Waste, Energy and Transport are three of the main sectors of the human society. The three sectors... more Waste, Energy and Transport are three of the main sectors of the human society. The three sectors have substantially been studied in their individual right and there is a plethora of literature available on them individually and also collectively in varying combinations. For instance, Waste to Energy is a well-established field, and so is the energy usage by the transport sector. However, there is an extreme knowledge gap in connection to energy being generated by incinerating waste in order to propel the means of the transport be it in air/aviation, terrestrial/automobile and locomotives or water/marine vessels. The paper focuses on this knowledge gap, thereby, aiming to create theoretical models of this concept. Therefore, the core nature of this study is conceptual. Relevant secondary data is drawn from the existing literature in the form of numbers and graphs to quantitatively establish the state of each of the three sectors before being joined together into a new nexus called Waste to Energy for Transport and abbreviated as WET Nexus. An account of challenges as well as benefits is outlined regarding the possibility of replacing the consumption of fossil fuel by waste-to-energy i.e. a kind of 'onboard' waste incineration to propel maritime vessels and also supply energy to 'on-board' built environments. Thus, killing two birds (transport and waste) with one stone (energy). The paper also touches upon innovative insights and future research potentials in terms of how maritime transport being driven by energy-from-waste instead of fossil fuels, can improve environmental sustainability; help climate emergency agendas and; also contribute to the Climate Action, which is one of the seventeen SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) introduced by the UN (United Nations).
A baseline study is a means of and for acquiring, organising, cleansing, presenting, and analysin... more A baseline study is a means of and for acquiring, organising, cleansing, presenting, and analysing all the data and/or information of preliminary investigation for hazard and risk assessment. This output of baseline study can be regarded as a conceptual site model (CSM), which has wide-ranging aspects that the literature to date does not appear to have captured a detailed account of, thereby limiting the full exploitation of CSM capacity in environmental communication between varying stakeholders. This knowledge-gap is focused upon by bringing out some new insights regarding CSM and creating an account of features of CSM for the first time. To start with, this study introduces CSM as an "intermediary" between a baseline study and the follow-on stages of the associated environmental risk assessment, and this is an innovative idea in its own right. Furthermore, light is torched upon CSM in several other new ways to show how CSM can serve as a live and "organic" foundation of an environmental risk assessment. It is depicted how the eight modules of a baseline study-geology, hydrology, hydrogeology, meteorology, geography, topography, anthropology and site managementcan inform to develop a CSM. Also, a CSM could be descriptive and/or schematic which could still be computer-aided or non-computer aided. Another implication is that even though CSM contains the word "site" in the phrase, it does not mean that the model includes only the geographical or physical extent of the site, rather it also includes off-site, i.e., site-surroundings. This is where the aforesaid eight modules can cover both on-site and off-site characteristics of a given site being assessed. The innovative account of CSM parameters, advantages and uses would pave the way for further research and ignite debates among a diverse range of researchers, consultants, environmental regulators, decision-makers and other stakeholders.
Health hazards associated with the redevelopment of contaminated sites can be complex and pose co... more Health hazards associated with the redevelopment of contaminated sites can be complex and pose considerable risks. A systematic literature review was conducted on risk assessment tools for contaminated sites. These tools have been identified from searching through leading academic databases and other professional sources. For each of the identified tools the relevant risk assessment stages, harm type, hazard category, receptor type and pathways are reported. Findings reveal that despite growing interest in the development of risk assessment tools, there are persistent knowledge gaps identified in this study, which serve as a basis for future research direction to where more advanced practical tools could be invented. For instance, it is evidenced there is a shortfall in practical tools available to contaminated site assessors conducting investigations at the preliminary risk assessment stage. Addressing this opening can benefit the planning process, coordinated between relevant stakeholders and, moreover, reduce uncertainty in the decision-making of contaminated site developers.
Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2014
A smart sensing layer based on polystyrene and carbon nanoparticles has been developed. It has be... more A smart sensing layer based on polystyrene and carbon nanoparticles has been developed. It has been deposited on the composite specimens for real-time, in situ monitoring of structural health. The strain response of the smart sensing layer has been recorded for composite laminates using different defect configurations (notch spacing). Numerical simulations of the stress-strain concentration have been carried out in order to determine the state of strain at the smart sensing layer, in the presence of different notch configurations. It has been observed that the sensing layer detects well the presence of large deformations and damage due to defects in the structure, with clearly defined peaks at the points of structural damage.
