Preface: 2024 IEEE 6th International Conference on Architecture, Construction, Environment, and Hydraulics ^†

This volume presents the proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Architecture, Construction, Environment, and Hydraulics 2024 (ICACEH 2024). This interdisciplinary conference was organized by Chaoyang University of Technology, IEEE Tainan Section Sensors Council (IEEE TSSC), the International Institute of Knowledge Innovation and Invention (IIKII), and the Taiwan Society of Construction Engineers. Currently, the fields of architecture, construction, environment, and hydraulics are undergoing a discipline-wide transformation thanks to advances in computing, networking technologies, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI). The conference showcases diverse issues to foster knowledge exchange, increase practical awareness, and explore new ideas and thinking related to construction engineering, management, technology, and the environment. This conference has brought together leading researchers, architects, engineers, design professionals, product manufacturers, builders, and developers in various disciplines related to construction, environmental science, and engineering around the world. The conference provided attendees with substantial opportunities for presentation and discussion, as well as opportunities to engage in diverse activities. Diverse groups of engineers and technologists across disciplines and generations shared new ideas, collaboration potential, and business opportunities. ICACEH 2024 was held in hybrid form, with both on-site and online presentations. Figure 1 shows a group photo taken at the opening of the conference.

At ICACEH 2024, valuable keynote speeches introduced cutting-edge technologies related to the conference topics. The first keynote speech, titled “Ultralow emission control and advanced monitoring technologies for PM_2.5 and nanoparticles” (Figure 2), was delivered by Lifetime Chair Professor Chuen-Jinn Tsai from the Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. Professor Chuen-Jinn Tsai emphasized that controlling the emission of PM_2.5, nanoparticles, and precursor gases from industrial sources is critical to improving air quality. To achieve this, an effective honeycomb wet scrubber (HWS) and a novel wet electrostatic precipitator (WEP) were designed and tested. The HWS has a high specific surface area (e.g., 480 m²/m³), with high removal efficiency for mixed acid gases (> 95%) suitable for high-tech industries, with a very low pressure drop, kept at about 80 Pa. A hybrid air pollution control system combining a cooling tower (CT)-HWS-WEP was pilot-tested to remove SO₂, PM_2.5, and white smoke emissions efficiently (>99%), achieving ultralow emissions. For advanced air pollutant monitoring, Professor Chuen-Jinn Tsai’s group improved the accuracy of impactor-based size classifiers for PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM_0.1 by using a non-bouncing impactor (NBI) for mass and number concentration measurements. Based on the NBI, a novel electrostatic particle sizer (NEPS) was developed and tested to examine ambient nanoparticle number distributions. The results aligned with those of commercial scanning mobility particle sizers (SMPSs) used in long-term field monitoring. Professor Chuen-Jinn Tsai thus presented a novel technology able to enhance existing air quality monitoring and control methods.

The second keynote speech was delivered by presented by Professor Chien-Ho Ko from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Director of the Craig and Diane Martin National Center for Construction Safety (NCCS), University of Kansas (KU), USA (Figure 3). In his speech, “Applications of Construction Safety Technologies: Work Zone Geo-Fencing Systems”, Professor Ko highlighted that safety is one of the most important success factors in construction projects, and that advanced technologies, such as AI, construction robotics, and digital technologies, have become increasingly integrated to ensure construction site safety and improve worker health. Therefore, the applications of existing and emerging construction safety technologies across different construction safety areas were explored by his research team. The team conducted a systematic literature review and analyzed 129 journal articles related to construction safety technologies published from 2018 to 2023. The results enabled a categorization of advanced technologies in four categories of construction safety: prevention through design, safety management, safety culture and awareness, and computing in construction safety. Based on the results, Professor Ko’s group developed a checklist of recommended technologies for improving various areas of construction safety. Professor Ko’s research results enhance the body of knowledge on construction safety by systematically categorizing existing and emerging technologies. The results also enabled the identification of commonly used advanced technologies that address various construction safety problems, represented by a work zone geo-fencing system.

ICACEH 2024 received 40 submissions, with a total of 26 papers from four countries, including China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the USA, selected and registered for the conference. These papers, covering diverse topics, were organized into five regular sessions focused on architecture, construction, the environment, and hydraulics. Figure 4 and Figure 5 show on-site and online oral presentation sessions at ICACEH 2024.

ICACEH 2024 featured a wealth of innovative findings shared by enthusiastic participants. Through a rigorous peer-review process, 18 outstanding papers in relevant engineering fields were selected for publication in Engineering Proceedings (ISSN: 2673-4591, indexed by Scopus). The conference proceedings are expected to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among science and engineering academicians, enhance academic and industrial collaboration, and strengthen international networking.