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Keywords = playground safety

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24 pages, 2398 KiB  
Article
Risky Play Is Not a Dirty Word: A Tool to Measure Benefit–Risk in Outdoor Playgrounds and Educational Settings
by David Eager, Tonia Gray, Helen Little, Fiona Robbé and Lisa N. Sharwood
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(6), 940; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22060940 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 824
Abstract
Challenge, adventure, and risky play have repeatedly been found to be learning environments that positively shape childhood well-being and development. Extant evidence-based research conveys the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional growth associated with risky play provision. However, understanding the interplay of risky play, injury, [...] Read more.
Challenge, adventure, and risky play have repeatedly been found to be learning environments that positively shape childhood well-being and development. Extant evidence-based research conveys the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional growth associated with risky play provision. However, understanding the interplay of risky play, injury, and safety is more nuanced and complex. The goal of this paper is to introduce a tool which allows educators, parents, health practitioners, urban planners, playground designers, certifiers, manufacturers, and inspectors to estimate both the benefit and risk of outdoor play and learning settings, such as playgrounds, adventure parks, or risk-taking activities. One of the key challenges associated with societal risk appetite or risk tolerance has been the inability to quantify the inherent benefits of risk taking in playgrounds and educational settings. Historically, the assessment of ‘benefit–risk’ has been dominated by a zero tolerance of incidents, whether in the workplace or road safety settings. Against this backdrop, if playgrounds and outdoor learning settings are boring, children will go elsewhere to seek thrills and adventure, which may often be manifested in antisocial behaviour. In 2023, ‘benefit–risk’ was formally recognised in the area of sport and recreation by the International Organisation for Standardisation, when it published the ISO 4980:2023 benefit–risk assessment for sport and recreational facilities, activities, and equipment. ISO 4980:2023 is a departure from the traditional view of risk management, in that it presents a perspective of risk which is not limited to framing risk as negative, but rather balances the calculation of positive benefits as well as the risks associated with the activity. Correspondingly, hazardous situations which have zero benefit should be eliminated or mitigated. The tool introduced in this paper offers playground inspectors and educators the ability to measure and assess both the benefit and risk of outdoor playgrounds and educational settings where children play, learn, and flourish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Global Health)
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26 pages, 2143 KiB  
Article
Signs of Children’s Presence in Two Types of Landscape: Residential and Park: Research on Adults’ Sense of Safety and Preference: Premises for Designing Sustainable Urban Environments
by Aleksandra Lis, Karolina Zalewska, Marek Grabowski and Magdalena Zienowicz
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4098; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094098 - 1 May 2025
Viewed by 933
Abstract
This study aimed to check whether physical signs of children’s presence in the urban space have an impact on sense of safety and preferences. We based the study on an intra- and inter-group design, whereby respondents assessed two types of space: housing estates [...] Read more.
This study aimed to check whether physical signs of children’s presence in the urban space have an impact on sense of safety and preferences. We based the study on an intra- and inter-group design, whereby respondents assessed two types of space: housing estates and green areas. The photos were manipulated to create three scenarios: control (without elements related to children), denotation (spaces supplemented with children’s playgrounds), and connotation (spaces containing elements associated with children). Each scenario was assessed by a separate group of respondents, who were further split between men and women. Analyses have shown that in residential districts, spaces with child-related connotations foster a feeling of safety and enhance the general appeal of the place, especially among women. In turn, direct signs of the presence of children (denotation) have a lesser impact on the positive assessment of the space. In green areas, adding child-related details did not affect women’s feelings but lowered men’s evaluations of safety and preference. The findings suggest that elements associated with children should be used selectively, taking into account the type of space and differences in perception between the sexes. These observations can support the creation of sustainable urban environments: safe and inclusive housing estate and park designs, especially in the context of building cities that foster social integration without exclusions. This is a preliminary study that paves the way for further exploration of the topic. In order to be able to analyse adults’ preferences and safety in more depth, it seems interesting to investigate the shared perception of landscape by children and adults and the possibilities of participatory design of public spaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development)
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20 pages, 7017 KiB  
Article
Exploring Virtual Environments to Assess the Quality of Public Spaces
by Rachid Belaroussi, Elie Issa, Leonardo Cameli, Claudio Lantieri and Sonia Adelé
Algorithms 2024, 17(3), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/a17030124 - 16 Mar 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2482
Abstract
Human impression plays a crucial role in effectively designing infrastructures that support active mobility such as walking and cycling. By involving users early in the design process, valuable insights can be gathered before physical environments are constructed. This proactive approach enhances the attractiveness [...] Read more.
