Falls at construction sites account for approximately 50% of all accidents reported in the US annually, making them the leading cause of injuries and fatalities. Although there have been several studies characterizing fall-related hazards and emerging technologies, a systematic review of literature examining the intersection of fall from height (FFH) risk factors and emerging technological solutions

Studies have been conducted to predict the compressive strength of ternary-blended concrete using regression models, such as support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), and artificial neural networks. In particular, deep neural networks (DNNs) are one of the most effective nonlinear regression models for predicting compressive strength based on the intricate relationships among constituent

Maintenance in airport infrastructures (MAI) has tempted scientists and practitioners worldwide. It is explained mainly by the critical maintenance function in this field. Maintenance costs represent a significant part of airport infrastructure operating costs. Therefore, Maintenance management methods are becoming increasingly essential, knowing that any damage can substantially affect airport infrastructures

With the aim of simultaneously reducing all seismic demands, this paper proposes a novel structural system comprising inclined demountable walls with rocking base composite columns (IDWC). The proposed IDWC system combines the concepts of using inclined demountable walls in each story and rocking-based concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns as the wall boundary elements. In particular, through inclined

As the river with highest silt content in the world, the Yellow River is dredged annually to relieve the pressure of flood control. Prior studies indicated that the dredged Yellow River silt cannot be directly utilized as construction filling material because of the deficiency in strength and stability. In this study, soybean urease induced calcium carbonate precipitation (SICP) method was proposed

Steel rebar's corrosion greatly affects the durability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Recently, enamel coatings have been developed for steel rebar's corrosion protection. Given that the anticorrosion performance of enamel coatings is strongly related to their microstructure, in this study, pure enamel coating (PE) and three silicon carbide/enamel composite coatings with 2.5, 5, and 7.5 wt

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash is solid waste containing heavy metals and needs to be safely disposed of. This study investigated the feasibility of alkali-activated technology for solidification/stabilization (S/S) MSWI fly ash via sodium-montmorillonite (MT) as an alkali-activated cementitious material. MT was added (0–20 wt%) to explore its effects on the compressive strength

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of preparing a one-part geopolymer using fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as the main raw materials and solid sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate as activation conditions under ambient conditions. Orthogonal tests were conducted to study effects of FA on the GGBS mass ratio (F:G), solid alkali content, sodium hydroxide–to–sodium

Experimental tests were performed to examine the relative fire resistance provided by several bonded coatings for normal weight concrete (NWC) panels that emulate a tunnel liner: ceramic tiling on mortar, spray-applied fire resistive material (SFRM), and intumescent paint (IP). Sixteen panel specimens (150-mm [6-in.] thick, 457-mm [18-in.] wide, and 610-mm [24-in.] tall) were subjected to one-sided

In facing “big-city diseases”, using urban underground space to build a stratified transportation system is crucial for the sustainable development of the social economy. In recent years, underground logistics systems (ULS) receive broad attention but developing a purpose-built ULS in megacities faces difficulties due to high costs and risks. As a cost-effective alternative, the metro-based ULS (M-ULS)

The real-time detection of indoor thermal comfort can bring significant benefits for energy-efficient controls over the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. At present, few studies have been conducted to propose non-intrusive and cost-effective solutions for the real-time sensing of individual thermal comfort. Leveraging advances in machine learning, this study proposes a data-driven

A minimal energy demand should be required in buildings both to optimize the performance of the building façade and to control solar gains. According to the existing studies and national standards, the climate zone classification is usually based on both the degree-days methodology and outdated climate data, thus managing HVAC systems inappropriately or leading to users’ thermal discomfort in indoor

The medium-deep borehole heat exchanger (MDBHE) coupled heat pump (HP) is a promising building heating solution for carbon reduction. Existing studies claim that the MDBHE-HP suffers a bottleneck challenge of long-term heating performance degradation because of the heating extraction attenuation of the MDBHE, which largely hinders the practical applications of the MDBHE-HP. This study innovatively

In this study, we investigated the effects of Field's metal (FM) nanoparticles (NPs) on the mechanical behaviour of cement paste under quasi-static (QS) and dynamic strain rates. We found the highest mechanical improvement under QS loading with 1 % FM dosage, beyond which boosting the dosage diminished its contribution to the mechanical performance. Conversely, under dynamic loadings, boosting the

The energy-saving concrete was developed by incorporating n-octadecane and diatomite composite shape-stabilized phase change materials (OC/D SSPCMs) into cement concrete. OC/D SSPCMs were prepared by vacuum impregnation of barrel diatomite. The results show that the melting point and enthalpy of OC/D SSPCMs are 25.02 °C and 60.26 J/g, and OC/D SSPCMs have good dispersion and compatibility in cement

While Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used for building façade inspections, their advantages have not been fully leveraged due to the challenge in gaining a fast and holistic understanding of as-is building conditions from fragmented images. This paper describes a framework to address the problem by registering UAV images into a Building Information Model (BIM) in three phases: (1)

Buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions. Thus, carbon reduction in the construction industry is crucial to global climate issues. This study contributes a real-time operational carbon emission prediction method for the early design stage of residential units based on a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN model was trained based on a dataset with

This research investigates the effects of high temperatures, multiaxial stress constraints, and impact loads on the failure behavior and strength deterioration of high-performance concrete. Combined with scanning electron microscopy and ultrasonic testing, the microscopic deterioration characteristics of thermally damaged concrete were revealed. Dynamic compression tests were performed on concrete

Early design decisions influence the performance of a building significantly. Yet, computational support for performance assessment during early design is very limited. This research proposes an analysis pipeline for the accurate and comprehensive assessment of building performance by integrating simulation-based analysis tools that perform daylighting, computational fluid dynamics, energy, and contaminant

Mitigating building energy use and carbon emissions in the buildings sector is a globally recognized goal. This is being pursued through the adoption of zero-energy building (ZEB) targets, with formal government regulations and policies actively embraced in domestic marketplaces. However, building assessment methods used for the ZEB certification system in South Korea have garnered substantial critique

Methods to improve the damping efficiency of dampers have been extensively studied. This study proposes a multilayer viscoelastic damper with an amplified deformation device (MAVE), which combines a traditional viscoelastic damper (VE) with a lever amplification device. The proposed device utilizes multiple viscoelastic damping layers and a lever system to amplify the inter-story displacement, thereby

Wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a technology that enables the in-situ manufacturing of large-scale components efficiently for the construction industry. However, uncertainties persist regarding the characteristics of WAAM materials, such as anisotropic mechanical properties and their correlation with metallographic structure and fracture morphology, printing paths, and heat treatment

Concrete is a building material with excellent structural qualities that can be molded into any shape. However, it is also responsible for approximately 8% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. There is a need to reduce material consumption during the design and construction of concrete structures. This research proposes a new manufacturing workflow for the design and fabrication of precast

This study focuses on the monitoring of rising damp, a widespread phenomenon that causes moisture-related damages in existing construction. Diagnosing moisture-related damages in construction can be difficult due to the many potential causes of moisture accumulation. The study aims to contribute to the understanding and diagnosis of moisture sources by evaluating and comparing different monitoring

As urbanization continues to accelerate, effectively managing peak electricity demand becomes increasingly critical to avoid power outages and system overloads that can negatively impact both buildings and power systems. To tackle this challenge, we propose a novel model-free predictive control method called “Dynamic Dual Predictive Control-Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (D2PC-DDPG)" based on a

The novel approach of reusing recycled plastic in construction instead of landfilling has gained recognition. However, the inclusion of recycled plastic aggregates (RPA) tends to have a negative impact on various concrete properties. Previous studies have explored surface treatment techniques to mitigate these effects. Nevertheless, there is limited research on enhancing the properties of RPA geopolymer

Air conditioners (AC) face the challenge of low energy efficiency in field operation. Considering that the performance of dual-temperature systems remains unexplored, especially in different climate zones, an AC with a flat heat pipe and different temperature controls was tested in an experimental chamber. The energy efficiency increased by 14% compared to that of an AC with a dehumidification mode

In order to diminish global energy consumption and environmental pollution, the use of green building materials for construction has been noticeably popularized. In the present study, the use of re-dispersible latex powder-basalt fibers to prepare foamed concrete to improve the performance of foamed concrete has been assessed. The effects of basalt fibers and re-dispersible latex powder on the dry

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, which is a kind of low-carbon production and have a large rupture strain, may have prosperous application outcomes. PET FRP wrap has been explored as confining reinforcement for concrete, and the majority of investigations are limited to PET FRP-confined concrete in circular and square columns, whereas PET FRP-confined rectangular

A common approach to enhance the self-healing behaviour of cracked backfill is through the addition of carriers, but this practice can potentially disrupt the overall performance of the backfill and pose environmental concerns. Overcoming the limitations of traditional carrier-based methods to improve self-healing efficiency has been a challenging task. This study proposed an environmentally friendly

Seismic retrofit of existing reinforced concrete framed buildings often involves both structural members and infill walls. The strengthening of infill walls is mainly aimed at preventing out-of-plane mechanisms and, in some cases, also increases in-plane capacity. On the other hand, the enhancement of the infill's strength might modify the failure mode of the frame, as stated by recent studies. In

Deciding how to optimally deploy sensors in a large, complex, and spatially extended structure is critical to ensure that the surface pressure field is accurately captured for subsequent analysis and design. In some cases, reconstruction of missing data is required in downstream tasks such as the development of digital twins. This paper presents a data-driven sparse sensor selection algorithm, aiming

The present study is focused on assessing the impact of the performance of baseline load prediction pipelines on the estimation (by the grid operator) accuracy of the flexibility offered by different categories of buildings. Accordingly, the corresponding impact of employing different machine learning (ML) algorithms, with sliding-window and offline training schemes, for hour-ahead baseline load prediction

