Reliability-based life-cycle cost seismic design optimization of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials

Reinforcement corrosion is the main cause of performance deterioration of reinforced concrete(RC)structures.Limited research has been performed to investigate the life-cycle cost(LCC)of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials.In this study,a reliability-based design optimization(RBDO)procedure is improved for the design of coastal bridge piers using six groups of commonly used materials,i.e.,normal performance concrete(NPC)with black steel(BS)rebar,high strength steel(HSS)rebar,epoxy coated(EC)rebar,and stainless steel(SS)rebar(named NPC-BS,NPC-HSS,NPC-EC,and NPC-SS,respectively),NPC with BS with silane soakage on the pier surface(named NPC-Silane),and high-performance concrete(HPC)with BS rebar(named HPC-BS).First,the RBDO procedure is improved for the design optimization of coastal bridge piers,and a bridge is selected to illustrate the procedure.Then,reliability analysis of the pier designed with each group of materials is carried out to obtain the time-dependent reliability in terms of the ultimate and serviceability performances.Next,the repair time of the pier is predicted based on the time-dependent reliability indices.Finally,the time-dependent LCCs for the pier are obtained for the selection of the optimal design.

Preventing the Immense Increase in the Life-Cycle Energy and Carbon Footprints of LLM-Powered Intelligent Chatbots

Intelligent chatbots powered by large language models(LLMs)have recently been sweeping the world,with potential for a wide variety of industrial applications.Global frontier technology companies are feverishly participating in LLM-powered chatbot design and development,providing several alternatives beyond the famous ChatGPT.However,training,fine-tuning,and updating such intelligent chatbots consume substantial amounts of electricity,resulting in significant carbon emissions.The research and development of all intelligent LLMs and software,hardware manufacturing(e.g.,graphics processing units and supercomputers),related data/operations management,and material recycling supporting chatbot services are associated with carbon emissions to varying extents.Attention should therefore be paid to the entire life-cycle energy and carbon footprints of LLM-powered intelligent chatbots in both the present and future in order to mitigate their climate change impact.In this work,we clarify and highlight the energy consumption and carbon emission implications of eight main phases throughout the life cycle of the development of such intelligent chatbots.Based on a life-cycle and interaction analysis of these phases,we propose a system-level solution with three strategic pathways to optimize the management of this industry and mitigate the related footprints.While anticipating the enormous potential of this advanced technology and its products,we make an appeal for a rethinking of the mitigation pathways and strategies of the life-cycle energy usage and carbon emissions of the LLM-powered intelligent chatbot industry and a reshaping of their energy and environmental implications at this early stage of development.

Characterization and evaluation of brittleness of deep bedded sandstone from the perspective of the whole life-cycle evolution process

The quantitative determination and evaluation of rock brittleness are crucial for the estimation of excavation efficiency and the improvement of hydraulic fracturing efficiency.Therefore,a“three-stage”triaxial loading and unloading stress path is designed and proposed.Subsequently,six brittleness indices are selected.In addition,the evolution characteristics of the six brittleness indices selected are characterized based on the bedding effect and the effect of confining pressure.Then,the entropy weight method(EWM)is introduced to assign weight to the six brittleness indices,and the comprehensive brittleness index Bcis defined and evaluated.Next,the new brittleness classification standard is determined,and the brittleness differences between the two stress paths are quantified.Finally,compared with the previous evaluation methods,the rationality of the proposed comprehensive brittleness index Bcis also verified.These results indicate that the proposed brittleness index Bccan reflect the brittle characteristics of deep bedded sandstone from the perspective of the whole life-cycle evolution process.Accordingly,the method proposed seems to offer reliable evaluations of the brittleness of deep bedded sandstone in deep engineering practices,although further validation is necessary.

