http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/25433 2026-03-27T00:55:14Z 2026-03-27T00:55:14Z Giakoumis, T Voulvoulis, N http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/32937 2026-03-07T03:00:34Z 2026-03-04T00:00:00Z

Title: The pollution load of combined sewer overflows and risks to England’s waterbodies: Relating event duration monitoring data to discharge consents from wastewater treatment works Authors: Giakoumis, T; Voulvoulis, N Abstract: The increasing frequency of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) has heightened public concern, triggered government action, and driven water authorities worldwide to commit to major infrastructure upgrades. In England, the installation of Event Duration Monitors (EDMs) has revealed how often and for how long spills occur annually, discharging untreated or dilluted sewage to the receiving environment. However, overflow frequency and duration are poor proxies for pollution loads or ecological risk. This study provides the first national estimation of pollution loads from individual CSOs and the risks they pose to receiving waterbodies, drawing on permitted effluent limits from connected Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTWs) and receiving waterbody characteristics. A source-pathway-receptor framework is used to classify risk across England’s wastewater systems in relation to CSO discharges and their impacts. The findings challenge the Environment Agency’s position that CSOs are not a primary driver of waterbody status failure, indicating their ecological impacts may be underestimated. For 2023, estimated aggregated CSO loads frequently surpassed those from the effluents of their WWTWs, with affected waterbodies receiving loads from CSOs four times higher for BOD and double for Suspended Solids. While nutrient loads exhibit lower relative contributions, the presence of wastewater systems where CSO loads equal or exceed treated effluent loads demonstrates that nutrient management strategies focusing solely on WWTWs risk overlooking a critical source. The study demonstrates how a systems approach integrating all available data, can strengthen evidence-based policy making, and support water companies in prioritising investments that can deliver measurable environmental improvements. Description: Data availability: Data are available as Electronic supplementary information.; All data used in this study are available through publicly accessible datasets (as cited). Data generated through the analyses are provided as Electronic Supplementary Information in the Supplementary Materials.; Supplementary files: Supplementary information: https://www.rsc.org/suppdata/d5/ew/d5ew00860c/d5ew00860c1.csv CSV (4518K). Supplementary information: https://www.rsc.org/suppdata/d5/ew/d5ew00860c/d5ew00860c2.xlsx XLSX (1503K). Supplementary information: https://www.rsc.org/suppdata/d5/ew/d5ew00860c/d5ew00860c3.csv CSV (855K). Supplementary information: https://www.rsc.org/suppdata/d5/ew/d5ew00860c/d5ew00860c4.pdf PDF (138K).

2026-03-04T00:00:00Z Salih, BH Abdallah, S Nawar, MT Ali, AJ Fan, M Hilal, AA http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/32684 2026-01-21T03:00:30Z 2025-12-31T00:00:00Z

Title: Post-fire Mechanical Behaviour of Concrete Reinforced with Phragmites Australis Fibres Authors: Salih, BH; Abdallah, S; Nawar, MT; Ali, AJ; Fan, M; Hilal, AA Abstract: The use of natural fibres as concrete reinforcement has gained increasing attention due to their environmental benefits, renewability, and cost-effectiveness. This study investigates the post-fire mechanical behaviour of concrete reinforced with Phragmites australis fibres (PAF), a locally available and sustainable material. Concrete mixes containing 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% fibre volume fractions were exposed to temperatures up to 600 °C for 2 h to simulate fire conditions. The effects of fibre content and temperature were assessed through measurements of slump, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). Results showed that PAF-reinforced concrete retained considerable strength and integrity up to 400 °C, with a pronounced reduction observed at 600 °C due to fibre degradation and microcrack propagation. Regression models developed from the experimental data demonstrated strong correlations between fibre dosage, temperature, and residual mechanical properties. The analysis identified an optimal fibre content between 0.5% and 1%, which provided the best balance between thermal stability and mechanical performance. These findings highlight the potential of Phragmites australis fibres as an effective and sustainable reinforcement for improving the fire resistance of concrete structures. Description: Availability of Data and Materials: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

2025-12-31T00:00:00Z Hu, Q Xia, B Zheng, Y Zhou, H Argyroudis, S Mitoulis, SA http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/32494 2025-12-16T03:00:33Z 2025-11-05T00:00:00Z

Title: Risk-based life-cycle cost–benefit analysis for critical infrastructure: piled bridge abutments under earthquake loading Authors: Hu, Q; Xia, B; Zheng, Y; Zhou, H; Argyroudis, S; Mitoulis, SA Abstract: Piled bridge abutments, which are essential components of transport infrastructure, are frequently overlooked in life-cycle performance design due to their perception as sources of uncertainty rather than as structural elements contributing to seismic resistance. This design oversight, coupled with limited research on seismic risks related to soil liquefaction during service life, has contributed to significant structural damage and traffic disruptions. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework for assessing the life-cycle seismic risk of critical infrastructure on liquefiable ground. A cost–benefit criterion is incorporated into the seismic risk analysis to evaluate return on investment (ROI). The life-cycle cost–benefit (LCC-B) model serves as an effective tool for evaluating both seismic life-cycle risk and the associated cost–benefit trade-offs. A case study focusing on the seismic risk analysis of a piled bridge abutment is included, examining the effectiveness of various ground improvement techniques, such as stone columns, deep-cement-mixing (DCM) columns, and DCM columns with non-uniform length, for mitigating soil liquefaction and associated ground deformations. The results demonstrate that DCM columns with non-uniform length design constitute the optimal solution for liquefiable ground, effectively reducing seismic risk and yielding a ROI of approximately 50%. The proposed framework and its outcomes offer practical guidance for strategic investments, enhancing the efficiency of transportation geotechnical asset management. Description: Data availability: All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

2025-11-05T00:00:00Z Wang, X Xu, Y Li, W Fan, Y http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/32380 2025-11-21T03:00:37Z 2025-10-08T00:00:00Z

Title: Unequal impacts of future droughts on global croplands: contributions of climate and land-use changes across different income groups Authors: Wang, X; Xu, Y; Li, W; Fan, Y Abstract: This study presents a global assessment of future cropland exposure to drought risks under climate change, accounting for both climate variability and land-use changes across income groups. We used SPI and SPEI to assess concurrent 3- and 6-month drought risks during major crop-growing periods, applying a copula-based method to capture joint and transitional drought events. Exposure disparities and dominant drivers were evaluated using high-resolution global cropland projections under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. Results show modest increases in SPI-based severe drought concurrence but substantial increases in extreme droughts, particularly under SSP585. SPEI-based projections reveal even greater risks due to temperature-driven evapotranspiration, with some exposure increases exceeding 4000%. Transitional drought risks further intensify vulnerabilities, especially in lower-middle-income countries. Climate change emerges as the dominant driver of exposure increases, while the role of land-use change diminishes. These findings underscore the urgent need for climate mitigation and targeted adaptation to safeguard global food security. Description: Data availability: The CMIP6 simulated data used in the study are available from the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) Archive, https://esgf.llnl.gov/. The potential evapotranspiration data derived from CMIP6 projections are available at https://zenodo.org/records/7789759. The monthly observation data are obtained from Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at https://crudata.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/hrg/cru_ts_4.07/.; Code availability: Code used for the analysis is available upon reasonable request.; Supplementary information: Supplementary Materials are available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44304-025-00144-w#Sec15.

2025-10-08T00:00:00Z