Search Results (11)

This article addresses issues related to power supply reliability for electronic security systems (ESSs) during their operational lifetime. ESS are deployed both in enclosed building structures, where environmental conditions are stabilised, and across large open areas exposed to natural environmental conditions, such as transport depots, airports, railway stations, ports, and other similar facilities. Laboratory tests on selected power supply units used in ESSs have been conducted by the authors, as well as a theoretical analysis of the reliability of the power supply process. The reliability analysis of the power supply took into account the reliability of delivering electrical energy with specified parameters to all components forming a system aimed at ensuring the safety of electronic security systems (ESSs). Power supply is essential for the correct operation of all modules, components, devices, and alarm control panels (ACPs) within ESSs. In addition to meeting the basic requirements for the provision of electrical power, the system designer must also give particular consideration to power supply reliability, especially in facilities classified as part of the state critical infrastructure (CI). This issue is particularly significant in the case of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (FASs), which constitute the most critical safety systems responsible for protecting human life and health. Accordingly, this article discusses selected aspects of power supply for representative electronic security systems (ESSs). The subsequent part of this paper presents operational tests of selected ESS power supply units. A further topic addressed in the article is the definition of models of the operational process of power supply systems and the execution of computer simulations. The analysis of the operational process of ESS power supply units, expressed as models and graphs and supported by computer simulations, enabled the formulation of conclusions regarding reliability. The conclusions drawn from this article may be applied in the design, routine maintenance, and operation of ESSs. Full article

The fire protection maintenance market is expanding rapidly, but the industry faces critical resource optimization challenges due to the inefficiency of existing scheduling methods. Current approaches often exhibit limited feature representation capabilities, inadequate handling of hard constraints (e.g., certification requirements), and poor balancing of multi-objective conflicts, compromising safety, compliance, and efficiency. To address these gaps, this paper proposes a deep learning-based multi-dimensional constraint feature intelligent dispatch algorithm (DL-MFIDA). The method constructs a deep feature learning framework to capture complex relationships between personnel skills and task requirements, incorporates a constraint-aware attention mechanism to strictly enforce hard constraints, and employs a multi-objective hierarchical optimization strategy to dynamically balance spatiotemporal cost minimization, skill matching gain maximization, and load balancing. Experimental results demonstrate that DL-MFIDA achieves an 89.5% assignment success rate even under high-load scenarios (task volume at five times personnel capacity), significantly outperforming traditional methods in key metrics such as allocation success rate, resource utilization, and constraint violation rate. This work provides an effective solution to the “few personnel, many tasks” dilemma in fire protection maintenance, ensuring robust performance in practical applications. Full article

Maintenance of building fire protection facilities is crucial for preventing fires and safeguarding lives and property; the standardization and timeliness of these activities directly determine operational reliability. However, as fire-safety requirements escalate, manually drafting maintenance work orders remains inefficient and prone to omissions. Furthermore, regulatory documents in this domain are inherently complex, and annotated resources are scarce, hampering the digitalization of fire-safety management. To address these challenges, this paper presents an LLM-based method for automatically generating maintenance work orders for building fire protection facilities. The proposed approach integrates a domain-specific knowledge base and incorporates the FS-RAG (Fire Services–Retrieval-Augmented Generation) framework to enhance both the accuracy and practical usability of generated work orders. First, we construct a lightweight domain knowledge base, FSKB (Fire Services Knowledge Base), derived from extensive maintenance regulations, capturing key elements such as equipment types, components, maintenance actions, and frequencies. Second, we design an FS-RAG framework that leverages retrieval-augmented generation to extract critical information from regulations and fuse it with the knowledge base, ensuring high accuracy and operational feasibility. Multi-round evaluations across stages B0–B4 validate the effectiveness of our method. Results indicate significant improvements over traditional approaches: the line-level compliance rate reaches 97.3% (an increase of 5.7% over B1 and 30.4% over B0), and the F1 score achieves 90.42% (an increase of 12.62% over B1 and 29.87% over B0). Full article

Masonry buildings are very popular all over the world, and generally, they are assemblages of masonry units and mortar. However, they are prone to damage and even collapse due to the characteristics of masonry structures. The damages are mainly caused by natural disasters (e.g., flooding, earthquake, and landslide) or human activities (e.g., fire, vehicular impact, and insufficient maintenance). In order to assess the damage to masonry buildings, many approaches are commonly employed, such as on-site investigation, lab testing and experiments, and numerical simulations. In addition, retrofitting is always required for these damaged buildings, and resilience can be obtained to some extent by relying on different strengthening strategies. This article presents a state-of-the-art review of the current research on the multi-hazard assessment of masonry buildings, with a focus on three aspects, i.e., (1) natural and anthropic damages to masonry buildings; (2) applicability and reliability of analysis methods; and (3) strengthening technologies. A rapid and beneficial understanding is expected on the damages, analysis, and protection of ancient and modern masonry buildings. Full article

