This paper presents an innovative and sustainable timber constructive system that could be used as an alternative to traditional emergency housing facilities. The system proposed in this study is composed of prefabricated modular elements that are characterized by limited weight and simple assembly procedures, which represent strategic advantages when it comes facing a strong environmental disaster

This paper newly established a radiative roof cooling performance model to conduct thorough parametric studies on pivotal factors governing achievable equilibrium temperature and net cooling power in building roofs. A detailed building model integrated with radiative roof cooling considering typical climate regions in China was correspondingly developed to evaluate building thermal response and energy

Deployable structures are a good solution for emergency buildings, due to their lightness and compact nature which means they can be transported to where they are needed. Nevertheless, the deployable structures studied to date have the drawback of being too deformable, so that larger and therefore heavier sections had to be used. This paper proposes a new type of deployable structure that uses reciprocal

Nowadays, data-driven approaches are a good way to estimate very efficient black box models for different engineering systems. This class of model is well recognized by its outstanding performances to describe the overall behavior of one system based on its input-output relationships without any physical knowledge. In the context of building modeling, this approach is particularly well suited to predict

Thermal performance assessment of building(s) is an essential process for optimal energy management, heat-loss evaluation, and energy audit applications. Such an assessment can help foresee the requirements for future intervention(s) and aid in benchmarking energy performance. This paper provides a review of several thermal performance assessment techniques and a broad classification based on measurement

In this paper, the influence of calcined perlite on the elevated temperature behaviour of alkali activated slag (AAS) mortars is researched. The diversity parameters of mortars are the levels of calcined perlite (CP) replacement (0, 25 and 50% by volume), the molecular silicate modulus (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25) and the levels of elevated temperature (400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C). The flexural

The ASTM C666 procedure is the common test method used for evaluating the freeze-thaw durability of conventional concrete, and it has been adapted for evaluating the freeze-thaw resistance of pervious concrete; however, it is argued the test method does not represent the field conditions of neither conventional nor pervious concrete. This study mainly focused on an experimental program to evaluate

Bond is the interaction and force transfer between rebar and concrete, which directly affects the performance of concrete structures. On the other hand, innovations in the production of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and its unique advantages, such as high strength, low permeability, and high resistance to chemical attacks, have increased the interest in using it in the building industry. While

This present study analyzed the effect of Rhizopus oligosporus and Sporosarcina pasteurii addition on the properties and surface morphology of fly ash-based geopolymer paste mixtures as a green sustainable material. The addition of bottom ash and a foaming agent were also conducted to improve the paste quality. Compressive strength, porosity, X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy

The thermal energy storage plays a fundamental role in improving the efficiency and reliability of solar energy applied in the building engineering and its conventional techniques are Latent and Sensible Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES and SHTES). To analyze the thermal performance of LHTES-Tank and SHTES-Tank with paraffin RT55 and water as thermal storage mediums respectively, a contrastive experiment

The aim of this study is to examine capability of geopolymer in immobilization and entrapping of heavy metals bearing materials; also, dose optimization that will be more efficiently affect the resultant geopolymer structure will be studied. The main binder used for mortar preparation was water cooled slag in addition to air cooed slag as fine aggregate passing sieve of one mm in equal ratio, whereas

In order to ensure safety of confined brick masonry structures, researchers have recommended the use of reinforced-concrete (RC) stiffeners. Most of the time, the seismic demand is much less than the provided strength even with the use of minimum stiffeners cross-section, concrete strength and reinforcement re-bars. Thus, there is a need to correlate the seismic demand with the stiffeners design. In

Building evacuation strategies directly affect the success of an emergency response plan in reaction to a disastrous event in a building. Evacuation alternatives result from applying time delays or altering path planning in the evacuation strategy. The best strategy for evacuation depends on the characteristics of the building, circumstances of the particular emergency, and reactions of the evacuees

Despite the unprecedented permeation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and collaboration platforms, architects and structural engineers, for the most part, act as separate entities. That is, linking architectural models with those of structural engineers remains labour-intensive and cumbersome; structural engineers can generate few alternatives for any given architectural model. This paper is

Energy expenditure represents a major component of the operational cost in tourist resorts in Egypt mainly due to the cooling energy used in buildings. The amount of solar radiation received from the Sun (direct, diffused, and reflected radiation) per unit area on the building facades surrounding the urban open-spaces in these touristic resorts contributes to the solar heat gain that is directly reflected

