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Feature Paper Collection on Civil Engineering and Architecture
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Feature Paper Collection on Civil Engineering and Architecture (Closed)

A topical collection in Applied System Innovation (ISSN 2571-5577).

Viewed by 27415

Editor

Prof. Dr. Luís Bragança

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: circular economy in construction; sustainability assessment; LCA; sustainable building and rehabilitation technologies; energy in buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Feature Paper Collection in Applied System Innovation is dedicated to the publication and discussion of research articles on the following aspects of integrated Civil Engineering and Architecture that provide insights and address the challenges of systems and processes:

  1. Strategies, tools, systems and business models to implement circular economy in buildings and cities;
  2. BIM and digitalization applied to sustainable buildings and cities;
  3. Adaptation of cities and buildings to climate change;
  4. Nearly zero and positive energy built environments;
  5. Environmentally friendly renewable energy systems;
  6. Mitigation of impacts in urban areas;
  7. Sustainable management of energy, water, sewage and waste;
  8. Sustainable building technologies;
  9. Technologies for a sustainable built environment;
  10. Sustainability and life-cycle assessment tools;
  11. Training and education to promote the implementation of sustainable approaches;
  12. Governance, strategies and business models for a sustainable built environment.

We welcome reviews and outstanding articles to this Feature Paper Collection in order to improve the current knowledge and the innovation. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Luís Bragança
Collection Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied System Innovation is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

28 pages, 2396 KiB  
Article
Reshaping the Digital Twin Construct with Levels of Digital Twinning (LoDT)
by João Vieira, João Poças Martins, Nuno Marques de Almeida, Hugo Patrício and João Morgado
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2023, 6(6), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi6060114 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3309
Abstract
While digital twins (DTs) have achieved significant visibility, they continue to face a problem of lack of harmonisation regarding their interpretation and definition. This diverse and interchangeable use of terms makes it challenging for scientific activities to take place and for organisations to [...] Read more.
While digital twins (DTs) have achieved significant visibility, they continue to face a problem of lack of harmonisation regarding their interpretation and definition. This diverse and interchangeable use of terms makes it challenging for scientific activities to take place and for organisations to grasp the existing opportunities and how can these benefit their businesses. This article aims to shift the focus away from debating a definition for a DT. Instead, it proposes a conceptual approach to the digital twinning of engineering physical assets as an ongoing process with variable complexity and evolutionary capacity over time. To accomplish this, the article presents a functional architecture of digital twinning, grounded in the foundational elements of the DT, to reflect the various forms and levels of digital twinning (LoDT) of physical assets throughout their life cycles. Furthermore, this work presents UNI-TWIN—a unified model to assist organisations in assessing the LoDT of their assets and to support investment planning decisions. Three case studies from the road and rail sector validate its applicability. UNI-TWIN helps to redirect the discussion around DTs and emphasise the opportunities and challenges presented by the diverse realities of digital twinning, namely in the context of engineering asset management. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

15 pages, 2075 KiB  
Article
Photovoltaic Roundabouts for Enhancement of Self-Sufficiency and Resiliency
by Salvatore Leonardi, Giuseppe Marco Tina and Natalia Distefano
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5030046 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2418
Abstract
Roundabouts have become a common type of intersection design in many countries. The area of the center island can be used to install a photovoltaic system to power local loads such as lighting systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the [...] Read more.
Roundabouts have become a common type of intersection design in many countries. The area of the center island can be used to install a photovoltaic system to power local loads such as lighting systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the degree of self-sufficiency that a roundabout can achieve depending on the availability of the area for the installation of a photovoltaic system and the energy demand for lighting. The methodology is divided into five steps aimed at calculating the parameters required to characterize the roundabouts from the point of view of the electricity that can be generated by the photovoltaic systems installed, and then to evaluate the energy consumption required to operate the different system solutions for lighting. The mini roundabouts are not considered as a location for the photovoltaic system; in fact, the minimum diameter must be between 29 and 34 m. Considering the available irradiance in Italy, systems with monocrystalline silicon modules are sufficient to ensure energy self-sufficiency at diameters of 24 m or more. Systems with polycrystalline silicon modules are suitable to ensure energy self-sufficiency at diameters of 25/26 m or more. Photovoltaic (PV) technology continues to make progress in increasing efficiency, such as bifacial PV modules. This means that even smaller roundabouts could be eligible for a PV system sized to meet local electricity needs. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

