This book provides the readers with a timely guide to the application of biomimetic principles in architecture and engineering design. As a result of a combined effort by two internationally recognized authorities, the biologist Werner Nachtigall and the architect Goeran Pohl, the book describes the principles which can be used to compare nature and technology, and at the same time it presents detailed explanations and examples showing how biology can be used as a source of inspiration and "translated" in building and architectural solutions (biomimicry). Even though nature cannot be directly copied, the living world can provide architects and engineers with a wealth of analogues and inspirations for their own creative designs. But how can analysis of natural entities give rise to advanced and sustainable design? By reporting on the latest bionic design methods and using extensive artwork, the book guides readers through the field of nature-inspired architecture, offering an extraordinary resource for professional architects, engineers, designers and urban planners, as well as for university teachers, researchers and students. Natural evolution is seen throughout the book as a powerful resource that can serve architecture and design by providing innovative, optimal and sustainable solutions.

The first volume in VNR's new Building construction series, this comprehensive guide covers all aspects of enclosure systems such as roofs, exterior walls, windows, and entrance doors; providing current information on materials, products, and components for construction. The volume has been special

The comprehensive guide to construction tolerances, newly revised and updated
How much may a steel frame be out of plumb? What are the expected variations of a precast concrete panel? What is required to successfully detail finish materials on masonry?
Updating and expanding on its popular first edition, the Handbook of Construction Tolerances, Second Edition remains the only comprehensive reference to the thousands of industry standard tolerances for the manufacture, fabrication, and installation of construction materials and components-- including all-important accumulated dimensional variations.
Covering new materials and techniques developed since the book was first published, the Second Edition of this easy-to-use reference features:
* More than 100 drawings illustrating the tolerance concepts
* New sections on measuring compliance with tolerance standards; right-of-way construction; autoclaved aerated concrete; tilt-up concrete panels; interior stone wall cladding; structural insulated panels; decorative architectural glass; laminated architectural flat glass and bent glass
* New guidelines on how to incorporate tolerance requirements in drawings and specifications
* New information on how to apply tolerance information during contract administration
With the Handbook, architects, engineers, contractors, interior designers, lawyers, and others involved in the construction industry will be armed with the information they need to design and detail more accurately, write better specifications, establish normal practice and standards of care, supervise construction, settle worksite disputes, and save time and money at every stage of building.

The first book to provide readers with the skills to assess development potential from a holistic standpoint. Until now, architectural books on conservation matters have focused on preservation at a strategic level and restoration at a technical level. This book offers the architect, developer or planner the rules and tools needed to gauge development prospects in an objective and comprehensive manner.

Written by an experienced expert in the field it provides the reader with:

• the latest legislation relating to heritage in the UK
• insight into local planning authorities and government advisory boards
• basic strategies for approaching developments
• an understanding of the options available for developing a heritage site
• illustrative case studies to highlight strategy successes.

This book is a one-stop-shop for any professional or student working in, or learning about, development in heritage environments.

Examines the general problems of designing and constructing sites for buildings. Coverage includes: site construction and planning, placing buildings on sites, landscape planning, drainage, site traffic for vehicles and pedestrians, parking, lighting, handicap facilities and much more.

This book is an introductory text on building measurement and estimating for simple buildings in Hong Kong, based on the Hong Kong Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works 4th Edition Revised 2018 (HKSMM4 Rev 2018). It provides a toolkit for students and surveying technicians who are new to the subject. This second edition updates the contents in line with the HKSMM4 Rev 2018 and incorporates the latest industry developments such as BIM. The main text is divided into five parts following the development of a typical project. Part 1, Building the project team, introduces the team setup for a typical project. Part 2, Deciding the procurement strategy, explains the various procurement decisions to be made by an employer before any cost estimating and measurement work takes place. Part 3, Preparing for tender, covers the tendering methods, tender documentation and approximate estimating techniques used by Quantity Surveyors. Part 4, Measuring quantities, introduces measurement principles and HKSMM4 Rev 2018, followed by a detailed review of the measurement methods for each major trade, with worked examples. Part 5, Estimating unit rates, explores the basic techniques for unit rate preparation. The book contains worked examples from real Hong Kong building projects, self-assessment questions, reminders and points of note. It is essential reading for Hong Kong construction and surveying students, international Quantity Surveyors working in the local area and those wanting international examples of Quantity Surveryors practice.

