West Face Research Articles

ASSESSMENT OF FIRE SEVERITY AND POST-FIRE REGENERATION BASED ON TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES USING MULTITEMPORAL LANDSAT IMAGERY: A CASE STUDY in MERSIN, TURKEY

Abstract. Satellite based remote sensing technologies and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) present operable and cost-effective solutions for mapping fires and observing post-fire regeneration. Mersin-Gülnar wildfire, which occurred in August 2008 in Turkey, selected as study site. The fire was devastating and continued 55 days. According to Turkish General Directorate of Forestry reports, it caused two deaths and left hundreds of people homeless. The aim of this study is to determine the fire severity and monitor vegetation recovery with using multitemporal spectral indices together with topographical factors. Pre-fire and post-fire Landsat ETM+ images were obtained to assess the related fire severity with using the widely-used differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) algorithm. Also, the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) were used to determine vegetation regeneration dynamics for a period of six consecutive years. In addition, aspect image derived from Aster Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) were used to determine vegetation regeneration regime of the study area. Results showed that 5388 ha of area burned with moderate to high severity damage. As expected, NDVI and SAVI values distinctly declined post-fire and then began to increase in the coming years. Mean NDVI value of burned area changed from 0.48 to 0.17 due to wildfire, whilst mean SAVI value changed from 0.61 to 0.26. Re-growth rates calculated for NDVI and SAVI 57% and 63% respectively, six years after the fire. Moreover, NDVI and SAVI were estimated six consecutive year period by taking into consideration east, south, north and west facing slopes. Analysis showed that north-facing and east-facing slopes have higher regeneration rates in compared to other aspects. This study serves as a window to an understanding of the process of fire severity and vegetation regeneration that is vital in wildfire management systems.

Energy-saving potentials of some local trees

The energy-saving potentials of some common tropical trees are presented. The experimental setup consists of a tree and sixteen (16) 0.05 cm by 0.05 cm dry wood of height 3 m which served as a stake. Each of the dry woods has two 0.001-mm-thick galvanized steel plates (0.3 cm by 0.3 cm), which served as the heated surface, nailed at heights of 1.3 and 2.6 m from the ground level. The plates are insulated at the back side with plywood, thus leaving only one side exposed to the direct effect of solar heating. The woods were installed at equal distances from the tree trunk such that the uncovered sides of the plates face east, west, north, and south. Temperatures of the plate at 1-h intervals were recorded from 08:00 and 17:00 h and subsequently used to compute energy absorbed by each plate. Four trees, Dogon Yaro (Azadirachta indica.), mango (Mangifera indica), velvet tamarind (Dialium indum), and oil bean (Pentacletra macrophylla), were used for the study. Results obtained showed that a reduction in solar space heating by up to 79 % can be achieved, depending on the position of the tree relative to the building. This corresponds to a saving in energy of up to 1050 kWh/year or 22 % of the annual energy consumption in a typical average residential building in Nigeria. Thus, proper tree planting is recommended for reduced residential energy consumption.

Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae): population characteristics, new locality in Mexico and risk of extinction

The first record of Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae) in Mexico was in 2009. The relevance of this study is the finding and characterization of a second population of this taxon, in a new location, and the revaluation of the original population five years later of its discovery. In addition, we evaluated the new population by the Method of Evaluation of Risk of Extinction for plants in Mexico (MER-Plantas). We evaluated this species using the Risk Assessment Method of Extinction for plants in Mexico (MER- Plantas). The original population increased 1.7 % (15.38 % immatures; 84.62 % adults; n = 78 individuals), and was distributed among six phorophytes (four more than in 2009), with 73.08% of the individuals growing on twigs and with a similar number of individuals facing the different cardinal points. The new population was found in a cloud forest fragment, growing on a single phorophyte ( Brunellia mexicana ), consisting of 36 individuals (38.89 % immatures; 6.11 % adults), all of which were growing on the trunk and 69.44 % facing west. We suggest that T. helleri should be placed in the category of endangered (P), in the Mexican Oficial Standard for threatened ora and fauna. It is necessary to carry out demographic and molecular studies to evaluate the levels of endogamy and the genetic viability of the individuals present and to estimate the capacity for adaptation and population growth. The increase in the number of individuals in the last five years could be rapidly reversed given the adverse conditions prevailing in the habitats and localities where the two populations are found.