Human impression plays a crucial role in effectively designing infrastructures that support active mobility such as walking and cycling. By involving users early in the design process, valuable insights can be gathered before physical environments are constructed. This proactive approach enhances the attractiveness and safety of designed spaces for users. This study conducts an experiment comparing real street observations with immersive virtual reality (VR) visits to evaluate user perceptions and assess the quality of public spaces. For this experiment, a high-resolution 3D city model of a large-scale neighborhood was created, utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS) data. The model incorporated dynamic elements representing various urban environments: a public area with a tramway station, a commercial street with a road, and a residential playground with green spaces. Participants were presented with identical views of existing urban scenes, both in reality and through reconstructed 3D scenes using a Head-Mounted Display (HMD). They were asked questions related to the quality of the streetscape, its walkability, and cyclability. From the questionnaire, algorithms for assessing public spaces were computed, namely Sustainable Mobility Indicators (SUMI) and Pedestrian Level of Service (PLOS). The study quantifies the relevance of these indicators in a VR setup and correlates them with critical factors influencing the experience of using and spending time on a street. This research contributes to understanding the suitability of these algorithms in a VR environment for predicting the quality of future spaces before occupancy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Algorithms for Virtual and Augmented Environments)
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21 pages, 36379 KiB  
Article
Aspects of New and Old Urban Parks Most Valued by Residents on Social Media: A Case Study in Hefei
by Dongfang Ma, Shaojie Zhang, Tieqiao Xiao and Taotao Shui
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13771; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813771 - 15 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2226
Abstract
The rapid development of new first-tier cities in China has led to potentially significant differences in residents’ environmental perceptions toward parks in new and old urban areas. However, there is currently a lack of relevant comparative research. Therefore, this study used the new [...] Read more.
The rapid development of new first-tier cities in China has led to potentially significant differences in residents’ environmental perceptions toward parks in new and old urban areas. However, there is currently a lack of relevant comparative research. Therefore, this study used the new first-tier city of Hefei as an example and selected the two most popular urban parks in the new and old downtown areas—Swan Lake Park and Xiaoyaojin Park. This study aimed to find out which aspects of the new and old city parks were the most valued by the residents by analysing their online comments on social media platforms. Based on the social media comments, quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to study residents’ perceptions and preferences and analyse residents’ activities and satisfaction. The research found the following: (1) There was consistency in the type of content in the downtown parks as perceived by the residents of the new and old urban areas. (2) For the old downtown Xiaoyaojin Park, the residents were more interested in the experience in terms of the recreation facilities and services but were less satisfied with the visitor capacity of the playground and the ticket price. For the new downtown Swan Lake Park, the residents were more interested in the experience in terms of the exercise facilities and venues and were worried about the safety of the venues. (3) The perceived environmental preferences of the residents in the old urban areas were mainly related to childhood activity venues, and the perceived environmental preferences of the residents in the new urban areas were mainly related to novelty activities. Based on the results, targeted suggestions were proposed for the development of characteristic resources, facility management and maintenance, and the renewal and renovation of recreational activities. Since social media analysis plays an important role in the construction of urban parks, the findings can help us to better understand residents’ lives, ensure that parks are designed for the happiness of the people, and develop more sustainable pathways for the design and management of urban areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Health, Well-Being and Sustainability)
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32 pages, 8946 KiB  
Article
SafetyMed: A Novel IoMT Intrusion Detection System Using CNN-LSTM Hybridization
by Nuruzzaman Faruqui, Mohammad Abu Yousuf, Md Whaiduzzaman, AKM Azad, Salem A. Alyami, Pietro Liò, Muhammad Ashad Kabir and Mohammad Ali Moni
Electronics 2023, 12(17), 3541; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12173541 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 66 | Viewed by 4833
Abstract
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has become an attractive playground to cybercriminals because of its market worth and rapid growth. These devices have limited computational capabilities, which ensure minimum power absorption. Moreover, the manufacturers use simplified architecture to offer a competitive price [...] Read more.
