Search Results (354)

Geothermal energy piles (GEPs) synergistically integrate structural load-bearing with subsurface heat exchange, yet their deployment in marine soft clay prevalent along China’s eastern coast introduces complex thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) challenges. Although the Modified Cam-Clay (MCC) model is extensively employed for such soils, regional parameter variability and quantitative sensitivity to energy pile performance remain insufficiently resolved. This study establishes a three-dimensional finite element model using COMSOL Multiphysics and conducts systematic sensitivity analysis by perturbing key MCC parameters (M, λ, and κ) within ±20% and ±40% around benchmark values for Shanghai marine soft clay. Results demonstrate that the compression index λ dominates pile head settlement control, with a ±40% perturbation inducing variations up to 0.7 mm—over five times more sensitive than M or κ—whereas all parameters exhibit negligible influence (<0.5%) on thermal exchange performance. Comparative analysis further reveals significant regional disparities, with Shanghai soft clay showing notably higher λ (0.29) and lower M (0.721) than Fuzhou, Shenzhen, and other coastal regions. Accordingly, for settlement-critical designs, λ should preferentially be determined from high-quality undisturbed sampling. Conservative λ values are to be used where uncertainties remain, laying a rigorous foundation for parameter-testing procedures and safety-factor calibration within GEP design. Full article

Reliable estimation of the compression index (Cc) is essential for settlement assessment, yet geotechnical databases often contain incomplete soil-index measurements. This study developed a missingness-aware heterogeneous ensemble that combined masked variables with binary availability indicators to predict Cc across eight predefined incomplete-input scenarios. The database comprised 1524 marine-clay specimens from eight coastal sites in South Korea. Five sites were used for model development and internal testing, while three sites were reserved for independent testing. A 12-dimensional representation allowed five artificial neural network seed models and four tree-based learners to process all scenarios using validation-derived weights. The proposed model achieved mean root mean square errors of 0.166 and 0.177 in the internal and independent tests, with corresponding coefficients of determination of 0.772 and 0.723. In the internal test, the proposed model produced more favorable point-estimate metric values than the case-specific artificial neural network and random forest baselines in all 32 comparisons and than XGBoost in 30 comparisons. The corresponding differences were less consistent in the independent test, and only six of the 24 unadjusted bootstrap confidence intervals remained entirely below zero. The framework provides a unified tool for preliminary Cc screening under the predefined incomplete-input scenarios evaluated in this study. Full article

Deep saturated layered foundations are common in coastal and reclaimed areas, where weak interlayers can significantly influence seismic response and settlement. To investigate the seismic behavior of ultra-deep strata and the effectiveness of targeted reinforcement, a large-scale shaking table test was conducted at a geometric similitude ratio of 1:200, representing a 640 m thick prototype. The shallow soil was densified, while a deep silty clay weak interlayer was selectively reinforced using vertical rotary jetting piles (VRJPs). Horizontal and vertical accelerations, Fourier spectra, excess pore water pressure ratio, and residual settlement were evaluated under 0.1 g, 0.2 g, and 0.4 g excitations. Under 0.4 g excitation, horizontal acceleration generally attenuated in the middle and lower strata, whereas vertical acceleration showed pronounced shallow amplification, reaching 0.87 g in the untreated zone. VRJP reinforcement reduced pore pressure buildup near the weak interlayer and decreased residual settlement from 1.12–1.20 mm to 0.94–1.02 mm. However, acceleration and pore pressure responses were redistributed in some overlying strata. The results support a hierarchical strategy combining shallow liquefaction mitigation with targeted deep deformation control for coastal and marine foundations. Full article

