Search Results (14)

Aluminium composite panels (ACPs) have been used in almost every high-rise building because of their aesthetic and thermal properties. However, due to the nature of the combustibility of polymeric core materials, the fire issue is the main concern throughout the world. Several fire occurrences have been noticed in different countries. The ignition of combustible core materials used in ACP cladding is mainly responsible for spreading fire. Building-safety regulatory authorities have enforced new obligations to ban combustible ACP panels in high-rise buildings, especially in Australia and the UK. This is now considered as one of the critical components in these buildings. This study aims to comprehensively overview different types of cladding panels, core filler materials, flame-retardant mechanisms, their preparation methods, and recent developments. The PRISMA method has been used to conduct a systematic literature review. From the Scopus and Google scholar databases, a total of 180 documents have been selected using two relevant keywords through the screening process. This study reviews existing studies, covering cladding panel classifications based on standard codes, and existing ACP panels’ flammability, thermal, and mechanical properties. Following an in-depth recent literature review, the study outlines the combustibility and energy efficiency challenges and offers recommendations for future research to develop non-combustible cladding panels. Full article

Fire has been proven to threaten human lives and buildings significantly. Extensive research is being conducted globally to reduce fire risks, particularly in high-rise buildings that incorporate steel for structural support, timber for decorative elements, and cladding for insulation. Traditional passive fireproofing materials, such as concrete coverings, gypsum boards, and cementitious coatings, often lack aesthetic appeal. Intumescent coatings offer a promising solution to this issue. These coatings require a thin layer on the substrate to protect from fire, and the thin layer expands up to many times its original thickness when exposed to fire, forming an insulating char that acts as a barrier between fire and the substrate. This barrier prevents the steel from reaching critical temperature and helps maintain its integrity during a fire incident. Hence, intumescent coatings are a great choice for passive fire protection of load-bearing steel, wooden structures, timber, and cementitious buildings. Although some research articles discuss intumescent coating types, application methods, fabrication processes, cost-effectiveness, bonding performance, toxicity, and various uses, a comprehensive study encompassing all these topics still needs to be conducted. This review paper explores different types of intumescent coatings, their formulation and manufacturing methods, their application processes, and their use on various substrates. It also covers the key intumescent coating materials and their interactions during fire. Challenges and issues, such as fire protection time, char-forming temperature, and toxicity, are discussed. Full article

Objective: With rapid urbanization in countries like India, understanding the nutritional status and needs of urban populations, particularly among underprivileged groups such as people living in slums, is crucial. This study investigates the prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of child malnutrition in the urban slums of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) in West Bengal, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 736 children aged 6–59 months. Data were collected using structured interviews to gather socioeconomic, demographic, and dietary information, alongside anthropometric measurements. The analysis employed the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models to identify key factors influencing malnutrition. Results: The findings revealed a high prevalence of stunting (24.1%), underweight (22.3%), and wasting (15.4%) among children aged 6–59 months, with significant variations observed between the two study sites. Key predictors of anthropometric malnutrition include low household income, incidence of recent illness, low maternal nutrition, and delayed initiation of breastfeeding. Conclusions: Addressing child malnutrition in urban slums requires integrated strategies encompassing income-generation opportunities, health-sensitive urban planning, and focused maternal and child health interventions. Full article

The application of biopolymer materials in cladding presents a promising avenue for enhancing building sustainability, while addressing the limitations of conventional synthetic polymers. Cladding serves a dual purpose of protection and aesthetics for buildings, but increasing global energy consumption and environmental concerns necessitate the adoption of sustainable practices. The construction sector’s substantial energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions highlight the urgent need for sustainable building materials. Conventional cladding materials often lack sustainability and environmental compatibility. Biopolymers, derived from living organisms or by-products, offer a potential solution with their biodegradability, renewability, and low embodied energy. These materials can revolutionise cladding practices by providing eco-friendly alternatives aligned with sustainable construction demands. Integrating biopolymers with synthetic polymers can enhance material biodegradability, contributing to overall degradation. Prominent biopolymers like PLA, PHAs, starch-based polymers, cellulose, PHB, and PBS exhibit biodegradability and sustainability, positioning them in the front rank for cladding applications. Despite significant research in biopolymer applications in different fields, there is limited research to identify the application and limitations of biopolymers as building cladding materials. This review paper aims to bridge the research gaps by comprehensively analysing diverse biopolymer cladding materials based on their properties and exploring their cross-domain utility, thereby highlighting their transformative role in sustainable construction practices. The expanding biopolymer market in building cladding materials underscores their potential to drive innovation, with projected growth emphasising their importance. Full article

