Development, Delivery and Evaluation of a Safety Training Program on Demolition for Blight Reduction

The main objective of the work presented in this paper was to develop a customized safety training program that can be incorporated into the demolition projects undertaken as part of blight reduction efforts in urban centers. A subsidiary objective was to devise and implement a safety program evaluation methodology, and gain insights on the relationships between knowledge acquisition through training and trainee demographics. Salient aspects of blight elimination efforts, as well as the main facets of building demolition practices and requirements, were reviewed. Information on various related safety and health hazards was studied in depth with a focus on demolition operations dealing with blighted properties. A unique safety hazard awareness training program was created for demolition workers, contractors and inspectors based on this research. In addition to devising a curriculum of relevant training topics along with traditional and online delivery systems to be employed, effectiveness evaluation instruments were formulated. Based on the limited data collected from the trainees it was concluded that the program was well-received by them and provided effective learning. It was also found that no statistically significant associations existed between the knowledge gain of the trainees, and either their experience level or union status, after taking this training.

Parallel pathways:A chronicle of evolution in rectal and breast cancer surgery

In this editorial,we have analyzed the historical evolution of rectal and breast cancer surgery,focusing on the progressive reduction of demolitive approaches and the increasing use of more conservative strategies,accompanied by a growing emphasis on perioperative treatments aimed at enhancing surgical outcomes.All of these changes have been made possible due to an increased awareness and understanding of oncological diseases and improved perioperative treatments.

The influence of borehole arrangement of soundless cracking demolition agents(SCDAs)on weakening the hard rock

The hard roof difficult to collapse easily causes gas accumulation,which threatens the production safety of coal mine.Therefore,roof pre-cracking is required.Although blasting and hydraulic fracturing can also crack the roof,blasting can easily induce rock bursts,whereas hydraulic fracturing needs complex equipment.In contrast,soundless cracking demolition agents(SCDAs)with noise-free,dust-free,and safe characteristics have obvious advantages.The main component of SCDA is calcium oxide,which reacts with water to produce higher expansion pressure.In this paper,focused on the angles of the borehole,the effect of SCDA is analyzed by numerical simulation based on Pingdingshan coal mine.The research results showed that the azimuthal angle a(between borehole projection and the roadway direction)does not significantly affect the efficacy of SCDAs,whereas the influence of borehole elevation angle b is far more significant than that of the azimuthal angle.Therefore,the angle b is a dominant factor influencing the effect of SCDAs.Based on different effects of SCDAs at different angle of boreholes,the weakening unit was established,so the SCDAs could give full play to roof fracturing.Moreover,field tests validated the importance of borehole angle on weakening the hard roofs.

Global Trends in Dam Removal and Related Research: A Systematic Review Based on Associated Datasets and Bibliometric Analysis

Dam removal has been increasingly reported globally and is becoming an important approach for river management, restoration and environmental conservation in damming rivers. However, current limited knowledge of global trends in dam removal and related research may be potentially biased in terms of the geographic distribution and organisms studied. Such bias could mislead dam removal planning and management in different areas and ecological conservation for different taxa. In this study, we quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed datasets of dam removal and publications of dam removal research using bibliometric methods. A total of 1449 dam removal documents were published from 1953 to 2016. Trends, current hotspots and future directions of dam removal research were identified. The results from this study reveal that dam removal largely occurred in the North America and Europe, and most of the removed dams were small and old dams. With respect to the topic analysis, more dam removal studies should focus on the responses of a wide range of organisms, not only fish, as well as the interspecies relationships, food webs and ecosystem structures and functions. Based on our findings, we also provide some suggestions for future dam removal planning and analysis.

Effect of solvent on the crystal morphology of royal demolition explosive

Important crystal faces that dominate the crystal morphology of royal demolition explosive （RDX） in vacuum were analyzed with the attachment energy （AE） method. Molecular dynamics （MD） simulations were used to calculate the interaction energies between these crystal faces and different solvent molecules for an attachment energy correction. Growth habits in the presence of different solvents were generated. The results showed that some crystal faces in solutions became morphologically more important than that in vacuum while others became less important. Thus, crystal shape and surface property changed a lot with the variation of crystal faces. The results from calcula- tion were in agreement with those from the re-crystallization experiment, which indicated that cyclohexanone （CH） was a promising solvent to modify the crystal morphology of RDX for obtaining products with regular shape and high purity, while butyrolactone （BL） played a great role in improving the surface electrostatic property of RDX.

