This timely book examines how the South African National Defence Force has adapted to the country's new security, political and social environment since 1994. In South Africa's changed political state, how has civilian control of the military been implemented and what does this mean for 'defence in a democracy'? This book presents an overview of the security environment, how the mission focus of the military has changed and the implications for force procurement, force preparation, force employment and force sustainability. The author addresses other issues, such as: * the effect of integrating former revolutionary soldiers into a professional armed force * the effect of affirmative action on meritocracy, recruitment and retention * military veterans, looking at the difficulties they face in reintegrating back into society and finding gainful employment * gender equality and mainstreaming * the rise of military unions and why a confrontational, instead of a more corporatist approach to labour relations has emerged * HIV/AIDS and the consequences this holds for the military in terms of its operational effectiveness. In closing, the author highlights key events that have caused the SANDF to become 'lost in transition and transformation', spelling out some lessons learned. The conclusions she draws are pertinent for the future of defence, security and civil-military relations of countries around the world.

Cost-Effective Energy Efficient Building Retrofitting:Materials, Technologies, Optimization and Case Studies provides essential knowledge for civil engineers, architects, and other professionals working in the field of cost-effective energy efficient building retrofitting. The building sector is responsible for high energy consumption and its global demand is expected to grow as each day there are approximately 200,000 new inhabitants on planet Earth. The majority of electric energy will continue to be generated from the combustion of fossil fuels releasing not only carbon dioxide, but also methane and nitrous oxide. Energy efficiency measures are therefore crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the building sector. Energy efficient building retrofitting needs to not only be technically feasible, but also economically viable. New building materials and advanced technologies already exist, but the knowledge to integrate all active components is still scarce and far from being widespread among building industry stakeholders.

This book explains in an easy-to-understand manner the "check" points to keep in mind when inspecting various social infrastructure structures. It is put together in a way that not only engineers who are on the front line of maintenance and management but also engineers who are not normally involved in maintenance and management of social infrastructures as well as general public can understand the importance of social infrastructure inspection work.

Steels and computer-based modelling are fast growing fields in materials science as well as structural engineering, demonstrated by the large amount of recent literature. Steels: From Materials Science to Structural Engineering combines steels research and model development, including the application of modelling techniques in steels. The latest research includes structural engineering modelling, and novel, prototype alloy steels such as heat-resistant steel, nitride-strengthened ferritic/martensitic steel and low nickel maraging steel. Researchers studying steels will find the topics vital to their work. Materials experts will be able to learn about steels used in structural engineering as well as modelling and apply this increasingly important technique in their steel materials research and development.

This book presents studies on the inelastic behavior of materials and structures under monotonic and cyclic loads. It focuses on the description of new effects like purely thermal cycles or cases of non-trivial damages. The various models are based on different approaches and methods and scaling aspects are taken into account. In addition to purely phenomenological models, the book also presents mechanisms-based approaches. It includes contributions written by leading authors from a host of different countries.

This important new manual goes beyond the published NFPA standards on installation of standpipe systems to include the rules in the International Building Code, municipal fire codes, the National Fire Code of Canada, and information on inspection, testing, and maintenance of standpipe systems. Also covered are the interactions between standpipe and sprinkler systems, since these important fire protection systems are so frequently installed together. Illustrated with design examples and practical applications to reinforce the learning experience, this is the go-to reference for engineers, architects, design technicians, building inspectors, fire inspectors, and anyone that inspects, tests or maintains fire protection systems. Fire marshals and plan review authorities that have the responsibility for reviewing and accepting plans and hydraulic calculations for standpipe systems are also an important audience, as are firefighters who actually use standpipe systems. As a member of the committees responsible for some of these documents, Isman also covers the rules of these standards and codes as they are written, but also provides valuable insight as to the intent behind the rules. A noted author and lecturer, Professor Isman was an engineer with the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), is an elected Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), and currently Clinical Professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at University of Maryland.

The term "soft computing" applies to variants of and combinations under the four broad categories of evolutionary computing, neural networks, fuzzy logic, and Bayesian statistics. Although each one has its separate strengths, the complem- tary nature of these techniques when used in combination (hybrid) makes them a powerful alternative for solving complex problems where conventional mat- matical methods fail. The use of intelligent and soft computing techniques in the field of geo- chanical and pavement engineering has steadily increased over the past decade owing to their ability to admit approximate reasoning, imprecision, uncertainty and partial truth. Since real-life infrastructure engineering decisions are made in ambiguous environments that require human expertise, the application of soft computing techniques has been an attractive option in pavement and geomecha- cal modeling. The objective of this carefully edited book is to highlight key recent advances made in the application of soft computing techniques in pavement and geo- chanical systems. Soft computing techniques discussed in this book include, but are not limited to: neural networks, evolutionary computing, swarm intelligence, probabilistic modeling, kernel machines, knowledge discovery and data mining, neuro-fuzzy systems and hybrid approaches. Highlighted application areas include infrastructure materials modeling, pavement analysis and design, rapid interpre- tion of nondestructive testing results, porous asphalt concrete distress modeling, model parameter identification, pavement engineering inversion problems, s- grade soils characterization, and backcalculation of pavement layer thickness and moduli.