The article reviews issues associated with the operation of stationary and non-stationary electronic fire alarm systems (FASs). These systems are employed for the fire protection of selected buildings (stationary) or to monitor vast areas, e.g., forests, airports, logistics hubs, etc. (non-stationary). An FAS is operated under various environmental conditions, indoor and outdoor, favourable or unfavourable to the operation process. Therefore, an FAS has to exhibit a reliable structure in terms of power supply and operation. To this end, the paper discusses a representative FAS monitoring a facility and presents basic tactical and technical assumptions for a non-stationary system. The authors reviewed fire detection methods in terms of fire characteristic values (FCVs) impacting detector sensors. Another part of the article focuses on false alarm causes. Assumptions behind the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with visible-range cameras (e.g., Aviotec) and thermal imaging were presented for non-stationary FASs. The FAS operation process model was defined and a computer simulation related to its operation was conducted. Analysing the FAS operation process in the form of models and graphs, and the conducted computer simulation enabled conclusions to be drawn. They may be applied for the design, ongoing maintenance and operation of an FAS. As part of the paper, the authors conducted a reliability analysis of a selected FAS based on the original performance tests of an actual system in operation. They formulated basic technical and tactical requirements applicable to stationary and mobile FASs detecting the so-called vast fires. Full article

Material selection in buildings profoundly affects project success, encompassing durability, maintenance, customer satisfaction, production systems, lifecycle, usage, environment, and costs. Yet, there is a need for further research on indicators for choosing materials in prefabricated buildings. Therefore, this study’s main objective was to identify the indicators (criteria and sub-criteria) for selecting materials for prefabricated wooden construction and, subsequently, categorize these criteria and sub-criteria based on the perspective of industry professionals. To achieve this goal, three phases were carried out. First, a literature review was conducted to identify potential criteria for choosing structural and envelope materials in wooden prefabricated buildings. Second, a pilot survey was conducted in Canada and the United States to classify the priority order of the criteria obtained from the literature based on professionals’ opinions. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted with different iterations (1000, 10,000, and 100,000) using the data obtained from the previous phase to improve decision-making and classification processes. For the indicators to select materials, the literature review identified seven main criteria: performance properties, green materials, energy efficiency, circular economy, site conditions and material logistics, standards, and social impact. These criteria contained a total of 25 sub-criteria. The pilot survey data analysis demonstrated that the performance properties, site conditions and material logistics, and social impact criteria were consistently prioritized. The critical sub-criteria identified were fire resistance, watertightness, local availability, occupant health, and safety and protection. For the Monte Calo simulations, the predictions aligned with the pilot study, enhancing the robustness of the results. Full article

As a digital innovation tool in the field of architecture and engineering, BIM technology can improve the efficiency and quality of projects and also realize all-round information sharing and collaboration throughout the project life cycle. Most of the ancient buildings in China are wooden structures, which often face problems such as damage, corrosion, and insect infestation, but because of their high cultural value, the maintenance of ancient buildings is always subject to problems. The effective combination of BIM technology and ancient buildings is conducive to the all-round, detailed, and in-depth maintenance and protection of ancient buildings. The Han family compound is located in Shangli Ancient Town, Sichuan Province, which is a well-preserved Qing dynasty architectural complex in an ancient town. However, under the dual effects of nature and man, a fire in the Republic of China period, an earthquake in 2008, and tourism development in recent years have caused the ancient buildings to become damaged and collapse, and they tend to assimilate with modern buildings, facing the dilemmas of maintenance and protection. Therefore, this paper is dedicated to exploring the feasibility of combining BIM technology with the maintenance and protection of the Han Family Courtyard and summarizing the specific application of BIM technology in the repair and protection of the Han Family Courtyard through domestic and international cases, so that the Han Family Courtyard can be developed in a sustainable way. Full article