Laboratory investigation into the use of soundless chemical demolitions agents for the breakage of hard rock

The method of drilling and blasting with explosives is widely used in rock fragmentation applications in the mining industry for mine development and ore production.However,the use of explosives is associated with rigorous safety and environmental constraints as blasting creates toxic fumes,ground vibrations,and dust.This study is focused on the use of Soundless Chemical Demolition Agents(SCDA)as a more environmentally friendly method for rock breakage and a potential replacement of explosives.In this paper,the results of a series of experimental tests are reported to identify the efect of SCDA on hard rock breakage under no load and under uniaxial loading conditions.Stanstead granite prismatic specimens of 152.4 mm(6″)×152.4–203.2 mm(6–8″)×406.4 mm(16″)are used to test the infuence of borehole size on the time to fracturing with SCDA borehole size of 25.4 mm(1″),31.75 mm(1.25″)and 38.1 mm(1.5″).It is shown that the fracturing time decreases with increasing borehole size.It is also shown that specimens subjected to uniaxial compression of 5 MPa fracture as early as 7 h after SCDA mixing.A borehole spacing to borehole diameter ratio of 12.8 to 14.6 is suggested for practical applications.

Engineering Characteristics of Ground Vibration Caused by Blasting Demolition of Urban Viaducts

Ground vibration accelerations caused by the collapse of blasting demolition of urban viaducts was recorded in ordered to analyze the engineering characteristics and effects on the surrounding buildings. Through the analysis of peak ground acceleration,peak frequency,duration and response spectra of the recorded vibrations in different acceleration arrays,some conclusions are drawn: the peak ground acceleration decreases with increasing distance, and the amplitude of vertical component is higher than that of the horizontal components,especially in near source region. The peak frequency of ground acceleration decreases with distance,and in near source region,it is larger than the natural frequency of the surrounding buildings,and thus it will not have much effect on the buildings. The duration of ground acceleration caused by collapse is longer than that caused by blasting itself. The vertical response spectrum is the largest of the three components,and it decreases rapidly in the near source region of about 30 m,but beyond that the distance decreases slowly.The horizontal components are smaller than the local seismic design spectrum,while the vertical component for natural period under 0.15 s exceeds the seismic design spectrum,but the natural periods of general buildings are usually beyond that domain,so this will not have much effect on the nearby buildings.

Polluter-Pays Principle Applied to Construction and Demolition Debris

The research focused on the analysis of construction and demolition debris in a sample Brazilian city with the objective to propose a management scheme tailored to private initiative intervention. The debris was found to be produced at a rate of 1.55 kg per person per day for a total of 5177 tons per month. The composition report showed 75% material reusable for construction purposes, 15% material recyclable through reverse logistics and 10% refuse to be disposed of at landfills. The study developed legal and managerial instruments that stimulate private operators to achieve landfill diversions in the order of 90% of this waste. The arguments were supported by a flow diagram that indicates the correct destination of all waste items and an economic balance of private waste movement. Proactive legal scriptures were sketched out that can assist the local administration in setting the timeframe for reaching the diversion target.

Use of Masonry Construction &Demolition Waste in Concrete

Massive amounts of brick waste are obtained from demolition of old buildings and structures around the world. With the increased stress on sustainable construction, and environmentally friendly materials and greener concreting practices, a large proportion of such waste bricks are crushed and mixed with normal aggregates for use in concrete. The performance of concrete containing waste brick aggregates partially replacing normal aggregates have not been investigated for their performance. This paper covers investigations carried out on concrete with such aggregates obtained from demolition waste and mixed with varying proportions of normal aggregates to produce concrete. Two types of crushed brick aggregates were mixed with gravel in the ratios of 30:70 and 40:60 by weight and specimen were cast for investigations. Two w/c ratios were investigated. Various tests were carried out to assess the compressive strength of cubes and cylinders of mixed aggregates concrete along with f1exural strength, stress/strain behavior, moduli of elasticity, ultrasonic pulse velocity determination, densities, surface absorption, shrinkage and frost resistance. The values obtained from these tests were compared with the values of concrete with normal aggregates (gravel) with similar w/c ratios. While the strength tests and durability tests more or less gave satisfactory results however the larger moisture absorption by the waste brick aggregates reduces the frost resistance capacity somewhat thereby care needs to be exercised in using these mixes in regions/areas susceptible to frost.