Electric Vehicles (EVs) offer a promising solution to reduce the environmental impact compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. However, EV adoption in Australia has been hindered by concerns over fire safety. This study aims to comprehensively analyse EV fire risks and trends in Australia, including those related to charging stations and lithium-ion batteries. The research utilises secondary data from various reputable sources to develop statistical forecasting models, which estimate that Australia will have approximately 1.73 million EVs by 2030 and 15.8 million by 2050. The study reveals an average EV fire frequency of six fires per million EVs in Australia, aligning with the global average. Consequently, Australia is expected to experience 9 to 10 EV fire incidents annually in 2030, 37 to 42 EV fire incidents annually in 2040, and 84 to 95 EV fire incidents annually in 2050. To address these risks, an EV fire risk control framework is considered to identify and recommend appropriate measures for life safety, lithium-ion batteries, charging, EV handling, and EV locations. This research provides vital evidence for regulators, policymakers, and the fire industry to effectively manage EV fire risks and enhance preparedness for the growing EV market in Australia. Full article

This study investigates the kinetics data of glass wool (GW) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation materials used in cladding systems using a systematic framework. The determination of appropriate kinetic properties, such as pre-exponential factors, activation energy and reaction orders, is crucial for accurately modelling the full-scale fire performance of insulation materials. The primary objective of this research is to extract thermal and kinetics data of XPS and GW insulation materials employed in high-rise buildings. To obtain these properties, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is conducted at four different heating rates: 5, 10, 15 and 20 K/min. The TGA results serve as the basis for determining the kinetic properties using a combination of model-free and model-based methods. The outcomes of this study are expected to be highly beneficial in defining the pyrolysis reaction steps and extracting kinetics data for fire modelling of such insulation materials. This information will enhance the understanding of the fire behaviour and performance of these materials during fire incidents, aiding in developing more accurate fire models and improving fire safety strategies for cladding systems in high-rise buildings. Full article

Fire accidents occur frequently and pose a great threat to high-rise buildings with flammable construction materials. Recently, researchers have been doing significant work on this topic to improve the flame retardancy of composites by adding inorganic metal hydroxide, such as magnesium hydroxide (MH), due to its higher thermal decomposition temperature and low toxicity. Research on flame retardant polymer composites with magnesium hydroxide is rapidly moving toward a more sustainable and safer future. This article provides a comprehensive review of the research trend along with the most cited publications. Most cited articles were chosen to observe the developments. The data collected from the Scopus database in the second week of March 2023 were also categorised to present country-wise improvement, the subject areas involved, and the author’s contribution to the topic. Some issues and challenges have also been highlighted from the analysis. By observing the research direction and highly cited articles, some of the further study scopes are also pointed out to develop fire-rated polymer composites for use as sustainable cladding materials for high-rise buildings. Full article

Laminated glass is prominently used nowadays as building construction material in the façade and architectural glazing of high-rise buildings. On the other hand, the fire safety of the high-rise building with laminated glass is also receiving more attention from the fire safety regulatory authorities and researchers due to recent fire incidents. Different interlayer polymeric materials are used in modern laminated glass to prevent the breakage of the glass façade, which can also increase the fire risk through a lower ignition time, and higher heat release and smoke production. Therefore, further research is required to understand the fire behaviour of laminated glass. In this study, the fire performance of the laminated glass has been investigated using cone calorimeter testing and the effect of different parameters such as glass thickness (6, 10, 12 mm), interlayer materials (PVB, SGP and EVA) and heat flux (25, 50 and 75 kW/m²) on the fire behaviour of laminated glass has been studied. It is found that the glass thickness, interlayer material and heat flux can significantly influence the reaction-to-fire properties such as peak heat release rate (pHRR), total heat release, time to ignition, and smoke production of laminated glass. In addition, total smoke production (TSP) is also very high for PVB (3.146 m²) and SGP (3.898 m²) laminated glass compared to EVA (0.401 m²) laminated glass and it is affected by these parameters. Finally, a simplified equation is developed to predict the pHRR of laminated glass by correlating the mass loss and external heat flux. Full article

This paper investigates the tensile behaviour of prefabricated concrete-filled steel tube (PCFST) columns with bolted connections. Innovative bolted column-column (BCC) connections are developed using standard structural bolts to simplify the construction process for the connection of two PCFST columns, especially for the corner, edge, and interior columns. The behaviour of BCC connections in PCFST columns under tension has been investigated, adopting the finite element (FE) modelling approach. Parametric studies are carried out to understand the influence of bolt arrangements (TB = 4, 6, 7, 8), base plate thickness (t_bp = 8, 10, 14, and 18 mm), bolt diameters (d_b = 16, 18, 20, 24 mm), vertical stiffeners (t_hs = 4, 6, 8, 10 mm), horizontal stiffeners (t_hs = 10, 12, 13, 15 mm), and yield strength of steel tube (f_y,t = 380, 450, and 550 MPa) on the behaviour of PCFST columns with developed BCC connections. The results show that the PCFST columns with the developed BCC connections can attain sufficient tensile strength and satisfy the tensile strength requirements recommended in AS5100 and the robustness requirements in AS1170. The outcome of this paper will be useful to practising structural engineers to design prefabricated CFST columns with BCC connections under tension. Full article

