Real Projects Research Articles

Multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem with multiple shifts and dynamic energy prices

Considering the characteristics of time-of-use tariffs and multi-shifts in real-life project execution scenarios, we present a multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem with multi-shift and time-of-use tariffs (MRCPSP-MS-TOU). The MRCPSP-MS-TOU is a bi-objective scheduling problem that aims to simultaneously minimise both project duration and energy costs. In this problem, renewable resources are the critical equipment that consumes the most energy and can work continuously for multiple shifts. Activities that require critical equipment with high energy consumption are given priority for shifts with lower electricity prices under time-of-use tariffs. We construct a mixed integer linear programming model for the MRCPSP-MS-TOU. For small-scale projects, the ε-constraint method is implemented to solve the MRCPSP-MS-TOU using the Gurobi optimiser. For large-scale projects, this paper develops meta-heuristic algorithms in the framework of the two non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm versions. The MRCPSP-MS-TOU enables manufacturers and the construction industry to schedule projects using time-of-use tariffs and multi-shifts in a more efficient manner since it can control the intensity of energy consumption, reduce project costs, make full use of energy-intensive equipment, and effectively reduce order delivery time.

Environmental, Social, and Governance Scores and Loan Composition Inside United States Banks

We analyze the loan portfolios of United States banks from 2013 to 2023, showing that high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) banks have larger shares of consumer loans and commercial loans and smaller shares of construction loans and real estate loans. We also find that the governance pillar (G) is more tightly related to the bank loan composition compared to the environmental (E) and social (S) pillars. Furthermore, we show that construction loans and real estate loans decrease more considerably with bank ESG scores inside countries with high gas emissions, i.e., where ESG issues would arguably be more serious. Our interpretation is that sustainable banks are reluctant in lending money for real estate projects, exposing them to potentially high ESG risk. These findings contribute to developing a deeper insight about the relationship between ESG and bank lending, which, in the previous literature, has been treated more frequently in aggregate terms instead of separating loan types. Our outcomes suggest that sustainability is crucial for the availability of funds in the real estate sector, delivering important insights to bank and real estate managers, besides policy makers.

Finance arrangements and governance modes toward sustainable infrastructure: the case of urban railway projects in Manila, the Philippines

In recent years, the concept of sustainable infrastructure has gained popularity and is widely utilized and promoted by the international development community. However, implementation of sustainable infrastructure remains a challenge due to various enabling and disabling factors particularly related to financial arrangements and governance modes. This paper aims to fill the research gap in this area and investigate the factors that enable implementation of sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on the financial and governance aspects. To do so, the paper uses real urban railway projects in Manila, the Philippines as case studies for comparative analysis. The results suggest that from the finance and governance perspectives, public–private partnerships (PPPs) and official development assistance (ODA) finance are effective tools for implementing sustainable infrastructure, with some conditions, namely a mixture of vertical project management and horizontal process management, and the project environments having a positive effect on the trust building and collaboration among the stakeholders.

Radial Basis Function (RBF) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) Comparative Analysis on Building Renovation Cost Estimation: The Case of Greece

Renovation of buildings has become a major area of development for the construction industry. In the building construction sector, generating a precise and trustworthy cost estimate before building begins is the greatest challenge. Emphasizing the value of using ANN models to forecast the total cost of a building renovation project is the ultimate objective. As a result, building firms may be able to avoid financial losses as long as there is as little discrepancy between projected and actual costs for remodeling works in progress. To address the gap in the research, Greek contractors specializing in building renovations provided a sizable dataset of real project cost data. To build cost prediction ANNs, the collected data had to be organized, assessed, and appropriately encoded. The network was developed, trained, and tested using IBM SPSS Statistics software 28.0.0.0. The dependent variable is the final cost. The independent variables are initial cost, estimated completion time, actual completion time, delay time, initial and final demolition-drainage costs, cost of expenses, initial and final plumbing costs, initial and final heating costs, initial and final electrical costs, initial and final masonry costs, initial and final construction costs of plasterboard construction, initial and final cost of bathrooms, initial and final cost of flooring, initial and final cost of frames, initial and final cost of doors, initial and final cost of paint, and initial and final cost of kitchen construction. The first procedure that was employed was the radial basis function (RBF). The efficiency of the RBFNN model was evaluated and analyzed during training and testing, with up to 6% sum of squares error and nearly 0% relative error in the training sample, which accounted for roughly 70% of the total sample. The second procedure implemented was the method called the multi-layer perceptron (MLP). The efficiency of the MLPNN model was assessed and examined during training and testing; the training sample, which made up around 70% of the overall sample, had a relative error of 0–7% and a sum of squares error ranging from 1% to 5%, confirming specifically the efficacy of RBFNN in calculating the overall cost of renovations.