Self-leveling mortar (SLM) is a special mortar that can flow and fill under its own weight without the need for any compaction energy. To meet these characteristics and to ensure their stability (no segregation and exudation) these mortars require, in addition to proper mixing design and the use of water reducing assets, a large quantity of fines or viscosity modifying additives, which raises the cost

The non-biodegradable character of plastics is of concern to the scientists and environmentalists worldwide. Consequently, there is an exigent need to identify avenues for the utilization of recycled plastics. Its use in concrete is one of potential applications. The utilization of recycled plastic in concrete, as a partial/full replacement of natural aggregates, resolves the concern related to its

Traditionally, the energy efficiency properties of building envelope components are prescribed world-wide using the steady-state “U-value” where the insulation capabilities rely on the thermal conductivity of construction materials only. However, the heat flow through the building envelope is also restricted by the effect of other material properties combined in the form of the thermal inertia, a widely

This paper presents a study of the most common types of construction flaws in facing brick facades. It is intended to examine the intervening parameters and know the interrelations between them, developing a risk evaluation framework through a process of categorisation. The 274 cases analysed correspond to the totality of the period of the study and cover the entirety of the Spanish territory. Adaptation

Indoor thermal comfort is dynamic because of complex interactions between occupants, season-specific climatic parameters, and region-specific socio-cultural setup. A thermally comfortable environment is a key requirement for obtaining good classroom performance. Providing adequate thermal comfort is considered to be the greatest challenge in naturally ventilated (NV) conditions in tropical cities during

In this study, the main emphasis is placed on the development and characterization of alkali-activated binders completely produced by the use of mixed construction and demolition waste (CDW)-based masonry units as aluminosilicate precursors. Combined usage of precursors was aimed to better simulate the real-life cases since in the incident of construction and demolition, these wastes are anticipated

A reliable evaluation of thermal behaviour and energy efficiency of buildings depends on the accurate thermal characterization of the envelope components. One of the most reliable methodologies to perform this thermal characterization is the measurements under laboratory-controlled conditions. The thermal performance assessment of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) building components exhibits particular

Fabric membrane structure has a very good application prospect in the field of industrial material storage because it can effectively reduce the dust pollution of open storage yard. However, architectural fabrics material can neither store heat nor insulate. In addition, the high solar heat absorption coefficient and the spontaneous heat dissipation of coal lead to a poor indoor thermal environment

Solar power forecast is a much needed means for grid operators, particularly in residential microgrids, to manage the produced energy in a dispatchable fashion. Deterministic methods are unable to accurately forecast the intermittent solar power generation since they depend on unique sets of inputs and outputs. Therefore, stochastic methods and artificially intelligent (AI) strategies are utilized

Durability characteristics of high-performance concrete (HPC) and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) are evaluated in comparison to normal strength concrete (NSC). HPC and UHPC are cast using commonly available materials with no special heat treatment. Concrete resistivity, rapid chloride permeability, sorptivity, porosity, and resistance to chloride migration and carbonation of these three types

. For a pipe-embedded concrete radiant floor, its thermal performance is essential to maintain the desired cooling/heating capacity and indoor thermal comfort. A good temperature distribution of the floor surface is very important in order to prevent occupant discomfort and avoid possible condensation in the case of floor cooling. In this study, a heat transfer model of a three-layer floor was developed

Thermal environment is quite important for many modern ice competition venues. Maintaining a stable ice pad satisfying requirement usually consumes high energy consumption for refrigeration in curling competition. In this paper, a curling venue with ethylene tetra fluoro ethylene (ETFE) membrane structure is taken as an example to analyze the ice making load of the curling ground. Field tests for thermal

The purpose of this paper is to apply thermoeconomics in a HVAC&R facility in order to implement the dynamic behaviour as well as to solve the direct problem of diagnosis. New methodological aspects of thermoeconomic applications are developed, such as a new method for setting the productive dynamic structure, in particular to define the commonly used three-way valves and the inertial components. Besides

The emerging availability of numerous model-based design and analysis tools promises high interoperability in terms of data exchange, thus shorter planning cycles and higher design quality. However, seamless transfer of digital models across domains without significant data inconsistencies is still a major challenge in the practice. This paper aims to identify the procedural problems in the data transfer

