Buildings, Volume 9, Issue 4

In the EU’s revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), a smart readiness indicator (SRI) was introduced as an energy efficiency activity to promote smart ready technologies (SRT) in the building sector. The proposed methodology i...

This paper presents results of an experimental study on seismic response of reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams with shear deficiencies strengthened with externally bonded steel fiber reinforced polymer (SFRP) strips. Seven cantilever RC beams were stre...

This paper deals with the behavior of a geopolymer concrete beam (GCB) under shear load using high calcium content fly ash (FA). The effect of the marine environment on the shear strength of GCB was considered by curing the specimen in a sea splashin...

One of the greatest challenges for the world today is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. As buildings contribute to almost a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, reducing the energy use of the existing building stock is an impor...

This study aimed to identify key drivers behind workers’ satisfaction, perceived productivity, and health in open-plan offices while at the same time understanding design similarities shared by high-performance workspaces. Results from a datase...

Cities across the Arab Gulf region, especially those in Bahrain, have undergone a notable transformation by virtue of the rapid urbanization of the region. Thus, the characteristics of these cities have encountered massive transformation. Accordingly...

Studying the durability of materials and structures, including 3D-printed structures, is now a key step in better meeting the challenges of sustainable development and integrating technical and economic aspects from the design phase into the executio...

The demand for energy-efficient housing is on the rise in Egypt. The information about the individual materials used in the construction of typical residential wall assemblies are known in the literature. However, data from lab tests to validate the...

This paper presents an assessment method that uses weighted graphs to quantify a building’s capacity to support changes. The method is called Spatial Assessment of Generality and Adaptability (SAGA), and evaluates the generality (passive suppor...

There have been many studies done on the causes of delay on construction projects and building projects all around the world. They use different methods, on different geographical areas, and they come up with different results. There are, however, fe...

In moderate climates, the operation of windows is the most common way to control for thermal comfort. Window-opening behavior (WOB) is a complex process influenced by multiple factors, yet only simple bi-variate analyses between variables obtained fr...

The growing concern about the protection of built heritage and the sustainability of urban areas has driven the reoccupation of existing masonry buildings, which, in the great majority of the cases, were not designed or constructed to withstand signi...

A ducted photovoltaic façade (DPV) unit was studied using experimental prototype and simulated in a full scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The study comes in two parts; this is Part I, as detailed in the title above, and Part II...

The construction industry contributes to a large proportion of industrial injury and mortality. It is of high importance to evaluate the effectiveness of the Safety Management System (SMS). In particular, it is necessary to compare the quality and le...

There is an increasing demand for the decarbonization of existing buildings. The development of standardized calculation methods has simplified calculation processes and enabled wider engagement with the topic. As the industry advances, optimization...

Current concerns focus on the need to reduce energy consumption in construction and over the lifespan of buildings. A major objective is to create affordable housing. However, reducing the energy needs of the present without harming the needs of futu...

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been gaining widespread adoption in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry across the globe. Consequently, several research studies have attempted to construct a holistic review of the...

Building design review is the procedure of checking a design against codes and standard provisions to satisfy the accuracy of the design and identify non-compliances before construction begins. The current approaches for conducting the design review...

This paper presents the study of the intervention for the acoustic correction of a modern church. The investigated church was built in the 1960s, with a brutalist style and with a squared plan. The hard materials, including a marble floor and hard pl...

Responsive architecture comprises the creation of buildings or structural elements of buildings that adapt in response to external stimuli or internal conditions. The responsiveness of such structures rests on addressing constraints from multiple dom...

There is always a need for more durable, ductile, and robust materials for buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure due to the drawbacks of existing construction materials. Some of the drawbacks are the corrosion of steel, the brittle failure of...

Many operable and complementary layers make up a vernacular adaptive envelope. With vertical operable translucent textile blinds, horizontal foldable glass doors with thin structural framing, wooden horizontal foldable frames with vertical rotational...

The Energy Performance of Building Directive obligated all European countries to reduce the energy requirements of buildings while simultaneously improving indoor environment quality. Any such improvements not only enhance the health of the occupants...

Buildings are one of the biggest consumers of fossil fuels, and thus, contribute largely to greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, a large number of studies have been conducted and innovative ideas or green solutions have been invented, adopted, and...

Structural strength and stiffness were previously investigated to sufficiently improve the lateral load resistance against major events. Many buildings require appropriate design to effectively withstand the lateral seismic loads and reduce the corre...

Construction customers want more complex facilities delivered faster and at a lower cost. Transaction costs account for a significant proportion of each new or refurbished facility (a 2017 report from the Infrastructure Client Group in the UK suggest...

Hospitals are complex, high-performance systems that demand continuous quality improvement. Several instruments evaluate the organizational or clinical qualities but very few focus on the built environment. The purpose of this paper is to compare and...