Search results

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the local information items that are needed by search and rescue (S&R) teams for an effective disaster response following an earthquake. Currently, it is a challenging and time‐consuming task to collect most of this information from a disaster environment. It was envisioned that the local information identified can be stored on distributed databases that are placed in the buildings and will be used to improve S&R operations.Design/methodology/approachThe information items are obtained through a literature review and via interviews conducted with experts from disaster response organizations. The data collected were triangulated to generate a data model, which was then validated internally and externally by expert feedback.FindingsA data model including a detailed list of information items required during S&R operations was generated, along with justification of the information needs. The findings show that not only information related to buildings, but also other information related to the residents and the contents of the buildings are needed, such as residents' health information, and hazardous materials and their specific locations.Practical implicationsThe data model presented can be used by researchers to further develop systems that can be used during an earthquake.Originality/valuePrevious studies have only provided a list of some important local information groups to be stored; however, they do not include in‐depth studies on the information needs of S&R teams following an earthquake. In this paper, information needs were fully explored and elaborated, and a data model was developed covering information items required for effective earthquake S&R.

The building stock in Europe accounts for over 40% of the final energy consumption in the European Union. Moreover, the construction sector is one of the largest producers of industrial waste contributing 40-50% of landfill in some EU countries. A common way of creating a forward planning for resource efficiency in construction project is to apply Life Cycle Cost (LCC - cost evaluation) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA - environmental evaluation) procedures in the decision process. There are, however, difficulties in current LCC and LCA tools and it is challenging to combine data from those two types of tools since there are poor linkages between them. The EU funded 7th framework project CILECCTA sets out to develop a LCCA (Life Cycle Cost and Analysis) that combines life cycle cost with environmental affect and supports the determination of the costing and sustainability of project alternatives.Current LCC software can assist the decision making process in simulating different alternatives for the design, construction, maintenance and demolition of assets - allowing the client, designer and builder to select the most favourable alternative. Through linking LCC and LCA methodologies, the CILECCTA project will go one stage further by enabling an assessment of the impact of the entire project on the environment and by estimating its sustainability. It will also include probabilistic analysis and the recently developed new generation methodology which applies real options principles analysis for construction industry decision making. This paper sets out the strategic that should lead toward establishing a framework for developing a modular LCCA engine integrating asset-related data from price banks and life cycle inventories. ; Godkänd; 2010; 20101214 (andwan)