Lessons Learned from Afghanistan: America's Longest War examines the lessons of how America's "longest war" came to an ignominious end with staggering consequences for the United States and the Afghan nation. Afghanistan today faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, looming threat of a civil war and a resurgence of violent extremism organizations similar to pre-9/11. As the U.S. enters a new era in the strategic geopolitical Great Power Competition, an analysis of the original mission intent, shifting policy and strategic objectives, and ineffective implementation of security, political and economic programs reveal critical lessons and questions such as: What led to the "strategic failure" of the U.S. in Afghanistan? What decisions resulted in the present-day humanitarian, civil, and political crises in Afghanistan? Were these consequences in fact avoidable? Was there an alternative approach that could have maintained the hard-fought gains of the last two decades, and better demonstrated America's standing as a defender of global human rights? Lessons Learned from Afghanistan: America's Longest War further explores lessons of the past negotiations between the United States, Taliban, and former U.S. backed Afghan government to suggest alternative pathways that honor the original intent of the mission and meet present-day obligations to an Afghan nation in crisis.

This book discusses multiple aspects of radiological and nuclear terrorism. Do you know what to do if there is a radiological or nuclear emergency in your city? These accidents are not common, but they have happened - and even though we have not seen an attack using these weapons, governments around the world are making plans for how to prevent them - and for how to respond if necessary. Whether you are an emergency responder, a medical caregiver, a public health official - even a member of the public wanting to know how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe - there is a need to understand how these weapons work, how radiation affects our health, how to stop an attack from taking place, how to respond appropriately in the event of an emergency, and much more. Unfortunately, the knowledge that is needed to accomplish all of this is lacking at all levels of society and government. In this book, Dr. Andrew Karam, an internationally respected expert in radiation safety and multiple aspects of radiological and nuclear emergencies, discusses how these weapons work and what they can do, how they can affect our health, how to keep yourself safe, and how to react appropriately whether you are a police officer investigating a suspect radiological weapon, a firefighter responding to a radiological or nuclear attack, a nurse or physician caring for potentially contaminated patients, or a governmental official trying to keep the public safe. To do this, he draws upon his extensive experience in the military, the several years he worked directly with emergency responders, his service on a number of advisory committees, and multiple trips overseas in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident and on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Interpol, and the Health Physics Society.

This book covers the important aspects of greenery in buildings, both in the landscape and within buildings, examining how greenery improves comfort and appeal in sustainable buildings. The book is part of the World Renewable Energy Network's drive to encourage architects and builders to use greenery as much as possible in their design to reduce energy consumption and provide a pleasant appearance and pleasing aspect to their buildings. It shows and demonstrates how widespread the use of greenery is in buildings, and the books 17 chapters were chosen from 12 different countries representing a truly global look at the use and benefit of using greenery in buildings. This book is aimed at architects, building construction authorities, urban planners, and policymakers to encourage the use of greenery in their future buildings and explain why it is important to do so.

This book bridges the gap between risk assessment and fire safety engineering like few other resources. As all required knowledge for Probability and Statistics for Fire Engineering is included in the preliminary chapters, the book is suitable for teaching Fire Engineering components in a wide range of engineering courses for senior graduates and for postgraduate students of Fire Engineering. It will also serve as a comprehensive reference for professionals. This book describes the theory and the models involved in risk analysis, and includes case studies of multiple fire scenarios. Building fire safety and human behavioural responses to these scenarios show the benefits of risk-based fire safety design.

This book gathers the latest innovations and applications in the field of resource-saving technologies and advanced materials in civil and environmental engineering, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the 3rd International Scientific Conference EcoComfort and Current Issues of Civil Engineering, held in Lviv, Ukraine on September 14-16, 2022. It covers a diverse range of topics, including ecological and energy-saving technologies; renewable energy sources; heat, gas and water supply; microclimate provision systems; innovative building materials and products; smart technologies in water purification and treatment; protection of water ecosystems; and architectural shaping and structural solutions. The contributions, which were selected using a rigorous international peer-review process, highlight exciting ideas that will spur novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary collaborations.