An Experimental Study of Self-Compacting Concrete Made with Filler from Construction and Demolition Waste

This study evaluated the influence of the Portland cement replacement by 0, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) filler contents in the production of self-compacting concrete (SCC). The SCC mixtures were evaluated on fresh state by slump flow, J-ring, resistance of segregation, specific gravity, and on hardened state by compressive and splitting tensile strength, specific gravity, air voids and absorption rate. The results indicated that all SCC produced with CDW filler met the limits established at any level of substitution without changes of the w/c ratio or superplasticizer content. It was possible to verify that the presence of CDW filler, in substitution of cement, by volume, improves the resistance to segregation and up to 5% of CDW filler decreases the loss of fluidity with time as compared to reference. It was found that all SCC mixtures, at 28 days, had the average compressive strength above 50 MPa, without showing significant loss with up to 20% of CDW filler. For splitting tensile strength, SCC recycled mixtures reached up to 92.5% of the SCC used as reference. Absorption rate and air voids index of SCC recycled mixtures had a maximum increase of 1.60%Compared to the reference one. So, it is possible to conclude that the use of the CDW filler up to 20% in substitution of cement, by volume, is feasible for SCC production.

Construction and Demolition Waste Management Scenario in Republic of Cape Verde—The Case Study of City of Praia

Globally, the construction industry is one of the leading producers of solid waste. The city of Praia, the capital of the Republic of Cape Verde has been suffering from environmental degradation with the irregular disposal of waste caused by inadequate management of waste from construction and also the demolition. The research was developed based on local inspections in the context of environmental laws, in semi-structured interviews with people who deal with this activity and bibliographic references. The main conclusion is that the city does not have a CDW management plan consequently leading to environmental problems. On the other hand, waste of recycled construction can be used as inert reducing the consumption of raw materials that can be used as base and sub-base for paving, landfills, aggregate in mortars and raw materials to be manufactured blocks, bricks concrete tiles, etc.

Performance of Green Aggregate Produced by Recycling Demolition Construction Wastes (Case Study of Tanta City)

Egypt has a high attitude in construction and demolition waste (CDW) amounts causing a negative impact on the environment. The use of such waste for infrastructures applications can be useful for each environment and in addition an economic benefit to it in the construction. This study explores the possibility of replacing natural coarse aggregate with recycled concrete construction and demolition waste aggregate for general purpose concrete (i.e. plain concrete and low strength structural concrete). Different samples of CDW were extracted from different demolition sites and landfill locations around Tanta city area for the experimental investigation. CDW was crushed with all its hard constituents (e.g. concrete, brick etc.) found in the landfill. Coarse size crushed CDW was used as a coarse aggregate for concrete. Main characteristics of CDW aggregate determined in addition to the main properties of concrete which was made using this aggregate were measured. The results showed that the CDW could be transformed into recycled concrete aggregate leading to reduction in the concrete compressive strength ranged from 37% to 62% depending on the type of the CDW constituents.

Review of construction and demolition waste management tools and frameworks with the classification,causes,and impacts of the waste

