Search Results (86)

This study investigates the enhancement of axial and shear strength in brick masonry walls reinforced with steel and fiberglass meshes. The novelty of this study lies in its thorough evaluation of various reinforcement types and their influence on both axial and shear strength, offering valuable insights to enhance the performance of brick masonry structures. By using steel and fiberglass meshes for reinforcement, the study promotes the use of durable materials that can extend the lifespan of brick masonry structures, reducing the need for frequent repairs and replacements. The findings reveal that double-layer steel mesh delivers the highest strength, effectively reducing brittleness and improving deformation capacity in both single- and double-brick walls. Specifically, single-brick walls exhibited increases in compressive strength of 38.8% with single-layer steel mesh, 31.2% with fiberglass mesh, and 19.7% with plaster. In contrast, double-brick walls showed enhancements of 73.6% with double-layer steel mesh and 43.5% with fiberglass mesh. For shear strength, single-brick walls improved by 115.1% with single-layer steel mesh, 91.3% with fiberglass mesh, and 42.1% with plaster, while double-brick walls experienced increases of 162.7% with double-layer steel mesh and 132.5% with fiberglass mesh. Additionally, Abaqus modeling under axial and diagonal compression closely matched experimental results, revealing less than a 10% discrepancy across all reinforcement types. Full article

This study explores the potential of using sustainable materials in brick manufacturing by designing a novel brick mix in the laboratory, incorporating sand, lime kiln dust (LKD) waste, tyre rubber, and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) waste. These cementless bricks blended LKD–GGBFS wastes as the binder agent and fine crumb rubber from waste tyres as a partial replacement for sand in measured increments of 0%, 5%, and 10% by volume of sand. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and fired clay bricks were sourced from the industry, and their properties were compared to those of the laboratory bricks. Tests performed on the industry and laboratory bricks included compressive strength (CS), freeze-thaw (F-T), and water absorption (WA) tests for comparison purposes. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed on the bricks to assess the morphological and mineralogical changes responsible for the observed strengths and durability. The CS and WA values of the engineered bricks were 12, 6, and 4 MPa, and 7, 12, and 15%, respectively, for 0, 5, and 10% crumb rubber replacements. The industry bricks’ average CS and WA values were 13 MPa and 8%, respectively. From the results obtained, the green laboratory bricks passed the minimum strength requirements for load-bearing and non-load-bearing bricks, which can be used to construct small houses. Lastly, the engineered bricks demonstrated strength and durability properties comparable to those of the industry-standard bricks, indicating their potential as a sustainable alternative to help divert waste from landfills, reduce the pressure on natural fine sand extraction, and support eco-conscious brick production for a sustainable environment. Full article

This study examines how academia–industry partnerships can be enhanced to promote sustainable building practices in sub-Saharan Africa, a region facing rapid urbanization, climate risks, and resource constraints. The research addresses the gap in existing frameworks that often overlook local context, material lifecycle, and the role of early adopters in sustainable construction. A conceptual framework was developed featuring the following seven core components: adaptation, technology, material lifecycle, early adoption, transformation, policy, and sustainability. The methodology involves a detailed literature review, a comparative analysis of existing global and regional frameworks, and case studies from countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. Findings revealed that context-specific adaptation strategies, access to digital tools, use of local materials, and strong policy support drive successful partnerships. Past projects like Kenya’s KOSAP, South Africa’s Green Star system, Makoko Floating School in Nigeria, and Burkina Faso’s use of earth bricks validated the framework’s relevance and flexibility. The study concludes that academia and industry can effectively collaborate when supported by structured processes, training, and policy alignment. These findings contribute to the fields of architecture and urbanism by offering a practical, scalable, and inclusive framework suited to Sub-Saharan realities. The study recommended further research into digital integration, cross-border cooperation, and culturally responsive design to build upon these results and support long-term sustainable development in the region. Full article