This book focuses on the thermal management technology of lithium-ion batteries for vehicles. It introduces the charging and discharging temperature characteristics of lithium-ion batteries for vehicles, the method for modeling heat generation of lithium-ion batteries, experimental research and simulation on air-cooled and liquid-cooled heat dissipation of lithium-ion batteries, lithium-ion battery heating method based on PTC and wide-line metal film, self-heating using sinusoidal alternating current. This book is mainly for practitioners in the new energy vehicle industry, and it is suitable for reading and reference by researchers and engineering technicians in related fields such as new energy vehicles, thermal management and batteries. It can also be used as a reference book for undergraduates and graduate students in energy and power, electric vehicles, batteries and other related majors.

This book on flexible formwork for fluid architecture is a multi-faceted research that covers a broad field: from design to material and technology, and from history to future developments. It offers a pragmatic approach that can be extended with more cases, materials, techniques and methods for fluid architecture, and provides a better understanding of the main aspects of fluid architecture and to help them find the most suitable combinations of all aspects.The book is a challenging experience with many new discoveries, including two patents: one on moulding of fluid surfaces and one on 3D printing of fibre-reinforced ice. It also features two world records: the larges span (30 meters) and the highest thin shell structure (30,5 meters) in ice as well as a method for the construction of a fully laminated shell structure in insulated glass.

This book summarizes science and technology of a new generation of high-energy andinsensitive explosives. The objective is to provide professionals with comprehensiveinformation on the synthesis and the physicochemical and detonation properties ofthe explosives. Potential technologies applicable for treatment of contaminated wastestreams from manufacturing facilities and environmental matrices are also be included.This book provides the reader an insight into the depth and breadth of theoreticaland empirical models and experimental techniques currently being developed in thefield of energetic materials. It presents the latest research by DoD engineers andscientists, and some of DoD's academic and industrial researcher partners. The topicsexplored and the simulations developed or modified for the purposes of energetics mayfind application in other closely related fields, such as the pharmaceutical industry.One of the key features of the book is the treatment of wastewaters generated duringmanufacturing of these energetic materials.

Analyses, in conjunction with Internal Components, the performance requirements of building components and the effectiveness of typical solutions. External components integrates logically with the theoretical aspects explored in other titles in the Mitchell's building series. It encourages evaluation of alternative methods for putting components together.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Prefabricated Building Components 3. External Glazing 4. Windows 5. Roof-Lights And Patent Glazing 6. Structural Glazing 7. External Doors 8. Roofings

Through research and proven practice, the aim of the International Conference of Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) is to foster ideas on how to reduce negative impacts on the environment while providing for the health and well-being of society. The professions and fields of research required to ensure buildings meet user demands and provide healthy enclosures are many and diverse. The SEEDS conference addresses the interdependence of people, the built and natural environments, and recognizes the interdisciplinary and international themes necessary to assemble the knowledge required for positive change.

This book gathers selected papers from the International Conference on Sustainable Design, Engineering, Management and Sciences (ICSDEMS 2019), held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It highlights recent advances in civil engineering and sustainability, bringing together researchers and professionals to address the latest, most relevant issues in these areas.

This book comprises selected proceedings of the International Conference on Recent Advancements in Civil Engineering and Infrastructural Developments (ICRACEID 2019). The contents are broadly divided into five areas (i) smart transportation with urban planning, (ii) clean energy and environment, (iii) water distribution and waste management, (iv) smart materials and structures, and (v) disaster management. The book aims to provide solutions to global challenges using innovative and emerging technologies covering various fields of civil engineering. The major topics covered include urban planning, transportation, water distribution, waste management, disaster management, environmental pollution and control, environmental impact assessment, application of GIS and remote sensing, and structural analysis and design. Given the range of topics discussed, the book will be beneficial for students, researchers as well industry professionals.

