Slicing big data - Twitter, gambling and time sensitive information

Big Data presents many challenges related to volume, whether one is interested in studying past datasets or, even more problematically, attempting to work with live streams of data. The most obvious challenge, in a ‘noisy’ environment such as contemporary social media, is to collect the pertinent information; be that information for a specific study, tweets which can inform emergency services or other responders to an ongoing crisis, or give an advantage to those involved in prediction markets. Often, such a process is iterative, with keywords and hashtags changing with the passage of time, and both collection and analytic methodologies need to be continually adapted to respond to this changing information. While many of the data sets collected and analyzed are preformed, that is they are built around a particular keyword, hashtag, or set of authors, they still contain a large volume of information, much of which is unnecessary for the current purpose and/or potentially useful for future projects. Accordingly, this panel considers methods for separating and combining data to optimize big data research and report findings to stakeholders. The first paper considers possible coding mechanisms for incoming tweets during a crisis, taking a large stream of incoming tweets and selecting which of those need to be immediately placed in front of responders, for manual filtering and possible action. The paper suggests two solutions for this, content analysis and user profiling. In the former case, aspects of the tweet are assigned a score to assess its likely relationship to the topic at hand, and the urgency of the information, whilst the latter attempts to identify those users who are either serving as amplifiers of information or are known as an authoritative source. Through these techniques, the information contained in a large dataset could be filtered down to match the expected capacity of emergency responders, and knowledge as to the core keywords or hashtags relating to the current event is constantly refined for future data collection. The second paper is also concerned with identifying significant tweets, but in this case tweets relevant to particular prediction market; tennis betting. As increasing numbers of professional sports men and women create Twitter accounts to communicate with their fans, information is being shared regarding injuries, form and emotions which have the potential to impact on future results. As has already been demonstrated with leading US sports, such information is extremely valuable. Tennis, as with American Football (NFL) and Baseball (MLB) has paid subscription services which manually filter incoming news sources, including tweets, for information valuable to gamblers, gambling operators, and fantasy sports players. However, whilst such services are still niche operations, much of the value of information is lost by the time it reaches one of these services. The paper thus considers how information could be filtered from twitter user lists and hash tag or keyword monitoring, assessing the value of the source, information, and the prediction markets to which it may relate. The third paper examines methods for collecting Twitter data and following changes in an ongoing, dynamic social movement, such as the Occupy Wall Street movement. It involves the development of technical infrastructure to collect and make the tweets available for exploration and analysis. A strategy to respond to changes in the social movement is also required or the resulting tweets will only reflect the discussions and strategies the movement used at the time the keyword list is created — in a way, keyword creation is part strategy and part art. In this paper we describe strategies for the creation of a social media archive, specifically tweets related to the Occupy Wall Street movement, and methods for continuing to adapt data collection strategies as the movement’s presence in Twitter changes over time. We also discuss the opportunities and methods to extract data smaller slices of data from an archive of social media data to support a multitude of research projects in multiple fields of study. The common theme amongst these papers is that of constructing a data set, filtering it for a specific purpose, and then using the resulting information to aid in future data collection. The intention is that through the papers presented, and subsequent discussion, the panel will inform the wider research community not only on the objectives and limitations of data collection, live analytics, and filtering, but also on current and in-development methodologies that could be adopted by those working with such datasets, and how such approaches could be customized depending on the project stakeholders.

The link between infrastructure charges and housing affordability in Australia: Where is the empirical evidence?

Developer paid charges or contributions are a commonly used infrastructure funding mechanism for local governments. However, developers claim that these costs are merely passed on to home buyers, with adverse effects to housing affordability. Despite a plethora of government reports and industry advocacy, there remains no empirical evidence in Australia to confirm or quantify this passing on effect to home buyers and hence no data for which governments to base policy decision upon. This paper examines the question of who really pays for urban infrastructure and the impact of infrastructure charges on housing affordability. It presents the findings of a number of international empirical studies that provide evidence that infrastructure charges do increase house prices. Based on international findings, and in the absence of any Australian research, then these findings suggest that if the international findings are transferable, then there is empirical evidence to support the proposition that developer paid infrastructure charges are a significant contributor to increasing house prices.

