Building and construction industries supply chain project (domestic) : report for Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources

The Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources is identifying best practice case study examples of supply chain management within the building and construction industry to illustrate the concepts, innovations and initiatives that are at work. The projects provide individual enterprises with examples of how to improve their performance, and the competitiveness of the industry as a whole.

Democracy, Crime and Justice. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences

As a growing number of nations embark on a path to democracy, criminologists have become increasingly interested and engaged in the challenges, concerns, and questions connecting democracy with both crime and criminal justice. Rising levels of violence and street crime, white collar crime and corruption both in countries where democracy is securely in place and where it is struggling, have fuelled a deepening skepticism as to the capacity of democracy to deliver on its promise of security and justice for all citizens. What role does crime and criminal justice play in the future of democracy and for democratic political development on a global level? The editors of this special volume of The Annals realized the importance of collecting research from a broad spectrum of countries and covering a range of problems that affect citizens, politicians, and criminal justice officials. The articles here represent a solid balance between mature democracies like the U.S. and U.K. as well as emerging democracies around the globe – specifically in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. They are based on large and small cross-national samples, regional comparisons, and case studies. Each contribution addresses a seminal question for the future of democratic political development across the globe. What is the role of criminal justice in the process of building democracy and instilling confidence in its institutions? Is there a role for unions in democratizing police forces? What is the impact of widespread disenfranchisement of felons on democratic citizenship and the life of democratic institutions? Under what circumstances do mature democracies adopt punitive sentencing regimes? Addressing sensitive topics such as relations between police and the Muslim communities of Western Europe in the wake of terrorist attacks, this volume also sheds light on the effects of terrorism on mature democracies under increasing pressure to provide security for their citizens. By taking a broad vantage point, this collection of research delves into complex topics such as the relationship between the process of democratization and violent crime waves; the impact of rising crime rates on newly established as well as secure democracies; how crime may endanger the transition to democracy; and how existing practices of criminal justice in mature democracies affect their core values and institutions. The collection of these insightful articles not only begins to fill a gap in criminological research but also addresses issues of critical interest to political scientists as well as other social and behavioral scientists and scholars. Taking a fresh approach to the intersection of crime, criminal justice, and democracy, this volume of The Annals is a must-read for criminologists and political scientists and provides a solid foundation for further interdisciplinary research.

Comparing: knowledge-based urban development of Vancouver, Melbourne, Manchester and Boston

The research reported in this paper introduces a knowledge-based urban development assessment framework, which is constructed in order to evaluate and assist in the (re)formulation of local and regional policy frameworks and applications necessary in knowledge city transformations. The paper also reports the findings of an application of this framework in a comparative study of Boston, Vancouver, Melbourne and Manchester. The paper with its assessment framework: demonstrates an innovative way of examining the knowledge-based development capacity of cities by scrutinising their economic, socio-cultural, enviro-urban and institutional development mechanisms and capabilities; presents some of the generic indicators used to evaluate knowledge-based development performance of cities; reveals how a city can benchmark its development level against that of other cities, and; provides insights for achieving a more sustainable and knowledge-based development.

Shear tests of hollow flange channel beams with stiffened web openings

LiteSteel beam (LSB) is a new cold-formed steel hollow flange channel section produced using a patented manufacturing process involving simultaneous cold-forming and dual electric resistance welding. The LSBs are commonly used as floor joists and bearers with web openings in residential, industrial and commercial buildings. Their shear strengths are considerably reduced when web openings are included for the purpose of locating building services. Shear tests of LSBs with web openings have shown that there is up to a 60% reduction in the shear capacity due to the inclusion of web openings. Hence there is a need to improve the shear capacity of LSBs with web openings. A cost effective way to eliminate the shear capacity reduction is to attach suitable stiffeners around the web openings. Hence experimental studies were undertaken to investigate the shear behaviour and strength of LSBs with stiffened web openings. In this research, various stiffening methods using plate and LSB stiffeners attached to LSBs using both welding and screw-fastening were attempted. Our test results showed that the stiffening arrangements recommended by past research for cold-formed steel channel beams are not adequate to restore the shear strengths of LSBs with web openings. Therefore new stiffener arrangements were proposed for LSBs with web openings. This paper presents the details of this experimental study and the results including the details of the optimum stiffener details for LiteSteel beams.