A Blockchain-Based Life-Cycle Environmental Management Framework for Hospitals in the COVID-19 Context

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency, many hospitals were built or renovated around the world to meet the challenges posed by the rising number of infected cases. Environmental management in the hospital life cycle is vital in preventing nosocomial infection and includes many infection control procedures. In certain urgent situations, a hospital must be completed quickly, and work process approval and supervision must therefore be accelerated. Thus, many works cannot be checked in detail. This results in a lack of work liability control and increases the difficulty of ensuring the fulfillment of key infection prevention measures. This study investigates how blockchain technology can transform the work quality inspection workflow to assist in nosocomial infection control under a fast delivery requirement. A blockchain-based life-cycle environmental management framework is proposed to track the fulfillment of crucial infection control measures in the design, construction, and operation stages of hospitals. The proposed framework allows for work quality checking after the work is completed, when some work cannot be checked on time. Illustrative use cases are selected to demonstrate the capabilities of the developed solution. This study provides new insights into applying blockchain technology to address the challenge of environmental management brought by rapid delivery requirements.

Delineation of urban growth boundary based on FLUS model under the perspective of land use evaluation in hilly mountainous areas

With rapid economic development,the size of urban land in China is expanding dramatically.The Urban Growth Boundary(UGB)is an expandable spatial boundary for urban construction in a certain period in order to control the urban sprawl.Reasonable delineation of UGB can inhibit the disorderly spread of urban space and guide the normal development of the city.It is of practical significance for the construction of green urban space.The study utilizes GIS technology to establish a land construction suitability evaluation system for Nankang city,which is experiencing rapid urban expansion,and outlines the preliminary UGB under the future land use simulation(FLUS)model.At the same time,considering the coupled coordination of"Production-Living-Ecological Space",and based on the suitability evaluation,we revised the preliminary UGB by combining the advantages of the patch-generating land use simulation(PLUS)model and the convex hull model to delineate the final UGB.The results show that:1)the comprehensive score of the evaluation of the suitability of the construction of land from high to low shows the distribution of the center of the city to the surrounding circle type spread,the center of the city has the highest suitability score.The results of convex hull model show that the urban expansion type of Nankang is epitaxial.In the future,the urban expansion will mainly occur in the northern part of the city.The PLUS model predicts an increase of 3359.97 hm^(2)of construction land in Nankang by 2035,of which 2022.97 hm^(2)is urban construction land.2)The FLUS model has a prediction accuracy of 86.3%and delineates a preliminary UGB area of 9215.07 hm^(2).3)We used the results of the construction suitability evaluation,PLUS model simulation results,and convex hull model predictions to revise the originally delineated UGB.The final delineated UGB area is 8895.67 hm^(2)and it is capable of meeting the future development of the study area.The results of the delineation can promote sustainable urban development,and the delineation methodology can provide a reference basis for the preparation of territorial spatial planning.

Understandings of Urban Sustainability in China:a Bibliometric Analysis Using Chinese Literatures

Cities hold a critical responsibility for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)due to their high population density,extensive resource consumption,and significant economic contributions.To examine the present state of understandings regarding urban sustainability(SDG 11:Sustainable Cities and Communities)within Chinese research communities,this study collected 15950 papers from 1994 to 2022 on the 12 indicators of SDG 11,from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),a hub of Chinese academic papers,that directly relate to policymaking.Significant research topics on SDG 11 were identified for each indicator using bibliometrics analysis approaches.The high-frequency keywords and clusters of keywords over the last three decades reveal that existing studies primarily concentrated on the physical aspects,such as transportation and environment,while there is a lack of consideration of societal aspects.This indicates a limited and biased understanding of the urban sustainability within the Chinese academic community.Hence,it is crucial to prioritize the societal aspects in order to develop a research agenda that further advances urban sustainability.

