The application of electronic commerce and information integration in the construction industry

Many parties involved in the construction industry have convinced the importance of electronic commerce (EC) for improving business processes, cutting cost, and providing comprehensive information. However, currently the application of EC is relatively limited and ineffective. These systems are always non-interoperable which creates problems for the stakeholders in construction projects. This paper aims to analyze the E-commerce application system and develop a system for the parties to collaborate and share information effectively. In this paper, four information flats are summarized based on the literature survey and field investigation, and the information integration model for EC is built up using IFC and XML. It should provide a useful reference for China to promote the development of EC in the construction industry.

Learning rating patterns for Top-N recommendations

Two rating patterns exist in the user × item rating matrix and influence each other: the personal rating patterns are hidden in each user's entire rating history, while the global rating patterns are hidden in the entire user × item rating matrix. In this paper, a Rating Pattern Subspace is proposed to model both of the rating patterns simultaneously by iteratively refining each other with an EM-like algorithm. Firstly, a low-rank subspace is built up to model the global rating patterns from the whole user × item rating matrix, then, the projection for each user on the subspace is refined individually based on his/her own entire rating history. After that, the refined user projections on the subspace are used to improve the modelling of the global rating patterns. Iteratively, we can obtain a well-trained low-rank Rating Pattern Subspace, which is capable of modelling both the personal and the global rating patterns. Based on this subspace, we propose a RapSVD algorithm to generate Top-N recommendations, and the experiment results show that the proposed method can significantly outperform the other state-of-the-art Top-N recommendation methods in terms of accuracy, especially on long tail item recommendations.

The model of Chinese ecomuseums -- benchmarking, evaluation and a comparison with Australian open-air museums

This thesis is a comparative study of Chinese and Australian ecomuseums in terms of their governance & strategies, local participation & empowerment, and heritage interpretation & conservation. It concluded their difference and critical problems. In the end, a model is built up towards a better management of Chinese ecomuseum.

Urban surface temperature behaviour and heat island effect in a tropical planned city

 Putrajaya is a model city planned with concepts of a "city in the garden" and an "intelligent city" in the tropics. This study presents the behaviour of the surface temperature and the heat island effect of Putrajaya. Findings show that heat island intensity is 2 °C on average at nighttime and negligible at daytime. But high surface temperature values were recorded at the main boulevard due to direct solar radiation incident, street orientation in the direction of northeast and southwest and low building height-to-street width ratio. Buildings facing each other had cooling effect on surfaces during the morning and evening hours; conversely, they had a warming effect at noon. Clustered trees along the street are effective in reducing the surface temperature compared to scattered and isolated trees. Surface temperature of built up areas was highest at noon, while walls and sidewalks facing northwest were hottest later in the day. Walls and sidewalks that face northwest were warmer than those that face southeast. The surface temperatures of the horizontal street surfaces and of vertical façades are at acceptable levels relative to the surface temperature of similar surfaces in mature cities in subtropical, temperate and Mediterranean climates. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Wien.

Functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for smart agrochemical delivery system

The agrochemical delivery system has been built up based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carriers in a controllable fashion. Several peer reviewed papers have been published with this research work. This delivery system will benefit for the future agricultural application.

Experimental and finite element analysis of machinability of AL-6XN super austenitic stainless steel

This paper presents a finite element cutting modelbased on physical microstructure to investigate the thermomechanicalbehaviour of AL-6XN Super AusteniticStainless Steel in the primary shear zone. Frozen chip rootsamples were created under dry turning operation to observethe plasticity behaviour occurring in the shear zones to comparewith the model for analysis. Chip samples were generatedunder cutting velocities at 65 and 94 m/min, feed rate at0.2 mm/rev and depth of cut at 1 mm. Temperature on thecutting zone was recorded by infrared thermal camera.Secondary and backscatter electron detectors were used toinvestigate the deformed microstructure and to calculate theplastic strain. Experimental results showed the formation ofmicrocracks (build-up edge triggers) at the chip root stagnationzone of both samples. The austenite phase patterns wereevident against the cutting tool tip in the stagnation zone of thechip root fabricated at 65 m/min. The movement of thesepatterns caused the formation of the slip lines within thegrains. The backscatter diffraction maps showed the formationof special grain boundaries within the slip lines, workhardeninglayer and in the chip region. Strain measurementsin the microstructures of the chip roots fabricated at 94 and65 m/min showed high values of 6.5 and 5.7 (mm/mm) respectively.The finite element model was used to measure thestress, strain, temperature and chip morphology. Numericalresults were compared to the outcomes of the experimentalwork to validate the finite element model. The model validatingprocess showed good agreement between theexperimental and numerical results, and the error values werecalculated. For a 94- and 65-m/min cutting speeds, 7.5 and5.2% were the errors in the strain, 3 and 2.5% were the error inthe temperature and 4.7 and 6.8% were the error in the shearplane angles.

The impact of work settings on organisational performance measures in built facilities

A current facilities management discourse seeks to discover how the built environment promotes or retards organisational change. However, whether or not significant change arises at all is yet to be definitively established. Hence, a contribution to the school of thought in this direction is considered important. This research investigated organisational performance relative to innovative work settings. The aim of the study was to determine whether organisational performance and, hence, change are indeed brought about by innovative work settings. A sample of 102 work settings was studied, and several null hypotheses on innovative work settings and organisational performance were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Although subtle shifts were observed in the aspects of organisational performance that seem predicated on innovative work settings, to some extent the proposition that the physical properties and design of the workplace can influence organisational performance was validated.

