Abstract: With the rapid deployment of smart technologies and the growing complexity in our modern society, there is a huge demand for coordination in day-to-day operation of the critical infrastructure networks. The coordination between water and electricity networks particularly stands out and is urgently demanding as (i) water system is one of the most energy-intensive critical infrastructure, and (ii) water unavailability, if experienced, swiftly translates into a health, safety, and national security concern. This paper proposes a comprehensive day-ahead optimization framework for joint operation of the interdependent power and water systems. Different from the conventional paradigms where the power and water systems are independently and individually operated by their respective operators, the proposed optimization framework integrates the Optimal Power Flow (OPF) models in power grids with innovative models of the water distribution systems. The nonlinear hydraulic operating constraints in the proposed optimization models are linearized, resulting into a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model formulation. The proposed framework is applied to three 15-node water distribution systems, operated within the IEEE 9-bus test system. The simulation results demonstrate a significant cost saving that will be achieved when the proposed approach is applied for joint operation of power and water networks.
Blockchain and distributed ledger technology has the potential to improve building construction in several ways:
• Asset Tokenization: Some projects explore the idea of tokenizing real estate assets, including buildings, which can enable fractional ownership and increase liquidity in the real estate market.
• Supply chain management: Blockchain can be used to track building materials throughout the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the construction site. This can increase transparency and traceability, reduce fraud and counterfeiting, and improve quality control.
• Payment processing: Blockchain can be used to automate payment processing for construction projects, allowing for faster and more efficient payments that are verified through the blockchain. This can reduce payment disputes and delays and increase the speed of project completion.
• Smart contracts: Smart contracts can be used in building construction to automatically execute contractual obligations, such as making payments or releasing building plans when certain conditions are met. This can reduce the need for intermediaries and improve the efficiency of the construction process.
• Building maintenance and management: Blockchain can be used to create a decentralized database of building maintenance and management records, such as warranties, repair records, and energy usage. This can make it easier for building owners and managers to track and manage building maintenance, reducing downtime and costs.
• Decentralized project management: Blockchain can be used to create a decentralized platform for project management, allowing all stakeholders to have access to the same information and reducing the risk of miscommunication and errors.
ImmVRse is a blockchain-based platform that is being developed to help with the design and construction of educational facilities. The platform uses virtual reality to create 3D models of buildings, which can be used to identify potential design flaws and optimize construction plans. The platform also uses blockchain to track project progress, reduce disputes, and facilitate payments.
Solar DAO is a blockchain-based platform that is being developed to fund renewable energy projects, including solar energy systems for educational facilities. The platform allows investors to fund solar energy projects and receive dividends based on the amount of energy generated. The platform also uses blockchain to track project progress and verify energy generation.
Blockcerts is a blockchain-based platform that is being used for digital credentialing in education. The platform allows educational institutions to issue digital certificates and diplomas that are verified through the blockchain, making them more secure and tamper-proof.
Widespread adoption of these technologies will require collaboration and standardization within the industry.
Blockchain technology is among the most disruptive forces of the past decade. Its power to record, enable, and secure huge numbers and varieties of transactions raises an intriguing question: Can the same distributed ledger technology that powers bitcoin also enable better execution of strategic projects in a conservative sector like construction, involving large teams of contractors and subcontractors and an abundance of building codes, safety regulations, and standards?
“Increasingly, we are thinking more carefully about when and where we need to compete and what can we share and collaborate on,” said David Bowcott, global director of growth, innovation, and insight in Aon’s global construction and infrastructure group. Using blockchain to automate the contractual processes and paperwork underpinning these complex projects could save money, free up valuable resources, and speed up project delivery. (Unless otherwise noted, quotes are from interviews we conducted as part of our research.)
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is leading an inquiry into how the rapidly increasing reliance on digital technology, accelerated by the pandemic, may have a long-term impact on our social and economic wellbeing. A detailed prospectus is linked below
The consultation closed on January 20th but, as we do with many IET titles, we maintain the project on the standing agenda of our Infotech colloquia and our 4 times monthly collaboration with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee; all online gatherings open to everyone. You may communicate directly with Duncan Kenyon (duncankenyon@theiet.org) for additional information.
Issue: [20-288]
Category: Infotech, Telecommunications
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Mike Hiler, David Law
The framework primarily serves educational and research purposes, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions. The classification includes all accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States that are represented in the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
The world’s first building codes were put in action in ancient Babylon by King Hammurabi around 1754 BCE. The codes were a subset of the larger Code of Hammurabi and were designed to regulate the construction of buildings in the city of Babylon. These codes emerged from a time of great social and economic change in Babylon. The city* was rapidly expanding, and the construction of new buildings was essential for accommodating the growing population.
Famously, building unsafe buildings carried “risk” to the builder:
“If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.” (Law 229, Sacred Texts)
Fast forward 3700 years and construction litigation is Big Business. According to research by one of the first names in construction dispute research (Arcadis) the the average cost of construction disputes in North America is $19.6 million with an average length of was 15.2 months (2020 data).
When university-affiliated healthcare facilities are included in the count, the education industry is the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States at about $100 billion every year.
We meet at the usual time today for a status check on public commenting opportunities on best practice titles that set the standard of care for designing, building and operating the physical spaces of education communities. In the past we have limited our coverage to the International Code Council suite. Today we expand our interest to other model building codes; a few of them listed below:
To a surprising degree these bodies borrow safety concepts from one another; owing to field experience, technological changes. response to government regulation regarding disasters and accessibility, among others. Some of the concepts we have been tracking:
Use of education facilities as storm shelters
Occupancy classifications
Carbon monoxide detection and alarms
Electric vehicle power supply from new buildings
Daylight responsive lighting controls
Scope of work in alterations
Enhanced classroom acoustics
Security (door locking, access, etc.)
Assemblies, laboratories, sport facilities, etc, etc, etc.
(Plenty to do)
We will pick through the transcript of the ICC Group B Public Comment Monograph to estimate the state of the debate ahead of this month’s meetings in Lexington:
* The modern-day name of Babylon is Al Hillah, which is a city in central Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad. It is located on the east bank of the Euphrates River and was once an important cultural and political center in ancient Mesopotamia.
The retreat of state funding at public institutions paired with the growing concerns surrounding vulture capitalism that has weaponized philanthropic gift-giving (i.e., distinguished chairs, scholarships and fellowships, academic research centers, faculty lines, campus maintenance) means educators must find ways to teach students about the importance of using their knowledge and skillsets to promote public interests and improve lives. The term vulture capitalism is used here as it relates to donor influence to critique the types of donors (individuals, foundations, and corporations) who use gift-giving to advance conservative, elitist agendas that serve privatized interests at the expense of public interests (Carey, 2019; Mintz, 2019). Vulture capitalism and donor (gift-giving), as a case study, provide instructors and students constructive opportunities to reflect on how hegemonic power operates in and impacts our daily lives. To do so, the article begins by reflecting on a few examples of harmful donor influence to demonstrate how discussions concerning vulture capitalism can stimulate important conversations surrounding power, hegemony, and institutional oppression. It is argued that critical communication pedagogy (CCP) assists instructors who wish to teach students how to discuss issues of power and hegemony in contemporary communication classrooms. CCP offers a pragmatic approach to addressing and examining how power operates through a consideration of language and discourse. This article highlights three major tenets of CCP to propose an in-class activity that stresses the importance of dialogic reflexivity in classroom conversations concerning hegemony, power, and communication.
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New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