Student focus and prioritization of design parameters in first-year engineering design projects

BACKGROUND Research on engineering design is a core area of concern within engineering education and a fundamental understanding of how engineering students approach and undertake design is necessary in order to develop effective design models and pedagogies. Understanding the factors related to design experiences in education and how they affect student practice can help educators as well as designers to leverage these factors as part of the design process. PURPOSE This study investigated the design practices of first-year engineering students’ and their experiences with a first-year engineering course design project. The research questions that guided the investigation were: 1. From a student perspective, what design parameters or criteria are most important? 2. How does this perspective impact subsequent student design practice throughout the design process? DESIGN/METHOD The authors employed qualitative multi-case study methods (Miles & Huberman, 1994) in order to the answer the research questions. Participant teams were observed and video recorded during team design meetings in which they researched the background for the design problem, brainstormed and sketched possible solutions, as well as built prototypes and final models of their design solutions as part of a course design project. Analysis focused on explanation building (Yin, 2009) and utilized within-case and cross-case analysis (Miles & Huberman, 1994). RESULTS We found that students focused disproportionally on the functional parameter, i.e. the physical implementation of their solution, and the possible/applicable parameter, i.e. a possible and applicable solution that benefited the user, in comparison to other given parameters such as safety and innovativeness. In addition, we found that individual teams focused on the functional and possible/ applicable parameters in early design phases such as brainstorming/ ideation and sketching. When prompted to discuss these non-salient parameters (from the student perspective) in the final design report, student design teams often used a post-hoc justification to support how the final designs fit the parameters that they did not initially consider. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests is that student design teams become fixated on (and consequently prioritize) certain parameters they interpret as important because they feel these parameters were described more explicitly in terms how they were met and assessed. Students fail to consider other parameters, perceived to be less directly assessable, unless prompted to do so. Failure to consider other parameters in the early design phases subsequently affects their approach in design phases as well. Case studies examining students’ study strategies within three Australian Universities illustrate similarities with some student approaches to design.

Analysis of interrelationships between critical waste factors in office building retrofit projects using interpretive structural modelling

The number of office building retrofit projects is increasing. These projects are characterised by processes which have a close relationship with waste generation and therefore demand a high level of waste management. In a preliminary study reported separately, we identified seven critical factors of on-site waste generation in office building retrofit projects. Through semi-structured interviews and Interpretive Structural Modelling, this research further investigated the interrelationships among these critical waste factors, to identify each factor’s level of influence on waste generation and propose effective solutions for waste minimization. “Organizational commitment” was identified as the fundamental issue for waste generation in the ISM system. Factors related to plan, design and construction processes were found to be located in the middle levels of the ISM model but still had significant impacts on the system as a whole. Based on the interview findings and ISM analysis results, some practical solutions were proposed for waste minimization in building retrofit projects: (1) reusable and adaptable fit-out design; (2) a system for as-built drawings and building information; (3) integrated planning for retrofitting work process and waste management; and (4) waste benchmarking development for retrofit projects. This research will provide a better understanding of waste issues associated with building retrofit projects and facilitate enhanced waste minimization.

Capturing the ‘authentic voice’ : challenges and opportunities for voice and self-representation in two ABC storytelling projects

This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges that arise within storytelling projects that are facilitated by public service broadcasters and that aim to amplify the voices of ‘ordinary people’. In particular, it focuses on two of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s current life storytelling projects: ABC Open and Heywire.

Telling bodies, mapping knowledge : recontextualising the dancer’s corporeality using a modular choreographic model

Creative Development: The Body and Light. Within the current cultural climate, the independent choreographer struggles to pursue and establish their artistic career outside the infrastructure of mainstream dance companies. The independent choreographer is challenged to articulate alternative choreographic models without the support of that infrastructure. My research examines that challenge by exploring my own independent choreographic practice through a number of performance-based dance projects. This exploration will be underpinned by theoretical research to enable clarification of the tacit understandings of an embodied practice and the point of intersection between practice and theory so as to articulate alternative choreographic models. As a starting point for that enquiry, an example is provided of how questions that emerge from within the choreographic practice can be discussed in terms of research through an initial investigation exploring light in relation to the moving body and the implications of atmospheres.

