Division of Biological Infrastructure

When combined with information and communication technologies and powerful data analytic algorithms such as artificial intelligence, digital twins enable organisations to conserve physical resources. This applies both during the design phase and when performing diagnostic and predictive analyses during operations. These abilities bring significant opportunities to the infrastructure industry to develop new ways of designing, constructing, operating and monitoring infrastructure at a time when much of the world’s civil infrastructure is ageing and showing signs of deterioration. This study aims to find out how digital twins can help the infrastructure industry to deliver and operate sustainable and smart infrastructure assets. This paper presents an overview of digital twin definitions, current practices, benefits and challenges through a series of semi-structured expert interviews with executives from the UK infrastructure industry. Additionally, it suggests a series of strategies to aid digital transformation and digital twin adoption in the industry. Results from the interviews illustrated that the executives involved in digital transformation in the infrastructure industry are very well aware of the definitions, benefits and challenges of digital twins. In general, they understand the value of digital transformation and specifically digital twins. They know the reasons behind the need for transforming the industry and adopting data-driven concepts such as digital twins. Moreover, the executives interviewed as part of this study mentioned common challenges across different infrastructure domains. The strategies presented are focused on addressing these three main challenges identified and agreed upon by the participants – culture, technology adoption and lack of a skilled workforce. The three main strategies, addressing digital transformation (1), cultural transformation (2) and bridging the skills gap (3), are explained later in this paper. The article concludes by underlining the importance of creating equal opportunities for the current workforce to improve their digital fluency and skillset by providing information about the benefits of digital twins throughout the sector and organisations to improve adoption and the realisation of benefits.

In this study, we co-analyze all available 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies from bulk drinking water samples in full-scale drinking water distribution systems.

The effect of the cooling rate on the solidification process of liquid aluminium is studied using a large-scale molecular dynamics method. It is found that there are various types of short-range order (SRO) structures in the liquid, among which the icosahedral (ICO)-like structures are dominant. These SRO structures are in dynamic fluctuation and transform each other. The effect of the cooling rate on the microstructure is very weak at high temperatures and in supercooled liquids, and it appears only below the liquid-solid transition temperature. Fast cooling rates favour the formation of amorphous structures with ICO-like features, while slow cooling rates favour the formation of FCC crystalline structures. Furthermore, FCC and HCP structures can coexist in crystalline structures. It is also found that nanocrystalline aluminium can be achieved at appropriate cooling rates, and its formation mechanism is thoroughly investigated by tracing the evolution of nanoclusters. The arrangement of FCC and HCP atoms in the nanograins displays various twinned structures as observed using visualization analysis, which is different from the layering or phase separation structures observed in the solidification of Lennard-Jones fluids and some metal liquids.

Novel nanoflower-like N-doped C/CoS2 spheres assembled from 2D wrinkled CoS2 nanosheets were synthesized through a facile one-pot solvothermal method followed by sulfurization. Ascribed to the optimized 3D nanostructure and rational surface engineering, the unique hierarchical structure of the nanoflower-like C/CoS2 composites showed an excellent sodium ion storage capacity accompanied by high specific capacity, superior rate performance and long-term cycling stability. Specifically, the conductive interconnected wrinkled nanosheets create a number of mesoporous structures and thus can greatly release the mechanical stress caused by Na+ insertion/extraction. Besides, it was observed from the experiments that many extra defect vacancies and Na+ storage sites are introduced by the nitrogen doping process. It was also observed that the crosslinked 2D nanosheets can effectively reduce the diffusion lengths of sodium ions and electrons, resulting in an outstanding rate performance (>700 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 458 mA h g-1 at even 10 A g-1) and extraordinary cycling stability (698 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 500 cycles). The results provide a facile approach to fabricate promising anode materials for high-performance sodium-ion batteries (SIBs).

Hysteresis behaviour of metal–insulator transition in VO₂ enables reduced energy consumption for high-performance Joule heating driven flexible smart windows.

