Дисертації з теми "Environmental cost"
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1
Ngo, David, and Frida Shamoun. "Environmental cost of different unit rates." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Kommunikations- och transportsystem, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-129580.
Анотація:
Flight planning is a large part of the air traffic operations that are presently being conducted. Airlines strive to achieve the cheapest and most cost effective routes for their flights, resulting in aircraft sometimes flying longer routes in order to avoid expensive airspaces with high unit rates. This issue has been an ongoing obstacle for the Swedish air navigation provider, LFV, as some airlines tend to fly over the Baltic Sea, through the Baltic countries, instead of the shorter route through Swedish airspace. These protracted routes result in extra kilometers being flown yearly,consuming extra fuel, as well as imply a revenue loss to LFV and Sweden. The conclusions of this study is that the airspace dodging behavior generate a revenue loss to LFV, totaling approximately 5 032 354 million per year. Should these flights fly the shortest route between their origin and destination, the before mentioned sum would mean an increase in LFVs reported revenue from air traffic control services by 2%. Airspace dodging also results in roughly 380 408 superfluous kilometers being flown and 1 874 486 liters of additional fuel being consumed every year.
2
Anderson, Elliot Jordan. "Measuring the Environmental Cost of Hypocrisy." DigitalCommons@USU, 2013. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1703.
Анотація:
My thesis offers one example of a cost associated with hypocrisy, environmental loss. Hypocrisy is defined as “the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one’s real character or actual behavior” (Collins Dictionary, 2003). In order to measure hypocrisy two types of data are needed: (1) a measure of a person’s “professed standards” and (2) a measure of “actual behavior.” A study of the various ways in which hypocrisy affects an individual’s entire life is obviously beyond the scope of any single study. Therefore, my thesis demonstrates how hypocrisy, or hypocritical bias, can be measured with a single professed standard and actual behavior, namely environmental concern and use of non-reusable coffee/ tea cups (i.e., cardboard and plastic cups). A coffee or tea drinker who is very concerned for the environment should, if he eschews hypocritical bias, avoid the use of non-reusable cups when he purchases coffee/tea at a coffee shop. Individuals are given a hypocrisy score, calculated as a weighted average of non-reusable cups per number of trips to coffee shop per week and a respondent’s general concern for the environment (0=”unconcerned”, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 = “very concerned”). A higher score (i.e., greater hypocrisy) is given to individuals who use relatively more non-renewable cups and yet profess to have a relatively higher concern for the environment. Controlling for need for convenience, laziness, and ignorance, in the econometric analysis we are able to isolate the marginal effect of hypocrisy on environmental cost of using non-reusable cups.
3
Jung, Munhee. "Is free trade free of environmental cost?" Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/59295.
Анотація:
The impact of international trade on the environment has been the field of focus since the 1970’s. There have been a number of empirical studies exploring the environmental consequence of free trade but the results are mixed and only a few environmental indicators have been used in place of the total environmental impact. In this study, I used combined environmental cost data which converted environmental impact indicators into US$ terms (the data is taken from World Bank database). Also, by taking advantage of panel data (observations from 60 countries over 25 years) and (two-way) fixed effects model, I attempted to reduce the threat of endogeneity problem. Most importantly, environmental impact which is filtered through the trade induced changes of economic activity was analyzed in parallel with unfiltered through effects. And the results revealed that trade openness reduces national level environmental cost rather than increasing it. Meanwhile, income related technique effect was found to be underperforming and when the full sample was split into four income groups, the income-environment relationship appeared to be closer to N-shape as opposed to the inverted U-shaped environmental kutznets curve hypothesis.Science, Faculty of
Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for
Graduate
4
Gilmore, Christopher K. (Christopher Kenneth). "Benefit-cost assessment of aviation environmental policies." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76166.
Анотація:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-105).
This thesis aids in the development of a framework in which to conduct global benefit-cost assessments of aviation policies. Current policy analysis tools, such as the aviation environmental portfolio management tool (APMT), only consider climate and air quality impacts derived from aircraft emissions within the US. In addition, only landing and takeoff (LTO) emissions are considered. Barrett et al., however, has shown that aircraft cruise emissions have a significant impact on ground-level air quality. Given the time-scale and atmospheric lifetimes of species derived from aircraft emissions at these higher altitudes, a global framework for assessment is required. This thesis specifically investigates the global as well as regional implementation of an ultra-low sulfur jet fuel (ULSJ). The expected result from this policy is a reduction in aircraft SOx emissions, which in turn would reduce the atmospheric burden of primary and secondary sulfate aerosols. Sulfate aerosols have both climate and air quality impacts as they reflect incoming solar radiation (and thus provide atmospheric cooling) and are a type of ground-level pollutant that have generally been correlated to premature mortalities resulting from cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer. Benefit-cost techniques are applied in this analysis. The framework developed within this thesis includes the ability to calculate expected avoided premature mortalities outside of the US. In addition, a monetization approach is used in which different values of statistical lives (VSLs) are applied depending on the country in which a premature mortality occurs. Also, the economic impact of increased fuel processing to reduce the FSC is estimated. This analysis is performed using Monte Carlo techniques to capture uncertainty, and a global sensitivity analysis (GSA) is utilized to determine the primary sources of uncertainty. The benefit-cost analysis results show that for US and global implementation, there is -80% chance of ULSJ implementation having a not cost beneficial outcome when climate, air quality, and economic impacts are included. On average, however, the air quality benefits do exceed the climate disbenefits. In addition, the GSA reveals that the largest contributor to the uncertainty in this analysis is the assumed US VSL distribution, where approximately 60% of the variance in the final output distribution can be attributed to this uncertainty. In addition, a fast policy tool approach is investigated using sensitivity values calculated from an adjoint model built-in to the global chemical transport model (GCTM) used for the atmospheric modeling within this analysis. From this fast policy tool, first order estimates of the impact of ULSJ on premature mortality are calculated.
by Christopher K. Gilmore.
S.M.
5
Wohlmuth, Erik Michael. "Situating Cost-Benefit Analysis for Environmental Justice." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2010. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33215/.
Анотація:
Cost-benefit analysis plays a significant role in the process of siting hazardous waste facilities throughout the United States. Controversy regarding definitively disparate, albeit unintentional, racist practices in reaching these siting decisions abounds, yet cost-benefit analysis stands incapable of commenting on normative topics. This thesis traces the developments of both cost-benefit analysis and its normative cousin utilitarianism by focusing on the impacts they have had on the contemporary environmental justice discourse and highlighting valid claims, misunderstandings, and sedimented ideas surrounding the popularity of cost-benefit analysis. This analysis ultimately leads to an alternative means of realizing environmental justice that both acknowledges the need for greater democratic interactions and attempts to work with, rather than against, the prevailing paradigm of reaching siting decisions.
