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The events of September 11, 2001 confronted the United States and the rest of the World with the reality of a new dimension of international terrorism. This new dimension did not start nor end with the attacks against the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, but began in the 1990s. This study examines the new dimension of international terrorism, contrasting it with the classical terrorism, the predominantly left-wing terrorist movements of the 1960s - 1980s in Europe, which were a subset of the bipolar geo-political arena. The author establishes the relationship of radical Islamist movements to the terrorist groups of the new dimension (principally focusing on Al-Qaeda) in providing the motivation for committing catastrophic terrorist acts, looks at the shadowy world of terrorist financing and makes suggestions regarding international counter-terrorist strategies.

This book provides a novel view of spectroscopic methods: it describes spectroscopy holistically in terms of integral physical aspects instead of the classical methodic order according to wavelengths. The book introduces the reader to UV/Vis, NIR, IR, ESR, and NMR spectroscopy. These methods and their common physical basis, namely the reversible absorption of energy from the respective region of the electromagnetic spectrum, are illustrated in a comprehensive manner with the help of a multitude of explicative colored graphics.

Spaces and Projects of National Importance (SAPONI) are not only important for the respective spatial areas, they are also in the interest of the entire nation, and sometimes of European interest as well. Over a three years period a series of different symposia with high-level spatial planners from all over Europe had been focusing on these strategic spaces and projects. The book sums up the findings of these issues which can have "far-reaching consequences and chances that could be used – or they could be lost" like the leader of the workshop-series, Prof. Bernd Scholl, points out.target audience: spatial and urban planners, politicians and institutions

In the research project The Typology of Adaptability in Building Construction, the Competence Centre for Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP) at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences & Arts, Switzerland, has dedicated itself to presenting a clear overview of the complex subject of adaptability in building construction, for both planners and users. What does adaptability mean? What forms can adaptability take? How can adaptability be achieved and what are its determining factors?The research addresses these – and further – questions and presents a practical system to determine the adaptability degree of buildings.

The Social Media Strategy Framework presented in this book offers a unique and comprehensive end-to-end approach. It takes a company from the point of understanding the value of social media for business to the point of implementing a solution that meets its business needs.The Framework is distinguished by several elements: It focuses on building a sustainable use for social media along the business value chain. It aligns with company strategic objectives and business context. It identifies key elements to create a strong foundation for social media use in the company. It separates internal and external social media uses. It is NOT a technology implementation.Additionally, the case studies presented in this book and on the corresponding website highlight successful social media implementation in business by companies in Europe.

The Social Media Strategy Framework presented in this book offers a unique and comprehensive end-to-end approach. It takes a company from the point of understanding the value of social media for business to the point of implementing a solution that meets ist business needs.

This work analyzes the necessity of changing Japan’s present defense policy. The discussion of Japan’s defense strategy has been an unpopular topic in Japan for a long time. The reason lies in its gruesome military aggression during the Second World War. Until the end of the Cold War, Japan did not show big concerns about its defense politics because the United States had protected it from communist enemies. Today, however, China’s emerging power and North Korea’s nuclearization pose serious threats. America, by contrast, suffers from great financial debts and is facing declining military forces.Japan’s main doubt has thus come to light: Would America protect Japan in the case of hostile events? Since the world remains a realistic world, nuclearization can be an option in order to deter enemies.It turned out that Japan has not much of a choice but could provoke a discussion to overcome the nuclear dilemma.

