Search Results (265)

Modern agriculture has to alleviate extremes in water demand and/or water waste. In this regard, this work showcases how soil moisture instruments can be combined with low-end microcontrollers, energy-efficient communication protocols, single-board computers, flow and pressure sensors, and purpose-built actuators to form a synergistic platform able to generate and study realistic irrigation scenarios. These scenarios, potentially emulating anomalies such as clogged emitters or pipe leaks with a satisfactory time granularity of a few minutes, provide valuable data that pave the way for the creation of intelligent models intercepting water misuse events and/or irrigation failures. The proposed system utilizes widely available, well-documented, low-cost components to form a functioning whole which is optimized for outdoor, low-power, low-maintenance and long-term operation and is accessible remotely via typical end-user devices. Two drip irrigation points were set up, each having a TEROS 12 and a TEROS 10 instrument placed at different depths, while a prototype water flow/pressure control and report system was developed. All modules sent data in real time, via LoRa, to a central node implemented using a Raspberry Pi for further processing and to make them widely available via common network infrastructures, also provisioning for remote scenario invocation. The system does not claim to achieve specific irrigation water savings, but it contributes to maintaining/increasing the benefits of modern irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation). This goal is served by emulating a wide variety of irrigation events and by gathering and studying the corresponding data. These multimodal data are collected at a frequency of a few minutes, reflecting key irrigation-specific parameters with an accuracy better than or equal to 3%. The exact steps for specific hardware and software component interoperation are clearly explained, allowing other teams of researchers and/or university educators worldwide to be inspired and benefit from platform replication. Full article

Accurate and continuous outdoor pedestrian positioning using smartphones remains challenging in complex environments like urban canyons, where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are frequently degraded or blocked, and Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) suffers from cumulative errors. To address this, this paper proposes a novel fusion method based on a Robust Adaptive Cubature Kalman Filter (RACKF). The core of our approach is a two-stage filtering architecture: the first stage employs a quaternion-based RACKF to optimally fuse gyroscope and magnetometer data for robust heading estimation; the second stage performs the core fusion of GNSS observations with an enhanced 3D PDR solution. Key innovations include an adaptive noise estimation strategy combining fading and limited memory weighting, a robust M-estimator-based mechanism to suppress outliers, and the integration of differential barometric height measurements. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a horizontal positioning accuracy of 3.28 m (RMSE), outperforming standalone GNSS and improving 3D PDR by 25.97% and 10.39%, respectively. This work provides a practical, infrastructure-free solution for robust smartphone-based outdoor navigation. Full article

Cultural heritage can strengthen urban resilience when mobilized as educational infrastructure that builds stewardship, place attachment, and civic agency. This study examines whether the Art Nouveau Path, an outdoor mobile augmented reality heritage game in Aveiro, Portugal, can function as a curriculum-aligned pathway for sustainability competences and resilience-relevant meaning-making in formal education. A curriculum translation matrix mapped eight points of interest and 36 tasks to Portuguese curriculum anchors, Education for Sustainability themes, GreenComp sustainability competences, and the Sustainable Development Goals, framing the matrix as an adoption-oriented design artefact. Empirical evidence comprised accompanying teachers’ in-field observations (T2-OBS; N = 24 across 18 sessions) and students’ post-activity survey data (S2-POST; N = 439), with open-ended reflections coded through a directed resilience-mechanism codebook (Krippendorff’s alpha = 0.91). Teachers reported high perceived value and feasibility and frequently noted enacted stewardship and placed responsibility during sessions. Students’ reflections most often linked resilience to sustainable conservation under pressure and to nature-city interconnections, whereas hazard-memory mechanisms appeared less often. Adoption-related evidence is limited to teacher feasibility reports and institutional legibility from curriculum translation, rather than confirmed institutional uptake indicators. Scaling is likely to require explicit supports for differentiation, assessment scaffolds, and routine delivery in public spaces. Full article

Accelerating decarbonization in hot-climate buildings requires integrated retrofit strategies that address energy performance, environmental impact, thermal comfort, and economic feasibility within a unified decision framework. This study develops and validates a simulation-driven multi-criteria approach to evaluate retrofit packages across three representative ASHRAE hot sub-climates (1B, 2B, 2A). An academic building was modeled using DesignBuilder (Stroud, UK) and validated in accordance with ASHRAE Guidelines. The retrofit analysis integrates envelope enhancements (insulation and reflective coatings), glazing-integrated photovoltaics (GIPV), rooftop photovoltaics (RTPV), and a Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS). The performance evaluation incorporates dynamically simulated energy consumption, operational CO₂ emissions, thermal comfort indicators (PMV and DCH), and techno-economic metrics (IRR, ROI, PBP). Weighting factors were derived from a structured stakeholder consultation to reflect context-sensitive sustainability priorities. The results indicate energy reductions of approximately 51–57% and carbon emission reductions of 40–53% across the examined zones, while discomfort hours decreased by roughly 42–46%. This demonstrates significant improvements in thermal comfort under integrated retrofit strategies, particularly with DOAS integration, highlighting the importance of ventilation-driven comfort enhancement. Economic feasibility was climate-dependent; envelope-focused solutions yielded high returns, while integrated strategies delivered balanced environmental and economic performance. The proposed framework enables systematic, climate-specific prioritization of retrofit alternatives and supports scalable, economically viable NZEB transitions in rapidly expanding hot-climate educational infrastructure. Full article

