Buildings

Indoor comfort has become a major factor with advancements in science and technology. This also leads to an increase in greenhouse gases as well as energy consumption. Desiccant-coated heat exchangers are one of the common solutions to these risks and to lower energy usage. In the present work, the capability of a solid composite desiccant blend prepared from coconut shell-based activated carbon and bio char was studied. Aluminum plates have been coated with the prepared solid desiccants. Desiccant-coated heat exchangers were cooled by the cerium oxide nanofluid passing through the pipes connected along the length of the heat exchanger. Air was blown through the plates where dehumidification occurs due to the vapor pressure difference between the air and the desiccant-coated plate. The experiments were conducted by varying the air velocity, water flow rate, and nanoparticle concentration. The nanoparticle volume fraction varied from 0.05% to 0.3%. Different performance parameters such as the moisture removal rate, dehumidification efficiency, cooling capacity, and coefficient of performance (COP) were calculated. Results showed that the performance parameters were enhanced with an increase in the water flow rate as well as the air flow rate. Furthermore, it was seen that with the addition and increase in nanoparticle concentration, the moisture removal rate and dehumidification efficiency were enhanced. In comparison to no addition of nanoparticles, a 0.3% addition of nanoparticles demonstrated a maximum increase in MRR of 53% and dehumidification efficiency of 57%. A maximum reduction of 6.1% in the dehumidification area was achieved by using 0.3% nanoparticles with water. It is recommended to use nanofluids for dehumidification using solid desiccants, which can enhance the performance without having negative influence on the environment. Full article

The global climate is changing. Predicting the impacts this will have on buildings is the first step in the process of finding suitable building adaptation measures. Future climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure is a growing field of research, relying on both socio-economical and meteorological research for input values to the simulation models. Models producing hourly future weather data rely on global climate models which are based on emission scenarios made from assumptions of future political, social, and economic developments. Accounting for the uncertainties from these underlying models as much as possible, and communicating the uncertainties in the results, is obviously paramount for reliable conclusions from the building simulation models. This paper is a scoping review, investigating how 132 studies treat and communicate the string of uncertainties from underlying models connected to future weather file generation in the scientific literature on building adaptation research. The findings suggest that climate-model-induced uncertainties are often under-communicated, due to either insufficient analysis or neglect. The studies that included the most comprehensive analyses of the uncertainties frequently concluded that treatment of these is important for the reliability of the results, and neglecting this could lead to misleading conclusions. Full article

Under the macro context of severe global aging, the typical villages and dwellings of the Miao ethnic group in western Hunan were selected, and the daily life and health status of the local elderly were evaluated through behavioral observation, interviews, and questionnaires (e.g., physiological, psychological, and residential environments). In addition, the health status and relevant evaluation factors of the respondents were correlated and then analyzed using SPSS software. As indicated by the results of this study, the local elderly used all the spaces and functions of the existing dwellings and were satisfied with the spaces except for the toilet. In addition, their physiological functions had declined, and their daily behaviors were affected by a wide variety of physical diseases. From a psychological perspective, more than 60% of the elderly had significant feelings of loneliness and frustration. As indicated by the correlation results, the health status of the elderly in traditional Miao dwellings in western Hunan was positively correlated with family, income, daily acts, dwellings, and infrastructure, and negatively correlated with age. They showed linear correlations with all impact factors: Health = 157.44 − 5.242 ∗ Gender − 1.611 ∗ Age − 0.606 ∗ Education level − 0.411 ∗ Family + 0.001 ∗ Income − 7.191 ∗ Daily acts + 13.621 ∗ Dwelling + 4.682 ∗ Infrastructure + 17.198 ∗ Natural. Based on the results of study, targeted improvement strategies were proposed for the elderly in traditional Miao dwellings in western Hunan from four aspects—infrastructure, traditional dwellings, mental health, and policy support—to improve the health status of the elderly in traditional Chinese villages and towns. Full article

Diameters for drainage stacks and vent lines within high-rise building drainage systems are determined by consulting building standard agencies’ design codes. While these are critical design decisions, codes are based upon dated research (1940s to 1970s), which has numerous inherent limitations, and the methodologies employed within the codes are unclear. Thus, a new methodology is presented which is based upon an analogy with other forms of multiphase flow transport systems. This methodology assumes, as a pre-condition, that flows of air and the flow of water within the stack are reasonably steady over time. Component diameters must then be chosen which ensure an acceptably large air supply or air–water flow ratio, and an acceptably small pressure excursion within the stack. Two ways to implement this methodology are presented: an ‘explicit approach’, in which component diameters are directly calculated using empirical correlations, and an ‘implicit approach’, in which component diameters are determined by iteration, using a hydraulic model. The methodology pre-conditions of the approach are then discussed. The physical geometry of the stack and branches tends to promote steady water flow but to render air flow very susceptible to temporary interruptions. A need to maintain the air pathway within high-rise drainage systems using components to supplement the air feed drawn in through the roof vent as required is highlighted. Full article