The intrusion breccia in the valley of Roaring Brook, Giant Mountain, Adirondack Highlands, New York: A modern interpretation

An intrusion breccia exposed along Roaring Brook on the west face of Giant Mountain in the Adirondack Highlands (eastern USA) has been reinterpreted as a magma conduit. It lacks metasedimentary xenoliths, as previously proposed, and field, petrographic, and geochemical evidence point to an igneous origin for the vast majority of the enclaves. A mechanism involving magma mixing is proposed for the enclaves and explains their textural features (e.g., crescumulate and comb textures and mantled feldspars), compositional layering, and geochemical trends. Rock types ranging from charnockite to pyroxenite occur in the exposed section and document the variety of magmatic processes and compositional variation of magmas composing the Marcy Anorthosite massif. The bulk of the enclaves in the intrusion breccia can be explained by a batch of more felsic magma (charnockite-mangerite?) that intruded into a partially crystallized zone of anorthositic, gabbroic, and dioritic rock. This resulted in disruption, partial mixing and hybridization, and chilling of mafic magma within, and against, the more silicic melts.

GLOBAL SOLAR RADIATION INTERCEPTION BY GRAPEVINES TRAINED TO A VERTICAL TRELLIS SYSTEM

ABSTRACT In this paper we assess the utilization of radiant energy in the growing of grapevines (Cabernet Sauvignon) trained to a vertical trellis system, and estimate the global solar radiation interception taking into account the physical characteristics of the training system at different phenological stages. The experiment was based on daily measurements of global solar radiation made by an automatic weather station placed at the vineyard of a winery located in the municipality of São Joaquim, in the southern Brazilian State of Santa Catarina (Villa Francioni winery, 28º 15’ 14” S, 49º 57’ 02” W, 1294m a.s.l.). Growth and phenological development of the shoots were evaluated. The global solar radiation is intercepted by the canopy (trained to a vertical trellis system) in different orientations and the accumulated total is slightly greater on the east than on the west face of the canopy, especially after flowering. The daily variability of global solar radiation intercepted by the canopy is greater after flowering. The accumulated solar energy incident on the canopy increases until the onset of ripening. From the results, vineyards trained to a vertical trellis system in the north-south direction provide favorable sunlight exposure to leaves and fruits and are promising in quality and productivity.

The energy and emissions footprint of water supply for Southern California

Due to climate change and ongoing drought, California and much of the American West face critical water supply challenges. California’s water supply infrastructure sprawls for thousands of miles, from the Colorado River to the Sacramento Delta. Bringing water to growing urban centers in Southern California is especially energy intensive, pushing local utilities to balance water security with factors such as the cost and carbon footprint of the various supply sources. To enhance water security, cities are expanding efforts to increase local water supply. But do these local sources have a smaller carbon footprint than imported sources? To answer this question and others related to the urban water–energy nexus, this study uses spatially explicit life cycle assessment to estimate the energy and emissions intensity of water supply for two utilities in Southern California: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which serves Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire Utility Agency, which serves the San Bernardino region. This study differs from previous research in two significant ways: (1) emissions factors are based not on regional averages but on the specific electric utility and generation sources supplying energy throughout transport, treatment, and distribution phases of the water supply chain; (2) upstream (non-combustion) emissions associated with the energy sources are included. This approach reveals that in case of water supply to Los Angeles, local recycled water has a higher carbon footprint than water imported from the Colorado River. In addition, by excluding upstream emissions, the carbon footprint of water supply is potentially underestimated by up to 30%. These results have wide-ranging implications for how carbon footprints are traditionally calculated at local and regional levels. Reducing the emissions intensity of local water supply hinges on transitioning the energy used to treat and distribute water away from fossil fuel, sources such as coal.

