Journal: Development Engineering

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Elsevier

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ISSN

2352-7285

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2017 - 201922020 - 20225
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Publications 1 - 7 of 7
  • Limestone calcined clay cement as a low-carbon solution to meet expanding cement demand in emerging economies
    Item type: Journal Article
    Cancio Díaz, Yudiesky; Sánchez Berriel, Sofia; Heierli, Urs; et al. (2017)
    Development Engineering
    This paper aims at assessing the return on investment and carbon mitigation potentials of five investment alternatives for the Cuban cement industry in a long-term horizon appraisal (15 years). Anticipated growing demand for cement, constrained supply and an urgent need for optimisation of limited capital while preserving the environment, are background facts leading to the present study. This research explores the beneficial contribution of a new available technology, LC3 cement, resulting from the combination of clinker, calcined clay and limestone, with a capacity of replacing up to 50% of clinker in cement. Global Warming Potential (GWP) is calculated with Life Cycle Assessment method and the economic investment's payback is assessed through Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) approach. Main outcomes show that projected demand could be satisfied either by adding new cement plants—at a high environmental impact and unprofitable performance— or by introducing LC3 strategy. The latter choice allows boosting both the return on investment and the production capacity while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 20–23% compared to business-as-usual practice. Overall profitability for the industry is estimated to overcome BAU scenario by 8–10% points by 2025, if LC3 were adopted. Increasing the production of conventional blended cements instead brings only marginal economic benefits without supporting the needed increase in production capacity. The conducted study also shows that, in spite of the extra capital cost required for the calcination of kaolinite clay, LC3 drops production costs in the range of 15–25% compared to conventional solutions.
  • Beyond materials: The construction process in space, time and culture in the informal settlement of Mathare, Nairobi
    Item type: Journal Article
    Celentano, Giulia; Habert, Guillaume (2021)
    Development Engineering
    The informal settlements in the Global South, mostly comprising of inadequate building solutions, are growing rapidly, therefore calling for more sustainable construction interventions and upgrading strategies. Within this context, this study considers that appropriate construction strategies are capable of engaging with the local economy, affected by endemic poverty, therefore contributing to the improvement of the settlement's socio-economic and physical conditions at once. A deeper understanding of the settlements construction process, actors, and key factors influencing material use, acceptance, and distribution, is therefore needed, and is here presented for the case of Mathare, in Nairobi. The study is based on field-based qualitative and quantitative data collection through semi-structured interviews and mapping, and through the adoption of methods as stakeholders analysis and supply chain mapping. The following insights have emerged from the study: 1) different client groups have access to different building materials; 2) the distribution of materials inside the settlement is strictly related to stores and building sites accessibility; 3) the local adoption of materials is highly impacted by the availability of space both at the supplier store and on the building site; 4) contextual cultural factors can have a major role in the construction organization. as for the case of ethnicity influencing roles distributions in the construction sector. The study insights are of relevance for the practice, specifically to inform project managers and policymakers involved in construction projects in the informal settlements about local material supply and demand constraints. Specifically, the study highlights the need to consider the availability of stocking space alongside the supply as well as on-site. Finally, it shows the validity of adopting a mixed-methods approach, looking at the settlements through a socio-technical approach.
  • Improved water supply and water handling technologies: Revealed complements but perceived substitutes for safe water quality
    Item type: Journal Article
    Gross, Elena; Guenther, Isabel; Schipper, Youdi (2022)
    Development Engineering
    We analyze the impact of public water infrastructure and water handling technologies on the water quality and water handling behavior of households in rural Benin using both quasi-experimental and experimental household-level panel data. We find that the installation of improved village-level water sources induces households to reduce water disinfection efforts at home, indicating that households perceive improved public water infrastructure as a substitute for improved water handling to obtain safe drinking water. Consequently, point-of-use drinking water quality does not change. A reduction of contamination with E. coli at points of use can only be achieved if interventions providing drinking water technologies at the water source are complemented by household-level interventions and efforts to teach households how to maintain good water quality.