This review looks over the current construction and demolition waste management(C&DWM)situations by scrutinizing the definition,classification,components,compositions,generated sources and causes,impacts of generated construction and demolition wastes(C&DWs),waste management hierarchy(WMH),3R principles(Reduce,Reuse,and Recycle),Circular Economy(CE),frameworks,tools,and approaches of C&DWM.After reviewing the literature this study contributes to the literature by the following means:(a)suitable working definitions of C&DW and C&DWM are provided,(b)an expanded WMH for construction and demolition operations is presented,(c)frameworks of C&DWM are identified and listed as follows:frameworks based on WMH,including 3R principles and CE concept,frameworks focusing on the quantification,estimation,and prediction of generated C&DW,frameworks focusing on effective and sustainable C&DWM,frameworks focusing economic,social,and environmental performance assessment,frameworks based on multi-criteria analysis(MCA),frameworks based on post-disaster recovery period,and other miscellaneous frameworks,and(d)four categories of tools utilized in C&DWM are identified and explained,namely,approaches employed in C&DWM,information technology(IT)tools employed in C&DWM,multi-criteria decision analysis(MCDA)tools employed in C&DWM,and C&DWM technologies.Moreover,this study also found that CE,and green rating system(GRS)are widely used approaches,Building Information Modeling(BIM),Radio Frequency Identification(RFID),Geographic Information System,and Big Data are the extensively used IT tools,Analytical Hierarchy Process,FUZZY,TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution),Weighted Summation,Elimination and Choice Expressing the Reality II,Elimination and Choice Expressing the Reality III,Evaluation of Mixed Data,and REGIME(REG)are the widely used MCA tools in C&DWM,and Prefabricated Construction and Modular Construction are broadly used C&DWM technologies.Furthermore,it has been observed that the application of the Analytic Networking Process(ANP)and hybridization of ANP,FUZZY,and TOPSIS tools do not catch considerable attention in the literature for conducting MCA,although it yields more precise outcomes.Additionally,most previous research has focused on the estimation of generated C&DW,but less attention has been given to forecasting the generated C&DW due to inadequate available C&DW data.This review article also assists C&DWM practitioners,academics,stakeholders,and contractors in choosing appropriate frameworks and tools for C&DWM while managing C&DW.

Experimental Evaluating of the Physical, Mechanical and Durability Properties of Natural, Recycled and Both Combined Aggregates Based Concretes

This experimental study aims at the reuse of recycled aggregates (RA), resulting from the demolition of concrete, cement block and cement mortar, in the manufacture of common construction in Burkina Faso. The RA can readily replace natural aggregates in concrete. Then five formulations of natural and recycled aggregates based concrete for characteristic strength of 25 Mpa were prepared in addition to the natural aggregates base concrete named reference concrete (BN): two types of recycled aggregates concrete (BR), three types of recycles and natural combined aggregates base concrete (BC). The properties of natural and recycled aggregates were characterized and the physical, mechanical strength and durability properties were also evaluated for all concrete specimens. All the studied concrete formulation present a density between 2000 kg/m3 ≤ ρ ≥ 2600 kg/m3 and an average slump of 4.9 ± 0.1 cm. The obtained results indicate that the recycled aggregates are suitable for current concrete. Two out of the five combinations studied, such as the natural (BN) and combined aggregate (BC2) based concretes satisfy the mechanical characteristics (Rc28 > 25 MPa) at 28 days of age and an average absorption coefficient of 2.93% and 3.98%. The recycled aggregate based concrete (BR1, BR2) and combined aggregate based concrete (BC1), gave respective average compressive strength of 21.55 MPa, 20.50 MPa and 20.30 MPa, i.e. a difference of 13.80% to 18.80% under the characteristic strength (25 MPa) aimed at 28 days of age. Thus, the recycled aggregates are in conformity with the normative prescriptions and their use for standard concrete gives adequate physical, mechanical and durability properties for the production of the C20/25 concrete series in the common civil engineering applications.

Recycled Aggregates:Production,Properties and Value-added Sustainable Applications

Part of an extensive research undertaken by the Concrete and Masonry Research Group at Kingston University-London was reported to demonstrate through scientific research and full-scale site trials,that quality recycled concrete aggregates can be produced and can be used successfully in a range of concrete applications.The effects of up to 100% coarse recycled concrete aggregate（RCA） on fresh,engineering and durability related properties were established and assessed its suitability for use in a rage of sustainable applications.

Progress in developing self-consolidating concrete(SCC)constituting recycled concrete aggregates:A review

Recycled concrete aggregate(RCA)derived from demolition waste has been widely explored for use in civil engineering applications.One of the promising strategies globally is to incorporate RCA into concrete products.However,the use of RCA in high-performance concrete,such as self-consolidating concrete(SCC),has only been studied in the past decade.This paper summarizes recent publications on the use of coarse and/or fine RCA in SCC.As expected,the high-water absorption and porous structure of RCA have posed challenges in producing a high-fluidity mixture.According to an analysis of published data,a lower strength reduction(within 23%regardless of coarse RCA content)is observed in SCC compared with vibrated concrete,possibly due to the higher paste content in the SCC matrix,which enhances the weak surface layer of RCA and interfacial transition zone.Similarly,SCC tends to become less durable with RCA substitution although the deterioration can be minimized by using treated RCA through removing or strengthening the adhered mortar.To date,the information reported on the role of RCA in the long-term performance of SCC is still limited;thus,a wide range of research is needed to demonstrate the feasibility of RCA–SCC in field applications.

