Storm catastrophes in the United States

A unique historical data set describing the 142 storms each producing losses in excess of $100 million in the United States during the 1950–89 period were analyzed to describe their temporal characteristics. The storms caused $66.2 billion in losses (in 1991 values), 76% of the nation's insured storm losses in this period. These extreme storm catastrophes (SCs) were most prevalent in the south, southeast, northeast, and central U.S., with few in and west of the Rocky Mountains. Storm incidences were high in the 1950s, low in the 1960s-early 1970s, and increased in the 1980s. Losses due to SCs peaked in the 1950s, again in the late 1960s, with a lesser peak after 1985. The areal extent of storm losses peaked after 1975 and was least in the 1960s. The temporal variations of the three storm measures (incidence, losses, and extent) did not agree except when they all peaked in the 1950s. Regionally-derived time distributions of SCs showed a marked north-south differences in the United States with a U-shaped 40-year distribution in the northern half of the nation, and a relatively flat trend until a peak in the 1980s in the southern regions. The temporal distributions of hurricane-caused catastrophes differed regionally with occurrences in the prime areas, the southern, southeastern, and northeastern U.S., each quite different. Temporal distributions of thunderstorm and winter storm catastrophes were regionally more uniform.     

城市地质信息系统建设的目标与解决方案

城市地质信息系统建设的基本功能目标是：支持多源异构地质空间数据的存储、管理、提取、传输与交叉访问,实现地下地质结构与关系的表达、分析和过程的三维可视化,支持政府决策并开展相关领域的信息社会化服务。为此,应当将其纳入“数字国土”和“数字城市”工程的统一规划中去,一方面借鉴地矿点源信息系统的设计思路与方法,研发并建造主题武的“城市国土资源基础数据平台”,以及相关的决策支持系统和服务应用系统;另一方面运用“多S”集成技术、联邦数据库技术、数据仓库技术、三维可视化技术和计算机网络技术,整合各种已有的和新建的多源异构的数据库、图形库、知识库、方法库、模型库和管理系统、决策系统。在具体设计时,可以将客户机／服务器(C／S)结构与浏览器／服务器(B／S)结构结合起来,并按市(局)—县(区、分局)两级联网的构架进行设置。     

我国化工地质工作的回顾与展望

50年来我国化工地质找矿及相关的研究工作都取得了显著的成绩,虽然我国化工矿产种类较齐全,但人均占有资源量偏低,保证程度与需求相比尚有不同程度的差距。化工地质工作今后应统筹规划,突出重点;发挥优势,确保化工;面向市场,拓宽领域,狠抓基础,强化竟争;严格质量,规范管理;科技创新,加强装备;突出效益,转变机制;争取政策,多元投入。在化工地质队伍推行“三新、两高、两精”的运行机制。为确保“十五”期间工作部署能顺利实施,需要国家在宏观层面上给子相应的政策支持。     

图文办公自动化系统的开发策略与实现

从规划土地管理局业务审批工业的实际,分析了其对图文办公自动化系统的基本需求,提出了将图文办公自动化系统分三部分进行设计的思想,使系统开发简捷、方便,减轻了开发难度,提高了信息管理的安全性。     

Brussels: Five capitals in search of a place. The citizens, the planners and the functions

The paper describes the different capital city functions that are accomodated in Brussels. There are in fact five different capitals in Brussels in search of a place. Their locations are conditioned by Brussels' eventful history. The analysis subsequently focuses on the rather negative relation between the local public intellectuals and the city's European capital functions. The location of the European headquarters within the existing urban fabric – unlike Luxemburg and Strasbourg – has caused residential expulsion and further confrontations with the local community during all expansions.Brussels has the most politically decisive institutions. The competition with Luxemburg and Strasbourg has in the past given rise to dubious building processes and hidden agendas regarding the further construction of the necessary space for Europe.Unlike most other capitals Brussels has a low degree of esteem from its citizens. The After-May 68- Movement reacting initially against the CIAM-realisations during the 1970s, continues its activities up until today against two highly symbolic projects: the North Station area called the Manhattan Quarter and the European Headquarters. The movement launched the term Brusselization on the international forum and continues to promote the negative image of its city – notwithstanding the complete change of the official urban planning.The article is a plea for the integration of the actual one-sided advocacy planning within a more comprehensive urban planning approach where strong and soft functions are more in balance. This can also improve the quality of the new European campus now under consideration to accomodate the entry of the East European states in the Union.     

进化策略算法在地面沉降量计算参数反演中的应用

多数情况下,评估的研究区缺乏多年积累的地下水位及开采量资料。因此,通常采用土力学模型,根据太沙基固结理论,进行地面沉降量预测。在地面沉降量计算中,土层变形参数值的选取直接影响计算结果的精确性。深层含水层埋深通常大于100m。通过现场勘探,采取土样进行岩土物理力学性质试验获取参数值,成本过于昂贵。通过参考区域土层物理力学性质资料,结合工程经验获取参数值,预测结果的精度得不到保证。针对上述情况,作者提出用非线性优化算法-进化策略算法,根据实测地面沉降量反演土层变形参数值。通过这种方法确定参数值,既节约成本,又保证了计算结果的可靠性。进化策略算法通过模拟生物遗传及进化过程,利用转移概率来帮助指导搜索。搜索结果不依赖于初始点的选择,对于求解全局最优解有很强的鲁棒性。作者将进化策略算法用于某一工程实例土层变形参数的反演,结果表明了该算法的可行性及稳健性,值得在工程实践中推广应用。     

北京市大兴区地下水资源开采潜力分析

本文根据不同含水岩组的水量、水质和水温特征,分析了大兴区地下水资源的开采潜力,提出了地下水开发利用建议,为大兴区城市规划、城市供水方案提供依据。     

Re-orientation of the city plan: Strategic planning and design competition in China

Rather than being abandoned along with the demise of the centrally planned economy, city planning as a profession is flourishing in China. New hybrid plans such as strategic development plans (concept plans) have been invented, and the planning procedure has become more flexible. Design competition and planning consultancy are widespread. This paper examines the development of new strategic development plans and design competition. It is argued that city planning has been re-orientated from a technical rationale, i.e. allocating state development projects to the city, to the imperative derived from market-oriented development, i.e. consolidating competitiveness during inter-city competition. The contradiction between market and planning is that while the status of city planning has been raised and its approach is becoming more strategic, the actual functionality of city planning has become more instrumental.