This article presents a modal analysis of an elastically constrained Rayleigh beam that is placed on an elastic Winkler foundation. The study of beams plays a crucial role in building construction, providing essential support and stability to the structure. The objective of this investigation is to examine how the vibrational frequencies of the Rayleigh beam are affected by the elastic foundation parameter and the rotational inertia. The results obtained from analytical and numerical methods are presented and compared with the configuration of the Euler–Bernoulli beam. The analytic approach employs the technique of separation of variable and root finding, while the numerical approach involves using the Galerkin finite element method to calculate the eigenfrequencies and mode functions. The study explains the dispersive behavior of natural frequencies and mode shapes for the initial modes of frequency. The article provides an accurate and efficient numerical scheme for both Rayleigh and Euler–Bernoulli beams, which demonstrate excellent agreement with analytical results. It is important to note that this scheme has the highest accuracy for eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes compared to other existing tools for these types of problems. The study reveals that Rayleigh beam eigenvalues depend on geometry, rotational inertia minimally affects the fundamental frequency mode, and linear spring stiffness has a more significant impact on vibration frequencies and mode shapes than rotary spring stiffness. Further, the finite element scheme used provides the most accurate results for obtaining mode shapes of beam structures. The numerical scheme developed is suitable for calculating optimal solutions for complex beam structures with multi-parameter foundations. Full article

Population aging has become an issue that the world should to face together. Public spaces in urban areas play an important role in stimulating social interactions for the elderly, especially close social interactions. Although a volume of studies have focused on the health of the elderly and the shaping of urban space, they have neglected the need for close social behavior of the elderly group. This analysis addresses the question: What are the principles to improve public space qualities which facilitate age-friendly social interactions for the elderly? Blind-dating activities in Beijing City work as an example of close social interactions between the elderly. Methods include a case study in Beijing, field survey, and Space Syntax with related tools. The survey took place from 1 July to 30 September 2022. Around 102 elderly men and 84 women aging from 55 to 75 participated in the survey process. Results indicate that the close social interaction can positively comfort the elderly’s physical and psychological situations. It could be a path for the single elderly group meet a partner, make new friends, and establish new social networks. Consequently, three principles, including obtaining the safety of public space, keeping greenery in the social environment, and providing suitable space for close social interactions are proposed towards age-friendly urban areas. These support the regeneration of the elderly’s social life and stimulate a chasing of happy later lives. Full article

The delivery of low-carbon buildings (LCBs) in high-rise, high-density cities is still hindered by various common and interdependent constraints. However, a study that developed innovative strategies to address the common constraints to delivering LCBs focusing on traditional high-rise, high-density cities could not be identified in the previous literature. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential strategies for accelerating the delivery of LCBs in high-rise, high-density cities by addressing relevant common constraints that were identified in recent studies. Accordingly, potentially relevant strategies were identified through eight semi-structured interviews with well-experienced experts in industry and academia. Consequently, 71 strategies were identified under six categories, i.e., policy implementation, building energy/carbon data utilisation, awareness raising/training, technology advancement, incentives, and organisational level commitments. This also required closer collaboration with different stakeholders/stakeholder classes in implementing these strategies, who were, therefore, also identified. An SNA-based analysis was also conducted to explore the connections between constraints and strategies. The strategies related to energy/carbon policy development, standardisation, codes and certifications, mandatory regulations, financial incentives, and technology adoption showed the ability to address a majority of the driving constraints related to policies and technologies. These study findings will assist policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in the arena of the project and asset management in accelerating the delivery of LCBs by adopting an innovative approach to prioritise potential strategies in order to suitably address and synergise the complex interdependencies among the constraints. Full article