6
Murdock, John M. "Department of Defense environmental cleanup cost allowability policy." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 1994. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA289915.
Анотація:
Thesis (M.S. in Management) Naval Postgraduate School, December 1994.Thesis advisor(s): David V. Lamm, Louis G. Kalmar. "december 1994." Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.
7
麥永靑 and Wing-ching Sarah Mak. "Cost-benefits analysis of certified environmental management systems." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31254093.
8
杜家榮 and Ka-wing To. "Environmental, cost and health benefits of district cooling." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B4257657X.
9
Fang, Xinwei. "Improving data quality for low-cost environmental sensors." Thesis, University of York, 2018. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/21259/.
Анотація:
Using low-cost sensors to monitor the urban environment has become increasingly popular, as they can provide better data resolution than current practices. However, these low-cost sensors often produce poorer data quality, and so the data may not be utilised directly without processing. This thesis presents a two-phase solution for improving the data quality of low-cost environmental sensors. The solution consists of a novel method for anomaly detection and removal, and a process of sensor calibration. In the first phase, an anomaly model is utilised to identify the anomalies, which is constructed using a Bayesian-based approach. New contextual information is used to build the anomaly model, that is to the best of our knowledge the first time it has been used for such purpose. The result shows that this solution is more practical and robust than the existing approaches. In the second phase, a systematic comparison of the state-of-the-art calibration approaches is performed. The comparison aims to understand the difference between the methods, and the result shows a regression based method could provide a more predicable result and require much less computational resources. As a result, a regression based method is used for calibrating sensors in this work. In contrast to the existing approaches, the proposed method for calibration is able to systematically and automatically select the calibration parameters. The parameter selection ensures the best set of parameters are used in the model, which makes the calibration process less sensitive to different environmental conditions. The overall evaluations are performed using real datasets. The results show the data quality in terms of general accuracy against the reference instruments can be significantly improved, especially for sensors at roadside.
10
To, Ka-wing. "Environmental, cost and health benefits of district cooling." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B4257657X.
11
Mak, Wing-ching Sarah. "Cost-benefits analysis of certified environmental management systems /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B20347935.
12
Morales, Sarriera Javier. "Productivity and costs in the transit sector : the impact of Baumol's cost disease." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/104154.
Анотація:
Thesis: S.M. in Transportation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 143-146).
This thesis covers several topics related to transit costs, productivity, efficiency, and benefits. We first show that labor productivity growth among transit agencies in the United States is slow or stagnant, and it is significantly lower than productivity growth in most industries. According to Baumol's cost disease theory, this leads to a spiraling trend in cost escalation over time and it is a threat to long run financial sustainability. In fact, we find that transit costs increase not only above the inflation rate but above the rate predicted by Baumol's theory, which is evidence of additional compounding factors, such as the bargaining power of labor unions, and political or managerial issues. First, we extend the analysis to calculate total factor productivity, and the results validate the findings of sluggish labor productivity growth. The calculations also reveal that while productivity may grow with efficiency gains, these gain are bounded by a frontier, and, in the long run, the inherent nature of low productivity growth in the transit sector will continue to drive transit costs faster than other sectors. We also assess whether contracting out transit operations alleviates the implications of Baumol's cost disease, and the results show that in spite of lower average costs, contracted service also has significant cost escalation over the long run, evidence that the implications also apply to the private delivery of transit service. In addition, we also consider other sectors within the larger transportation industry and analyze whether productivity and costs follow the same pattern predicted by Baumol's cost disease. The results vary widely, from vehicle maintenance on the one hand (with low productivity growth and high cost increase) to automobile manufacturing on the other hand. The transit construction industry also shows signs of Baumol's cost disease, but not as severe as those for transit operations. Finally, despite the spiraling nature of transit costs, we also show that the internal and external benefits of transit tend to grow over time, which can justify higher fares and additional subsidy. Although there is no clear antidote to Baumol's cost disease, policymakers should recognize that as the economy becomes more productive and prosperous overall, it can continue to support growing levels of transit service in recognition of its growing external benefits, despite its inherent nature of stagnant productivity growth.
by Javier Morales Sarriera.
S.M. in Transportation
13
Effendi, Mohamed Sinan. "The role of environmental accounting in strategic cost management." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12790.
Анотація:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-87).Environmental issues in the world today and often seen in the media are causing a stir in the business world. The effect is that the environment in which businesses operate has significantly changed over the past two decades and businesses are faced with new risks and challenges as well as new opportunities in addressing the needs and claims of stakeholders. Environmental accounting is now on an expansion path with increasing focus on the environment. In order to benefit from the accounting data, strategic cost management can be used as a philosophy to provide competitive strategies. This research paper will describe the environmental component of business and describe the role of environmental accounting in strategic cost management. Furthermore, an assessment will be performed on a South African organisation. The assessment will demonstrate how a South African organisation has reacted and integrated environmental business aspects into their organisation.
14
Meng, Fanran. "Environmental and cost analysis of carbon fibre composites recycling." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2017. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/46518/.