Global climate change is contributing to hazards to infrastructure in cold regions, asengineers try to quantify uncertainties through a risk-based consideration of sensitivity andconsequences, and thereby to mitigate the risks arising from permafrost degradation. Agradually rising Mean Annual Air Temperature, combined with more extreme rainfallconditions and fewer ‘freezing degree days’, mean that the water phase in soil that has beenfrozen for many years in the form of permafrost, is likely to thaw and release groundwaterinto the voids. Since the properties of warm permafrost can change significantly as itstemperature rises, climate change can affect not only the thickness of the active layer andthe depth of permanently frozen ground, but also the constitutive behaviour of the permafrostlayer. This has significance not only for movements and stability in permafrost slopes butalso in rock glaciers, which are ice-rich geomorphological landforms. Furthermore,permafrost degradation is causing changes in land surface characteristics and drainagesystems, as warming of rock glaciers leads to accelerated creep. Instabilities may also betriggered as the constitutive properties of permafrot change, either in the form of active layerdetachments or at depth through the warming permafrost. Catastrophic debris flows mayalso occur.Dr Yamamoto has conducted a fundamental and highly innovative experimental investigationinto the effect of time and temperature on the creep and shear strength properties ofanalogue alpine permafrost, under a range of stress conditions that would be experienced indifferent locations of a rock glacier. She has developed new equipment to maintain thetemperature in the frozen soil specimens at ±0.03°C in the previously unexplored rangebetween 0 and -0.5°C, and to record acoustic emissions during creep and shearing.Furthermore, she has carried out novel micromechanical investigations into the changesoccurring in the solid, ice, air and unfrozen water mixture as a result of shearing. The resultsof the laboratory tests have been used to provide a deeper insight, not only into theconstitutive behaviour of frozen soils, but also a greater qualitative understanding of thegeotechnical performance of rock glaciers under warming conditions.In addition, she has extended an existing mechanical constitutive model for soils thatincludes both soil creep and shear behaviour to develop a semi-coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) constitutive model. The model, when implemented in a finite elementpackage, allows the laboratory element test data to be predicted, which also validates keyaspects of her model rather well. This represents a significant step towards achievingquantitative predictions of the influence of temperature variation on the performance of rockglaciers.Dr Yuko Yamamoto has made original and significant discoveries about the thermomechanicalresponse of frozen soils under a range of stress path tests, by developing andusing a range of state-of-the-art experimental techniques and combining these with powerfulanalytical and numerical methods to interpret and model behaviour of permafrost soils. Herresearch paves the way for future work that will lead to quantitative modelling ofgeomorphological process in permafrost landforms, such as the creep and stability of rockglaciers.Prof. Dr. Sarah M. Springman II CBE FREng

Sulphatic claystones are among the most problematic rocks in tunnelling due to their distinctive swelling properties. They are known to have caused severe damage, for example, to numerous tunnels excavated in the Gypsum Keuper formation. The repairs were extremely costly and time-consuming, and often provided only a temporary solution. The setbacks experienced in tunnelling through Gypsum Keuper may be attributed, among other things, to our limited knowledge of the macroscopic principles governing the swelling process and the underlying microscopic mechanisms. The issues in question have formed the focal point of long-standing research in the Chair of Underground Construction at ETH Zurich. A series of theoretical and experimental research projects are being conducted to investigate the interactions between chemical reactions, transport processes and the observed macroscopic behaviour. The objective of the investigations is to improve our understanding of swelling processes in order to yield a scientifically established basis for design. This work has achieved important progress towards this objective. It has systematically and comprehensively analysed the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the chemical reactions involved in the swelling process, as well as their interplay with advective and diffusive ion transport. The topic is of great value in terms of further investigation in this area.

Double porosity soil is characterised by a soil continuum containing two distinct porosities. Typically, this consists of macro-grains (lumps) of soil that have an internal porosity defined as the intragranular porosity. The spaces between lumps are identified as intergranular voids that give rise to the intergranular porosity. Human activities such as land reclamation or mining can give rise to large areas of land with subsoil that exhibits double porosity. The need to build in, or on, these areas is increasing, due to demand for land for industrial usage, infrastructure, and residence. However, the engineering properties of such soils are challenging, and often difficult to predict due to their inhomogeneity and a lack of information about the initial or current parameters.Double porosity mining waste landfills in Northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic were studied in this project. There, decades of open-cast mining of brown coal have left vast areas of land affected by the waste overburden that has been removed and dumped in old mining pits. Redevelopment of areas affected by mining sometimes requires construction on old overburden waste spoil heaps, which consist primarily of lumps of overconsolidated clay and are therefore characterised by a double porosity soil structure. The loading response on these clayfills entails large absolute and relative deformations, which means that ground improvement is normally needed before construction begins, to ensure that both stability and service limit state requirements are met.The primary aim of this research was a comparison, through physical modelling, of ground improvement techniques on double porosity clay landfills. A secondary objective was to contribute to the understanding of the material behaviour governing response to loading and other processes on double porosity soil.

