Journal articles on the topic 'House construction – Standards – Ontario'

The forest practice legislation of 14 states is examined critically to provide a basis for suggesting elements of a forest practice act for Ontario. Four types of legislation are identified: voluntary-selective, voluntary-comprehensive, mandatory-selective, and mandatory-comprehensive. The American experience suggests strongly that only mandatory-comprehensive legislation has had much impact on improving forest management on private land. This experience also suggests any effort to develop similar legislation for Ontario must give particular attention to how the administering agency is notified of intended activity on private land, the development standards for harvesting, regeneration, road construction and other practices, and procedures for monitoring and enforcing compliance with standards. A meaningful administrative commitment, including adequate staffing and funding, will be essential to any effort to enhance forest management on private land in Ontario.

The article deals with the issues of environmental (“green”) construction in Russia in relation to the tasks of low-rise and individual development. The article describes the history of the formation of the ecological construction market in Russia and abroad, gives a general classification and the main directions of its development. The ad-vantages of green construction, the problems that hinder the rapid development of ecological construction and the stimulating factors of such development are described. The applicable standards of green construction are indicated, both established by the state in the form of normative legal acts, and voluntary, and the advantages of following environmental standards are shown. Practical examples of ecological construction and problems faced by developers in practice are given. The concepts of Passive House, energy-efficient house and non-volatile house are considered in detail, indicating the ways to use the elements of such concepts in the implementation of real construction at the moment, including some practical examples of technical and technological solutions, as well as ways to further improve them. Examples of low-rise buildings currently under construction using standards and principles of ecological construction are given. The Russian standards of green construction are considered in de-tail, with references to specific regulations and other sources regulating the issues of ecological construction, and the ways of their further development and improvement are indicated. A mathematical model of the order of construction of eco-mobility facilities is proposed, where the capital return indicator is selected as an important criterion, which is determined taking into account the different times of costs for the objects being introduced. Its maximization leads to the choice of such an option, which will be characterized by the largest intermediate volume of input objects, as well as the smallest amount of reduced capital investments, i.e. their more rational dynamics. Thus, this indicator characterizes the efficiency of using capital investments, as well as their return as a result of reducing construction in progress.

The article presents the concept and the process of integrated design and construction of energy-efficient house during the life cycle based on the use of BIM (Building Information Model), BEM (Building Energy Modeling) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) technologies. The task of complex design is to create a house with harmonious architecture and minimal energy costs to maintain a comfortable microclimate, including using renewable energy sources. The article shows the effectiveness of the use of an integrated approach in the design of a house close to the Passive House standards.

Since 1981, an Ontario provincial government study has been undertaken on the 53 concrete water tanks built in the province since 1956. Results of mainly external, but some internal, inspections, condition surveys, and ratings on an ascending 0–9 scale revealed a wide range in performance. This varied from failed tanks, rated 0 (two tanks), to very good performance, rated 9. The ratings were generally related to the tank types and construction method used. The best performance was exhibited by posttensioned bonded (PTB) types. The survey results and defects analysed revealed various problems and causes. These varied from specific construction methodology faults, such as slipform jack rods (pipes) left in the walls of certain types of tank, which filled with water and froze, to common defects, such as cold joints, experienced in all types, leading to leakage and freezing, and ice expansion in voids in tank walls during the winter. Actual concrete tensile stresses induced by internal ice formations, thermal gradients, and shrinkage stresses were found to be higher than those used in most designs or allowed in international codes or standards. As a result of the study, a provincial government rehabilitation programme for ministry-built tanks in need of repairs and leakproofing was started in mid-1982 in the order of priority ratings established during the study.

The present study is based on analyzing the sustainable approaches toward adaptation of green building , materials and technology. The implemented standards to reduce resource and energy usage is applied to improve the living standards of people and society. The study is focused on construction industry of Oman and consider fiver case studies from Salalah based on designing green building in Dhofar region. The green building and construction is rated according to standards provided by LEED organization. The study compare the case studies and develop model for sustainable building. The simulation results indicates the improtance of green building in saving energy and resources such as Eco-house.

The urgent need for energy consumption reduction and trends of global warming leads toward exploring possibilities to “hide” living space from explosion to climate changes as a result of global warming. This paper aims to present benefits of underground houses, underground living space. Housing is elementary process of mankind life that was performed from the existence of life in different forms, shapes, levels and social developments. House, as one used to get protected by phenomena of the nature, historically used in different shapes, levels and materials, created mentality that one percept as protective, and isolated space, for life activities. This paper treat possibilities, and priorities, of underground housing and construction of underground house in current development of technology, climate development impact, current development of mentality of society and approach of society toward energy efficiency, as underground house is one of the contribution. Paper as well analyze applicable standards and current legislation in Kosova for underground construction and housing.

Inner Mongolia mostly belongs to the rural residence building, no any relevant construction standard and building energy efficiency standards. Most of the farmers in build houses without considering building energy problems. This article through to a rural residential energy conservation calculation and analysis, and obtain the energy-saving index.

Abstract The term "passive house" refers to rigorous and voluntary standards for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. There are many ways how to build a passive house successfully. These designs as well as construction techniques vary from ordinary timber constructions using packs of straw or constructions of clay. This paper aims to quantify environmental quality of external walls in a passive house, which are made of a timber frame, lightweight concrete blocks and sand-lime bricks in order to determine whether this constructional form provides improved environmental performance. Furthermore, this paper assesses potential benefit of energy savings at heating of houses in which their external walls are made of these three material alternatives. A two storey residential passive house, with floorage of 170.6 m2, was evaluated. Some measurements of air and surface temperatures were done as a calibration etalon for a method of simulation.

When China is vigorously urging the development of western area and the construction of new village, how to improve living standards of the famers at the same time to maximize the energy saving and the reduction of building materials using is one of the important problems that need to be solved. Based on the survey and research of the rural house in the Guanzhong region of north china, paper explores and analyzes the orientation, architectural style, layout, natural ventilation etc. Then arrive at the general applicability of ecological and energy-saving rural house in the Guanzhong region under the concept of ecological design. In the wake of the help of generally applicable design program, can provide some reference for the current rural house construction, and promote the integration of urban and rural areas.

A large number of nontraditional rural houses were built in 1980s in Zhejiang province. These houses often fail to meet the modern needs of local villagers. In this paper, one such house was reconstructed, using some green-construction technologies and the lowest cost, and the least construction criteria, in order to obtain the best appearance and the best energy-saving effect. Furthermore, the rural house was evaluated using simulations to examine performance on energy consumption, ventilation, and natural lighting. The annual energy consumption of the reconstructed house is 66.6 KWh/m2 and the energy-saving rate is 56.23%. Wind velocity of the main activity area ranges from 0.3 to 1 m/s, and the illumination values are above 55 lx, which all meet the requirements of the Chinese Green Building Standards.

In early 2006, Fives Solios, namely Solios Thermal, was selected as a key cast house supplier by a major aluminium producer for a new 130,000te/yr re-melting facility. The project scope included not only the supply of modern melting and holding furnaces plus ancillary equipment, but also pre-heating furnaces, an air pollution control system, basic cast house engineering, cooling water schemes and complete turnkey project management. This project presented particular technical and logistical challenges and was required to meet exacting European environmental / efficiency standards for all major contractors involved. The facility was commissioned in March 2008 and the first production was on schedule. This paper will discuss the challenges that the Solios Thermal project team had to overcome, from layout of equipment to conclusion of the project; also how good communication and close collaboration between the customer and all major subcontractors resulted in a successfully implemented plant.

The social housing project at Persoonshaven in the Feijenoord district of Rotterdam in the Netherlands provides an adaptation of a common late 19th-century speculative house type. The changes in its appearance, spatial organization, details and structure result from standardized contemporary Dutch construction techniques and current regulations and spatial standards. The house types and building methods will be described in the context of Martin Steinmann’s characterization of traditionalist design as practiced by the Danish architect Kay Fisker.

