Buildings Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

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- Buildings

Seismic events have repeatedly highlighted the vulnerability of existing masonry buildings. Seismic retrofitting is frequently focused on improving the connection between walls and roof for ensuring behavior able to resist loads from any horizontal direction. This paper deals with the design of masonry ring-beams made of clay bricks reinforced by natural fibers. Various solutions to ensure a masonry building box-behavior are possible, but this is a good combination of both static and conservation requirements, as it allows the use of bio-composites and grouts. It is a relevant possible alternative to the traditional reinforced concrete ring-beams, which are proven to be very ineffective under earthquakes. A simplified model for designing clay brick beams reinforced by flax fibers is provided, and a comparison with customary and traditional floor/roof masonry ring-beams is carried out.

- by giuseppe faella
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- Engineering, Buildings

Research activities in the field of innovative fixtures are continuously aiming at increasing their thermal and optical performances to offer optimal exploitation of daylight and solar gains, providing effective climate screen, according to increasing standards for indoor comfort and energy saving. Within this work, we designed an innovative aerogel-based “thermal break” for window frames, so as to consistently reduce the frame conductance. Then, we compared the performance of this new frame both with currently used and obsolete frames, present in most of the existing building stock. Energy savings for heating and cooling were assessed for different locations and confirmed the potential role played by super-insulating materials in fixtures for extremely rigid climates.

- by Alessandro Cannavale
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- Environmental Science, Buildings
- by Nikos Pnevmatikos, and +2
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- Buildings

Construction workers are exposed to a range of stressors that lead to mental ill-health. In a multicultural construction workplace, the interactions between workers with different cultural backgrounds may aggravate mental health issues. Existing studies on coping typically focus on a reactive approach to managing stressors in the absence of cultural-related factors. This approach is inadequate in addressing mental health issues in a culturally diverse construction workplace. This paper presents a critical review that synthesizes and analyses theories and models of stress and coping, proactive coping, occupational stress, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence to develop a conceptual model for managing mental health in a multicultural construction workforce. The proposed model relies upon a positive coping mechanism, i.e., intercultural coping, to manage stressful events during the entire coping process in a multicultural workplace, towards achieving sustained good mental...

- by Kerry London
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- Buildings

This study compares corrosion activities of carbon steel B450C and SS 430 (Mn in low content) exposed for 30 days in cement extract solution. Iron oxide and hydroxide were formed as corrosion products, in addition to CaCO3, in the presence of Cr2O3 on SS 430. Because of the decrease in pH, B450C lost the passive state when OCP shifted to negative values, while SS 430 showed positive OCP values, maintaining its passive state. The SEM images confirmed that the corrosion attack on the surface was less aggressive for SS 430. The Nyquist plots of EIS initially showed capacitive behavior and later changed to semi-linear diffusion impedance, which SS 430 maintained firmly. The phase angle Bode diagrams confirmed these changes. Two equivalent circuits were applied. The calculated values of Rp for SS 430 increased over time (protective passive layer mainly of Cr2O3 oxide), while for carbon steel, Rp reached maximum value after 168 h and then decreased, maintaining minimum values approximatel...

- by Lucien Veleva and +1
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- Materials Science, Buildings

Pinned base plate connections are the most common base connection used in low-rise steel buildings. In this research, an extensive parametric study is performed using the Finite Element (FE) software Abaqus to determine the elastic rotational stiffness, moment resistance, and energy absorption of the pinned base plate connection connected to a reinforced concrete footing and subjected to an eccentric axial load. The developed FE model is validated using experimental results from the literature. Moreover, an intensive parametric study is conducted to understand the behavior of these connections better. The investigated parameters include the base plate thickness, anchor bolt diameter, and arrangement and number of bolts. The most effective parameters that affect the elastic rotational stiffness and moment resistance of pinned base connections are the anchor bolt arrangement and diameter. The maximum increase in the rotational stiffness was 53% for the anchor bolt diameter of 30 mm wh...

