ExploreLCA – A Web Application for Exploring Systematised Life Cycle Assessments of Buildings

Denne studien presenterer ExploreLCA, en webapplikasjon for utforskning av systematiserte livssyklusanalyser (LCA) av bygninger funnet i building LCA database (bLCAd)-verktøyet. bLCAd-verktøyet er en MySQL-database for systematisk organisering og lagring av LCA-er av bygninger. Systematiserte LCA-er hjelper med å legge til rette for statistiske analyser og generering av pålitelige utslippstall, som er nødvendige for å gjennomføre pålitelige sammenligninger av utslipp på tvers av bygninger. Per i dag finnes det ingen måte å bla gjennom de ulike typene bygningsdata som er tilstede i bLCAd-verktøyet uten å måtte manuelt skrive en rekke SQL-spørringer, enten gjennom et kommandolinjegrensesnitt eller via et dedikert verktøy – dette kan oppleves som en utfordring av brukere som mangler nødvendig teknisk kompetanse. Denne studien utforsker hvordan systematiserte LCA-resultater lagret i bLCAd-verktøyet kan tilgjengeliggjøres gjennom en interaktiv webapplikasjon. I denne sammenhengen betyr tilgjengelig både "enkel å bruke", "enkel å forstå" og "enkel å få tilgang til". Design science research-metodikken ble brukt til å designe og utvikle ExploreLCA. Applikasjonen ble evaluert gjennom brukervennlighetstesting, spørreundersøkelser og intervjuer, der deltagerne besto av 33 studenter fra masterprogrammet i bærekraftig arkitektur ved NTNU, samt én energi- og miljørådgiver fra arkitektfirmaet Asplan Viak. Kvalitative data som ble utledet fra evalueringene ble videre analysert ved hjelp av grounded theory-metoden. Applikasjonens suksess ble målt ved hjelp av Technology Acceptance-modellen sine to hovedvariabler, opplevd nytteverdi og opplevd brukervennlighet. Resultatene viser at ExploreLCA har et generelt høyt nivå av opplevd nytteverdi og opplevd brukervennlighet, noe som indikerer at de systematiserte LCA-ene av bygningene funnet i bLCAd-verktøyet blir gjort tilgjengelige på en tilfredsstillende måte. Disse resultatene tyder på at ExploreLCA virker som en lovende og verdifull applikasjon for brukere som ønsker å utforske og få tilgang til systematiserte LCA-er av bygninger på en interaktiv og fleksibel måte.This study presents ExploreLCA, a web application for exploring systematised life cycle assessments (LCAs) of buildings found in the building LCA database (bLCAd) tool. The bLCAd tool is a MySQL database for systematically organising and storing LCAs of buildings. Systematised LCAs help facilitate statistical analyses and generate reliable embodied emissions figures, which are necessary for making reliable comparisons of emissions across buildings. In its current state, there is no way to browse through the different types of building data present in the bLCAd tool without having to manually write numerous SQL queries, either through a command line interface or via a dedicated tool – this might pose a challenge to practitioners that lack the required technical competence. This study explores how systematised LCA results found in the bLCAd tool can be made accessible through an interactive web application. In this context, accessible means both "easy to use", "easy to understand" and "easy to get access to". The design science research methodology was used to design and develop ExploreLCA. The application was evaluated through usability testing, questionnaires and interviews, in which the participants consisted of 33 students from the MSc in Sustainable Architecture at NTNU, and one energy and environment advisor from the architectural firm Asplan Viak. Qualitative data derived from the evaluations was then further analysed using the grounded theory method. The application's success was measured using the two primary variables of the Technology Acceptance Model, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The results show that ExploreLCA has an overall high level of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, indicating that the systematised LCAs of buildings found in the bLCAd tool are made satisfactorily accessible. These results suggest that ExploreLCA shows promise as a valuable application for practitioners that wish to explore access systematised LCAs of buildings in an interactive and flexible manner

Real-time ultrasound (RTU) imaging methods for quality control of meats

In this chapter the use of real-time ultrasonography to predict in vivo carcass composition and meat traits will be reviewed. The chapter begins by discussing background and principles of ultrasound. Then aspects affecting the suitability of realtime ultrasonography and image analysis for predicting carcass composition and meat traits of meat producing species and fish will be presented. This chapter also provides an overview of the present and future trends in the application of real-time ultrasonography in the meat industry. © 2012 Woodhead Publishing Limited All rights reserved.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Digital Fish Library: Using MRI to Digitize, Database, and Document the Morphological Diversity of Fish

Museum fish collections possess a wealth of anatomical and morphological data that are essential for documenting and understanding biodiversity. Obtaining access to specimens for research, however, is not always practical and frequently conflicts with the need to maintain the physical integrity of specimens and the collection as a whole. Non-invasive three-dimensional (3D) digital imaging therefore serves a critical role in facilitating the digitization of these specimens for anatomical and morphological analysis as well as facilitating an efficient method for online storage and sharing of this imaging data. Here we describe the development of the Digital Fish Library (DFL, http://www.digitalfishlibrary.org), an online digital archive of high-resolution, high-contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the soft tissue anatomy of an array of fishes preserved in the Marine Vertebrate Collection of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. We have imaged and uploaded MRI data for over 300 marine and freshwater species, developed a data archival and retrieval system with a web-based image analysis and visualization tool, and integrated these into the public DFL website to disseminate data and associated metadata freely over the web. We show that MRI is a rapid and powerful method for accurately depicting the in-situ soft-tissue anatomy of preserved fishes in sufficient detail for large-scale comparative digital morphology. However these 3D volumetric data require a sophisticated computational and archival infrastructure in order to be broadly accessible to researchers and educators