Luxury has been fascinating humanity for millennia and it seems that it will continue to do so in the future. As we can see in developed countries with populations living in relative affluence, luxury takes different forms, becoming less materialistic when people already own a house, two cars and a boat, but now crave wellness treatments and more recreational time. However, luxury will always have a material aspect as embodied by beautiful products made from exclusive materials by skilled artisans with an eye for detail.One way or another, luxury is big business and an important economic factor all over the world, especially in Switzerland, a country with few natural resources to speak of but a wealth of knowledge when it comes to services (e.g. hotel management) and the manufacture of exclusive products such as watches, textiles, and of course chocolate – to name just a few. Indeed, a significant proportion of Swiss GDP comes from the production of luxury goods which are exported all over the world.In this publication we examine the phenomenon of luxury, ist roots, and ist economic impact both globally and in Switzerland. You will learn more about global luxury markets, well-known and niche market players, as well as major trends shaping the definition of luxury and the management and marketing of luxury brands in the future.

Knowledge of the performance of river dykes during flooding is necessary when designing governmental assistance plans aimed to reduce both casualties and material damage. This is especially relevant when floods have increased in their frequency during the last decades, together with the resulting material damage and life costs.Most of previous attempts for analyzing dyke breaching during flooding have neglected to consider the soil mechanics component and the influence of infiltration and saturation changes on the failure mechanisms developed in the river dyke.This research project aimed to fill that gap in knowledge by analyzing, in a comprehensive manner, the effect of transient water conditions, represented by successive flood cycles, on the seepage conditions and subsequent breaching of dykes. Therefore, three key sub-projects were carried out: the analysis of the results from an overflow field test, the physical modeling of small-scaled models under an enhanced gravity field, the numerical modeling of the flow response and the resulting stability of both the air- and water-side slopes.The results from the numerical simulations matched accurately with the results obtained with the centrifuge modeling, including the prediction of local instabilities during the flood cycles for those dykes that did not include a toe filter.

Landslides triggered by rainfall cause significant damage to infrastructure annually and affect many lives in several parts of the world, including Switzerland. These landslides are initiated by a decrease in the effective stresses, and hence the shear strength of the soil, as a result of the increase in pore water pressure. The frequency of their occurrence is directly affected by the climatic and hydrological conditions in the region. Therefore, it is expected that the predicted rise in the number of extreme meteorological events, accompanied by the concentration of population and infrastructure in mountainous regions, will result in an increased number of casualties associated with landslides in the future.The main goal of this doctoral project was to study the effects of pore water pressure perturbations on the stability of unsaturated silty sand slopes and to investigate the mechanisms leading to the initiation and propagation of the shear deformations and eventually possible rapid mass movements.The behaviour of the test slope prior to the failure induced by the artificial rainfall event was investigated using analytical and numerical methods. The mechanical features of unsaturated soils and reinforcing effects of the vegetation were implemented in 2D and 3D limit equilibrium analysis. The possible depth of the failure surface was calculated based on these simplified models and was compared with the depth of the real failure surface in the landslide triggering experiment. The soil-bedrock interactions, in terms of the pattern of pore pressure distributions and their influence on stabilising or destabilising the slope, were studied and the results were compared to the field measurements.

As part of the ISOCARP 50th anniversary programme, the publication of Ten Years of UPATs: Reflections and Results is certainly one of the "flagship" activities of ISOCARP. We have to thank the editors and authors, as well as all the members of the Urban Planning Advisory Teams who contributed to the impressive quality of this publication.The initiation of the UPATs was a turning point in the activities of ISOCARP as a professional organisation. Instead of limiting its role to reflecting on activities, it turned into a pro-active organisation intervening in the real world, rather than serving only as a consultant. The UPATs try to "open eyes and doors", to think and act in other directions, and start collaborative and innovative planning processes rolling. At the same time, the UPATs created the opportunity to bring ISOCARP members together: new planners and experienced planners with widely divergent backgrounds and their own specific areas of expertise. Unexpectedly, the UPATs created a kind of "cement" among ist members and gave ISOCARP a new active face.The publication is clearly structured, complete and much more than a pure report. It contains an elaboration of the objectives of the UPAT concept, an interesting explanation and justification of the planning methodology and maxims, a brief comparative analysis of similar expert advisory platforms applying collaborative planning procedures, and a general description with the categories and characteristics of all the UPATs. The core of the book is devoted to the description of case studies, the organisation and management of the workshops, and, ultimately, to an elucidation of the lessons learned.When we think about the role of ISOCARP in the future, we should take the UPATs as an example for the way a modern professional organisation can act, not only through knowledge sharing, but also by developing visions, concepts and concrete solutions for complex urban problems within a collaborative setting.