China’s urbanization process has entered the stage of mid-to-late transformation and upgrading, with the urbanization and population growth rates having passed the turning point. Urban renewal has become an increasingly important issue, among which the renovation of old residential areas holds enormous potential. The improvement of the living environment is urgent, and enhancing the microclimate to improve the livability and comfort of outdoor residential spaces is a critical factor. This study presents for the first time a quantitative framework for multifactor synergistic optimization by coupling building layout closure and material albedo effects. This paper takes typical old residential areas in Fuyang as an example and uses 3D microclimate simulation software (ENVI-met Version 4.3) to establish a simulation model. It evaluates the microclimate and thermal comfort under different building layouts, green infrastructures, building envelope materials, and various surface materials. The results show that: (1) Regarding building layout, the point-cluster layout generally results in the best improvement of daily cumulative physiological equivalent temperature (PET) values, followed by row-type and enclosed layouts; (2) The optimal solutions for improving the daily average PET value are as follows: using glass as the building envelope material in the point-cluster layout; 100% tree coverage in the row-type layout; and 100% asphalt coverage as the surface material in the point-cluster layout. These three conditions reduce the daily average PET by 3.51 °C, 23.87 °C, and 2.65 °C, respectively; (3) The degree of impact on PET is ranked as: green infrastructure configuration > building layout > building envelope materials > surface materials; (4) When the building layout of the residential area is more enclosed, such as using row-type or enclosed layouts, the order of building envelope materials improving thermal comfort is: brick, concrete, and glass. When the building layout is less enclosed, such as using point-cluster layouts, the order of building envelope materials improving thermal comfort is: glass, brick, and concrete. Therefore, it is concluded that applying point-cluster layout in buildings, using glass as the building envelope material, and having 100% coverage of asphalt pavement as the surface material and 100% coverage of trees can maximize the improvement of the thermal environment of the buildings. The conclusion is applicable to old residential areas in warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climatic zones characterized by high densities (floor area ratios > 2.5) and high rates of hardening of the ground (≥80%), and is particularly instructive for medium-sized urban renewal projects with an urbanization rate between 45% and 60%. Full article

The construction waste of brick and concrete can be used to produce recycled powder and recycled sand, which can replace cement and natural sand, respectively, in concrete. This can reduce the cost of concrete, reutilize construction waste and decrease environmental pollution. The idea of producing UHPC incorporating both RP and RS by standard curing instead of steam curing is proposed in this study. The optimal mixture design of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with both recycled powder and recycled sand is investigated. Based on the revised Dinger–Funk model, the optimal mix proportions of green UHPC (GUHPC) with recycled powder and recycled sand were calculated on this basis, and the effects of the superplasticizer content, water–binder ratio, recycled powder and recycled sand replacement ratio on the workability and mechanical properties of GUHPC at different ages were investigated through the designed experimental program. The test results show that when the superplasticizer to cementitious material ratio was 0.8%, the flowability and the 28 d compressive strength were highest. When the water–binder ratio was 0.16, the flexural strength and compressive strength of the GUHPC at different ages were the largest. As the replacement ratio of the recycled powder increased, the workability of the GUHPC decreased. However, even when replacement ratio of recycled powder was 30%, the flowability was still higher than 180 mm. The flexural strength and the 28 d compressive strength increased first and then decreased. Compared with mixtures without RP, the 28 d compressive strength increased by 6.4% and reached the maximum value when the replacement ratio of the RP was 30%. The comprehensive contribution of recycled powder to the strength was analyzed. Recycled powder can enhance the contribution of cement to GUHPC strength, and the enhancement effect increases with increases in the recycled powder content and age. The optimal replacement ratio of recycled powder is 30%. As the replacement ratio of the recycled sand increased, the flowability of the GUHPC first increased and then decreased, and the flexural and compressive strength decreased. The toughness was analyzed by the flexural strength to compressive strength ratio (f:c). With increases in the recycled sand, the f:c at 3 d of age increased, the f:c at 7 d of age showed no significant change, and the f:c at 28 d of age first increased and then decreased. The f:c at 28 d of age reached a maximum value of 0.316 when the replacement ratio of recycled sand was 50%. Therefore, the replacement ratio of the recycled sand was selected to be 50%. The optimum mix proportions of GUHPC were obtained by considering the workability, mechanical properties and amount of recycled material. Full article

