* The first book to explore maintenance management for educational buildings within the educational sector of developing countries * The book brings together a group of top scholars on the much-debated issue of attributes influencing maintenance management * Includes a detailed two-stage Delphi study in the South African education sector as a case study * Highlights and addresses theoretical gaps in existing studies essential for the maintenance management of buildings in developing economies, providing a stimulus for future research

This research book aims to conceptualise the scale and spectrum of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches in energy efficient building design and to develop its functional solutions with a focus on four crucial aspects of building envelop, building layout, occupant behaviour and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Drawn from theoretical development on the sustainability, informatics and optimisation paradigms in built environment, the energy efficient building design will be marked through the power of data and BIM-intelligent agents during the design phase. It will be further developed via smart derivatives to reach a harmony in the systematic integration of energy efficient building design solutions, a gap that is missed in the extant literature and that this book aims to fill. This approach will inform a vision for future and provide a framework to shape and respond to our built environment and how it transforms the way we design and build. By considering the balance of BIM, AI and energy efficient outcomes, the future development of buildings will be regenerated in a direction that is sustainable in the long run. This book is essential reading for those in the AEC industry as well as computer scientists.

Developed as a resource for practicing engineers, while simultaneously serving as a text in a formal classroom setting, Wind and Earthquake Resistant Buildings provides a fundmental understanding of the behavior of steel, concrete, and composite building structures. The text format follows, in a logical manner, the typical process of designing a building, from the first step of determining design loads, to the final step of evaluating its behavior for unusual effects. Includes a worksheet that takes the drudgery out of estimating wind response. The book presents an in-depth review of wind effects and outlines seismic design, highlighting the dymamic behavior of buildings. It covers the design and detailing the requirements of steel, concrete, and composite buidlings assigned to seismic design categories A through E. The author explains critical code specific items and structural concepts by doing the nearly impossible feat of addressing the history, reason for existence, and intent of major design provisions of the building codes. While the scope of the book is intentionally broad, it provides enough in-depth coverage to make it useful for structural engineers in all stages of their careers.

The formation of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982, its aim for solidarity amongst mineworkers, opposition from the Chamber of Mines and the struggle for survival after the strike defeat by the Anglo American Corporation in 1987. As the crisis of Apartheid intensified the NUM played a crucial role in winning support for both the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party. It aided both organisations by re-creating their infra-structures through the provision of accommodation, national and local officials and finance

With a New Afterword First published in 1989, Boomtown Blues examines the remarkable 100-year history of oil shale development and chronicles the social, environmental, and financial havoc created by the industry's continual cycles of boom and bust.

An in-depth survey of the major commodities of the world
* Profiles each commodity in detail
* Provides in-depth statistics on production
* Includes an invaluable directory
Contents:
* Introductory essays
* Covers all major agricultural and mineral products including aluminium, coal, cotton, nickel, petroleum, bananas, rice, rubber, tea, coffee, tobacco, wheat, natural gas, soybeans, zinc, lead and phosphates
* Each commodity is profiled in detail with information on physical appearance, history, uses, major markets, trends in demand, major importers and exporters
* Statistical details of recent levels of production at a global and individual country level
* Recent trends in prices with indexes of export prices
* A directory of organizations concerned with commodities.

This radical book aims to inject new insight and urgency into the discourse on the retrofitting of commercial and residential buildings in the face of the climate emergency. It is about the why, how and who should take the lead in revolutionising buildings in the face of serious climate and social change. Buildings contribute very significantly to the output of carbon, particularly in developed countries where the stock is old, but it is neither feasible nor desirable to demolish them all and start again! If existing buildings cannot in be replaced in the short-term by new zero carbon stock, retrofitting and adaptation of the existing building stock is critical and urgent. This book explains why and how the improvement of buildings requires a complex, holistic approach that brings all stakeholders together with respect and understanding. Yet to do this against a limited time frame is challenging. The book analyses what must be done, explores how it could be achieved and sets out a manifesto for action by all those engaged: from policy makers, to educationalists, designers, constructors, investors, funders and occupiers. By bringing together authors from across the built environment disciplines, the book stimulates debate within policy, practice and education circles which must lead to action if we are to avoid catastrophe. This is a unique addition to the literature on the sustainability of existing buildings and their retrofitting for the benefit of all.

This book broadly explains the requirement to focus on core components in a business and provides a case study of open-pit mining operations throughout the book to understand the management perspective of large organizations. With globalized approaches of large businesses and the rising requirement of understanding the needs of modern organizations, it is necessary to focus on key areas of businesses to ensure sustainability of operations. Organizations look into achieving a high return on investments and short-term measures in increasing sales or revenue is considered unsuitable. It is a necessity to look for sustainability and continuous methods of innovation to boost efficiency. This book provides a case study based on large organizations and uses qualitative methodologies where data was collected using in-depth interviews of respondents from various mining companies in the top and middle-level management from different parts of the world, detailing the state of the art of information systems currently used in large scale open-pit miming (LSOPM). This book provides a sound knowledge of cutting-edge factors to the reader for managing the business to attain operational excellence and long-term sustainability, and caters to a broad spectrum of management and technical readers.

