Search results

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the engagement and response of students to the teaching of engineering ethics incorporating a macro ethical framework whereby sustainability is viewed as context to professional practice. This involves incorporating a broader conception of engineering than is typically applied in conventional teaching of engineering ethics.

A real life wicked problem case study assignment was developed. Students' understanding and practical application of the concepts were considered. A survey was conducted to gauge students' appreciation of the professional importance and their enjoyment of the subject matter.

It was found that students appreciate and enjoy a macro ethical sustainability informed approach, but find it more challenging to apply in practice.

The paper demonstrates an approach to the teaching of engineering ethics using a practical example, which can help broaden engineers' self‐perceived role towards one where sustainability is context. It also shows how students can find such an approach to teaching ethics to be both enjoyable and relevant.

Engineers educated to perceive the importance of engaging with macro ethical issues as part of professional practice will be significantly better placed to inform public and industry policy towards greater good and engage with other professional and expert groups.

In this paper, an approach to engineering ethics which diverges from the traditional is proposed. This can be of value to those involved in the teaching of engineering ethics, particularly those seeking to incorporate sustainability and other macro ethical issues.

To provide water utilities operating under rationing conditions with some insight into issues related to managing non‐revenue water (NRW).

Reviews general theories associated with pressure, surges and water leakage, and compares them with real data in a rationed water distribution system.

In water networks there is a strong relationship between rationing hours and rationing surge pressures and NRW levels. These relationships mean that traditional ways of benchmarking NRW are not useful in rationed systems.

This paper identifies key NRW issues for utilities operating under rationing and gives them help in identifying options for their NRW strategies.

The purpose of this article is to review the status of current research on how disaster response can best adapt to the urban environment. It looks specifically at water supply assistance, analysing the role and interaction of the various stakeholders and, in particular, the relationship between aid agencies and water utilities.

The review is based on published and unpublished documents produced on the response to emergencies having taken place in developing countries in the last 30 years.

The article reproduces statistical data on the rising trends in the incidence of disasters in cities, which emphasizes the relevance of the subject. It also shows that the experience accumulated in the last decade on the response to urban disasters suggests that partnerships between water utilities and aid agencies are beneficial. But the means to achieve this partnership require a more in‐depth analysis.

This review is based only on the literature and should be completed by a case study research in order to support and further develop its theses.

While the level of access to urban services in the developing countries has been extensively researched in “normal times”, there has been little exploration of its role in crisis situations. This article points out the value of such research and recommends that more analysis is carried out.

The role of business logistics for a water distribution company in Central Asia has become a major concern. As the marketing environment is getting more and more competitive, the company is forced to focus on the efficiency of its supply chain management operations both by improving customer service, increasing its profitability and productivity. The purpose of this paper is to report upon the designing of a responsive supply chain for water distribution in Central Asia.

A logistic plan to satisfy customer requirement for water distribution in a Central Asian city subject to satisfactory service levels both in the number of distribution centers (DCs) and truck delivery schedule is outlined in this paper. The logistics plan includes repositioning the DCs in relation to the customer location for efficient distribution. The problem is formulated as truck delivery schedule using a new algorithm where single distribution centre is converted into a multiple warehouse location problem. The problem is solved using WINQSB software. Further, the current DCs are appraised with the software and suggested possible new locations for convenience.

The application part of this case study consists of identifying water DCs in city limits. By developing improved distribution and logistics management, the study aims at economical operations, convenient zonal distributions, and responsive SCM characteristics. To this end, a spatial distribution plan and route sequencing solution is developed for water distribution.

The paper shows how to improve logistic network that results in cost savings, convenient zonal distributions, and responsive SCM operations. To this end, a spatial distribution plan and route sequencing is developed for water distribution.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze conditional failure rates, and prioritize water pipelines for replacement based on their expected failure rate where pipes are grouped based on age and pipe type. Thus, predictions can be made on the expected number of breaks in future years.

The time to failure of a pipe can be characterized by the stochastic properties of the population as a whole, from which the likelihood of component failure is derived. When the corresponding failure rate is plotted against time, a bathtub‐shaped curve results. The bathtub curve assists in determining maintenance schedules depending on the age of the pipe. Failure rates help determine whether the rates are more than an acceptable best practice threshold to signal replacement.

Ductile iron pipes had the highest failure rates, followed by asbestos cement pipes; PVC and concrete cylinder pipes had the lowest failure rates, but because concrete cylinder pipes are very time‐consuming to repair and very expensive to install, only PVC pipes are recommended on the basis of this study. Cast iron pipes fit the bathtub shape; ductile iron and asbestos concrete were somewhat bathtub shaped, though the early phase period was not apparent; the bathtub curve for concrete cylinder was fully inverted; while PVC pipes showed zero probability of failure during the middle period. The shapes of bathtub curves drawn on conditional failure rates were similar to those for the failure rates. The bathtub curves indicate that the general failure performance of pipe materials is somewhat contrary to general principles in manufacturing.