The measurement of CO2 concentration is a relevant indicator for defining the occupation of indoor spaces. The real-time knowledge of occupation of such spaces is relevant both for maintaining indoor air quality standards and for energy efficiency purposes connected with the operation of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The exact knowledge of occupation allows for rapid feedback

There is an ongoing, global discussion on the ways to obtain Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs). Nonetheless, little attention was given on the application of NZEBs in warm climates, especially in Brazil. Therefore, the aim of this article is to propose retrofit guidelines that meet a net zero energy target for four-story office buildings in the climactic conditions within Brasilia. Through this research

Modular Building Systems (MBS) has seen an accelerating growth in the construction sector owing to its potential advantages, such as quick erection, improved energy efficiency and less reliant on good weather over conventional construction methods. Therefore, it could be a viable solution to supporting the efforts of solving Britain's housing crisis within a short duration. Construction industries

Nowadays, high energy efficiency and low environmental impact of buildings are required, regardless of external climate conditions. This demand is essential in the case of nursery buildings, due to strict requirements concerning indoor temperature. The following study investigates the effects of various solutions applied for energy supply to nursery buildings in reference to their energy performance

This paper presents numerical and experimental investigations on a typical thermal break composite façade profile under four-point bending. The purpose of this study is to gain the knowledge of the interfacial behaviour between aluminum extrusion and polyamide insert beyond elastic range. Understanding the behaviour of this energy efficient façade profile within plastic range is important for the design

The current paper investigates the role of initial imperfections at web-flange junction on the lateral torsional buckling behavior of pultruded fiber reinforced polymeric beams. This study is based on experimental and numerical results, which are developed in two main steps: perfect beams and beams with initial imperfections at the web-flange junction. In the first step, small-scale tests are carried

Light gauge steel framed (LSF) wall systems made of cold-formed steel studs and lined with different types of wallboards are increasingly used for various purposes. Gypsum plasterboards are commonly used for fire protection purposes, while recently other types of wallboards are being used based on their improved thermal and physical performance but without an understanding of their fire resistance

This study aims to propose a multi-strut macro-model, capable of simulating the overall force-displacement behaviour of infilled frames with various opening configurations. For this purpose, the results of finite element modelling calibrated against several experimental data are employed to determine the characteristics of a multiple-strut model for such infilled frames. The results indicate that the

This paper investigates the mechanical resistance of ETICS, with different types of thin-layer rendering, by means of hard body and point load impacts on such surfaces. Core materials, made of different thicknesses of EPS (expanded polystyrene) were also tested for their resilience to such loads, as well as the elasticity of widely-used applied rendering. Test results focused on the possible impact

Eggshell (ES) is a bio-waste material obtained from bakers and fast-food restaurants. This waste material is generally disposed of in landfills, causing health hazards and polluting the environment. Eggshell powder (ESP) has high amounts of calcium and can be combined with pozzolanic materials, such as fly ash, which have low calcium content. This paper presents the results of the latest studies on

The aim of this research was to develop an equation to predict the compressive strength of concrete in terms of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and concrete mix design parameters. A wide range of concrete samples were prepared with varying water-cement ratio and density. The variation of density was achieved by using lightweight recycled coarse aggregate, and high density nickel slag aggregate as fine

Marble industries produce vast amounts of wastes, and this is detrimental to the environment. Accordingly, these waste materials require appropriate management to ensure a cleaner environment. Given that, the utilisation of recycled materials in construction is desirable, owing to the space saved from landfill purposes and reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as the lower cost related to the waste

Space grid structures are popularly used in large-span civil structures. Identification of the axial internal forces and boundary conditions of the space grid structural members is very important. However, in the engineering practice, the boundary conditions of such members are not ideally rigid or pinned. They are sometimes semi-rigid conditions. Besides, direct measurements of the axial forces and

The main issues in common steel rebar coatings are the reduction in bond strength and inconvenience to high temperatures. Inspired by these facts, a hybrid coating zinc-rich epoxy (ZRE) incorporating nano-ferrite (NF) (NF-ZRE) was prepared with different percentages. The performance of bond strength was studied at different temperatures up to 600 °C in the presence of ZRE coating. In addition, the