Recent Advances in Maintenance and Infrastructure Management is a collection of papers highlighting the state of the art in maintenance of large structures and management of infrastructures. The papers selected in this book are written by international experts from academia and industry, and were presented during the past three International Conference on Maintenance Management (MM Conferences) held from 2005 to 2007 and organized by CNIM (Italian National Committee for Maintenance). The selected papers are categorized into four thematic areas: 1. reliability and maintenance; 2. mathematical modeling and metrics for maintenance; 3. maintenance management and organization, and; 4. facilities management and contracting. The papers cover topics ranging from embedded sensors for diagnostics of structures to organizational issues related to effective maintenance planning. Recent Advances in Maintenance and Infrastructure Management provides readers with a snapshot of the latest developments in the tools and techniques used to conduct maintenance of complex infrastructures and systems. The book will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in academia and industry involved in planning and deployment of maintenance operations. Additionally, this can serve as a reference text for advanced courses in operations management, and structural health monitoring.

This book provides a comprehensive description of traditional and innovative forest-based bioproducts, from pulp and paper, wood-based composites and wood fuels to chemicals and fiber-based composites. The descriptions of different types of forest-based bioproducts are supplemented by the environmental impacts involved in their processing, use, and end-of-life phase. Further, the possibility of reusing, recycling and upgrading bioproducts at the end of their projected life cycle is discussed. As the intensity of demand for forest biomass is currently changing, forest-based industries need to respond with innovative products, business models, marketing and management. As such, the book concludes with a chapter on the bioproducts business and these products' role in bioeconomies.

This book is a novel contribution to a field dominated by conventional approaches to project management, it is about narratives in megaprojects. Some of the questions examined in this original new book include: * What are narratives? * Why are they important in megaprojects? * How are they formed and used in megaprojects? * How do promotors of and protestors against megaprojects craft narratives to their advantage? * What strategies can project managers employ to effectively use narratives in megaprojects? Built from longitudinal research studies in combination with internationally recognised teaching materials, this book will provide readers with a theoretical understanding of narratives and projects, as well as practical international case studies, including HS2, the Eden Project, the Sochi Olympics, Hyderabad and Chennai Metros, Westconnex and Tideway, to support their understanding. The authors explain the different types of narrative, how and why they are important in general and in relation to a megaproject and its life-cycle, but also how to craft narratives in different situations, and how they are changed and maintained over a project life-cycle. Narratives in Megaprojects doubles as a text supporting more advanced courses on project management or aspects thereof, and as a reflection of the state of the art in this particular perspective on megaprojects. It is essential reading for all students and professionals in Project Management, Construction, Infrastructure and Executive Leaders involved in megaprojects and infrastructure delivery.

This book provides a collection of recent research works, related to structural stability and durability, service life, reinforced concrete structures, recycled materials, and sustainability with endogenic materials. Intended as an overview of the current state of knowledge, the book will benefit scientists, students, practitioners, lecturers and other interested parties. At the same time, the topics covered are relevant to a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines, including civil, materials and mechanical engineering.

Many cooling systems use water as cooling medium. They are found in public buildings, industrial production systems or power plants. Almost every cooling system using water is degraded by deposition, corrosion and microbiological fouling.

This book identifies the whole bunch of problems due to water cooling systems and proposes specific solutions to all of them. The authors have an expertise of over 20 years solving cooling water problems. In this book, they advise all practitioners which need to plan, buy or operate cooling systems.