Shear strength of hollow flange channel beams with stiffened web openings

This LiteSteel beam (LSB) is a new cold-formed steel hollow flange channel section produced using a patented manufacturing process involving simultaneous cold-forming and dual electric resistance welding. The LSBs are commonly used as floor joists and bearers with web openings in buildings. Their shear strengths are considerably reduced when web openings are included for the purpose of locating building services. Shear tests of LSBs with web openings have shown that there is up to 60% reduction in the shear capacity. Hence there is a need to improve the shear capacity of LSBs with web openings. A cost effective way to eliminate the shear capacity reduction is to stiffen the web openings using suitable stiffeners. Hence numerical studies were undertaken to investigate the shear capacity of LSBs with stiffened web openings. In this research, finite element models of LSBs with stiffened web openings in shear were developed to simulate the shear behaviour and strength of LSBs. Various stiffening methods using plate and LSB stiffeners attached to LSBs using both welding and screw-fastening were attempted. The developed models were then validated by comparing their results with experimental results and used in further studies. Both finite element and experimental results showed that the stiffening arrangements recommended by past research for cold-formed steel channel beams are not adequate to restore the shear strengths of LSBs with web openings. Therefore new stiffener arrangements were proposed for LSBs with web openings. This paper presents the details of this research project using numerical studies and the results.

Critical sustainability factors in industrialised building systems

Purpose – This paper presents findings of a research study aimed at identifying critical sustainability factors for improved implementation of Industrialised Building Systems (IBS). It also highlights the importance of decision support, through the establishment of decision making guidelines, for sustainability deliverables in IBS development. Design/methodology/approach – A broad range of sustainability factors, as perceived by researchers and practitioners, are identified through a comprehensive literature study. A study of the survey and statistical data analysis is conducted to examine the criticality of these sustainability factors in IBS implementation. Findings – 18 sustainability factors are identified as critical to IBS implementation. Their interrelationships and driving forces are explored, which leads to the development of a conceptual model to map these factors for actions or potential solutions. The work provides a sound basis towards a set of decision making guidelines for sustainable IBS implementation. Originality/value – Compared with previous studies that focus on technical or economical aspects, this study extends existing knowledge on construction prefabrication by linking all aspects of sustainability issues with the design process. It also covers industry characteristics of developing countries, as represented by Malaysia’s scenarios.

Identifying engaging features of schooling : assessing the psychometric soundness of student generated research

In this article we report on data analysed from a student project about attitudes to school and student perception of engagement and disengagement. The data were collected by students in an Australian study that employed the Young People as Researchers Model. Middle years students devised and administered a questionnaire to students in grade eight, nine and ten at a secondary school in Australia. A total of 239 students completed the questionnaire. The students completed the initial analysis which was followed by a more detailed analysis by the authors of this paper. The findings support the work of American, British and Australian researchers about the factors that influence engagement and disengagement from schooling. The reported outcomes from the student work and the secondary analysis indicate that students do have the capacity to undertake valid and meaningful research and can make informed contributions to school improvement and student engagement.

An authorization framework using building information models

A building information model (BIM) is an electronic repository of structured, three-dimensional data that captures both the physical and dynamic functional characteristics of a facility. In addition to its more traditional function as a tool to aid design and construction, a BIM can be used throughout the life cycle of a facility, functioning as a living database that places resources contained within the building in their spatial and temporal context. Through its comprehension of spatial relationships, a BIM can meaningfully represent and integrate previously isolated control and management systems and processes, and thereby provide a more intuitive interface to users. By placing processes in a spatial context, decision-making can be improved, with positive flow-on effects for security and efficiency. In this article, we systematically analyse the authorization requirements involved in the use of BIMs. We introduce the concept of using a BIM as a graphical tool to support spatial access control configuration and management (including physical access control). We also consider authorization requirements for regulating access to the structured data that exists within a BIM as well as to external systems and data repositories that can be accessed via the BIM interface. With a view to addressing these requirements we present a survey of relevant spatiotemporal access control models, focusing on features applicable to BIMs and highlighting capability gaps. Finally, we present a conceptual authorization framework that utilizes BIMs.

Finite element modelling of load bearing steel stud walls under real building fires

Fire safety has become an important part in structural design due to the ever increasing loss of properties and lives during fires. Conventionally the fire rating of load bearing wall systems made of Light gauge Steel Frames (LSF) is determined using fire tests based on the standard time-temperature curve given in ISO 834 (ISO, 1999). The standard time-temperature curve given in ISO 834 (ISO, 1999) originated from the application of wood burning furnaces in the early 1900s. However, modern commercial and residential buildings make use of thermoplastic materials, which mean considerably high fuel loads. Hence a detailed fire research study into the performance of LSF walls was undertaken using the developed real fire curves based on Eurocode parametric curves (ECS, 2002) and Barnett’s BFD curves (Barnett, 2002) using both full scale fire tests and numerical studies. It included LSF walls without any insulation, and the recently developed externally insulated composite panel system. This paper presents the details of the numerical studies and the results. It also includes brief details of the development of real building fire curves and experimental studies.