AI-assisted renewal of living vernacular settlements must preserve regional identity and historical layering while keeping professional judgment central; however, current facade-generation studies rarely connect field-derived architectural knowledge, controllable data construction, and subsequent design development within one verifiable workflow. Taking Yun’ao Town as a case study, this study develops a Grasshopper–Pix2Pix method for preliminary renewal of principal (front) facades—the primary public-facing elevations—in a hot-humid coastal setting exposed to disaster-prone weather, which is treated only as maintenance and renewal background rather than as a generative input, constraint, or performance metric. Field surveys documented 310 representative buildings and 1240 facade images. Typological and component analyses informed 160 parametric base models, which were expanded into 870 Facade Semantic Layout (FSL)–Building Elevation (BE) image pairs using four fixed parameters and eleven groups of linked parameters. The dataset was allocated at approximately 80%/10%/10% for training, validation, and testing at the base-model-group level to reduce information leakage, and Pix2Pix was trained for 1000 epochs. Across six representative cases, SSIM ranged from 0.33 to 0.65, with a descriptive mean of 0.54; these values do not represent aggregate validation- or test-set performance. Qualitative inspection identified distorted openings, incomplete balcony edges, interrupted roof lines, unclear railing relationships, ornamental discontinuity, and occasional component overlap. A mini-program and Huangang Road application examined how selected outputs could enter a human-supervised sequence of preliminary comparison, professional screening, manual correction, three-dimensional modeling, and technical drawing development. The contribution is a field-informed, human-supervised generative workflow rather than autonomous design; its outputs remain preliminary visual references requiring measured-survey, conservation, structural, environmental, material, and construction verification. Full article

Prefabricated vertical drains are critical for accelerating pore-water pressure dissipation and consolidating water-saturated soft soils in coastal and riverine environments. Straw drainage boards, composed of agricultural straw and polylactic acid (PLA), offer an alternative to traditional plastic drains, mitigating potential water pollution and microplastic accumulation in sensitive aquatic ecosystems. However, their slow natural biodegradability can impact long-term hydraulic performance and post-construction settlement. This study investigates the enzymatic degradation characteristics of straw–PLA drainage boards to optimize their hydraulic behavior and degradation in simulated water-saturated soft soils. We explored the effects of various bio-enzymes, specifically cellulase and alkaline protease, on the structural integrity and hydraulic properties of the drainage boards. Our results demonstrate that both enzymes significantly alter the water flow capacity of the boards, indicating accelerated degradation. Furthermore, a synergistic effect was observed when cellulase and alkaline protease were applied concurrently, leading to more pronounced degradation. The findings suggest that enzyme-enhanced degradation offers a promising strategy to optimize the hydraulic performance of drainage boards, facilitating more effective pore-water pressure dissipation and rapid soil consolidation in offshore and coastal engineering projects. Full article

Coastal flood exposure indicators are increasingly needed to support climate adaptation and sustainable coastal planning in small island regions, yet regional-scale assessments that translate hydrodynamic simulations into spatially explicit exposure indicators remain limited across the Caribbean. This study develops a spatially explicit coastal flood exposure framework by integrating LISFLOOD-FP simulations with settlement dynamics, land-cover change, and population distribution data. Coastal inundation was simulated under baseline (1985–2014) and SSP5-8.5 (2015–2050) 100-year extreme sea-level conditions and overlaid with land-cover, settlement, and WorldPop data to assess land-cover, settlement, and population exposure across Caribbean island systems. The results show that SSP5-8.5 generally increases coastal inundation extent relative to the baseline, although the broad regional pattern remains similar. Large islands with extensive low-lying coastal plains show greater absolute inundation, whereas several smaller islands exhibit higher proportional exposure because of limited land area and concentrated coastal settlements. Wetlands constitute the largest share of exposed terrestrial land cover, while built-up land shows increasing exposure. These findings suggest that future coastal flood exposure in the Caribbean is shaped by both increasing hazard intensity and persistent human concentration in flood-prone coastal zones. Because the modelling framework does not explicitly represent wave setup/runup, compound flooding, or coastal defences, the results are interpreted as regional-scale screening indicators rather than locally calibrated flood-risk estimates. Full article