Composite phase-change materials (PCMs) exhibit significant potential for enhancing the thermal performance of building walls. However, previous studies have generally lacked detailed investigations of the performance of PCM-integrated walls under cold climate conditions. Therefore, in order to evaluate the thermal performance and wall adaptability of hollow bricks with composite PCMs in cold climates, a brick model was created by filling the hollow bricks with PCMs. Then a comparative test was conducted between the PCM-filled bricks and the conventional non-PCM-filled hollow bricks. The comparative experimental method and the thermal performance index evaluation method resulted in the following: (1) Compared with conventional hollow bricks, PCM-filled bricks showed an increase of approximately 0.99 °C in inner surface temperature and 3.85 °C in midsection temperature. This demonstrates that PCM-filled bricks can retard the rate of temperature drop, significantly enhancing the insulation performance of walls. This improvement contributes to enhance indoor thermal comfort and reduce energy consumption. (2) The temperature difference between the interior and exterior surfaces of the non-PCM-filled hollow bricks is 23.54 °C, which is 5.62 °C higher than that of the PCM-filled bricks. This indicates that bricks filled with PCMs possess superior heat storage capacity, effectively reducing indoor heat loss, which aligns with the principles of green building design. (3) Compared with the conventional non-PCM-filled hollow bricks, the heat flow on the inner surface of the PCM-filled bricks is significantly lower, with the average heat flow reduced by 8.57 W/m². This suggests the ability of bricks filled with PCMs to moderate heat flux fluctuations through a “peak-shaving and valley-filling” effect, contributing to reduced energy consumption and enhanced occupant thermal comfort. Full article

Raw earth bricks made from river sediments and natural fibers are essentially environmentally friendly bricks. They are made from river sediment waste and natural fiber waste, both of which are renewable resources. Sediment-based bricks have been formed from river sediment and flax fibers, the latter being considered as waste. Both types of waste are available in the same region. The study focused on the definition of water content by means of a miniature Proctor test, on the incorporation of short flax fibers of 2, 3 and 4 cm at various dosages and on the shaping by dynamic compaction of bricks of reduced size of 4 cm × 4 cm × 16 cm, dimensions similar to mortar specimens. The air-drying kinetics of the specimens were monitored from manufacture through to stabilization of their mass. The effects of water content, fiber content and fiber length were analyzed. Recommendations are given for the manufacturing and drying of green bricks and natural fibers. Full article

Harsh winters, aging infrastructure, and the demand for modern amenities are major factors contributing to the deteriorating air quality in Bishkek. The city meets its winter heating energy needs through coal combustion at the central heating plant, heat-only boilers, and in situ heating equipment, while diesel and petrol fuel its transportation. Additional pollution sources include 30 km² of industrial area, 16 large open combustion brick kilns, a vehicle fleet with an average age of more than 10 years, 7.5 km² of quarries, and a landfill. The annual PM_2.5 emission load for the airshed is approximately 5500 tons, resulting in an annual average concentration of 48 μg/m³. Wintertime daily averages range from 200 to 300 μg/m³. The meteorological and pollution modeling was conducted using a WRF–CAMx system to evaluate PM_2.5 source contributions and to support scenario analysis. Proposed emissions management policies include shifting to clean fuels like gas and electricity for heating, restricting secondhand vehicle imports while promoting newer standard vehicles, enhancing public transport with newer buses, doubling waste collection efficiency, improving landfill management, encouraging greening, and maintaining road infrastructure to control dust emissions. Implementing these measures is expected to reduce PM_2.5 levels by 50–70% in the mid- to long-term. A comprehensive plan for Bishkek should expand the ambient monitoring network with reference-grade and low-cost sensors to track air quality management progress and enhance public awareness. Full article

Successful urban school design includes green space to counterpoint the built form in cities, where parks and reserves are well frequented. Further integration of landscape and buildings is an aspect of urban development that could improve how architecture is experienced by the wider community. Above all, evidence shows that it enhances the health and wellbeing of inhabitants. By providing green space in buildings, nature can be accessed more directly by its occupants and allow connection with nature to occur more easily. Integrating nature with architecture can improve a building’s self-regulation, energy consumption, and overall performance. Architecture that integrates nature can have a distinctive appearance and character. The co-existence of bricks and mortar with plants and vegetation is one example of integration, whereas the use of natural materials such as timber as part of the building fabric can create distinctive architecture. It is this individuality that can provide a sense of identity to local communities. Access to the outdoors in urban settings is a critical requirement for successful urban school design. This paper focuses on the architectural practise of designing biophilic schools and illustrates how optimising playground opportunities can provide the highly sought-after connection between architecture and nature. Connecting classrooms and pedagogy to the outside environment during the design phases of projects can create unique responses to a place, enhancing the learning experience in environments where architecture and nature can be informed by emerging biophilic evidence. This study strives to develop a strategy where educational clients can be convinced to actively embrace a biophilic school approach. It also seeks to convince architects to adopt a biophilic approach to school design across design studios using the emerging evidence based on biophilia and biomimicry. Full article

