Andy Steele

Human response to vibration in residential environments

This paper presents the main findings of a field survey conducted in the United Kingdom into the human response to vibration in residential environments. The main aim of this study was to derive exposure-response relationships for annoyance due to vibration from environmental sources. The sources of vibration considered in this paper are railway and construction activity. Annoyance data were collected using questionnaires conducted face-to-face with residents in their own homes. Questionnaires were completed with residents exposed to railway induced vibration (N = 931) and vibration from the construction of a light rail system (N = 350). Measurements of vibration were conducted at internal and external positions from which estimates of 24-h vibration exposure were derived for 1073 of the case studies. Sixty different vibration exposure descriptors along with 6 different frequency weightings were assessed as potential predictors of annoyance. Of the exposure descriptors considered, none were found to be a better predictor of annoyance than any other. However, use of relevant frequency weightings was found to improve correlation between vibration exposure and annoyance. A unified exposure-response relationship could not be derived due to differences in response to the two sources so separate relationships are presented for each source.

Injustices of engagement: issues in housing needs assessments with minority ethnic communities

In this paper, the authors draw out some of the issues involved in housing needs assessment with minority ethnic communities. In particular, they look at three aspects of ‘injustices of engagement’: (1) in the communities that are recognised; (2) who within these communities is included in needs assessments; and (3) how they are included. In the latter category they challenge the extent of community involvement in needs assessments generally and specifically in relation to the Western baselines of definitions of need. It is argued that unless issues of language are addressed the baseline will continue to be the researchers Western value system and the needs will defined by them.

Research into the human response to vibration from railways in residential environments.

This paper describes progress in research being carried out at the University of Salford to develop a method by which human annoyance to vibration in residential environments can be assessed. The objective of this study is to yield a robust relationship between vibration exposure and human response, therefore providing a reliable basis for the development of standards and guidance for the assessment of vibration in residential buildings. The vibration sources to be considered are those affecting residents that are outside their control, such as construction, road, and rail activities. Noise is also a consideration. The protocol involves the measurement of vibration outside and inside individual residences and a social study questionnaire based on face‐to‐face interviews with householders. Work so far has concentrated on the response of people in their own homes to railway noise and vibration. Approximately 1000 case studies have been obtained, and examples of early field measurements and results are prese...

The future of the black and minority ethnic (BME) construction sector in England

It is generally recognized that there is a lack of equality of opportunity for minority‐led contractors and consultants (i.e. where at least 50 per cent of the workforce or ownership is from a minority group, such as women, disabled people or a black and minority ethnic community) to compete for work within the housing association sector. In response, the Housing Corporation, the government quango responsible for social housing in the UK, recently commissioned research to investigate the potential benefits of establishing a national database of such companies for the sector in England. The expectation was that such an initiative will help develop, support and promote black and minority ethnic (BME) companies and at the same time, redress the skills shortage in the construction industry. Recent funding cuts within the Housing Corporation now seriously undermine the future sustainability and development of this sector of the construction industry. This paper begins by providing an overview of the types of discrimination faced by BME contractors and consultants. This is set within the context of an unprecedented expansion in the construction sector but where restricted capacity among mainstream contractors due to skill and staff shortages is increasingly evident. The extent to which contractor registration databases have addressed these inequalities is then considered with particular reference to the largest of such contractor registration systems, Constructionline. Drawing on recent empirical work, the development requirements of such a database from the perspective of BME contractors and consultants is considered. The discussion also focuses on the future sustainability of BME small and medium enterprises. The commitment of social housing agencies to equality of opportunity will be crucial to the success of this sector.