Nomadism and the tent tradition constitute foundational pillars of Anatolia’s vernacular building culture, yet the spatial continuity between nomadic dwelling practices and their urban coastal adaptations remains underexplored in the literature. This study examines how nomadic spatial strategies were reproduced in Antalya’s coastal oba settlements, evaluating them as architectural expressions of indigenous material culture and collective building knowledge rather than provisional structures. Employing a qualitative approach, the research synthesizes data from literature reviews, archival analysis, and semi-structured interviews with former residents, utilizing Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis as an analytic framework to examine how seasonal cycles, recurring daily rituals, and patterns of collective occupation shaped the spatial logic of these now-vanished settlements. Findings reveal three distinct oba typologies with traceable morphological continuities to the nomadic tent tradition, particularly in semi-open spatial configurations, modular organization, and the flexible adaptation of indigenous materials to coastal conditions. Interpreted through the lens of cultural landscape, the oba emerges as a site where tangible building practice and intangible cultural heritage converge. The study concludes that Antalya’s coastal obas represent a significant yet under documented chapter of vernacular architectural heritage, one whose physical erasure under post-1980 tourism-driven development has rendered its preservation in collective and embodied memory all the more urgent. By transitioning from physical fabric to intangible heritage, these settlements persist as a critical representational field for cultural and social sustainability discourse. Full article

Overseas Chinese Yanglou dwellings in Southern Fujian are important architectural heritage combining Western architectural elements and local construction traditions. However, their diverse facade forms and incomplete records make manual classification inefficient and difficult to quantify. Taking Jinjiang, China, as the study area, this research constructs a Yanglou facade image dataset and proposes a deep learning-based workflow for type recognition, model interpretation, and spatial analysis. Deep visual features and unsupervised clustering were used to identify three morphological patterns: traditional continuity, partial addition, and overall transformation. These patterns were further organized into a classification system of three categories and seven subtypes. YOLOv8n-cls, YOLO11n-cls, and YOLO26n-cls were compared for facade recognition, while feature map visualization, Grad-CAM, and t-SNE were used for model interpretation. GIS analysis suggests that traditional-continuity types are mainly distributed in inland plain and piedmont settlements. The Five-Foot Way type is widely distributed, whereas overall-transformation types are concentrated in several coastal or near-coastal villages. YOLO11n-cls achieved the best overall validation performance within the current Jinjiang sample set. The proposed workflow supports quantitative classification, interpretable recognition, and spatial documentation of Yanglou dwellings. Full article

This study investigates staged surcharge preloading at a coastal test section by integrating field monitoring (pore-water pressure, settlement/settlement rate, and layer-by-layer deformation) with laboratory consolidation tests and field vane shear measurements. Responses at the surcharge center and slope-toe margin are compared to quantify spatial non-uniformity and pore-pressure–deformation coupling. Pronounced heterogeneity is observed (this field response represents three-dimensional deformation behavior that cannot be reproduced by 1D consolidation tests), with an empirical transition depth of ~24 m for this Wenzhou coastal soft soil site: above this depth, strains concentrate near the margin, whereas below it, compression at the center becomes dominant. The pore-pressure–settlement relationship is stage-dependent: during loading, pore pressure fluctuates markedly and settlement lags; during maintained consolidation, pore pressure dissipates, effective stress develops, and settlement is governed mainly by consolidation compression. After surcharging, water content decreases, and soil sensitivity reduces from 4.0 to 3.0 and stabilizes, indicating post-disturbance structural re-stabilization. These findings inform surcharge scheme design, monitoring layouts, and subsequent model calibration. Full article

Ports are often expected to convert external connectivity into wider territorial development, yet the spatial reach of those gains is rarely observed directly around treated projects. This paper traces spatial change around 22geocodable physical port infrastructure projects drawn from a 58-unit African project universe. Local port node intensification is common, but outward diffusion is conditional. The strongest change is concentrated within 0–10 km of the port node, and most projects reinforce existing coastal nodes. When gains extend outward, they appear more clearly in activity and built-space uptake than in population. Node-centered activity intensifies first, followed by wider built-space uptake and land-use reorganization; population absorbs more slowly and less systematically. Outward diffusion is also more likely where local gains connect to stronger inherited or later-reinforced road networks and to an existing settlement skeleton. Overall, port-generated gains often remain concentrated at the coastal node; only where corridor connectivity and an existing settlement skeleton are present do they begin to reorganize nearby settlements. Full article

