Search Results (1,505)

Closed-loop processes can help reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector. Despite its growing popularity, the reuse of materials is still not a common practice. There are many studies available on material processing, design processes, and case studies, but the opportunities and challenges in this area have not been identified. Through a review of the scientific literature, including articles published in peer-reviewed journals, this study aims to organise the information collected in the form of an article and identify areas that require further research and expansion. When the articles are divided into the three groups mentioned above, the barriers and benefits of the research already carried out have been identified. The tools used in the research or processes were identified to highlight good practices that are worth replicating in the future. The challenges that commonly arose, the links between them, and their causes were also identified. Full article

Nuclear energy can help stop climate change by generating large amounts of emission-free electricity. Nuclear reactor designs are continually being developed to be more fuel efficient, safer, easier to construct, and to produce less nuclear waste. The term advanced nuclear reactors refers either to Generation III+ and Generation IV or small modular reactors. Every reactor is associated with the nuclear fuel cycle that must be economically viable and competitive. An important matter is optimization of fissile materials used in reactor and/or reprocessing of spent fuel and reuse. Currently operating reactors use the open cycle or partially closed cycle. Generation IV reactors are intended to play a significant role in reaching a fully closed cycle. At the same time, we can observe the growing interest in development of small modular reactors worldwide. SMRs can adopt either fuel cycle; they can be flexible depending on their design and fuel type. Spent nuclear fuel management should be an integral part of the development of new reactors. The proper management methods of the radioactive waste and spent fuel should be considered at an early stage of construction. The aim of this paper is to highlight the challenges related to reprocessing of new forms of nuclear fuel. Full article

Automatic techniques for analog integrated circuit layout design have been proposed in the literature for over four decades. However, as analog design moves into deep nanometer integration nodes, the increasing number of design rules, the influence of layout-dependent effects, congestion, and the impact of parasitic structures constantly challenges existing automatic layout generation techniques and keeps the pressure on for further improvement. At the time of writing, no automatic tool or flow has been established in the industrial environment, resulting in a time-consuming and difficult-to-reuse design process. However, very recently, machine and deep learning techniques started to offer solutions for problems not dealt with in the previous generation of automatic layout tools and are reshaping analog design automation. Therefore, this paper conducts a review of the most recent analog integrated circuit automatic layout techniques powered by machine and deep learning methods, covering placement, routing, and trends on post-layout performance estimation, as well as providing an actual, complete, and comprehensive guide for circuit designers and design automation developers. Full article

To reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete industry and promote a circular economy, this study explores the reuse of waste materials such as glass powder (GP) and nitrile rubber (NR) fibres in concrete. However, the inclusion of these waste materials results in lower compressive strength compared to conventional concrete, limiting their application to non-structural elements. To overcome this limitation, this study adopts the concept of confined concrete by developing concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) stub columns. In total, twelve concrete mix variations were developed, with and without steel tube confinement. GP was utilised at replacement levels of 10–30% by weight of cement, while NR fibres were introduced at 0.5% and 1% by volume of concrete. The findings demonstrate that the incorporation of GP and NR fibres leads to a reduction in compressive strength, with a compounded effect observed when both materials are combined. Steel confinement within CFST columns effectively mitigated the strength reductions, restoring up to 17% of the lost capacity and significantly improving ductility and energy absorption capacity. All CFST columns exhibited consistent local outward buckling failure mode, irrespective of the concrete mix variations. A comparison with predictions from existing design codes and empirical models revealed discrepancies, underscoring the need for refined design approaches for CFST columns incorporating sustainable concrete infill. This study contributes valuable insights into the development of eco-friendly, high-performance structural systems, highlighting the potential of CFST technology in facilitating the adoption of waste materials in the construction sector. Full article