High tenor Ni–PGE sulfide mineralization in the South Manasan ultramafic intrusion, Paleoproterozoic Thompson Nickel Belt, Manitoba, Canada

The South Manasan ultramafic intrusion, located in the Early Proterozoic Thompson Nickel Belt (TNB), contains Ni and platinum group element (PGE) mineralization in the form of disseminated sulfide. Whole-rock Ni values range from 0.3 to 1.7wt.% and total precious metals range from 0 to 1.3ppm Pt+Pd+Au. In 100% sulfide the concentration of Ni ranges from 11 to 39wt.%, and the concentration of Pt+Pd+Au ranges from 8 to 27ppm. The intrusion is a steeply dipping, boudinaged, sill-like body with a strike length of approximately 1200m, an average width of 125m, and a depth extent of >1000m. The intrusion is composed of ~25% fresh dunite, ~50% serpentine-altered dunite and ~25% tectonized and carbonate altered dunite. The most intense alteration is found near the margin of the intrusion where it is in contact with Pipe Formation metasedimentary rocks of the Ospwagan Group. The sulfide assemblage in fresh dunite is interstitial between cumulus olivine and is composed predominantly of pentlandite with accessory pyrite with symplectic intergrowths of the two same sulfides. The interstitial sulfide assemblage displays a primary magmatic position between olivine grains, but the sulfides are penetrated by platy intergrowths of chlorite and serpentine. In contrast, the most intensely carbonate altered dunite contains irregular patches of pyrrhotite and pentlandite.Representative drill core samples through the South Manasan Intrusion have been used to establish variations in whole rock geochemistry and mineralogy; these variations coupled with the stratigraphy of the host sedimentary rocks are consistent with magmatic differentiation in a sill-like body which was serpentinized and then tilted upright such that tops now face west. Intrusion of the original komatiitic magma and assimilation of sulfur from Ospwagan Group sedimentary rocks triggered sulfide saturation and formation of an immiscible sulfide melt. The early crystallization of olivine inhibited the sulfide melt from settling to the bottom of the magma column and, as a consequence, the sulfides now have a primary interstitial magmatic texture. Calculated Ni and PGE tenor values indicate an R factor of 500–2500. The current sulfide association dominated by pentlandite≫pyrite>chalcopyrite has a mineral paragenesis that is consistent with crystallization from a monosulfide solid solution which cooled down to pentlandite and pyrite. The subsequent processes of serpentinization, deformation and carbonate alteration modified the primary sulfide assemblages to pentlandite and pyrrhotite. The alteration of the dunite and serpentine to talc-carbonate occurred by open-system hydrothermal processes that produced a reduction in metal tenor through a dilution process accompanying the addition of carbonate and water.It is proposed that the enrichment of the sulfide assemblage at South Manasan in Ni and PGEs is a consequence of a primary magmatic process involving a high-R factor and that the effects of later overprinting processes (alteration and deformation) are not responsible for the high-tenor sulfide association. The study has important exploration implications, as it helps to establish the characteristics of a new type of Ni–PGE mineralization in the TNB, and thus provides a basis on which to better understand the formation of other low-grade ultramafic-hosted nickel deposits.

The Abuja Declaration and the challenge of implementing a maritime security strategy in the Gulf of Guinea and the South Atlantic

ABSTRACTOver the past two decades, the significance of the Gulf of Guinea and the wider South Atlantic Ocean has become incontrovertible in view of the spectrum of geo-strategic interests – commercial, energy, military, security and political – converging within the zone. Due to its vastness and lack of capacity to exercise adequate writby littoral states, the maritime landscape have become some of the most dangerous in the world: with frequent incidences of piracy, oil bunkering, trafficking in persons, weapons, illicit drugs and fake pharmaceutics, and criminal activities that are undermining maritime safety and security. A major debate is now brewing- in scholarship as well as in public policy circles- on the implications of developments in the maritime domain for security and development in Africa; including those around the challenges and opportunities facing Gulf of Guinea countries. Drawing on the insights as well as outcomes of a major conference on ‘African Approaches to Maritime Security: The West and Central African Perspectives, this article reviewed the challenges and opportunities that West and Central African countries face in view of the threats posed from, and by, their maritime domains; and their implications for governance, security and development. It further examined the prospects for the emergence of a putative maritime security community in the Gulf of Guinea, and across the South Atlantic.