The invasion of the marine alien gastropod Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) across different basins is investigated through a spatiotemporal analysis of distribution patterns, aggregation processes, and spatial structure. Occurrence data from scientific literature and citizen science were integrated with GIS-based spatial statistics to compare invasion dynamics in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and Northwest Europe. The Black Sea represents the most advanced invasion stage, characterized by extensive distribution, multiple aggregation zones, and strong associations with brackish, nutrient-rich areas influenced by major river outflows. In the Mediterranean, the invasion has progressed from a prolonged establishment phase to a recent acceleration, with the Adriatic Sea acting as the historical core of expansion. Here, persistent populations are concentrated near the Po River delta and lagoon systems, where reduced salinity and high nutrient loads favor both settlement and long-term persistence. In Northwest Europe, R. venosa remains in the establishment phase, forming a compact and localized nucleus along the French Atlantic coast without evidence of broad spatial expansion. Our analyses suggest that environmental factors, particularly salinity gradients and riverine inputs, are possibly related to the observed invasion patterns. Transitional coastal environments emerge as important areas for establishment and subsequent spread, suggesting that monitoring efforts should prioritize these environments. Full article

João António de Aguiar was one of the most prolific Portuguese architect-planners of the twentieth century, producing an extensive body of work within the framework of the 1934 legislative reform. He employed Urban Development Plans as a key scientific and technical instrument for territorial intervention, both in mainland Portugal and in the overseas territories. Despite his significance, Aguiar’s contribution remains relatively understudied, frequently overshadowed by the reformist ministry of Duarte Pacheco and by the dominant ideological narratives of the period. This article advances a critical analysis centred on urban composition and city design, with particular emphasis on the transformation of coastal urban structures and on Aguiar’s interventions in the Portuguese colonial context. Through a comparative and interpretative methodology, the study examines the formal and spatial principles underpinning his plans, while addressing the cultural challenges involved in adapting European urban models to non-European contexts. By shifting the focus from a merely descriptive inventory of planning instruments to a deeper investigation of urban form, this research offers a more nuanced reading of urban transformation processes in overseas coastal settlements. It contributes to a clearer and more structured understanding of Aguiar’s influence on African and Asian urbanism and on colonial planning practices more broadly. Full article

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global mean, driving unprecedented sea ice loss and threatening permafrost coasts and human settlements. Existing pan-Arctic vulnerability indices typically rest on satellite-era baselines and on expert-driven weighting schemes whose robustness is rarely tested. Here, we present an integrated, multi-centennial framework that jointly ingests SIBT1850 sea ice concentration (1850–2017), extended to 2024 with the NOAA/NSIDC Climate Data Record of Passive Microwave Sea Ice Concentration v6 (G02202 v6), together with ESA CCI Permafrost products (1997–2019), the Arctic Coastal Dynamics database, and pan-Arctic settlement inventories. Using non-parametric Mann–Kendall trend tests, Sen’s slope, and the Pettitt change point test across nine Seas (S1–S9), five permafrost-adjacent core seas exhibit summer Sen’s slopes of −0.105 to −0.185% yr⁻¹ with Pettitt change points clustered in 1929–1953 (mean 1936), whereas three of four support seas cluster around 1978, suggesting an approximately bimodal regime shift timing that we interpret cautiously given the limited sample. A Composite Vulnerability Index integrating six normalised indicators identifies the Chukchi (CVI = 0.630) and East Siberian (0.624) seas as the highest-priority hotspots at the SIBT1850 baseline. A satellite-era robustness check using NSIDC G02202 v6 confirms that the Chukchi–East Siberian–Laptev corridor remains in the top three highest-vulnerability basins under the 1850–2024 extension, with the Beaufort Sea retaining rank 5, validating the basin mean conclusions of the SIBT1850-based analysis. Robustness checks—PCA re-weighting, one-at-a-time and global (Sobol, PAWN) sensitivity analyses, and Monte Carlo Dirichlet perturbation—confirm that the top-two ranking is stable across weighting schemes (baseline–PCA Spearman ρ = 0.80). We explicitly avoid claiming forecasting validation, operational testing, or benchmarking against existing pan-Arctic vulnerability indices, all of which we identify as priority directions for future work. The framework provides a transparent, reproducible basis for prioritising adaptation across the Chukchi–East Siberian–Laptev corridor. Full article