One distinct feature of human society since the dawn of civilization is the systematic use of inorganic building materials, such as natural stone, unburnt and burnt soil, adobe and brick, inorganic binders like lime and cement, and reinforced concrete. Our heritage has cultural, architectural and technological value and preserving such structures is a key issue today. Planners and conservation scientists need detailed site surveys and analyses to create a database that will serve to guide subsequent actions. One factor in this knowledge base is an understanding of how historic materials were prepared and the crucial properties that influence their long-term behaviour. Any assessment of the way such materials perform must crucially be based on an understanding of the methods used for their analysis. The editors here add to the knowledge base treating the materials used in historic structures, their properties, technology of use and conservation, and their performance in a changing environment. The book draws together 18 chapters dealing with the inorganic materials used in historic structures, such as adobe, brick, stone, mortars, concrete and plasters. The approach is complex, covering material characterisation as well as several case studies of historic structures from Europe, including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia and Spain, and the My Son Temples in Vietnam. An equally important component of the book covers the analysis of materials, together with a treatment of sustainable development, such as the protection of monuments from earthquakes and climate change. The authors are all leading international experts, drawn from a variety of backgrounds: architecture, civil engineering, conservation science, geology and material science, with close links to professional organisations such as ICOMOS or universities and research centres throughout Europe. Audience: This book will be of interest to geologists, engineers, restorers, consulting engineers, designers and other professionals dealing with cultural heritage and sustainable development. Also graduate students in applied geo-science (mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology), architecture and civil engineering will find interesting information in this book.

The book analyses a broad range of relevant aspects as the outer space and cyber space domain do not only present analogies but are also strongly interrelated. This may occur on various levels by technologies but also in regard to juridical approaches, each nevertheless keeping its particularities. Since modern societies rely increasingly on space applications that depend on cyber space, it is important to investigate how cyberspace and outer space are connected by their common challenges. Furthermore, this book discusses not only questions around their jurisdictions, but also whether the private space industry can escape jurisdiction by dematerializing the space resource commercial processes and assets thanks to cyber technology. In addition, space and cyberspace policies are analysed especially in view of cyber threats to space communications. Even the question of an extra-terrestrial citizenship in outer space and cyberspace may raise new views. Finally, the interdependence between space and cyberspace also has an important role to play in the context of increasing militarization and emerging weaponization of outer space. Therefore, this book invites questioning the similarities and interrelations between Outer Space and Cyber Space in the same way as it intends to strengthen them.

The increasing concern with indoor air quality has led to air-quality standards with increased ventilation rates. Although increasing the volume flow rate of outside air is advisable from the perspective of air-quality, it is detrimental to energy consumption, since the outside air has to be brought to the comfort condition before it is insufflated to theconditioned ambient. Moreover, the humidity load carried within outside air has challenging HVAC engineers to design cooling units which are able to satisfactorily handle both sensible and latent contributions to the thermal load. This constitutes a favorable scenario for the use of solid desiccants to assist the cooling units. In fact, desiccant wheels have been increasingly applied by HVAC designers, allowing distinct processes for the air cooling and dehumidification. In fact, the ability of solid desiccants in moisture removal is effective enough to allow the use of evaporative coolers, in opposition to the traditional vapor-compression cycle, resulting in an ecologically sound system which uses only water as the refrigerant.

"Desiccant Assisted Cooling: Fundamentals and" "Applications" presents different approaches to the mathematical modeling and simulation of desiccant wheels, as well as applications in thermal comfort and humidity controlled environments. Experts in the field discuss topics from enthalpy, lumped models for heat and mass transfer, and desiccant assisted radiant cooling systems, among others.

Aimed at air-conditioning engineers and thermal engineering researchers, this book can also be used by graduate level students and lecturers in the field."

This book addresses earthquakes, with a special focus on the Ghorka earthquake, which struck parts of central Nepal in April 2015. Drawing on this disastrous event, it closely examines various aspects of earthquakes in contributions prepared by international experts. The topics covered include: the geological and geophysical background of seismicity; a detailed inventory of the damage done by the earthquake; effective damage prevention through earthquake-safe buildings and settlements; restoration options for world-heritage buildings; strategies for providing technical and medical relief and, lastly, questions associated with public life and economy in a high-risk seismic zone. Combining perspectives from various fields, the book presents the state of the art in all earthquake-related fields and outlines future approaches to risk identification, damage prevention, and disaster management in all parts of society, administration, and politics in Nepal. Beyond the specific disaster in Nepal, the findings presented here will have broader implications for how societies can best deal with disasters.

Mixed Reality is moving out of the research-labs into our daily lives. It plays an increasing role in architecture, design and construction. The combination of digital content with reality creates an exciting synergy that sets out to enhance engagement within architectural design and construction.

State-of-the-art research projects on theories and applications within Mixed Reality are presented by leading researchers covering topics in architecture, design collaboration, construction and education. They discuss current projects and offer insight into the next wave of Mixed Reality possibilities.