Анотація:
While carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) can reduce transportation energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle weight, the production of virgin carbon fibre (CF) itself is energy intensive. CFRP recycling and the reutilisation of the recovered CF have the potential to compensate for the high impact of virgin CF production due to low cost and to open up new composites markets – e.g., in the automotive sector. The aim of the research is to examine the life cycle environmental and financial implications of a fluidised bed process to recycle CFRP wastes and to identify potential markets for CFRP reuse in automotive applications. Firstly, process models of the fluidised bed carbon fibre recycling technologies are developed based on thermodynamic principles and established modelling techniques to quantify the heat and electricity requirements and predict the energy efficiency of a hypothetical commercial-scale plant. The energy model shows that the energy requirement of recycled CF production is generally less than 10% relative to virgin CF and results are robust across likely operating conditions. Further optimisation of the fluidised bed recycling process is needed to balance to the feed rate per unit bed area to minimise process energy use and potential implications for recycled CF properties. Opportunities exist for recovering stack heat loss which could further improve the energy efficiency of the fluidised bed process. Secondly, process models for recycled CF processing (i.e., wet-papermaking/ fibre alignment) and subsequent CFRP manufacture (i.e., compression moulding/ injection moulding) technologies are developed to quantify the energy and material requirements of a hypothetical operating facility. Models are based on optimised parameters based on the best performance from previous experiments, where available, while target values are used for the fibre alignment technologies currently under development. Thirdly, the life cycle environmental implications of recovering carbon fibre and producing composite materials as substitutes for conventional materials (e.g., steel, aluminium, virgin CFRP) are assessed and proposed as lightweight materials in automotive applications, based on process models of the fluidised bed recycling process and remanufacturing processes or available life cycle assessment databases. Life cycle impact assessments demonstrate the environmental benefits of recycled CFRP compared with end-of-life treatment options (landfilling, incineration). Recycled CF components can achieve the lowest life cycle environmental impacts of all materials considered, although the actual impact is highly dependent on the design criteria of the specific components. Low production impacts associated with recycled carbon fibre components are observed relative to lightweight competitor materials (e.g., aluminium, virgin CFRP). Recycled CF components also have low in-use fuel consumption due to mass reduction and associated reduction in mass-induced fuel consumption. The results demonstrate the potential environmental viability of recycled CF materials. Finally, financial analysis of carbon fibre recycling, processing, and use in recycled CFRP materials is undertaken to assess potential market opportunities in the automotive sector. Cost impacts of using recycled CF as a substitute for conventional materials are also assessed in the full life cycle, making use of data from energy and cost models, manufacturers and existing cost databases. Recovery of CF from CFRP wastes can be achieved at $5/kg and less across a wide range of process parameters. CFRP materials manufactured from recycled CF can offer cost savings and weight reductions relative to steel and competitor lightweight materials in some cases, but are dependent on the specific application and associated design constraints– e.g., the material design index - as this drives the weight reduction/in-use fuel consumption and material requirements. Fibre alignment could potentially improve financial performance by inducing larger vehicle in-use fuel cost savings associated with weight reductions. Further investigations to monetise environmental impacts show larger cost benefits for recycled CFRP materials in replacement of conventional steel and lightweight competitor materials.
15
Kubatko, Viktoria. "Reducing cost within the firm and the environmental performance." Thesis, Видавництво СумДУ, 2008. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/8265.
16
Savage, William. "The Full Cost of Renewables: Managing Wind Integration Costs in California." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/57.
Анотація:
Wind power will be an important component of California's aggressive strategies to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets by the year 2020. However, the costs of integrating wind power's variable and uncertain output are often ignored. I argue that California must take prudent action to understand, minimize, and allocate wind integration costs. A review of numerous studies suggests that for wind penetration levels below 20%, integration costs should remain modest. However, costs are heavily dependent on market structure, and I suggest numerous ways that California can optimize its market design to manage wind integration costs.
17
Johnson, Laurie T. "Perceptions of cost and distribution and the demand for environmental regulation /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7449.
18
Nago, Belden 1973. "Optimizing the performance and cost of formwork." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47452.
19
Hanono, Alejandro V. "Cost model for low income detached houses." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38731.
20
Laroque, Paul (Paul Vivien Marc). "Design of a low cost bamboo footbridge." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/39270.
Анотація:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81).
Nowadays the construction business, more so than other industries, is responsible most of the environmental issues that our society encounters. Given the increasing concern our impact on the environment, the need for new sustainable materials is growing rapidly. Bamboo is a very promising green material with remarkable properties. It has been used as a structural material for centuries in China and in South America. However, it has not yet penetrated the European or the American construction market. Bamboo's exceptional strength and light weight renders it a sustainable alternative to other materials. The objective of this work is to use the results provided by recent studies of bamboo in order to generate a design of a low cost bridge made out of this material. The structure is designed for exclusive pedestrian usage. This affordable suspended footbridge could be used in developing countries or in emergency situations.
by Paul Laroque.
M.Eng.
21
Holland, Michael. "An Assessment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Environmental Plan Evaluation Methods." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2011. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/124.
Анотація:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency with a mission to develop water resource projects to benefit the nation. Some of its large scale projects have been built to benefit cities, but through unintended consequences have caused economic and environmental damages. For example, its control of Mississippi River flooding has protected the City of New Orleans, but contributed to land loss in coastal Louisiana, and by some accounts, made the population more susceptible to hurricane damage. The agency has now embarked on a mission to restore some of the damaged environmental areas. This dissertation evaluates whether policies and practices used by the agency to evaluate and select plans to implement is logically flawed and could produce suboptimal project selection. The primary issue is the practice of including only implementation costs in the analysis while excluding other positive and negative economic impacts. A case study is performed using the method to evaluate a traditional economic development project for which optimal project selection has already been determined using widely accepted benefit-cost practices. The results show that the Corps' environmental project evaluation method would cause rejection of the most efficient plan. The loss of welfare that would result from using this technique is measured by comparing the welfare gain of the optimal project to the welfare gain of the suboptimal projects which could be selected using the flawed methodology. In addition, the dissertation evaluates whether suboptimal results could be produced using two other current Corps policies: selecting projects based on production efficiency, and the exclusion of environmental benefits from the discounting process. For the first policy, a simple counter example shows how clearly inferior choices may come from including only supply considerations in investment choices. For the second policy, it is demonstrated mathematically that refraining from discounting benefits while discounting costs causes a bias towards selection of plans that take longer to build, are delayed in their implantation, or a combination of the two.
22
Горобченко, Денис Володимирович, Денис Владимирович Горобченко, and Denys Volodymyrovych Horobchenko. "Cost-benefit analysis: uncertainty in discount models and environmental accounting." Thesis, Видавництво СумДУ, 2006. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/8441.
23
Pastorinho, Manuel Ramiro Dias. "Cost-effective methods for monitoring environmental contamination in transitional waters." Doctoral thesis, Universidade de Aveiro, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/9400.
