Abstract

Given the backwardness of public administrations to implement e-government tools in practice and in everyday life to make life easier for citizens, public libraries prove to be far more advanced, offering both technical infrastructure and advice to their users to search information and to carry out transactions. E-government suffers from technological inefficiency and also reflects little understanding of the transformation of the socio-technical framework and its impact in shaping relationships with citizens.

Abstract

With the increasing dominance of electronic content and digital collections in academic libraries, the capabilities lacking in the current slate of automation systems has increasingly become an obstacle to progress. A new generation of digital services platforms for libraries is emerging, designed to provide a more comprehensive approach to the management and access to all formats of library materials: print, electronic and digital. These new systems involve a modernization of technology, embracing service-oriented architectures, availability for APIs to facilitate interoperability with external systems, support for task workflows more aligned with current operational realities, and more tightly coupled discovery interfaces that deliver access to library collections and services in a more unified and comprehensive manner. These new products, emerging in this era of cloud computing, have been designed for deployment through software as a service and rely on highly shared data models.

Abstract

With the increasing dominance of electronic content and digital collections in academic libraries, the capabilities lacking in the current slate of automation systems has increasingly become an obstacle to progress. A new generation of digital services platforms for libraries is emerging, designed to provide a more comprehensive approach to the management and access to all formats of library materials: print, electronic and digital. These new systems involve a modernization of technology, embracing service-oriented architectures, availability for APIs to facilitate interoperability with external systems, support for task workflows more aligned with current operational realities, and more tightly coupled discovery interfaces that deliver access to library collections and services in a more unified and comprehensive manner. These new products, emerging in this era of cloud computing, have been designed for deployment through software as a service and rely on highly shared data models.

Abstract

Proposals for a Portsmouth and Solent Region proposed mainline rail strategy. "br/"How Portsmouth and the Solent region with other south of England ring cities can inform future transportation strategy and development, to improve connectivity, sustainability and economic benefit. Document type: Book

Abstract

The downward spiral frequently experienced by transit companies when they increase fares to make up for declining demand is well known. It is characteristic of an increasing-returns-to-scale industry where consumer inputs are essential to the production process. This paper formally incorporates both agency and consumer inputs in a cost framework and explores the short- and long-run costs of bus services. In so doing it is possible to trade off both consumer and agency costs, to arrive at optimal service levels. It is these service levels, with the mode "performing at its best," that form the basis of cost comparisons between transportation alternatives. We find that off-peak frequencies should be considerably shorter than those typically prevailing on bus transit systems, and that marginal cost pricing would require a zero fare in the off-peak and a fare of up to 20 cents in the peak. This suggests that current rates might be continued in the peak and abolished in the off-peak. A subsidy to maintain this scheme would be about 10% of the average cost of service when operation is in long-run equilibrium (optimized). In the realm of cost comparisons between alternative modes, options based upon the car are found to be among the cheapest for trips to the CBD except in the peak. In terms of public modes, dial-a-ride systems seem to have some economic justification for low density neighborhoods as a feeder to linehaul buses operating on freeways, but at high densities integrated bus service appears to be far more viable. The latter is markedly cheaper than a feeder bus + rapid rail alternative. Finally, there seems to be little economic justification for the current interest in non-standard buses for transit service.

Abstract

The Development under Climate Change research effort provides a basis for determining quantitative impacts on infrastructure from climate change. This paper provides results of an analysis of sea level rise impacts on road infrastructure in Vietnam. The study utilizes a quantitative approach for determining these impacts through engineering-based models that estimate the impact of sea level rises on road infrastructure. Through this approach, the cost impact of sea level rises on the coastal regions of Vietnam are presented.

Abstract

This project has developed cost estimates and comparisons for the major urban transportation modes -- auto, bus, and rail -- using data from the San Francisco Bay Area. Intermodal cost comparison is useful for policy purposes, for it helps determine under what circumstances one mode is more efficient than another in terms of the resources it uses to provide a given service.