In response to increasing global temperatures and energy demands, optimizing buildings’ energy efficiency, particularly in hot climates, is an urgent challenge. While current research often relies on conventional energy estimation methods, there has been a decrease in the efforts dedicated to leveraging AI-based methodologies as technology advances. This implies a dearth of multiparameter examinations in AI-driven extreme case studies. For this reason, this study aimed to enhance the energy performance of residential buildings in the hot climates of Dubai and Riyadh by integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Machine Learning (ML). Detailed BIM models of a typical residential villa in these regions were created using Revit, incorporating conventional, modern, and green building envelopes (BEs). These models served as the basis for energy simulations conducted with Green Building Studio (GBS) and Insight, focusing on crucial building features such as floor area, external and internal walls, windows, flooring, roofing, building orientation, infiltration, daylighting, and more. To predict Energy Use Intensity (EUI), four ML algorithms, namely, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Lasso Regression (LR), were employed. GBM consistently outperformed the others, demonstrating superior prediction accuracy with an R² of 0.989. This indicates that the model explains 99% of the variance in EUI, highlighting its effectiveness in capturing the relationships between building features and energy consumption. Feature importance analysis (FIA) revealed that roofs (29% in Dubai scenarios (DS) and 40% in Riyadh scenarios (RS)), external walls (19% in DS and 29% in RS), and windows (15% in DS and 9% in RS) have the most impact on energy consumption. Additionally, the study explored the potential for energy optimization, such as cavity green walls and green roofs in RS and double brick walls with VIP insulation and green roofs in DS. The findings of the paper should be interpreted in light of certain limitations but they underscore the effectiveness of combining BIM and ML for sustainable building design, offering actionable insights for enhancing energy efficiency in hot climates. Full article

Attention is a pivotal component and a central vehicle of mindfulness, a psychological factor improving mental health. Despite architecture’s potential to encourage attention and mindfulness, there is still a research gap. This study aimed to investigate architectural design strategies that promotes attention in order to foster mindfulness. The research was carried out in three primary stages. The first step entailed conducting a systematic review by searching publications related to architecture that promotes attention from Scopus in February 2024. After considering the suitability and accessibility, 32 articles were included. No studies were found to have investigated the field of enhancing mindfulness. The second step utilized content analysis to decode the selected articles using a framework developed from literature reviews. All three coders decoded the data independently, allowing the main researcher to compile it into the final dataset. Finally, the data underwent Python meta-analysis for word frequency and association. The result revealed certain qualities that help achieve attention through architecture. The architectural atmosphere is most effective when it features natural forms and spaces that evoke a sense of enclosure. The lighting should emphasize natural light and uniformity, whereas the sound designs primarily concern acoustics, ambient, and noises, with controlled weather emphasizing air aspects. The building should utilize natural materials and incorporate object elements; the facade and entrance are particularly crucial components. Moreover, the colors of brick and green and views encompassing gardens and vegetation are among the qualities mentioned. Based on the analysis, the material, view, and color features were most congruent with the biophilic design concept. All these factors are expected to foster mindfulness, thereby improving mental health. Full article

With the rapid advancement of rural revitalization in China, protecting regional culture and construction techniques of traditional ethnic groups, while incorporating green energy-saving concepts, has become increasingly vital. With Sware ITES2023 as the simulation tool, this article conducts a comparative study on the green building technology and thermal comfort of traditional Tibetan residential houses in Songpan, Sichuan Province, and the new residential houses that villagers have incessantly renovated and built in the past two decades, thus demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of traditional houses and newly-built houses in terms of green building technology elements, such as stone and wood structures, roof floors, walls, doors, and windows, therefore developing an optimized design scheme, which includes the eastern direction of a building’s orientation, concrete frame and wooden structure, brick wall and stone masonry, and optimized door and window size selection. This scheme will improve indoor thermal comfort by two to three times by calculation. Through preliminary simulation and deduction, the optimized design scheme combines traditional architectural culture and ethnic characteristics with green and energy-saving concepts. This provides a design paradigm that can be promoted and popularized for the construction of residential buildings in high-altitude ethnic areas of western Sichuan and also lays the foundation for future protection and research of traditional residential architecture. Full article

