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  • 1.
    book.ebook
    The forests of the Congo basin : state of the forest 2010 [er]. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    The 2010 State of the Forest report (SOF) benefited from financial support from the European Union, the United States, Germany, France and UNESCO. It represents the collaborative effort of over 100 individuals from a diversity of institutions and the forestry administrations of the Central African countries. The SOF process began with the selection and definition of indicators relevant to monitoring the state of forests in Central Africa. The indicators are structured around three thematic areas: (i) forest cover; (ii) management of production forests; and (iii) conservation and biodiversity. They are presented in a hierarchical structure at the regional, national and management unit (i.e. logging concessions and protected areas) levels. The indicators were vetted by a representative panel of stakeholders of forest management in Central Africa. The indicators are used to guide an annual data collection process carried out between April and August by national groups of four to ten individuals working within the forestry administrations. The data reported on in the 2010 SOF were primarily collected in 2009 and 2010. Results were validated in national workshops attended by government officials as well as representatives of environmental NGOs, the private sector and development projects. The data provided an important basis for the authors of the 11 chapters of the 2010 SOF, which were under the coordination of a scientific committee of international renown. A final workshop was held 29-30 March, 2011 in Douala to review a draft report. Following amendments based on comments from a wide audience of experts the final layout was completed.
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  • 2.
    book.ebook
    NPK [er] : will there be enough plant nutrients to feed a world of 9 billion in 2050? European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    Will there be enough plant nutrients to feed a world of 9 billion in 2050? is the central question addressed by a JRC study. This exercise was based on consultations with experts and a thematic workshop focused on three areas of interest: 1) the demand for fertilizers to sustain crop production necessary to feed the world in 2050; 2) perspectives on the supply of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) to world agriculture and 3) the role of innovation and technology in changing the match between demand and supply of fertilizers. Implications of the main findings for current EU and international policies were addressed. Overall, analysis of existing literature and discussions with major experts and stakeholders led to the conclusion that while the situation is currently not critical with respect to the production and availability of plant nutrients, it is important to remain vigilant. The question of reserves (P and K), access, changing geopolitical conditions, economic development, energy costs (mainly for N) and environmental constraints (N and P) could lead to shortfalls and possibly crisis situations in some regions of the world. The situation of Africa deserves particular attention as production, access and use of fertilizers represent key limiting factors in boosting food production in that continent.
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  • 3.
    book.ebook
    An overview of research programmes and prospective technology in the development of more secure supply chains [er] : the case of shipping containers. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    The development of new, more secure, container systems should consider the main techno-economic items and devise a solution that, not only provides increased tamper-resistance, but also contains economically beneficial buy-in features that will motivate the adoption of new container models by the shipping trade. This report provides an overview of these aspects within the context of EU policy and R&D programmes in this area.
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  • 4.
    book.ebook
    The International reference Life Cycle Data system (ILCD) handbook [er] : towards more sustainable production and consumption for a resource-efficient Europe. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
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  • 5.
    book
    Eurocode 8 : seismic design of buildings - Worked examples. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    An overview of EN 1998 is presented at the first section with focus on the performance requirements and compliance criteria for structures, ground conditions and seismic actions. An introduction to the example reinforced concrete building with its geometrical and material properties as well as the main assumptions for analysis and the detailed structural analysis calculations are presented in the second chapter. Specific rules for design of the building for ductility and the design of concrete foundation elements are presented in the following chapters. For the sake of completeness, the details of design and detailing of the same example as a steel building with three different configurations, namely; with (i) steel moment resisting frames, (ii) composite steel concrete moment resisting frames, and (iii) composite steel concrete frames with eccentric and concentric bracings is also presented. Key concepts of base isolation are summarized by utilizing the example building. Seismic performance assessment and retrofitting according to EN 1998-Part 3 is explained in the last past of the report. The reinforced concrete/steel building (worked example) analyzed in this report was prepared and presented at the workshop “Eurocode 8: Seismic Design of Buildings” that was held on 10-11 February 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop was organized by JRC with the support of DG ENTR and CEN and in collaboration with CEN/TC250/Sub-Committee 8 and the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil - LNEC, Lisbon). The document is part of the Report Series ‘Support to the implementation, harmonization and further development of the Eurocodes’ prepared by JRC in collaboration with DG ENTR and CEN/TC250 “Structural Eurocodes”.
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  • 6.
    book.ebook
    Bridge design to Eurocodes [er] : worked examples. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2012.