The academic acclimatisation difficulties of international students of the built environment

Teaching models common to Australasia can be antithetical to those of its Asian neighbours. Australasian andragogy is a bottom-up student-centred mode of knowledge transmission promoting extroverted learning styles, whilst in Asia andragogy is commonly a top-down teacher centred model promoting introspective learning. Yet these teaching styles are in opposition to the cultural-systems attributed to Asia and the West. Such socio-cultural differences are recognised in this research as contributing to the difficulties international Built Environment undergraduates experience when asked to learn in multi-disciplinary collaborative teams. This paper presents the initial stages of a study currently running as a reflexive research program aimed at resolving these learning difficulties. The primary aim of this program is to inform a new culturally inclusive andragogy for design teaching. The outcome of the research questions are addressed through a triangulated analysis including: the formative appraisal of student satisfaction through questionnaires; the summative evaluation of student achievement through the analysis of grades and the assessment of knowledge and skills gained through the measure of student design projects; and illuminative evaluation through focus group discussions and the observation of tutorials.

The academic acclimatisation difficulties of international students of the built environment

Teaching models common to Australasia can be antithetical to those of its Asian neighbours. Australasian andragogy is a bottom-up student-centred mode of knowledge transmission promoting extroverted learning styles, whilst in Asia andragogy is commonly a top-down teachercentred model promoting introspective learning. Yet these teaching styles are in opposition to the cultural-systems attributed to Asia and the West. Such socio-cultural differences are recognised in this research as contributing to the difficulties international Built Environment undergraduates experience when asked to learn in multi-disciplinary collaborative teams. This paper presents the initial stages of a study currently running as a reflexive research program aimed at resolving these learning difficulties. The primary aim of this program is to inform a new culturally inclusive andragogy for design teaching. The outcome of the research questions are addressed through a triangulated analysis including: the formative appraisal of student satisfaction through questionnaires; the summative evaluation of student achievement through the analysis of grades and the assessment of knowledge and skills gained through the measure of student design projects; and illuminative evaluation through focus group discussions and the observation of tutorials.

Main streams and fine rivers : thinking the aporetics of edge

This paper takes up the question (reframed by Deleuze and Guattari) of where expansion takes place: at the ends or from the centre. Despite the connotations of mediocrity that can be attributed to the term ‘mainstream’, it is possible to rethink what happens at close range as the space of radical openings. Writers can often believe that what is most abnormal or fringe will produce the highest probability of creative ‘event’. The question, however, can be posed – framed by the lineage of deconstruction – whether the key to unlocking any system of totality or closed possibility may lie in a very central (although physically peripheral) location. If, instead of the classical image, expansion may occur from re-imagined ‘middles’ rather than conventional ‘margins’, this reading of where potential can arise may offer a more resilient model than that of fragile peripheries, forever exposed to being amputated from staid centres of status and restricted participation. Drawing on the writings of Deleuze and Guattari, Derrida and Badiou, this paper seeks to unsettle any simplistic approach to the notion of edge, reinscribing it within the repetitiveness of our situations, to argue that right in the middle of the so-called mainstream, there might be the fine rivers of aporia that when encountered in thought can constitutes gates to that which is most radical in writing and other creative practices.

Understanding sustainable policy paths and their influence on the built environment

Sustainable development is an international problem as it affects everyone everywhere.Up until recently, it has been pursued on a national scale leading from a confused understanding of sustainability from the international community. The various international summits and meetings on the topic have allowed establishment of general guidelines and attitudes that need to be taken by national policy writers. Because of the lack of understanding on the topic, as it encompasses many aspects of social, economic and environmental behaviours, there has been a general individual interpretation of these ideas that has then shaped national policies. These policies differ in nature and therefore must be analysed to identify these differences and their implications on the built environment. The Melbourne 2030 plan and the London plan are two of the leading and highly mentioned policies stemming from the advanced nature of the respective economies. These nations’ polices have implications that trickle down to the very core of building design and lead stakeholders in certain directions as opposed to others. The research attempts to highlight the paths taken by these different nations and what influence this has had on the overall state of sustainable development in the localised communities respectively. Analysing the state of sustainable development ideas from the international, to the national and down to the local policy strategies will give a clear picture of the state of policy direction in the localised context. Looking then at two buildings in these contexts identifies how policy can play a major role in shaping sustainable design related outcomes. The research finds that the UK and London plan is well-structured and pays close attention to the built environment while there is much less evidence of this in the Australia and Melbourne policy plans. This can be seen in the overall outcome of the chosen building case studies where the chosen London building shows more promise in its sophisticated use of technologies to achieve a highly sustainable building as compared to the chosen Melbourne building. It has been suggested that because of the differences in rating tools and their applications, there may be problems in successfully comparing two buildings in different contexts. This gives rise to the question of global sustainability where it is understood that sustainability is a global problem and cannot be tackled on a fragmented basis. This then may suggest that the international stage of sustainable understanding should be holistic in that it should be tackled at a global stage instead of the current fragmented national stage.