- by Ehab Matar
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- Buildings

An innovative generative design strategy, based on shape grammar, is proposed for the minimum-weight design of diagrid tall buildings. By considering the building as a three-dimensional vertical cantilever beam with a tubular section under horizontal load, it is evident that bending and shear stiffness demands vary along the width and elevation of the building. Further, while the structural design of tall buildings is usually governed by stiffness, the predominant design criterion for diagrids could be the local strength demand, especially for low slenderness values, thanks to the inherent rigidity of the triangular pattern. Starting from these considerations, in this paper, a generative design strategy is proposed, able to find diagrid patterns that accommodate the differentiated stiffness demand along width/elevation and satisfy the predominant design criterion, stiffness or strength. The design strategy is applied to tall building models characterised by different slenderness val...

- by Valentina Tomei and +1
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- Buildings

The key challenges of the building, engineering, construction, operations, and mining (BECOM) industries are the lack of trust, inefficiencies, and the fragmentation of the information value chain into vulnerable data silos throughout the lifecycle of projects. This paper aims to develop a novel conceptual model for the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) for digital twin(s) (DT) in the BECOM industry 4.0 to improve trust, cyber security, efficiencies, information management, information sharing, and sustainability. A PESTELS approach is used to review the literature and identify the key challenges affecting BCT adoption for the BECOM industry 4.0. A review of the technical literature on BCT combined with the findings from PESTELS analysis permitted researchers to identify the key technological factors affecting BCT adoption in the industry. This allowed offering a technological framework—namely, the decentralized digital twin cycle (DDTC)—that leverages BCT to address the...

- by samad Sepasgozar
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- Buildings, Blockchain

The effectiveness of slightly reinforced thin U-shaped cementitious mortar jacketing for the repair of damaged shear-critical reinforced concrete beams is experimentally investigated. The test project includes two parts. In the first one, five concrete beams over-reinforced against flexure and under-reinforced against shear with different ratio of closed stirrups were initially subjected to monotonic loading until failure. The initially tested beams have been designed to fail in shear after wide diagonal cracking and to exhibit various strength and deformation capacities along with different levels of damages. In the second experimental part, the heavily damaged beams were jacketed with mild steel small diameter U-shaped transverse stirrups and longitudinal reinforcing bars. The retrofitted specimens using the proposed jacketing technique were tested again following the same four-point-bending load scheme. Based on the overall performance of the beams, it is deduced that the shear s...

- by Constantin Chalioris
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- Buildings
- by Helena Coch and +1
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- Climate Change, Buildings

This paper investigates the conflicting and contrasting views between two prominent schools of thought (SOT), the conventional project management empirical school and the incoming behavioural and psychological sciences, to explain the cost overrun phenomenon in transportation infrastructure projects. Although theories within these SOTs seem to coexist and are used interchangeably, there exists a widening knowledge gap that leads to conflicting and contrasting ideological views. In this paper, we contend that there is a lack of a cross-fertilisation mechanism to fuse and co-join contemporary theories on cost overruns. This has led to the encapsulation and fragmented adhocracy in theory building. Utilising a critical review approach, this study proposes the concepts of ideological distancing and encapsulation between “empiricism” and “behavioural” SOTs as the focus of analyses for understanding the root causes of cost overruns in project studies. The study showed that the extant debat...

- by Aaron Chadee
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- Sociology, Buildings

Transitioning from demolition to deconstruction practices for end-of-life performances is gaining increasing attention following the need for the construction industry to minimise construction and demolition waste. Building information modelling (BIM) presents an opportunity for sustainable deconstruction. However, the notion of BIM for deconstruction (BIMfD) is still in its infancy in the United Kingdom. Although a few studies on BIMfD are evident, a focus on identifying the underlying factors necessary for successful implementation of BIMfD is lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyse the underlying factors necessary for BIMfD implementation in the UK construction industry. It employed a four-stage research design. The reviewed literature explored extant views on BIM implementation factors to identify an initial list of possible factors influencing BIMfD implementation. Subsequently, a mix of questionnaire, focus group discussions and structured interviews wer...

- by Ifeoma Anyama Obi
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- Business, Buildings

Given the fact that during the recent years the majority of buildings in Iran have been constructed either on steel or concrete frames, it is essential to investigate the environmental impacts of materials used in such constructions. For this purpose, two multi-story residential buildings in Tehran with a similar function have been considered in this study. One building was constructed with a steel frame and the other was constructed with a concrete frame. Using the life cycle assessment tool, a complete analysis of all the stages of a building’s life cycle from raw material acquisition to demolition and recycling of wastes was carried out. In this research, the environmental impacts included global warming potential in 100 years, acidification, eutrophication potential, human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer effects), resource depletion (water and mineral), climate change, fossil fuel consumption, air acidification and biotoxicity. It could be concluded from the results that the tot...