Shotcrete technology continues to evolve and improve as its utilization increases. This volume includes a selection of papers describing the developments in the evolving field of shotcrete technology. It covers subjects ranging from mining-related ground control requirements, to nozzleman education and accreditation requirements.

This book describes exemplary selected projects carried out in the Trentino-Alto Adige region (Italy) exploring numerous building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) systems (i.e. modules, construction system, energy systems). It presents 18 case studies analyzing three aspects of PV integration: aesthetic, energy and technology, with information on decision-making, design process and lessons learnt given for each, along with several pictures, including of general system and architectural details. Based on interviews with architects and engineers, experts from facade/glass manufacturers, energy consultants, BIPV experts, PV installers, electricians, private and public building owners and real estate companies, the book provides a source of inspiration and technical knowledge for architects and engineers towards an increased use of PV in architecture.

This book presents key advances in the modeling of reinforcement corrosion and concrete durability. It also examines various further aspects of reinforcement corrosion and concrete durability, striking a balance between modeling and testing. Particular attention is paid to innovative treatments for avoiding deterioration, and to methods for modeling performance in a real environment. Some basic aspects related to non-destructive testing techniques are also discussed. Deterioration-related topics addressed in the book include the basis for modeling alkali-silica reactions, chloride diffusion and the development of concrete microstructure; measurement-related topics include cathodic protection, polarization resistance and resistivity. A combined approach using the AFM technique and polarization measurements is examined, and the relation between cracking and corrosion and the treatment of concrete with hydrophobes or innovative products such as hydrotalcite is also discussed.

'Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas, and Uncomfortable Truths' presents multi-perspective critical analyses of the ethics and principles that guide the conservation of works of art and design, archaeological artefacts, buildings, monuments, and heritage sites on behalf of society. Contributors from the fields of philosophy, sociology, history, art and design history, museology, conservation, architecture, and planning and public policy address a wide range of conservation principles, practices, and theories from the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, encouraging the reader to make comparisons across subjects and disciplines. By wrestling with and offering ways of disentangling the ethical dilemmas confronting those who maintain and sustain cultural heritage for today and tomorrow, 'Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas, and Uncomfortable Truths' provides an essential reference text for conservation professionals, museum and heritage professionals, art and cultural historians, lecturers and students, and all others invested in cultural heritage theories and practices.

Alison Richmond, as a Senior Conservator in the Victoria and Albert Museum and Deputy Head of the Conservation Department at the Royal College of Art, maintains teaching and research roles in conservation theory, principles and ethics, and has developed decision-making tools for conservators. She is an Accredited Conservator-Restorer (ACR), a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation (FIIC), and a Trustee of the UK's Institute of Conservation (Icon) since 2005.

Alison Bracker received her PhD in the History of Art from the University of Leeds, and manages the Events & Lectures programme at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. As co-founder of Bracker Fiske Consultants, she advises on the presentation, description, documentation, and care of artworks comprising modern media, and lectures and publishes widely on the theoretical and practical issues arising from the conservation of non-traditional and impermanent materials in contemporary works of art.

This book presents a number of studies on the molecular dynamics of cement-based materials. It introduces a practical molecular model of cement-hydrate, delineates the relationship between molecular structure and nanoscale properties, reveals the transport mechanism of cement-hydrate, and provides useful methods for material design. Based on the molecular model presented here, the book subsequently sheds light on nanotechnology applications in the design of construction and building materials. As such, it offers a valuable asset for researchers, scientists, and engineers in the field of construction and building materials.

