Talib E. Butt

Baseline study and risk analysis of landfill leachate – Current State-of-the-Science of Computer Aided Approaches

For the successful completion of a risk analysis process, its foundation (i.e. a baseline study) has to be well established. For this purpose, a baseline study needs to be more integrated than ever, particularly when environmental legislation is increasingly becoming stringent and integrated. This research investigates and concludes that no clear evidence of computer models for baseline study has been found in a whole-system and integrated format, which risk assessors could readily and effectively use to underpin risk analyses holistically and yet specifically for landfill leachate. This is established on the basis of investigation of software packages that are particularly closely related to landfills. Holistic baseline study is also defined along with its implications and in the context of risk assessment of landfill leachate. The study also indicates a number of factors and features that need to be added to baseline study in order to render it more integrated thereby enhancing risk analyses for landfill leachate.

Obsolescence types and the built environment – definitions and implications

In view of the literature to date as well as anecdotal conversations with practitioners and consultants in various sectors of the built environment industry, it is observed that the term ‘obsolescence’ is scarcely used or comprehended with its diverse implications. In the context of climate change impacts this term is even more uncommon. This paper describes implications of the term in the form of definitions and types of obsolescence from various perspectives, including the built environment and climate change. This study also briefly explains that obsolescence is a multi-faceted entity and the comprehension of its concept and implications can help to effectively manage the built environment in a sustainable manner, particularly to the face of climate change. This paper can stimulate both debate as well as further research in industry and academe, respectively.

Advent of Climate Change and Resultant Energy Related Obsolescence in the Built Environment

By 2050s the UK is expected to experience: increase in average summer mean temperatures (predicted to rise by upto 3.5 o C) and frequency of heat-waves / very hot days; and increases in winter precipitation (of up to 20%) and possibly more frequent severe storms. Also, in 2050s approximately 70% of UK buildings will have been built before 2010, which due to aforesaid climate change factors will suffer from various types of obsolescence – including energy related obsolescence. Thus, if sustainable built environment is to accommodate climate change and the investment in these buildings (which was approximately £129 billions in 2007 in the UK alone) is to be protected, action needs to be taken now to assess the vulnerability and resilience of the existing UK built environment; and plan adaptation / mitigation interventions, that allow to continue to support the quality of life and well-being of UK citizens. The situation with other countries around the globe is not dissimilar, although there may be some variation in nature and quantity of climate change, and the way climate change impacts manifest themselves in relation to the resources and governance of a given country. Failure to act now will mean that the costs of tackling climate change in future will be much higher, jeopardising not only environmental but also economic sustainability. In view of these concerns, this paper will focus on obsolescence that is associated with energy and climate change. The climate change factors that shall be specifically covered include global warming, flooding, carbon emissions, carbon cut targets, environmental legislation and building regulations. Obsolescence types are categorised into direct and indirect obsolescence groups. Moreover, although the paper will mention both generation and consumption of energy, the later shall be more specifically addressed due to accelerating demand of power as well as pressures for efficient energy consumption in buildings to cut carbon emissions. Finally, in light of to date literature review, the paper will emphasise requirement of a fundamental framework for identification and categorisation of energy related obsolescence in the built environment, which shall attract interests for further investigation from both researchers and practitioners.

The Role Of BIM In Tackling Obsolescence, Climate Change, And Sustainability

Although the BIM technology is applicable to both new and existing buildings, it is arguably more established in the former than the latter. This is despite the fact that, in the UK alone, 70–80% of what has been built by 2010, is estimated to continue to exist for a number of decades to come: including the years 2020 and 2050 (the two main temporal deadlines in the Climate Change Act, 2008). In addition, this existing building stock is subject to obsolescence (both climate change-induced and non-climate change-associated) which in turn compromises sustainability. Thus, there are three notions that appear to be interwoven, i.e. Obsolescence, Climate Change, and Sustainability: the question is whether BIM can be exploited to address these. There has been only limited research work to explore the possible influence of BIM upon obsolescence, climate change, and sustainability as individual issues, and none reported, to-date, in terms of an approach to their collective consideration. This paper conceptually explores how BIM can be related with all three crucial notions simultaneously as well as discretely. It is argued that such studies can be particularly valuable in the face of escalating pressures in terms of future obsolescence risks, overwhelming evidence of climate change, and escalating sustainability agendas. The paper reviews current work that relates state-of-the-art BIM to the three notions, both separately and collectively, and thereby delineates the potential for BIM to play a role in addressing the three issues simultaneously.