Анотація:
Doutoramento em BiologiaA avaliação de ecossistemas aquáticos, tradicionalmente realizada pela análise de parâmetros físicos e químicos tem-se revelado manifestamente insuficiente. Por norma as concentrações de poluentes variam rápida e amplamente e a medição destas parametrias representa unicamente uma pequena janela temporal de uma realidade contínua e complexa. O aparecimento de índices bióticos veio preencher parcialmente esta lacuna dado que os organismos aquáticos actuam como monitores a tempo inteiro da qualidade ambiental, fornecendo informação de difícil acesso por outros meios. A necessidade do estabelecimento de relações mecanísticas entre tóxicos e efeitos observados conduziu à tentativa de ligação entre os perfis de toxicidade obtidos em ensaios laboratoriais e os obtidos no terreno. Considerando a saúde dos seres vivos como um resultado de interacções sinergísticas ou antagonísticas de uma combinação de agentes poluentes e/ou de stress, extrapolações relativas ao estado de "saúde" dos ecossistemas eles próprios podem ser obtidas. Um reduzido número de organismos pode assim ser utilizado com este propósito, a efectividade da correlação estabelecida depende da sua relevância ecológica e do realismo das concentrações dos tóxicos utilizados. Neste estudo o apuramento das concentrações de metais pesados na Ria de Aveiro (uma lagoa costeira de hidrografia complexa e diversas fontes de emissão destes elementos) foi realizado por meio de amostragem de sedimentos de fundo e o antípode Echinogammarus marinus foi usado como organismo-teste para determinação de efeitos biológicos. Os invertebrados, em particular os crustáceos, são frequentemente seleccionados para este efeito dada a sua relevância nas cadeias alimentares, facilidade de manutenção laboratorial e grande dispersão. Bioensaios in situ, devidamente suportados por testes laboratoriais com metais em misturas, foram realizados utilizando como parâmetro a anorexia de pós-exposição. Esta avaliação foi estendida a toda a distribuição conhecida para a espécie em termos latitudinais. A influência exercida por factores como o estágio de desenvolvimento, género e o estado nutricional anterior à exposição foram avaliados. Foi ainda estudada a existência de uma possível correlação entre a presença de metais e a incidência de intersexo. E. marinus revelou ser um biomonitor sensível do potencial tóxico de metais pesados em concentrações ambientais ecologicamente relevantes, que pode ser utilizado em toda a abrangência biogeográfica do organismo. Um bioensaio in situ, simples e custo-eficiente é apresentado. O bioensaio destina-se à monitorização de águas salobras e salgadas para a presença de metais, permitindo o apoio à decisão na alocação de recursos humanos e financeiros por norma limitados.
The traditional assessment of aquatic ecosystems, based upon the analysis of physical and chemical parameters has been proven insufficient. Concentrations of pollutants usually fluctuate widely and rapidly and those analyses are but a freeze frame of a continuous complex reality. The use of biotic indexes partly covered this shortcoming since aquatic organisms act as full-time monitors of environmental quality providing otherwise hardly accessible information. The need for the establishment of mechanistic correspondences between toxicants and detected effects lead to attempt of coupling toxic profiles obtained in laboratory with the ones observed in the field. By considering the condition or health of organisms as a response to synergistic and antagonistic effects of combined pollutants and/or stressors, extrapolations towards the health of the ecosystem itself can be drawn. A restrict number of organisms can be used for this purpose with the effectiveness of the connection relying mainly on their ecological relevancy and in the use of realistic toxicant concentrations. In our study a survey was performed upon the sediments of Ria de Aveiro (a coastal lagoon with complex hydrography and varied heavy metal sources) as a means to determine heavy metal concentrations, and an amphipod, Echinogammarus marinus was used as test organism. Invertebrates, and particularly crustaceans, have been highly favored as organisms of choice due to their relevancy in food chains, easiness of culture and ubiquitousness. In situ bioassays, duly backed by ex situ toxicity tests using metal mixtures with post exposure feeding inhibition as endpoint were performed. This evaluation was extended to encompass the entire latitudinal distribution of the organism. Furthermore the influence exerted by life stage, gender and pre-exposure nutritional state upon metal toxicity were investigated. A correlation between metal contamination and the incidence of Intersex was attempted. We conclude that Echinogammarus marinus is a sensitive biomonitor of the toxic potential of metals at environmental realistic concentrations, suitable to be used at the entire breadth of its biogeographic distribution. A simple, cost effective in situ bioassay is presented, destined to screen brackish and saltwater bodies for metals presence, thus helping decision making in the correct allocation of usually limited financial and human resources.
24
Ambe, CM. "Perspectives on environmental management accounting (EMA) in South Africa." Southern African Journal of Accountability and Auditing Research, 2007. http://encore.tut.ac.za/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1001075.
Анотація:
Conventional management accounting practices do not provide adequate information for managing the
environment in a world where environmental concerns, as well as environment-related costs, revenues, and
benefits, are on the rise. Environmental management accounting (EMA) is a tool used for balancing the
interaction between the economic, social and technological factors in the development process to achieve
conditions for sustainable development.
In this study, a survey and case study technique is used to document a South African perspective on EMA. The
findings indicate that, while EMA is gaining increasing awareness, its application is still at its infancy. Some of
the elements of EMA may be found in practice, but they are not called EMA. Based on the findings, ten steps
for implementing EMA are suggested.
25
Dietlin, Philipp 1979. "The potential for low-cost airlines in Asia." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28301.
Анотація:
Thesis (S.M. in Transportation)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 123).
The purpose of this thesis is to assess the potential for low-cost airlines in Asia. Low-cost airlines have been very successful in North America and Europe and have significantly impacted the airline industry and its stakeholders. In what ways and to what extent this might be repeatable in Asia is the underlying question of this thesis. An investigation of the low-cost airline business model reveals that there are a number of key elements that make it so successful on both sides of the Atlantic. But what works in North America and Europe may not be feasible in Asia. An analysis of the Asian airline industry shows that it differs from the rest of the world in several important dimensions, which will substantially affect prospective low-cost airlines. On the one hand, the rigid regulatory frameworks in most parts of Asia and the fact that many traditional Asian airlines have some of the world's lowest unit costs may not allow Asian low-cost airlines to thrive in the same way as they have in other parts of the world. On the other hand, a breakdown of Asia's socioeconomic indicators shows that the continent is bound to experience significant growth in intra-Asia air travel over the coming years. The low-cost airline business in Asia is therefore challenging in several ways but potentially very lucrative. The possible impacts that an increasing presence of low-cost airlines in Asia would have on the various stakeholders in the region are substantial. While some of these stakeholders will likely benefit from a growing presence of low-cost airlines in Asia, others might have a lot to lose. This thesis analyses several stakeholder groups and suggests potential response options.
by Philipp Dietlin.
S.M.in Transportation
26
Ljumanovic, Lea. "Low cost passive dampers for highway traffic signs." Thesis, University of Iowa, 2010. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/702.
