Hidden innovation in the construction and property sectors

The construction and property industries have a poor reputation for innovation. Indeed, this reputation appears to be backed by official statistics which projects these industries as being devoid of innovative activity. However, the reputation is undeserved. Official statistics misrepresent the extent and nature of innovation in these sectors. A closer analysis reveals that much of the innovation that exists in the sector is hidden from conventional measures. By its nature therefore, it is difficult to measure the precise extent of this innovation and disaggregate it from general improvement. This opaqueness strengthens the need for policymakers, practitioners and researchers within, amongst others, the surveying sector to go beyond the visible spectrum of innovation and design and implement appropriate policies, knowledge bases and practices which engage and leverage the hitherto hidden aspects of innovation

Performance analysis of a Cold Asphalt Concrete Binder Course Containing High Calcium Fly Ash Utilizing Waste Material

It has been established that cold bituminous emulsion mixtures (CBEMs) have a comparatively low initial strength in comparison to hot mix asphalt (HMA), however its superior performance with regard to carbon emissions, is a significant driver regarding its manufacture. In this research, high calcium fly ash (HCFA) together with a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (FCC) - a rich silica-alumina waste material - have been incorporated to develop a new cold asphalt concrete binder course (CACB) bituminous emulsion mixture. HCFA was used as a substitute for traditional limestone filler while FCC was the additive used to activate the HCFA. The mixtures’ performance was assessed using the indirect tensile stiffness modulus test (ITSM), assessment of resistance against permanent deformation, temperature and water sensitivity tests. Surface morphology was tested using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A considerable improvement was identified by the ITSM test in addition to a substantial enhancement in rutting resistance, temperature susceptibility and water sensitivity. It was also established that the addition of FCC to CACB mixtures was found to improve early strength as well as long-term strength, rutting resistance, temperature sensitivity and durability

Analog Computer Research

Contains reports on three research projects

UK construction companies’ strategies in the face of business cycles

Firms in the construction industry have always had to deal with the challenges of the economic cycle and develop strategies to deal with the resulting fluctuations in their business environment. In the context of the 2008–2011 double-dip recession in the UK, the results of a survey targeting the top one hundred construction companies in the UK are reported here. This research is particularly intended to assess whether the strategies of large companies in the construction sector, when faced with the issues associated with the variation in the economic cycle, have changed since the previous business cycle (i.e. the 1986–1990 boom followed by the 1990–1991 recession). The survey reveals the challenges that companies have faced, reports on company behaviour and on the policies adopted. While there are many similarities between policies adopted during the recessionary periods of the two cycles, the research found notable changes in attitudes towards diversification, human resource management and price bidding

Laboratory Studies to Examine the Properties of a Novel Cold-Asphalt Concrete Binder Course Mixture Containing Binary Blended Cementitious Filler (BBCF)

Conventional hot asphalt mixtures have an impact on global warming and CO2 emissions contributing to debates on environmental issues which have been raised in recent years. As an alternative, cold emulsion asphalt mixtures (CBEMs) provide considerable benefits such as eco-friendliness, energy efficiency and cost effectiveness connected with safety. However, their weak early strength along with the need for longer curing times (usually 2-24 months) and higher moisture susceptibility compared to hot asphalt mixtures, have been cited as obstacles to their wider application. That said, the incorporation of waste materials in CBEM mixtures enhances sustainability by decreasing the amount of industrial waste materials needed and conserving natural resources. A new binary blended cement filler (BBCF) material generated from high calcium fly ash (HCFA) and fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (FC3R) was found to be very effective in providing microstructural integrity with a novel fast-curing cold asphalt concrete for the binder course (CACB) mixture. Laboratory performance tests included the stiffness modulus test by indirect tension to cylindrical samples, wheel-tracking tests and water sensitivity. Regarding environmental issues, a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test was performed to analyse the leachate from various specimens comprising concentrations of heavy metal. The findings of these tests have demonstrated that CACB performs extremely well compared to traditional hot mixtures. The stiffness modulus of the BBCF treated mixture – 3730 MPa after 3 days – is higher than the traditional hot mixture (100/150 pen). In addition, the BBCF treated mixture offered a superior performance regarding rutting resistance, fatigue resistance and water susceptibility as well as revealing a considerably lower thermal sensitivity. More significantly, the BBCF treated mixture was found comparable to the traditional asphalt concrete binder course after a very short curing time (1 day). Finally, the concentration of heavy metals in the specimens incorporating the BBCF was observed to be less than the regulatory levels determined for hazardous materials and so requirements were satisfied. Consequently, this BBCF treated mixture has significant potential with reference to its application as a binder course in asphalt pavement

Glutathione s-transferase omega in the lung and sputum supernatants of COPD patients

BACKGROUND: The major contribution to oxidant related lung damage in COPD is from the oxidant/antioxidant imbalance and possibly impaired antioxidant defence. Glutathione (GSH) is one of the most important antioxidants in human lung and lung secretions, but the mechanisms participating in its homeostasis are partly unclear. Glutathione-S-transferase omega (GSTO) is a recently characterized cysteine containing enzyme with the capability to bind and release GSH in vitro. GSTO has not been investigated in human lung or lung diseases. METHODS: GSTO1-1 was investigated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis in 72 lung tissue specimens and 40 sputum specimens from non-smokers, smokers and COPD, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in plasma from healthy non-smokers and smokers. It was also examined in human monocytes and bronchial epithelial cells and their culture mediums in vitro. RESULTS: GSTO1-1 was mainly expressed in alveolar macrophages, but it was also found in airway and alveolar epithelium and in extracellular fluids including sputum supernatants, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, plasma and cell culture mediums. The levels of GSTO1-1 were significantly lower in the sputum supernatants (p = 0.023) and lung homogenates (p = 0.003) of COPD patients than in nonsmokers. CONCLUSION: GSTO1-1 is abundant in the alveolar macrophages, but it is also present in extracellular fluids and in airway secretions, the levels being decreased in COPD. The clinical significance of GSTO1-1 and its role in regulating GSH homeostasis in airway secretions, however, needs further investigations