Mitigating risk of credit reversal in nature-based climate solutions by optimally anticipating carbon release

Nature-based climate solutions supply carbon credits generated from net carbon drawdown in exchange for project funding, but their credibility is challenged by the inherent variability and impermanence of drawdown. By evaluating drawdown benefits from a social cost of carbon perspective, project developers can enhance credibility and estimate impermanence by conservatively anticipating drawdowns to be eventually released following a release schedule, issuing additional credits when actual release is less severe than anticipated. We demonstrate how we can use ex post observations of drawdowns to construct optimal release schedules that limit the risk of credit reversals (when net drawdown is negative). We simulate both theoretical and real-life projects to examine how this approach balances the trade-off between generating credits evaluated as more permanent and limiting reversal risk. We discuss how this approach incentivizes project performance and provides a pragmatic solution to challenges facing larger-scale implementation of nature-based climate solutions.

Development and engineering application of fiber bragg grating intelligent cable in large-span hyperbolic parabolic spatial cable network

In order to accurately control the prestress force of cables in long-span cable net structures, a new type of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) intelligent cable was developed. The FBG sensor was directly encapsulated inside the cable, and the sensing performance of the intelligent cable was verified by the cyclic tensile tests. The results show that the sensitivity coefficients of FBG monitoring are basically consistent, and the linearity deviation of the fiber Bragg grating is less than 4.67 %. Based on a real project Shunde Desheng Sports Center, a 114 m long-span saddle-shaped cable net structure model was established using finite element analysis, and the distribution and correlation of internal forces of cables in different tension stages were calculated and compared with the actual monitoring results of intelligent cables. The analysis results indicate that the force changes of intelligent cables is basically consistent with the value of finite element simulation. According to the data of long-term intelligent cable monitoring, the change of cable force caused by the temperature deformation of the steel ring beam is much greater than the influence of the temperature rise and fall of the cable itself on the cable force. Intelligent cables can provide a reference for cable force monitoring of long-span cable net structures.

Large-deformation finite-element modelling of face instability during tunnelling in clayey soils: Incorporating dynamic excavation process

Earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunnelling plays a crucial role in urban infrastructure development but faces challenges due to potential face instability. Previous studies often overlook the impact of dynamic excavation processes on face stability, particularly in clayey soils. This study proposes a three-dimensional coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) large-deformation approach to explore the failure process of tunnel face in clayey soils during both EPB shutdown and excavation conditions by incorporating the influence of dynamic excavation process. The findings reveal that the face stability during dynamic excavation conditions is consistently lower than that during EPB shutdown, indicating that neglecting dynamic excavation effects could overestimate face stability, potentially compromising construction safety. Moreover, when considering the dynamic excavation process, the opening ratio ξ (the ratio between the cross-section area of cutterhead opening to the total area of tunnel face) is a critical factor affecting face stability. As expected, the face is more stable for a small opening ratio (e.g., ξ = 15 %) while face stability is reduced for a large opening ratio (e.g., ξ = 30 % and 50 %). This is because for large opening ratio, the soil disturbance caused by the cutterhead excavation process exceeds the supportive effect that the cutterhead panels can provide to the face. Finally, the obtained numerical results were used to calculate support pressure in a real tunnel project considering the dynamic excavation process, which matches well with the measured data in the project, validating the effectiveness and superiority of the current CEL approach in modelling face instability and estimating face support pressure. This study offers a significant advancement over the traditional methods for the design of support pressure in clayey soils, providing new insight into the dynamic cutterhead-soil interaction and valuable guidance for reducing the risk of face collapse.