17 pages, 1873 KiB  
Article
Oversized Electrical Appliance Impacts on Condominium Energy Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness Management: Experts’ Perspectives
by Techatat Buranaaudsawakul and Kittipol Wisaeng
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4(4), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi4040098 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3541
Abstract
A direct use approach incorporating a cost approach assumed that replacing oversized electrical appliances with those better fit to actual energy consumption can reduce energy consumption, optimizing capacities of the new appliances to the maximum while reducing electricity costs. This study aimed to [...] Read more.
A direct use approach incorporating a cost approach assumed that replacing oversized electrical appliances with those better fit to actual energy consumption can reduce energy consumption, optimizing capacities of the new appliances to the maximum while reducing electricity costs. This study aimed to verify the assumption that the size of appliances has impacts on energy consumption and cost effectiveness. A mixed-method approach included these instruments for data elicitations (i.e., a questionnaire, data records of 485 transformers, two assessments of condominium technical caretakers, and two in-depth interviews of electrical engineering experts). The findings revealed that most condominiums installed electric appliances that are too large for their actual energy usage, which lies between 5.4% and 7.1% of the capacity. This study therefore proposed a total cost reduction of 54% by downsizing these appliances (i.e., MV Switchgear 2 sets, dry type transformer 2 sets 80,000, LV Cable 10 m. (XLPE), main distribution board, Busduct (MDB-DB), generator (20% of Tr.), and generator installation). Even though this analysis is limited to Bangkok, Thailand, this case may contribute decision-making on electrical appliance selection at early stage of investment or to downsize the currently installed appliances for the more energy efficient and cost-effective management of condominiums around the world. Full article
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20 pages, 20682 KiB  
Article
Detection and Identification of Expansion Joint Gap of Road Bridges by Machine Learning Using Line-Scan Camera Images
by In Bae Kim, Jun Sang Cho, Goang Seup Zi, Beom Seok Cho, Seon Min Lee and Hyoung Uk Kim
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4(4), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi4040094 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4958
Abstract
Recently, the lack of expansion joint gaps on highway bridges in Korea has been increasing. In particular, with the increase in the number of days during the summer heatwave, the narrowing of the expansion joint gap causes symptoms such as expansion joint damage [...] Read more.
Recently, the lack of expansion joint gaps on highway bridges in Korea has been increasing. In particular, with the increase in the number of days during the summer heatwave, the narrowing of the expansion joint gap causes symptoms such as expansion joint damage and pavement blow-up, which threaten traffic safety and structural safety. Therefore, in this study, we developed a machine vision (M/V)-technique-based inspection system that can monitor the expansion joint gap through image analysis while driving at high speed (100 km/h), replacing the current manual method that uses an inspector to inspect the expansion joint gap. To fix the error factors of image analysis that happened during the trial application, a machine learning method was used to improve the accuracy of measuring the gap between the expansion joint device. As a result, the expansion gap identification accuracy was improved by 27.5%, from 67.5% to 95.0%, and the use of the system reduces the survey time by more than 95%, from an average of approximately 1 h/bridge (existing manual inspection method) to approximately 3 min/bridge. We assume, in the future, maintenance practitioners can contribute to preventive maintenance that prepares countermeasures before problems occur. Full article
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12 pages, 1452 KiB  
Article
Case-Based Reasoning with an Artificial Neural Network for Decision Support in Situations at Complex Technological Objects of Urban Infrastructure
by Igor Glukhikh and Dmitry Glukhikh
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4(4), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi4040073 - 27 Sep 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2545
Abstract
The article considers the tasks of intellectual support for decision support in relation to a complex technological object. The relevance is determined by a high level of responsibility, together with a variety of possible situations at a complex technological facility. The authors consider [...] Read more.
The article considers the tasks of intellectual support for decision support in relation to a complex technological object. The relevance is determined by a high level of responsibility, together with a variety of possible situations at a complex technological facility. The authors consider case-based reasoning (CBR) as a method for decision support. For a complex technological object, the problem defined is the uniqueness of the situations, which is determined by a variety of elements and the possible environmental influence. This problem complicates the implementation of CBR, especially the stages of comparing situations and a further selection of the most similar situation from the database. As a solution to this problem, the authors consider the use of neural networks. The work examines two neural network architectures. The first part of the research presents a neural network model that builds upon the multilayer perceptron. The second part considers the “Comparator-Adder” architecture. Experiments have shown that the proposed neural network architecture “Comparator-Adder” showed higher accuracy than the multilayer perceptron for the considered tasks of comparing situations. The results have a high level of generalization and can be used for decision support in various subject areas and systems where complex technological objects arise. Full article
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31 pages, 7754 KiB  
Review
Review of Structural Health Monitoring Techniques in Pipeline and Wind Turbine Industries
by Vinamra Bhushan Sharma, Kartik Singh, Ravi Gupta, Ayush Joshi, Rakesh Dubey, Vishwas Gupta, Shruti Bharadwaj, Md. Iltaf Zafar, Sushant Bajpai, Mohd Ashhar Khan, Anubhava Srivastava, Divyang Pathak and Susham Biswas
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4(3), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi4030059 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8137
Abstract
There has been enormous growth in the energy sector in the new millennium, and it has enhanced energy demand, creating an exponential rise in the capital investment in the energy industry in the last few years. Regular monitoring of the health of industrial [...] Read more.
There has been enormous growth in the energy sector in the new millennium, and it has enhanced energy demand, creating an exponential rise in the capital investment in the energy industry in the last few years. Regular monitoring of the health of industrial equipment is necessary, and thus, the concept of structural health monitoring (SHM) comes into play. In this paper, the purpose is to highlight the importance of SHM systems and various techniques primarily used in pipelining industries. There have been several advancements in SHM systems over the years such as Point OFS (optical fiber sensor) for Corrosion, Distributed OFS for physical and chemical sensing, etc. However, these advanced SHM technologies are at their nascent stages of development, and thus, there are several challenges that exist in the industries. The techniques based on acoustic, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), etc. bring in various challenges, as it becomes daunting to monitor the deformations from both sides by employing only one technique. In order to determine the damages well in advance, it is necessary that the sensor is positioned inside the pipes and gives the operators enough time to carry out the troubleshooting. However, the mentioned technologies have been unable to indicate the errors, and thus, there is the requirement for a newer technology to be developed. The purpose of this review manuscript is to enlighten the readers about the importance of structural health monitoring in pipeline and wind turbine industries. Full article
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