Smart Measures for Sustainable Outcomes: Integrated Considerations for Sustainable Refurbishment of Office Buildings

The increasing stock of aging office buildings will see a significant growth in retrofitting projects in Australian capital cities. Stakeholders of refitting works will also need to take on the sustainability challenge and realize tangible outcomes through project delivery. Traditionally, decision making for aged buildings, when facing the alternatives, is typically economically driven and on ad hoc basis. This leads to the tendency to either delay refitting for as long as possible thus causing building conditions to deteriorate, or simply demolish and rebuild with unjust financial burden. The technologies involved are often limited to typical strip-clean and repartition with dry walls and office cubicles. Changing business operational patterns, the efficiency of office space, and the demand on improved workplace environment, will need more innovative and intelligent approaches to refurbishing office buildings. For example, such projects may need to respond to political, social, environmental and financial implications. There is a need for the total consideration of buildings structural assessment, modeling of operating and maintenance costs, new architectural and engineering designs that maximise the utility of the existing structure and resulting productivity improvement, specific construction management procedures including procurement methods, work flow and scheduling and occupational health and safety. Recycling potential and conformance to codes may be other major issues. This paper introduces examples of Australian research projects which provided a more holistic approach to the decision making of refurbishing office space, using appropriate building technologies and products, assessment of residual service life, floor space optimisation and project procurement in order to bring about sustainable outcomes. The paper also discusses a specific case study on critical factors that influence key building components for these projects and issues for integrated decision support when dealing with the refurbishment, and indeed the “re-life”, of office buildings.

A phenomenological model for the structure-composition relationship of the high Tc cuprates based on simple chemical principles

A simple phenomenological model for the relationship between structure and composition of the high Tc cuprates is presented. The model is based on two simple crystal chemistry principles: unit cell doping and charge balance within unit cells. These principles are inspired by key experimental observations of how the materials accommodate large deviations from stoichiometry. Consistent explanations for significant HTSC properties can be explained without any additional assumptions while retaining valuable insight for geometric interpretation. Combining these two chemical principles with a review of Crystal Field Theory (CFT) or Ligand Field Theory (LFT), it becomes clear that the two oxidation states in the conduction planes (typically d8 and d9) belong to the most strongly divergent d-levels as a function of deformation from regular octahedral coordination. This observation offers a link to a range of coupling effects relating vibrations and spin waves through application of Hund’s rules. An indication of this model’s capacity to predict physical properties for HTSC is provided and will be elaborated in subsequent publications. Simple criteria for the relationship between structure and composition in HTSC systems may guide chemical syntheses within new material systems.

Much ado about nothing? The surprising persistence of nascent ventures through the global financial crisis

Using the Global Financial Crisis as a natural experiment, we investigate how a major macro-economic crisis affects nascent (i.e., pre-operational) ventures. We hypothesize adverse effects on behaviors, behavioral plans, and expectations for the future, and that these effects would be more pronounced in ventures that are more innovative and/or more relying on loan funding. Overall, we find very limited support for our hypotheses. Our conclusion is that the main reason for the surprising absence of detrimental effects is that a large majority of nascent ventures are mostly affected by a relatively narrow, immediate task environment rather than directly by the fluctuations of the macro-economy.

Molecular structure of the phosphate mineral brazilianite NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4 : a semi precious jewel

The phosphate mineral brazilianite NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4 is a semi precious jewel. There are almost no minerals apart from brazilianite which are used in jewellery. Vibrational spectroscopy was used to characterize the mol. structure of brazilianite. Brazilianite is composed of chains of edge-sharing Al-O octahedra linked by P-O tetrahedra, with Na located in cavities of the framework. An intense sharp Raman band at 1019 cm-1 is attributed to the PO43- sym. stretching mode. Raman bands at 973 and 988 cm-1 are assigned to the stretching vibrations of the HOPO33- units. The IR spectra compliment the Raman spectra but show greater complexity. Multiple Raman bands are obsd. in the PO43- and HOPO33- bending region. This observation implies that both phosphate and hydrogen phosphate units are involved in the structure. Raman OH stretching vibrations are found at 3249, 3417 and 3472 cm-1. These peaks show that the OH units are not equiv. in the brazilianite structure. Vibrational spectroscopy is useful for increasing the knowledge of the mol. structure of brazilianite.

Foundations for giving : why and how Australians structure their philanthropy

Philanthropic foundations in Australia have traditionally been labelled ‘icebergs’. Much of what they do and who they are is not apparent on the surface. Many are unknown and apart from an occasional biography, almost all are sparsely documented in terms of the very personal decisions behind establishing them. Practically and academically, scant data exist on the decision journeys people make into formalised philanthropy. This study seeks to fill that gap. It is believed to be the largest such study of foundation decision-making ever undertaken in this country. It is the latest in a series of ACPNS research into types of considered (versus spontaneous) giving in Australia. This research has been supported by the Perpetual Foundation, the EF and SL Gluyas Trust and the Edward Corbould Charitable Trust under the management of Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd.