Fish Assemblage Responses to a Low-head Dam Removal in the Lancang River

Dam removal is becoming an effective approach for aquatic biodiversity restoration in damming river in order to balance the aquatic ecosystem conservation with large-scale cascade damming. However, the effects of dam removal on fish communities in Asian mountainous rivers, which are dominated by Cypriniformes fishes, are still not well known. To determine whether dam removal on a mountainous river benefit restoration of fish diversity, we investigated the response of fish assemblage to dam removal using a before-after-control-impact design in two tributaries of the Lancang River(dam removal river: the Jidu River, and control river: the Fengdian River). Fish surveys were conducted one year prior to dam removal(2012) and three years(2013–2015) following dam removal. We observed rapidly and notably spatio-temporal changes in fish biodiversity metrics and assemblage structure, occurring in the Jidu River within the first year after dam removal. Overall, fish species richness, density and Shannon-Wiener diversity all increased immediately in above-and below-dam sites, and maintained a stable level in subsequent years, compared to unchanged situation in the control river. All sites in the Jidu River experienced shifts in fish composition after dam removal, with the greatest temporal changes occurred in sites below-and above-the former dam, resulting in a temporal homogenization tendency in the dam removed river. These findings suggest that dam removal can benefit the recovery of habitat conditions and fish community in Asian mountainous rivers, but the results should be further evaluated when apply to other dammed rivers since the dam age, fluvial geomorphology and situation of source populations could all affect the responses of fish assemblages.

Study of the Mechanical Performance of a Recycled Aggregate Concrete with Admixture Addition

The needs of the construction sector are still increasing for concrete. However the shortage of natural resources of aggregate could be a problem for the concrete industry. In addition, the negative impact on the environment is due to the construction demolition;where disposal wastes create a severe ecological and environmental hazard. In the last decade, a major interest has been developed for the reuse of recycled aggregates that present more than 70% of the concrete volume. The reused products should fulfill the requirements of lower cost and better quality, in order to establish its role in the concrete. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of the local admixtures on the mechanical behavior of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Physical and mechanical properties of RAC were investigated including density, compressive and flexural strength. The non-destructive test methods (NDT: pulse-velocity and rebound hammer) were used to determine the concrete strength. The results obtained were compared with crushed aggregate concrete (CAC) using the normal compressive testing machine test method. Thus, the convenience of indirect tests in the case of a recycled aggregate concrete were demonstrated.

Tensile Behavior of Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCC) Containing Reactive Recycled Powder from Various C&D Waste

This work investigates the feasibility of utilizing reactive recycled powder(RP)from construction and demolition(C&D)waste as supplementary cementitious material(SCM)to achieve a ductile strain hardening cementitious composites(SHCC).The recycled mortar powder(RMP)from mortar waste,recycled concrete powder(RCP)from concrete waste and recycled brick powder(RBP)from clay brick waste were first prepared,and the micro-properties and tensile behavior of SHCC containing various types and replacement ratios of RPs were determined.The incorporated RP promotes pozzolanic and filler effects,while the hydration products in cementitious materials decrease with RP incorporation;therefore,the incorporated RP decreases the compressive strength of SHCC.Attributed to the reduction in the matrix strength,the incorporated RP increases the crack-bridging extent and ductility of SHCC;the irregular micro-structure and high reactivity of RP also help the strain-hardening performance of the prepared SHCC.In addition,the strainhardening performance of SHCC containing RMP and RBP is surperior to that of SHCC with RCP and is slightly lower than that of SHCC with fly ash(FA);for instance,the ultimate strain of SHCC containing 54%FA,RMP,RCP and RBP is 3.67%,3.61%,2.52%and 3.53%,respectively.In addition,the strain-hardening behavior of an SHCC doubled mix with FA and RMP or RBP has a similar ultimate strain and a higher ultimate stress than SHCC containing only FA.

基于框架结构建筑物的拆除爆破模拟分析

采用有限单元法与多刚体动力学数值仿真方法相结合的仿真技术,对框架结构建筑物拆除爆破进行了模拟分析.该仿真技术可对结构的失稳、解体、倒塌运动过程、堆积范围等问题进行预测或再现,有助于提高拆除爆破设计方案的安全性和可靠性.