  • Estimating hourly lighting load profiles of rural households in East Africa applying a data-driven characterization of occupant behavior and lighting devices ownership
    Item type: Journal Article
    Dominguez, Cristina; Orehounig, Kristina; Carmeliet, Jan (2021)
    Development Engineering
    To design energy access solutions for rural households in developing countries it is important to have an accurate estimation of what their electricity consumption is. Studies reveal that they mainly use electricity to meet their lighting needs, as they cannot afford high power-consuming appliances. However, the scarce data availability and modeling complexity are a challenge to compute correctly the load profiles without collecting data on-site. This paper presents a methodology that computes the hourly lighting load profiles of rural households in East Africa requiring a small amount of publicly available input data. Combining data from household surveys, climate, and satellite imagery, the methodology applies machine learning for determining occupant behavior patterns, and lamps ownership for indoor and outdoor usage. For this, an average prediction accuracy of 80% is reached. After applying lighting requirement functions, load profiles are generated and then validated using measured data from 13 households in Kenya. Results show that the methodology is able to compute the load profiles with an average normalized root mean squared error of 0.7%, which is less compared to existing simulation approaches using on-site data. To demonstrate a broad application, the monthly lighting consumption is computed and projected geospatially for households in Kenya.
  • Do financial diaries affect financial outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Uganda
    Item type: Journal Article
    Smits, Joeri; Günther, Isabel (2018)
    Development Engineering
    Survey data on income and expenditure is often of low quality and does not capture the volatile and irregular nature of cash flows of poor households. Financial diaries are increasingly used to improve the precision and accuracy of consumption and income estimates. In this paper we analyze whether keeping track of income and expenditures changes financial behavior and outcomes, which could reduce the validity of diaries as a measurement instrument. Members of urban Ugandan microcredit groups were, through random assignment, offered financial diaries to keep a record of their daily cash flows for more than a year. We find no evidence that financial diaries change numeracy skills, loan repayment, reported income, or food consumption. We only found a difference in savings, but this is unlikely to represent any impact of the financial diaries, as it does not exceed the amount provided as an incentive to the respondent for participation.
  • Using sensors to measure technology adoption in the social sciences
    Item type: Journal Article
    Rom, Adina; Günther, Isabel; Borofsky, Yael (2020)
    Development Engineering
    Empirical social sciences rely heavily on surveys to measure human behavior. Previous studies show that such data are prone to random errors and systematic biases caused by social desirability, recall challenges, and the Hawthorne effect. Moreover, collecting high frequency survey data is often impossible, which is important for outcomes that fluctuate. Innovation in sensor technology might address these challenges. In this study, we use sensors to describe solar light adoption in Kenya and analyze the extent to which survey data are limited by systematic and random error. Sensor data reveal that households used lights for about 4 h per day. Frequent surveyor visits for a random sub-sample increased light use in the short term, but had no long-term effects. Despite large measurement errors in survey data, self-reported use does not differ from sensor measurements on average and differences are not correlated with household characteristics. However, mean-reverting measurement error stands out: households that used the light a lot tend to underreport, while households that used it little tend to overreport use. Last, general usage questions provide more accurate information than asking about each hour of the day. Sensor data can serve as a benchmark to test survey questions and seem especially useful for small-sample analyses.
  • High-mast lighting as an adequate way of lighting pedestrian paths in informal settlements?
    Item type: Journal Article
    Kretzer, David Michael (2020)
    Development Engineering
    Lighting of pedestrian paths fulfils crucial needs for informal settlement dwellers. A common technological approach in some countries to address these needs is to provide high-mast luminaires. In this paper it is shown by computer simulation that those luminaires are not able to create adequate consistent lighting conditions in common forms of informal settlements. Illuminance uniformity requirements are not met within the entire pedestrian path network. Furthermore, a significant part of the light is emitted on the dwellings’ roof and hence results in light pollution.
Publications 1 - 7 of 7