Der Swiss Valuation Standard (SVS) ist der von allen relevanten Verbänden und Hochschulen getragene Immobilienbewertungsstandard der Schweiz. Mit der verbindlichen Definition der wertrelevanten Begriffe und der Einordnung der wichtigsten Bewertungskonzepte, -normen und -standards trägt der SVS massgebend zu einer höheren Transparenz und Professionalität der Immobilienbewertung in der Schweiz bei.Die Publikation ist dreisprachig (D/F/I).La Swiss Valuation Standard (SVS) constitue la norme d’estimation immobilière de référence des principales associations et hautes écoles suisses. La SVS, via des définitions contraignantes des notions relatives à la valeur pertinentes et le recensement des principaux concepts et principes et des principales normes d’estimation immobilière, permet une amélioration considérable de la transparence et du professionnalisme des pratiques de l’estimation immobilière en Suisse.Lo Swiss Valuation Standard (SVS) è lo standard per la valutazione immobiliare adottato da tutte le associazioni e scuole universitarie rilevanti in Svizzera. Con la definizione vincolante dei termini relativi al valore e la classificazione dei concetti, norme e standard di valutazione più importanti, l’SVS contribuisce in maniera determinante ad una maggiore trasparenza e professionalità della valutazione immobiliare in Svizzera.

Construction on soft soils is always accompanied by the risk of significant, time-dependent settlement and bearing capacity failure. As technical knowledge has advanced, optimised ground improvement has offered significant economic advantages in reducing net settlement and resisting failure by installation of more flexible and cost-effective stone columns or sand compaction piles in the ground, rather than more rigid inclusions such as steel or concrete piles. The stiffness and strength of the subsoil around the columns is greater, and the consolidation time is reduced through shorter (radial) drainage paths.More sophisticated, time-dependent analysis of the settlement response and assessment of the bearing capacity of the improved ground under vertical loading from stiff footings is essential. Prediction of post-construction settlements must be made to guarantee the serviceability limit state of the footing in the long-term. This research has investigated the system response in terms of load transfer from the footing into the stone columns, combined with consideration of the micromechanical effects in the smear and compaction zones around the columnar inclusion, as well as the resistance to failure of the stone column itself through shear, bending, barrelling, punching or spreading.Both axisymmetric (single column) and innovative three-dimensional finite element analysis (five stone column group) were carried out, including a wished-in-place approach with reduced stiffness in the smear zone. The load-settlement behaviour of composite foundations using stone columns in soft clays was well predicted. This has revealed some interesting interactions and added further insight into the mechanisms derived from the physical modelling and experimental techniques. For example, it became clear that the stress concentration reduced so much with depth that the stone column dimensions could be optimized in terms of reduced diameter and/or length for this particular case of load bearing capacity.

This PhD thesis investigates the effectiveness of drainage measures with respect to two particularly important problems associated with tunnelling through water-bearing, weak ground: the stability of the tunnel face and the stability and deformation of grouting bodies. Water is an adverse factor with respect to the stability and deformation of underground structures due to the pore water pressure and the seepage forces associated with seepage flow towards the tunnel. Drainage boreholes reduce the pore water pressure and the seepage forces in the vicinity of the cavity. Furthermore, loss of pore water pressure increases the effective stresses and thus the shearing resistance of the ground ("consolidation"), which is favourable in terms the deformation occurring during and after tunnelling.The goal of the PhD thesis is to elaborate a more detailed understanding of the interrelationships between drainage measures and the stability of the tunnel face and grouting bodies. The main objectives of the investigations relating to the tunnel face are: 1.analysis of face stability through limit equilibrium computations taking account of the numerically determined seepage flow conditions prevailing in the ground after the implementation of drainage measures;2.systematic investigation of tunnel face stability considering several different drainage layouts and working out designnomograms;3.consideration of a series of aspects limiting pore pressure relief and thus the effectiveness of drainage measures and their impact on face stability. The main objectives of the investigations with regard to grouting bodies are: 1. a study of the stabilizing effect of the virtual case of ideal drainage on tunnel support and plastification in grouted fault zones in plane strain conditions;2.a comparison with the stabilizing effect of real drainage layouts, i.e. when considering pore pressure relief due to specific drainage borehole arrangements;3. application of the drainage measure both before and after the injection works.In summary, the contribution of this PhD thesis is the detailed investigation of the static effects of drainage measures during tunnelling in water-bearing ground with respect to the stability of the tunnel face and the grouting body as well as the supply of design aids capable of providing a quick assessment of face stability when considering a number of advance drainage schemes.