Анотація:
A low cost passive mass-rubber damper is introduced in this work to mitigate damage of highway signs caused by ground motion and wind gusting. The damper is designed and constructed to alleviate stresses due to bending, shear, and fatigue loading. Lab experiments based on sign responses and strains were conducted in order to evaluate the damper effectiveness in extending the life of the sign structure. Experimental Modal Analysis was performed to deduce the modal parameters of the structure using Easy Analyst and ME'scope commercial software. Ground motion was simulated using a shaker table and lighten earthquake signals. The wind gusting is simulated by simply pulling the tip of the sign and then releasing it. The results have shown that the proposed damper was able to minimize the horizontal relative ground motion between the base of the structure and the ground, which is an indication of smaller shear forces. Strain results have shown that the proposed damper was able to lower the maximum strain by up 73 percent. Finally, the damper was very effective in filtering the high frequency components of the signals entering the system, minimizing by that failure due to high cycle fatigue.
27
Guzmán, Martínez Julio. "Incorporation of environmental sustainability in cost-benefit analysis for development projects." [S.l.] : [s.n.], 2001. http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=961722789.
28
Lindholm, Johnsson Anton, and Tomas Almén. "Efficiency in distribution : as a cost saver and environmental impact reducer." Thesis, Jönköping University, JIBS, Centre of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-9293.
Анотація:
The environmental aspect of transportation has got a lot of attention over the past years. It has its origin in the growing awareness of environmental problems such as the global warming. Today the environmental aspect of transportation is widely discussed and is being recognized as a very important question to deal with for everyone involved. In Europe the transportation industry is responsible for 21 per cent of the total emission. While studies of the subject show that an environmental friendly supply chain is considered a success factor for many companies, there is a lack of interest from them to invest in order to obtain it. The question this dilemma raises is what a company can do in terms of reducing its impact on the environment without making big investments.
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how, from a company perspective, efficient logistics solutions for the distribution of products can reduce transportation costs as well as the environmental impact from a company. To gather data the authors will conduct a qualitative single case study in the form of interviews at a company to create the deep understanding needed to comprehend a company’s distribution system.
The result of the analysis shows that areas considering fill rate and selection of transportation mode are findings that would increase the efficiency, which would reduce the cost of transportation and the environmental impact. Also benefits from the option to outsource the logistics function regarding the distribution of the product to a TPL have been found.
The conclusion suggests that for a company to become as efficient as possible, while at the same time reduce their negative impact on the environment they should try to maximize the fill rate, which brings along that as much goods as possible is being distributed with as limited amounts of transportations as possible. Additional important conclusions from the thesis involve the significance of choosing the most suitable mode of transportation, something that will affect a range of different factors where cost and service are found to be the most important.
29
Parness, Maximilian. "The environmental and cost impacts of vehicle electrification in the Azores." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65432.
Анотація:
Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2011.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-123).
Electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to reduce transportation sector CO₂ emissions in São Miguel, an island in the Azores, while simultaneously reducing mobility operating costs. This thesis attempts to quantify the cost and environmental impacts of using EVs on São Miguel, using an economic dispatch and unit commitment model. The number of EVs and the ways that they charge are varied. The composition of São Miguel's electric power generation portfolio is varied from its current composition to one that incorporates higher levels of renewable generation. Emissions reductions stemming from EVs vary according to how the vehicles are charged and when renewable generation, which is less expensive and less CO2- intensive than thermal generation, is available. Charging "optimally" can save hundreds of thousands of Euros in system mobility costs per week and, in some cases, halve transportation CO₂ emissions. Optimal charging results also show that, in certain cases, charging during periods of high electric demand is acceptable. This result is contrary to previous literature on vehicle charging, and is due primarily to the limited number of generators on S~ao Miguel. CO₂ abatement costs stemming from the use of EVs vary from 26 to 160 Euros per tonne of CO₂. Portugal's tax on gasoline and subsidization of EVs make calculating the exact cost of EVs in São Miguel difficult, but a simple discounted cash flow shows that, for a 950 electric vehicle fleet, the internal rate of return over a ten year period is 8.24%. Other costs associated with EVs, including the installation of new grid infrastructure and charging stations, are also considered.
by Maximilian Parness.
S.M.in Technology and Policy
30
Quintas, Daniel Luís Martins. "Environmental remediation project of Cunha Baixa mining area cost benefit analysis." Master's thesis, NSBE - UNL, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/10451.
Анотація:
A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsIn the present time it has been growing a conscience about environmental problems. In this project it is intended to perform a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) of a specific environmental problem: Uranium mining exploration. The selected project was the Environmental Remediation of Cunha Baixa’s Mining Area. From this CBA it will be possible to understand the economic reliability of this sort of project using one criteria of efficiency. The CBA performed show a wide variety of interpretations given the assumptions made, becoming clear the great impact that Human decisions can have.
31
Solat, Yavari Majid. "Slab Frame Bridges : Structural Optimization Considering Investment Cost and Environmental Impacts." Licentiate thesis, KTH, Bro- och stålbyggnad, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-202948.
Анотація:
This research encompasses the automated design and structural optimization of reinforced concrete slab frame bridges, considering investment costs and environmental impacts. The most important feature of this work is that it focusses on realistic and complete models of slab frame bridges rather than on optimization of only individual members or sections of a bridge. The thesis consists of an extended summary of publications and three appended papers. In the first paper, using simple assumptions, the possibility of applying cost-optimization to the structural design of slab frame bridges was investigated. The results of the optimization of an existing constructed bridge showed the potential to reduce the investment cost of slab frame bridges. The procedure was further developed in the second paper. In this paper, automated design was integrated to a more refined cost-optimization methodology based on more detailed assumptions and including extra constructability factors. This procedure was then applied to a bridge under design, before its construction. From the point of view of sustainability, bridge design should not only consider criteria such as cost but also environmental performance. The third paper thus integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) with the design optimization procedure to perform environmental impact optimization of the same case study bridge as in the second paper. The results of investment cost and environmental impact optimization were then compared. The obtained results presented in the appended papers highlight the successful application of optimization techniques to the structural design of reinforced concrete slab frame bridges. Moreover, the results indicate that a multi-objective optimization that simultaneously considers both environmental impacts and investment cost is necessary in order to generate more sustainable designs. The presented methodology has been applied to the design process for a time-effective, sustainable, and optimal design of concrete slab frame bridges.QC 20170316
32
Gurung, Sanjaya. "Integrating environmental data acquisition and low cost Wi-Fi data communication." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2009. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12131/.