The goal of this paper is to assess two ultra-low-energy family houses from thermo-physical aspects and environmental perspectives. Thermo – physical evaluation, done in two-dimensional PC software Area, has shown results that consent with the newest standards for designing critical details in two ultra-low-energy family houses. Both cases show correctness in design in regards to thermo-physical properties. Both critical spots – corners are well insulated with surface temperatures over 17°C, which indicates low risk of mold occurring. Most of the embodied energy is in roof construction with value of 3084 MJ in house A and 1943 MJ in house B. In terms of indicator of global warming potential, most emissions were calculated in bearing walls of house B (593 kgCO2eq/m2). From the acidification potential, the most emissions were determined in the roof construction B (1.02283 kgSO2eq/m2). It can be stated that financial expenses on groundwork and preparing polystyrene casing for a reinforced concrete slab is significantly higher (family house A) than for foundation insulated from the exterior side with extruded polystyrene (family house B).

Due to the changes in the energy standards for housing in Poland there are many concerns. Is the standard required by the regulation achievable and if it is, then at what cost? There are many solutions to construct a building in line with the requirements of passive house technology. They are differentiated by price and time required for implementation. This study is based on the solution proposed by one of Polish companies, offering technologically integrated products allowing, according to the producer, to build passive houses faster and easier. The goal of this study was to confront producer’s claim with reality by comparing time and cost of the same investment using conventional and passive house technology. The basis for time and cost analysis was a basic detached house design, partially modified with regards to materials and technology used. Conclusions of the study are based on the comparison of the two Gantt charts defined in Ms Project. Construction schedule was used to analyse the duration of both projects and the resources assignment was used in cost analysis.

Purpose – This paper aims to study house builder opinions of energy-efficient homes in the UK. The days of inconsiderate construction methods and disregard for the environment are becoming a thing of the past. If zero carbon (Zc) standards are to be implemented across all new homes within the UK, it is essential that house builders are willing and able to construct such homes to the necessary standards and to the volumes required. Although new generations of low carbon (Lc) and energy-efficient homes are beginning to break into the marketplace, house builders remain reluctant to introduce complex technologies during high effort builds. Design/methodology/approach – The findings from questionnaire responses provide an indication of the views of house builders relating to the incentives encouraging and barriers preventing them from producing mass market energy-efficient homes. Findings – This paper has uncovered the views and opinions of house builders relating to energy-efficient homes. The findings provide evidence that the house building industry is not fully engaged with the energy-efficiency concept; that house builders portray an inconsistent level of confidence in their ability to deliver energy-efficient homes; and that Government targets are too ambitious. Originality/value – The findings within this paper provide an overview of the opinions of house builders relating to energy-efficient homes using statistical analysis.

Due to environmental and energy matters, importance of future construction trend-Passive House Design is increasing all over the world. In Europe, already recommended values ​​for passive buildings are included in thermal insulation standards and energy regulation directives. There is a wide range of construction materials nowadays. The key point is using proper techniques by harmonizing correct practice and materials. In this regard, smart optimization set-up approach is necessary in order to achieve the most suitable design which has the lowest CO2 and SO2 values and appears as the cheapest option. The sample given in this paper is an example of an exterior wall design for residential passive houses (heat transfer coefficient (U) value through the cross section is 0,108 W/m²K). Connected with the aim of the paper, which is showing an multi-objective optimization method for choosing the best thermal insulation design in the case of that more than one projection, results of given example design in the paper is used. Simultaneously, criteria of total thickness, heat transfer coefficient (U) through the cross section, global warming potential (GWP), acid produce (AP), primary energy content (PEI) non renewable and cost in 2013 per m2 are included in “Smart optimization set-up approach diagram”.

An evaluation of the standard installation direct design (SIDD) prediction method has been undertaken by constructing and monitoring full-scale test beds installed according to SIDD Type IV specifications at four test sites across southern Ontario, Canada. Stresses around the test beds were monitored over a period of 20 months. The internal diameter of the test pipe segments varied from 600 mm to 900 mm; in situ soil conditions ranged from organic clay to sand, and burial depths varied from 1.5 to 3 times the diameter of the installed pipe. All test sections were subjected to frequent heavy traffic loads, representing a worse case loading scenario. Measurements from the 20 month monitoring period were compared with predictions from Ontario Provincial Standards and SIDD specifications. It was concluded that the SIDD method reasonably predicts the stress envelope around a buried rigid pipe installed using the cut-and-cover construction method. The indirect design method currently used by the Ontario Provincial Standards was found to provide an overly conservative prediction of soil stresses at the invert of the pipe. Field measurements also suggest that the value of the horizontal arching factor (HAF) currently recommended by SIDD for Type IV installations is overly conservative and can be increased while maintaining a conservative design approach.Key words: soil, pipe, interaction, rigid, SIDD, monitoring.

Abstract In many parts of the world, drinking water storage takes place in near-house or in-house tanks. This can impact drinking water quality considerably. International and numerous national standards and guidelines addressing the construction, installation and operation of domestic drinking water storage tanks are reviewed on their consideration of water quality aspects and the minimisation of health risks associated with drinking water storage. Several national and international standards and guidelines are reviewed in terms of drinking water quality requirements. Factors that have an impact on water quality in relation to the use of domestic drinking water storage tanks are summarised comprehensively. The impact of the domestic storage of drinking water on water quality, the points and locations of use, their positioning, the materials they are made of, their design and operation, as well as aspects of how they are operated and maintained is outlined and discussed in detail. Finally, the incorporation of aspects regarding water quality in drinking water storage tanks in standards and guidelines is presented and assessed. To make the use of domestic drinking water storage tanks safer and more efficient, recommendations for modifications, improvements and extensions of respective standards are made.

In the construction of the metro, the development and operation of large-scale underground space in the city cause the construction of metro tunnels near the original underground structures, and the complex environment for passing structures at close range has increased significantly. Comparing the actual load data of the actual project with the data obtained with the proposed new method, it is proved that the predicted load range corresponds essentially to the measured average curve of the project, which is commonly used with the experimental load formula. Subsequently, the load calculation method is used to guide the construction of the composite base of the protective cutting pile of one of the Zhengzhou metro lines under the existing masonry structure. Based on the existing building damage grade evaluation standards, the professional house inspection agency checked the intersection of the tunnel and the building space and realized that the main structure of the house during the tunnel construction process would be still safe; thereby, Zhenghe Community Building 1# can be used normally after partial repairs.

The international Passive House Standard delivers high thermal comfort based on the principles of excellent building fabric and balanced mechanical heat recovery ventilation. Considering that the typical person in industrial countries (such as the UK) spends ∼90% of their time indoors, there are surprisingly few academic studies on air quality in the home. Indoor air quality and the prevalence of overheating are attracting an increasing amount of research attention across Europe, but post occupancy monitoring of indoor radon concentrations is severely underrepresented, especially in Ireland and the UK. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and known carcinogen that presents a potential risk to occupier health. This pilot study investigates measured radon levels in certified Passive House buildings in Northern Ireland and presents an overview of technical radon prevention design options for new builds and mitigation measures for existing buildings. Initial findings indicate that buildings built to the Passive House Standard correspond with reduced indoor radon gas concentrations. Practical application: This Technical Note addresses an issue pertinent to the industry at this time. The growth of energy-efficient standards (such as Passive House) and common principles (such as increased airtightness levels and mechanical ventilation systems) has accelerated the need for research data on indoor radon concentrations. This research bridges the knowledge gap between the fields of indoor air quality (specifically radon), health, sustainability and the built environment.