Air-Lift Pumping System for Hybrid Mining of Rare-Earth Elements-Rich Mud and Polymetallic Nodules around Minamitorishima Island

REE-rich mud under the seabed at a 5500–5700 m water depth around Minamitorishima island and polymetallic nodules buried in the deep seabed are very promising and attractive to explore and develop. REEs are critical to develop due to the recent paradigm shift to renewable energies based on green technologies. Numerical analysis using a one-dimensional drift–flux model for gas–liquid–solid three-phase flow and gas–liquid two-phase flow was conducted to examine the characteristics of an air-lift pumping system for mining these mineral resources. Empirical equations of REE-rich mud and the physical properties of polymetallic nodules around Minamitorishima island were utilized in the analysis. As a result, the characteristics, i.e., the performance of the system, were clarified in three cases: REE-rich mud, polymetallic nodules, and both. The time transient, i.e., the unsteady characteristics of the system, was also shown, such as the start-up and feeding slurry with REE-rich mud and polymetallic nodules. The findings from the unsteady characteristics will be useful in considering the operation of a real project or a commercial system in the future.

Insight into the dynamic tensile behavior of deep anisotropic shale reservoir after water-based working fluid cooling

During deep shale gas production, flowing water-based working fluid inevitably cools shale reservoirs around boreholes and some fractures, and possible extraction methods induce dynamic stresses. To understand the dynamic tensile behavior of deep anisotropic shale reservoir after water-based working fluid cooling, a split Hopkinson pressure bar was used for performing the dynamic Brazilian tests on shale samples with bedding angles of 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° after reservoir temperature realization (25–200 °C) and water cooling. The results illustrate that dynamic tensile strength of shale samples decreases gradually as reservoir temperature increases under the loading rates 100–1000 GPa/s. From room temperature to 200 °C the most strength deterioration appears on samples with the bedding angle of 90°. A dynamic tensile strength deterioration model for deep shale reservoirs after water-based working fluid cooling is proposed considering the influence of loading rate and bedding angle. Geometrical trajectories of the main failure cracks are separated into three types, i.e., fully central tensile failure, tensile-shear failure and fully shear failure (sliding of bedding planes). For samples with bedding angles of 30°, 45° and 60°, increasing reservoir temperature encourages tensile failure to change into shear failure. The roles that bedding planes play in interacting with failure crack growth are summarized as IP mode (intersecting propagation), TP mode (turning propagation) and PP mode (promoting propagation). Anisotropic dynamic tensile strength responses are systematically discussed by using thermal stress simulation in ABAQUS, microstructure analyses, crack interaction conditions and the one-dimensional stress wave propagation theory. Based on experimental observations, field implications in borehole stability and fracturing of deep shale reservoirs are proposed under medium and high loading rates. This work is instrumental in providing valuable information and technology assistance for real deep shale gas production projects.

Project performance factors in the domestic business support system in Kazakhstan: An empirical study

The relevance of the study is due to the importance of assessing projects implemented within the framework of the state business support system, in which entrepreneurs take an active part by submitting applications for various types of support, including investment subsidies, technical assistance in the implementation of quality management systems, export support, and educational programs. The study identified the main factors determining the successful implementation of projects aimed at supporting and stimulating business development. The research design of project implementation effectiveness factors in the business support system is a strategic approach that allows you to organize and structure the analysis of theoretical concepts, and also provides a basis for subsequent experimental research in a real practical project management environment. The research methodology includes the use of structural modeling, which is a validated technique for testing multiple parallel hypotheses about the existence of cause-and-effect relationships. The conducted survey of business entities in several regions of Kazakhstan and the subsequent data analysis confirmed the significance of the identified factors, as a result of which the identified analysis allows to better understand the processes occurring in the business support system and offer practical recommendations for its improvement, which can also serve as a basis for the development of more effective strategies and programs to support entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan.

