Search Results (32)

This study evaluates the environmental performance of residential projects in Bolu and Mardin, Turkey, by assessing the impact of climatic and architectural context on material selection, construction techniques, and environmental outcomes. Using BIM-based LCA tools, the analysis compares Bolu’s humid climate with Mardin’s hot and dry conditions across multiple environmental metrics. In the Product (A1–A3) phase, Bolu has higher CO₂ emissions, accounting for 79–85% of the total environmental impact, compared to 77–82% in Mardin. However, energy consumption is higher in Mardin during the Product phase. In the Construction (A4) and End of Life (C2–C4) phases, Bolu has a higher energy consumption and environmental impact than Mardin. In terms of waste generation, the End of Life phases (C2–C4) are identified as significant contributors in both case studies. The material analysis shows that concrete, finishing materials (e.g., paint and plaster) and stone wall materials have the highest environmental impacts in both cases. This study aims to provide a detailed examination of how environmental impacts differ due to material use in two different climatic regions. BIM-based LCA methods were used to investigate the influence of regional and climatic differences on environmental performance. The impacts of material components across all life cycle stages were analyzed, and recommendations for their optimization were provided. Future research could focus on the integration of innovative materials and technologies to improve life cycle efficiency. In addition, incorporating data from different geographic regions could broaden the scope of the analysis and contribute significantly to sustainable building practices. Such approaches provide critical opportunities to develop specific strategies for reducing environmental impacts. Full article

The fortified hilltop settlement of Monkodonja, located near Rovinj on the west coast of Istria, Croatia, provides insight into Bronze Age occupation and conflict in the Adriatic region. Established around 2000 BC, as evidenced by a series of C14 dates from human and animal bones, the settlement experienced significant construction phases, particularly in its defensive architecture. Its earliest fortifications, built with limestone blocks using dry-stone wall techniques, date to the 19th century BC, with major expansions in the 16th century BC, where the primary wall was doubled in width and reached over 3 m in thickness. Monkodonja’s architectural complexity, notably the West Gate and Acropolis fortifications, and certain types of artifacts reveal influences from southern regions such the eastern Aegean. However, the settlement appears to have met a violent end around the 15th century BC, suggested by destruction layers, widespread burning, and the presence of weapons such as a lance tip, bronze axe, and slingstones. Monkodonja’s destruction raises questions about broader military conflicts in the Adriatic region during this period. Possible causes could include localized warfare or connections to larger-scale disturbances. Research in Monkodonja is also significant in the context of the debate surrounding the emergence of the so-called Castellieri settlements in Istria at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, it was proposed that a migration of people to the Istrian peninsula brought this new settlement form and other influences, leading to a significant population increase. The appearance of the Castellieri settlement form coincides with a period marked by documented climatic changes and two major natural disasters in the form of volcanic eruptions. Full article

Dry-stone structures are traditional constructions that are present everywhere around the world, with their stability working mostly by gravity. Contrarily to their in-plane behavior, their out-of-plane response is very brittle and is fully controlled by the geometry, as well as the contact properties, between units (stones). Two main local failure modes of dry-joint contact are identified to lead to the global failure of the structure: (i) sliding and (ii) joint opening. Most of the existing studies investigated full structures to obtain the global response and/or couplet only, with the aim of only characterizing the contact. The present experimental work studies the effect of sliding and joint opening between stones at different scales: couplets, structures made of a few (up to five) blocks, and full walls, as well as varying the way the masonry units are assembled within a single structure. Different stones are employed to quantify potential differences. All the structures are loaded up to the collapse with a tilting table to induce out-of-plane actions. Repeatability tests are also conducted to better understand the effect of contact variability. This study unveils that the heterogeneity of the dry-joint contact, as well as the repartition of the blocks, affects the global response (both in terms of load capacity and failure mode). It also confirms that the most critical local failure mode is produced by the joint opening. Full article