This is the third of three essential reference volumes for those concerned with the installation and servicing of domestic and industrial gas equipment. This volume explains the basic principles underlying the practical and theoretical aspects of installing and servicing gas appliances and associated equipment, from the basics of combustion, to burners, pressure and flow, transfer of heat, controls, as well as materials and processes, electrical aspects, and metering and measuring devices. Covering both Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, the many illustrations and worked examples included throughout the text will help the reader to understand the principles under discussion.
Volume 3 of the Gas Service Technology Series will enable the reader to put into practice the safe installation and servicing procedures described in the companion volumes: Basic Science and Practice of Gas Service (Volume 1), and Domestic Gas Installation Practice (Volume 2). Combining a comprehensive reference with practical application in real-world engineering contexts, Volume 3 provides an essential handbook for all aspects of fundamental gas servicing technology, ideal for both students new to the field as well as professionals and non-operational professionals (e.g. specifiers, managers, supervisors) as an ongoing source of reference.

This is the second of three essential reference volumes for those concerned with the installation and servicing of domestic and industrial equipment. This handy volume explains the basic principles underlying the practical and theoretical aspects of installing and servicing gas appliances and associated equipment. Covering both Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, the many illustrations and worked examples included throughout the text will help the reader to understand the principles under discussion.
Volume 2 of the Gas Service Technology Series will enable the reader to put into practice the safe installation and servicing procedures described in the companion volumes: Basic Science and Practice of Gas Service (Volume 1), and Industrial and Commercial Gas Installation Practice (Volume 3). Combining a comprehensive reference with practical application in real-world engineering contexts, Volume 2 provides an essential handbook for all aspects of fundamental gas servicing technology, ideal for both students new to the field as well as professionals and non-operational professionals (e.g. specifiers, managers, supervisors) as an ongoing source of reference.

Concrete repair continues to be a subject of major interest to engineers and technologists worldwide. The concrete repair budget for the UK alone currently runs at some UKP 220 per annum. Some estimates have indicated that, worldwide, in 2010 the expenditure for maintenance and repair work will represent about 85% of the total expenditure in the construction field. It has been forecast that, in the same year in the USA, 50 billion dollars will be spent just for the restoration of deteriorated bridges and viaducts.

An understanding of the latest techniques in repair and testing and inspection is thus crucial to the international construction industry. This book, with contributions from 34 countries, brings together the best in research, practical application, strategy and theory relating to concrete repair, testing and inspection, fire damage, composites and electro-chemical repair.

This new book synthesizes a wide range of interdisciplinary literature to provide the state-of-the art of biomedical implants. It discusses materials and explains the three basic requirements for implant success from a surface engineering perspective: biological compatibility, biomechanical compatibility, morphological compatibility. Biomedical, mechanical, and materials engineers will find this book indispensable for understanding proper treatment of implant surfaces in order to achieve clinical success. Highlights include: - Coverage of surface engineering of polymer, metallic, ceramic and composite implant materials; - Coverage of chemical, mechanical, physical, thermal, and combined surface modification technologies; - Explanations of interfacial reaction between vital tissue and non-vital implant surface; and - Methodologies and technologies for modification of surface layer/zone to promote the osteo-integration, the ultimate success for biomedical implants in both dental and medical practice.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the production of smelter grade alumina from bauxite ores. It emphasizes the best practices applied in the industry today but seen in a historical context with a view to future challenges and developments. The control of alumina quality is discussed in detail including the effects that alumina quality have on the aluminum smelter process with respect to environmental performance, current efficiency, and metal purity. The discussion of alumina quality will be relevant to people on the smelter side, as this is the interface between refinery and smelter. Emphasis is placed on the major steps of the Bayer Process including: digestion, clarification, precipitation, calcination, and management of water, energy, and bauxite residue. This book is a valuable resource for active, seasoned practitioners and for new engineers entering the industry.