Abstract Introduction: The objectives of this study were to construct a very robust in-house cylindrical ionization chamber from locally available materials to minimize cost, and to assess its suitability for use in a clinical setting. Materials and Methods: The entire body of the constructed IC was composed of Perspex (PMMA). Other components of the IC were made from locally available materials, such as paper and discarded items. The in-house IC was made waterproof by passing the triaxial cable connecting its various electrodes through a plastic tube which once served as a drainage tube of a urine bag. This connection was made such that the chamber was vented to the environment. The completed in-house IC was evaluated for: polarity effect, ion recombination, ion collection efficiency, stability, dose linearity, stem effect, leakage current, angular, dose rate and energy dependences. Results: Although the pre-evaluation results confirmed that the in-house IC satisfied the stipulated international standards for ICs, there was a need to enhance the stem effect and leakage current characteristics of the IC. The in-house IC was found to have an absorbed dose to water calibration coefficient of 4.475 x 107 Gy/C (uncertainty of 1.6%) for cobalt 60 through a cross-calibration with a commercial 0.6 cc cylindrical IC with traceability to the Germany National Dosimetry Laboratory. Using a Jaffé diagram, the in-house IC was also found to have a recombination correction factor of 1.0078 when operated at the calibration voltage of + 400 V. In terms of beam quality correction factors for megavoltage beams, the in-house IC was found to exhibit characteristics similar to those of Scanditronix-Wellhofer IC 70 Farmer type IC. Conclusion: The constructed in-house Farmer-type IC was able to meet all the recommended characteristics for an IC, and therefore, the in-house IC is suitable for beam output calibration in external beam radiotherapy.

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of the construction of low-rise houses in rural settlements of Siberia of the Soviet period. Changes in the country affected the construction of rural settlements in Siberia. Changes in the formation of rural settlements affected the external enclosing structures. The main development trends and characteristic features of external enclosing structures are determined. Prerequisites for the use of new materials for enclosing structures are described. Typical design is considered as a means of ensuring fast and high-quality construction of rural houses in Siberia, and its impact on enclosing structures revealed. The external enclosing structures in the design and construction of "exemplary" rural settlements are considered. The external enclosing structures of low-rise housing construction in Siberia during the Soviet period are considered as an object of research. The subject of the study is the methods of analysis of scientific literature and system–structural analysis of rural houses in Siberia and their external enclosing structures built in the Soviet period. The novelty lies in the fact that the changes in the construction of Siberian rural houses during the Soviet period were considered and how they affected the external enclosing structures. The main conclusions are that radical changes took place in rural settlements of Siberia during the Soviet period, this was reflected in the external enclosing structures. The traditional wooden materials were replaced by factory-made materials. At that time, they tried to unify low-rise rural houses. Standard projects were developed that could be adapted to the Siberian climatic conditions. The revision of design standards contributed to the development and implementation of new design approaches. This has led to an increase in the typological diversity of housing with various types of external enclosing structures. During this period, "exemplary" rural settlements in Siberia began to be actively designed and built, for the construction of which materials of factory-made external enclosing structures with the addition of local materials were used.

The term "passive house" refers to rigorous and voluntary standards for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. There are many ways how to build a passive house successfully. These designs as well as construction techniques vary from ordinary timber constructions using packs of straw or constructions of clay. This paper aims to quantify environmental quality of external walls in a passive house, which are made of a timber frame, lightweight concrete blocks and sand-lime bricks in order to determine whether this constructional form provides improved environmental performance. Furthermore, this paper assesses potential benefit of energy savings at heating of houses in which their external walls are made of these three material alternatives. A two-storey residential passive house, with floorage of 170.6 m2, was evaluated. Some measurements of air and surface temperatures were done as a calibration etalon for a method of simulation.

The interest of the construction industry in alkali-activated materials has increased to the extent that these materials are recognized as alternatives to ordinary Portland cement-based materials in the quest for sustainable construction. This article presents the design and construction of a prototype of an eco-friendly house built from concrete blocks produced using alkali activation technology or geopolymerization. The prototype meets the requirements of the current Colombian Regulations for Earthquake Resistant Buildings (NSR-10) and includes standards related to the performance of the materials, design, and construction method for earthquake-resistant confined masonry of one- or two-story buildings. The alkali-activated blocks were obtained from different precursors (aluminosilicates), including a natural volcanic pozzolan, ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, construction and demolition waste (concrete, ceramic, brick, and mortar), and red clay brick waste. The physical-mechanical characterization of the alkali-activated blocks allowed their classification according to the structural specifications of the Colombian Technical Standard NTC 4026 (equivalent to ASTM C90). The global warming potential (GWP) or “carbon footprint” attributed to the raw materials of alkali-activated blocks was lower (25.4–54.7%) than that of the reference blocks (ordinary Portland cement concrete blocks). These results demonstrate the potential of alkali-activated materials for application in the construction of eco-friendly houses.

On the basis of the materials of the Sayansky Ostrog (fort), built in the Northern Sayan in 1718, we reconstruct the type of building that was common during the initial stage of the Russian colonization (1600s and 1700s). This is one of the few well preserved Russian forts. While its buildings, their function, and location are known from written sources and from the findings of a complete archaeological excavation, their construction has been hitherto unknown. To reconstruct their size and appearance, we collated archaeological and ethnographic findings, museum materials, and written evidence about the layout of buildings and construction techniques. Judging from the totality of data, we suggest the reconstructions of buildings, such as powder magazine, supply depot, barn with cellar, forge, and commandant’s house. We describe traditions and innovations in construction techniques, choice of building materials, details and blocks, layout of floors, ceilings, and roofs. The commandant’s house reproduces the architectural standards of that time, set by Domenico Trezzini, who designed buildings in the capital and in provincial Russian towns.

Demonstration projects are often used in the building sector to provide a basis for using new processes and/or products. The climate change agenda implies that construction is not only required to deliver value for the customer, cost reductions and efficiency but also sustainable buildings. This paper reports on an early demonstration project, the building of a passive house dormitory in the Central Region of Denmark in 2006-2009. The project was supposed to deliver value, lean design, prefabrication, quality in sustainability, certification according to German standards for passive houses, and micro combined heat and power using hydrogen. Using sociological and business economic theories of innovation, the paper discusses how early movers of innovation tend to obtain only partial success when demonstrating their products and often feel obstructed by minor details. The empirical work encompasses both an evaluation of the design and construction process as well as a post-occupancy evaluation. Process experiences include the use of a multidisciplinary competence group and performance measurement. The commencement of the project was enthusiastic, but it was forced into more traditional forms of control, driven by such challenges as complying with cost goals, the need to choose a German prefab supplier, and local contractors. Energy calculations, indoor climate, issues related to square meter requirements, and the hydrogen element became problematic. The aim to obtain passive house certification prevailed over realizing a good indoor climate, which included sufficient heating. Project management must be able to handle quantitative complexity where simple issues add up to major challenges.

Arguments were presented in opposition to and in favour of St. Marys Cement Inc.’s proposal to construct a limestone quarry near Flamborough, Ontario as written reports and oral debates. This paper describes the development and implementation of a set of decision-making criteria that is used select the stronger of the two opinions. Measures were taken to limit bias in the adjudication process, maintain a high quality of referenced information, and establish a fair, comprehensive set of standards necessary for a convincing argument before the opposing arguments were presented. According to this set of decision-making criteria, the Opponents’ argument in opposition to the movement against development of the quarry was deemed most convincing. Although both parties structured arguments on social, economic, and environmental grounds, the arguments of the Opponents were stronger overall. Construction of the quarry is legal, and should be permitted as a benefit to the province of Ontario.