Butterfly taxonomic and functional diversity in the urban green spaces of Hefei city

Urbanization has profound impacts on ecological environments. Green spaces are a vital component of urban ecosystems and play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing sustainability. This study aimed to investigate the community composition characteristics of butterflies in urban green spaces within the context of rapid urbanization. Simultaneously, it explored the status and differences in butterfly taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and functional traits among different types of urban green spaces, regions, and urban gradients to provide relevant insights for further improving urban green space quality and promoting biodiversity conservation. We conducted a year-long survey of 80 green spaces across different urban regions and ring roads within Hefei City, Anhui Province, with monthly sampling intervals over 187 transects. A total of 4822 butterflies, belonging to 5 families, 17 subfamilies, 40 genera, and 55 species were identified. The species richness, Shannon, Simpson, functional richness, and Rao's quadratic entropy indices of butterflies in urban park green spaces were all significantly higher than those in residential and street green spaces(P < 0.05). Differences in butterfly diversity and functional traits among different urban regions and ring roads were relatively minor, and small-sized, multivoltine, and long flying duration butterflies dominated urban green spaces. Overall, these spaces offer more favorable habitats for butterflies. However, some residential green spaces and street green spaces demonstrate potential for butterfly conservation.

Urban Dynamics and Emergence of New Centers in the Dakar Region (Senegal)

Due to the status of the Dakar region as the former capital of AOF (French West Africa) and current capital of the Republic of Senegal, it is home to a very large part of the population and most of the socio-economic, administrative and cultural activities on a very small area of the country (0.28%). This situation makes it a very attractive region and subject to strong land pressure. The objective of this article is to study past and current urban dynamics as well as changes in natural spaces, in order to identify new urban centers. The methodological approach consists in analyzing satellite images to understand the evolution of different forms of spatial occupation in the Dakar region, and to study population movement flows and urban forms in order to reveal new urban centers. The results of the study show that the Dakar urban space is characterized by diverse forms which express a heterogeneous set of spaces. They also revealed the emergence of new clusters between 1986 and 2016, notably Ngor, Grand Yoff, Parcelles Assainies in the North-West, and Keur Massar and the North of the communes of Rufisque in the eastern part of the Dakar region.

Residents’perceptions of ecosystem services in an urbanizing basin:A case study in the Guanting Reservoir basin,China

Understanding stakeholders’differences in perceptions of ecosystem services(ES)is crucial for guiding ecolog-ical conservation and planning.However,the variations of ES perception amongst different types of residents in urbanizing areas along an urban-rural gradient are still poorly understood.Combining a questionnaire-based survey,redundancy analysis,and statistical tests,we delineated the urban-rural gradient according to local res-idents’socio-economic characteristics,and investigated the differences in local residents’perceptions of ES and potential factors affecting them in the Guanting Reservoir basin,a rapidly urbanizing basin in China.The results showed that residents living in urban-rural transitional areas attached great importance to provisioning services of providing food and domestic water,regulating services of carbon sequestration and air purification,and cul-tural services of providing education and training,which were 0.7%-13.1%,0.7%-9.1%and 2.5%-21.2%higher than that of residents in other areas,respectively.Age and occupation were major factors affecting residents’perceptions.In terms of land-use types that deliver ES,the difference in perceptions of ES delivered by grassland was the greatest amongst residents.Our results support recommendations for policymakers to take into account the stakeholders’diverse perceptions,thus promoting residents’sense of gain on ES.

Effects of urbanization and forest type on species composition and diversity,forest characteristics,biomass carbon sink,and their associations in Changchun,Northeast China:implications for urban carbon stock improvement

