Víctor Yepes

Bio: Víctor Yepes is an academic researcher from Polytechnic University of Valencia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Sustainability & Simulated annealing. The author has an hindex of 36, co-authored 179 publications receiving 3798 citations.

An iterative approach for the optimization of pavement maintenance management at the network level.

Abstract: Pavement maintenance is one of the major issues of public agencies. Insufficient investment or inefficient maintenance strategies lead to high economic expenses in the long term. Under budgetary restrictions, the optimal allocation of resources becomes a crucial aspect. Two traditional approaches (sequential and holistic) and four classes of optimization methods (selection based on ranking, mathematical optimization, near optimization, and other methods) have been applied to solve this problem. They vary in the number of alternatives considered and how the selection process is performed. Therefore, a previous understanding of the problem is mandatory to identify the most suitable approach and method for a particular network. This study aims to assist highway agencies, researchers, and practitioners on when and how to apply available methods based on a comparative analysis of the current state of the practice. Holistic approach tackles the problem considering the overall network condition, while the sequential approach is easier to implement and understand, but may lead to solutions far from optimal. Scenarios defining the suitability of these approaches are defined. Finally, an iterative approach gathering the advantages of traditional approaches is proposed and applied in a case study. The proposed approach considers the overall network condition in a simpler and more intuitive manner than the holistic approach.

Model for Systematic Innovation in Construction Companies

Abstract: This research was partially funded by the Universidad Catolica del Maule (project MECESUP-UCM0205), the Spanish Ministry of Infrastructure (project 2004-36), and the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (contract UPV-20050921). The authors would like to thank Ricardo Lacort, Francisco J. Vea, and Manuel Civera for their collaboration and support, and Jose C. Teixeira for his advice. Likewise, the authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and constructive comments.

Multiobjective Optimization of Concrete Frames by Simulated Annealing

Abstract: This article aims to describe a methodology to design RC building frames based on a multiobjective simulated annealing (MOSA) algorithm applied to four objective functions, namely, the economic cost, the constructability, the environmental impact, and the overall safety of RC framed structures. The evaluation of solutions follows the Spanish Code for structural concrete. The methodology was applied to a symmetrical building frame with two bays and four floors. This example has 77 design variables. Pareto results of the MOSA algorithm indicate that more practical, more constructable, more sustainable, and safer solutions than the lowest cost solution are available at a cost increment acceptable in practice. Results N s -SMOSA1 and N s -SMOSA2 of the cost versus constructability Pareto front are finally recommended because they are especially good in terms of cost, constructability, and environmental impact. Further, the methodology proposed will help structural engineers to enhance their designs of building frames.

Climate change 2014 - Mitigation of climate change

Abstract: The talk with present the key results of the IPCC Working Group III 5th assessment report. Concluding four years of intense scientific collaboration by hundreds of authors from around the world, the report responds to the request of the world's governments for a comprehensive, objective and policy neutral assessment of the current scientific knowledge on mitigating climate change. The report has been extensively reviewed by experts and governments to ensure quality and comprehensiveness.

Conceptualising sustainability assessment

Abstract: Sustainability assessment is being increasingly viewed as an important tool to aid in the shift towards sustainability. However, this is a new and evolving concept and there remain very few examples of effective sustainability assessment processes implemented anywhere in the world. Sustainability assessment is often described as a process by which the implications of an initiative on sustainability are evaluated, where the initiative can be a proposed or existing policy, plan, programme, project, piece of legislation, or a current practice or activity. However, this generic definition covers a broad range of different processes, many of which have been described in the literature as 'sustainability assessment'. This article seeks to provide some clarification by reflecting on the different approaches described in the literature as being forms of sustainability assessment, and evaluating them in terms of their potential contributions to sustainability. Many of these are actually examples of 'integrated assessment', derived from environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA), but which have been extended to incorporate social and economic considerations as well as environmental ones, reflecting a 'triple bottom line' (TBL) approach to sustainability. These integrated assessment processes typically either seek to minimise 'unsustainability', or to achieve TBL objectives. Both aims may, or may not, result in sustainable practice. We present an alternative conception of sustainability assessment, with the more ambitious aim of seeking to determine whether or not an initiative is actually sustainable. We term such processes 'assessment for sustainability'. 'Assessment for sustainability' firstly requires that the concept of sustainability be well-defined. The article compares TBL approaches and principles-based approaches to developing such sustainability criteria, concluding that the latter are more appropriate, since they avoid many of the inherent limitations of the triple-bottom-line as a conception of sustainability.

Variable neighbourhood search: methods and applications

Abstract: Variable neighbourhood search (VNS) is a metaheuristic, or a framework for building heuristics, based upon systematic changes of neighbourhoods both in descent phase, to find a local minimum, and in perturbation phase to emerge from the corresponding valley It was first proposed in 1997 and has since then rapidly developed both in its methods and its applications In the present paper, these two aspects are thoroughly reviewed and an extensive bibliography is provided Moreover, one section is devoted to newcomers It consists of steps for developing a heuristic for any particular problem Those steps are common to the implementation of other metaheuristics