Through a systematic review of sustainable rural dwelling recovery, this study offers a broader reflection on retrofitting practices, viewing eco-efficiency as a means to enhance both cultural heritage and agricultural landscapes. The work is based on the assumption that vernacular architecture in rural contexts embodies historical, cultural, and typological values worthy of preservation, while remaining adaptable to reuse through eco-efficient solutions and technological innovation. Using the PRISMA protocol, 115 scientific contributions were selected from 1711 initial records and classified into four macro-groups: landscape relationships; seismic and energy retrofitting; construction techniques and innovative materials; and morphological–typological analysis. Results show a predominance (over 50%) of passive design strategies, compatible materials, and low-impact techniques, while active systems are applied more selectively to protect cultural integrity. The study identifies replicable methodological models combining sustainability, cultural continuity, and functional adaptation, offering recommendations for future operational guidelines. Conscious eco-efficient retrofitting thus emerges as a strategic tool for the integrated valorization of rural landscapes and heritage. Full article

Domain-Specific Languages with JSON grammar (JSON-DSLs) are specialized programming languages tailored to specific problem domains, offering higher abstraction levels and simplifying software implementation through the JSON standard. RhoArchitecture is an approach for designing and executing JSON-DSLs, incorporating a modular programming model, a JSON-based evaluation engine, and an integrated web development environment. This paper presents RestRho, a RESTful NodeJS server developed using two JSON-DSLs designed with RhoArchitecture: SQLRho and DBRestRho. These languages enable declarative specification of database operations and HTTP requests, respectively, supporting modularity, reuse, and template-based transformations. We validate the RestRho implementation through a dual approach. First, we apply software metrics to assess code quality, maintainability, and complexity. Second, we conduct an empirical study involving 39 final-year computer engineering students, who completed 18 structured tasks and provided feedback via questionnaires. The results demonstrate the tool’s usability, development efficiency, and potential for adoption in web application development. Full article

Climate change is significantly affecting water availability, emphasising the need for sustainable strategies such as wastewater reuse. While this represents a promising alternative resource, insufficiently treated wastewater may pose health risks, particularly through aerosol formation during irrigation, which can facilitate Legionella transmission. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of Legionella across various stages in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that reuses effluent for agricultural purposes. Samples from the influent, four treatment phases, and the final effluent were analysed using both culture-based methods and quantitative PCR (qPCR) for Legionella spp. and L. pneumophila. qPCR detected Legionella spp. in all samples and L. pneumophila in 66% of them. In contrast, the culture-based analysis showed much lower detection levels, with only one positive sample at the influent stage—likely due to microbial interference or growth inhibition. Although contamination decreased in the final effluent, Legionella was still detected in water designated for reuse (Legionella spp. in 100% and L. pneumophila in 17% of samples). No treatment stage appeared to promote Legionella proliferation, likely due to WWTP characteristics, in addition to wastewater temperature and COD. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring Legionella in reclaimed water and developing effective control strategies to ensure the safe reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture. Full article

The rapid proliferation of electronic waste, driven by the short lifecycle of smartphones and planned obsolescence strategies, presents escalating global environmental challenges. To address these issues from a systems perspective, this study develops an agent-based modeling (ABM) framework that simulates consumer decisions and stakeholder interactions within the smartphone reuse and recycling ecosystem. The model incorporates key behavioral drivers—privacy concerns, moral norms, and financial incentives—to examine how social and economic factors shape consumer behavior. Four primary agent types—consumers, manufacturers, recyclers, and second-hand retailers—are modeled to capture complex feedback and market dynamics. Calibrated using empirical data from Jiangsu Province, China, the simulation reveals a dominant consumer tendency to store obsolete smartphones rather than engage in reuse or formal recycling. However, the introduction of government subsidies significantly shifts behavior, doubling participation in second-hand markets and markedly improving recycling rates. These results highlight the value of integrating behavioral insights into environmental modeling to inform circular economy strategies. By offering a flexible and behaviorally grounded simulation tool, this study supports the design of more effective policies for promoting responsible smartphone disposal and lifecycle extension. Full article