The small Mediterranean islands, unique geographical places where coastlines and mountains converge due to volcanic genesis, are among the most threatened environments on Earth. Their marginality, which has historically led to their use as places of detention and punishment, coupled with the extreme climate and rugged geomorphology shaped by terracing practices, has resulted in the loss of systematic land management. This loss stems from the abandonment of cropland in favor of alternative activities and migrations, impacting essential ecosystem services such as the water cycle, soil fertility, and the cultural landscape. The need to counteract the land degradation in these vulnerable areas has been acknowledged for some Mediterranean small islands, including the UNESCO heritage site of Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy—an especially captivating location due to its active volcano. The agricultural abandonment on terraces, intensively cultivated with olives groves and vineyards until the mid-20th century, has rendered the area highly fragile and susceptible to risks such as fires and soil erosion, particularly as a consequence of extreme weather events, as proven in 2022, which saw a destructive fire followed by storms. To mitigate the negative effects of hydrogeological disruptions, the implementation of integrated landscape management—managing ecosystems at the landscape level—has been proposed. Specifically, an agroforestry intervention, coupled with the restoration of dry stone walls, the shaping of soil slopes by recovering the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and the design of water-collecting devices incorporated with the traditional hydraulic knowledge, may be proposed as a strategic approach to minimize the soil erosion risks, adapt to climate change, and extensively restore the use of traditional agrobiodiversity to support the local economy and tourism. A pilot intervention by local stakeholders based on these principles is described as an emblematic agrobiodiversity-based landscape design project in a vulnerable area, aiming at the preservation of the cultural landscapes of the small Mediterranean islands. Full article

This study reconstructs the recent history of Therasia by examining the interplay between traditional settlements and the island’s natural and agricultural landscape. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates spatial and architectural analysis, historical records, and NDVI-based vegetation mapping, this research highlights the significant impact of agrarian structures like dry-stone walls and terraces on the environment. The unique dry-stone wall and terrace system is shown to have been crucial for both spatial organization and the survival of Therasia’s inhabitants. This study also addresses the challenges of dating these structures, employing a relative dating methodology to establish a timeline of habitation from the late medieval period to the present. This research reconstructs the island’s recent history, from early seasonal settlements to the eventual decline of rural architecture in the 20th century. The findings indicate that settlement patterns were closely linked to environmental and geomorphological factors, with the evolution of these sites driven by agricultural practices and broader socio-economic changes. This research not only reconstructs Therasia’s past, but also proposes a novel methodological framework combining remote sensing with traditional historical analysis, offering new insights into the relationship between human settlements and the environment in the Aegean region. Full article

Stone curtain walls are widely used in contemporary architectures; however, their regular inspection is always labor-intensive, time-consuming, and hazardous due to the complex and enclosed spatial structure of these high-rise building enclosures. To address this issue, this study proposes an automated and novel inspection method, which is composed of the following three steps: First, we utilize 3D laser scanning technology to capture colored point cloud data of the stone curtain wall system; subsequently, by extracting and processing the integration of color and depth information, the stone panels and end sealants are precisely segmented; finally, various defects, such as cracks, unevenness, and irregularities, are automatically identified through artificial intelligence algorithms in a timely manner. To validate the proposed method, an on-site experiment was carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness in detecting multiple defects concurrently on stone curtain walls. The experimental results showed that our proposed method could provide a non-contact and automated inspection alternative for all the stone curtain walls with a high accuracy of anomaly detection, facilitating rational maintenance plans and strategies to ensure the safety and performance of these modern building enclosures. Full article

The present paper aims to study the Wachau Valley in Austria as a representative Cultural Landscape under threat from extreme hydrometeorological hazards linked to climate change. The primary objective is to investigate the impacts and assess the vulnerability associated with the events of heavy rain and flooding. The methodology employed consists of an investigation of recorded past events impacting the Wachau; a vulnerability ranking system; a climate time series analysis based on earth observation products; and future hazard maps at territorial level, developed with outputs from regional and global climate models. The investigation we carried out provides a vulnerability assessment of two terraced areas with a surface of about 10,000 m² in total, characterized by the presence of dry stone walls, with different state of conservation in the Municipality of Krems (Wachau). In addition, climate projections at territorial level for the extreme climate indices R20mm, R95pTOT, and R×5day—selected for investigating the likelihood of increases/decreases in events of heavy rain and large basin flooding—are provided, with a spatial resolution of ~12 km for the near and far future (2021–2050; 2071–2100) under stabilizing (RCP 4.5) and pessimistic (RCP 8.5) scenarios. The results indicate a general increase for the three indices in the studied areas during the far future under the pessimistic scenario, suggesting a heightened risk of heavy rain and flooding. These findings aim to inform policymakers and decision-makers in their development of strategies for safeguarding cultural heritage. Furthermore, they serve to assist local stakeholders in enhancing their understanding of prioritizing interventions related to preparedness, emergency response, and recovery. Full article