Ethephon with 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic Acid Can Defoliate Grapevines, and Thereby Improve Vine-drying of Grapes

In two experiments, various combinations of ethephon, with or without 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC), were applied to the fruiting zone of ‘Selma Pete’ raisin grapes (Vitis vinifera) to determine whether any could serve as a defoliant, and if so, whether defoliation improved subsequent vine drying of the grapes. In the first experiment, the fruiting zone was treated on 8 Aug. 2013 with a control (water) and one of four plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments: 1000 ppm ethephon, 1000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC, 2000 ppm ethephon, and 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC. In the first experiment, treatment with any of the PGRs hastened leaf senescence, but leaf greenness, measured with a SPAD meter, declined most rapidly in leaves from vines treated with 2000 ppm ethephon or 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC, and defoliation was best in vines treated with 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC. None of the treatments in the first study affected berry composition, hastened berry drying, or ultimately affected raisin moisture or quality. In a second experiment, initiated 18 days later, a factorial design was employed to determine whether three chemical treatments, a control (water spray), 2000 ppm ethephon, and 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm of ACC, might interact with fruiting zone orientation (east or west facing) to affect leaf senescence or berry drying. The second study confirmed that 2000 ppm ethephon and 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC induced rapid leaf senescence. Defoliation proceeded more rapidly in the second study and by 13 days after treatment, vines treated with 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC had less than one leaf layer remaining in the fruiting zone compared with more than 2.5 leaf layers in untreated vines. Treatments again had no effect on berry fresh weight or composition, but grapes on west-facing vines treated with 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC dried significantly better than grapes on vines subjected to other treatments, possibly because the higher temperatures of west-facing vines coupled with better defoliation of the 2000 ppm ethephon plus 1000 ppm ACC treatment was sufficient to improve grape drying compared with vines subjected to other trellis orientation and chemical treatment combinations. Therefore, we conclude that treatment with ethylene-promoting PGRs can defoliate the fruiting zone of ‘Selma Pete’ grapes with divided canopies, and such defoliation treatments may enhance berry drying when drying is initiated later than normal.

Latest Pleistocene and Holocene behaviour of Franklin Glacier, Mt. Waddington area, British Columbia Coast Mountains, Canada

Franklin Glacier is an 18-km-long valley glacier that originates in a broad icefield below the west face of Mt. Waddington in the central British Columbia Coast Mountains, Canada. Radiocarbon-dated wood samples from the proximal faces of lateral moraines flanking Franklin Glacier show that the glacier expanded at least nine times since 13,000 cal. yr BP. A probable Younger Dryas advance of Franklin Glacier at 12,910–12,690 cal. yr BP followed the late glacial retreat and down wasting of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet from ca. 16,000 to 12,900 cal. yr BP. During the succeeding early Holocene warm period, Franklin Glacier appears to have retreated significantly, leaving no record of glacial expansion until the mid-Holocene when it repeatedly advanced at 6360–6280, 5470–5280 and 4770–4580 cal. yr BP. Down wasting of the glacier surface after ca. 4770–4580 cal. yr BP was followed by intervals of expansion at 4260–4080, 3210–3020 and 2620–2380 cal. yr BP. Following ice expansion at ca. 2620–2380 cal. yr BP into trees over 224 years in age, there is no record of the glacier activity until 1570–1480 cal. yr BP when Franklin Glacier thickened and advanced into young subalpine fir trees. During the ‘Little Ice Age’, advances at 800–680, 610–560 and 570–510 cal. yr BP preceded a mid-19th to early 20th century advance that saw Franklin Glacier attain its maximum Holocene extent. The dendroglaciological record at Franklin Glacier is among the most comprehensive recovered from the British Columbia Coast Mountains and showcases the complexity of mid- to late Holocene glacier expansion in the region.