Assessing financial reporting comparability across institutional settings : the case of pension accounting

The drive for comparability of financial information is to enable users to distinguish similarities and differences in economic activities for an entity over time and between entities so that their resource allocation decisions are facilitated. With the increased globalisation of economic activities, the enhanced international comparability of financial statements is often used as an argument to advance the convergence of local accounting standards to international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Differences in the underlying economic substance of transactions between jurisdictions plus accounting standards allowing alternative treatments may render this expectation of increased comparability unrealistic. Motivated by observations that, as a construct, comparability is under-researched and not well understood, we develop a comparability framework that distinguishes between four types of comparability. In applying this comparability framework to pension accounting in the Australian and USA contexts, we highlight a dilemma: while regulators seek to increase the likelihood that similar events are accounted for similarly, an unintended consequence may be that preparers are forced to apply similar accounting treatment to events that are, in substance, different.

Financial planners and philanthropic planning

This article reports findings from a survey of Canadian financial planners. The focus of the study is learning more about the depth and breadth of philanthropic planning that is included in their advising services to their high-net worth clients. The findings indicate that a minority of financial planners (1) regularly broach the topic of philanthropy in their counseling, (2) believe their clients are interested in philanthropy, and (3) feel sufficiently knowledgeable to assist their clients with philanthropic planning. The implications of these findings and recommendations for improvement are discussed.

The market structure and characteristics of electronic games

A multi-billion dollar industry, electronic games have been experiencing strong and rapid growth in recent times. The world of games is not only exciting due to the magnificent growth of the industry however, but due to a host of other factors. This chapter explores electronic games, providing an analysis of the industry, key motivators for game play, the game medium and academic research concerning the effects of play. It also reviews the emerging relationship games share with sport, recognizing that they can replicate sports, facilitate sports participation and be played as a sport. These are complex relationships that have not yet been comprehensively studied. The current chapter serves to draw academic attention to the area and presents ideas for future research.

Fabrication of macro-mesoporous zirconia-alumina materials with a 1D hierarchical structure

A series of one dimensional (1D) zirconia/alumina nanocomposites were prepared by the deposition of zirconium species onto the 3D framework of boehmite nanofibres formed by dispersing boehmite nanofibres into butanol solution. The materials were calcined at 773K and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), N2 adsorption/desorption, infrared emission spectroscopy (IES). The results demonstrated that when the molar percentage X=100*Zr/(Al+Zr) was > 30 %, extremely long ZrO2/Al2O3 composite nanorods with evenly distributed ZrO2 nanocrystals on the surface were formed. The stacking of such nanorods gave rise to a new kind of macroporous material without the use of any organic space filler\template or other specific technologies. The mechanism for the formation of long ZrO2/Al2O3 composite nanorods was proposed in this work.

Three-dimensional geological modelling and multivariate statistical analysis of water chemistry data to analyse and visualise aquifer structure and groundwater composition in the Wairau Plain, Marlborough District, New Zealand

Concerns regarding groundwater contamination with nitrate and the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources have prompted the development of a multi-layered three dimensional (3D) geological model to characterise the aquifer geometry of the Wairau Plain, Marlborough District, New Zealand. The 3D geological model which consists of eight litho-stratigraphic units has been subsequently used to synthesise hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical data for different aquifers in an approach that aims to demonstrate how integration of water chemistry data within the physical framework of a 3D geological model can help to better understand and conceptualise groundwater systems in complex geological settings. Multivariate statistical techniques(e.g. Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis) were applied to groundwater chemistry data to identify hydrochemical facies which are characteristic of distinct evolutionary pathways and a common hydrologic history of groundwaters. Principal Component Analysis on hydrochemical data demonstrated that natural water-rock interactions, redox potential and human agricultural impact are the key controls of groundwater quality in the Wairau Plain. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis revealed distinct hydrochemical water quality groups in the Wairau Plain groundwater system. Visualisation of the results of the multivariate statistical analyses and distribution of groundwater nitrate concentrations in the context of aquifer lithology highlighted the link between groundwater chemistry and the lithology of host aquifers. The methodology followed in this study can be applied in a variety of hydrogeological settings to synthesise geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical data and present them in a format readily understood by a wide range of stakeholders. This enables a more efficient communication of the results of scientific studies to the wider community.