Digital construction relies on effective sensing to enhance the safety, productivity, and quality of its activities. However, current sensing devices (e.g., camera, LiDAR, infrared sensors) have significant limitations in different aspects. In light of the substantial advantages offered by emerging 4D mmw technology, it is believed that this technology can overcome these limitations and serve as an excellent complement to current construction sensing methods due to its robust imaging capabilities, spatial sensing abilities, velocity measurement accuracy, penetrability features, and weather resistance properties. To support this argument, a scientometric review of 4D mmw-based sensing is conducted in this study. A total of 213 articles published after the initial invention of 4D mmw technology in 2019 were retrieved from the Scopus database, and six kinds of metadata were extracted from them, including the title, abstract, keywords, author(s), publisher, and year. Since some papers lack keywords, the GPT-4 model was used to extract them from the titles and abstracts of these publications. The preprocessed metadata were then integrated using Python and fed into the Citespace 6.2.R3 for further statistical, clustering, and co-occurrence analyses. The result revealed that the primary applications of 4D mmw are autonomous driving, human activity recognition, and robotics. Subsequently, the potential applications of this technology in the construction industry are explored, including construction site monitoring, environment understanding, and worker health monitoring. Finally, the challenges of adopting this emerging technology in the construction industry are also discussed. Full article

Concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs) embedded in structural walls can improve the lateral-force resistance of slab–wall structures, but also impede the passage and anchorage of steel bars in slabs around the tubes. Therefore, the objective of this research is to propose the design of anchorage detailing to solve this problem, and analyze the bearing capacity and seismic performance of the joint using this design. Two types of no-through-tube anchorage detailing were put forward for steel bars in slabs that intersect with CFST-strengthened structural walls: (1) an anchoring ring (AR) detailing; (2) a direct anchoring (DA) detailing. Four slab–wall concrete specimens using these two detailing types were tested cyclically. It was found that the connection specimens with the AR detailing had better ductility and energy dissipation capacity compared to those with the DA detailing. Nevertheless, the connection specimens with the DA detailing had more direct force-transferring capacities, meaning that they were better at transferring the force received by the slabs to the shear walls. Overall, both types of detailing can be adopted in practice to significantly improve the seismic performance of slab–wall connections, and the choice of which to use would depend on the specific requirements of a project. Full article

This systematic review analyses research that introduces commercial design applications that could be adopted for suicide prevention in homes. Furthermore, this literature review captures social, spatial and biophilic design methods to improve wellness in homes using environmental design psychology. Safety and human wellness frame this spatial design research that examines means and access restriction to improve home safety and prevent suicides. Suicide is a growing phenomenon that deserves specific attention to how environments can impact or restrict events. There is a substantial evidence base to evaluate suicide prevention methods used in high-risk environments of health and healing environments, workplaces and incarceration facilities. This review outlines design methods using spatial arrangement and material choices to improve human wellness in homes. The effects of biochemical reactions, such as those studied in toxicology, and stress are considered in this research to suggest material choices and applications in design to improve mental health in homes. Spatial designs for suicide prevention can guide various prevention measures, such as adopting means and access restriction and environmental design methods for wellness and considering impacts during lockdown periods. Environmental design psychology research supplies evidence for improved spatial arrangements in homes, with evidence showing that design applications can restore and improve mental health. This systematic review shows evidence for planning methods to prevent suicides considering both means and access restriction with considerable biochemical impacts from design. Design methods discovered by this systematic review will be considered for future studies and used within economic modelling to demonstrate design guidelines that improve wellbeing and support existing suicide prevention methods for Australian homes. Full article

The use of (recycled) plastics and (waste) vulcanized rubber powder is the main polymer of raw materials, and composite organic additives are selected to fully combine with asphalt components. The physical and chemical reactions between different components are completed in dynamic mixing, establishing a morphology structure similar to thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), and a thermoplastic highly asphaltized alloy material. TPE-modified asphalt not only significantly improves the high-temperature stability of the base asphalt, but also has the social and economic value of rational utilization of resources and turning waste into treasure. There are very few studies on the preparation of modified high-viscosity asphalt formulations using rubber and plastic as modifiers. In this study, rubber, plastic, and plasticizers were added to the base asphalt, and the TPE modifier formulations were developed through the research of new TPE modifier series and functional formulations, preparation process, and its modified asphalt properties. Meanwhile, the preparation method of the rubber–plastic alloy modifier was determined. The performance of the TPE-modified asphalt was verified through performance verification tests to evaluate the modification effect of the modifier on the base asphalt. The test results showed that the penetration, softening point, ductility, and viscosity indexes of the TPE-modified asphalt developed through the proposed formulation, and it met the specification requirements for high-viscosity modified asphalt. Rubber and plastic modifiers significantly improved the high-temperature stability of the base asphalt. In addition, the rubber–plastic modifier had a significant tackifying effect, with a dynamic viscosity of 60 °C and a Brinell rotational viscosity much greater than asphalt and rubber asphalt. The microscopic mechanism of the newly developed TPE-modified asphalt was analyzed by fluorescence microanalysis. The results showed that the rubber–plastic modifier fully swelled in the asphalt and was uniformly dispersed in the asphalt as a floc. The network structure of activated waste rubber powder-modified asphalt was more uniform and dense, resulting in good performance of the modified asphalt, and stable storage of modified asphalt was obtained. Through appropriate formulation, the comprehensive performance of the TPE-modified asphalt obtained met the requirements of pavement application and construction, providing a good theoretical basis for promoting TPE-modified asphalt. Full article