Energy consumption prediction is of great practical significance for the study of energy-saving scheduling of building air-conditioning systems. However, there are two problems in prediction models: (1) A single prediction model is difficult to solve the nonlinear problem of building energy consumption data. (2) A single prediction result can hardly reflect the uncertainty in the building operation

A stochastic damage model previously proposed by the author and Li for concrete under monotonic and cyclic loadings is extended to 3D stress states. Specifically, a novel expression form of damage energy release rate, which is the damage driving force thermodynamically, is initiated, and some basic concepts related to concrete damage evolution are further demonstrated. Careful validation of the model

We study here the imbibition of a nanosilica-based product in a hardened cement-based material along with the consequences of the product on transport properties. We use X-ray microtomography to assess the liquid ingress in the cement-based matrix as a function of time. We moreover measure the consequences of the nanosilica treatment on water absorption and chloride penetration. Our results suggest

The effective management of human flow is critical to the success of complex projects in urban centers, such as shopping malls. However, conventional methods of flow organization, which rely on observation and empirical knowledge, face challenges in fully comprehending the intricate environment. This study proposes an analytical approach to manage human flow in shopping malls in urban centers. A Wi-Fi

Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECCs) can be used as repair and reinforcement materials, which can improve the shear performance of the structure. Hence, doubled-notched and unnotched half-symmetric loading tests are used to study the mode II fracture properties of ECC and concrete, and the fracture failure morphology and fracture parameters of ECC and concrete are compared. The effects of the

Hybrid FRP-reinforced concrete-steel double-skin tubular columns (DSTCs) exhibit the benefits of high bearing capacity, sufficient ductility and excellent durability. However, there are fewer studies on reinforced DSTCs under axial compression compared to unreinforced DSTCs. Eleven circular cross-section columns were tested to study the compressive behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete-DSTCs. The main

Concrete shrinkage affects the overall stability and long-term service performance of the structures. Lightweight aggregates (LWAs) with a porous structure are an ideal internal curing material to mitigate concrete shrinkage. Nevertheless, the low elastic modulus of LWAs has a negative impact on concrete shrinkage. In order to clarify the influences of LWAs in the high strength lightweight aggregate

Cross-infection risk induced by the emitted droplets and bioaerosols during dental procedures has challenged service providers and patients alike. The present study aims to investigate the transmission mechanism of emitted droplets during the dental atomization procedures: vibration ultrasonic scaling (vUS) and rotation high-speed drilling (rHSD) and propose the risk assessment. Computational fluid

Smart facilities management (FM), which embraces innovative solutions, integrates the operation of the city, the built environment and the people to achieve social, economic and environment sustainability. While previous studies investigated how to improve the smartness at the city and building levels, very few studies examined the application of smart technologies at the industry level. As FM industry

Reducing the environmental impact of construction, one of the most polluting industrial sectors, is essential to combat the climate crisis and, for this purpose, we need to start from natural, recyclable and sustainable materials. In this research, panels fabricated with jute and wool fibers, recycled respectively from jute bags used (end-life) for packaging coffee beans and from old (end-life) mattresses

With the mass construction of urban subways, the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been on the rise. This paper provides statistical evidence to support the infrastructure of subway emissions reduction through a study of GHG emissions during the construction stage of 6 stations and 7 sections of Chengdu Metro Line 18. Using the emission coefficient method, the GHG emissions from building material

3D printed concrete structures often exhibit considerable degree of anisotropy and inhomogeneity because of layered material deposition and inferior properties of the interlayer regions between concrete filaments. These interlayer regions, which will be called interfaces hereafter for better readability, can significantly affect overall mechanical performance of printed concrete structures. Therefore

The reliable and fast detection of cracks is crucial for assessing the condition and maintaining civil infrastructure. However, due to diverse construction materials, imaging conditions, and environmental interference, there exists a domain shift between crack images collected from civil infrastructure. This shift results in significant performance drops of crack detection models trained on one dataset

The building sector consumes more than 70% of the electricity produced in the U.S., with Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems accounting for half of the electricity consumption. Leaks in HVAC systems have a significant impact on the energy efficiency of buildings, resulting in up to 33% of energy loss. However, the current manual approach to inspection is time-consuming and reactive

Building-related sectors use more energy than all other energy consuming sectors. Energy consumption behavior of occupants and their socio-demographic profiles are some of the key factors affecting building energy consumption. This study aims to understand the relationships between the socio-demographic and economic characteristics of occupants and their energy-related behavior. To achieve this aim

Rubber powder can be produced from waste tires through processing and its inclusion in concrete, either with steel fiber or alone, has been shown to improve impact and shear toughness and reduce environmental pollution. However, the mechanical behaviors and failure criteria of steel fiber reinforced rubber concrete (SFRRC) under combined compression-shear loading, which is essential for structural

This study aims to analyze the effect of SAP dosage, presence of macrofibers, and resting time on the rheological properties of cement mortar. Accordingly, we measured the static yield stress, equilibrium shear stress, thixotropic area, and nonlinearity (shear thinning/thickening) using a rheometer, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to statistically analyze whether each factor (explanatory