External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) enhance building aesthetics and optimize thermal performance while offering protection against weather, fire, and harmful agents. Key to these capabilities are properties of ETICS rendering. We have applied specialized organic renderings, including modified acrylic resins, additives, and reflective pigments, to mitigate color bleaching and stress cracking induced by high surface temperatures, resulting in improved color stability and water protection. In a practical application at a shopping center in Portugal, we observed reduced coating layer failures, better thermal resistance, and lower maintenance costs over one year. Subsequent research reveals the benefits of Near Infrared Reflective (NIR) pigments and nanocomposites such as titanium dioxide, which increase solar reflectance, enhance resistance to dirt, and promote self-cleaning. Synthetic colored inorganic pigments improve heat stability, thermal inertia, and mechanical resistance. The application of cool pigments also reduces surface temperature by up to 10 °C. These advancements in ETICS technology mark a significant step towards sustainable building practices. Full article

Deforestation, intensive farming and the sealing of green spaces are considered to be the main reasons for the global decrease of biodiversity. In this context, the built environment, and in particular vertical surfaces, are still highly underestimated and need to be taken into account. Although it is acknowledged that greened surfaces have beneficial effects, for example, on the microclimate, the vast majority of buildings are still not biodiversity-friendly. Artificial nesting boxes help birds and bats adapt to the change of their habitats. However, insects, with their tremendous significance for insectivorous species and for humans, are mostly neglected or even threatened. The purpose of this holistic approach is to investigate interactions between integrated insect habitat systems in façades and building physical aspects to create test objects. Heat transfer coefficients, thermal bridges, and the risk of condensation inside the buildings were simulated in different arrangements of nesting boxes for wild bees. As a result, conclusions on heat and humidity protection in ventilated façades and external thermal insulation composite systems could be drawn. The following results showed the maintenance of indoor comfort and energy efficiency as well as a low risk of mold. Further investigations analyzed the sound reduction index and fire protection. From a building physical point of view, integrated insect habitat systems could be part of the constructed environment and even link inner-city biotopes. Further challenges and opportunities are identified rather at a socio-ecological and technical level. Without taking into account the civil society and ecological demands of the various species, habitat systems for insects will miss their objectives. Special focus will be put on the skepticism and lack of knowledge of people, as well as on the comfort of the insects. Full article

Due to fire protection regulations, a minimum number of fire extinguishers must be available depending on the surface area of each building, industrial establishment or workplace. There is also a set of rules that establish where the fire extinguisher should be placed: always close to the points that are most likely to be affected by a fire and where they are visible and accessible for use. Fire extinguishers are pressure devices, which means that they require maintenance operations that ensure they will function properly in the case of a fire. The purpose of manual and periodic fire extinguisher checks is to verify that their labeling, installation and condition comply with the standards. Security seals, inscriptions, hose and other seals are thoroughly checked. The state of charge (weight and pressure) of the extinguisher, the bottle of propellant gas (if available), and the state of all mechanical parts (nozzle, valves, hose, etc.) are also checked. To ensure greater safety and reduce the economic costs associated with maintaining fire extinguishers, it is necessary to develop a system that allows monitoring of their status. One of the advantages of monitoring fire extinguishers is that it will be possible to understand what external factors affect them (for example, temperature or humidity) and how they do so. For this reason, this article presents a system of soft agents that monitors the state of the extinguishers, collects a history of the state of the extinguisher and environmental factors and sends notifications if any parameter is not within the range of normal values.The results rendered by the SmartFire prototype indicate that its accuracy in calculating pressure changes is equivalent to that of a specific data acquisition system (DAS). The comparative study of the two curves (SmartFire and DAS) shows that the average error between the two curves is negligible: 8% in low pressure measurements (up to 3 bar) and 0.3% in high pressure (above 3 bar). Full article

The reuse system proposed by the authors is an overall business system for realizing a cyclic reuse flow through the processes of design, fabrication, construction, maintenance, demolition and storage. The reuse system is one of the methods to reduce the environmental burden in the field of building steel structures. These buildings are assumed to be demolished within approximately 30 years or more for physical, architectural, economic and social reasons in Japan. In this paper, focusing on building steel structures used for plants, warehouses and offices without fire protection, the performance of steel structural members for reuse is evaluated by a non-destructive test. First, performance evaluation procedures for a non-destructive test, such as mechanical properties, chemical compositions, dimension and degradation, are shown. Tensile strengths are estimated using Vickers hardness measured by a portable ultrasonic hardness tester, and chemical compositions are measured by a portable optical emission spectrometer. The weldability of steel structural members is estimated by carbon equivalent and weld crack sensitivity composition using chemical compositions. Finally, the material grade of structural members of the building steel structure for reuse is estimated based on the proposed procedures. Full article