The acceleration of urbanization intensifies the urban heat island, outdoor activities (especially the road travel) are seriously affected by the overheating environment, and the comfort and safety of the bus shelter as an accessory facility of road travel are crucial to the passenger’s experience. This study investigated the basic information (e.g., distribution, orientation) of 373 bus shelters in Guangzhou and extracted the typical style by classifying the characteristics of these bus shelters. Additionally, we also measured the thermal environment of some bus shelters in summer and investigated the cooling behavior of passengers in such an environment. The results show that the typical style of bus shelters in the core area of Guangzhou is north–south orientation, with only one station board at the end of the bus, two backboards, two roofs (opaque green), and the underlying surface is made of red permeable brick. The air temperature and relative humidity under different bus shelters, tree shading areas, and open space in summer are 34–37 °C and 49–56%, respectively. For the bus shelters with heavy traffic loads, the air temperature is basically above 35.5 °C, and the thermal environment is not comfortable. During the hot summer, when there is no bus shelter or trees to shade the sun, the waiting people adjust their position with the sun’s height, azimuth angles, and direct solar radiation intensity to reduce the received radiation as much as possible, which brings great inconvenience to them. When only bus shelters provide shade, people tend to gather in the shaded space, and cooling measures such as umbrellas, hats, and small fans are still needed to alleviate thermal discomfort. However, the aforementioned various spontaneous cooling behaviors still cannot effectively alleviate overheating, and it is very important to increase auxiliary cooling facilities in bus shelters. Full article

In the context of ecological sustainability, this study focuses on the effect of variables of pasture fibers on the thermal properties of slag bricks made from a green recyclable material. This experiment uses slag as the binder, sand as the aggregate, and pasture fiber as an additive. The experimental variables include the additive content ratio of the pasture fiber, the size of the pasture fiber, and the type of pasture fiber. Significance analysis of the experimental results of the thermal performance tests is carried out using Minitab 18.1.0 software, and the optimal ratios for the thermal performance of the composite samples are derived from the response optimizer and conformity analysis. The results of the experiment’s test analysis using Minitab 18 software indicate that, with an increase in pasture fiber content, the thermal performance of the composite samples initially decreases before increasing. Additionally, the lower the thermal conductivity of the composite sample, the lower the apparent density and the higher the porosity. Incorporating pasture fibers into slag bricks, as revealed in this study, reduces the waste of pasture resources in pastoral areas and promotes the development of sustainable building materials with favorable thermal properties. Full article

Background: Eurotium cristatum (E. cristatum) is the probiotic fungus in Fu-brick tea, with which fermentation brings a unique flavor and taste and health-promoting effects. Tartary buckwheat leaves are rich in functional active substances such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds, yet are not effectively utilized. Methods: Tartary buckwheat leaves were processed into raw green tea first and subsequently fermented with E. cristatum to develop a novel fermented leaf tea. The tea quality was evaluated by the aspects of the sensory scores by E-tongue, the volatile compounds by HS-SPME-GC-MS, the non-volatile profile by biochemical and UPLC-MS/MS methods and the antioxidant activity by the colorimetric assay. Results: Fermented leaf tea displayed a golden yellow color, a unique “flower” aroma and a dark-tea taste, with an improved sensory acceptability. Fermentation raised the content of volatile heterocyclic and aromatic compounds, alkenes and other aromatic components, which produced a unique floral flavor. The proportion of sour, bitter and astringency accounting non-volatile compounds such as phenolic acids and amino acids decreased, while the proportion of umami and sweet accounting substances such as responsible amino acids increased. Fermented leaf tea displayed a relative stronger total antioxidant activity against ABTS. Conclusion: E. cristatum fermentation exerted positive effects on Tartary buckwheat leaf tea quality. Full article