Papers by Keyword: China

Abstract: Bio-concretes are receiving special attention in recent research as an alternative for climate change mitigation due to their low carbon footprints. Different bio-based materials can be used, e.g., wood shavings, bamboo, rice husk, and coconut. However, various methodological parameters can influence the carbon footprint of bio-based materials, especially bio-concretes, like biogenic carbon, amount of carbon in dry matter, rotation period of bio-aggregates, and type of cementitious materials. It is important to have easier ways of estimating the carbon footprint of bio-concretes, using parameters and data easily available. This research aims to evaluate the (1) carbon footprint of different mixtures of three bio-concretes (wood bio-concrete - WBC, bamboo bio-concrete - BBC and rice husk bio-concrete - RBC), and the (2) development of GHG emissions curves for bio-concretes specification based on easily available data (such as density, biomass content, and compressive strength). Based on experimental data, the carbon footprint was performed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. In order to extend the findings of this study, the context of the following four countries was evaluated: Brazil, South Africa, India, and China. In addition, the replacement of Portland cement for Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) are evaluated hypothetically. The results show that the increase of biomass content in bio-concretes and the replacement of Portland cement by SCMs leads to a radical decrease in life cycle GHG emissions. The percentage of carbon in biomass is a critical factor for reducing the carbon footprint. The WBC was the biomass that performed better for this parameter. The presented GHG emissions curves can be a useful way to estimate the carbon footprint of bio-concretes and can be adapted to other kinds of bio-concretes and countries.

Abstract: Based on the concept of agricultural total factor efficiency and the concept of total factor energy efficiency, this paper uses the DEA model based on input method to measure the total factor water resource efficiency. In the process of calculation, some factors of production, such as GDP, labor force and so on, are considered in order to make up the traditional method for the deficiency of considering single factor of water resources. This paper calculates the total factor water resources efficiency in 31 provinces of China in the year of 2009 and 2012, and analyses the spatial distribution and the change of water resources efficiency. The results indicate that the absolute number and relative proportion of agricultural water use are important influence factors of water resources efficiency.

Abstract: The accurate measurement of labor productivity data can mean the difference between the success and failure of a building construction project. Due to the sheer diversity and complexity of international building construction practices, minimal research has been performed on comparative labor productivity between countries. In this paper, the authors present a research project that was conducted by comparing the Chinese labor productivity with the U.S. labor productivity in building construction projects. The labor productivity data were collected from different jobsites in the U.S. and China by using a time-study method with established data collection procedures. Furthermore, work sampling in the HVAC system work category was used as a method to gather information about the amount of labor productive and nonproductive work hours spent on construction activities. It is certain that there are many factors affecting productivity in the building construction process. With the lack of timely and effective project quality supervision, construction quality cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, various statistical analysis methods were applied to analyze and compare the collected productivity data from both countries. Findings of this productivity comparison can provide industry practitioners the advancement of knowledge in the Chinese building construction industry and it can support benchmarking and continuous improvement of productivity with a greater efficiency in both the US and Chinese building construction markets.

Abstract: In the end of the 19th century, the concept of greenhouse effect has drawn greater attention and scientists begin to consider climate change as a potentially serious problem. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2016 has considered the failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation as the greatest potential risk of 2016. To cope with climate change, scholars agree that low carbon is the inevitable choice of global development and urban neighborhood, as the basic functional unit of a city, is the basic space to achieve low carbon. Along with rapid economic growth, carbon emissions in China have being increasing which accompanied with another urban problem: the recession in old city, so we put neighborhood low-carbon renewal as an effective way to promoting sustainability. Along with the rapid development of life sciences, scholars have shown great interest in cross-over study with it while gene theory plays a crucial role and has been obtained significant results over the years. In this paper, we comprehensively analyzed the achievement in cross-over study between building sciences and life sciences and introduced gene theory into the research of neighborhood low-carbon to provide the government a new theoretical tool.

Abstract: This paper presents a review of China’s technological development in the 20th century. The purpose of the review is to study the major technological inventions achieved by China in the 20th century that has brought significant impact to China’s technological development. In the 20th century, China has made great achievements in the field of space technology and also atomic energy. In space technology, China launched its very first satellite, Dong Fang1 (DFH1) (translated as Red East 1) and continued to improvise it in terms of performance in the field of spaceflight technology. In the same century, China also explored the area of atomic energy by building its very first nuclear-powered submarine, Chang Zheng 1 (translated as Long March 1). These technological developments achieved in the 20th century allowed China to be a step ahead of many other countries towards the advancement of technology. It is hoped that this review on China's influential role in the technological developments of the 20th century can be used as a useful references for other countries that wish to embark upon rapid and progressive technological developments.

