Monday, May 7, 2012

National Transport Models: Recent Developments and Prospects (Advances in Spatial Science)

National Transport Models: Recent Developments and Prospects (Advances in Spatial Science) Review



National and European transport models become increasingly important. The broadening of national transport policy from strategic infrastructure investments to infrastructure management strengthens the need for advanced and more policy sensitive tools of analysis. The increase of interregional and international mobility requires forecasting tools that go beyond the urban or regional level. The competition for national infrastructure investments among regions and for Trans-European investments among nations has to be resolved by decisions and decision support systems at the appropriate spatial level. Environmental impacts transcend regional and national boundaries and transport policies affecting these environmental impacts involve all spatial levels. This volume presents the state of the art and prospects of a sample of the most advanced national and European transport models within a comparative framework.


Sunday, May 6, 2012

Africa's Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management (Directions in Development)

Africa's Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management (Directions in Development) Review



Africa's Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management (Directions in Development) Feature

  • ISBN13: 9780821384565
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Transport infrastructure is a key requirement for economic growth. But in Saharan Africa today, road networks are sparse, conditions are poor, and accident rates are high. Railroads are in decline. Airport runways are poorly maintained, and air traffic control and safety records are poor. Port performance falls well below international standards, and costs are high. Urban transit is generally chaotic and inadequate. The multidonor Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD) is a new database on the nature, extent, and condition of transport infrastructure in the region. Africa s Transport Infrastructure: Mainstreaming Maintenance and Management presents, analyzes, and critically discusses the content of AICD, in the context of the institutional and policy environments, to identify the major causes of poor infrastructure performance. The analysis reveals that networks are generally less dense, both per square kilometer and per capita, than in other regions. However, because incomes are low, the financial burden is greater than elsewhere. As a consequence, maintenance has been neglected and the condition of the infrastructure has deteriorated, increasing the costs of operations. This situation is accentuated by failures in the management and regulation of operators. The book presents financing trends and compares them with estimated expenditure needs. It shows that backlogs in routine and periodic maintenance have built up needs for rehabilitation that cannot be satisfied from domestic sources alone. It shows, both functionally and geographically, where major shortfalls are likely to occur and where priorities are highest, stressing the need to mobilize a wide range of sources for investment finance. The book concludes, however, that investment is only part of what is needed to improve the transport system. Unless that investment is accompanied by increased attention to maintenance finance and by substantial improvements in system management, the cost of transport in the region will continue to be a serious impediment to economic growth. This book will be of interest to governments in the region and to multilateral and bilateral aid and lending agencies, as well as to graduate students, faculty, and researchers in African studies and transport studies.


Friday, May 4, 2012

Environmental Transport Processes

Environmental Transport Processes Review



A unique approach to the challenges of complex environmental systems

Environmental Transport Processes, Second Edition provides much-needed guidance on mass transfer principles in environmental engineering. It focuses on working with uncontrolled conditions involving biological and physical systems, offering examples from diverse fields, including mass transport, kinetics, wastewater treatment, and unit processes.

This new edition is fully revised and updated, incorporating modern approaches and practice problems at the end of chapters, making the Second Edition more concise, accessible, and easy to use.

The book discusses the fundamentals of transport processes occurring in natural environments, with special emphasis on working at the biological–physical interface. It considers transport and kinetics in terms of systems that involve microorganisms, along with in-depth coverage of particles, size spectra, and calculations for particles that can be considered either spheres or fractals. The book's treatment of particles as fractals is especially unique and the Second Edition includes a new section on exoelectrogenic biofilms. It also addresses dispersion in natural and engineered systems unlike any other book on the subject.

Readers will learn to tackle with confidence complex environmental systems and make transport calculations in heterogeneous environments with mixtures of chemicals.