Social indemnificatory housing is in the construction of house of our country town with relatively particularity a type of housing, it is usually refers to according to the national policy and legal regulations, unified planning, by the government as a whole, to provide specific people use, and on this kind of housing construction standards and sales price or rent standard to limit, the social security function of housing. The paper USES data envelope analysis method, in order to hebei province various administrative city in January 2012 to August safeguard room construction progress data as the research object, analyses the related statistics and analysis, compare the city in hebei province administrative safeguard room construction progress, obtain the progress development not balanced result, among them, the individual administrative city obviously lag behind other locally administratered level. We hope that this paper to ensure room construction efficiency is evaluation provide guidance.

The article discusses the prospects for the application of innovative technologies in the theory and practice of urban planning on the example of Kazan. Market relations in recent decades in our country have created a number of acute problems of modern urban planning – the curtailment of long-term planning, the reduction of environmental control in the city and its environs, etc. It is necessary to refer to the Healthy Cities initiative of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. The first steps in this direction have already been taken in Kazan. This is a project of the new business center of the Republic of Tatarstan «Smart City Kazan» and the first «smart house» built on the territory of the Technopolis Himgrad. In Kazan, there are prerequisites for the introduction of ecourban design methods. These are vast water areas of the Volga and Kazanka rivers, the banks of which have not yet been fully developed. This is a large square in the city center, which was vacated after moving the airport outside the city limits. For Kazan, it will also be useful to replace the decorative glass false facades, often found on brick buildings after reconstruction, with vertical «solar walls» of air thermal technology.

Energy usage of households accounts for a significant portion of total energy consumption and carbon emissions. Scottish homes today are highly energy consumers emitting on average 3 tonnes of CO2 per house annually and the amount exceeds the UK average of 2.75 tonnes of CO2. Moreover, 26% of the households are actually facing fuel poverty and it is therefore a critical task to efficiently manage and minimise energy trends in housing in order to meet carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction and energy consumption cut targets such as 80% overall cuts in carbon emissions by 2080 for the UK, compared with 1990 levels. The study has been undertaken within the Zero Energy Mass Custom Homes (ZEMCH) research network's demonstration projects e.g. ‘ZEMCH 109’. The existing post-council end-terraced house was intended to be extended in South Ayrshire, Scotland in 2012. As part of the project, the Building Environments Analysis Unit (BEAU) research centre has conducted a post occupancy monitoring of the energy and indoor environmental conditions e.g. indoor air temperature, relative humidity and CO2 levels in the Scottish affordable home which will also continue even after the construction of the newly built extension and the refurbishment of the existing home. It is therefore important for the successful demonstration of the ZEMCH 109 project and for the purpose of this study that a detailed monitoring and a post occupancy evaluation (POE) of the exiting NRGStyle home are performed sufficiently in order to investigate the relationship between energy consumption and the indoor environmental conditions and cross-checked with the accepted standards.

The house as a place to live has developed not only as one of the primary needs for humans in addition to clothing and food but also as a marker of one's welfare. The need for quality housing can be a symbol that people's lives are also of quality in the sense of being prosperous and prosperous. The process of building a house is not cheap. Departing from this fact, housing developers have emerged to answer the community's need for a house as a place to live but have not been able to provide enough money to build the desired house themselves. However, there are developers who build houses that are not in accordance with the standards and quality expected by consumers. The writing method used in this paper is using the normative legal writing method. In this normative legal writing method, two approaches are used, namely the conceptual approach and the statutory approach. Regarding unlawful acts in the process of buying and selling housing, it can be seen from several aspects, namely the existence of an act, the act is an unlawful act, there is an error on the part of the perpetrator, the emergence of a loss for the victim, between the loss suffered by the victim and the error on the part of the perpetrator has causality. Cindo Residence housing developers in completing the house construction process are not in accordance with the standards and quality expected by consumers which cause harm to the consumer, which is known when the building has been completed and occupied. Both in disputes of unlawful acts and defaults, consumers generally demand compensation for damage, pollution and/or those who suffer losses due to consuming goods and/or utilizing services. Settlement of consumer disputes can be resolved through the courts or through alternative dispute resolution channels.

Greenhouse construction projects need to consider local climate characteristics, production type in the greenhouse and materials used for the physical structure and glazing. A major share of commercial greenhouse manufacturers in Turkey produce turnkey greenhouse projects either using by trial and error method or imitating/reproducing greenhouse imported from other countries. Improperly designed projects may result in greenhouses having weak construction or more expensive structures due to using unnecessarily larger profiles which consequently cause a loss the profits for the growers. This study aims to contribute to the improvements and overcome the gaps in practice of greenhouse projects by designing a software for an expert system that utilizes an accurate Project considering them and mandatory buildings standards of Turkish Standardization Institute (TSE). The expert system, named SERASİM, has been developed within the framework of the present MSc. Thesis and enables calculating each part of the construction system of a gable roof glass house according to TSE standards. Besides calculations for statics, dynamics and strength as well estimating the bill of quantity, SERASİM can be utilized to determine the heating requirements and costs for selected locations and crops. SERASİM may also be used as a teaching tool for courses including greenhouse design, protected cultivation and greenhouse acclimatization.

As the British has a cold and rainy climate, which is variability, its relatively high energy efficiency standards has been set up. Energy efficient building in the United Kingdom in the technical measures three main areas: 1) use of structural measures to raise the walls, roof and windows of the thermal insulation properties; 2) the use of solar energy; 3) improving the heating system. Currently the United Kingdom to promote passive solar house without external mechanical action, heat-absorbing insulation materials of construction for the media, the use of natural cold and hot air exchange, to the use of solar energy.

Purpose – The cordiality of the relationship between home owners and house developers is significant in the house building sector. This plays a key role in meeting needs, expectations and overall satisfaction. Home owners’ satisfactions are very often dependent on their encounters and experiences with the building organisations they deal with. The purpose of this paper is to explore home owners’ satisfaction to the quality of their new homes by investigating the relationships between them and their house developers when they take possession of their properties. Design/methodology/approach – Two distinct lines of investigation were conducted, with the first utilising mail questionnaires administered to new home owners. The second involved interviews with house building developers. Both investigations cover five main regions in New Zealand. However, this study reports the mail questionnaire survey. The data analysis is based on 216 new home owners, and the results presented using descriptive and correlation analysis. Findings – This research found that the higher the home owner’s satisfaction with the services provided by the developers, the better the relationship that could exist between them. In addition, the longer it takes for developers to rectify defects that are reported by home owners, the lesser the cordiality of their relationship with their developers. It is also evident from this study that home owners’ relationships with their house developers could be sensitive to the extent of defects in their homes. While it is apparent from this research that new home owners satisfaction level is high, some improvement opportunities exist, which the study highlights for continuous performance improvement. This will enable the residential construction sector to establish more aggressive and pro-active measures of monitoring to the satisfaction of home owners. Practical implications – This research provides insight into significant factors that could influence the relationship between home owners and their house developers. The study provides information on changes required in the quality culture that could enable house developers do it once and do it right. Originality/value – The originality of this research lies in the provision of a wealth of information on cordiality as a key determinant of home owners and house developers’ relationships. This will enable house developers to set realistic performance standards and focus efforts where they are most needed so that home owners derive satisfaction from the quality of service offered by them.

India is a rapidly growing economy witnessing continuous growth in the housing sector and living standards. The main focus of construction practices still remains on the architectural aspects of the buildings, largely unconcerned with their environmental impacts. The current thrust of concern for building sector, especially in developing countries, is to assess the environmental impact of buildings in a quantifiable way for implementing sustainable measures and achieving sustainability. Lifecycle assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive tool that is used worldwide to assess the environmental performance of any product or a process. This paper assesses the environmental impact of a residential house at planning stage on the basis of lifecycle assessment (LCA) considering various stages of building like construction, operation (for service life) and demolition, and identifies the hot-spots in the form of building components, materials, and stages.