Differences in forest attributes and carbon sequestration of each organ and layer between broadleaved and conifer forests of central and outer urban areas are not well-defined,hindering the precise management of urban forests and improvement of function.To clarify the effect of two forest types with different urbanization intensities,we determined differences in vegetation composition and diversity,structural traits,and carbon stocks of 152 plots(20 m×20 m)in urban park forests in Changchun,which had the largest green quantity and carbon density effectiveness.We found that 1.1-fold thicker and healthier trees,and 1.6-to 2.0-fold higher,healthier,denser,and more various shrubs but with sparser trees and herbs occurred in the central urban forests(p<0.05)than in the outer forests.The conifer forests exhibited 30–70%obviously higher tree aboveground carbon sequestration(including stem and leaf)and 20%bigger trees,especially in the outer forests(p<0.05).In contrast,1.1-to 1.5-fold higher branch stocks,healthier and more diverse trees were found in broadleaved forests of both the inner and outer forests(p<0.05).Plant size and dominant species had similarly important roles in carbon stock improvement,especially big-sized woody plants and Pinus tabuliformis.In addition,a higher number of deciduous or needle species positively affected the broadleaved forest of the central urban area and conifer forest of the outer urban area,respectively.These findings can be used to guide precise management and accelerate the improvement of urban carbon function in Northeast China in the future.

Utilisation of green urban space for food sufficiency and the realisation of the sustainable development goals-UK stakeholders perspective

The exponential growth of food demand due to the increasing global population has the potential to seriously threaten the quality and quantity of food supplies due to climate change.This study explores the utilisation of green urban spaces for achieving food self-sufficiency by investigating the extent to which sustainable urban farms could be used to reduce the consumption of imported produce in the UK.It also examines urban farming stakeholders'perspective on how food self-sufficiency can help realise the SDGs especially SDG 2(Zero hunger)and SDG 13(Climate action).The study adopts a mixed method approach through a survey with 115 respondents and semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 respondents from 4 different urban farming stakeholder groups.The findings of this study presented a strong correlation between stakeholders who had concerns about where their food came from and the carbon footprint of imported produce.The research shows that,urban farms will no doubt play a vital role in the future of food security in our cities/communities and that the SDGs could be realised through sustainable urban farms implemented within the relevant planning regulations/policies.

Modeling urban redevelopment:A novel approach using time-series remote sensing data and machine learning

Accurate mapping and timely monitoring of urban redevelopment are pivotal for urban studies and decisionmakers to foster sustainable urban development.Traditional mapping methods heavily depend on field surveys and subjective questionnaires,yielding less objective,reliable,and timely data.Recent advancements in Geographic Information Systems(GIS)and remote-sensing technologies have improved the identification and mapping of urban redevelopment through quantitative analysis using satellite-based observations.Nonetheless,challenges persist,particularly concerning accuracy and significant temporal delays.This study introduces a novel approach to modeling urban redevelopment,leveraging machine learning algorithms and remote-sensing data.This methodology can facilitate the accurate and timely identification of urban redevelopment activities.The study’s machine learning model can analyze time-series remote-sensing data to identify spatio-temporal and spectral patterns related to urban redevelopment.The model is thoroughly evaluated,and the results indicate that it can accurately capture the time-series patterns of urban redevelopment.This research’s findings are useful for evaluating urban demographic and economic changes,informing policymaking and urban planning,and contributing to sustainable urban development.The model can also serve as a foundation for future research on early-stage urban redevelopment detection and evaluation of the causes and impacts of urban redevelopment.

荷兰代尔夫特理工大学Urban Design工作坊教学模式对我国城市设计课程教学的启示

荷兰代尔夫特理工大学的Urban Design工作坊小组教学模式,为我国城市设计教育提供了创新路径。该模式强化学生跨学科思维与问题解决能力,通过项目实践培育评审、模拟、谈判、决策及冲突管理等技能,教师角色转变为引导者和促进者,激励创新并深化团队协作与沟通。针对我国城市设计教育现状,建议加强综合能力的培养,促进理论教学与设计实践的深度结合,并构建均衡的课程评估框架。此模式的本土化将有力推动我国城市设计教育的创新与发展。

Measuring urban thermal environment from accessibility-based perspective:A case study in a populous city