Sustainability of and Obsolescence in the Built Environment: Two Contrary Notions

The research described in this article introduces a new, but overlooked, insights about the inverse linkages between sustainability and obsolescence. This article explores the concepts, not only at an overall level via the individual definitions of the terms, but also on social, economic, and environmental grounds that are important to sustainability discussions. Comparisons between the two notions along these three dimensions are elaborated with illustrative examples and real-life case studies. A conceptual illustration is also presented on how the two concepts operate in opposition to each other over time. This article is intended to not only introduce innovative concepts, particularly in the context of the built environment, but also to provoke healthy debate and discussion among researchers and practitioners alike. Hopefully this debate will enhance these proposed innovative concepts as well as generate new ideas and approaches toward the sustainable management of the built environment.

A Framework for Intelligent Information System – Reengineering Energy Consumption in Buildings to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Irrespective of the global debate that climate change is totally a natural phenomenon or a result only of anthropogenic activities, it can be said that at least a part of the reason (if not all) for climate change happening around the globe is anthropogenic activities. One such activity is carbon emissions that result as an unwanted side product when energy is produced via burning fossil fuels. These carbon emissions cause greenhouse effect resulting in increased average temperature and global warming. For instance, eleven of the 12 hottest years on record occurred between 1995 and 2006. On the contrary, energy has become like blood of life for the existence and functioning of the built environment. Buildings in Europe alone are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% CO2 emissions. Under the Directive of Energy Performance of Buildings (2002/91/EC), the Member States must apply minimum requirements as regards the energy performance of buildings. The UK has taken lead among many other countries by passing the bill for the Climate Change Act 2008 which legally binds the UK to at least 80% reduction by 2050 and 34% by 2020 which is fast approaching. However, the review of literature and models to date reveals that there is a lack of holistic knowledge-base approaches towards integrating all energy-related aspects in a given building in terms of these issues: energy consumption breakdown amongst various energy-using items of a given building; identification of high energy-using items in the building; maintenance/refitting and refurbishments/retrofitting; fabric and non-fabric; cost-benefit analysis in terms of energy-saving technologies, pay-back time and meeting aforesaid legal carbon cuts targets. Based on identification of knowledge gaps and attempting to bridge them, this paper develops and presents such a holistic knowledge-base framework that forms fundamentals of an intelligent information system and encapsulates all the issues listed above.

Sustainable Obsolescence Management – A Conceptual Unified Framework to Form Basis of an Interactive Intelligent Multimedia System

The environment that surrounds us can be categorised into two parts, the natural environment and the built environment. Which ever environment type is to be maintained and / or enhanced for good, its sustainability has to be managed against obsolescence. From the built environment perspective, well more than half of whatever has been built and is being built, is going to be around for many decades to come. Thus, managing the sustainability of the existing built environment against obsolescence is of paramount importance. Keeping the focus on the built environment category, this paper establishes that sustainability and obsolescence are inversely related concepts. Furthermore, like sustainability, obsolescence is a multifaceted entity, thereby necessitating multimedia engagement of people/stakeholders, programs, technologies, equipment and other resources more than usual. Discussing the importance of the existing built environment, this paper presents a tool in the form of a conceptual but unified framework of sustainable obsolescence management. This framework can be used as fundamentals for further research in future to develop an intelligent multimedia architecture. Thus, the research work presented in this paper is at an initial stage of development of an intelligent multimedia system in a holistic format.

Sustainability of the Built Environment – Development of an Intelligent Decision System to Support Management of Energy-Related Obsolescence

From the built environment perspective, well more than half of whatever has been built and is being built, is going to be around for many decades to come. For instance in the UK, approximately 70% of the UK buildings that have already been built before 2010 will be existing in 2050s. The existing built environment (both infrastructures and buildings) suffer obsolescence in many ways and of various types. The obsolescence is being and will be more induced in the existing built environment not only due to conventional factors (such as aging, wear and tear) but also climate change related factors such as global warming / heat waves, wetter and colder winters, hotter and dryer summers, more frequent and more intense flooding and storms, etc. There are complexities and variation of characteristics from one built environment to another in terms of obsolescence. Whatever the type, shape, size, nature and location of a built environment scenario, energy is involved in it one way or another. Existing energy-related systems in built environments are going to become obsolescent due to both climate change and non-climate change related factors listed above as examples. Furthermore, the energy in the built environment exists in three different stages which are generation end, distribution and consumption end of the ‘pipeline’. Accommodating the aforesaid complexities and variation of characteristics from one built environment to another in terms of obsolescence specifically due to energy-related systems; this paper presents an intelligent decision making tool in the form of a conceptual but holistic framework for the energy-related obsolescence management. The tool at this stage of the research study, provides a conceptual platform where various stages and facets of assessment and management of energy-related obsolescence are assembled together in the form of a sequential and algorithmic system.