An overview of the waste hierarchy framework for analyzing the circularity in construction and demolition waste management in Europe

Measuring the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) in buildings: A stakeholder’s survey

Structural unsafety revealed by failure databases

After several major structural incidents in the Netherlands, such as the collapse of five balconies in Maastricht in 2001 resulting in two fatalities, various initiatives have been started to improve structural safety. Research studies were initiated on the characteristics, causes and consequences of structural incidents. In this paper the...

Resistance of structures to explosion effects. Review report of testing methods

It is important to protect critical buildings (shopping centres, government buildings and embassies), infrastructure and utilities, train and underground stations against being damaged, destroyed or disrupted by deliberate acts of terrorism, criminal activity and malicious behaviour. Normal regulations and building guidelines do not generally...

Workshops in Dutch sustainable building design practice

Within the present context of the Dutch Sustainable Building Practice it is hard for the different involved building design disciplines to give a good answer to sustainability. Especially this is the case for the application solar energy either in passive or active form. As traditional methods did not work out adequately a new approach within...

Occupational lung cancer risk among men in the Netherlands

Objectives: To assess male lung cancer risks for industrial sectors in the Netherlands and to estimate the proportion of lung cancer attributed to working in specific industrial sectors. Methods: Associations were studied among men aged 55-69 years (n = 58 279) from the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study. 1920 incident lung cancer cases were...

The effects of mechanised equipment on physical load among road workers and floor layers in the construction industry

This study describes the impact of the use of mechanised equipment on physical load and workers' health among road workers and floor layers by comparing the traditional manual work method with frequently occurring scenarios of use of this new equipment. Continuous direct measurements of postures were linked to real-time observations of tasks and...

The adoption of technological innovations for glaziers; evaluation of a participatory ergonomics approach

A step-by-step approach to better work, aimed at reducing the physical workload of glaziers, is evaluated. In three small-sized companies mechanical aids were developed with strong commitment from management. Glaziers from these three companies prioritized problems, selected solutions and tested the solutions. A steering group with...

History and future of ergonomics in building and construction

In this paper an overview is given of what has been done in the field of ergonomics on behalf of the building and construction industry. Characteristics of the building and construction are given in relation to working conditions. The developments within this branch of industry are described in view of perspectives for a better future. In this...

Application problems of a biomechanical model in improving roofwork

The compression force during traditional roofwork and improved roofwork was calculated by means of a two-dimensional static biomechanical model. The improvement resulted in a 30% reduction in compression force, but also influenced factors which cannot be incorporated into the model but may cause back injuries. The frequency and velocity of...