The yield of an urban water supply system is defined as the average annual volume of water that can be supplied from the water supply system over a given planning period, subject to streamflow variability, operating rules and demand pattern, without violating the adopted level of service. Since yield plays a key role in the management of urban water supply systems, it is important for water authorities to accurately estimate it with minimal inherent uncertainty. Sensitivity analysis can identify key variables used in yield estimation, allowing water authorities to improve the knowledge of those variables (or input factors) and thus to improve the confidence and reliability of the system yield.
The Internet and Digital Economy track focuses on the ways in which the Internet affects people, groups, organizations, and societies (e.g., markets, social networks), as well as fundamental issues in the development and operation of the Internet and Internet applications (e.g., security, open source).
The performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells is strongly impacted by the process used to grow the CdS layer. CdS films grown by chemical-bath deposition (CBD) exhibit lower sublimation (CSS).
This paper presents a Sensitivity Analysis (SA) of the input variables used in the estimation of yield, considering multiple 20 year hydroclimatic scenarios of system inflow, rainfall, evaporation and demand. The Barwon urban water supply system in Australia was considered as the case study, whilst the extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (eFAST) method was used for the SA. Input variables of the simulation model of the Barwon system were divided into two categories for use in SA analysis: the climate dependant variables (i.e. system inflow, rainfall, evaporation and demand) used to generate various climate scenarios, and the system policy variables which were assumed to have knowledge deficiency in relation to their optimum values. The security of supply thresholds were found to be the most important input variables, followed by the upper restriction rule curve position. The remaining variable did not show a discernible trend, indicating sensitivity to system inflow variability rather than total system inflow volume. The yield estimate was found to increase as the total system inflow increased. However the yield estimate had a wide range of variability as the total system inflow increased showing that the model behaviour and the yield estimate is particularly sensitive to climate variability.
Over the past few years, there has been an enormous growth in the number of papers at HICSS devoted to Internet-related topics. As the nature and reach of research on the Internet has grown, so too has the number of minitracks and their focus on different aspects of the Internet.However, as with the Internet itself, the nature of Internet research has developed faster than our ability to categorize it. Over the years, the Internet Fundamentals mini-track has included research from a broad range of perspectives. This year is no exception. One of our objectives in coordinating this year's mini-track was to encourage a wide range of papers that touched on a variety of important issues, many of which are evolving and do not neatly fit into to the definition of the 11 minitracks within the Internet Track. This year, we have five papers.HICSS has emerged as an important venue for the discussion, development, and refinement of research on the use of the Internet. Many of the ideas and papers first presented and discussed here have found their way into research journals, not to mention those projects first conceived in animated conversations outside the formal sessions.We hope you enjoy the papers and the discussion they generate.
Fixed price contracts are common in construction. However, extreme turbulences within the construction sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other events over the last few years questioned the suitability of fixed price contracts during crisis times. This research investigated the financial loss experienced by construction contractors bounded by a fixed price contractual mechanism during the crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial implications of fixed and fluctuating price contracts were modeled using cost data from a typical construction project and two construction price and cost indices published by the BCIS UK. A total of 12 project scenarios were modeled to represent 3 projects that started a few months before the pandemic, agreed and started during the early phase of the pandemic and agreed and started during the exit phase. Findings show that fixed priced contracts agreed upon before the pandemic and ended in the early months of the pandemic were not in an adverse financial situation. Fixed priced contracts agreed before the pandemic and completed during the pandemic had a high chance of falling into a negative financial crisis, particularly if the project lasted longer. Fixed priced contracts agreed during the exit phase of the pandemic were in a significant adverse financial situation. Fluctuating price contracts could place contractors in a favorable position to avoid significant financial losses during crisis times. Other limitations associated with mechanisms that need to be considered and addressed through further research were also discussed. The finding highlighted the deficiencies in conventional practices of forecasting construction costs and market trends. It emphasized the need for investigating alternative cost modeling approaches that could consider multiple stressors and cascading impacts of such events during crisis times.
Abstract Temperatures are rising. Last year we experienced the warmest recorded day ever in the UK; over the past hundred years, average global temperatures have risen by 0.6°C, and the ten warmest years on record have occurred since 1990. In summer 2003, an unprecedented heatwave swept across Europe causing up to 30,000 deaths and 13.5 billion euros worth of damage (UNEP/DEWA∼Europe, 2004) and was more than 2 degrees hotter than the previous record. The consensus among climatologists is that we are now experiencing the first effects of global warming, and that more extreme events could well be on their way. I believe that global warming is the most serious threat facing our world today. In this chapter, I discuss the evidence for this bold statement, and describe the current attempts by the UK government to try to combat this menace both as an individual nation and as part of a concerted international effort. How do we know that we are now experiencing the effects of global warming, rather than a natural blip in the climate cycle? After all, Europe experienced a ‘mini ice age’ lasting from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century; could this latest trend simply be part of a natural ‘mini warm age’? The evidence strongly suggests otherwise. There has been a widespread retreat of mountain glaciers in non-polar regions, many dating back 12,000 years, during the twentieth century; this ice evidence for global warming over the past century corroborates global measurements of temperature.
The theme of ‘Managing the digital transformation of the construction industry’ emphasises the importance of considering various dimensions of digitalisation and optimising the built environment. This review aims to present methodological approaches from existing literature that elucidate location-related factors impacting the capital cost of data centres. These findings facilitate adjustments to historical cost data when estimating total costs for new data centres. A systematic literature review method was employed to ensure an objective and comprehensive synthesis. In conjunction with Bayes's theory, this review identifies that a Delphi methodology is the most suitable methodological approach for forecasting and modelling capital expenditure for hyper-scale data centres. The methodology enables collective decision-making and consensus building, recognising the stakeholder's pivotal role in shaping the future of data centres. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in forming a methodological approach for further investigations into the location-related factors impacting the capital cost of data centres. Embracing this knowledge allows us to align research and practice, ensuring that these practices become integral to shaping the future of data centres and the digitalisation and optimisation of the built environment
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