PurposeOver the last eight years, the Middle East has experienced a series of high profile conflicts which have resulted in over 5.6 million Syrians forced to migrate to neighbouring countries within the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region or to Europe. That have exerted huge pressure on hosting countries trying to accommodate refugees in decent shelters and in quick manner. Temporary shelters normally carry a high environmental burden due to their short lifespan, and the majority are fabricated from industrialised materials. This study assesses the carbon impact for a minus carbon experimental refugee house in Sweden using life cycle assessment (LCA) as tool. SimaPro and GaBi software were used for the calculations and the ReCiPe midpoint method for impact assessment. The results show that using local plant-based materials such as straw, reeds and wood, together with clay dug from close to the construction site, can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of temporary shelters and even attain a negative carbon impact of 226.2 kg CO2 eq/m2. Based on the results of the uncertainty importance analysis, the overall global warming potential impact without and with sequestration potential are mostly sensitive to the variability of the GWP impact of wood fibre insulation.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is designed to calculate the GWP impact of the refugee house over its entire life cycle (production, operation and maintenance and end of life). Then, the sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the impact of input uncertainties (selection of material from the database and the method) on the total GWP impact of the refugee house with and without sequestration. The ISO standards (International Standard 14040 2006; International Standard 14044 2006) divide the LCA framework into four steps of Goal and scope, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation.FindingsThis study has shown an example for proof of concept for a low impact refugee house prototype using straw, reeds, clay, lime and wood as the principle raw materials for building construction. Using natural materials, especially plant-based fibres, as the main construction materials, proved to achieve a minus carbon outcome over the life cycle of the building. The GWP of the shelter house without and with sequestration are found to be 254.7 kg CO2 eq/m2 and -226.2 kg CO2 eq/m2, respectively.Originality/valueAs there are still very few studies concerned with the environmental impact of temporary refugee housing, this study contributes to the pool of knowledge by introducing a complete LCA calculation for a physical house prototype as a proof of concept on how using low impact raw materials for construction combined with passive solutions for heating and cooling can reach a minus carbon outcome. The GWP of the shelter house without and with sequestration are found to be 254.7 kg CO2 eq/m2 and -226.2 kg CO2 eq/m2.

Investigating code-compliant and market-available options for building envelope, domestic systems, and solar photovoltaic systems accounting for construction and operational cost, the near-lowest lifecycle cost (LCC) design compliant with building energy codes is identifiable following the methodology proposed in this study. A case study of a house design in Edmonton, Canada, is conducted to demonstrate the methodology; the 30-year LCC of options for code-compliance are calculated for three energy cost scenarios. The results indicate that the most cost-effective design may have a 16% to 30% lower LCC than other investigated designs. In terms of achieving a similar level of energy performance, a house that uses a heat recovery ventilator, forced-air gas-fired space heating system, tankless water heater, and features a less-insulated building envelope offers the lowest LCC. The results of this study suggest that LCC should be considered in the development of building energy regulations to include economic aspects while proposing energy standards.

This review commentary focuses on traditional management practices and facility design with suggested improvements in non-public primate management areas, often called “back-of-house”, (henceforth BOH) in zoos, sanctuaries, and research facilities. Progress has been made toward improving animal quality of life in larger, more naturalistic, and enriched indoor and outdoor display areas. However, the quality of life in BOH areas has improved little in comparison. Basic management, regulatory, structural, and spatial BOH environments are lagging, especially in the developing world, and animals may be confined in less enriching spaces for substantial periods of the 24 h day. We reviewed traditional management policy and practice, as well as newer training, enrichment, and welfare policies and actions, and suggested alternatives for structural environments and spatial environments. The suggestions included using more animal-friendly construction materials and animal–computer interaction, providing greater control of the ambient environment and choice of access to multiple areas by the animals themselves, and designing for optimal animal wellbeing at all times, including when caregivers are no longer present. Case studies focused on primates were included. We concluded by suggesting a new, integrated design model based not upon rote standards and old models but building on empirical foundations while embracing empathy and innovation.

This research aims to evaluate and propose effective gradient at car porch area for the housing sector. The dependent variable that acts as presumed effect is vehicle to stuck and become lodged but the independent variable is referring to the car clearances dimension, design of the ramp and guidelines in ramp design. In other words, the situation of the vehicles to stuck and lodged depends on the car clearances dimension, design of the ramp and guidelines in ramp design. Interview sessions were held with the professional architects and engineers in the engineering department at Majlis Bandaraya Seremban, DBKL, Majlis Bandaraya Melaka, Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru, Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) and consultant firms. During the interview session, four aspects of this matter were discussed to explore the existing standards and guidelines in ramp design for car porch at housing sector in double storey house to accommodate low-clearances vehicles. The feedback from the professionals was analysed by narrative analysis method and the result of the study will be valuable to the construction industry and tools for future design. These data can be used to estimate the suitable degree and percent for different categories of ground clearances which is useful for current development and current technology circulation.