Mortar and concrete made with portland cement has been a popular construction material in the world for the past 170 years or more. However, cement mortar and concrete have some disadvantages such as delayed hardening, low tensile strength, large drying shrinkage and low chemical resistance. To reduce these disadvantages, polymers have been utilized as an additive.
Polymer-modified or polymer cement mortar (PCM) and concrete (PCC) are the materials which are made by partially replacing the cement hydrate binders of conventional cement mortar or concrete, with polymers. This book deals with the principles of polymer modification for cement composites, the process technology, properties and applications of the polymer-modified mortar and concrete, and special polymer-modified systems such as M DF cement, antiwashout underwater concrete, polymer-ferrocement, and artificial I wood.
The polymeric admixtures or cement modifiers include latexes or emulsions, redispersible polymer powders, water-soluble polymers, liquid resins and monomers.
This book describes the current knowledge and information of polymer-modified mortars and concretes, and discusses or reviews the following items in detail:
1. Principles of polymer modification for cement composites.
2. Process technology of polymer-modified mortars and concretes.
3. Properties of polymer-modified mortars and concretes.
4. Applications of polymer-modified mortars and concretes.
5. Special polymer-modified systems such as MDF cements, antiwashout underwater concretes, polymer-ferrocements, and artificial woods.

This book highlights the concept of environmental water footprint in the energy (bioenergy & hydropower) sector and the building/construction sector, focusing on a case study in Iran. It argues and demonstrates that water conservation is one of the most essential elements every industry has to take into account in its sustainability strategy.

Detection of concealed explosives is a notoriously difficult problem, and many different approaches have been proposed to solve this problem. Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) is unique in many ways. It operates in a safe AM radio frequency range, and it can remotely detect unique fingerprint (NQR spectrum) of many explosives, such as TNT or RDX. As such, the detection of target does not depend on the shape or material of the container, or the presence of metallic object such as triggers etc. Spectra of chemically similar compounds differ enough that their presence never causes interference or false alarms. Unfortunately, widespread use is prevented due to low sensitivity, radiofrequency interference from the noisy environment, and inability to detect liquid explosives. This book presents current state of the art of the attempts to overcome NQR sensitivity problem, either by increasing the strengths of signals generated, or by increasing the specificity of the technique through a better understanding of the factors that affect the quadrupolar parameters of specific explosives. The use of these specific quadrupolar parameters is demonstrated on signal processing techniques that can detect weak signals, which are hidden in a noisy background. The problem of differentiation of liquid explosives and benign liquids in closed containers is approached by measurements of different nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters. As shown, a couple of solutions has reached a prototype stage and could find their use in a near future."

This book highlights aesthetics as pertaining to the structural component in architectural design. This less explored aspect of architecture is discussed and explains the enduring qualities of ten specific buildings from architectural history to present day due to their structural aesthetics. Based on comprehensive research, a critical analysis is presented of the constraints and other influences on architectural and structural design, such as culture, patronage, geometry, available resources and technologies.

These are the papers presented at the Fib-RILEM workshop held in Madrid, Spain, in November 2010. The assessment of deterioration and aging of concrete structures, most commonlythrough reinforcement corrosion, is not considered incurrent structural codes or standards. Some guidelines manuals exist, and research has been done, but there is as yet no accepted methodology nor models that could be used by engineers.

This book deals with all aspects related to modelling of corroding structures and provides state-of-the-art information on structural models for corroding structures."

People who work in an office spend at least a third of their lifetime in these spaces. The planning of office and administration buildings can therefore contribute a great deal to the satisfaction and well-being of future users. The book looks at the health-relevant factors that affect people in office and administration buildings and therefore deserve special attention in the planning process. In doing so, the authors are guided by a concept of health as defined by the World Health Organization: Accordingly, health encompasses mental as well as social and physical well-being and thus goes far beyond the factors laid down in legal norms and guidelines. In this volume, architects and designers, physicians and ergonomists deal with all aspects of interior design seen from a health perspective: What role does colour design play, what significance do light, air and noise have? What does a demand-oriented building technology look like and how is the office furniture adequately designed? Which medical and hygienic aspects have to be considered? How can offices be designed in terms of work-life balance and how will the office change in the course of digitalisation? The book serves as a guideline that can be applied chapter by chapter in the planning of health-promoting office spaces - depending on the interests of the reader. Problems that arise are discussed using examples, and checklists help you with planning and implementation. The guide is aimed at building owners, architects, engineers, but also at lawyers, psychologists and doctors as well as university members in the field of economics and engineering.

This book comprises selected papers from the International Conference on Civil Engineering Trends and Challenges for Sustainability (CTCS) 2019. The book presents latest research in several areas of civil engineering such as construction and structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering and sustainability, and geographical information systems. With a special emphasis on sustainable development, the book covers case studies and addresses key challenges in sustainability. The scope of the contents makes the book useful for students, researchers, and professionals interested in sustainable practices in civil engineering.