A new risk-based design approach for hydraulic engineering

Hydraulic structures providing flood and coastal protection facilitate economic development as well as living areas and often converge with other infrastructure. There is a need for general guidance for analysing risks of hydraulic structures. This paper analyses two actual hydraulic engineering projects in the UK in which acceptable risk levels are incorporated in the design using a new risk-based design approach, taking consciously into account the influence of stakeholders, the legal framework as set by the Government, design-elements from different design-disciplines and funding.     

Recycling of plastics: A materials balance optimisation model

At present the volume of solid waste produced in modern consumer societies is increasing, requiring policy measures to reduce the volume of waste to be dumped or incinerated. In this article a materials balance optimisation model for the recycling of plastics is developed to analyse the impact of policy measures that stimulate recycling. The study presents the structure of the optimisation model and it gives the results of a charge imposed on the dumping and incineration of plastics. The calculations show that considerable effort should be made to reach the recycling targets for plastic that have been set by the public authorities for the year 2000.