Environmental flows (e-flows) aim to mitigate the threat of altered hydrological regimes in river systems and connected waterbodies and are an important component of integrated strategies to address multiple threats to freshwater biodiversity. Expanding and accelerating implementation of e-flows can support river conservation and help to restore the biodiversity and resilience of hydrologically altered and water-stressed rivers and connected freshwater ecosystems. While there have been significant developments in e-flow science, assessment, and societal acceptance, implementation of e-flows within water resource management has been slower than required and geographically uneven. This review explores critical factors that enable successful e-flow implementation and biodiversity outcomes in particular, drawing on 13 case studies and the literature. It presents e-flow implementation as an adaptive management cycle enabled by 10 factors: legislation and governance, financial and human resourcing, stakeholder engagement and co-production of knowledge, collaborative monitoring of ecological and social-economic outcomes, capacity training and research, exploration of trade-offs among water users, removing or retrofitting water infrastructure to facilitate e-flows and connectivity, and adaptation to climate change. Recognising that there may be barriers and limitations to the full and effective enablement of each factor, the authors have identified corresponding options and generalizable recommendations for actions to overcome prominent constraints, drawing on the case studies and wider literature. The urgency of addressing flow-related freshwater biodiversity loss demands collaborative networks to train and empower a new generation of e-flow practitioners equipped with the latest tools and insights to lead adaptive environmental water management globally. Mainstreaming e-flows within conservation planning, integrated water resource management, river restoration strategies, and adaptations to climate change is imperative. The policy drivers and associated funding commitments of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework offer crucial opportunities to achieve the human benefits contributed by e-flows as nature-based solutions, such as flood risk management, floodplain fisheries restoration, and increased river resilience to climate change.

A biological process for the removal of hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) in digester biogas was investigated using nitrified municipal wastewater as a nutrient solution under anoxic conditions. Biogas was continuously fed into a 0.012 m 3 biotrickling filter at an H 2 S loading rate of approximately 1.50 g/d, counter-current to the nutrient solution. A zero-order macro-kinetic process was established on the basis of the degradation and formation rates for N and S species. The process performance was dependent on the presence of nitrate at low concentrations (in the order of 20 mg N-NO 3 – /L) found to be sufficient to maintain maximum H 2 S removal efficiency (>99%) under steady-state conditions where nitrate degradation rate was constant. The developed process has the potential to be adopted as an attractive alternative for biogas cleaning and, in some cases, with simultaneous wastewater denitrification. The information contained within this paper may be used as a basis for further research and (or) in the design of a scaled-up process.

Polyhedral carbon-coated structural N-CoS₂@C nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile one-pot solvothermal technique and exhibit excellent sodium ion storage performance.

Reducing the number of annual blockages and the consequential flooding events is one of the most important tasks for stormwater pipe infrastructure managers in Australia. Blockages are more likely to occur with pipes experiencing serviceability deterioration, resulting in a reduction of hydraulic capacity. When changing from a problem-based approach to a proactive maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) approach, the asset managers need predictive information on the serviceability condition of pipes in order to firstly prepare the necessary resources from limited annual budgets and, secondly, to allocate these resources for the maintenance of the deteriorated pipes as precisely as possible. This paper investigates the application of a Markov model and an ordinal regression model for predictions of serviceability deterioration of stormwater pipes. The first model provides the prediction at a network level, which satisfies the first requirement, and the second model predicts serviceability condition for individual pipes, given the attributes of the pipes, in order to satisfy the second requirement. Both models are calibrated using Bayesian inference and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation techniques on a dataset supplied from the City of Greater Dandenong, Australia.

Three different asymmetric electrode configurations were set up in CDI experiments. Each electrode pair's performance on salt adsorption capacity and average salt adsorption rate was investigated and compared.

Comparison of ionic conductivity (at room temperature) of different solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

The stability of Pd/TS-1 and Pd/silicalite-1 catalysts was assessed at 400 °C and an approximate relative humidity (RH) of 80% for catalytic combustion of fugitive methane emissions, aiming to understand the role of titanium in the stability of the catalysts.

, at wafer-scale for commercial uses. However, the CVD-grown TMD samples often suffer from poor quality due to the improper control of reaction kinetics and lack of understanding about the phenomenon. In this review, we focus on several key challenges in the controllable CVD fabrication of high-quality wafer-scale TMD films and highlight the importance of the control of precursor concentration, nucleation density, and oriented growth. The remaining difficulties in the field and prospective directions of the related topics are further summarized.