Full TextThe Barn Owl The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is a medium-sized, tawny coloured owl that, with the exception of Antarctica, has worldwide distribution. Like most owls the Barn Owl is considered to be nocturnal. Like all owls, it is predatory bird. In the Barn Owl’s case, members of the species are said to enjoy (or specialize, in the biological parlance) in small ground mammals—rodents, for example. In Eastern North America, the majority of their diet would include Meadow Voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Barn Owls strike a distinct-look with their lack of ear tufts (a misnomer of sorts as the tufts—the “horns” of a Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus—are not ears and not associated with hearing at all) and their distinct heart-shaped facial disc (which is associated with hearing, but that’s another story for another time). As their common name suggests they can be found living in barns, on a nest made from the regurgitated un-digestible remains of those Meadow Voles and Deer Mice they hunt. Of course Barn Owls are not just limited to barns, but nest in silos, abandoned buildings and tree cavities too. Arguably, this should make their name “Barn, Silo, Abandoned Building & Tree Cavity Owl” but that doesn’t really roll off the tongue in the same way. These attributes and distinguishing features are all things to keep in mind if you find yourself out birdwatching near a barn in Southern Ontario. During your explorations, while there are certain to be Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) fluttering about, if you happen to come across a Barn Owl in this setting, you should take notice. Seeing a Barn Owl in Southern Ontario (especially a living Barn Owl) is something to make special note of—it’s not a regular occurrence. Part of the significance of seeing a Barn Owl lies in its relative in-abundance. While individuals identified as Tyto alba enjoy a cosmopolitan reputation, Southern Ontario has been considered the northern range of the species (“Ontario Barn Own Recovery Project,” 2005) and it has been suggested that Barn Owls have always found, say, other places more to their liking. Because of this, the Barn Owl is a special bird in Canada: it is officially endangered, recognized by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) (“Ontario Barn Own Recovery Project,” 2005). It seems as though Barn Owls living in Ontario have had bad luck of late— of the “handful” (“Ontario Barn Own Recovery Project,” 2005 ¶ 4) that have been seen since 1999, two were roadkills (“Ontario Barn Own Recovery Project,” 2005) and no breeding pairs have been “confirmed.” The Barn Owl of February 27th 2006 If you are a serious birder in Ontario, with a computer and internet access, it is likely that you are aware of the electronic mailing list called Ontbirds. Ontbirds is presented by the self-proclaimed provincial birding association, the Ontario Field Ornithologists. The electronic mailing list (or listserv) is meant to be a clearing-house of bird sightings and directions for interested birders: you read about a bird you would like to see, get the directions and off you go on a (perhaps literal) wild goose chase. On average, four to seven sightings are posted daily. As might be expected, more posting occurs on the weekend, and more postings occur seasonally during spring and fall migration. Typical emails follow a standard form: the subject line contains the bird or birds seen and their location while the body of the email contains more specific information about the birds and precise directions to the location they might be found. While thorough, the information shared is, generally speaking, pretty uncontentious stuff. So, it was with interest that a seemingly normal post on February 28th, 2006 took on new dimensions: whispers of deception, accusation of fraud and, more interestingly for my work, questions of what is normal, known and natural all emerged. On February 28th, 2006, a simple posting appeared in mailboxes of subscribers outlining how a photograph had been taken of a Barn Owl and posted on a webbased photography site. A URL was given linking to the photograph. It was noted that the photographer had not reported seeing the bird on the Ontbirds listserv, but that there was a link to the location where the bird was seen. That same day, the moderator of the listserv posted reminding the subscribers that the Barn Owl was considered “endangered” on breeding territory and that there were rules about posting about endangered birds on the listserv; all of the requirements that needed to be met prior to posting were created in order to reduce the likelihood that an observed bird would abandon a nest or breeding attempt. The following day, March 1st, a conversation had begun via the listserv. Another respondent was interested in knowing more details about the sighting and if the bird had been seen again. The next email later that day was from the photographer himself. In the email, he explained that though he did not remember exactly where he saw the bird, he used Google maps to locate the general location and road names. According to his directions, the Barn Owl was seen in Eastern Ontario, in the Ottawa region. As well, he shared the story of finding the owl, taking the photograph and watching the bird fly away from him. The author also stated that his initial reason for going out birding that day was to find Snowy Owls to photograph and that he had no luck in finding those birds that day. On March 2nd, another email arrived from another Ontbirds subscriber. In it, the author began to question the authenticity of the photograph. This email suggested that the owl’s feet have been “doctored,” as though something was removed after the photograph had been taken. The author reminded those reading that the Barn Owl is rare for Ontario and especially so where the photograph was taken—the implication being that the bird is so rare that it most likely didn’t exist. A third email followed on March 2nd in which the author suggests that there is nothing in the photograph that appears unusual or doctored. The author offered another suggestion about the authenticity of the owl. He reminded us that there was a Barn Owl sighting in a different part of Ontario earlier in the winter and attributes the owl’s presence not to digital photographic magic, but to efforts undertaken on the part of humans to help the species recover. Yet, this claim to reality does not seem to be working. Later in the afternoon on March 2nd, a fourth email arrived that supports the initial hypothesis that the photograph has been doctored. The author shared that the bird looks like one he had seen at Parc Omega, a wildlife park in Québec, and provides a URL to a photograph of the Parc Omega Barn Owl. The pull of the network to make the photograph unauthentic, and in turn, the owl, continues to mount. In a fifth email, the author shared the contention that the fencepost the Barn Owl is pictured perching on was specially made for captive birds to land on. The author also suggested that given the lighting of the photograph and kind of weather that was observed on the day that the photograph was supposed to have been taken, the photograph could not be discounted as being genuine. This is where the conversation ends on Ontbirds. At 5:30 pm on March 2nd, the listserv co-ordinator posted a message that states that the current conversation on the photographed Barn Owl is inappropriate. The coordinator reminded readers that Ontbirds is not a discussion list and is for “reporting birds period.” The closing line in the email reminds readers that not following the guidelines could result in the restriction or loss of being able to post to the listerv. This does not mean, however, that the conversation ended. In following the network thread to a website that catalogues rare birds from the Ottawa area, the sighting details for the Barn Owl seen on February 27th is prefaced with the words “LIKELY HOAX.” The page author outlines a litany of evidence that supports his claim that the image has been manipulated. The webpage author concludes his outline with the statement “let the viewer beware.” Enacting birds: reflection on the Barn Owl of February 27th I have spent some time thinking about the birders and the Barn Owl. I have read and reflected on the emails and the allegations. From this, themes have emerged concerning the construction of what is natural as well as insights into the creation of what Donna Haraway (2003) calls "naturecultures." Most importantly, this event, be it framed as authentic bird sighting or elaborate hoax, helps enact and make visible a topology of inter-species ethical relations between those who watch birds and the birds they watch. Networks Ontbirds operates within an established network of relations. People post their sightings to share with other interested birders. The process through which experiences are transcribed from embodied encounters to textual references is seemingly an invisible one. In this case, there were visible deviations from the established network. Within the birding community that posts to Ontbirds, the claim to have "found" a bird is an important one. In posts where the author is reporting a first-sighting and they did not find the bird themselves, the name of the bird finder (skilled, lucky or otherwise, as it is never suggested the kind of effort it took to come across the bird) is included. In this example, the finder did not make a submission to Ontbirds to report a rare bird. Rather, it seems like in this case, the original post came via an on-line gallery created by the finder that had the photograph and birding information on it. While never overtly stated, I believe that the authenticity of the Barn Owl was partially called into question due to the fact that the finder of the bird did not post his sighting to the listserv. Additionally, I find interesting to note that in the finder's one email to the Ontbirds listserv, he did his best to fit into the established network. However, problematic for him, he was not familiar with the area where he took the photograph. Part of the established Ontbirds network is knowing where you observed a bird; the more detailed the description of location and directions, the better. In networks, effort is required to maintain the relationships of the actors. The listserv tends to operate with little of what I would call boundary policing on the part of the co-ordinator. What is particularly interesting about the Barn Owl postings was the need of the Ontbirds co-ordinator to make comments concerning the type and quality of postings over the three day period, all referencing the mail about the Barn Owl. In well-established networks, subtle deviations from the established routine lead to powerful reactions: networks tend to become visible when they are threatened. The questioning of the authenticity seems to be such a reaction. What this suggests for a birding network is the power that lies in the focus on names, dates and details. This hybridity that exists between birders and the electronic mailing list certainly has implications in shaping what is considered normal, known and natural for those who subscribe to the list. Birds are enacted through Ontbirds as realities "out there" to be discovered, recorded and reported. While this is not necessarily that surprising, it does, in turn have an impact on other enactments of birds, especially visible in the multiple objects created. Multiple objects In this case there was an exceeding focus by birders on the rarity of the bird, to the point where I believe that the Barn Owl became a multiple object. Emerging from the field of Science and Technology studies, the idea of multiple objects opens a different way to think about the taken-for-granted: objects are often thought of as rigid and immobile in their existence - a Barn Owl will always be a Barn Owl (for a detailed discussion of multiple objects, see Law, 2004; Mol, 2002). In response to this, a multiple version of the object counters this notion of singularity. In focusing on the fractal nature of "reality" and in attending to difference, I believe that this perspective requires attention be paid to the enactment of objects. Enactment, in this sense, is the claim that "relations, and so realities and representations of realities...are being endlessly or chronically brought into being in a continuing process of production and reproduction, and have no status, standing or reality outside those processes" (Law, 2004, p. 159). Enactment is different than constructivism as it does not "imply convergence to singularity," in opposition to the fixing of objects' identities, "but takes difference and multiplicity to be chronic conditions" (Law, 2004, p. 158). Difference suggests that multiple versions of the same object can exist simultaneouslythis occurs because while objects are enacted in practice, these practices can be different. If the practices are different, then so too must be the objects (Law, 2004). Yet these multiple versions-or multiple objectsare, more often than not, able to cohere together. So, if these coherences shape our reality, then reality: is not in principal fixed or singular, and truth is no longer the only ground for accepting or rejecting a representation. The implication is that there are various possible reasons, including the political, for enacting one kind of reality rather than another, and that these grounds can in some measure be debated. (Law, 2004, p. 162) As such, a focus on the enactment of objects is filled with attention to the many ways that actors, human and otherwise, engage to create a reality: a reality described through investigation, a reality that is not the only one "out there" and a reality that focuses on heterogeneity and difference. In the move to collapse multiple realities into one, a distinctly political move is made, where one reality, one particular enactment of an object gains primacy over the others. In this particular becoming of the Barn Owl, the enactment of rarity overshadowed the other ways the bird was known (see Figure 1). Rather than having to pass judgement on if I think the Barn Owl was properly enacted, I think it is more valuable to examine the ways the bird was enacted. Let me outline the different ways (that I can see): - as a rare bird species (through the Ontbirds coordinator, external web pages and some birders' previous knowledge) - as a biological reality (through the email that suggested the Owl was a result of species rebound and human conservation efforts) - as digital magic (many of the claims to digital alteration of the photograph enacted this Barn Owl) - as an Eastern Ontario Barn Owl (through the initial posting) - as an Québec Barn Owl (through the claims it came from Parc Omega) There have also been subtle and tacit ways that the authenticity has been enacted, framed through the network of discovery, recording and reporting previously described. Through these discourses, the Barn Owl has been enacted as a: - valuable, wild bird - feral bird of ambivalent worth - wildlife park captive and therefore does not count In this multiplicity, the Barn Owl lost value in the eyes of some birders as its authenticity was called into question. What is implicit in this questioning is the understanding that there is some kind of a continuum that reported birds are judged against. It seems that the gold standard of authenticity is one that is wild, rare and (relatively) easy to find. It goes without saying that this perspective is not entirely unproblematic. This, in part, helps explain why there are not any postings to Ontbirds describing a flock of Pigeons seen in a ubiquitous habitat, such as the urbanized core of Anytown, Ontario. A Pigeon simply does not match up to the gold standard of valuable birds. In deciding what gets to "count" in knowledge-making endeavours, and what counts as the gold standard, other birds disappear from what is noticed. In that disappearance, the bird moves to the hinterland. I turn to that next. The hinterland and otherness Hinterland's are an attempt to engage with the act of disappearing. Law puts forward three kinds of Hinterland's: the first, he suggest are "in-here objects" (Law, 2004, p. 55); the second are "visible or relevant out-there contexts" (Law, 2004, p. 55); and the third are "out-there processes, contexts, and all the rest, that are both necessary and necessarily disappear from visibility or relevance" (Law, 2004, p. 55). I would deploy an artistic metaphor of positive space and negative space here: that which is present is the positive space of an image and that which is absent is negative space of an image. It is often difficult to decide if it is the negative or positive space that bounds the image: each side depends on the other such that if one is not there, the known image would disappear. Perhaps, if I expand the metaphor, the hidden absent is that which is not within the frame of the image. Importantly, all that lies outside the frame, while unnecessary in the composition of the image, is only unnecessary because it has been selectively ignored in the composition of the image. Emerging from this perspective on the hinterland is the acknowledgement that a relationship with the unknown, or the other, is necessary; rather than simply ignoring the disappearance, it is an attempt to acknowledge that disappearance is integral to any kind of knowing. Thus, if birding, as an act, continues the "process [of] enacting necessary boundaries between presence, manifest absence and Otherness" (Law, 2004, p. 144), then the various activities taken up in the name of coming to know these organisms are each a distinctly political move, moves that shape and reaffirm (mostly conventional) ways of knowing the nonhuman. For example, the second post in this chain made explicit that the individual Barn Owl was, in fact, part of larger species, Tyto alba and that species was considered to be an endangered one. The term endangered species does just that: focus on species, at the expense of the individual. In this organism's identification as a member of a species, it loses any ability to be something else; what could be has been othered. This act of othering is at times common in birdwatching. It occurs more than once in the Barn Owl discussion: through the questioning about the validity of the sighting, the focus subtly shifts from the sighting to determining the authenticity of the photograph. Again, in this move the individual owl disappears. The Barn Owl was not the only member of the order Aves to be othered in this particular natureculture assemblage. It is also interesting to note that the Snowy Owls, the birds that were the original objective of the outing that produced the Barn Owl, have disappeared. Likely, there were other birds seen during that trip, but for whatever reason (perhaps not rare, not big, not charismatic), they were ignored. For my purposes, I consider this othering problematic, in part, because it does little to acknowledge the lived experiences of nonhuman individuals. The challenge here is that the act of othering, in and of itself, is not inherently wrong. Rather than focusing on what might be out there, I believe that it is important to be able to recognize enactments that are politically aligned with the kind of relationships that ought to exist. So, one needs to develop the skill of attending to what is observably cast to the hinterland and what is brought to the forefront. In a sense, this is what I've attempted to do with my analysis of the Barn Owl narrative and the creation of the enacted set of relations in Figure 1. In creating this particular map of relations, I attempt to move beyond the established frame and re-focus on those multiple enactments that have been cast aside. In so doing, political actions and entrenched positions are more easily visible, while others can re-emerge from obscurity. It is true that there might be other unknowable enactments that exist in the hinterland-but let me suggest that acknowledging that, at best, partial perspectives (Haraway, 1991) are our best version of reality (as a nod to multiplicity does) offers more space for other realities to emerge. Thinking more generally about our dominant cultural relationship with the nonhuman, the promise of attentiveness to the various enactments of animals offer the opportunity to intentionally enact a reality that is more in line with one's own ethics. In asking what practices of birding are good or which practices ought we to be enacting, attention can be turned to current enactments to ask: "Ought they be enacted in this way?" This simple question, paired with the knowledge that there are other enactments hidden, could be enough to continue to question some of our Western culture's taken-forgranted assumptions about what it is to be human and otherwise. References Haraway, D. (1991). Situated knowledges: The science question in feminism and the privilege of partial perspective. In Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: the reinvention of nature (pp. 183-202). Routledge: New York. Haraway, D. (2003). The companion species manifesto: dogs, people, and significant otherness. Chicago: Prickly Paradigm Press. Law, J. (2004). After method: mess in social science research. London: Routledge. Mol, A. (2002). The body multiple: ontology in medical practice. Durham: Duke University Press. Ontario Barn Own Recovery Project. (2005, February 7). Retrieved March 4, 2006, from http://www.bsc-eoc.org/regional/barnowl.html

