Les Duckers

Design and Validation of a Test Rig to Simulate High Rainfall Events for Infiltration Studies of Permeable Pavement Systems

This paper presents the design and validation of a relatively cost-effective test rig to simulate high rainfall events; such a rig offers a great opportunity for conducting studies (e.g., high infiltration studies) that require high intensity of rainfall on pervious pavements and other permeable systems. The calibration of the test rig, which produced more than 600 mm/h rainfall intensity, was successful. A simple method of using digital photography to capture raindrops and determine raindrop diameter was developed and used successfully to determine the drop size of simulated rainfall by the test rig. Results obtained by this method indicated that the raindrop diameter varied from 0.69–8.97 mm, which was consistent with the high rainfall intensity generated by test rig. Categorization of raindrop size according to Wilson Bentley’s classification showed 1.84, 6.42, 33.95, 26.61, and 31.19% for very small, small, medium, large, and very large drops, respectively, which was considered consistent with the relatively high rainfall intensity generated by the test rig.

Educating Students and Their Future Employers to Minimise Environmental and Climate Impacts Through Cost-Effective Environmental Management Strategies

Traditionally, internal views from UK businesses expect the maximisation of profits and delivery of value for the customer; the external view expects realistic profits and provision of employment. However, this view is changing, with customers increasingly demanding products and services that also demonstrate environmental responsibility and minimise climate impacts. Although the cause–effect relationship between business operations, negative environmental impacts and climate change is well established, there is now an enhanced appreciation that environmental challenges are systemic, interlinked and cannot be addressed in isolation. Despite the proliferation of ‘low-cost’ or ‘no-cost’ technological and behavioural opportunities, businesses struggle to realise opportunities that address these interlinked challenges, demonstrate environmental responsibility and minimise climate impacts, as they are embedded in economic systems in which improvement equals investment. Environmental improvement interventions have become synonymous with cost consumption rather than cost saving—frequently at odds with corporate financial strategies. In an attempt to change this view, support the mitigation of climate change through the reduction in environmental impacts and develop successful employment-ready graduates skilled in effective environmental improvement techniques, an innovative Environmental Strategy Module engaging postgraduate students in environmental management strategy design is taught at Coventry University. This offers students a more financially accessible approach to environmental improvement: a self-funding environmental management strategy created through the Environmental Value for Money Framework. This paper presents a conceptual study of the Environmental Value for Money Framework and its engagement of students as future employees in creating self-funded, economically viable environmental management strategies. It also offers this framework as a mechanism to encourage businesses to engage in carefully planned and economically viable strategic environmental improvements.

Energy Management in UK Non-Domestic Buildings - a New Perspective to Provoke Reduced Carbon Emissions

Politicians, industry and the public generally accept the need for energy consumption to be cut to deliver climate change mitigation measures essential for us to avoid climate disaster. For non-domestic fuel users current energy policy has attempted to drive this through rational economic responses to energy cost pressures. This reliance on voluntary action has created an “Energy Inconsistency”, that is a marked difference between energy opportunities that have been proven technically viable, financially rational and retrofit feasible and those actually adopted. Other factors must therefore be involved to influence what appear to be simple carbon and cost saving opportunities. This paper presents a new approach to energy efficiency and consumption in non-domestic buildings, viewing attitudes and behaviours of building owners and tenants as the key driver of energy consumption. A new framework is proposed as a method to examine the impact of building ownership on the tenants’ and owners’ abilities to improve energy efficiency and consumption and identify opportunities to overcome the barriers inherent in these ownership structures.