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has become an attractive playground to cybercriminals because of its market worth and rapid growth. These devices have limited computational capabilities, which ensure minimum power absorption. Moreover, the manufacturers use simplified architecture to offer a competitive price in the market. As a result, IoMTs cannot employ advanced security algorithms to defend against cyber-attacks. IoMT has become easy prey for cybercriminals due to its access to valuable data and the rapidly expanding market, as well as being comparatively easier to exploit.As a result, the intrusion rate in IoMT is experiencing a surge. This paper proposes a novel Intrusion Detection System (IDS), namely SafetyMed, combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to defend against intrusion from sequential and grid data. SafetyMed is the first IDS that protects IoMT devices from malicious image data and sequential network traffic. This innovative IDS ensures an optimized detection rate by trade-off between False Positive Rate (FPR) and Detection Rate (DR). It detects intrusions with an average accuracy of 97.63% with average precision and recall, and has an F1-score of 98.47%, 97%, and 97.73%, respectively. In summary, SafetyMed has the potential to revolutionize many vulnerable sectors (e.g., medical) by ensuring maximum protection against IoMT intrusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Data Analytics and Visualization in Health Informatics)
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17 pages, 2604 KiB  
Article
Improving School Reconstruction Projects Satisfaction Outcomes Using Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (FQFD)
by Wei-Tong Chen, Ferdinan Nikson Liem, Chih-Han Kao, Muhammad Mubasher and Kao-Hung Lin
Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051239 - 9 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3766
Abstract
School buildings and facilities constitute essential educational infrastructure and have a formative impact on the safety, development, and socialization of students. However, many existing school buildings are increasingly aging and deteriorating, requiring urgent refurbishment, raising the need to assess and develop a quality [...] Read more.
School buildings and facilities constitute essential educational infrastructure and have a formative impact on the safety, development, and socialization of students. However, many existing school buildings are increasingly aging and deteriorating, requiring urgent refurbishment, raising the need to assess and develop a quality function to propose strategies for improved school building reconstruction. Apart from the initial planning phase, the reconstruction design process usually requires detailed information regarding owner/user demands and is often presented in terms of user dissatisfaction. This paper applies fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD) to transform actual user needs into an improved technical strategy that can be realized by the design unit through the sequence of the matrix method. The resulting framework identifies a total of eight major components of user dissatisfaction, along with three key school-design improvement strategies, including the use of environmentally sound materials, overall quality of design and planning, and playground planning. In terms of technology improvement strategies, the prioritized design improvement strategies for increasing school reconstruction satisfaction include considerations of practicality and constructability, planning use points and maintenance methods, designing the site according to the local terrain, and using materials that match the layout of the environment. The approach proposed in this study can be used to enhance the efficiency of the reconstruction of aging buildings and the research results can also augment ontological knowledge on the reconstruction of aging campus buildings. Full article
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13 pages, 311 KiB  
Article
Academic Performance according to School Coexistence Indices in Students from Public Schools in the South of Chile
by Caterin Diaz-Vargas, Andrea Tapia-Figueroa, Jacqueline Valdebenito-Villalobos, María Aurora Gutiérrez-Echavarria, Carmen Claudia Acuña-Zuñiga, Jeanette Parra, Ana María Arias, Lilian Castro-Durán, Yasna Chávez-Castillo, Carlos Cristi-Montero, Rafael Zapata-Lamana, María Antonia Parra-Rizo and Igor Cigarroa
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020154 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4069
Abstract
School coexistence is a fundamental aspect for good academic performance. The objective of the study was to identify school coexistence indices, and to analyze differences in academic performance according to these indices in students from public schools in the province of Biobío, Chile. [...] Read more.