In order to estimate preconstruction airtightness in conventionally constructed homes, a local blower door testing population of 2297 homes was examined. Three builder-specific, geometric-based, temporally independent, multiple linear regression models were developed. Some of these builder-specific models explained over 58% (R = 0.79, p ≪ 0.001) of whole building airtightness. A five variable, geometrically

Heat sources and gaseous contaminants widely exist in modern buildings. Buoyancy-driven exchange flow through a large opening, such as a window, a doorway or an atrium, is ubiquitous in our daily life. Analogous experiments were carried out in a water tank to investigate the effect of vent location on the characteristics of the exchange flow. The model tank filled with coloured brine solution was immersed

Energy efficiency in building sector is attracting an increasing interest in the scientific community, due to its strong impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the REMOURBAN H2020 project has carried out a pilot deep refurbishing work on a small cluster of 10 homes, implementing energy saving measures and a hybrid energy-supply system to satisfy the heating and domestic hot water

This study reports on the effect of ultrasonicating silica fume (SF) and colloidal nanosilica (NS) to fabricate 4 binary (90% cement + 10% SF or 98% cement + 2% NS) and 2 ternary (90% cement + 8% SF + 2% NS) pastes in replacement to Portland cement. The calcium-silicate-hydrate (C–S–H) microstructure is investigated whereas the compressive strength (CS) and porosity data are assessed and discussed

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is an essential element of sustainable building performance. To advance knowledge of indoor environmental quality in Chinese nonresidential buildings, this study conducted post-occupancy evaluation (POE) in varied use areas within schools, hospitals, offices, hotels and shopping malls through environmental measurements and occupant surveys in 10 buildings over four

In this paper, the thermal cracking resistance of concrete mixtures made with different cement compositions under attack of the cold wave at early ages has been investigated using a temperature stress testing machine (TSTM). Two cements, named as low heat cement (LHC) and moderate heat cement (MHC), and three curing regimes (3d, 7d and 14d) were selected. Energy consumption, CO2 emission, thermal cracking

Qatar is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the field of sports architecture, this is a challenging case study for new design solutions that guarantee the comfort and safety of occupants in such a hot and humid climate. This work analyzes the thermal comfort of a stadium designed for international competitions in Doha, Qatar. The stadium has a total capacity of 47,000 spectators. An external façade

Green facades are one of the most promising natural-based solutions for buildings. Notwithstanding, in regions with variating weather such as the northern hemisphere, these can be counterproductive for the structures due to humidity retention. For these reasons, this work presents the development of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to estimate the hygrothermal behavior inside a concrete wall

Population growth increasing life level and limitations of energy sources made efficient use of energy sources an inevitable task. The floor heating system has been developed as one of the most energy-efficient systems for heating inside spaces. The adoption of an energy-efficient heating system still requires the provision of acceptable indoor air quality to ensure a healthy environment. In this study

Radiant cooling panels are believed to be of considerable energy saving potentials and can be employed as new cooling devices in HVAC systems. Even though the popularity of radiant cooling systems grows, particularly for cooling and heating commercial buildings, the condensation problem limits their application. The present research is conducted to introduce and evaluate a new method to control the

One of the most notable breakthroughs in concrete technology was the development of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete. In this study, for evaluating conventional concrete (CC) and ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) exposed to high temperatures, the coefficient of thermal expansion, weight loss, and residual compressive strength were investigated. Moreover, two

Little attention has been given to the use of optimization approach in the envelope design of thermally-massive structures in extreme hot climates. In addition, limited studies are reported to compare the optimal envelope design with those stipulated in standards and codes, considering the 3Es: energy, economic and environment. This study employs a computational approach for optimizing envelope design

Development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is assisting engineers with automating design/construction processes in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Lack of such a comprehensive decision-making framework which utilizes BIM, Management Information Systems (MIS), simulation, and automation tools to choose between different construction alternatives have been addressed

In the present study, an active structural control using metaheuristic tuned Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) type controllers is presented. The aim of the study is to propose a feasible active control application considering time delay and a feasible control force. In the optimum control methodology, near-fault directivity pulse was considered for ground motion. Three different metaheuristic

This paper presents the outcomes of an experimental study carried out to investigate the residual bond behavior of normal strength concrete with super ductile thermo-mechanically treated (SD TMT) reinforcing steel bars exposed to elevated temperatures. SD TMT bars category is relatively new compared to conventional reinforcing steel due to special chemical and posts rolling treatment making the rebars