This book focuses on important mathematical considerations in describing the synthesis of original mechanisms for generating curves. The synthesis is manual and not based on the use of computer tools. Kinematics is applied to confirm the drawing of the curves, and the closed loop method, and in some cases the distances method, is applied in this phase. The book provides all the notions of structure and kinematics that are necessary to calculate the mechanisms and also analyzes other kinematic possibilities of the created mechanisms. Offering a concise, yet self-contained guide to the mathematical fundamentals for mechanisms of curve generation, together with a useful collection of mechanisms exercises, the book is intended for students learning about mechanism kinematics, as well as engineers dealing with mechanism design and analysis. It is based on the authors' many years of research, which has been published in different books and journals, mainly, but not exclusively, in Romanian.

A remarkable classic work on traditional Japanese architecture, and how the style and features can serve as a model for contemporary residential buildings. With incredible detail (as well as numerous architectural plans and drawings), author and architect Heino Engel describes everything from room functions and the flexibility of partitions to the influence of human anatomy on Japanese units of measure. Rather than exploring why the traditional Japanese house is built the way it is, Engel delves into the practical information: what the Japanese house is and how it is built. This book is not simply a description of the features of the Japanese house, but "an invitation to probe the possibilities of utilizing this architectural achievement of the Japanese...in modern living and building," according to the author, who further believes that the unique details of the Japanese house are better suited as a pattern for contemporary housing than any other form of residential structure. With a new foreword by architect and professor Mira Locher, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, this updated hardcover edition brings this popular work to modern readers--in hopes that they may find ideas to adopt into their own home.

This book comprises select and peer-reviewed proceedings of the International Conference on Recent Trends in Construction Materials and Structures (ICON 2019). The contents cover various latest developments and emerging technologies in sustainable construction materials, utilization of waste materials in concrete, special concrete, maintenance of heritage structures, earthquake engineering, and structural dynamics. The book also provides effective and feasible solutions to current problems in sustainable construction materials and structures. This book is useful for students, researchers, and industry professionals interested in concrete technology and structures.

In Gegenwart und Zukunft entwickelt sich die Instandsetzung des BrA1/4ckenbestandes immer mehr zu einer infrastrukturellen Hauptaufgabe der LAnder und Kommunen. Weit A1/4ber 90% der in A-sterreich, der Schweiz und in Deutschland vorhandenen BrA1/4cken sind MassivbrA1/4cken.

Mit dem vorliegenden Buch wird anhand ausgefA1/4hrter, innovativer Bauvorhaben die beachtliche Entwicklung moderner InstandsetzungsmAglichkeiten im MassivbrA1/4ckenbau aus baupraktischer Sicht dargestellt. Damit soll beigetragen werden, Aoebersichtswissen zu aktualisieren, den beteiligten Spezialisten EntscheidungsspielrAume zu verdeutlichen, durch richtige Fragestellungen solide ErhaltungsmaAnahmen zu fArdern und voreilige Abbruchentscheidungen zu verhindern.

The question of what architecture is answered in this book with one sentence: Architecture is space created for human activities. The basic need to find food and water places these activities within a larger spatial field. Humans have learned and found ways to adjust to the various contextual difficulties that they faced as they roamed the earth. Thus rather than adapting, humans have always tried to change the context to their activities. Humanity has looked at the context not merely as a limitation, but rather as a spatial situation filled with opportunities that allows, through intellectual interaction, to change these limitations. Thus humanity has created within the world their own contextual bubble that firmly stands against the larger context it is set in. The key notion of the book is that architecture is space carved out of and against the context and that this process is deterministic.

This book highlights recent findings in civil and environmental engineering and urban planning, and provides an overview of the state of the art in these fields, mainly in Russia and Eastern Europe. A broad range of topics and issues in modern engineering are discussed, including construction, buildings and structures, advanced materials, innovative technology, methods and techniques in civil engineering, heating, gas supply, water supply and sewerage, foundation engineering, BIM, structural reliability, durability and monitoring, special and unique structures construction (bridge, tunnel, road, railway engineering), design and construction of hydraulic structures, concrete engineering, urban regeneration and sustainable development, urban transport system, engineering structure safety and disaster prevention, water resources engineering, water and wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse of wastewater, etc. The volume gathers selected papers from the 5th International Conference on Construction, Architecture and Technosphere Safety (ICCATS), held in Sochi, Russia in September 2021. The authors are experts in various fields of engineering, and all papers have been carefully reviewed.