The State Street Bridge, in Salt Lake City, was designed and built in 1965 according to the 1961 AASHO specifications; the design did not include earthquake-induced forces or displacements since only wind loads were considered. The bridge consists of four reinforced concrete (RC) bents supporting composite welded steel girders; the bents are supported on cast-in-place concrete piles and pile caps. A vulnerability analysis of the bridge was conducted that determined deficiencies in (1) confinement of column lap splice regions, (2) anchorage of longitudinal column bars in the bent cap, (3) confinement of column plastic hinge zones, and (4) shear capacity of columns and bent cap–column joints. Seismic retrofit designs using carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) composites and steel jackets were performed and compared for three design spectra, including the 10% probability of exceedance in 250 years earthquake. The CFRP composite design was selected for implementation and application of the composite was carried out in the summer of 2000 and 2001, while the bridge was in service. The paper describes the CFRP composite design, which, in addition to column jackets, implemented an “ankle wrap” for improving joint shear strength and a “U-strap” for improving anchorage of column bars in the bent cap; other retrofit measures were implemented, such as bumper brackets and a deck slab retrofit. A capacity versus demand evaluation of the as-built and retrofitted bents is presented.

New designs of precast bridge parapets made with fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) were developed using nonlinear finite-element calculations. Specific properties of high- and ultrahigh-performance FRC were exploited in these designs. The conventional reinforcement required in the FRC precast parapets varied from 0 to 50% when compared with a reference built-on-site parapet. An extensive experimental program was carried out to verify the performance of the FRC precast parapets. The parapet mechanical behavior was established under quasi-static tests and under dynamic loading replicating a vehicle impact. The results of the quasi-static tests indicate that precast FRC parapets possess the required strength and have ductility comparable to reference parapets. Quasi-static tests carried out after the dynamic tests indicate that the residual strength of the parapets corresponds to 75 to 100% of their original capacity. The finite-element model adopted in the project satisfactorily reproduced the strength, stiffness, and failure mode of the parapets. Finally, the system efficiency of precast FRC parapets was established for their application in a typical urban bridge project, considering the mechanical performance, the fabrication costs, and the required installation time.

A high rate capacity, moderate volume expansion and energetically stable alkali ion graphene–HfS₂ electrode material.

Many biological systems consist of self-motile and passive agents both of which contribute to overall functionality. However, little is known about the properties of such mixtures. Here we formulate a model for mixtures of self-motile and passive agents and show that the model gives rise to three different dynamical phases: a disordered mesoturbulent phase, a polar flocking phase, and a vortical phase characterized by large-scale counter rotating vortices. We use numerical simulations to construct a phase diagram and compare the statistical properties of the different phases with observed features of self-motile bacterial suspensions. Our findings afford specific insights regarding the interaction of microorganisms and passive particles and provide novel strategic guidance for efficient technological realizations of artificial active matter.

A novel, integrated treatment system consisting of a multi-stage bio-filter and a post positioned denitrifying bio-reactor was designed and developed in this study for the treatment of rural domestic wastewater emphasizing on nutrient removal.

Abstract A unique procedure was developed and followed in order to isolate, characterize and evaluate the adsorption properties of chemical species that are present in venezuelan crude oils, in order to correlate the chemical structures present in different aqueous extracts with their protective behavior against CO2 corrosion.

This study investigated structural safety evaluation of in-service tunnels. Considering the factors that affect the safety of in-service tunnels, the indices and grading standards for structural safety evaluations of concrete tunnels were first introduced. Subsequently, a safety evaluation system was established based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Taking a concrete tunnel as an example, according to structural characteristics of the tunnel and a Chinese specification, the indices and grading standards for the structural safety evaluation of the tunnel were determined, and a safety evaluation system for the tunnel was established. In the safety evaluation system, the effect of data size on the training results of the system was analyzed based on the theory of statistics and the Delphi method that are used for data inspection. The results show that the evaluation system has good learning and application ability. By using the field measured data of an in-service tunnel, after learning, the system can effectively imitate experts to do nonlinear fuzzy inference.