Waste, Energy and Transport are three of the main sectors of the human society. The three sectors... more Waste, Energy and Transport are three of the main sectors of the human society. The three sectors have substantially been studied in their individual right and there is a plethora of literature available on them individually and also collectively in varying combinations. For instance, Waste to Energy is a well-established field, and so is the energy usage by the transport sector. However, there is an extreme knowledge gap in connection to energy being generated by incinerating waste in order to propel the means of the transport be it in air/aviation, terrestrial/automobile and locomotives or water/marine vessels. The paper focuses on this knowledge gap, thereby, aiming to create theoretical models of this concept. Therefore, the core nature of this study is conceptual. Relevant secondary data is drawn from the existing literature in the form of numbers and graphs to quantitatively establish the state of each of the three sectors before being joined together into a new nexus called Waste to Energy for Transport and abbreviated as WET Nexus. An account of challenges as well as benefits is outlined regarding the possibility of replacing the consumption of fossil fuel by waste-to-energy i.e. a kind of 'onboard' waste incineration to propel maritime vessels and also supply energy to 'on-board' built environments. Thus, killing two birds (transport and waste) with one stone (energy). The paper also touches upon innovative insights and future research potentials in terms of how maritime transport being driven by energy-from-waste instead of fossil fuels, can improve environmental sustainability; help climate emergency agendas and; also contribute to the Climate Action, which is one of the seventeen SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) introduced by the UN (United Nations).
A baseline study is a means of and for acquiring, organising, cleansing, presenting, and analysin... more A baseline study is a means of and for acquiring, organising, cleansing, presenting, and analysing all the data and/or information of preliminary investigation for hazard and risk assessment. This output of baseline study can be regarded as a conceptual site model (CSM), which has wide-ranging aspects that the literature to date does not appear to have captured a detailed account of, thereby limiting the full exploitation of CSM capacity in environmental communication between varying stakeholders. This knowledge-gap is focused upon by bringing out some new insights regarding CSM and creating an account of features of CSM for the first time. To start with, this study introduces CSM as an "intermediary" between a baseline study and the follow-on stages of the associated environmental risk assessment, and this is an innovative idea in its own right. Furthermore, light is torched upon CSM in several other new ways to show how CSM can serve as a live and "organic" foundation of an environmental risk assessment. It is depicted how the eight modules of a baseline study-geology, hydrology, hydrogeology, meteorology, geography, topography, anthropology and site managementcan inform to develop a CSM. Also, a CSM could be descriptive and/or schematic which could still be computer-aided or non-computer aided. Another implication is that even though CSM contains the word "site" in the phrase, it does not mean that the model includes only the geographical or physical extent of the site, rather it also includes off-site, i.e., site-surroundings. This is where the aforesaid eight modules can cover both on-site and off-site characteristics of a given site being assessed. The innovative account of CSM parameters, advantages and uses would pave the way for further research and ignite debates among a diverse range of researchers, consultants, environmental regulators, decision-makers and other stakeholders.
Health hazards associated with the redevelopment of contaminated sites can be complex and pose co... more Health hazards associated with the redevelopment of contaminated sites can be complex and pose considerable risks. A systematic literature review was conducted on risk assessment tools for contaminated sites. These tools have been identified from searching through leading academic databases and other professional sources. For each of the identified tools the relevant risk assessment stages, harm type, hazard category, receptor type and pathways are reported. Findings reveal that despite growing interest in the development of risk assessment tools, there are persistent knowledge gaps identified in this study, which serve as a basis for future research direction to where more advanced practical tools could be invented. For instance, it is evidenced there is a shortfall in practical tools available to contaminated site assessors conducting investigations at the preliminary risk assessment stage. Addressing this opening can benefit the planning process, coordinated between relevant stakeholders and, moreover, reduce uncertainty in the decision-making of contaminated site developers.
Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2014
A smart sensing layer based on polystyrene and carbon nanoparticles has been developed. It has be... more A smart sensing layer based on polystyrene and carbon nanoparticles has been developed. It has been deposited on the composite specimens for real-time, in situ monitoring of structural health. The strain response of the smart sensing layer has been recorded for composite laminates using different defect configurations (notch spacing). Numerical simulations of the stress-strain concentration have been carried out in order to determine the state of strain at the smart sensing layer, in the presence of different notch configurations. It has been observed that the sensing layer detects well the presence of large deformations and damage due to defects in the structure, with clearly defined peaks at the points of structural damage.
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Papers by Hina Akram