Tourism and Urban Development: The case of a coastal village in a small island state

This paper discusses how Marsascala, a coastal town in Malta, has been urbanized over the years, with particular attention to the development of the tourist industry. Young’s (1983) “general model of the process of ‘touristization’ and landscape change” is engaged with to study the impact of tourism development on the locality and local community. Different research methods were used, including qualitative interviews via thematic analysis, fieldwork, orthophoto maps, and analysis of secondary data. Findings show that tourism plays a major role in the local economy. Overdevelopment and population increase (fuelled by tourism and influx of foreign workers) are major challenges in the locality. The former fishing village has as a result reached stage six (intensive tourism consolidation) of Young's model. While more services are available to locals and visitors, the quality of life in the locality is deteriorating. This has raised questions about the need to redevelop the Jerma Hotel which will partly be a real estate project. The authors propose a seventh stage to Young’s model - ‘real estatation’ whereby more areas are taken over by real estate projects including for short-term rentals. This paper is linked to the EU Cost Action CA221222 Rethinking the Blue Economy: Socio-Ecological Impacts and Opportunities (RethinkBlue), in particular in relation to the themes covered by Working Group 3 - Port cities & coastal communities.

The Detection and Calculation of Design-Weighting on Indoor Environmental Elements—Illustrated by Real Interior Design Projects

In interior design projects, homeowners’ expectations and thoughts in mind are sometimes ambiguous and hard to pinpoint. This lack of clarity can lead to disagreements between owners and designers, making it difficult for designers to receive due remuneration. At the same time, the design project always has a restricted budget. Suppose the funds could be prioritized based on owners’ preferred weight of the indoor elements, with a larger portion of the budget allocated to the most crucial elements. In that case, it can significantly enhance the owner’s satisfaction. To address these challenges, this research introduces a novel analytical and computational approach that leverages the Positive And Negative Affects Schedule (PANAS) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to assess homeowners’ sentiments toward various indoor elements. This method aims to determine indoor elements’ design-weighting, design sequence, and distribution of project budgets, enabling designers to understand better and meet homeowners’ genuine needs and expectations in interior design projects. The efficacy of this approach was evaluated through the analysis of three real-life residential interior design projects. Data from the PANAS emotion scale and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements of the homeowners were collected before and after project completion. The findings revealed high satisfaction among homeowners following project execution. By adjusting indoor elements, owners’ negative emotions decreased significantly, positive emotions surged, and there was an improvement in the activity of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, leading to enhanced physical and mental well-being. Furthermore, in-depth interviews with homeowners corroborated the effectiveness of the analytical calculation method in identifying latent negative indoor elements of concern to homeowners, thereby validating the practical utility of this approach in real-world design scenarios.

Sequential investment decisions for mining projects using compound multiple volatility real options approach

Managers evaluating investment decisions in mining projects have reported using the net present value approach (NPV). However, NPV has the drawback of collapsing variations from uncertainties in future project cash flows into a fixed expected project value today. Ignoring future uncertainties and contingencies can lead managers to make incorrect up-front binary decisions, such as investing in or abandoning the project now. The real options analysis approach (ROA) instead captures variations from uncertainties as volatilities in project value and allows flexibility in investment decisions to be contingent on information as it is revealed. Managers we consulted agreed that ROA is superior to NPV in principle, but too complex to apply in practice. The advanced mathematics and restrictive assumptions required by analytical ROAs make them especially impractical for real-world projects exposed to multiple uncertainties. Furthermore, real-world projects are often multistage and involve valuing a compound option, which is an option on an underlying option, for sequential investment decisions. Extant numerical compound ROAs have been applied to such projects but suffer from various drawbacks. Amongst other issues, they combine variations from multiple uncertainties into a consolidated volatility of project value. This conceals the impact of each source of uncertainty, resulting in inaccurate project valuation and incorrect investment decisions. We present an innovative compound multiple volatility real options approach (C-MVR) to value a multistage project while accommodating separate volatilities of project value arising from multiple uncertainties for making sequential investment decisions. The resultant value is termed the compound enhanced net present value. Implementing C-MVR for a real coal mining project demonstrates how other ROAs can be seen as inaccurate simplifications that produce erroneous investment decisions. C-MVR provides a rigorous and versatile approach that can be applied to many investment decisions across various industries.