- by Saeed Mansour
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- Buildings

This article discusses the potential of introducing sustainability in the architectural design method so that building solutions can contribute to sustainable development. Sustainability has introduced a new pattern to the architecture practice, which involves important modifications in the teaching of architecture in what regards to the design methods to students but also practitioners, in order to provide more comfort for present and future generations. In the design phases of the architectural design, the subject of the three pillars of sustainability—economic, social and environmental factors—are not always considered by the architect in the decision-making process. The topic involves actions that will influence the overall performance of the building throughout its lifecycle. Sustainability has not been a priority in the training of the architect. The existing tools, Sustainability Assessment and Certification Systems, although adequate to evaluate the sustainability component ...

- by Miguel Amado
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- Buildings
- by paola leardini
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- Buildings
- by Michael Guggenheim
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- History, Architecture, Actor Network Theory, Social Systems Theory

Unreinforced masonry (URM) structures are vulnerable to earthquakes; thus, materials and techniques for their strengthening and restoration should be developed. However, the materials used in some of the existing retrofitting technologies for URM and the waste produced at its end-of-life are unsustainable. The production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) worldwide has enormously contributed to the global carbon footprint, resulting in persistent environmental problems. Replacing OPC with geopolymers, which are more sustainable and environmentally friendly, presents a potential solution to these problems. Geopolymers can replace the OPC component in engineering cementitious composites (ECC), recommended to strengthen and restore URM structures. In the present paper, the state-of-the-art knowledge development on applying geopolymers in URM structures is discussed. The discussion is focused on geopolymers and their components, material characterization, geopolymers as a strengthening a...

- by Michael Angelo Promentilla
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- Buildings

The study investigated the influence of school plant on students' academic performance in Economics in secondary schools in Ile-Oluji Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State. Ex-post facto research design was adopted in the study. One thousand, three hundred and forty two (1342) students offering Economics, representing 29.0% of the 4632 Senior Secondary School (SSS) students were drawn as sample. A checklist titled School Plant Availability Checklist (SPLAC) with a cronbach alpha (α) of 0.73 was used in the study. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that educational equipment, buildings and playgrounds have individual significant influence on students' academic performance in Economics (F cal =140.776; 342.606; 24.932, p<0.01) respectively. Interaction effect among components of the school plant (educational equipment, buildings and playgrounds) contributed most to students' academic performance (F cal = 82.941; p<0.01). This is followed by the interaction between building and playgrounds (F cal =45.792; p<0.01), educational equipment and buildings (F cal =13.767; p<0.01) and educational equipment and playgrounds (F cal = 6.245; p<0.01). The R-squared coefficient (.892) showed that the components jointly predict 89.2% of any significant variation in students' academic performance in Economics. It was recommended that the state government should adequately inform and sensitize principals on the importance of school plant in school goal achievement.

A rechargeable cement-based battery was developed, with an average energy density of 7 Wh/m2 (or 0.8 Wh/L) during six charge/discharge cycles. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were selected as anodes, and nickel-based (Ni) oxides as cathodes. The conductivity of cement-based electrolytes was modified by adding short carbon fibers (CF). The cement-based electrodes were produced by two methods: powder-mixing and metal-coating. Different combinations of cells were tested. The results showed that the best performance of the rechargeable battery was the Ni–Fe battery, produced by the metal-coating method.

- by Tang Luping
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- Buildings

Digital twin (DT) is gaining increasing attention due to its ability to present digital replicas of existing assets, processes and systems. DT can integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to create real-time simulation models. These models learn and update from multiple data sources to predict their physical counterparts’ current and future conditions. This has promoted its relevance in various industries, including the construction industry (CI). However, recognising the existence of a distinct set of factors driving its adoption has not been established. Therefore, this study aims to identify the drivers and integrate them into a classification framework to enhance its understanding. Utilising popular databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, a systematic literature review of 58 relevant DT adoptions in the CI research was conducted. From the review, the drivers for DT adoption in the CI were identified and classified. The resul...

