical process or access to comprehensive datasets. Such shortcomings limit their application to solve the geotechnical problems. It is of advantage to develop simpler reliability analysis methods that can be employed in the design of geotechnical structures. The current study suggests a simple framework for quick reliability analysis of deep excavation projects in urban areas, which is a common geotechnical problem. To investigate the feasibility of the presented method, five case studies were considered. It is worth mentioning that the horizontal displacement at the crest of excavation was set to be the main system response. For verification purposes, the results were compared to the random set, point estimate and Monte Carlo methods results, which are also used for reliability analysis of geotechnical problems. All case studies were recognized as projects of high importance and monitored during the excavation process. The field observations confirmed that the estimated probabilities of excessive deformations were reasonable for all cases. Comparing the modeling results and field measurements suggests the feasibility of the presented method for evaluating the reliability of deep urban excavations and estimating the horizontal displacement at the crest of excavations.