School coexistence is a fundamental aspect for good academic performance. The objective of the study was to identify school coexistence indices, and to analyze differences in academic performance according to these indices in students from public schools in the province of Biobío, Chile. This cross-sectional study involved 730 children (53.8% boys; 12 ± 1.2 years). School coexistence indices as a quality of interpersonal relationships between school bodies, the perception of violence and aggressiveness from a gender perspective, and the perception of levels of safety and unsafety in different school areas as well as academic performance through accumulated final grades (AFG) and grade point averages (GPA) were measured. A total of 40.9% and 41.3% of schoolchildren agreed or strongly agreed that stronger students are violent toward weaker students and boys are violent toward one another, respectively. The school areas most classified as unsafe or very unsafe were the restrooms (20.4%), followed by the playgrounds (10%), and the gym and fields (9.5%). Schoolchildren who classified the relationships within the school bodies as bad, or very bad, presented significantly lower AFG in subjects such as math, language (Spanish), and physical education and health as well as GPA. In the same line, those who perceived greater violence and aggressiveness among peers and higher insecurity in different school areas presented significantly poorer academic performance. In conclusion, students perceived violence and aggressiveness among themselves, and the school areas perceived as unsafe were identified. Furthermore, students who perceived poorer school coexistence indices presented a weaker academic performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Educational Psychology)
15 pages, 295 KiB  
Article
Lessons from Shawshank: Outlaws, Lawmen and the Spectacle of Punishment
by Benjamin Boyce
Humanities 2023, 12(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/h12010010 - 12 Jan 2023
Viewed by 4599
Abstract
For more than a century, cinema has offered a rich source of images and narratives about crime and punishment. Unfortunately, the restricted nature of correctional environments and the social stigma surrounding incarceration leave most viewers reliant on media representations for the majority of [...] Read more.
For more than a century, cinema has offered a rich source of images and narratives about crime and punishment. Unfortunately, the restricted nature of correctional environments and the social stigma surrounding incarceration leave most viewers reliant on media representations for the majority of their knowledge about correctional spaces. In most media representations of crime and punishment, outlaws and lawmen are reduced to stereotypical archetypes, and incarcerated characters are some of the evilest villains one will ever encounter. Moreover, the prison environment is painted as a playground for bad behavior, as penance for redeemable outlaws, or as an outright paradox that claims to reduce criminality despite appearing to increase it. Our uncritical acceptance of such characterizations goes hand in hand with our cultural addiction to mass incarceration. Limitless stories about uncontainable monsters perpetrating awful crimes inside cushy taxpayer funded facilities endorse a worldview where a permanently expanding and harshening prison system is vital to the safety of a functioning society. In short, our reliance on the spectacle of punishment has left us woefully and willfully misinformed about prison and those who wind up there. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Twentieth-Century American Literature)
12 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
Neighborhood and Family Characteristics Associated with Adiposity and Physical Activity Engagement among Preschoolers in a Small Rural Community
by Emily Hill Guseman, Susan B. Sisson, Jonathon Whipps, Cheryl A. Howe, Madelyn M. Byra and Lucie E. Silver
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13964; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113964 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2090
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate family and home/neighborhood characteristics associated with physical activity (PA) and adiposity among young children living in a small rural community. Methods: Participants were 30 parents and their youngest child aged 2–5 years. Children wore accelerometers [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate family and home/neighborhood characteristics associated with physical activity (PA) and adiposity among young children living in a small rural community. Methods: Participants were 30 parents and their youngest child aged 2–5 years. Children wore accelerometers for 7 days. Parents completed questionnaires about family lifestyle behaviors, parenting practices, and home/neighborhood characteristics. Results: None of the family lifestyle behaviors were