Reviewing the impact of the 2008/2009 global financial crisis (GFC) on international property markets and property professions

The global financial crisis that impacted on all world economies throughout 2008 and 2009. This impact has not been confined to the finance industries but has had a direct and indirect impact on the property industry worldwide from both an ownership and investment perspective. Property markets have experienced various levels of impact from this event, but universally the greatest impact has been on the traditional commercial and industrial property sectors from the investor perspective, with investment and superannuation funds reporting significant declines in the reported value of these investments. Despite the very direct impact of these declining property markets, the GFC has also had a very significant indirect impact on the various property professions and how these professions are now operating in this declining property market. Of particular interest is the comparison of the property market forecasts in late 2007 to the actual results in 2008/2009.

Homo- and heteronuclear meso,meso-(E)-Ethene-1,2-diyl-Linked Diporphyrins : preparation, X-ray crystal structure, electronic absorption and emission spectra and density functional theory calculations

Homo-and heteronuclear meso,meso-(E)-ethene-1,2-diyl-linked diporphyrins have been prepared by the Suzuki coupling of porphyrinylboronates and iodovinylporphyrins. Combinations comprising 5,10,15-triphenylporphyrin (TriPP) on both ends of the ethene-1,2-diyl bridge M 210 (M 2=H 2/Ni, Ni 2, Ni/Zn, H 4, H 2Zn, Zn 2) and 5,15-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)porphyrinato-nickel(II) on one end and H 2, Ni, and ZnTriPP on the other (M 211), enable the first studies of this class of compounds possessing intrinsic polarity. The compounds were characterized by electronic absorption and steady state emission spectra, 1H NMR spectra, and for the Ni 2 bis(TriPP) complex Ni 210, single crystal X-ray structure determination. The crystal structure shows ruffled distortions of the porphyrin rings, typical of Ni II porphyrins, and the (E)-C 2H 2 bridge makes a dihedral angle of 50° with the mean planes of the macrocycles. The result is a stepped parallel arrangement of the porphyrin rings. The dihedral angles in the solid state reflect the interplay of steric and electronic effects of the bridge on interporphyrin communication. The emission spectra in particular, suggest energy transfer across the bridge is fast in conformations in which the bridge is nearly coplanar with the rings. Comparisons of the fluorescence behaviour of H 410 and H 2Ni10 show strong quenching of the free base fluorescence when the complex is excited at the lower energy component of the Soret band, a feature associated in the literature with more planar conformations. TDDFT calculations on the gas-phase optimized geometry of Ni 210 reproduce the features of the experimental electronic absorption spectrum within 0.1 eV. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Vibrational spectroscopic study of the minerals nekoite Ca3Si6O15•7H2O and okenite Ca10Si18O46•18H2O : implications for the molecular structure

Nekoite Ca3Si6O15•7H2O and okenite Ca10Si18O46•18H2O are both hydrated calcium silicates found respectively in contact metamorphosed limestone and in association with zeolites from the alteration of basalts. The minerals form two-Dimensional infinite sheets with other than six-membered rings with 3-, 4-, or 5-membered rings and 8-membered rings. The two minerals have been characterised by Raman, near-infrared and infrared spectroscopy. The Raman spectrum of nekoite is characterised by two sharp peaks at 1061 and 1092 cm-1 with bands of lesser intensity at 974, 994, 1023 and 1132 cm-1. The Raman spectrum of okenite shows an intense single Raman band at 1090 cm-1 with a shoulder band at 1075 cm-1.These bands are assigned to the SiO stretching vibrations of Si2O5 units. Raman water stretching bands of nekoite are observed at 3071, 3380, 3502 and 3567 cm-1. Raman spectrum of okenite shows water stretching bands at 3029, 3284, 3417, 3531 and 3607 cm-1. NIR spectra of the two minerals are subtly different inferring water with different hydrogen bond strengths. By using a Libowitzky empirical formula, hydrogen bond distances based upon these OH stretching vibrations. Two types of hydrogen bonds are distinguished: strong hydrogen bonds associated with structural water and weaker hydrogen bonds assigned to space filling water molecules.

Towards an effective IT governance structure for organizations in developing economies

The pervasive use of IT is prominent amongst organizations in developing economies. However, there is growing evidence that these economies fail to capitalize on their IT investment to transform their organizations to be competitive both locally and globally. IT-related benefits are possible with appropriate governance of the IT-related resources, and we need to broaden our understanding on the IT governance mechanics suitable for organizations in the developing economies. In this study, we adopted an initial interpretive design to obtain a deeper understanding of the IT governance (ITG) environment and conceptions of the stakeholders on effective IT governance structures for the developing economies. We found that the presence of an IT Strategic Planning Committee, Multiple level of authority, and a Forum for informal discussions as the crucial components of an ITG structure in developing economies.