In 1864, a poor Welsh boy, William Pritchard Morgan, emigrated to Australia to make his fortune. He returned a wealthy lawyer and aspiring politician, having used his riches to invest in gold mines and develop new techniques of recovering gold. His political aims were unsuccessful in Australia: the newspaper Morgan used to promote himself was involved a sensational trial against another editor; and a man was even shot whilst bringing in his votes - so Morgan claimed. He returned home, ready to tackle the mining of Welsh gold. After ousting the key players of the 1860s Little Gold Rush, Morgan soon took over Gwynfynydd, one of the area's most lucrative mines, and stood as an independent MP for Merthyr. He boasted of a fantastic seam of gold, so great he would pay off the national debt a hero overnight, the Welsh Gold King took the title of Merthyr's MP. Despite the massive successes of his mines, the government taxed Morgan hard and almost crippled his business, so he refused to pay. When the government tried to shut him down, the public rose to his defence, and Morgan was sued in an avidly watched trial that could change mining in Britain forever. The Welsh Gold King bestowed gifts on many well-known people, including royalty, and promoted the tradition that all royal brides wear wedding rings of Welsh gold. He gave golden prizes - some of which caused great controversy - and his liberal politics were a forerunner of Labour views that were hard for many of his contemporaries to agree with. An extraordinary character, Morgan was pivotal in the story of mining for gold in Wales.

* Shares classroom-tested strategies for maximizing undergraduates' learning in built environment disciplines * Adapts teaching methods from the authors' award-winning classrooms, studios, and labs to any higher education setting * Provides an ideal resource for built environment faculty, from first timers to veteran educators * Distills the latest research on teaching and learning in design and construction disciplines

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. New initiatives recognize that resource wealth can provide a means, when properly used, for poorer nations to decisively break with poverty by diversifying economies and funding development spending. Extractive Industries: The Management of Resources as a Driver of Sustainable Development explores the challenges and opportunities facing developing countries in using oil, gas, and mining to achieve inclusive change. While resource wealth can yield prosperity it can also, when mismanaged, cause acute social inequality, deep poverty, environmental damage, and political instability. There is a new determination to improve the benefits of extractive industries to their host countries, and to strengthen the sector's governance. Extractive Industries provides a comprehensive contribution to what must be done in this sector to deliver development, protect often fragile environments from damage, enhance the rights of affected communities, and support climate change action. It brings together international experts to offer ideas and recommendations in the main policy areas. With a breadth of collective insight and experience, it argues that more attention must be given to the development role of extractive industries, and looks to the future to explain how action on climate change will profoundly shape the sector's prospects.

This volume focuses on Latin America, since it was mainly there that Europeans (or their colonial descendants) actually engaged in mining in the 16th-19th centuries; elsewhere they traded metals mined by others. The principal metals produced, and in prodigious quantities, were silver, in the Spanish colonies, and gold, mainly in Brazil in the 18th century. These articles analyse the volume and pattern of production and the forms of labour found in mining. Particular attention is given to the technologies of extraction and refining, notably the adoption of the mercury amalgamation process: this had a major impact, driving down silver production costs; because the mercury mines were a royal monopoly, it also handed control to the Spanish crown.

Petroleum collectibles are among the most popular antiques today, and Sinclair is one of the most fondly remembered of all the gasoline marketers. In this beautiful book the authors have told the story of Sinclair Oil, tracing its history through pictures of various marketing items, now highly collectible. Included are over 350 color photographs of early and rare Sinclair pump globes, colorful and interesting Sinclair signs, Sinclair cans emblazoned with "Dino," Sinclair's beloved mascot dinosaur, fabulously restored gas pumps, old station photos, toys, trinkets, and hundreds of other items. A value guide for each item is included, along with insights which will help the collector appreciate the historical value of these unique collectibles.

This is the first book to place continuous improvement at the heart of construction cost management Covers theoretical background, before presenting real practical tools to improve construction costs Includes international case studies

Direct Natural Gas Conversion to Value-Added Chemicals comprehensively discusses all major aspects of natural gas conversion and introduces a broad spectrum of recent technological developments. Specifically, the book describes heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, microwave-assisted conversion, non-thermal plasma conversion, electrochemical conversion, and novel chemical looping conversion approaches. Provides an excellent benchmark resource for the industry and academics Appeals to experienced researchers as well as newcomers to the field, despite the variety of contributing authors and the complexity of the material covered Includes all aspects of direct natural gas conversion: fundamental chemistry, different routes of conversion, catalysts, catalyst deactivation, reaction engineering, novel conversion concepts, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer issues, system design, and recent research and development Discusses new developments in natural gas conversion and future challenges and opportunities This book is as an excellent resource for advanced students, technology developers, and researchers in chemical engineering, industrial chemistry, and others interested in the conversion of natural gas.