Interest in water mist fire suppression has increased within the fire protection industry due to its ability to control the spread and development of fire without using environmentally damaging agents. Water mist fire suppression has been used for many years in various applications such as machinery spaces, combustion turbine enclosures, and onboard passenger sea vessels. Now there is a demand to use this firefighting method to protect other fire risks such as cooking areas, commercial buildings, residential buildings, electrical equipment, road tunnels, bushfire (wildland fire) protection, and nuclear power generation facilities. To support this industry demand, this review covers the fundamentals of water mist, its suppression mechanisms, areas of application, existing research and development, and the codes and standards related to design. This comprehensive review provides a clear history of water mist suppression. It is able to identify the issues and challenges related to the technology to help pave the way for future research and development that will improve these systems to a level so that they are suitable for these new applications and meet the industry demand for nontoxic fire suppression systems. Full article

This paper investigates aluminium composite panels (ACPs) to understand the fire behaviour of combustible cladding systems under different fire scenarios. A fire dynamics simulator (FDS) is used to develop the numerical model of full-scale fire tests of combustible cladding systems using the procedures of the British BS 8414.1 standards. The results obtained from the FDS models are verified with test data. Seven test scenarios are investigated with four distinct parameters, i.e., cavity barrier, air-cavity gap, panel mounting (with and without joining gaps between the panels), and material combustibility qualities. A critical air-cavity gap (50–100 mm) is established at which maximum fire spread is noticed. Furthermore, variations in the cavity barrier, panel mounting, and material combustibility significantly impact the rapid fire spread of ACP cladding systems and the internal failure criterion. The results from the present study can serve as a basis for future research on the full-scale fire-test development of combustible ACPs. Full article

The paper presents the investigated results of bolt-coupler connections under compression experimentally. Bolt-coupler connections have been developed recently for prefabricated column-to-column (PCC) connections to simplify the construction process of prefabricated concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns and to transfer the upper column load to the bottom column through bolt-coupler connections. However, the behaviour of bolt-coupler connections under compression has not been investigated in the past although there are some experimental and numerical studies conducted on bolt-coupler connections under tension. To address these research gaps, the behaviour of bolt-coupler connections under compression has been investigated. The main parameters considered in this study are bolt diameters (M16, M20, M24), bolt grades (8.8, 10.9 grade), gap inside the coupler between two bolts of bolt-coupler connection (0, 10, 20 mm), and coupler grade (5.6, 8.8 grade). It is observed that the ultimate capacity of bolt-coupler connections is reduced significantly with an increase in the bolt gap inside the coupler of the bolt-coupler connection. Based on the test data, a design equation is developed to determine the design capacity of bolt-coupler connections under compression, which will be very useful in designing the PCC connections of sustainable prefabricated CFST columns. Full article

The energy efficiency of buildings drives the replacement of traditional construction materials with lightweight insulating materials. However, energy-efficient but combustible insulation might contribute to the building’s fire load. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse the reaction-to-fire properties of various insulating materials to provide a better understanding of designing a fire-safe structure. In this study, reaction-to-fire tests were carried out to assess the fire behaviour of lightweight polystyrene insulating panels commonly employed in high-rise buildings. The flammability characteristics of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) were determined using a cone calorimeter under two distinct external irradiance regimes, 35 kW/m² and 50 kW/m², to approximate small to medium fire exposure situations. To investigate the effect of a fire-rated (FR) foil layer on a sandwich panel, three distinct test configurations were used: (i) sample without FR layer (standard sample), (ii) sample with FR layer (FR foil), and (iii) damaged layer (foil and vent) for EPS. Except for the smoke toxicity index (STI), the overall fire performance of EPS is superior to that of XPS. The findings of this study are useful in analysing fire performance and fire safety design for lightweight insulation panels. Full article

The delivery of products to the end consumer has been widely considered in the e-commerce sector as new challenges to reach customers and provide them with timely and efficient delivery have surfaced. Less focus has been given to information about delivery efficiency that impacts online shoppers’ relations with e-retailers. This study’s research model builds on the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2) by adding the critical e-commerce variables of delivery efficiency, cost-saving efficiency, and online purchase experience (shopping satisfaction and subsequent willingness to pay). The conceptual model was tested, and samples were collected using an online survey hosted on Google Forms using e-mail in Bangladesh. The findings show that consumers’ willingness to pay is enhanced by satisfaction with online shopping and delivery efficiency. The study also contributes insights into how cost-saving efficiency affects online customer satisfaction and the intention to repurchase. Also, by applying hierarchical regression analysis, this study contributes to understanding how e-retailers can provide a functional online experience for customers. Finally, our findings offer guidelines to e-retailers regarding increasing shopping satisfaction, the intention to repurchase, and the willingness to pay more. Full article