This study investigates the pozzolanic potential of industrial waste, which fails to meet the chemical composition as defined by the various international standards, e.g., IS: 3812 (Part 1): 2017 and ASTM C618-19 to adopt as a supplementary cementitious material. The effects of mechanical nanoprocessing on pozzolanic reaction efficiency, impact on energy efficiency, and construction affordability were studied. The result of mechanical milling shows the improvement in pozzolanicity, and the physicomechanical characteristics of novel concrete incorporated with identified industrial waste are comparable with control concrete. The building energy simulation was carried out using the BIM software for the house, modelled with controlled concrete, and novel concrete incorporating the identified milled industrial waste. The peak cooling load and building material cost of a novel concrete model house were 34% and 9.09% less than the conventional concrete. The study reveals that the chemical characterization provided in international standards shall not be the only criteria to decide the suitability of the materials to use as supplementary cementitious material, whereas the same can be examined and improved through various treatments, and mechanical nanoprocessing may be one of the best options. Cement production and utilization affect the environment. To reduce the concern, pozzolanic investigation of industrial waste is necessary, which can address the issue of uncontrolled extraction of natural resources, emission, disposal, and pollution globally.

Wood is a material that is familiar to humans and environment-friendly, and it is used widely as a building material. However, as the dispute over housing defects have increased in Korea, various defects have occurred in timberwork and have become disputes. Notwithstanding, efforts to analyze defects in timberwork systematically to reasonably solve the problem are lacking. In this study, defects in timberwork from housing complexes in Korea were standardized, and critical defects were selected to suggest a method as a management standard. The standard for defects includes time, types of facility work, location and subject, and defect phenomenon. The defect time is categorized into before handover and after handover, whereas facility work is divided into woodwork, door and window work, finishing work, and miscellaneous work. Location and subject are categorized into 13 areas, such as ceiling, floor, and door, and phenomena concerned are of 14 types, including faults and no installation. Therefore, the standardized defect items according to such criteria are classified into a total of 63 types. Ten defect items, whose numbers of defect occurrences per defect and defect repair cost ratio above the average, were selected, including discoloration and breakage of the wooden floor. The repair cost ratio of these defect items accounted for 85.62% of the total repair costs. On the contrary, the repair cost for the defects from the timber work outlined in the Construction Appraisal Practice, a representative defect standard in Korea, was 54.54% of the total. Meanwhile, according to the Defect Judgment Standard, the defect repair cost attributed 45.54% of the total. Therefore, since the 10 defect items proposed in this study can explain the defects in the timberwork compared with other standards, it would be reasonable to designate these 10 defect items as essential defects.

