'Risk Assessment for Object Conservation' reflects Dr Jonathan Ashley-Smith's personal interests and views in areas including materials science, the ethics of restoration, the costs of conservation and the philosophy of museums. This valuable book explains the mechanisms of deterioration of museum artifacts, quantifying the probability that damage will occur and estimating the rate of progress when it does. The principles outlined and the information provided will form a foundation for cos...

Courtyards have been used for thousands of years in different climates in the world. In hot climates they provide shading, in humid climates they cause a stack effect helping ventilation, in cold climates they break cold winds and protect their microclimate. In temperate climates (such as of the Netherlands), the thermal behaviour of courtyards has been studied less. In this dissertation, low-rise residential courtyard buildings were therefore studied among (and along) different urban bloc...

Applied Mineral Inventory Estimation presents a comprehensive applied approach to the estimation of mineral resources/reserves with particular emphasis on the geological basis of such estimations, the need for and maintenance of a high quality assay data base, the practical use of a comprehensive exploratory data evaluation, and the importance of a comprehensive geostatistical approach to the estimation methodology. Practical problems and real data are used throughout as illustrations: eac...

The third edition of Fundamentals of Hydrology provides an absorbing and comprehensive introduction to the understanding of how fresh water moves on and around the planet and how humans affect and manage the freshwater resources available to them.The book consists of three parts, each of fundamental importance in the understanding of hydrology:The first section deals with processes within the hydrological cycle, our understanding of them, and how to...

This book is a primer on critical thinking. Without it, the Internet is only a misinformation highway. The dark arts of untruthfulness are ubiquitous in official information. The general techniques used to distort or misrepresent truth are conceptually explored, illustrated by dozens of examples covering a wide range of subjects. Does classroom size reduction improve education? Can tight oil shale provide US petroleum independence? Are eggs unhealthy? Does the Chevy Volt really get 60mpg-e...

"I can think of no better guides than Professors Ken Gregory and John Lewin to lead the reader through the conceptual basis of this exciting science."- Victor R. Baker, University of Arizona"A very readable and informative introduction to the discipline for senior undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers."- Angela Gurnell, Queen Mary University of London"Time will tell, but this book may well mark a turn...

'Big freeze' conditions, storms, severe flooding, droughts, and heatwaves - recent extremes in weather, with their resultant physical, economic and human losses, highlight the vulnerability of society to changes in the atmosphere. Atmospheric pollution, urbanization, natural atmospheric disasters are causing dramatic changes in climatic environments.Applied Climatology examines the effects of climate on physical, biological and cultural environments. Specialist contributors...

The urban climate is continuously deteriorating. Urban heat lowers the quality of urban life, increases energy needs, and affects the urban socio-economy. Urban Climate Mitigation Techniques presents steps that can be taken to mitigate this situation through a series of innovative technologies and examples of best practices for the improvement of the urban climate.Including tools for evaluation and a comparative analysis, this book addresses anthropogenic heat, green areas...

Composed of a series of essays, this book deals with the broad issues affecting the nature of architectural materials and provides a focused review of the state of the art materials. It also provides designers with the tools they need to evaluate and select from the thousands of different materials that are available to them. The book is organized into three sections; ‘Time’ looks at how the materials used in architectural design have changed over the years showing how we have come to use ...

Compact living is sustainable living. High-density cities can support closer amenities, encourage reduced trip lengths and the use of public transport and therefore reduce transport energy costs and carbon emissions. High-density planning also helps to control the spread of urban suburbs into open lands, improves efficiency in urban infrastructure and services, and results in environmental improvements that support higher quality of life in cities. Encouraging, even requiring, higher densi...

Following a rapid increase in the use of air conditioning in buildings of all types, the energy demand for powering such devices has become a significant cause for concern. Passive cooling is increasingly being thought of as the best alternative to air conditioning.This book offers the latest knowledge and techniques on passive cooling, enabling building professionals to understand the state of the art and employ relevant new strategies. With separate chapters on comfort, urban mic...

Three broad sectors of the economy are generally recognized as key to a low carbon future: energy, construction and transportation. Of these, carbon management in the built environment remains the least well-studied.This much-needed book brings together the latest developments in the field of climate change science, building design, materials science, energy and policy in a form readily accessible to both students of the built environment and practitioners. Although several books e...