Анотація:
This thesis describes environmental data collection and transmission from the field to a server using Wi-Fi. Also discussed are components, radio wave propagation, received power calculations, and throughput tests. Measured receive power resulted close to calculated and simulated values. Throughput tests resulted satisfactory. The thesis provides detailed systematic procedures for Wi-Fi radio link setup and techniques to optimize the quality of a radio link.
33
Gurung, Sanjaya Acevedo Miguel Felipe. "Integrating environmental data acquisition and low cost Wi-Fi data communication." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2009. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12131.
34
Moret, Yvonne. "Modeling cost and time uncertainty in rail line construction." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/66853.
Анотація:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 437-443).
Transportation construction projects are often plagued by cost overruns and delays. Technical, economic-political, psychological, and legal causes explain the frequent underestimations. To counteract such underestimations, the author developed an innovative approach to capture cost and time uncertainty in rail line projects, and applied this to the construction of a new high speed rail line in Portugal. The construction of the four main types of structures in rail lines (tunnels, viaducts, cuts and embankments) is modeled bottom-up from the single activity to the entire rail line. Sub-networks of activities are combined in structure networks to model the rail line structures; in turn, the structure networks are organized in the construction network to represent the rail line. For the first time, three sources of uncertainty (variability in the construction process, correlations between the costs of repeated activities, and disruptive events) are modeled jointly at the level of the single activity. These uncertainties are propagated to the total construction cost and time through the combination of the individual activity costs and times. The Construction and Uncertainty Models are integrated in the Decision Aids for Tunneling (DAT), which have been extended beyond tunneling to consider different structures and different uncertainty types. Based on historical input data and expert estimations, the cost and time uncertainty in the construction of four alignments of the new Portuguese high speed rail line is simulated. The three sources of uncertainty cause different cost and time impacts depending on the type of structure suggesting structure specific mitigation measures. Most importantly, their cumulative impact causes significant increases in construction cost and time compared to the deterministic estimates: 58% in the construction cost of tunnels, and 94% in the construction time of cuts and embankments. The Construction and Uncertainty Models and their integrated implementation in the DAT provide transportation agencies with a modeling tool to tackle cost and time uncertainty in the construction of rail lines and other linear/networked infrastructure projects.
by Yvonne Moret.
Ph.D.
35
Graham, Allan Wayne. "Environmental Liabilities and Bond Yields." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28937.
Анотація:
Environmental remediation liabilities are generated primarily as a result of past actions by a firm. The most important of these liabilities for domestic U.S. firms are related to Superfund sites as designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These liabilities are important for domestic firms because of their size, which is estimated to be approximately $300 billion (Congressional Budget Office 1994) and because of public concern for the environment.
This study examines the relation among bond ratings, bond yields, and EPA-based estimates of contingent environmental remediation liabilities to test if the relationships hold as theory implies it would. Extant theory suggests that financial variables, such as environmental remediation liabilities, have incremental explanatory power beyond the information included in bond ratings for bond yield. The purpose of this study is to determine the importance of external estimates of a firm's contingent environmental liabilities for a firm's cost of debt. In addition, the manner in which a firm's contingent environmental liabilities are included in the costs of debt is examined in this study.
The results of this study indicate that external estimates for environmental liabilities are associated with the bond ratings and bond yield for a data set of new bond issues collected from the period 1995 to 1997. Despite that firms are increasing their recognition of environmental liabilities, either due to regulatory pressure or other factors, the measures based on EPA data still have significant explanatory power. The results imply that firms are either still lagging in appropriate recognition or that the external measures proxy for amounts imputed by the capital markets for some probable unspecified future costs. The latter explanation is supported by additional evidence in this study that the largest monetary measure of the liability is the most significantly associated with bond ratings and bond yields. Further, the results indicate that the external estimates are incorporated in bond ratings as part of the firm's default risk and have no direct influence over bond yield beyond that included in the bond ratings. This implies that bond ratings are particularly important for any evaluation of investment in debt securities from firms that have contingent environmental liabilities.Ph. D.
36
Stanislaw, Andrew C. "A cost benefit analysis for the bicycle as a transportation alternative." Virtual Press, 1996. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1020173.
Анотація:
Cost benefit analysis is the conventional method of evaluating automobile transportation improvements. This study examined traditional automobile evaluation methods and applied the same techniques to bicycle transportation projects. Cost data from recent research is summarized and eleven costs (five internal and six external) were estimated. The cost estimates are used to calculate automobile and bicycle costs per mile of travel. A case study of a hypothetical corridor is used to demonstrate how the transportation costs can be applied to specific planning problems. The case study explores what effect shifts in modal distribution would have on the cost effectiveness of automobile and bicycle alternatives. The findings of the study begin to question the underlying premises of traditional cost benefit analysis in transportation projects. The study suggests that conventional analysis is fundamentally flawed and biased toward automobile transportation.Department of Urban Planning
37
Iglesias, Cuervo Jesus. "Cambridge Grand Junction transit implementation : alternatives, scheduling, cost, and performance." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73788.
Анотація:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 77).
The Grand Junction railroad lies at the heart of East Cambridge adjacent to the Kendall Square business district and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus. Over the last one hundred years the railroad has gone through substantial changes - from an important freight corridor to having just a few train movements per day. The recent purchase of the railroad by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, planned relocations of existing freight yards, and future corridor improvements have made it possible to consider the addition of passenger services on the Grand Junction. Rising employment, population, and the congestion of the existing commuter rail facilities necessitate exploration of existing means to alleviate capacity. This study is part of larger study that explores the addition of passenger transit services on the Grand Junction with the goal of increasing frequency and capacity to the west along the Worcester/Framingham main line. The topics of this paper are service alternatives, scheduling, cost and performance. The study outlines all possible alternatives that are then screened for final analysis. Commuter rail and diesel multiple unit (DMU) services are the alternatives quantitatively analyzed. A schedule model estimates the maximum frequency, based on existing constraints, to be five trains per hour. Marginal cost modeling shows that based on estimated demand levels, DMU trains may be a more financially viable option for Grand Junction service. This conclusion is backed up by performance comparison of DMUs and commuter trains, showing that DMUs in the configurations proposed are quieter, more fuel efficient, and would likely have a smaller traffic impact along the densely populated Grand Junction corridor. A substantial and detailed study of DMU service along the Grand Junction is recommended.
by Jesus Iglesias Cuervo.
M.Eng.