This book describes the application of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) concepts to develop predictive models that can be used to design alloy materials, including hard and soft magnetic alloys, nickel-base superalloys, titanium-base alloys, and aluminum-base alloys. Readers new to AI/ML algorithms can use this book as a starting point and use the MATLAB (R) and Python implementation of AI/ML algorithms through included case studies. Experienced AI/ML researchers who want to try new algorithms can use this book and study the case studies for reference. Offers advantages and limitations of several AI concepts and their proper implementation in various data types generated through experiments and computer simulations and from industries in different file formats Helps readers to develop predictive models through AI/ML algorithms by writing their own computer code or using resources where they do not have to write code Covers downloadable resources such as MATLAB GUI/APP and Python implementation that can be used on common mobile devices Discusses the CALPHAD approach and ways to use data generated from it Features a chapter on metallurgical/materials concepts to help readers understand the case studies and thus proper implementation of AI/ML algorithms under the framework of data-driven materials science Uses case studies to examine the importance of using unsupervised machine learning algorithms in determining patterns in datasets This book is written for materials scientists and metallurgists interested in the application of AI, ML, and data science in the development of new materials.

This practical and design-oriented book focuses on ground characterization and structural calculation, as part of the active structural design methodology. With a focus on rock tunnelling it offers a comprehensive rather than a topic-based perspective, deriving sound tunnel design criteria and methods from basic principles. Ground characterization includes excavations, site investigation, and in situ stress determination, culminating in geotechnical classifications. The book then deals with various construction methods and their appropriate calculations, which range from constitutive models for the stress-strain behaviour of an excavation and tunnel support elements to a full stress-strain analysis methodology. The heavily practical approach of the book draws on the authors' twenty years of tunnelling experience in Spain and South America. It will help any young or established professional who wants to develop a career in the underground field across both civil engineering and geology. As it incorporates the very fundamentals of tunneling design, it can be used as a support for tunneling courses or as a textbook for master's and PhD courses. Benjamin Celada was Chief Tunnel Engineer at Hunosa and Potasas de Navarra S.A. before founding Geocontrol S.A. He has also worked for twenty years as Professor of Underground Works at the Polytechnic Mining University in Madrid, Spain. Z. T. Bieniawski directed the Rock Mechanics Department of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in Pretoria, then taught at the Pennsylvania State University for twenty years.

Underground coal mining disturbs both the overburden strata and the immediate floor strata. The subject of surface subsidence deals with the issues associated with the movement of overburden strata, which are the layers from the seam to the surface, where structures and water resources important to human activities are located. Surface Subsidence Engineering provides comprehensive coverage of the major issues associated with surface subsidence. The chapters are written by experts on surface subsidence in the three leading coal producing and consuming countries in the world: Australia, China and the United States. They discuss general features and terminologies, subsidence prediction, subsidence measurement techniques, subsidence impact on water bodies, subsidence damage, mitigation and control, and subsidence on abandoned coal mines. In addition, the final chapter addresses some of the unique features of surface subsidence found in Australian coal mines. The book provides information on coal seams ranging from flat to gently inclined to steep to ultra-steep seams. Written for mining engineers, geotechnical engineers and students of mining engineering, this book covers both theories and practices of surface subsidence. Unlike previous publications, it also deals with the subsidence impact on surface and groundwater bodies, crucial resources that are often neglected by subsidence researchers.

This is the first full- length historical analysis of Victoria Falls. The text offers a critical examination of Victoria Falls providing new insight into the British Southern African project and reveals how Victoria Falls became one of the first modern African tourist destinations. This book makes a case for a critical reading of Victoria Falls as much more than a localized natural wonder. Europeans with multiple and often competing agendas, as well as African leaders and laborers were brought into contact with one another at Victoria Falls. Their visions of the past and hopes for the future shared Victoria Falls as a common point of inspiration. The value these parties placed on the Falls extended far beyond its location on the Zambezi and had broad implications for the British Empire in Southern and Central Africa.