Understanding the spatial interaction among residents,cooling service,and heat risk area in complex urban areas is conducive to developing targeted management.However,traditional urban thermal environment assessments typically relied on simple linear integration of associated indicators,often neglecting the spatial interaction effect.To explore the spatial interaction among the three elements,this study proposes an accessibility-based urban thermal environment assessment framework.Using Zhengzhou,a rapidly urbanizing city,as an example,remotely sensed images from three periods(2010,2015 and 2020)were applied to extract urban green space(UGS)and hot island area(HIA).An improved two-step floating catchment area(2SFCA)method and bivariate local Moran’s I were employed to explore whether residents’clustering locations are more likely to access cooling service or to be exposed to heat risk.The results demonstrate that the UGS in the city has been expanding,whereas the HIA shrank within the inner city in 2015 and then increased in 2020.Even though the urban thermal environment may have improved in the last decade,the spatial interaction among the residents,cooling service and heat risk area could be exacerbated.Spatial autocorrelation shows an increase in locations that are disadvantageous for resident congregation.Even when sufficient cooling services were provided,residents in these areas could still be exposed to high heat risk.The developed urban thermal environment framework provides a novel insight into the residents’heat risk exposure and cooling service accessibility,and the findings could assist urban planners in targeting the improvement of extra heat exposure risk locations.

Grid System Analysis of Urban Flora of Bukhara City (Uzbekistan)

This article presents information on the study of the flora of Uzbekistan based on grid system mapping. The urban flora of the city of Bukhara was researched in it. As a result of research, the territory of Bukhara city was divided into 85 indexes based on 1 × 1 km2 grid mapping system. The diversity and density of species in the indexes are determined. The influence of anthropogenic factors on the diversity of species in the indexes is determined.

Unveiling the adaptation strategies of woody plants in remnant forest patches to spatiotemporal urban expansion through leaf trait networks

Background:With the expansion of urban areas,the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments.This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion on the networks of leaf traits in woody plants within remnant forest patches,thereby enhancing our understanding of plant adaptive strategies and contributing to the conservation of urban biodiversity.Methods:Our study examined woody plants within 120 sample plots across 15 remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) based on 26 anatomical,structural,and compositional leaf traits and assessed the effects of the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion on these LTNs.Results and conclusions:Our results indicate that shrubs within these patches have greater average path lengths and diameters than trees.With increasing urban expansion intensity,we observed a rise in the edge density of the LTN-shrubs.Additionally,modularity within the networks of shrubs decreased as road density and urban expansion intensity increased,and increases in the average path length and average clustering coefficient for shrubs were observed with a rise in the composite terrain complexity index.Notably,patches subjected to‘leapfrog’expansion exhibited greater average patch length and diameter than those experiencing edge growth.Stomatal traits were found to have high degree centrality within these networks,signifying their substantial contribution to multiple functions.In urban remnant forests,shrubs bolster their resilience to variable environmental pressures by augmenting the complexity of their leaf trait networks.

Spatial diversion and coordination of flood water for an urban flood control project in Suzhou, China

Suzhou City,located in the Yangtze River Delta in China,is prone to flooding due to a complex combination of natural factors,including its monsoon climate,low elevation,and tidally influenced position,as well as intensive human activities.The Large Encirclement Flood Control Project(LEFCP)was launched to cope with serious floods in the urban area.This project changed the spatiotemporal pattern of flood processes and caused spatial diversion of floods from the urban area to the outskirts of the city.Therefore,this study developed a distributed flood simulation model in order to understand this transition of flood processes.The results revealed that the LEFCP effectively protected the urban areas from floods,but the present scheduling schemes resulted in the spatial diversion of floods to the outskirts of the city.With rainstorm frequencies of 10.0%to 0.5%,the water level differences between two representative water level stations(Miduqiao(MDQ)and Fengqiao(FQ))located inside and outside the LEFCP area,ranged from 0.75 m to 0.24 m and from 1.80 m to 1.58 m,respectively.In addition,the flood safety margin at MDQ and the duration with the water level exceeding the warning water level at FQ ranged from 0.95 m to 0.43 m and from 4 h to 22 h,respectively.Rational scheduling schemes for the hydraulic facilities of the LEFCP in extreme precipitation cases were developed ac-cording to food simulations under seven scheduling scenarios.This helps to regulate the spatial flood diversion caused by the LEFCP during extreme precipitation.

