Journal of infrastructure preservation and resilience最新文献

Passive buildings are proving to be a solution to menaces of energy crisis and greenhouse gas emissions across the world. Such buildings tend to exhibit low energy demand owing to their cleverly designed envelopes, which comprise of walls, roofs, doors, windows and other openings. This requires use of new materials and technology, leading to an increased initial construction cost. However, with reduced energy consumption, the lifecycle cost of a passive building may be lower than that of a conventional building. These passive buildings also need to cater to occupants' comfort which is subject to local climatic conditions and climate change. This article discusses economic feasibility and climatic adaptability of a passive building, in addition to advances in passive building strategies. Owing to lack of general awareness and standards related to passive building construction, these buildings have not achieved enough popularity. While many countries are striving hard to bring passive buildings to common masses, a large number of countries are yet to initiate the move. This article outlines several active organizations, standards and rating systems for passive buildings. This article also presents some of the recent research trends and a comprehensive bibliography for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.

Complex adaptive systems - such as critical infrastructures (CI) - are defined by their vast, multi-level interactions and emergent behaviors, but this elaborate web of interactions often conceals relationships. For instance, CI is often reduced to technological components, ignoring that social and ecological components are also embedded, leading to unintentional consequences from disturbance events. Analysis of CI as social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) can support integrated decision-making and increase infrastructure's capacity for resilience to climate change. We assess the impacts of an extreme precipitation event in Phoenix, AZ to identify pathways of disruption and feedback loops across SETS as presented in an illustrative causal loop diagram, developed through semi-structured interviews with researchers and practitioners and cross-validated with a literature review. The causal loop diagram consists of 19 components resulting in hundreds of feedback loops and cascading failures, with surface runoff, infiltration, and water bodies as well as power, water, and transportation infrastructures appearing to have critical roles in maintaining system services. We found that pathways of disruptions highlight potential weak spots within the system that could benefit from climate adaptation, and feedback loops may serve as potential tools to divert failure at the root cause. This method of convergence research shows potential as a useful tool to illustrate a broader perspective of urban systems and address the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the Anthropocene.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43065-023-00085-6.

Disruptions to key lifelines, especially electrical power, can cause outsized impacts on human functioning. The state of the art on developed countries has focused on enhancing resilience to electrical grid infrastructure but has neglected to track changes regarding how the private market has developed electricity continuity measures over time. Backup generators are among the most accessible tools to maintain electricity continuity in case of power failure, but their role as a buffer remains understudied outside the technical domain, along with the humanitarian and emergency response sectors. This paper analyzes generator sales across the U.S. to understand some underlying trends that may have influenced changes in consumer preference for electricity resilience. Reports from major backup generator sellers and import data of backup generators reveal an increase in backup generators across the U.S. and find that private demand for energy resilience is likely increasing due to consumers' perceived risk and rising levels of intolerance to power disruptions. The discussion finds that an increase in private demand and use of backup generators may be impacting electricity resilience at a communal and societal level, which seems to be underexamined by studies focusing on private generator usage in the U.S..