This book provides a single-source reference for whole life embodied impacts of buildings. The comprehensive and persuasive text, written by over 50 invited experts from across the world, offers an indispensable resource both to newcomers and to established practitioners in the field. Ultimately it provides a persuasive argument as to why embodied impacts are an essential aspect of sustainable built environments. The book is divided into four sections: measurement, including a strong emphasis on uncertainty analysis, as well as offering practical case studies of individual buildings and a comparison of materials; management, focusing in particular on the perspective of designers and contractors; mitigation, which identifies some specific design strategies as well as challenges; and finally global approaches, six chapters which describe in authoritative detail the ways in which the different regions of the world are tackling the issue.

First published in 1998. The GARF Assessment Sourcebook is a comprehensive guide to the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning (GARF) scale for family assessment. This comprehensive guide to the GARF is an essential tool for practicing professionals as well as students in training programs. It provides a thorough description of each element of the GARF, a comprehensive review of the GARF in relation to other marriage and family assessment tools, summaries of GARF research, and a comprehensive appendix of reproducible GARF-related forms. The GARF Assessment Sourcebook challenges marriage and family therapists to use, evaluate, and refine the GARF so that it may be included in the main portion of the next revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). As managed care becomes more pervasive and providers start giving more direction over treatment options, the GARF will become an important new tool in family mental health treatment to assist clinicians who are struggling to improve services and justify their work to the broader health-care community.

The edited book comprises invited book chapter contributions from global experts in the field of sustainable materials and resilient infrastructure. The book covers the most critical and emerging topics for creating sustainable solutions for the construction industry, promoting the technologies and monitoring methods for resilient infrastructure. It focuses on sustainable solutions and offers techniques and methodologies to deliver high-quality end solutions in civil engineering. In addition, the content provides knowledge-based information for the readers to assess, monitor, measure, and practice sustainability for resilient infrastructure. The contents of the volume are a blend of academic research work and industrial case studies. It covers the use of sustainable materials like Lime-Pozzolona Binders, biopolymers, lignosulphonate, lightweight aggregates made from fly ash, calcinated clay, paper ash, and limestone as amendments/ameliorators for soil remediation, development of neo-construction materials and composites for civil engineering applications. Design of innovative pavements using alkali activation and pervious concrete for sustainable infrastructure is also discussed. The chapters also highlight the role of civil engineers in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, promoting climate change design for urban landscapes, and modelling building energy demand. This book is framed to address the principles and practice from the corners of geoenvironment, sustainable construction materials, low carbon materials, energy efficiency, and waste management. It is a valuable reference for faculty, researchers, field experts, scientists, and practicing engineers.

Wood is the world’s most used structural material but its deformation and failure processes are poorly understood compared to knowledge about man-made materials like metals, concrete, ceramics, glass and plastics. Combining materials science, wood science and engineering mechanics perspectives, Fracture and Fatigue in Wood steers away from empirical experience and focuses on a mechanics-based study of deformation and failure in wood, providing a deep understanding of underlying physical processes.

Fracture and Fatigue in Wood covers:

• interpretation of experimental information about fracture and cyclic and static fatigue behaviour of wood;

• the latest modelling techniques and test evidence on fracture and fatigue microscopic processes;

• wood structure, ranging from molecular to gross levels, physical and mechanical properties of wood and their inherent relationship;

• models for predicting fracture and cyclic and static fatigue in wood;

• practical application of information, concepts and models of mechanical properties for fracture and fatigue in wood, components and structural systems.

This book summarizes the research results of carbide control in special steel from the authors. It includes the evolution and control of carbide in special steel in the process of electroslag remelting, rolling, and heat treatment, as well as the effect of alloying treatment (rare earth, magnesium, nitrogen, titanium) as heterogeneous nucleating agent on the carbides in special steel. It helps the readers to understand the formation mechanism and control technology of carbide in special steel deeply for improving the quality of special steel further. The book is useful as a reference for researchers, practitioners, teachers, and engineering management team in the fields of metallurgy and materials.