In this study, dry-stone walling was assessed by the public to map perceptions on the recognition, durability, appeal, food production aspects, biodiversity advocacy, and other characteristics and functions of dry-stone walling. The survey’s goal was to define how informed the public is about the functions performed by dry-stone walling. The answers were expected to reveal whether the returns of dry-stone walling are widely acknowledged by the public, what the key factors are for the dissemination of these profits, and if there is solid ground for the reintroduction of dry-stone walling as a cutting-edge choice for new projects. Full article

In the continental Mediterranean mountains of the Iberian Peninsula is located a landscape characterized by the presence of enclosed land parcels delimited by dry stone walls or vegetation, or by both these elements. This landscape has been included, since 2018, in UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the name of Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniques. However, today’s territorial dynamics jeopardize the maintenance of this landscape heritage. This work set out to understand their origins, dynamics, and evolution from the 11th century (Middle Ages) to the present using historical documentation from different sources and diachronic cartography from aerial photographs. The fieldwork was designed to identify natural, cultural features and recent dynamics, in particular those related to urbanization changes of the last 70 years. Finally, we delved into the new dynamics of exploitation that were based on extensification and a loss of productive diversity. The results obtained lead us to consider that the loss of this agro-landscape must be prevented, with a reasonable livestock grazing criteria and a rational management of its heritage features. This requires regional, national, and European policies that recognize the enclosed landscape as a heritage ecosystem in which biodiversity and agriculture are closely linked. Full article

Bagan, the imperial capital of the Burmese Empire (11th–14th centuries CE), was situated in what is now known as Myanmar’s “dry zone”, Southeast Asia’s most arid region. This setting necessitated the development of a subtle, yet extensive rain-fed water management system that channeled water from the Tuyin mountain range in the southeast to the walled and moated royal city in the northwest. Nat Yekan tank, a rock-cut reservoir located on the western edge of the summit of the Thetso–Taung portion of the Tuyin range, played significant utilitarian and spiritual roles in collecting, sacralizing, and then channeling waters down into the vast Mya Kan reservoir, which, in turn, fed the water management system that redistributed this valuable resource across the Bagan plain. The iconographic elements carved into the stone walls of the Nat Yekan tank attest to its spiritual importance and tie it to an ideological program of kingly legitimacy grounded in guarantees of fertility and prosperity for all. Full article

This study is addressed at the cultural heritage of the UNESCO historical centre of Urbino (Italy) through the focus on a very peculiar building and ornamental carbonate porous (spongy) stone also found in the opus quadratum Roman dry walls. For these rocks, the mathematician and historian Bernardino Baldi (16th century AD) and the mineralogist Francesco Rodolico (middle of the 20th century AD) introduced, respectively, the popular terms of Tufo spugnoso or Pietra Spugna. Physical observations and stable isotope data (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O) of these rocks allowed, for the first time, their classification as calcareous tufas, thus contributing to the valorization of the stone heritage of the city. This carbonate lithotype was formed by the chemical precipitation of CaCO₃, driven by the CO₂ degassing of supersaturated calcium-bicarbonate-rich waters, coupled with the passive encrustations of organic material in continental environments. Radiocarbon analyses dated these stones mostly between 9100 and 4700 yr. BP when a maximum growth of these carbonate continental deposits occurred in Mediterranean regions and northern Europe, i.e., during the Holocene Atlantic climatic optimum. Work is still in progress on a perched springline of calcareous tufas found along the Metauro Valley (a few km from Urbino), being good candidates for provenance, at least for those blocks exploited by the Romans and successively reused in the architectural framework of Urbino. Full article