The Fiqh Al-Aqaliyyat (Jurisprudence of Minorities) in Light of the Higher Objectives (Maqasid) of Shariah

Muslim minorities living in the West face the challenges of a secular law and culture as well as issues of identity and citizenship that have taken a turn for the worse since the aftermath of 9/11. However, compared to Muslim minorities elsewhere, those living in the West enjoy greater freedom to practice their religion.
 Some of the challenges they face are unprecedented and the rules of Islamic law concerning them have also remained relatively under-developed. This would explain the emergence of a new branch of Islamic jurisprudence under the rubric of the still developing fiqh al-aqaliyyat (jurisprudence of minorities) in recent decades.

Parturition and bed site selection of bighorn sheep at local and landscape scales

Selection of parturition sites by wild ungulates involves trade-offs between maximizing forage quality or availability and minimizing predation risk. Previous studies documenting critical lambing habitat of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) have relied on visual observations that can lead to biased results. We used vaginal implant transmitters (VITs) and intensely monitored radiocollared females to 1) accurately identify parturition events for bighorn sheep; 2) quantify habitat selection for parturition events at the macro- and microhabitat scales; and 3) quantify habitat selection of neonate lamb (≤24 hr old) bed sites at the microhabitat scale in the Black Hills, South Dakota. From 2010–2012, we documented 43 parturition and 47 lamb bed sites for microhabitat analysis, and incorporated an additional 28 capture sites where lambs were ≤24 hours old for macrohabitat analysis (n = 71). We found females equipped with VITs increased our ability to identify parturition events 2-fold (67%) over intensely monitored radiocollared ewes (33%), and 82% (58/71) of parturition events occurred outside of previously delineated lambing habitat. Results of model-averaged generalized estimating equations revealed bighorn sheep females selected for relatively flat spaces within rugged terrain, areas that were close to perennial streams, south and west facing slopes, and against anthropogenic disturbance. At the microhabitat scale, neonate lambs tended to select for greater cover in the uphill and downhill directions, and against north facing slopes. We hypothesize the patterns of selection we observed were related to predator-avoidance strategies and increased solar radiation. We recommend managers reassess designated critical lambing habitat previously defined by visual observations, or consider more broad-scale temporal closures to protect parturient habitat. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

The Fiqh Al-Aqalliyāt ( Jurisprudence of Minorities ) in Light of the Higher Objectives (MaqāÎid) of Shariah

Muslim minorities living in the West face the challenges of a secular law and culture as well as issues of identity and citizenship that have taken a turn for the worse since the aftermath of 9/11. However, compared to Muslim minorities elsewhere, those living in the West enjoy greater freedom to practice their religion. Some of the challenges they face are unprecedented and the rules of Islamic law concerning them have also remained relatively under-developed. This would explain the emergence of a new branch of Islamic jurisprudence under the rubric of the still developing fiqh al-aqaliyyAt (jurisprudence of minorities) in recent decades.