Defence industry projects : investigating the impact of major project manager attributes on stakeholder relationships and project success

This thesis identifies attributes, skills and behaviours that major project managers require for stakeholder relationships competence and project success within a major project environment. It develops valid and reliable measures of internal and external stakeholder relationships competence, tests a complex conceptual model and explores the effectiveness of the QUT Executive Masters of Complex Project Management and Strategic Procurement in developing major project managers' stakeholder relationships competence. Implications of this thesis are for government and industry in identifying factors associated with major project success, as this will lead to better major project outcomes potentially resulting in time and monetary savings of years and billions of dollars.

RMAA safety performance : how does it compare with Greenfield projects?

Gross value of cons truction work in the repair , maintenance, minor alte ration and addition (RMAA) sector in Hong Kong has expanded dramatically by 58% from 1998 to 2007, accounting for over 53% of the whole construction market in 2007. Unfortunately, the portion of industrial accidents arising from this sector also increased substantially during the same period. It is important to improve the safety performance of the RMAA sector. This paper has set out the objectives to examine safety statistics of RMAA works; to compare them with those of green field projects; and more importantly, to highlight potential hurdles en countered in the process of comparison and finally to provide effective recommendations for overcoming these impediments. To strive for continuous safety improvement of RMAA works, comparable safety statistics should be compiled for this sector.

Using biomimicry to inform urban infrastructure design that addresses 21st century needs

The design of society’s major infrastructure systems are generally based on anthropogenic learnings and seldom encapsulate learning from nature. This results from a pervading attitude of superiority of human-designed systems, particularly since the Industrial Revolution. Problems created by such behaviours have previously not been thought to present a serious threat to humanity. However, many built environment professionals are now reconsidering the impact of such systems on the environment and their vulnerability to issues such as climate change. This paper presents an approach to delivering sustainable urban infrastructure that addresses 21st Century needs by emulating natural form, function and process - biomimicry – in infrastructure design. The analysis reveals the context for infrastructure change and the need for sustainable solutions, detailing the current inquiry into biomimicry informed design and highlighting potential applications from literature that demonstrate precedence for nature to inspire the design of urban infrastructure, in particular water and energy systems.

Exploring a biomimicry based approach and key barriers to evolving water infrastructure systems

Access to clean water is essential for human life and a critical issue facing much of modern society, especially as a result of the 21st Century triad of challenges – population growth, resource scarcity and pollution – which contribute to the rising complexity of providing adequate access to this essential resource for large parts of society. As such, there is now an increasing need for innovative solutions to source, treat and distribute water to cities across the globe. This position paper explores biomimicry – emulating natural form, function, process and systems – as an alternative and sustainable design approach to traditional water infrastructure systems. The key barriers to innovations such as biomimicry are summarised, indicating that regulatory and economic grounds are some of the major hindrances to integrating alternative design approaches in the water sector in developed countries. This paper examines some of the benefits of moving past these barriers to develop sustainable, efficient and resilient solutions that provide adequate access to water in the face of contemporary challenges.

Predicting freeway pavement construction cost using a back-propagation neural network : a case study in Henan, China

The objective of this research was to develop a model to estimate future freeway pavement construction costs in Henan Province, China. A comprehensive set of factors contributing to the cost of freeway pavement construction were included in the model formulation. These factors comprehensively reflect the characteristics of region and topography and altitude variation, the cost of labour, material, and equipment, and time-related variables such as index numbers of labour prices, material prices and equipment prices. An Artificial Neural Network model using the Back-Propagation learning algorithm was developed to estimate the cost of freeway pavement construction. A total of 88 valid freeway cases were obtained from freeway construction projects let by the Henan Transportation Department during the period 1994−2007. Data from a random selection of 81 freeway cases were used to train the Neural Network model and the remaining data were used to test the performance of the Neural Network model. The tested model was used to predict freeway pavement construction costs in 2010 based on predictions of input values. In addition, this paper provides a suggested correction for the prediction of the value for the future freeway pavement construction costs. Since the change in future freeway pavement construction cost is affected by many factors, the predictions obtained by the proposed method, and therefore the model, will need to be tested once actual data are obtained.

