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Bariumtitanate/polyvinylidene fluoride (BaTiO 3 ) x (PVDF) 100-x composite samples were prepared and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. In this work, the ratio of the constituents of this composite was altered, and the structural and thermal changes were studied. Also, the variation of tetragonality of BaTiO 3 (BT) in the composite samples as a function of BT content was studied for the first time. The results show that all the samples are in the a-phase, and the hindrance to the PVDF crystallization increases with the increase of BaTiO 3 (BT) ratio in the composite. Tetragonal distortion of BT nanoparticles in the composite increases with the increase in BT ratio up to 30%, where it gets a saturation value. Also, it seems that stretching the samples enhances the BT tetragonality. Both melting and crystallization behaviors of the composite samples show double-melting endotherms (reorganization) and crystallization exotherms. The inclusion of BT in the composite samples results in a decrease in the melting temperature of the samples.

Sustainability is very quickly becoming a fundamental requirement of the construction industry as it delivers its projects; whether buildings or infrastructures. Throughout more than two decades, a plethora of modeling schemes, evaluation tools and rating systems have been introduced en route to realizing sustainable construction. Many of these, however, lack consensus on evaluation criteria, a robust scientific model that captures the logic behind their sustainability performance evaluation, and therefore experience discrepancies between rated results and actual performance. Moreover, very few of the evaluation tools available satisfactorily address infrastructure projects. This paper introduces a systems model that abstracts the environment, the construction product, and its production system as three interacting systems that basically exchange materials, energy and information. The model utilizes this setup to capture and quantify essential flows exchanged between such three systems, with the objective of evaluating sustainability. The paper walks through the development of a generic case of the model, and then demonstrates its utility in evaluating the sustainability performance of civil infrastructure projects using a typical water pipeline installation project that uses horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology as a trenchless installation method. The developed model addresses an identified gap within the current body of knowledge by considering infrastructure projects. Through the ability to simulate different scenarios, the model enables identifying which activities, products, and processes impact the environment more, and hence potential areas for optimization and improvement.

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