Nomadic heritage villages constitute significant material cultural heritage. Under China’s cultural revitalization and rural development strategies, these villages face spatial degradation driven by tourism and urbanization. Current research predominantly employs isolated analytical approaches—space syntax often overlooks social dynamics while social network analysis (SNA) overlooks physical interfaces—hindering the development of holistic solutions for socio-spatial resilience. This study proposes a multi-scale integrated assessment framework combining social network analysis (SNA) and space syntax to systematically evaluate public space structures in traditional nomadic villages of Xinjiang. The framework provides scientific evidence for optimizing public space design in these villages, facilitating harmonious coexistence between spatial functionality and cultural values. Focusing on three heritage villages—representing compact, linear, and dispersed morphologies—the research employs a hierarchical “village-street-node” analytical model to dissect spatial configurations and their socio-functional dynamics. Key findings include the following: Compact villages exhibit high central clustering but excessive concentration, necessitating strategies to enhance network resilience and peripheral connectivity. Linear villages demonstrate weak systemic linkages, requiring “segment-connection point supplementation” interventions to mitigate structural elongation. Dispersed villages maintain moderate network density but face challenges in visual integration and centrality, demanding targeted activation of key intersections to improve regional cohesion. By merging SNA’s social attributes with space syntax’s geometric precision, this framework bridges a methodological gap, offering comprehensive spatial optimization solutions. Practical recommendations include culturally embedded placemaking, adaptive reuse of transitional spaces, and thematic zoning to balance heritage conservation with tourism needs. Analyzing Xinjiang’s unique spatial–social interactions provides innovative insights for sustainable heritage village planning and replicable solutions for comparable global cases. Full article

The exponential increase in electronic waste (e-waste) from end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment presents a growing environmental challenge. E-waste contains high concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs), which are classified as critical raw materials (CRMs). Their removal and recovery from contaminated systems not only mitigate pollution but also support resource sustainability within a circular economy framework. The present study proposed the use of hazelnut shells as a biosorbent to reduce water contamination and recover REEs. The sorption capabilities of this lignocellulosic material were assessed and optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) combined with a Box–Behnken Design (three factors, three levels). Factors such as pH (4 to 8), salinity (0 to 30), and biosorbent dose (0.25 to 0.75 g/L) were evaluated in a complex mixture containing 9 REEs (Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Gd, Tb and Dy; equimolar concentration of 1 µmol/L). Salinity was found to be the factor with greater significance for REEs sorption efficiency, followed by water pH and biosorbent dose. At a pH of 7, salinity of 0, biosorbent dose of 0.75 g/L, and a contact time of 48 h, optimal conditions were observed, achieving removals of 100% for Gd and Eu and between 81 and 99% for other REEs. Optimized conditions were also predicted to maximize the REEs concentration in the biosorbent, which allowed us to obtain values (total REEs content of 2.69 mg/g) higher than those in some ores. These results underscore the high potential of this agricultural waste with no relevant commercial value to improve water quality while providing an alternative source of elements of interest for reuse (circular economy). Full article

Automated generative design is increasingly used across engineering disciplines to accelerate innovation and reduce costs. Generative design offers the prospect of simplifying manual design tasks by exploring the efficacy of solutions automatically. However, existing generative design frameworks rely heavily on expensive optimisation procedures and often produce customised solutions, lacking reusable generative rules that transfer across different problems. This work presents a bioinspired generative design algorithm utilising the concept of evolutionary development (EvoDevo). This evolves a set of developmental rules that can be applied to different engineering problems to rapidly develop designs without the need to run full optimisation procedures. In this approach, an initial design is decomposed into simple entities called cells, which independently control their local growth over a development cycle. In biology, the growth of cells is governed by a gene regulatory network (GRN), but there is no single widely accepted model for this in artificial systems. The GRN responds to the state of the cell induced by external stimuli in its environment, which, in this application, is the loading regime on a bridge truss structure (but can be generalised to any engineering structure). Two GRN models are investigated: graph neural network (GNN) and graph-based Cartesian genetic programming (CGP) models. Both GRN models are evolved using a novel genetic search algorithm for parameter search, which can be re-used for other design problems. It is revealed that the CGP-based method produces results similar to those obtained using the GNN-based methods while offering more interpretability. In this work, it is shown that this EvoDevo approach is able to produce near-optimal truss structures via growth mechanisms such as moving vertices or changing edge features. The technique can be set up to provide design automation for a range of engineering design tasks. Full article