As the need for digital transformation (DT) increased in order to improve productivity in the construction industry, the market for building information modeling (BIM), the main technology of DT, gradually expanded. Strategies for promoting BIM have been established and announced in South Korea. Accordingly, the related regulations have been modified and there is continuous investment in BIM. Despite these efforts, BIM adoption has not gone smoothly. This study aims to empirically verify an acceptance model as of 2021 based on the BIM acceptance models proposed by previous studies, and to propose implications by analyzing the significant relationship changes in acceptance models by period. It found a change in the mechanism of accepting BIM over time and derived implications about the causes of changes in connection with the comparative analysis results and the status of BIM-related policy announcements. If promotion strategies are inspected and adoption strategies suitable for each period are established through the regular verification of the BIM acceptance mechanism, we expect that the effectiveness and efficiency of investments in promoting BIM will improve. Full article

Taiwan will move into a super-aged society by 2025. The government is actively establishing assistive technology resources centers (ATR Centers) throughout Taiwan to provide assistive technology services such as display, evaluation, rental, and maintenance services; they also recycle unused assistive devices, disinfect and clean them, and then rent them to people in need to achieve sustainable development. This study investigates the users’ perceptions about receiving services from the ATR Center in Yunlin and explores their satisfaction. “Service convenience”, “service quality”, “user experience” and “corporate social responsibility (CSR)” were used as the overall research framework and hypotheses are based on the mediating role of “CSR”; data are collected through questionnaires, and structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the model and hypotheses. A total of 532 valid questionnaires were collected from the users and caregivers who had used the services of the center in the past two years. The statistical analysis was conducted in three stages: sample data analysis, measurement model validation, and structural equation model analysis. According to the research findings, service convenience, service quality, and user experience all have a significant positive impact on CSR. Additionally, service convenience, service quality, user experience, and CSR have a positive impact on user satisfaction. Moreover, service quality and user experience indirectly affect user satisfaction through CSR. Finally, based on the research results, suggestions are proposed for addressing issues related to assistive service promotion and future adjustments. Full article

In both industry and academia, sustainability has become a priority in the interior design and architecture industry, having a significant impact on society. However, most recent studies on building sustainability focus mainly on environmental and economic issues, with social sustainability often being complicated and overlooked in relevant research. This paper argues that there is a need for workplace design guidance that prioritizes parameters at the intersection of twenty-first-century workforce–corporate interests, embodying the notion of social sustainability within the built environment. Through this perspective, the physical environment is considered the container of its social content, and its features and characteristics have a direct impact on the quality of life and work for office workers. Although international currents in the age of globalization have stimulated tangible progress in the context of sustainability, the interior design of most design and architecture offices in Jordan suffers from an underrepresentation of the distinctive features of socially sustainable, user-welcoming interior spaces and environments. The current study explores the experiences of interior design professionals in Jordan through four windows of “Physiological Health and Comfort”, “Efficiency and Ergonomics”, “Privacy and Social Interaction”, and “Spatial Organization (Design)” from a quantitative perspective. A survey was developed to investigate these criteria and was administered among 145 full-time design professionals working in offices in Amman, Jordan. The study aimed to investigate the experiences of these practitioners in relation to their office work environment, with a focus on exploring Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), Quality of Work Life (QWL), and Quality of Life (QoL) from the perspective of social sustainability. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression models were employed to analyze the survey data and evaluate the findings. Overall, the study highlights the need for theoretical and practical incentives to promote the adoption of socially sustainable development in workplace design, particularly in the context of interior design in Jordan. By focusing on the experiences of interior design professionals with their workplace environment, this study provides valuable insights for the development of workplace design guidelines that prioritize social sustainability parameters within the built environment. Full article