In the current manuscript, we aimed to evaluate the application of aerated concrete blocks for the construction of single-family homes in Guayaquil, Ecuador, through a comparison with conventional materials. The design of the structural elements was carried out according to the NEC-2015 and ACI 318-14 standards, in which a 36% reduction in the dead load of the structure was achieved by using aerated concrete blocks in the masonry of the house. With a life cycle analysis, a quantification of the most relevant impacts generated during the production and construction phases was obtained. In this way, the most contributing process was found to be the clinker production, generating 7998 kgCO2-Eq. for traditional housing, and 5113 kgCO2-Eq. for non-traditional housing, thus reaching a difference of 36%. Therefore, it was shown that the use of lower-density materials is viable and, due to their easy and fast application, allows for a reduction of up to 10% in the project execution time; a savings of 10% in the total cost, in addition, evidences its potential to access sustainable construction in Ecuador.

AbstractThe article raised issues related to the design and execution of low-energy objects in Polish conditions. Based on the designed single-family house, adapted to the requirements of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (“NF40” standard), the tools to assist investment decisions by investors were shown. An economic analysis and a multi-criteria analysis were performed using AHP method which had provided an answer to the question whether it is worthwhile to bear higher investment costs in order to adjust to the standards of energy-efficient buildings that fulfil a minimal energy consumption's requirements contained in Polish law. In addition, the variant of object that had optimal characteristics due to the different preferences of investors was indicated. This paper includes analysis and observations on the attempts to unify that part of the building sector, which so far is considered to be personalized, and objects in accordance with the corresponding idea are designed as “custom-made”.

The United States government allowed Native Americans to abandon their reservations in the 1950s and 1960s. The historical, social, and cultural backgrounds shaped the forms and themes of works by American Indian writers who urged people to refuse their culture's sense of shame. Moreover, their behavior corresponded with the restoration of individuals to their rituals after disappointment, loss of sense of life, and mental illness performed from the influence of mainstream American society. Among these writers, N. Scott Momaday and Leslie Marmon Silko participate in similar interest in portraying characters caught between indigenous beliefs and white mainstream standards. The construction of national identity in the first modernist Native American Novel, House Made of Dawn (1968) by N. Scott Momaday is tackled in this research. This novel illustrates the healing tale of a young Native American man who, after his return from military service in World War II, suffers from spiritual and psychological illness. The protagonist is isolated from his parents due to his traumatic experience of a foreign war and his problematic genealogy that stems from the orphanage. He is isolated from the land that offers his identity and his culture. In order to gain a consistent sense of identity with the aid of oral traditions and ancient ceremonials of Navajo and pueblo cultures, he begins a ritualistic journey that ultimately leads him to reintegrate with his people and culture. This research illustrates how the construction of national identity is a critical theme for American Indians and contemporary Native American authors.

<p><em>The RISHA applied to the Jayagiri house was compared with conventional technology, in terms of construction duration, costs, and environmental friendliness. </em><em>T</em><em>he strength of the RISHA structure was be analyzed based on existing standards using SAP2000 and spColumn. The data were the literature studies and interviews with RISHA users, applicators, and the Directorate of Engineering Affairs for Human Settlements and Housing. Compared to conventional, the Jayagiri house is proven to be more eco-friendly with an efficiency value of 48.6 points. It was also built four weeks faster, with a lower cost of IDR123,043.90 per square meter, or 3.97%. </em><em>The</em><em> strength analysis shows that the capacity of the column reinforcement is still capable of carrying the designed loa</em><em>d</em><em>, the anchorage capacity of the X-direction beam has not met the requirements.</em></p>

Construction activities such as piping and civil works utilities always potentially pose a risk. Therefore, risk management is indispensable for the success of a construction project. The pipeline and Civil works construction project to meet the distribution of clean water needs in Jakarta through the Cooperation Agreement PDAM Pam Jaya and PT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) potentially generate various risks. The purpose of this research is to analyse risk management on piping and civil works utility construction using the house of risk model. Research is conducted through two phases. The first phase is the identification of risks and risk agents in the piping and civil works utility construction through the measurement of severity and occurrence levels to produce an aggregate risk priority (ARP), then conducts a risk mitigation analysis in the second phase. 60 respondents involved in the study consisting of project managers, supervisors, and engineers on pipeline and civil works construction projects. The results of the analysis successfully identified 60 risk events and 38 risk agents in the construction of utility piping and work civil PDAM Pam Jaya. FGD and Pareto analysis used in the study produced five recommendations for mitigation actions that are expected to be able to mitigate risk on piping and civil utility construction by establishing QA/QC independently/cooperation, take corrective action (corrective action), conduct testing or testing with the applicable provisions, implement ISO certification of 9001:2015 quality management, and perform training on procedures and standards that apply periodically.

Records of the national, average pay rates in the construction industry, at quarterly intervals, allow cost - planning departments of contractors and investment services to assess current market conditions in the construction industry. Price quarterly publications, such as Sekocenbud and Intercenbud, contain important information, enabling production preparation departments to prepare a comparison of the production in-house labor rates with the market production labor rates. The article attempts to analyze the economic situation of domestic construction production in the years 2010-2016 based on the emerging price trends of the of labor cost estimates in this period, taking into account the impact of seasonal construction services. In "Polish cost estimates standards", the labor cost estimate rate is present in one form: the net labor cost estimate rate, which fully corresponds to the rate defined in calculation formulas. The rates of labor cost estimates, in individual regions of Poland, are shaped according to the presented market situations. This clearly is reflected in the periodic (quarterly) regional records of labor rates in the Sekocenbud system. The Act on prices of July 5, 2001 does not contain any normative regulations regarding the methods of cost estimation of construction works. The necessity to remain competitive forces large construction corporations to use a subcontracting system, involving several or even several dozen smaller, specialized in a narrow range of works, business entities in which labor costs are definitely lower, because they are reduced by a lower value of internal costs.

Building regulations set standards that aim to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions, and thereby to support the development of a more sustainable building stock. The Norwegian government uses building regulations to influence the construction industry, and they directly affect how craftspeople from the industry apply their skills. Regulations are converging with understandings about sustainability, energy use, building materials, and comfort requirements that are circulating in society. In this paper, we investigate the negotiations between the meaning and value associated with the requirements for the material structure and the craftsperson’s role. Two houses in Central Norway are the starting point, where qualitative methods, primarily semi-structured interviews and observation, are used to gain insight into the craftsperson’s view of the Norwegian building regulations. The two houses represent two different building standards. A Passive House in Åfjord Municipality, completed in 2014, and ZEB Living Lab in Trondheim, a zero emission building (ZEB), completed in 2015. In Norway, the building regulations are reviewed every five years. In 2011, craftspeople were constructing buildings to the low-energy standard. This led to an increased focus on “super insulating” building techniques during period 2013-16 when the case studies took place. Starting with a craftsperson’s (in this case most often a carpenter’s) view of current and future building standards, this paper asks what implications the increasing demands for energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings have on the role of the craftsperson and their application of skill. The paper shows that the construction industry bases much of its activity on Norwegian construction traditions and skill; and that this guides the development of new generations of buildings. The use of established skills and knowledge is both a strength and a challenge when dealing with a new set of building regulations. Skill is a resource to build upon, but it is also influenced by a conservativism that has difficulties getting beyond the extra time and costs associated with new regulations. It can therefore function as a barrier to the use of construction crafts to establish more sustainable building forms within the Norwegian market.