Coastal urban environments are increasingly exposed to natural hazards, including storm surges, tsunamis, coastal erosion, and flooding, which threaten lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. Despite their widespread use, conventional hard and soft engineering measures have often proved insufficient to address the escalating risks posed by climate change and rapid urbanisation. This study explores the potential of Nature-Inspired Solutions (NiS) as a complementary pathway to advance resilience in architecture, urban design, and planning. Unlike Nature-Based Solutions that utilise existing ecosystems directly, NiS draw design principles from both biotic and abiotic natural systems, offering innovative models for resilient settlements, coastal infrastructure, and adaptive urban planning. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes systematic and narrative reviews, semi-structured expert interviews, analysis of urban development plans, a panel discussion, and expert brainstorming, this research examines how natural coastal systems inform design interventions. Sri Lanka was selected as the primary case study context due to its exceptional coastal vulnerability, significant climate adaptation policy gaps, and status as a small island developing state representative of the coastal challenges faced by similar contexts globally. Furthermore, Sri Lanka was selected as the case study in accordance with the original research proposal submitted to the University of Huddersfield, which identified the country as a suitable context due to its significant vulnerability to coastal hazards, as outlined above. Field investigations in the Lunawa coastal area documented community-based adaptive practices emerging from multi-generational environmental observation. Analysis reveals how dune morphologies, root structures, living shorelines, and rock pool formations translate into architectural and engineering applications. Findings identify critical implementation challenges, including context-specific requirements, technical knowledge gaps, insufficient policy frameworks, limited practitioner awareness, and uncertainties about economic feasibility, as well as key enablers such as demonstrated ecological effectiveness and the potential of multifunctional infrastructure. The study demonstrates that embedding NiS into risk-informed planning and resilient urban design contributes to climate change adaptation, ecological sustainability, and inclusive governance, while highlighting persistent barriers that require strategic intervention. By bridging ecological wisdom and architectural innovation, NiS offers transformative opportunities to reimagine resilient coastal cities and communities facing escalating climate-induced hazards. Full article

The Amazon coastal zone exhibits remarkable habitat diversity and species richness, with nutrient-rich estuaries playing a crucial role in local food webs and supporting fish and other aquatic organisms. To examine the distribution of fish larvae and juveniles in the Taperaçu Estuary and their relationship with environmental variables, monthly sampling was conducted at two fixed stations in 2008. Samples were collected during flood and ebb spring tides using 500 μm mesh nets. In situ measurements of salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were recorded, while pH and turbidity were determined in the laboratory. Abiotic variables did not differ significantly between tides, but salinity and dissolved oxygen were higher during the dry season. A total of 5175 individuals were identified, representing 17 families and 37 species. The ichthyoplankton community was dominated by Rhinosardinia amazonica, Anchovia clupeoides, Stellifer stellifer, and Microgobius meeki. Stations 1 and 2 showed differing abundance ranges, with higher values at station 1 during the rainy season. Preflexion stages were abundant at both stations, indicating the estuary’s importance as a nursery and development area for several fish species. Multivariate analyses revealed spatial and seasonal structuring of larval assemblages along the estuarine gradient, driven primarily by salinity, temperature, and turbidity. Our results emphasize the role of upper estuary sectors of eastern Amazonia as areas of spawning, larval development, and subsequent juvenile settlement, contributing to the dispersal of fish species throughout the estuary and adjacent coastal environments. The present findings also reinforce the ecological value of the studied Extractive Reserve and other protected areas along the Amazon littoral as essential habitats for larval refuge and development. The need for continued monitoring and preservation of these protected zones is evident. Full article