This study explored the potential of reusing eggshell powders as a renewable activating agent for producing porous carbon materials from coffee husk. Carbonization and activation experiments were conducted by heating the samples at a rate of 10 °C/min up to 850 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. A custom-designed double steel-mesh sample holder was used to hold approximately 2.0 g coffee husk on the top, with varying masses of eggshell at the bottom to achieve eggshells to coffee husk mass ratios of 2:1, 4:1, 6:1 and 8:1. The results demonstrated that CO₂ released from the thermal decomposition of the eggshell powder significantly enhanced pore development at 850 °C. Compared to the pore properties of carbon material produced without eggshell (e.g., BET surface area of 321 m²/g), the activated carbon samples exhibited substantially improved pore properties (e.g., BET surface area in the range of 592 to 715 m²/g). Furthermore, the pore characteristics improved consistently with increasing eggshell content. Observations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the structural and chemical transformations of the resulting carbon materials. Under optimal carbonization-activation conditions, the resulting carbon materials derived from coffee husk exhibited microporous structures and slit-shaped pores, as indicated by the Type I isotherms and H4 hysteresis loops. Full article

Japan’s 8.5 million vacant homes (Akiyas) represent a paradox of scarcity amid surplus: while rural depopulation leaves properties abandoned, housing shortages and bureaucratic inefficiencies hinder their reuse. This study proposes AKI2ALL, an AI-blockchain framework designed to automate the circular repurposing of Akiyas into ten high-value community assets—guesthouses, co-working spaces, pop-up retail and logistics hubs, urban farming hubs, disaster relief housing, parking lots, elderly daycare centers, exhibition spaces, places for food and beverages, and company offices—through smart contracts and data-driven workflows. By integrating circular economy principles with decentralized technology, AKI2ALL streamlines property transitions, tax validation, and administrative processes, reducing operational costs while preserving embodied carbon in existing structures. Municipalities list properties, owners select uses, and AI optimizes assignments based on real-time demand. This work bridges gaps in digital construction governance, proving that automating trust and accountability can transform systemic inefficiencies into opportunities for community-led, low-carbon regeneration, highlighting its potential as a scalable model for global vacant property reuse. Full article

The role of on-site wastewater treatment (OSWT) is increasingly important for water reuse and local sustainability, but treatment efficiency is highly dependent on hydraulic behavior and mixing. This study used validated CFD simulations and tracer experiments to analyze flow patterns and mixing performance in a six-zone OSWT unit under different operational scenarios, including inflow, aeration, recirculation, combined mechanisms, and closed-loop operation without inflow. The results show that influent flow is essential for maintaining convective transport and system-wide momentum, while aeration and recirculation enhance local mixing, but cannot fully overcome geometric dead zones. The combined use of inflow, aeration, and recirculation achieved the highest mixing efficiency and minimized the dead volume, whereas scenarios lacking inflow exhibited severe stagnation and expanded dead zones. These findings highlight the need to integrate hydraulic interventions with thoughtful reactor design to ensure effective and resilient small-scale wastewater treatment systems. Full article

Remanufacturing design is a green design model that considers remanufacturability during the design process to improve the reuse of components. However, traditional remanufacturing design scheme decision making focuses on the remanufacturability indicator and does not fully consider the carbon emissions of the remanufacturing process, which will take away the energy-saving and emission reduction benefits of remanufacturing. In addition, remanufacturing design schemes rarely consider the human ergonomics of the product, which leads to uncomfortable handling of the product by the customer. To reduce the remanufacturing carbon emission and improve customer comfort, it is necessary to select a reasonable design scheme to satisfy the carbon emission reduction and ergonomics demand; therefore, this paper proposes an integrated multi-criteria decision-making method for remanufacturing design that considers the carbon emission and human ergonomics. Firstly, an evaluation system of remanufacturing design schemes is constructed to consider the remanufacturability, cost, carbon emission, and human ergonomics of the product, and the evaluation indicators are quantified by the normalization method and the Kansei engineering (KE) method; meanwhile, the hierarchical analysis method (AHP) and entropy weight method (EW) are used for the calculation of the subjective and objective weights. Then, a multi-attribute decision-making method based on the combination of an assignment approximation of ideal solution ranking (TOPSIS) and gray correlation analysis (GRA) is proposed to complete the design scheme selection. Finally, the feasibility of the scheme is verified by taking a household coffee machine as an example. This method has been implemented as an application using Visual Studio 2022 and Microsoft SQL Server 2022. The research results indicate that this decision-making method can quickly and accurately generate reasonable remanufacturing design schemes. Full article