Planetary health risks in urban agriculture

Urban agriculture is gaining recognition for its potential contributions to environmental resilience and climate change adaptation,providing advantages such as urban greening,reduced heat island effects,and decreased air pollution.Moreover,it indirectly supports communities during weather events and natural disasters,ensuring food security and fostering community cohesion.However,concerns about planetary health risks persist in highly urbanized and climate-affected areas.Employing electronic databases such as Web of Science and PubMed and adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines,we identified 55 relevant papers to comprehend the planetary health risks associated with urban agriculture,The literature review identified five distinct health risks related to urban agriculture:(1)trace metal risks in urban farms;(2)health risks associated with wastewater irrigation;(3)zoonotic risks;(4)other health risks;and(5)social and economic risks.The study highlights that urban agriculture,while emphasizing environmental benefits,particularly raises concerns about trace metal bioaccumulation in soil and vegetables,posing health risks for populations.Other well studied risks included wastewater irrigation and backyard livestock farming.The main limitations in the available literature were in studying infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance associated with urban agriculture.

GIS Application in Urban Flood Risk Analysis: Midar as a Case Study

The significance of this study lies in its exploration of the advanced applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in assessing urban flood risks, with a specific focus on Midar, Morocco. This research is pivotal as it showcases that GIS technology is not just a tool for mapping, but a critical component in urban planning and emergency management strategies. By meticulously identifying and mapping flood-prone areas in Midar, the study provides invaluable insights into the potential vulnerabilities of urban landscapes to flooding. Moreover, this research demonstrates the practical utility of GIS in mitigating material losses, a significant concern in flood-prone urban areas. The proactive approach proposed in this study, centered around the use of GIS, aims to safeguard Midar’s population and infrastructure from the devastating impacts of floods. This approach serves as a model for other urban areas facing similar challenges, highlighting the indispensable role of GIS in disaster preparedness and response. Overall, the study underscores the transformative potential of GIS in enhancing urban resilience, making it a crucial tool in the fight against natural disasters like floods.

Can urban forests provide acoustic refuges for birds?Investigating the influence of vegetation structure and anthropogenic noise on bird sound diversity

As a crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems,urban forests play a pivotal role in protecting urban biodiversity by providing suitable habitats for acoustic spaces.Previous studies note that vegetation structure is a key factor influencing bird sounds in urban forests;hence,adjusting the frequency composition may be a strategy for birds to avoid anthropogenic noise to mask their songs.However,it is unknown whether the response mechanisms of bird vocalizations to vegetation structure remain consistent despite being impacted by anthropogenic noise.It was hypothesized that anthropogenic noise in urban forests occupies the low-frequency space of bird songs,leading to a possible reshaping of the acoustic niches of forests,and the vegetation structure of urban forests is the critical factor that shapes the acoustic space for bird vocalization.Passive acoustic monitoring in various urban forests was used to monitor natural and anthropogenic noises,and sounds were classified into three acoustic scenes(bird sounds,human sounds,and bird-human sounds)to determine interconnections between bird sounds,anthropogenic noise,and vegetation structure.Anthropogenic noise altered the acoustic niche of urban forests by intruding into the low-frequency space used by birds,and vegetation structures related to volume(trunk volume and branch volume)and density(number of branches and leaf area index)significantly impact the diversity of bird sounds.Our findings indicate that the response to low and high frequency signals to vegetation structure is distinct.By clarifying this relationship,our results contribute to understanding of how vegetation structure influences bird sounds in urban forests impacted by anthropogenic noise.