Includes the latest developments of plumbing technologies and practices Clear illustrations Issues related to Sky-scrapers and special concerns are covered Suitable for a variety of undergraduate courses from Building Services Engineering to Architectural Technology and Civil Engineering. NVQ level 2 and 3 plumbers will also find the book as concise reference

This book takes a fresh approach to the puzzle of sub-Saharan Africa's resource curse. Moving beyond current scholarship's state-centric approach, it presents cutting-edge evidence gathered through interviews with mining company executives and industry representatives to demonstrate that firms are actively controlling the regulation of the gold mining sector. It shows how large mining firms with significant private authority in South Africa, Ghana and Tanzania are able to engender rules and regulations that are acknowledged by other actors, and in some cases even adopted by the state. In doing so, it establishes that firms are co-governing Africa's gold mining sector. By exploring the implications for resource-cursed states, this significant work argues that firm-led regulation can improve governance, but that many of these initiatives fail to address country/mine specific issues where there remains a role for the state in ensuring the benefits of mining flow to local communities. It will appeal to economists, political scientists, and policy-makers and practitioners working in the field of mining and extractives.

This book explores construction digitalisation, particularly in developing countries. The book conceptualises a digitalisation capability maturity model that will enable construction organisations to self-assess and benchmark their digital capabilities in their quest for digital transformation. Digitalisation offers a significant solution to the age-long problems of the construction industry. Research shows that when construction organisations transform from a traditional service delivery approach to a more digitalised approach, significant improvement in project delivery and better competitive advantage for these organisations will be attained. The attainment of these benefits is evident in developed countries where the digitalisation of construction activities continues apace. Unfortunately, the story is not the same for construction organisations in developing economies. While some organisations might be willing to be digitally transformed, most have no clue how to go about it. To this end, this book provides guidelines for construction organisations seeking to transform their entities digitally. Its content is a valuable read for construction company owners as it provides a model which they can use in the digitalisation of their activities. Also, regulatory bodies in the construction industry can adopt the capabilities identified in the book as essential prerequisites for their members. Furthermore, the book serves as excellent theoretical background reading for management researchers seeking to expand their knowledge on the digitalisation of the construction industry and other associated industries.

The large-scale extraction of natural resources for sale in capitalist markets is not a new phenomenon, but in recent years global demand for resources has increased, leading to greater attention to the role of resource extraction in the development of the exporting countries. The term neoextractivism was coined to refer to the complex of state-private sector policies intended to utilize the income from natural resources sales for development objectives and for improving the lives of a country's citizens. However, this book argues that neoextractivism is merely another conduit for capitalist development, reinforcing the position of elites, with few benefits for working people. With particular reference to the role of neoextractivism within Latin America and the Caribbean, using Guyana as a case study, the book aims to provide readers with the tools they need to critically analyze neoextractivism as a development model, identifying alternative paths for improving the human condition. This book will be of interest to academics and students in the fields of international development, political economy, sociology, and globalization, as well as to policymakers and political activists engaged in social movements in the natural resources sector.

After more than three decades of economic malaise, many African countries are experiencing an upsurge in their economic fortunes linked to the booming international market for minerals. Spurred by the shrinking viability of peasant agriculture, rural dwellers have been engaged in a massive search for alternative livelihoods, one of the most lucrative being artisanal mining. While an expanding literature has documented the economic expansion of artisanal mining, this book is the first to probe its societal impact, demonstrating that artisanal mining has the potential to be far more democratic and emancipating than preceding modes. Delineating the paradoxes of artisanal miners working alongside the expansion of large-scale mining investment in Africa, Mining and Social Transformation in Africa concentrates on the Tanzanian experience. Written by authors with fresh research insights, focus is placed on how artisanal mining is configured in relation to local, regional and national mining investments and social class differentiation. The work lives and associated lifestyles of miners and residents of mining settlements are brought to the fore, asking where this historical interlude is taking them and their communities in the future. The question of value transfers out of the artisanal mining sector, value capture by elites and changing configurations of gender, age and class differentiation, all arise.

Disputes and dispossession of property rights in the mining sector are causes of injustice, violence, and forced resettlement around the world. This comprehensive volume examines mining, particularly what is often called 'Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining', from a perspective of governance and rights. It focuses on rights to land, natural resources, and other forms of material 'property'. Many projects, policies, and laws targeting artisanal and small-scale mining are embedded in problematic conceptual and institutional frameworks that implicitly stigmatise and discipline artisanal and small-scale miners. This collection takes a critical look at notions of property to destabilise some of these frameworks. The chapters in this book are notable for their recognition of the agency of artisanal miners and 'local communities' within the uneven hierarchies in which they are embedded, and their acknowledgement of the difficulties of state regulation of such a complex set of issues. The authors use a variety of theoretical tools, engaging with political economy, political ecology, classical economic theory, and socio-cultural concepts derived from ethnographic methods. This book includes insightful case studies from Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mongolia, South Africa, and Zambia, and is an important resource for academics, development practitioners, and policy-makers. It was originally published online as a special issue of Third World Thematics.