38
Cabral, Christian 1971. "Comparative cost analyses of alternative wastewater stabilization lagoons in Brazil." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80581.
39
Ovsyannykov, Olexiy. "Lightning in Schools : Are there cost and environmental savings to be made?" Thesis, Södertörn University College, School of Life Sciences, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-2499.
40
Nirmal, Deepika. "Environmental and Cost impact Analysis of Materials and Assemblies in Building Construction." FIU Digital Commons, 2012. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/643.
Анотація:
One of the new trends in the building construction industry is designing for environmental-friendly buildings, a.k.a. Green Buildings. Planners and designers are therefore trying to accommodate these new environmental practices into existing design criteria. Selection of building materials is one of the key decisions need to be made by building designers. However, due to the strong influence of costs on the building industry, making material-selection decisions solely based on their environmental impacts could be both inadequate and impractical. These factors therefore complicate the building design process, especially pertaining to material selection.
Accordingly, the present study is aimed at providing much needed support to the decision-making process of residential building design. To this end, the study evaluates and analyzes the environmental and cost impacts of several building assemblies and material alternatives for the building exterior walls. The Technique of Order Preference Similar to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to evaluate and rank different material alternatives used in walls based on their environmental impacts. In addition, the environmental data used in this study were extracted from commonly used databases that considered the lifecycle impacts of different residential building materials and assemblies. The environmental and cost impacts of several exterior wall assemblies are then aggregated for different building material alternatives to allow for an objective comparison of these assemblies and facilitate proper building design decision- making. The study results show that wood and exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS) provided the best environmental performance of wall structural and wall finishing materials, respectively. This research is expected to prove useful in supporting building design decision- making. In addition, this research can improve pre-construction estimation and support screening of building materials.
41
Ciez, Rebecca E. "Battery Energy Storage for Maturing Markets: Performance, Cost, Perceptions, and Environmental Impacts." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2018. http://repository.cmu.edu/dissertations/1138.
Анотація:
As the use of renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles continues to expand in our electricity generation and transportation sectors, demand for energy storage technologies will only grow. Meeting this increased demand will require both technology innovations, but also new ways of thinking about the costs of implementing these technologies. This dissertation examines electrochemical energy storage technologies at multiple phases of the product cycle to assess how to meet some of the challenges associated with widespread adoption of electrochemical energy storage. Using a process-based cost model to identify the factors that contribute most to battery manufacturing cost, I find that economies of scale cost reductions have largely already been achieved. However, changes in cell design parameters can help to lower the per kWh cost of lithium-ion cells. Looking at a use case for energy storage in a hybrid microgrid, I find that both battery chemistry characteristics and technology costs impact the overall performance of hybrid microgrids and the cost of delivering electricity. As more batteries are produced to meet growing demand, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with battery manufacturing and waste disposal will become increasingly important. Using an attributional life cycle analysis, I compare the emissions associated with two different recycling processes: pyrometallurgical recycling and direct cathode recycling. While pyrometallurgical recycling does not offer emissions reductions, direct cathode recycling does have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even if the cathode recovery process has relatively low yield rates. Using these recovered cathode materials is contingent on a market that will accept these recycled materials. A survey of current electric vehicle owners shows that consumer preferences about battery materials differ depending on whether consumers purchased a plug-in hybrid or an all electric vehicle. Overall, plug-in hybrid vehicle owners seem to have a slightly negative perception of recycled battery materials. For electric vehicle owners that have an all-electric vehicle, there are more diverse preferences, with groups that have positive, negative, and indifferent preferences about the type of battery material used in their vehicle. The heterogeneous preferences of different electric vehicle owners could enable different trends in material recovery and reuse as the number of electric vehicles on the road, and the battery energy storage used for transportation, increase.
42
Sterner, Eva. "Green procurement of buildings : estimation of life-cycle cost and environmental impact /." Luleå, 2002. http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1544/2002/09/index.html.
43
Shearman, Philip. "Regional economic benefits of air services versus the environmental cost of emissions." Thesis, City University London, 2010. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/8707/.
Анотація:
This study examines the relationship between the economic benefit of specific air services and the perceived cost of the carbon dioxide emissions from the aircraft operating the services. Initially a review is made of the basic evidence of climate change and air transport's contribution to it. This is to help put the conclusions of the study into the relevant context. As well as determining air transport's contribution to global warming, the study also considers the current and likely future taxation of air travel from the UK and the importance of air services to the World and specifically to the UK. These assessments are in macro terms. In order to obtain the necessary data to determine the relationship between the perceived cost of the CO~ produced and the economic value of the air services, research has been carried out at two UK airports - London City Airport, predominantly used by business travellers and Newquay, Cornwall Airport predominantly used by leisure travellers. Passengers were interviewed to obtain data relating to the benefit of their travel. The data was extrapolated for a full year and compared with the amount of CO~ produced by the aircraft operating the air services from and to the two airports in the same year. Forecasts of the cost of the cost of CO-, were used leading- to a ratio of economic benefit to CO-, cost. The results suggest a significantly greater economic value and this, plus the qualitative assessment of the value of air transport, provide evidence to question plans for increased taxation of air transport. The study then uses a further survey to assess this conclusion in the context of global warming. Consideration is given to air transport's catalytic role as an enabler for business development leading to conclusions that economic damage would result from increased taxation. This proves the research hypothesis.
44
Khouri, Chalouhi Elisa. "Optimal design solutions of concrete bridges considering environmental impact and investment cost." Licentiate thesis, KTH, Skolan för arkitektur och samhällsbyggnad (ABE), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-244866.