associated with child BMI percentile. Backyard size was inversely associated with moderate to vigorous physical activity on weekday afternoons (rho = −0.488, p = 0.006), as was perception of neighborhood dangers (rho = −0.388, p = 0.034). Perceived neighborhood safety (rho = 0.453, p = 0.012), the presence of sidewalks (rho = 0.499, p = 0.012), and public playground use (rho = 0.406, p = 0.026) were each associated with higher weekday afternoon MVPA. Conclusions: Findings suggest neighborhood safety, sidewalks, and use of public playgrounds are positively associated with MVPA among preschoolers, while backyard size and access to play equipment at home are not. These findings have implications for rural communities where space is plentiful but access to community space and sidewalks may be limited. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Children's Health)
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18 pages, 556 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Associations of Physical Activity Patterns and the Environment: An 18-Year Follow-Up to the MESA Study
by Maíra Tristão Parra, Augusto César Ferreira De Moraes, Marcus Vinicius Nascimento-Ferreira, Paul J. Mills and Matthew Allison
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10925; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710925 - 1 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3723
Abstract
Introduction: Cross-sectional association between the neighborhood-built environment and physical activity (PA) has been demonstrated previously, indicating the importance of neighborhood perception characteristics such as walkability, safety, and the connectivity of streets on PA levels. Our study aimed to assess the longitudinal data from [...] Read more.
Introduction: Cross-sectional association between the neighborhood-built environment and physical activity (PA) has been demonstrated previously, indicating the importance of neighborhood perception characteristics such as walkability, safety, and the connectivity of streets on PA levels. Our study aimed to assess the longitudinal data from participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) to evaluate the potential relationship between perceived environment and PA patterns. Methods: We analyzed data from a subset of participants (n = 3097) with available PA data who participated in a prospective cohort conducted from 2000 to 2018. The exposure variables were the perceived aspects of the neighborhood environment and the perception of safety, and the outcome was patterns of PA. Patterns were defined as categories reflecting meeting versus not meeting PA guidelines over time. We created the following categories: adopters (individuals who did not meet guidelines at baseline but met guidelines at Exam 6), relapsers (individuals who met guidelines at baseline but did not meet guidelines at Exam 6), maintainers (individuals who met guidelines both at baseline and Exam 6), and insufficiently active (individuals who did not meet guidelines at either baseline or Exam 6). The maintainers’ group was considered the reference category. We estimated the relative risk to assess the magnitude effect of the association between environmental perceptions and the outcome. Results: Individuals who reported that lack of parks and playgrounds was “not a problem” in their neighborhood had a 2.3-times higher risk of decreasing their physical activity (i.e., the “relapser” category) compared to maintainers. After full adjustment, perceiving poor sidewalks as “somewhat a serious problem” was associated with a 64% lower risk of becoming an adopter than a maintainer. When compared to those who perceive the neighborhood as “very safe”, perception of the neighborhood as “safe” to “not at all safe” (ratings 3, 4, and 5, respectively, on the perceived safety scale) was significantly associated with being classified in the adopter category. Conclusions: As the first longitudinal study of the association of perceived environment and physical activity within the MESA cohort, we conclude that a few aspects are longitudinally associated with being physically active among adults. Full article
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11 pages, 3540 KiB  
Article
The Current Status of Public Playground Safety and Children’s Risk Taking Behavior in the Park: Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand
by Preeda Sansakorn, Uraiwan Madardam, Jutaluck Pongsricharoen, Narumon Srithep, Nisarat Janjamsri and Jittaporn Mongkonkansai
Children 2022, 9(7), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9071034 - 12 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4039
Abstract
The playground is perhaps the one area where school children feel like they can roam free, and public playgrounds provide many learning opportunities through different types of play. A cross-sectional descriptive study is presented with the objective of studying playground safety and the [...] Read more.