Navigating the future of roads – considering potential impacts of environmental and social trends on road infrastructure

Providing mobility corridors for communities, enabling freight networks to transport goods and services, and a pathway for emergency services and disaster relief operations, roads are a vital component of our societal system. In the coming decades, a number of modern issues will face road agencies as a result of climate change, resource scarcity and energy related challenges that will have implications for society. To date, these issues have been discussed on a case by case basis, leading to a fragmented approach by state and federal agencies in considering the future of roads – with potentially significant cost and risk implications. Within this context, this paper summarises part of a research project undertaken within the ‘Greening the Built Environment’ program of the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc, Australia), which identified key factors or ‘trends’ affecting the future of roads and key strategies to ensure that road agencies can continue to deliver road infrastructure that meets societal needs in an environmentally appropriate manner. The research was conducted over two years, including a review of academic and state agency literature, four stakeholder workshops in Western Australia and Queensland, and industry consultation. The project was supported financially and through peer review and contribution, by Main Roads Western Australia, QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads, Parsons Brinckerhoff, John Holland Group, and the Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC). The project highlighted several potential trends that are expected to affect road agencies in the future, including predicted resource and materials shortages, increases in energy and natural resources prices, increased costs related to greenhouse gas emissions, changing use and expectations of roads, and changes in the frequency and intensity of weather events. Exploring the implications of these potential futures, the study then developed a number of strategies in order to prepare transport agencies for the associated risks that such trends may present. An unintended outcome of the project was the development of a process for enquiring into future scenarios, which will be explored further in Stage 2 of the project (2013-2014). The study concluded that regardless of the type and scale of response by the agency, strategies must be holistic in approach, and remain dynamic and flexible.

How public owners communicate the sustainability requirements of green design-build projects

The design-build (DB) system is regarded as an effective means of delivering sustainable buildings. Specifying clear sustainability requirements to potential contractors is of great importance to project success. This research investigates the current state-of-the-practice for the definition of sustainability requirements within the public sectors of the U.S. construction market using a robust content analysis of 49 DB requests for proposals (RFPs). The results reveal that owners predominantly communicate their desired level of sustainability through the LEED certification system. The sustainability requirement has become an important dimension for the best-value evaluation of DB contractors with specific importance weightings of up to 25%. Additionally, owners of larger projects and who provide less design information in their RFPs generally allocate significantly higher importance weightings to sustainability requirements. The primary knowledge contribution of this study to the construction industry is the reveal of current trend in DB procurement for green projects. The findings also provide owners, architects, engineers, and constructors with an effective means of communicating sustainability objectives in solicitation documents.

Research Data Management Update on National Programs: New infrastructure and opportunities

Presentation by Dr Joe Young, ITS-HPC and Research Support, Managing your research data seminar, 2012

Environmental indicators for sustainable road development and operation

Road construction, maintenance and operation are activities that impact the environment by way of energy use, resource consumption and emission. Components such as construction material, transportation, street lighting, rolling resistance, traffic congestion during works, albedo and end-of-life processing impact the environment at different phases of the life of a road. With a view to promote sustainable development, a few sustainability rating schemes, e.g. Infrastructure Sustainability and Invest (Australia), Envision and Greenroads (USA), and CEEQUAL (UK) have been developed, that can assess road projects. These schemes address environmental areas such as: energy and emission, land, water, materials, discharges into surroundings, waste and ecology as factors for sustainable development. This paper assesses different rating schemes based on a defined comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) system boundary for road projects to identify different environmental indicators that address sustainable road development and operation. The findings indicate that new indicators are required to address different environmental components during the operation phase of roads.