The article introduces features of iron-working in the north-western Italian Alpine region (specifically, the Valtellina side of the Bergamesque or Orobic Alps) during the Middle Ages by comparing historical data and archaeological sources. This will help shed light on the organisation of the production process, starting from iron ore mining, proceeding to examine the transformation phases and culminating in the conversion of the ore into ingots or bars to produce tools for agricultural or wood-cutting activities. The article follows two distinct paths, initially presenting the main stages of iron-working in Valtellina until the second half of the eighteenth century, followed by an analysis of the mining complex of Val Venina where an extremely important metal-working site is situated. Two separate mining zones were identified, the first deep underground and the second an opencast working site. Furthermore, a series of rooms made of dry-stone walling that provided accommodation for the miners have been brought to light, as well as mineral deposits and stables for the animals required to carry out the activities described by Melchiorre Gioia in his volume “Statistica del Dipartimento dell’Adda” and indicated in the land registers of the Lombardy-Veneto regions carried out in 1815 and 1863. Full article

This study discusses the experimental assessment of the in-plane mechanical behavior of a multi-leaf stone masonry wall built from cut stone and reinforced with metal connectors (cramps and dowels). Inspired by conventional multi-leaf stone walls, the wall is meant for use in modern stone masonry buildings. The wall is constructed from two parallel load-bearing walls with a cavity between them, which aims to conceal the installation and insulation needed in modern buildings. The load-bearing walls are connected with cramps and dowels at certain intervals, so the wall works as a single section against horizontal and vertical loads. To characterize the in-plane behavior of the proposed wall, compressive, triplet, and diagonal compression tests were conducted to investigate the compressive strength, shear strength, modulus of elasticity, stiffness, ductility, and energy absorption of the wall. Compared with dry and mortar joint walls, dowels increased the wall’s initial shear capacity by 11 and 19 times, respectively. Applying cramps without curving channels inside the individual stone elements decreased the compressive strength by 18%. The energy absorption of the designed walls with metal connectors was substantially increased to that of the specimens representing conventional stone walls. The results show the wall’s applicability due to its higher shear strength and minimal drop in compressive strength, which is within acceptable limits. Full article

This article discusses the prospects for using large-format ceramic stones in the construction of contemporary homes, as well as an overview of raw materials and technologies for production. The most promising technology is stiff extrusion with the ability to load the raw products on firing trolleys and accelerate the processes of firing and drying. Characteristics of Eastern Donbass waste heaps processing screenings are given, which are coal mining by-products and are considered to be main raw material for the production of large-sized ceramic stone. It is shown that as a result of introduction of waste heaps into the production of ceramic stones with the lowest prime cost, the density of the resulting products will be less than 800 kg/m³, the thermal conductivity will be less than 0.20 m·°C/W, and the strength grade will be M150 and higher. Thus, the use of ceramic stones in total volume of wall products for residential construction will reach the level of 80% and will increase the competitiveness of the material, especially when compared with gas silicate products, as used in Western Europe. High economic feasibility of the production of such materials based on by-products of waste heap processing is shown as well. Full article

The process of combining various parts to create a structure is called building. The most effective and significant component of any construction is masonry. The Colosseum, buildings from ancient Greece and Rome, Central American buildings, and Mycenaean structures all used this material as one of their primary building elements. The oldest form is dry masonry of irregularly shaped stones. The ecological qualities of masonry, as a restorative material with a low impact on the environment, as well as the environmental control capacity of the massive wall, bring masonry back to attention as a suitable material for sustainable building in the context of current concerns for sustainable architecture. This article takes the form of a review of the journey of masonry as the primary construction material—from prehistoric structures to modern-day edifices. This article will go through the fundamentals of masonry construction to support its usage in structures throughout history and in many architectural styles, as a crucial representation of human construction in architectural history. This article aims to create a historical review, presenting masonry as an essential building material and assessing its role in the history of building materials. Full article