The playground is perhaps the one area where school children feel like they can roam free, and public playgrounds provide many learning opportunities through different types of play. A cross-sectional descriptive study is presented with the objective of studying playground safety and the play behavior of primary school children at a park in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. The total number of playground equipment pieces was 22, the sample group of children was 362 children, and the data were collected using a playground safety survey and an observation form on playground play behavior. Data were collected from 2017 to 2018 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency, average, and standard deviation. The research showed that: (1) the most common defects of playground equipment included the material selection, the distance of the stair steps, and the height of the playground equipment; (2) the lack of awareness of children in terms of using the playground equipment safely; and (3) the three top risks in the play behavior of children were not checking equipment or toys before play, playing on the equipment over-adventurously, and playing on the equipment carelessly with friends. Related government agencies should provide support and management for playground areas and playground equipment by continuously implementing equipment checks, improvements, and repairs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics)
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16 pages, 3385 KiB  
Article
An ICT Prototyping Framework for the “Port of the Future”
by Davide Barasti, Martina Troscia, Domenico Lattuca, Alexandr Tardo, Igor Barsanti and Paolo Pagano
Sensors 2022, 22(1), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22010246 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4000
Abstract
Seaports are genuine, intermodal hubs connecting seaways to inland transport links, such as roads and railways. Seaports are located at the focal point of institutional, industrial, and control activities in a jungle of interconnected information systems. System integration is setting considerable challenges when [...] Read more.
Seaports are genuine, intermodal hubs connecting seaways to inland transport links, such as roads and railways. Seaports are located at the focal point of institutional, industrial, and control activities in a jungle of interconnected information systems. System integration is setting considerable challenges when a group of independent providers are asked to implement complementary software functionalities. For this reason, seaports are the ideal playground where software is highly composite and tailored to a large variety of final users (from the so-called port communities). Although the target would be that of shaping the Port Authorities to be providers of (digital) innovation services, the state-of-the-art is still that of considering them as final users, or proxies of them. For this reason, we show how a canonical cloud, virtualizing a distributed architecture, can be structured to host different, possibly overlapped, tenants, slicing the information system at the infrastructure, platform, and software layers. Resources at the infrastructure and platform layers are shared so that a variety of independent applications can make use of the local calculus and access the data stored in a Data Lake. Such a cloud is adopted by the Port of Livorno as a rapid prototyping framework for the development and deployment of ICT innovation services. In order to demonstrate the versatility of this framework, three case studies relating to as many prototype ICT services (Navigation Safety, e-Freight, and Logistics) released within three industrial tenants are here presented and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wireless Sensors and IoT Platform in Large-Scale Infrastructures)
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16 pages, 4725 KiB  
Article
Development of Functional Rubber-Based Impact-Absorbing Pavements for Cyclist and Pedestrian Injury Reduction
by Christina Makoundou, Cesare Sangiorgi, Kenth Johansson and Viveca Wallqvist
Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11283; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011283 - 13 Oct 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3120
Abstract
Cyclists, pedestrians and elderly people’s specific needs in urban road infrastructures are often neglected. They rarely benefit from safety measures or innovations. Inspired by playgrounds and aiming to reduce vulnerable road users (VRUs) injuries, the development of the rubber-based impact-absorbing pavements (IAP) offers [...] Read more.