Large-scale video networks are of increasing importance in a wide range of applications. However, the development of automated techniques for aggregating and interpreting information from multiple video streams in real-life scenarios is a challenging area of research.

Collecting the work of leading researchers from a broad range of disciplines, this timely text/reference offers an in-depth survey of the state of the art in distributed camera networks. The book addresses a broad spectrum of critical issues in this highly interdisciplinary field: current challenges and future directions; video processing and video understanding; simulation, graphics, cognition and video networks; wireless video sensor networks, communications and control; embedded cameras and real-time video analysis; applications of distributed video networks; and educational opportunities and curriculum-development.

Topics and features: Presents an overview of research in areas of motion analysis, invariants, multiple cameras for detection, object tracking and recognition, and activities in video networks Provides real-world applications of distributed video networks, including force protection, wide area activities, port security, and recognition in night-time environments Describes the challenges in graphics and simulation, covering virtual vision, network security, human activities, cognitive architecture, and displays Examines issues of multimedia networks, registration, control of cameras (in simulations and real networks), localization and bounds on tracking Discusses system aspects of video networks, with chapters on providing testbed environments, data collection on activities, new integrated sensors for airborne sensors, face recognition, and building sentient spaces Investigates educational opportunities and curriculum development from the perspective of computer science and electrical engineering

This unique text will be of great interest to researchers and graduate students of computer vision and pattern recognition, computer graphics and simulation, image processing and embedded systems, and communications, networks and controls. The large number of example applications will also appeal to application engineers.

People can be excluded from freedom and the good things in life by age, disability, poverty, unfair discrimination, crime or the fear of crime, and arrogant and unresponsive governments. This practical reference deals with all of these factors, and shows the links between them. In addition to several hundred shorter notes it includes over a thousand major entries, each of which comprises: a summary of relevant facts, incisive commentary to help readers cut through the fog of jargon and propaganda that confuses many of these issues and websites where the latest information may be found. It concludes with a detailed bibliography of around 500 useful references. The work will be found useful by professionals and managers in all walks of life; by central and local government officials and representatives, and by students in the social sciences. It devotes particular attention to the all-important Disability Discrimination Act, and numerous detailed entries, accompanied in many cases by elegant diagrams, suggest to architects and other designers, facilities managers, and personnel managers how the requirements of the Act may be met.

From simple applications to multi-load and multi-temperature systems, this one-of-a-kind, comprehensive text will prepare you to use the latest hydronics to create systems that deliver the ultimate in comfort, reliability and energy efficiency. Abundantly illustrated with product and installation photos and hundreds of detailed, full-color schematics, MODERN HYDRONIC HEATING, Fourth Edition, transforms engineering-level design information into practical applications useful for technical students and heating professionals alike. The revised edition features the latest design and installation techniques for residential and light commercial hydronic systems, including use of renewable energy heat sources such as air-to-water and geothermal heat pumps, hydraulic separation, variable speed circulators, distribution efficiency, heat exchangers, buffer tanks, heat metering, hydronic cooling, system balancing and proper system documentation. Equally well-suited for formal education courses, self-study or on-the-job reference, this preeminent resource of the North American heating industry is ideal for anyone involved in the heating trade.

Examining the fundamental differences between design and analysis, Robert Benaim explores the close relationship between aesthetic and technical creativity and the importance of the intuitive, more imaginative qualities of design that every designer should employ when designing a structure. Aiding designers of concrete bridges in developing an intuitive understanding of structural action, this book encourages innovation and the development of engineering architecture. Simple, relevant calculation techniques that should precede any detailed analysis are summarized. Construction methods used to build concrete bridge decks and substructures are detailed and direct guidance on the choice and the sizing of different types of concrete bridge deck is given. In addition guidance is provided on solving recurring difficult problems of detailed design and realistic examples of the design process are provided. This book enables concrete bridge designers to broaden their scope in design and provides an analysis of the necessary calculations and methods.