Seasteads – artificial settlements on the open sea – represent a near-future chance for multiple societal restarts.Where nation states suffer from ineffectiveness and inefficiency, both politically and economically, and cannot be changed due to path-dependency and rigidity, the open sea is a clean slate. Here, we can test new ways of doing things differently.This book discusses the opportunities and challenges of seasteads. Its focus is on socio-philosophical, political, economic, and legal aspects of founding new small societies of pro-active and productive individuals and groups. An explorative exercise, this book presents paradigmatic ideas and suggestions for partial aspects of seasteads.

Seasteads – artificial settlements on the open sea – represent a near-future chance for multiple societal restarts.Where nation states suffer from ineffectiveness and inefficiency, both politically and economically, and cannot be changed due to path-dependency and rigidity, the open sea is a clean slate. Here, we can test new ways of doing things differently.This book discusses the opportunities and challenges of seasteads. Its focus is on socio-philosophical, political, economic, and legal aspects of founding new small societies of pro-active and productive individuals and groups. An explorative exercise, this book presents paradigmatic ideas and suggestions for partial aspects of seasteads.

Maximen sind unscharf, verkürzt, teilweise widersprüchlich und überschneiden sich. Sie widerstehen einer klaren Systematik. Deshalb die alphabetische Reihenfolge. Maximen bergen Nutzen und Gefahren. Als Rezepte unbedarft gebraucht, erzeugen sie mehr Fehler als sie vermeiden.Die vorliegende Sammlung entstand aus der Beobachtung der Regeln und Hinweise, die das eigene Denken und Tun bei raumplanerischen Arbeiten unterstützten. Die Maximen erheben keinen wissenschaftlichen Anspruch im üblichen Sinne. Es sind pragmatische Hilfen, vielleicht nicht nur für Raumplaner.

Der Swiss Valuation Standard (SVS) ist der von allen relevanten Verbänden und Hochschulen getragene Immobilienbewertungsstandard der Schweiz. Mit der verbindlichen Definition der wertrelevanten Begriffe und der Einordnung der wichtigsten Bewertungskonzepte, -normen und -standards trägt der SVS massgebend zu einer höheren Transparenz und Professionalität der Immobilienbewertung in der Schweiz bei.Die Publikation ist dreisprachig (D/F/I).La Swiss Valuation Standard (SVS) constitue la norme d’estimation immobilière de référence des principales associations et hautes écoles suisses. La SVS, via des définitions contraignantes des notions relatives à la valeur pertinentes et le recensement des principaux concepts et principes et des principales normes d’estimation immobilière, permet une amélioration considérable de la transparence et du professionnalisme des pratiques de l’estimation immobilière en Suisse.Lo Swiss Valuation Standard (SVS) è lo standard per la valutazione immobiliare adottato da tutte le associazioni e scuole universitarie rilevanti in Svizzera. Con la definizione vincolante dei termini relativi al valore e la classificazione dei concetti, norme e standard di valutazione più importanti, l’SVS contribuisce in maniera determinante ad una maggiore trasparenza e professionalità della valutazione immobiliare in Svizzera.

This thesis investigates the problem of time-dependent stability of geotechnical structures (such as trenches or tunnels) in medium- to low-permeability water-bearing grounds, typically clayey or silty soils. The peculiarity of these soils is that they respond to excavation with a delay. The time-dependency can be traced back to the swelling process triggered by the dissipation of the excavation-induced negative excess pore pressures. Unstable conditions may necessitate improvement or reinforcement of the ground or the application of a support (e.g. by compressed air or pressurized bentonite slurry in the case of tunnel face). As such measures may present economical and operational disadvantages, the question of whether and for how long the excavation can remain stable without support is of great practical relevance. The stand-up time (time lapsing between end of the excavation and the occurrence of failure), and thus the feasibility of refraining from ground reinforcement, improvement or support, depends essentially on soil strength and permeability.The goal of the thesis is to develop a computational method that allows the estimation of the stand-up time, and thus improve construction safety and economy. The main objectives towards this goal are:- analysis of the mechanism of delayed failure by means of fully coupled hydraulic-mechanical continuum-mechanical simulations, investigation into the role of the constitutive behaviour of the ground (particularly that of plastic dilation), and- development of a practical method of dealing with the numerical problem of mesh-sensitivity which occurs due to the localization of deformations when assuming non-associated plasticflow in any geotechnical structure at failure; - planning and performing experiments and validation of the computational method and assumptions; systematic investigation of the stand-up time of the tunnel face and working-out of design charts.