Development of Flipped Classroom Learning Design Assisted by Digital Storytelling Media in the Photography Course for Visual Communication Design Students in The Bachelor's Program at STIE Asia Malang

This study aims to develop a flipped classroom instructional design assisted by digital storytelling media for the Photography course for undergraduate students of Visual Communication Design at STIE Asia Malang. The approach of project-based learning integrates the use of technology and active learning methods to enhance the effectiveness of learning. The Research and Development design used the instructional design proposed by Degeng & Degeng (2018). It divided into three phases of instructional design formation, namely 1) analysis of learning conditions, 2) development of learning strategies, 3) development of outcome measurement procedures. The results of the study show that this instructional design is effective in increasing student engagement and active participation. Students are more involved in the learning process, more motivated, and better able to apply the knowledge they have gained in real projects. Additionally, their learning outcomes significantly improved in both conceptual understanding and practical application. The efficiency of this design is also evident from the optimization of learning time, where students can utilize out-of-class time to study the materials, while in-class time is used for more interactive discussions and collaborative projects.

On the acceptance by code reviewers of candidate security patches suggested by Automated Program Repair tools

ObjectiveWe investigated whether (possibly wrong) security patches suggested by Automated Program Repairs (APR) for real world projects are recognized by human reviewers. We also investigated whether knowing that a patch was produced by an allegedly specialized tool does change the decision of human reviewers.MethodWe perform an experiment with n=72\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$n= 72$$\\end{document} Master students in Computer Science. In the first phase, using a balanced design, we propose to human reviewers a combination of patches proposed by APR tools for different vulnerabilities and ask reviewers to adopt or reject the proposed patches. In the second phase, we tell participants that some of the proposed patches were generated by security-specialized tools (even if the tool was actually a ‘normal’ APR tool) and measure whether the human reviewers would change their decision to adopt or reject a patch.ResultsIt is easier to identify wrong patches than correct patches, and correct patches are not confused with partially correct patches. Also patches from APR Security tools are adopted more often than patches suggested by generic APR tools but there is not enough evidence to verify if ‘bogus’ security claims are distinguishable from ‘true security’ claims. Finally, the number of switches to the patches suggested by security tool is significantly higher after the security information is revealed irrespective of correctness.LimitationsThe experiment was conducted in an academic setting, and focused on a limited sample of popular APR tools and popular vulnerability types.

Quantum chemical package Jaguar: A survey of recent developments and unique features.

This paper is dedicated to the quantum chemical package Jaguar, which is commercial software developed and distributed by Schrödinger, Inc. We discuss Jaguar's scientific features that are relevant to chemical research as well as describe those aspects of the program that are pertinent to the user interface, the organization of the computer code, and its maintenance and testing. Among the scientific topics that feature prominently in this paper are the quantum chemical methods grounded in the pseudospectral approach. A number of multistep workflows dependent on Jaguar are covered: prediction of protonation equilibria in aqueous solutions (particularly calculations of tautomeric stability and pKa), reactivity predictions based on automated transition state search, assembly of Boltzmann-averaged spectra such as vibrational and electronic circular dichroism, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance. Discussed also are quantum chemical calculations that are oriented toward materials science applications, in particular, prediction of properties of optoelectronic materials and organic semiconductors, and molecular catalyst design. The topic of treatment of conformations inevitably comes up in real world research projects and is considered as part of all the workflows mentioned above. In addition, we examine the role of machine learning methods in quantum chemical calculations performed by Jaguar, from auxiliary functions that return the approximate calculation runtime in a user interface, to prediction of actual molecular properties. The current work is second in a series of reviews of Jaguar, the first having been published more than ten years ago. Thus, this paper serves as a rare milestone on the path that is being traversed by Jaguar's development in more than thirty years of its existence.