Abstract: There is an increasing concern about the threat of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipments (WEEE) generating in China. The Chinese government had made a series of regulations and policies to address this problem. However, these practices are more focusing on the environmental protection rather than the resource utilization. Since WEEE is also a valuable kind of renewable resource, this essay will try to understand the current situation of WEEE recycling and resource utilization technologies and equipments. In the year of 2014, China Household Electric Appliance Research Institute conducted a questioner research targeting the 91 subsidy funded companies, which received 50 responses. By the comparison of previous studies of this issue and the analysis of the data collected, resource utilization situation of the industry can be addressed. This essay will also explore an evaluation model to assess the resource utilization standard of WEEE recycling. Based on the analysis, nine outcome criteria and evaluation strategies are formed to judge the resource utilization standards of WEEE recycling companies. This evaluation model will target all the life cycle of WEEE, and include criteria such as recycling technology and equipment, management standard, and resource utilization level.

Abstract: Rapid industrial development and urbanization processes that occurred in China over the past 30 years has increased dramatically the consumption of natural resources and raw materials, thus exacerbating the human pressure on environmental ecosystems. An amount of damaged mountains and contaminated sites aroused rapidly so that ecological remediation for damaged mountains has become an urgent environmental issue in China. In this study, three points of damaged mountains in Jinan were chose to measure the combined approaches of ecological remediation. Phytoremediation for ecological restoration was employed under the assistance of lots of structural engineering measures. The obtained results indicated that a feasible solution always exists to solve the ecological remediation for the damaged mountains. Meanwhile, the approaches of remediation should fully consider their applicability to fit for the local situations. The remediation practice in Jinan can provide a successful case for other damaged mountains or contaminated sites.

Abstract: Lithium-ion battery (LIB) is significantly changing the landscape of human life. The feasibility of recycling and disposal of spent LIBs was proposed based on the study of their forecasted demand and distribution characteristics in China. The yearly processing capacity of recycling and disposal facilities of spent LIBs on a nationwide scale were estimated to be at least 50 kilotons. The recycling and disposal facilities should be established in the southeastern coast areas of China, which generated high-density spent LIBs. Beijing was chosen as a city case study to discuss the demand forecasting and present one detailed construction planning of spent LIBs recycling. The obtained thoughts and results can contribute to the recycling and disposal facilities of other Chinese megacities.

Abstract: Shale gas exploration and development in alleviating energy supply pressure, and low carbon economy development and adjusting and optimizing the energy structure has the effect which cannot ignore. As the north American shale gas exploration and development of the huge success, the domestic study of shale gas is also rapidly developed. So to understand shale gas geology difference at home and abroad, from accumulation mechanism, geological characteristics, the exploration method of shale gas geological theory has carried on the summary and analysis of the system. Contrast the research progress of north American shale gas, and the problems existing in the analysis in the study of shale gas in China, to select the most conducive to China's shale gas exploration and development methods. In this way it can make the success of shale gas development in China become a reality as early as possible.

Abstract: The fractal measure on Au geochemical field of Mawangtang and Xinmengshan in Shuikoushan Pb-Zn-Au polymetallic ore field, Hunan, China was achieved by projective covering method in this paper. The results show a bifractal relation for Au Geochemical field which includes a textural fractal dimension (D₁) at small scale and a structural fractal dimension (D₂) at large scale with average breakpoint 86.0m which may be look as the movement scale of ore-forming fluid. All of fractal dimensions were between 2 to 3, D₁ was 2.0011 and D₂ was 2.0001 at Mawangtang as well as D₁ was 2.4466 and D₂ was 2.0408 at Xinmengshan respectively. The fractal dimensions appear the textural fractal dimensions were larger than their structural fractal dimensions indicate that the evolution of ore-forming fluid more complex than background value of this ore field. And what’s more, the fractal values of Mawangtang were larger than Xinmengshan may result from the mineralization with the former not only control by the overthrust structure and fold the same as the latter but also had a closed relationship with the acid to mafic magmatism.