The textile and fashion industries account for a significant part of global business. Textile wet processing (TWP) is a crucial stage in textile manufacturing. It imparts aesthetics as well as functional appeal on the textile fabric and ultimate products. Nevertheless, it is considered as one of the most polluting industries and threatens sustainability. There have been different approaches to transform this polluting industry to a sustainable industry. Many researchers have found this challenging, as sustainable, eco-friendly, green or cleaner wet processing might not be always applicable and relevant from the perspective of industrial applications. The present work helps us understand the current state of research of cotton-based textile processes including proposed sustainable approaches. It also examines the achievement of the degree of sustainability of those proposed processes with the lens of the triple bottom line (TBL) framework, identifies existing limitations, and suggests future research scopes that might pave ways for young researchers to learn and undertake new experimental and theoretical research.
This paper presents the results from an international survey that investigated the impacts of the built environment on occupant well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic when most professionals were forced to work from home (WFH). The survey was comprised of 81 questions focusing on the respondent's profiles, residences, home indoor environmental quality, health, and home working experiences. A total of 1,460 responses were collected from 35 countries, and 1,137 of them were considered complete for the analysis. The results suggest that home spatial layout has a significant impact on occupant well-being during WFH since home-life distractions and noises due to the lack of a personal workspace are likely to prevent productive work. Lack of scenic views, inadequate daylighting, and poor acoustics were also reported to be detrimental to occupant productivity and the general WFH experience. It is also revealed from this survey that temperature, relative humidity, and indoor air quality generally have higher satisfaction ratios compared with the indoor lighting and acoustic conditions, and the home layout. Hence, home design for lighting, acoustics, and layout should also receive greater attention in the future
Increased precipitation in recent years due to the effect of climate change is leading to increased surface runoff and water logging in urban areas while impervious concrete or asphalt covering of urban lands hinders groundwater recharge. However, Pervious Concrete Pavements have the capacity of functioning as a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) by allowing surface water to infiltrate downwards through the porous structure of the pavements, thereby minimizing flooding risks, recharging ground water, reducing run off and peak flows, alleviating the precipitation load on overstressed drainage systems, and improving water quality by capturing pollutants. This research provides an overview on pervious concrete mix designs and their effect on strength and permeability. Materials of pervious concrete include those used in conventional concrete, however eliminating the fine aggregate content. Different mix designs have been prepared and tested to understand the behavior of Pervious Concrete and recommend an ideal mix. The findings from the Compressive Strength Test and Standard Test Method for Infiltration Rate of in place Pervious Concrete, investigate the gradually varying properties of pervious concrete with changes in the mix which are reported and discussed. Results indicate that a fine balance between compressive strength and permeability is not possible however pervious concrete pavements can be an acceptable alternative when used in low volume and low impact areas.
Purpose The purpose of this paper was to examine consumer perceptions of aesthetic attributes of textile-based assistive devices (ADs) and the language used by consumers to express those perceptions and concerns. Previous investigations of user feedback for ADs have largely focused on functional attributes rather than aesthetics. Design/methodology/approach An interpretivist research philosophy was selected to investigate the meaning behind consumer perceptions and to understand their viewpoints on the aesthetic dimensions of ADs. Using product reviews for two ADs sold on Amazon.com as data, the researchers conducted qualitative data analysis through coding and interpretation of meanings behind reviews to determine consumers’ perceptions related to their ADs. Findings The authors identified consumer concerns linking to aesthetics evidenced as a multisensory integration of visual, tactile and olfactory cues. Consumer-preferred language used to address aesthetic preferences was found to supplement the literature. Aesthetic considerations were found to be impactful on avoiding stigma and encouraging or discouraging continued use of the devices. Practical implications Findings may contribute to the development of textile-based ADs with improved aesthetics to enhance user experiences. New ways of using consumer language to interpret user needs may assist in future research and design practice for consumer products. Originality/value The use of consumer product reviews as a rich source of user data is discussed in this paper. As previous research on assistive technology has largely focused on functionality, results of this analysis offer insight into consumers’ aesthetic judgments related to ADs and bring a sensory perspective to the research area.
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