- by Professor Srinath Perera
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- Buildings
- by Debbie M Jackson
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- Architecture, 18th Century, Sublime, Tower Houses
- by Popi Droutsa and +1
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- Engineering, Energy Conservation, Energy Efficiency Buildings, Building Construction

As a way of reducing cracks and minimizing collapse in buildings, engineers deem it fit to introduce beam at the plinth level called plinth beam to add to the structural integrity of the structure. The purposes and construction is well... more

- by Simeon A B R A H A M Kayode
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- Buildings
- by Kathryn Bourke
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- Life Cycle Costing, Maintenance, Buildings

Nowadays, debates addressing climate change, fossil fuels depletion and energy security highlight the need for a more sustainable built environment in order to reduce energy consumption and emission trends in the buildings sector. Meeting these targets is a challenge that calls for innovative research to improve the use of renewable energy sources, new technologies, and holistic tools and methodologies. Such research should integrate the dynamics and main drivers of energy supply and demand in buildings to support new policies, plans and actions towards lowering the built environment burdens. This paper brings together ten research topics concerning the energy and environmental performance of buildings, which can support a shift towards a more sustainable built environment. Background information and state of the art literature on the covered research topics is briefly summarized, gaps are identified and guidelines for future research are provided. The selected topics cover different stages along the lifetime of buildings (from design and operation, to retrofitting and end-of-life), different scale approaches (from building elements/components, to the building, district and urban scales), and different methods to assess the energy and environmental performance of buildings (life-cycle assessment, generative design methods and retrofitting tools). Other topics are discussed such as: nearly zero-energy buildings, the control of domestic energy resources in smart grid scenarios, the need to include end-users' behaviors in the dynamics of energy demand, the advantages of improving thermal storage by using phase change materials, the importance of reducing heating and cooling energy demand (maintaining indoor thermal comfort), and the optimization of heating and cooling fluids, and their system control.

- by Luisa Dias Pereira and +1
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- Energy efficiency, Thermal Performance, Buildings, Environmental Performance
- by Craggy Cory
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- Buildings
- by Virendra Pareek
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- Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Foundations, Structural Design
- by Mateusz Bogucki
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- Baltic Studies, Viking Age Archaeology, Pottery, Emporiae
- by S. Pelzer
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- Room Acoustics, Simulation, CAD, Buildings

This report covers a literature review on the development and implementation of the base isolation technique for the seismic isolation of historic or old masonry. To preserve the old and historic buildings with minimal changes, the base isolation technique presents a good t to the situation. A basic study of the base isolation is done to understand the underlying concepts involved in this idea as implemented to masonry buildings. The
basic idea of base isolation is reviewed with implementation using geosynthetics and marble plates. An advanced technique of base isolation in masonry using short masonry rocking piers is then reviewed. With this background of knowledge, we then review some interesting cases of implementation of this concept in real world projects involving some old masonry buildings. Keywords:Masonry Retro tting; Base Isolation; Sliding Isolator; Rubber Isolator

- by SAKET KUMAR
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- Masonry Buildings, Base Isolation, Masonry, Geotextiles
- by Jordan Lacey
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- Buildings

The study investigated the influence of school plant on students’ academic performance in Economics in secondary schools in Ile-Oluji Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State. Ex-post facto research design was adopted in the study. One thousand, three hundred and forty two (1342) students offering Economics, representing 29.0% of the 4632 Senior Secondary School (SSS) students were drawn as sample. A checklist titled School Plant Availability Checklist (SPLAC) with a cronbach alpha (α) of 0.73 was used in the study. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that educational equipment, buildings and playgrounds have individual significant influence on students’ academic performance in Economics (Fcal=140.776; 342.606; 24.932, p<0.01) respectively. Interaction effect among components of the school plant (educational equipment, buildings and playgrounds) contributed most to students’ academic performance (Fcal = ...