Industrial Heritage and Pathways for Cultural-Creative Development in Bamberg, Germany

This article contributes to the ongoing authorized heritage discourse, following recent heritage concepts such as open heritage, and examines the industrial heritage and pathways for cultural-creative development in the city of Bamberg, Germany. Bamberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but not on account of its industrial heritage, although some former industrial sites are located within the borders of the current World Heritage Site. We describe three adaptively reused sites that have slightly differing forms of protected status (listed building and ensemble) and show that authorized listing helps to ensure the survival of buildings and material structures over time as documents of an industrial past. However, other industrial sites need the engagement of locals, and refer to what Laurajane Smith describes as heritage as a cultural process. Diverse concepts and cultural-creative developments are evident in the reuse of industrial sites in Bamberg, but these contribute little to urban development strategies. When industrial heritage assets feature in the city’s development strategy, they are seemingly leveraged to drive real estate projects, such as at the former Erba textile site. Additionally, the Otto-Friedrich University (through its Am Zwinger building), and an engaged bottom-up initiative to reuse a former boiler house, enable slightly different development pathways—knowledge-based versus art-based, respectively. The university has a long-term perspective and promising impulses for heritage uses, whereas the Kunstraum (Art House) initiative still struggles to secure support for its medium-term prospects. We argue that the industrial heritage sites need authorized support <em>and</em> agency through engagement, to ensure long-term perspectives for cultural-creative uses.

A new elastoplastic model for bolt-grouted fractured rock

Complexities in mechanical behaviours of rock masses mainly stem from inherent discontinuities, which calls for advanced bolt-grouting techniques for stability enhancement. Understanding the mechanical properties of bolt-grouted fractured rock mass (BGFR) and developing accurate prediction methods are crucial to optimize the BGFR support strategies. This paper establishes a new elastoplastic (E-P) model based on the orthotropic and the Mohr-Coulomb (M-C) plastic-yielding criteria. The elastic parameters of the model were derived through a meso-mechanical analysis of composite materials mechanics (CMM). Laboratory BGFR specimens were prepared and uniaxial compression test and variable-angle shear test considering different bolt arrangements were carried out to obtain the mechanical parameters of the specimens. Results showed that the anisotropy of BGFR mainly depends on the relative volume content of each component material in a certain direction. Moreover, the mechanical parameters deduced from the theory of composite materials which consider the short fibre effect are shown to be in good agreement with those determined by laboratory experiments, and the variation rules maintained good consistency. Last, a case study of a real tunnel project is provided to highlight the effectiveness, validity and robustness of the developed E-P model in prediction of stresses and deformations.

Developing educational serious games as a proposal for university training in the area of Child Computer Interaction

Training in the area of CCI has become a current topic of debate. It is necessary to address the specificities related to this target audience in terms of ethical aspects, evaluation techniques and instruments and the appropriate approach to content, forms of interaction, among others. This work focuses on a project-based learning experience that is being developed with students in the area of computer science, who work on the development of educational serious games aimed at children. Different axes related to CCI training and educational game design are approached in a phase-based process and an analysis of cognitive residues that are addressed is also included. The project developed in 2023, related to healthy eating, is presented as an example of the experiences carried out with students. The results indicate that this type of proposals are attractive and motivating for the students involved, who participate in real projects with stakeholders and children.

A Comprehensive Review on Ecological Buffer Zone for Pollutants Removal

The issue of agricultural non-point source pollution has attracted global attention. A buffer zone is an effective, eco-friendly, and economically feasible remediation ecosystem to reduce the impact of agricultural non-point source pollution on water bodies. They can effectively remove pollutants in agricultural drainage through physical processes (infiltration, filtration, deposition, etc.), plant absorption and assimilation, and microbial processes, improving the water quality of water bodies. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current studies on using buffer zones to remediate agricultural non-point source pollution, with a focus on the key affecting factors for pollutant removal efficiencies. The main factors included buffer zone width, vegetation type, slope, seasonal variation, soil variation, and vegetation density. The influencing mechanisms of these factors on the pollutant removal efficiencies of buffer zones were also discussed. This review can serve as a reference for a deep understanding of buffer zones and help optimize their design and management in real ecological remediation projects.