ExploreLCA – A Web Application for Exploring Systematised Life Cycle Assessments of Buildings

Denne studien presenterer ExploreLCA, en webapplikasjon for utforskning av systematiserte livssyklusanalyser (LCA) av bygninger funnet i building LCA database (bLCAd)-verktøyet. bLCAd-verktøyet er en MySQL-database for systematisk organisering og lagring av LCA-er av bygninger. Systematiserte LCA-er hjelper med å legge til rette for statistiske analyser og generering av pålitelige utslippstall, som er nødvendige for å gjennomføre pålitelige sammenligninger av utslipp på tvers av bygninger. Per i dag finnes det ingen måte å bla gjennom de ulike typene bygningsdata som er tilstede i bLCAd-verktøyet uten å måtte manuelt skrive en rekke SQL-spørringer, enten gjennom et kommandolinjegrensesnitt eller via et dedikert verktøy – dette kan oppleves som en utfordring av brukere som mangler nødvendig teknisk kompetanse. Denne studien utforsker hvordan systematiserte LCA-resultater lagret i bLCAd-verktøyet kan tilgjengeliggjøres gjennom en interaktiv webapplikasjon. I denne sammenhengen betyr tilgjengelig både "enkel å bruke", "enkel å forstå" og "enkel å få tilgang til". Design science research-metodikken ble brukt til å designe og utvikle ExploreLCA. Applikasjonen ble evaluert gjennom brukervennlighetstesting, spørreundersøkelser og intervjuer, der deltagerne besto av 33 studenter fra masterprogrammet i bærekraftig arkitektur ved NTNU, samt én energi- og miljørådgiver fra arkitektfirmaet Asplan Viak. Kvalitative data som ble utledet fra evalueringene ble videre analysert ved hjelp av grounded theory-metoden. Applikasjonens suksess ble målt ved hjelp av Technology Acceptance-modellen sine to hovedvariabler, opplevd nytteverdi og opplevd brukervennlighet. Resultatene viser at ExploreLCA har et generelt høyt nivå av opplevd nytteverdi og opplevd brukervennlighet, noe som indikerer at de systematiserte LCA-ene av bygningene funnet i bLCAd-verktøyet blir gjort tilgjengelige på en tilfredsstillende måte. Disse resultatene tyder på at ExploreLCA virker som en lovende og verdifull applikasjon for brukere som ønsker å utforske og få tilgang til systematiserte LCA-er av bygninger på en interaktiv og fleksibel måte

Selective Repair of the Pipelines: Appropriateness, Сonstructability, Efficiency

Selective and complete repairs are the main methods of performing repair works to eliminate pipelines corrosion and stress-corrosion defects. The advantages of both methods are compared, both from a technical and economic standpoint, and from the point of view of the organization and production of large-scale construction and installation works. Initially, at the stage of operation of the first main gas pipelines, their overhaul was carried out exclusively with a complete replacement of pipes. Subsequently, with the development of in-line diagnostics, a more rational approach to the choice of a repair method — began to develop selective repair of the pipelines with the accumulation of the main efforts on defective pipe sections found a widespread use. This is due to the fact that the diagnostic examinations showed an uneven level of technical condition of pipes and sections along the length of gas pipelines. However, complete repair with replacement of pipes still makes up a significant part of the total volume of repair operations. The issues of planning repair work are considered from the point of view of optimization of organizational and operational costs. The principle of optimal planning of work should be based on minimizing the functional of the total costs of the repair itself, and on compensating for the shortage of gas to consumers during the period of its implementation. Analysis of the technical condition of the main gas pipelines showed that there is no need for large-scale repair work on the overwhelming majority of the lines in the central and southern directions, therefore, selective repair should be adopted as the main one, contributing to the functional cost minimization. The calculation results show that the efficiency of selective repairs application depends on the number of single sections, the organization of simultaneous work at the object, and the number of relocations of the columns and crews. Due to the heterogeneity of the pipelines technical condition, the selective method of carrying out repair works in many cases becomes the most efficient. In this case, the choice of technology and organizational scheme for the work production should be determined based on the specific conditions at the repair site.</jats:p

On the Issue of Improving Reliability of the Main Gas Pipelines

According to the statistics, until the mid-90s, the share of failures on the linear part of the main gas pipelines due to corrosion accounted for 55–70 %. The next period is characterized by the prevalence of failures caused by the stress corrosion, the level of which was 40–50 %. The failure rate attributable to the welded joints was about 11–12 %. In this regard, for the purpose of maintaining the established level of the gas pipelines technical condition, PAO Gazprom develops and implements the programs for the main gas pipelines overhauls for the periods until 2031. The program can be solved by developing new, more efficient methods and technologies for the overhauls using pipes that were in operation and prepared for further work in the plant conditions. A significant proportion of accidents are associated with the pipe metal external corrosion, while a significant part of failures is caused by the formation of corrosion cracking under stress of the pipe metal. The most efficient means of ensuring reliable trouble-free operation of the gas pipelines is the overhaul of defective sections determined based on diagnostic surveys and analysis of the parameters of the objects technical condition. The decision on the possibility of further use of the pipes should be made considering such factors as working conditions, expected duration of operation, reliability requirements, etc. From the point of view of wear and reduction of the pipes service life, the region, and the conditions in which the pipes were operated are of great importance. Maintaining the operability of gas pipelines at a high level can be ensured by significantly increasing the volume of capital repairs based on the in-depth analysis of the sections technical condition.</jats:p