    Summary
    This document is a Technical Report with worked examples for a bridge structure designed following the Eurocodes. It summarizes important points of the Eurocodes for the design of concrete, steel and composite road bridges, including foundations and seismic design, utilizing a common bridge project as a basis. The geometry and materials of the example bridge as well as the main assumptions and the detailed structural calculations are presented in the first chapter of the report. Each of the subsequent chapters presents the main principles and rules of a specific Eurocode and their application on the example bridge, namely: •The key concepts of basis of design, i.e. design situations, limit states, the single source principle and the combinations of actions (EN 19990); •Permanent, wind, thermal, traffic and fatigue actions on the bridge deck and piers and their combinations (EN 1991); •Bridge deck modeling and structural analysis; •The design of the bridge deck and the piers for the ULS and the SLS, including the second order effects (EN 1992-2); •The classification of the composite cross-sections, the ULS, SLS and fatigue verifications and the detailed design for creep and shrinkage (EN 1994-2); •The settlement and resistance calculations for the pier, three design approaches for the abutment and the verification of the foundation for the seismic design situation (EN 1997); •The conceptual design for earthquake resistance considering the alternative solutions of slender or squat piers; the latter case involves seismic isolation and design for ductile behavior (EN 1998-1, EN 1998-2). The bridge worked example analyzed in this report was prepared and presented at the workshop “Bridge Design to the Eurocodes” that was held on 4-6 October 2010 in Vienna, Austria. The workshop was organized by JRC with the support of DG ENTR and in collaboration with CEN/TC250/Horizontal Group Bridges, the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology and the Austrian Standards Institute. The document is part of the Report Series “Support to the implementation, harmonization and further development of the Eurocodes”, prepared by JRC in collaboration with DG ENTR and CEN/TC250 “Structural Eurocodes”.
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  • 7.
    book.ebook
    Impact of engineered nanomaterials on health [er] : considerations for benefit-risk assessment. EASAC Policy report No. 15. European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2011.
    Summary
    Nanotechnology encompasses the design, characterisation, production and application of materials and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale (nanometres). Nanomaterials may differ from other materials because of their relatively large specific surface area, such that surface properties become particularly important. There has been rapid growth in investment in nanotechnology by both the public and private sectors worldwide. In the EU, nanotechnology is expected to become an important strategic contributor to achieving economic gain and societal and individual benefits. At the same time there is continuing scientific uncertainty and controversy about the safety of nanomaterials. It is important to ensure that timely policy development takes this into consideration. Uncertainty about safety may lead to polarised public debate and to business unwillingness to invest further. A clear regulatory framework to address potential health and environmental impacts, within the wider context of evaluating and communicating the benefit-risk balance, must be a core part of Europe's integrated efforts for nanotechnology innovation. While a number of studies have been carried out on the effect of environmental nanoparticles, e.g. from combustion processes, on human health, there is yet no generally acceptable paradigm for safety assessment of nanomaterials in consumer and other products. Therefore, a working group was established to consider issues for the possible impact of nanomaterials on human health focussing specifically on engineered nanomaterials. This represents the first joint initiative between EASAC and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The working group was given the remit to describe the state of the art of benefits and potential risks, current methods for safety assessment, and to evaluate their relevance, identify knowledge gaps in studying the safety of current nanomaterials, and recommend on priorities for nanomaterial research and the regulatory framework. This report focuses on key principles and issues, cross-referencing other sources for detailed information, rather than attempting a comprehensive account of the science. The focus is on human health although environmental effects are also discussed when directly relevant to health.
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  • 8.
    book.ebook
    Impact analysis of the Joint Research Centre and its direct actions under the EU research framework programmes [er] : final report (August 2011). European Commission. Joint Research Centre.
    Publication
    Luxembourg : Publications Office, 2011.
    Summary
    This report presents an impact analysis of JRC’s direct research actions, in line with the Commission’s principles to focus on EU added value, impacts and results and following recommendations from earlier JRC programme evaluations. The report uses an analytical framework built around policy impact (i.e. the impact of JRC work in the policy process) as well as technical impacts, economic impacts and intangible impacts. It looks at the JRC’s achievements, impacts and results with a special focus on costs and benefits and contains four parts : • Demonstrable policy impacts of JRC activities in 2010. • Five case studies with specific impacts and benefits of JRC support activities. • An estimation of the JRC’s overall economic impact. • The JRC and Europe 2020. The report closes with a number of findings and forward-looking conclusions of the Steering Group experts who guided the impact analysis, highlighting the JRC’s added value, rooted in its impartiality as well as its pan-European scope and range of action.
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