Bio-Based Plastics in Product Design: The State of the Art and Challenges to Overcome

Replacing fossil-based feedstock with renewable alternatives is a crucial step towards a circular economy. The bio-based plastics currently on the market are predominantly used in single-use applications, with remarkably limited uptake in durable products. This study explores the current state of the art of bio-based plastic use in durable...

Mapping structural engineering strategies for sustainable development

Considering current trends in the Netherlands with regards to sustainability, there is a strong desire at Delft University of Technology to incorporate sustainable structural design strategies in the civil and structural engineering curriculum. Based on literature study and own experiences in practice, a coherent approach was developed, that can...

Environmental Impact Optimisation of Flight Plans in a Fixed and Free Route network

Efforts to minimise the environmental impact of aviation can be implemented at several levels including electric green taxiing systems, novel propulsion systems, jet fuels, improvements in aircraft efficiency and optimisation of climb profiles. In this paper, we address the optimisation of flight plans in a route network considering operational...

Enhancing the resilience of drinking water infrastructures

Long term uncertainties in combination with long lifetime of assets of drinking water infrastructures (DWIs) and changing expectations of stakeholders make strategic decisions in drinking water infrastructures (DWIs) complex. A framework with building blocks and design spaces was developed to support these decisions. Building blocks, divided in...

Fuel Inefficiency Characterisation and Assessment due to Early Execution of Top of Descents: A Case Study for Amsterdam-Schiphol Terminal Airspace using ADS-B data

The vertical trajectory plan (altitude and speed) corresponding to the descent phase of a modern airliner is computed by the on-board flight management system while the aircraft is still in cruise. As long as the constraints on the arrival procedure allow, this system plans for an idle descent and the exact location of the (optimal) top of...

Does Distributive Justice Improve Welfare Outcomes in Climate Adaptation? An Exploration Using an Agent-Based Model of a Stylized Social–Environmental System

Scholars increasingly propose distributive justice as a means to foster effective and fair outcomes in climate adaptation. To advance the discussion on its place in climate policy, it is desirable to be able to quantitatively assess the effects of different principles of distribution on the well-being of unequally vulnerable individuals and...

Products and circular economy, Policy recommendations derived from Research & Innovation projects

This report presents the findings from a review of more than one hundred Research & Innovation (R&I) projects under EU Framework programmes FP6 and FP7, dealing with a range of circularity considerations related to product design, manufacturing, use and after-use. Nine independent experts analysed these projects, brought in their own...

Origin and Development of Environmental Design

Buildings are characterised as some of the greatest consumers and pollutants of the planet. However, the genesis of environmental design, in the context of its modern meaning, as shown in this paper, is not so much based on initial requests to reduce the negative pressure on the environment, but more on the tendency to ensure the continuity of...

Influence of 3D printing on transport: a theory and experts judgment based conceptual model

Consumer 3D printing is on the rise and has the potential to significantly change the transport and logistics sector. Current literature on 3D printing and transport studies does not provide a systematic model of the impact of 3D printing on transport and related (policy relevant) areas, such as traffic safety, location decisions,...

Design considerations and sustainability of self-compacting concrete

Strength development of concrete: balancing production requirements and ecological impact

The effective production of concrete structures requires adequate control of<br/>strength development in order to realise the scheduled production cycles. Demoulding of elements can take place only when sufficient strength is gained and the production cycle has to be maintained with seasonal changes of temperature. The use of Portland Cement...

Reducing the environmental impact and improving the efficiency of construction transport

Last few years the hindrance, accidents, pollution and other negative side effects of construction projects and namely construction transport have become an issue particularly in urban areas across Europe such as in London, and in the Netherlands as well, including the cities of Utrecht, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Municipalities have issued new...

A Financial, Environmental and Social Evaluation of Domestic Water Management Options in the West Bank, Palestine

Water is one of the most valuable natural resources in the West Bank, Palestine. Due to its limited availability, it is a resource that needs particular protection. Although agriculture consumes most of the water (70%) in the West Bank, the domestic water supply is strategically not less important. It is the aim of this study to evaluate...

Thinking-about-the-Box; A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Design Engineering of Packaging for Durable Consumer Goods

So far, the sustainability focus on packaging has been strongly on resource conservation and material recycling. However, as this thesis demonstrates based on LCA studies, for typical cases of packed consumer durables, the transportation of the packed product has a higher environmental impact than the packaging material used. Analysis of a...

Environmental impact of thin-film GaInP/GaAs and multicrystalline silicon solar modules produced with solar electricity

Explorative study into the sustainable use and substitution of soldering metals in electronics: Ecological and economical consequences of the ban of lead in electronics and lessons to be learned for the future

The Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS Directive), among other substances, bans the use of lead in the electrical and electronics industry. This explorative study assesses the worldwide environmental and economical effects of the substitution of lead in solders and finishes. It shows the worldwide additional cost of lead-free soldering compared to...

The Sustainable Office. An exploration of the potential for factor 20 environmental improvement of office accommodation

Sustainable development is the goal of a balance between economy and the environment, whilst establishing a better spread prosperity across the world. In order to make this possible, the environmental load of our commodities needs to be reduced by a factor of 20. This factor 20 can also be translated to the office market. The PhD research...

The influence on the environment of coastal structures recently built in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands today much attention is paid to the effect of coastal structures on the environment. In the past it was usual to quantify the effect of such a structure on its environment solely with the purpose of deciding whether that effect could imply any hazard to the structure itself (or to structures in the neighbourhood). Nowadays...