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The SBE19 Brussels - BAMB-CIRCPATH "Building as Material Banks - A Pathway for a Circular held in Brussels on 5 to 7 of February 2019, is an initiative of the Consortium of the H2020 BAMB Project together with the Sustainable Built Environment (SBE) series of conferences. Being within the SBE series, this event gathers the support of CIB International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction, iiSBE International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment, the United Nations Environment Programme, and FIDIC International Federation of Consulting Engineers. The goal of this series of regional and international conferences is to disseminate innovative policies and developments in the field of sustainable urban environment to a broad international audience of specialists in policy, design, construction and operation of buildings and related infrastructure. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

We investigated how a community of microbial decomposers adapted to a reference site responds to a sudden decrease in the water quality. For that, we assessed the activity and diversity of fungi and bacteria on decomposing leaves that were transplanted from a reference (E1) to a polluted site (E2), and results were compared to those from decomposing leaves either at E1 or E2. The two sites had contrasting concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients and heavy metals in the stream water. At E2, leaf decomposition rates, fungal biomass, and sporulation were reduced, while bacterial biomass was stimulated. Fungal diversity was four times lower at the polluted site. The structure of fungal community on leaves decomposing at E2 significantly differed from that decomposing at E1, as indicated by the principal response curves analysis. Articulospora tetracladia, Anguillospora filiformis, and Lunulospora curvula were dominant species on leaves decomposing at E1 and were the most negatively affected by the transfer to the polluted site. The transfer of leaves colonized at the reference site to the polluted site reduced fungal diversity and sporulation but not fungal biomass and leaf decomposition. Overall, results suggest that the high diversity on leaves from the upstream site might have mitigated the impact of anthropogenic stress on microbial decomposition of leaves transplanted to the polluted site.

This work evaluates, for the first time, the possibility of producing multifunctional alkali-activated composites combining ultra-low density, low thermal conductivity, high acoustic absorption, and good moisture buffering capacity. The composites were prepared using cork as a lightweight aggregate. This novel material might promote energy savings and tackle the CO2 emissions of the building sector, while simultaneously improve the comfort for inhabitants (e.g. humidity levels regulation and sound pollution reduction). The composites apparent density (as low as 168 kg/m3) and thermal conductivity (as low as 68 mW/m K) are amongst the lowest ever reported for alkali-activated materials (AAM) composites and foams, while their sound absorption ability is comparable to the best performing AAM foams reported to date, but in addition these eco-friendly composites also show good ability to passively adjust the humidity levels inside buildings. The multifunctional properties shown by the cork – AAM composites set them apart from other conventional building materials and might contribute to the global sustainability of the construction sector. Peer Reviewed

The potential impacts of climate-induced changes in air pollution levels and its impacts on population health were investigated. The IPCC scenario (SRES A2) was used to analyse the effects of climate on future PM10 concentrations over Portugal and their impact on short-term population exposure and mortality. The air quality modelling system has been applied with high spatial resolution looking on climate changes at regional scale. To quantify health impacts related to air pollution changes, the WHO methodology for health impact assessment was implemented. The results point to 8% increase of premature mortality attributed to future PM10 levels in Portugal. The pollution episodes with daily average PM10 concentration above the current legislated value (50 μg·m−3) would be responsible for 81% of attributable cases. The absolute number of deaths attributable to PM10 under future climate emphasizes the importance of indirect effects of climate change on human health.

In the current situation with the unprecedented deployment of clean technologies for electricity generation, it is natural to expect that storage will play an important role in electricity networks. This paper provides a qualitative methodology to select the appropriate technology or mix of technologies for different applications. The multiple comparisons according to different characteristics distinguish this paper from others about energy storage systems. Firstly, the different technologies available for energy storage, as discussed in the literature, are described and compared. The characteristics of the technologies are explained, including their current availability. In order to gain a better perspective, availability is cross-compared with maturity level. Moreover, information such as ratings, energy density, durability and costs is provided in table and graphic format for a straightforward comparison. Additionally, the different electric grid applications of energy storage technologies are described and categorised. For each of the categories, we describe the available technologies, both mature and potential. Finally, methods for connecting storage technologies are discussed.

Abstract Alternative vehicle propulsion technologies are being promoted to reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts in transportation. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is often used to assess and compare the environmental impacts of these technologies, but, in its traditional form, it lacks the ability to capture the transient effects as new vehicles displace older vehicles in the fleet. Fleet-based life-cycle (LC) approaches – which combine the LCA methodology with fleet models that describe the stocks and flows associated with a class of products over time – have been proposed to circumvent this issue. This article presents a critical review of the literature addressing fleet-based LC approaches by providing an overview of modeling approaches, its main applications, and an analysis of the key aspects underlying environmental and energy impacts of vehicle fleets (focusing on electrification pathways). Fleet-based LC approaches have been applied with different purposes (e.g., to model recycling processes, to assess trade-offs between manufacturing and use impacts; to optimize product service life). The issue of evaluating the impacts of introducing alternative technologies is appropriately addressed by a fleet-based LC approach, because it allows for the capture of displacement effects, technological improvements over time, and changes in background processes. Several studies have used such an approach to assess scenarios of evolution of the light-duty fleet. The main key aspects are: fleet penetration rate, electricity source, fuel economy improvements, and vehicle weight reduction. Emission reductions were found to be very dependent on the underlying assumptions. Reducing fuel consumption is one of the key ways to reduce fleet GHG emissions, but it needs to be combined with other measures, such as high penetration of advanced technologies, to bring about significant reductions. The electricity generation source has also a large impact on the fleet GHG emissions and increasing renewable energy penetration is key to reduce overall emissions.

As alterações climáticas são já há algumas décadas consideradas uma ameaça real às cidades, que via de regra não estão preparadas para lidar com a incerteza que caracteriza o referido fenômeno, tampouco com seus impactos. Nas cidades costeiras essa ameaça é ainda maior em função de fenômenos como a elevação do nível médio do mar e as alterações nos padrões de precipitação intensa de curta duração, que aumentam exponencialmente o risco de inundação destes territórios, ameaçando a sua manutenção e desenvolvimento no futuro. Sendo os sistemas de transporte uma das estruturas principais para o funcionamento de uma cidade, a vulnerabilidade destes à momentos de inundação, pode determinar um alto risco para suas funções básicas. O que este trabalho pretende é abordar a vulnerabilidade dos sistemas de transporte às inundações em cidades costeiras; como os impactos das alterações climáticas são ou serão capazes de alterar os padrões de mobilidade em uma cidade; e como é possível responder a estas incertezas através dos processos de adaptação para a resiliência, com exemplos práticos de cidades que tiveram que lidar com estas questões em situações pós-desastre. Climate change has for some decades been considered a real threat to cities, which are mostly not prepared to deal with the uncertainty that characterizes this phenomenon, nor with its impacts. In coastal cities, this threat is even greater because of phenomena such as the rise in mean sea level and changes in the patterns of intense short-term precipitation that exponentially increase the risk of flooding of these territories, threatening their maintenance and development in the future . In the other hand, transport systems are one of the main structures for the operation of a city, so their vulnerability to flooding can determine a high risk for one of the basic urban functions. What this paper intends is to address the vulnerability of flood transportation systems in coastal cities; how the impacts of climate change are or will be able to change the mobility patterns in a city; and how these uncertainties can be addressed through adaptive processes for resilience, with practical examples of cities that have had to deal with these issues in post-disaster situations.