- by Basil Jimoh
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- Academic Performance, Buildings, School Plant Management, School Plant Planning
- by Viola Hospodarova
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- Composite Materials, Buildings
- by Adrian Pitts
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- Energy, Thermal comfort, Buildings

Foreign pottery artefacts in early medieval Wolin Pottery vessels of foreign origin they are a valuable source of information on the relations of inhabitants of Wolin with other communities. Among pottery the most numerous group... more

- by Błażej Stanisławski
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- Pottery, Viking Age, Buildings, WOLIN
- by Harsh Chopra
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- Structural Engineering, Buildings, High-Rise, Wind Load
- by Kheir Al-Kodmany
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- Engineering, Urban Development, New Technologies, Urban Design
- by Pieter Pauwels
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- Architecture, Semantics, Construction, Linked Data
- by Birgitta Gatersleben
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- Buildings
- by Kheir Al-Kodmany
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- Urban Agriculture, Food deserts, Buildings, Urban Population
- by Paul Torcellini
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- Energy Conservation, Literature Review, Building Technology, Energy Saving

This paper aims to debate the epistemological boundaries of construction history, in relation to the fields of history of architecture and the history of engineering, using Portugal as a case study. The concept of construction culture is used to broaden the analysis, avoiding the old dichotomy between architects and engineers. Instead, construction history (understood as the history of construction cultures) aims to integrate the contributions of all actors in this sector of activity, such as contractors, materials and machine producers, traders, and public and private institutions. The history of architecture and the history of engineering in Portugal serves to illustrate the extent to which the study of how a community built in a particular space, at a particular time, is fragmented in the present age. The conclusions highlight the limits of a history that has been interpreted mainly from the point of view of the activity of architects and engineers. This paper also explores the p...

- by João Mascarenhas Mateus
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- Engineering, Sociology, Architecture, History of Construction

Buildings are the leading energy consuming sector, representing about 40% of the final energy consumption in Europe. Different key performance indicators are available that can support the diverse needs and priorities of stakeholders in their efforts to improve the overall energy performance of buildings. The work first reviews the energy use and characteristics of European buildings, the main European legislation and technical developments that drive the efforts for lowering energy consumption. The main indicators that are used during the design, construction and operation of buildings are elaborated and when possible quantified, along with pertinent standards and regulations for guidance. Using common energy related indicators, a case study then focuses on Hellenic buildings and provides an insight on their performance, exploiting data from energy performance certificates. The contents document relevant work in information and communications technology for delivering simulation, modelling, analysis, monitoring and visualization tools, along with ongoing efforts to exploit building typologies for realistic assessment of energy use, during the design and operation of buildings. Future priorities are also outlined that support the ongoing European efforts to refurbish the existing building stock and the decision making process for setting effective policies towards nearly zero energy buildings.

- by Avanti Publisher
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- Energy Consumption, Performance indicators, Energy technology, KPI

The COVID-19 global health crisis has spatial implications concerning social isolation to control the spread of the virus. The preventive measures require travelers to stay in mandatory quarantine for 14 days upon arrival from another country. Due to a shortage of government facilities, more hotels have started to function as quarantine facilities. This research focuses on quarantine hotels in Australia, as one of the first countries to implement an international border restriction, to evaluate the spatial needs of users and what see outcomes can be identified. By primarily focusing on hotel users’ well-being during the isolation period, this paper responds to an information gap regarding the quarantine hotel system by providing user opinions on the negative and positive factors affecting their well-being. A survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questionnaire items was conducted with 54 participants to investigate their experiences in quarantine hotels. Among the nine key sourc...

- by Demet Dincer
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- Buildings

The purpose of this paper is to provide structural and architectural technological solutions applied in the construction of high-rise buildings, and present the possibilities of technological evolution in this field. Tall buildings always have relied on technological innovations in engineering and scientific progress. New technological developments have been continuously taking place in the world. It is closely linked to the search for efficient construction materials that enable buildings to be constructed higher, faster and safer. This paper presents a survey of the main technological advancements on the example of selected tall buildings erected in the last decade, with an emphasis on geometrical form, the structural system, sophisticated damping systems, sustainability, etc. The famous architectural studios (e.g., for Skidmore, Owings and Merill, Nikhen Sekkei, RMJM, Atkins and WOHA) that specialize, among others, in the designing of skyscrapers have played a major role in the d...

- by Jerzy Szołomicki
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- Buildings
- by anandh Sekar
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- Buildings