Анотація:
The most used design approach for civil engineering structures is a trial and error procedure; the designer chooses an initial configuration, tests it and changes it until all safety requirements are met with good material utilization. Such a procedure is time consuming and eventually leads to a feasible solution, while several better ones could be found. Indeed, together with safety, environmental impact and investment cost should be decisive factors for the selection of structural solutions. Thus, structural optimization with respect to environmental impact and cost has been the subject of many researches in the last decades. However, design techniques based on optimization haven’t replaced the traditional design procedure yet. One of the reasons might be the constructive feasibility of the optimal solution. Moreover, concerning reinforced concrete beam bridges, to the best of the author knowledge, no study in the literature has been published dealing with the optimization of the entire bridge including both the structural configuration and cross-section dimensions. In this thesis, a two-steps automatic design and optimization procedure for reinforced concrete road beam bridges is presented. The optimization procedure finds the solution that minimizes the investment cost and the environmental impact of the bridge, while fulfilling all requirements of Eurocodes. In the first step, given the soil morphology and the two points to connect, it selects the optimal number of spans, type of piers-deck connections and piers location taking into account any obstacle the bridge has to cross. In the second and final step, it finds the optimal dimensions of the deck cross-section and produces the detailed reinforcement design. Constructability is considered and quantified within the investment cost to avoid a merely theoretical optimization. The wellknown Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Pattern Search optimization algorithms have been used. However, to reduce the computational effort and make the procedure more user-friendly, a memory system has been integrated and a modified version of GA has been developed. Moreover, the design and optimization procedure is used to study the relationship between the optimal solutions concerning investment cost and environmental impact. One case study concerning the re-design of an existing road bridge is presented. Potential savings obtained using the proposed method instead of the classic design procedure are presented. Finally, parametric studies on the total bridge length have been carried out and guidelines for designers have been produced regarding the optimal number of spans.QC 20190304
45
El-Gendy, Ahlam Mohamed Mahfouz. "Impact of environmental conditions on cost management information systems in Egyptian organisations." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2004. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19610/.
Анотація:
The Egyptian government pursued a privatisation policy that resulted in an increased role for the private sector in the national economy. Environment competition and unpredictability have affected the organisations and increased the requirement for them to work more effectively and creatively. Johnson and Kaplan (1987), Johnson (1992), Bromwich and Bhimani (1989), Ezzamel (1994), Dent (1990) and Scapens (1984) all recognised the gap between the theory and the practice of cost management practices, which has led to many of the approaches outlined in accounting literature not been widely used in practice according to many surveys (e.g. Drury et al., 1993; Ezzamel & Willmott, 1992). Scapens (1994), Kaplan (1998) and others encouraged researchers to focus on organisations' practices and this provided the motivation for this research. The research explains the practices of cost management information system (CMIS) through three hypotheses: linear, non-linear and existence of intervening variables (managers' education, level, location of authority, kinds of consultants, and size of organization) for the relationship between the practices of CMIS and managers' perceptions of competition intensity and unpredictability. Furthermore, the research considers four moderating variables (business sector, ownership category, transformation characteristic and strategic postures) in this relationship. The theoretical framework chosen is neo-contingency theory as it deals with the limitation of contingency theory. In order to test the hypotheses, inquires based on cross sectional data were carried out. Data was collected from twenty nine organisations in Egypt using an interview guide, structured questionnaire and documentary evidence. A variety of statistical tests (using SPSS) were used to test the hypotheses and to explain the major relationships. The thesis contributes to knowledge by providing empirical evidence of cost management information system, in terms of policies and practices, in twenty nine Egyptian organisations in different sectors. It also supports the relevance of neocontingency theory as a theoretical framework for undertaking such studies. Through the testing hypotheses, it is one of the few studies to have considered moderating and intervening variables in the cost management area.
46
Guerriero, C. "Cost-benefit analysis of environmental health interventions : present issues and future steps." Thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (University of London), 2014. http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/2025556/.
Анотація:
Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can help policy makers and legislators achieve the greatest social good. Despite the potential role that CBA can play, very little has been done to implement CBA of environmental health interventions (EHIs). The overall aim of this thesis is to improve the quality of CBA analyses of EHIs by addressing important research gaps in the literature. This thesis has four objectives. The first objective is to illustrate a generic framework for CBA of EHIs. The methodological framework described is applied to the economic evaluation of remediating two contaminated industrial sites in Sicily (Gela and Priolo). Including children’s health benefits in CBA is challenging. Compared to adults, children are more vulnerable to environmental hazards, however, due to the lack of child specific willingness to pay (WTP) measures children’s health benefits are often excluded from the analysis or valued using adults WTP measures or cost-of illness estimates. The second objective of the thesis is to investigate children’s ability to understand WTP questions. In particular, the thesis investigates if children are able to understand health risk and money-related concepts. The third objective of the thesis is to evaluate child (aged 7-18 years) and parental WTP for reducing children’s environmental health-related risk of asthma attack using both a contingent valuation study (CV) and a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The fourth objective of the thesis is to estimate the potential benefits to pupils of reducing traffic-related air pollution near primary schools in London using the WTP values quantified in the CV study and environmental and health data collected in London primary schools. The results of this thesis show that that, despite the high remediation cost, the clean-up of Gela and Priolo in Sicily can be highly cost-effective. The findings of the studies investigating whether children are able to understand WTP questions show that even younger children are able to understand health risk information and money related concepts and that their ability to do so improves with age. Both the CV and the DCE study show that children are able to provide rational answers to WTP questions. Results of the contingent valuation study also show that parents’ WTP estimates differ significantly from those of their children. Including children’s health benefits and preferences, as demonstrated in the practical case of improving air quality in proximity of London primary schools, gives more accurate and precise estimates of the real benefits arising from EHIs. It also provides a transparent and reliable source of information for decision makers. Findings from this thesis can improve the quality of CBA of EHIs and help future studies provide a sounder basis for policy making.
47
Schorr, Raphael Avram 1976. "Marginal social cost auctions for congested airport facilities." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/84837.
Анотація:
Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Operations Research Center, 2002."September 2002."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-97).
by Raphael Avram Schorr.
S.M.
M.Eng.
48
Brown, Colin Barrett. "Life-cycle Cost Analysis of Nutrient Reduction Technologies Employed in Municipal Wastewater Treatment." Oberlin College Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin1462979592.
49
Angeles, Jon Virgil V. "The development of a life cycle cost model for railroad tunnels." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/66824.
Анотація:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64).
Today, Life Cycle Costing is one of the most popular ways of assessing a project's or an investment's worth to a company. This method of assessment is often applied to all stages of a investment's lifecycle, starting from its conceptual stage up to its disposal stage. If executed properly and thoroughly, Life Cycle Cost Analysis can be very useful to project investors and managers in that this analysis equips these people with more insight to make better and more appropriate financial decisions. In addition, a separate analysis called Sensitivity Analysis can also be applied to predict any changes that may affect the Life Cycle Cost of a certain investment. These tools if used together can effectively evaluate any projects' financial worth. The author has carried out both analyses to evaluate the financial value of the Lotschberg Basis Tunnel in Switzerland.
by Jon Virgil V. Angeles.
M.Eng.
50
Nissenberg, James M. (James Matthew). "Competition between traditional and low-cost airlines for local hub traffic." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/10854.