Abstract

Orientador: Fernanda Caseño Trindade Arioli Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-02T05:29:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pinto_YuriGabriel_M.pdf: 1651703 bytes, checksum: c68a3254df9ba995dd14c03c4933fa93 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 Resumo: Devido a questões ambientais e a incentivos econômicos, a utilização de veículos elétricos plug-in (VEPs) está avançando em muitos países. A bateria dos VEPs é carregada quando conectada à rede de distribuição, e a potência e a energia necessárias durante a recarga do VEP são maiores do que as cargas residenciais típicas. Consequentemente, a demanda dos sistemas de distribuição aumenta consideravelmente, levando ao agravamento de diversos aspectos técnicos das redes de distribuição. Nesta dissertação de mestrado, readequações e melhorias na infraestrutura das redes de distribuição, considerando ações que fazem parte do dia-a-dia dos engenheiros das concessionárias, são utilizadas para contrapor os impactos da recarga dos VEPs em mais de 25.000 redes secundárias brasileiras reais. Um algoritmo de Monte Carlo é proposto para auxiliar os engenheiros na análise e na tomada de decisão das soluções necessárias em diferentes níveis de penetração de VEPs. Também é apresentado o investimento financeiro necessário em cada solução. O resultado obtido para as redes estudadas e para os preços praticados no Brasil mostram que para readequar as redes brasileiras e viabilizar a utilização de até 30% de penetração de VEPs é necessário um investimento de cerca R$ 200,00 a R$ 1.900,00 por VEP para soluções que não envolvam desmembramento do circuito (apenas utilizando recondutoramento e substituição do transformador existente) e cerca de R$ 500,00 a R$ 5.000,00 para soluções que envolvam desmembramento Abstract: Due to environmental and economic incentives, the use of plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) is growing in several countries. The batteries of the PEVs are recharged by being connected to distribution networks, and the power and energy required during the recharges are high compared to the typical loads. Consequently, the load levels can increase considerably, incurring in negative impacts to the distribution networks. In this work, infrastructural solutions, which are part of the daily practices of utility engineers, are used to solve the impacts of 25,000 LV networks of a real Brazilian utility. A Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed for the analyses providing the engineers an estimate of the required solutions for a given penetration level of PEVs and the required investment per PEV. The results obtained for the analyzed networks and the prices practiced in Brazil show that the infrastructural solutions for up to 30% of penetration level can cost from R$ 200.00 to R$ 1,900.00 per PEV without the installation of a new transformer and division of the circuit (just replacing the conductors and the transformers), and about R$ 500.00 to R$ 5,000.00 per PEV with the installation of a new transformer and division of the circuit Mestrado Energia Eletrica Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica 519.292-1 FAEPEX

Abstract

n efficient transportation system requires adequate and well-maintained infrastructure to relieve congestion, reduce accidents, and promote economic competitiveness. However, there is a growing gap between public financial commitments and the cost of maintaining, let alone expanding the U.S. road transportation infrastructure. Moreover, the tools used to evaluate transportation infrastructure investments are typically deterministic and rely on present value calculations, even though it is well-known that this approach is likely to result in sub-optimal decisions in the presence of uncertainty, which is pervasive in transportation infrastructure decisions. In this context, the purpose of this dissertation is to propose a framework based on real options and advanced numerical methods to make better road infrastructure decisions in the presence of demand uncertainty. I first develop a real options framework to find the optimal investment timing, endogenous toll rate, and road capacity of a private inter-city highway under demand uncertainty. Traffic congestion is represented by a BPR function, competition with an existing road is captured by user equilibrium, and travel demand between the two cities follows a geometric Brownian motion with a reflecting upper barrier. I derive semi-analytical solutions for the investment threshold, the dynamic toll rates and the optimum capacity. The result shows the importance of modeling congestion and an upper demand barrier – features that are missing from previous studies. I then extend this real options framework to study two additional ways of funding an inter-city highway project: with public funds or via a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Using Monte Carlo simulation, I investigate the value of a non-compete clause for both a local government and for private firms involved in the PPP.Since road infrastructure investments are rarely made in isolation, I also extend my real options framework to the multi-period Continuous Network Design Problem (CNDP), to analyze the investment timing and capacity of multiple links under demand uncertainty. No algorithm is currently available to solve the multi-period CNDP under uncertainty in a reasonable time. I propose and test a new algorithm called “Approximate Least Square Monte Carlo simulation” that dramatically reduces the computing time to solve the CNDP while generating accurate solutions.

Abstract

refabrication in infrastructural development with a focus on airport construction and its necessity for the project's short duration. The technology of precast panels is explained in the first part of the thesis including the specifics of different areas (structures) of the airports and their various needs. A comparison between precast and cast-in-place methods is performed regarding the construction time and financial aspects. Case study of the planned expansion and a hypothetical reconstruction at the Barcelona El Prat airport is analyzed and consequent conclusions and recommendations are made. Incoming