Analysis of failure serves a practical purpose for water utilities to allocate funds for pipe maintenance and prepare a schedule for pipe replacement, so as to provide the best quality services and safe drinking water to users of the utility.

The proper prioritization of water supply pipes for repair and replacement is of great social importance to the public at large, which expends considerable funds to maintain their drinking water supply.

The study of bathtub curves has not been seen before in the analysis of water supply pipes. A unique discovery is that the traditional shape of the bathtub curve is not always applicable for water supply pipes.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the business potential for international consultancies in wastewater treatment in China using a New Zealand consultancy as an example. China's water shortage, and the requirement for innovative solutions, provides the potential for New Zealand, and other international, engineering consultancies to do business in wastewater treatment in China.

A detailed case study was undertaken on a New Zealand company with experience of business in China. The company's key strategic factors were identified – its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats that the company faces in China.

Based on the analysis of the case study company, a series of recommendations have been suggested for both the company's further sustainable development, and for other New Zealand and international consultancies that plan to gain access into the Chinese market. The results and discussion suggest that there are some main requirements for companies to successfully compete in the Chinese market such as developing close relationships with clients, local construction companies and design institutes; providing an effective onsite project team; having effective design capability; introducing project management skills and the use of a “one stop shop” approach to business.

The paper makes recommendations on how other companies might be able to compete in the Chinese market in the wastewater industry. Specifically, comments are made on developing long‐term relationships, making use of Chinese experience and developing a bi‐lingual capability.

There are potential opportunities for New Zealand and international companies to compete in China in the wastewater treatment field. The lessons learned from this research show what possible threats they will face but also highlight the opportunities.

Proposes a comprehensive approach to support the activities of companies that provide public services. This approach consists of several steps. Defines an appropriate set of performance indicators, and the choice of an appropriate evaluation technique and its application to the services involved. Enables managers of organisations operating in public services to derive operational frameworks based on: an analysis of the information flows among different stakeholders involved in service processes; and the identification of a set of indicators allowing evaluation of the performance level in order to develop quality control systems. Presents an application of the approach to the case of the water supply service in Italy.

Development of business models, base of the pyramid (BoP) markets.

This study can be used at Bachelor as well as on Master's level courses to reflect activities and practices within corporate sustainability, base of the pyramid and international expansion of MNEs.

This is a case study of Grundfos LIFELINK's development process, relating to the successful development of a business model for serving base of the pyramid (BoP) markets for potable water. Grundfos LIFELINK is a turnkey water solution that encompasses a solar-driven pump facility, a GPS-based monitoring system, and charges based on digital payments of water credits. Together, they represent the business model of Grundfos LIFELINK. At the same time the modules represent a business architecture that can be mixed and matched to match the skills and ensure the adaptive involvement of local partners in BoP markets. Since its cautious start in 2009, Grundfos has successfully expanded its operations to 30 villages in Kenya and LIFELINK systems will operate in 70 villages in Kenya within the next two years.

In an international business/international management context, especially the first and the last part of the case could be used as a showcase of the current transformation efforts multinational companies (MNCs) in the developed world are pursuing. Pressured by the cost advantages of Dragon multinationals from Asia, India and Brazil, MNCs search for new ways to provide value and at the same time utilize their existing knowledge. The Grundfos LIFELINK case shows some of the important consequences and challenges that multinational organizations are facing, once such business models needs to be integrated in the current MNC activities.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

The purpose of this paper is to inform facility managers of the type of failure affecting certain pipe types more than others. This is useful in asset management as preventive maintenance can be undertaken for those pipe types that experience high probabilities of failure.

The probability of a specific pipe type failing given the cause of break, age at failure, pipe diameter, and type of soil at the location of the break was found using inventory and main break data from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (HBWS). Bayes’ theorem was then applied to find the posterior probabilities of failure starting from the prior probabilities of failure.

It was observed that the greatest probabilities of failure involved corrosion, pipes aged between 20‐30 years, 8″ pipes, and pipes in fill material. The pipe types were ranked and scored based on their probability of failing due to break cause, age, diameter, and soil type. Cast iron pipes were shown to have the highest probability of failing. As such, attention should be given to replace segments of cast iron pipes as they reach the end of their service lives.

This study serves to address a major query in asset management at a public utility, that of which pipes should be selected for replacement when they reach the end of their service life. In addition, this study helps to understand the causes of failure for the various types of pipe.

The importance of having reliable water supply at low cost has immense social implications in modern communities. To deliver such service, water pipe assets have to be managed efficiently.

This paper addresses the probability of failure in a straightforward manner that the water utility can easily apply to its own data, both in its design and asset management.

Earth retaining and structural foundation works are commonly built from rolled steel piling products which are designed and manufactured to cover a wide range of structural applications. Product data must not only provide design and application information, but also steel corrosion rates in the full range of service environments and, in this context, the corrosion of steel piling has been extensively studied both from examinations of actual structures and from more fundamental studies. Corrosion researches cover both corrosion‐protected and bare steel piling and, in order to appreciate fully the value of these researches, a simplified but adequate explanation of steel corrosion is given.