The Goss Farm Site (41FN12) on Bois d’Arc Creek, Fannin County, Texas

The Goss Farm site (41FN12) is an ancestral Caddo settlement on an alluvial landform on the west side of Bois d’Arc Creek near its confluence with the Red River. The Sanders site (41LR2) lies east of the Goss Farm on Bois d’Arc Creek; the Goss Farm site is likely part of the same ancestral Caddo settlement as the Sanders site. The recovered artifacts from Goss Farm strongly suggest that the occupations there are culturally related to that of the Sanders site. In August 1930, B. B. Gardner of the University of Texas conducted limited archaeological investigations at the site. He noted that the alluvial landform had midden deposits as well as burials, and he suggested that the site probably contained a large number of burials. In the work, a 15 cm thick ash feature was identified at ca. 76 cm bs; this may be evidence of extensive burning from hearths or the incinerated remains of a burned structure; the full extent of the feature was not defined by Gardner. Three burial features (Burials 1-3) were also excavated at the Goss Farm in 1930, two in close proximity (Burials 1 and 2) that were in flexed positions, were buried at depths of between ca. 45-76 cm bs, and had no associated funerary offerings. Burial 3 was 30 m south of the flexed burials, and was an adult with a cranially deformed skull (comparable to the skulls at the Sanders site) that was buried at a depth of ca. 30 cm bs in an extended position, with the head facing west. One shell-tempered bowl (14.0 cm in height and 14.5 cm in orifice diameter) was included as a funerary offering with Burial 3. The vessel was decorated with two sets of two appliqued nodes and two sets of three appliqued nodes. This decorative treatment is similar to Late Prehistoric Southern Plains shell-tempered decorated vessels (i.e., a variety of Nocona Plain) in the upper Brazos and Red River basins in North Central Texas. The Goss Farm was periodically visited by members of the Dallas Archeological Society. Housewright excavated a child burial at the site that contained an extraordinary funerary offering of 260 disk-shaped turquoise beads and two turquoise pendants. Found also during the excavation of the burial was a single red-slipped sherd, likely from a Sanders Plain vessel.

PV (photovoltaics) performance evaluation and simulation-based energy yield prediction for tropical buildings

Air pollution and climate change increased the importance of renewable energy resources like solar energy in the last decades. Rack-mounted PhotoVoltaics (PV) and Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV) are the most common photovoltaic systems which convert incident solar radiation on façade or surrounding area to electricity. In this paper the performance of different solar cell types is evaluated for the tropical weather of Singapore. As a case study, on-site measured data of PV systems implemented in a zero energy building in Singapore, is analyzed. Different types of PV systems (silicon wafer and thin film) have been installed on rooftop, façade, car park shelter, railing and etc. The impact of different solar cell generations, arrays environmental conditions (no shading, dappled shading, full shading), orientation (South, North, East or West facing) and inclination (between PV module and horizontal direction) is investigated on performance of modules. In the second stage of research, the whole PV systems in the case study are simulated in EnergyPlus energy simulation software with several PV performance models including Simple, Equivalent one-diode and Sandia. The predicted results by different models are compared with measured data and the validated model is used to provide simulation-based energy yield predictions for wide ranges of scenarios. It has been concluded that orientation of low-slope rooftop PV has negligible impact on annual energy yield but in case of PV external sunshade, east façade and panel slope of 30–40° are the most suitable location and inclination.

Three Heavy Reflector Experiments in the IPEN/MB-01 Reactor: Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, and Nickel

The heavy reflector experiments performed in the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor facility comprise a set of critical configurations employing the standard 28×26-fuel-rod configuration. The heavy reflector, either Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel or Nickel plates, was placed at the west face of this reactor. 32 plates around 3.0 mm thick were used in all the experiments. The aim was to provide high quality experimental data for the interpretation and validation of the SS-304 heavy reflector calculation methods. The experiments of Carbon Steel, which is composed mainly of iron, and Nickel were performed to provide a consistent and an interpretative check to the SS-304 reflector measurements. The experimental data comprise a set of critical control bank positions, temperatures and reactivities as a function of the number of the plates. The competition between the effect of thermal neutron capture in the heavy reflector and the effect of fast neutrons back scattering to the core is highlighted by varying the reflector thickness. For the Carbon Steel case the reactivity gain when all the 32 plates are inserted is the smallest one, thus demonstrating that Carbon Steel or essentially iron does not have the same reflector properties as the Stainless Steel or Nickel plates do. Nickel has the highest reactivity gain, thus demonstrating that this material is better reflector than Iron and Stainless Steel. The theoretical analysis was performed by MCNP-5 with the nuclear data library ENDF/B-VII.0. It was shown that this library has a very good performance up to thirteen plates and overestimates the reactivity for higher number of plates independently of the type of the reflector.