Radiant heat interchanges are pivotal to assessing the energy use of buildings and facilities that channel some sort of solar radiation. Form factor integrals are needed for an accurate simulation of the main features of the envelope of such buildings. However, the expressions required when the space under analysis is curved, for instance, in domes and vaults, are not feasible. The calculation process of algorithms is usually addressed by cumbersome analytical deductions or else by rough statistical approximations included in the simulations, such as ray-tracing methods. Neither of which works properly under curved geometries. The following article deals with an innovative methodology for employing an exact property that solves any spherical configuration of the radiant surfaces. The newly found relationship is validated by comparison with other solutions previously deducted by the author and by numerical simulations when available. Since there is no other exact method of calculating radiation exchanges within spherical fragments, we consider that this finding represents an advance which contributes to overcoming a variety of unexplained and practical problems of radiative heat transfer applicable to architectural developments, lighting elements and aircraft components. Full article

Construction accidents occur frequently in China because the supervision of safety standards mandated by the government has not had its intended effect. In this paper, the authors propose a model to incentivize the management of safety during construction that involves the government as well as the owners and contractors in the industry. This study analyzes the principal–agent relationship involving each participant to determine their utility function and the minimum constraints on their participation, and uses this to obtain the optimal parameters to incentivize the management of safety during construction by solving for the ones related to the contractor’s effort and reward for their performance in the proposed model of incentives. Through the design of contractor incentive parameters and owner incentive parameters to further influence the government contractor and owner tripartite safety incentive model to make the model more perfect and in line with the development status of China. This study tested the proposed model using simulations. The results indicated that increasing the cost coefficient and level of the contractor’s effort increases their expected safety-related benefits, and increasing the coefficients of reward and punishment by the government reduces the contractor’s expected safety-related benefits. Moreover, the government can motivate the management of safety during construction by offering appropriate rewards and punishments. In particular, if the government increases incentives for safety, the safety-related benefits for owners and contractors decrease in the short term but increase significantly in the long term. Full article

This study experimentally investigated the mechanical properties of cement mortars that were reinforced with polypropylene (PP) fibers after being exposed to high temperatures and cooled under different regimes. PP fibers were added in amounts of 2, 3 and 4 kg/m³, the residual strengths of the mortars exposed to various temperatures up to 500 °C and cooled under different regimes were determined. It was found that the addition of PP fiber at the level of 2 kg/m³ improves the residual flexural and compressive strengths up to 300 °C. The residual flexural strength was approximately 75%, which is 15% higher than that observed in the simple mortar, and the same happens with the residual compressive strength which was approximately 85%, which is 17% higher than that observed in the simple mortar, regardless of the types of cooling used on the specimens. It was determined by means of a statistical analysis that there are no significant differences in the mechanical properties of the mortar according to the cooling regimes used, after having been exposed to high temperatures. The correlation of the residual flexural and compressive strengths was achieved with a coefficient of determination, R² = 0.82, and the relationships between the variables were considered acceptable regardless of the types of cooling used. Full article

The steel-concrete composite column comprises a steel core and surrounding concrete. The purpose of the system is to provide analysis and design techniques for a newly invented class of laced steel-concrete composite short columns for cyclic axial loads. To minimize the increasing density issues associated with nominal strength concrete and in consideration of the depletion of natural resources required to produce concrete, factory-obtained lightweight sintered fly ash aggregates with and without basalt fiber are employed. The normal-weight concrete containing basalt fiber is shown to be more ductile than any other column. The axial deformation of columns LNA and LSA at failure was found to be 3.5 mm, whereas columns LNAF and LSAF reached an axial shortening of 4.5 mm at failure. The column LSAF was found to have 5.3% more energy absorption than the LSA and 11.5% less than the column LNAF. It was observed that the rigidity of these fabricated components had been enhanced. It was found that the section configuration with a lacing system had improved confinement effects and ductility. Comparing the finite element analysis to the experimental data revealed a strong connection with numerical modeling, with a variance of around 8.77%. Full article

At present, the number of megaprojects in China is rapidly increasing, with multiple projects ranked as the world’s highest. To showcase the theoretical and practical achievements of China’s megaprojects to the world, a visual analysis was carried out using CiteSpace software based on data from 520 pieces of core literature related to megaproject governance in the CNKI database from 2001 to 2023. Our findings indicate that: the number of publications has significantly increased since 2016, with a core group of researchers significantly contributing to this field, while team collaboration needs to be strengthened; the research hotspots include social stability risks, transaction governance, and innovation in megaprojects; the research can be divided into three stages, starting with early macro-studies, gradually forming clear and hierarchical research branches, and beginning to develop in the direction of Chinese characteristics and innovative deepening in recent years; research on the megaproject governance system is becoming gradually more enriched, but there is a lack of research at the levels of top-level governance and operational governance. Finally, in order to advance the study of megaproject governance in China, future research directions are suggested. Full article