Cyclists, pedestrians and elderly people’s specific needs in urban road infrastructures are often neglected. They rarely benefit from safety measures or innovations. Inspired by playgrounds and aiming to reduce vulnerable road users (VRUs) injuries, the development of the rubber-based impact-absorbing pavements (IAP) offers a possibility to rethink the design of urban pavements and address safety on roads, which constitutes a major challenge in terms of attaining more sustainable, resilient, and safe cities. Therefore, bituminous mixtures with four different crumb rubber contents, 0%, 14%, 28%, and 33% (in total weight), were produced by partial aggregates substitution using the dry process. After the assessment of the geometrical and volumetric properties, the mechanical performances were evaluated. Finally, the samples were tested to measure the abrasion and impact attenuation with the well-known head injury criterion (HIC), at different temperatures from −10 to 40 °C, to obtain a wide range of values referring to possible weather conditions. A significant effect of the rubber percentage and layer thickness on impact attenuation was observed. All observations and results confirm the feasibility of the IAP concept and its positive effect on future injury-prevention applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Sustainable Materials and Construction Technologies)
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25 pages, 21843 KiB  
Article
Safety and Health Concerns for the Users of a Playground, Built with Reused Rotor Blades from a Dismantled Wind Turbine
by Piero Medici, Andy van den Dobbelsteen and David Peck
Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3626; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093626 - 30 Apr 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4759
Abstract
This paper analyses the user safety of a playground built out of reused blades from a dismantled wind turbine. Located in Rotterdam and designed by the Netherlands architecture firm Superuse Studios, the playground, called “Wikado”, represents an example of the circular economy applied [...] Read more.
This paper analyses the user safety of a playground built out of reused blades from a dismantled wind turbine. Located in Rotterdam and designed by the Netherlands architecture firm Superuse Studios, the playground, called “Wikado”, represents an example of the circular economy applied to the built environment. With reused materials, Wikado represents a saving in resources and energy, when compared to a standard playground built with primary materials. Furthermore, the playground creates a unique design experience for its users, who can still recognise the original rotor blades following their transformation into slides, platforms, and tunnels. However, the safety of the playground could be questioned. This paper will analyse the materials and products used in the playground and their condition some years after opening. The analysis focuses on the risks of human health during the use of the playground. It considers the shape and the sharpness of the rotor blades, its components such as glass fibres and epoxy resin. As a result of the analysis, two risk analysis conceptual models help to assess the health concerns regarding the contact with the materials, and some yellow drops leaching from the rotor blades. This analysis informs the contemporary debate concerning the reuse of materials, and more generically, the circular economy applied to the built environment: whether it is recommended and safe to reuse materials for a different function from that which they were originally designed. This paper will explain that in the analysed case study, it can be safe to reuse materials for a different function, but only with the appropriate precautions. Full article
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20 pages, 4911 KiB  
Article
Old and New Threats—Trace Metals and Fluoride Contamination in Soils at Defunct Smithy Sites
by Michał Kupiec, Paweł Pieńkowski, Beata Bosiacka, Izabela Gutowska, Patrycja Kupnicka, Adam Prokopowicz, Dariusz Chlubek and Irena Baranowska-Bosiacka
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(5), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050819 - 6 Mar 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3607
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate soil contamination with trace elements and fluoride at sites in Szczecin (NW Poland) where economic activity was historically associated with the use of trace metals. As the Polish legislation does not recognize the lasting impact [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate soil contamination with trace elements and fluoride at sites in Szczecin (NW Poland) where economic activity was historically associated with the use of trace metals. As the Polish legislation does not recognize the lasting impact of historical pollution on soils, land developers are not obliged to determine soil pollution in the new residential areas, including parks and playgrounds for children. Therefore, in this study, at the locations of defunct metalwork enterprises (smithies, foundries, chemical plants, and small metal production plants), which were closed down after World War II, we determined lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and cobalt (Co) levels in the soil. In addition, we also determined fluoride (F) levels due to the contemporary fluoride pollution in the area generated by a large chemical plant with a post-production phosphogypsum waste landfill and a power plant complex. Our results show that soil at the sites of now-defunct smithies can still act as a significant source of trace metals. Pb concentration in the surface (0–20 cm) and subsurface (20–40 cm) layers exceeded concentration thresholds for soils with first-degree pollution. The concentrations of Zn and Cu also exceeded their natural background limits. Furthermore, our research indicates an increased concentration of fluoride in surface layers of the soil; however, not exceeding the fluoride content threshold. These observations have important consequences for public health and safety because, presently, the studied sites function as housing estates and other public facilities. Therefore, contaminated soil at these sites may pose a threat to the health of local residents and should be closely monitored for trace metal contamination levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Harmful Effects of Fluoride Exposure)
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