Low-Complexity Candidate for Benchmarking Collapse Prediction of Steel Braced Structures

To aid in the evaluation of the collapse-prediction capability of competing methodologies, a case study of a water tank subjected to the Takatori near-source record from the 1995 Kobe earthquake, scaled down by a factor of 0.32, is presented. The water tank, supported by a five-segment steel lattice tower, is so configured as to have a characteristic collapse mechanism that is triggered due to catastrophic column and brace buckling at the bottommost segment of the lattice under all forms of ground motion. A FRAME3D model of the tank reveals severe buckling in the bottom megacolumns and one of the two braces on the west face of the tower when the structure is impacted by the Takatori near-source pulse, resulting a tilt in the structure. This is followed by sequential compression buckling of braces on the south and north faces leading to P−Δ instability and complete collapse of the tank. In order to verify the predictions of the FRAME3D model, a comparable PERFORM-3D model of the tank, using fiber elements and constitutive material models that are suitably calibrated against experimental data, is developed. The response of this model to the scaled Takatori ground motion compares very well against that of the FRAME3D model; the smallest scaling factor needed to collapse the PERFORM-3D model is 0.323, whereas the corresponding factor needed to collapse the FRAME3D model is 0.315. The sequence of column- and brace-buckling failures and the collapse mechanisms are quite similar in the two models.

The reliability of distributed solar in critical peak demand: A capital value assessment

Generation is most valuable when demand is highest. As electricity can't yet be cheaply stored, generation and transmission infrastructure must be built to meet the highest expected demand, plus a margin of error. Reliably producing power at times of critical demand not only offsets the need to use expensive liquid fuels such as diesel or condensate, but also removes the need to build backup power stations and transmission infrastructure that would only be used for a small fraction of the year. Under the most extreme demand conditions, solar has reduced the peak demand seen by retailers and wholesale energy markets. This study compares the capital cost of critical peak availability from gas turbines to the capital cost of critical peak availability from distributed solar in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM). When compared on this basis, 10–22% of the cost of installing the solar system can be attributed to the capital value of critical peak generation. North–west and west facing PV is worth a further 3–6% of system installation costs when compared to generally north facing PV. Finally, southern states, with longer summer days and more sunshine in the afternoon are found to benefit more from peak supply of solar PV.

Receptivity to sustainable urban water management in the South West Pacific

Small urban centres in the South West Pacific face many challenges regarding urban water management in the light of future uncertainties and climate change. Without implementing sustainable urban water management (SUWM), they risk adverse environmental and public health impacts, but little is known regarding the receptivity of urban water professionals towards its principles and practices. This paper assesses the willingness and ability of urban water managers from the region to implement SUWM. Results demonstrate that whilst aware of current failures, there was limited awareness of sustainable solutions, and a limited ability to identify benefits arising from SUWM implementation. There is a need to increase the opportunities for urban water professionals in the region to acquire skills and implement SUWM. This study identifies the capacity development needed in the region to increase receptivity to SUWM.

시뮬레이션 분석기법을 이용한 주거용 건물의 공간별 채광성능 연구

This proposed simulation-based design study is based on the design of residential high-rise buildings in South-Korea. the purpose of this study is to evaluate the amount of daylighting performance passing through building glazing according to sky conditions, orientation of windows and each space of Apartment buildings. The clear sky includes sunshine and is intense and brighter at the horizon than at the zenith, except in the area around the sun. Daylight received within a building is directly dependent upon the sun`s position and the atmospheric conditions. Orientation of the building generally used to refer to solar orientation which is the siting of building with respect to solar access. Although any building will have different orientations for its different sides, the orientation can refer to a particular room, or to the most important facade of the building. north-facing windows receive twice the winter sun than east and west facing windows, allowing light and warmth into the home. They can be easily shaded from the high summer sun to help keep the house cool. Ideally, the glazing area should be between 10-25% of the floor area of the room. This paper was calculated by a Desktop Radiance program. The space dimensions were based on a unit module of real constructed apartment having divided into five sections such as living room, room1, room2, room3 and kitchen.