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-reinforced concrete beams are increasingly used in infrastructure, yet their flexural behavior under fatigue and harsh environmental conditions remains insufficiently studied. This study investigates the fatigue response and structural behavior of 12 glass-FRP (GFRP)-reinforced concrete beams under four environmental regimes: indoor control, continuous alkaline immersion, cyclic wet–dry alkaline immersion, and outdoor exposure in Montreal. Four pre-cracked beams were subjected to up to one million load cycles, while deflection and crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) were monitored. Structural behavior was evaluated in terms of flexural capacity, load–deflection response, crack development (CMOD), stiffness degradation, and serviceability limit state (SLS) performance before and after fatigue loading. Results show that W&D and Immersion beams exhibited the largest deflections (δ_exp/δc_ode = 158% and 92%, respectively), whereas Outdoor and Control beams maintained robust load capacity with minimal fatigue effect. Flexural toughness indices varied from 8.61 to 18.45 across specimens, highlighting environmental influence on energy absorption. Serviceability limit state criteria were reached between 400,000 and 850,000 cycles, depending on conditioning. Overall, GFRP-RC beams demonstrated strong residual strength and predictable degradation patterns, providing quantitative insight into fatigue performance under combined environmental and cyclic loading. Full article

Thermal stress in hot–humid urban environments constitutes a persistent sustainability challenge, driven by the interaction of extreme temperatures, high atmospheric moisture, and heat-retaining urban surfaces, which collectively intensify outdoor discomfort and increase cooling-energy demand. Within this context, soft landscape systems have gained recognition as nature-based solutions capable of moderating microclimates and enhancing residential livability; however, their systematic prioritization based on integrated sustainability performance remains insufficiently addressed, particularly in Gulf-region residential developments. This study proposes a sustainability-oriented decision-support framework that evaluates and prioritizes soft landscape strategies for thermal comfort enhancement using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as the core analytical method. Expert judgments were elicited and structured across five sustainability-driven criteria—shading effectiveness, evapotranspiration potential, airflow facilitation, aesthetic–psychological comfort, and implementation and maintenance cost—and applied to five soft landscape alternatives. To verify the physical plausibility of the expert-derived prioritization, microclimate simulations were conducted using ENVI-met under extreme summer conditions, representing the hottest day of the year, at key diurnal intervals. The results reveal a clear dominance of shading-based mechanisms, with tree canopy systems emerging as the most effective and sustainable intervention due to their superior radiative control, ecological cooling capacity, and perceptual benefits. Simulation outputs confirm that canopy-driven strategies achieve the most substantial reductions in mean radiant temperature during peak thermal stress, while surface-based interventions provide secondary benefits primarily related to diurnal heat dissipation. At peak thermal stress (14:00), Scenario 2 reduced mean radiant temperature (MRT) from 71.69 °C to 54.23 °C (≈24% reduction) and PMV from 7.33 to 5.70 (≈22% reduction) relative to existing conditions. By integrating expert-based multi-criteria evaluation with simulation-based thermal verification, the study advances a robust and transferable framework for climate-responsive residential landscape planning. The findings reposition soft landscape systems as essential climatic infrastructure, offering actionable guidance for enhancing thermal resilience, reducing cooling-energy dependence, and supporting sustainable residential development in hot–humid regions. Full article

Nature-based solutions, including green infrastructure (GI), are considered sustainable tools for stormwater treatment. GI elements (rain gardens, green roofs, etc.) are increasingly applied as integrated approaches for climate change mitigation and environmental pollution reduction. This study focused on investigations of rain gardens for reducing stormwater polluted by residual chlorine after the disinfection of outdoor spaces. Laboratory (column test) and field tests were carried out to evaluate the infiltration capacities of an experimental rain garden model, as well as its efficiency for retaining residual chlorine. The experiments were conducted using simulated rain garden layers composed of waste materials that remained after different production processes. The average infiltration coefficient values obtained were 2.55 × 10⁻⁵ m/s, 2.45 × 10⁻⁵ m/s, 2.24 × 10⁻⁵ m/s, 3.4 × 10⁻⁵ m/s, 1.28 × 10⁻⁵ m/s, 1.84 × 10⁻⁵ m/s (laboratory test), and 1.39 × 10⁻⁵ m/s (field test). These values correspond to the characteristics of sand–gravel substrates. A chlorine retention efficiency of 82.5–87% was obtained. Granulometric analysis confirmed fraction size suitability for rain garden filtration. This research indicates the potential of rain gardens for reducing stormwater pollution, providing a basis for future research and practical implementation. Full article

Cities worldwide face profound morphological changes due to population growth and urban densification. Coupled with climate change, this exacerbates the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and degrades outdoor thermal comfort. This paper introduces a novel simulation framework for climate-resilient urban design, transitioning from static planning standards to dynamic performance optimization. This research utilizes a multi-tiered data acquisition strategy, beginning with a PRISMA-guided Systematic Literature Review of 133 articles to identify key UHI mitigation variables. A high-fidelity, multi-physics Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was developed using the ANSYS Fluent solver, discretized with a poly-hexacore mesh of over 78 million cells. The simulation environment integrates multiscale data, including 2.5D urban geometry from GIS platforms, high-resolution satellite information (e.g., Copernicus and LiDAR) for surface and soil properties, and EUMETSAT weather files for boundary conditions. The model explicitly resolves aerodynamic and thermodynamic exchanges using Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations, with vegetation represented via porous-medium parameterization. The core novelty lies in the development of a parameterized library of “Architectural Elements” (AEs) that introduces standardized material properties, derived from Ansys Granta Selector, directly with GIS-based street designs. This allows for iterative “what-if” scenario analyses over critical 24 h periods to assess the synergistic impact of green infrastructure (GI) and advanced materials. Validation against real-world monitoring data from the Grow-Green project confirmed the model’s accuracy, with a maximum error of only 0.22%. The results demonstrate that interconnecting isolated green areas and utilizing local porous materials can reduce UHI spot temperatures by 2–4 °C while significantly lowering building energy consumption. Full article

Urban areas face rising risks from extreme heat due to climate change, intensifying thermal stress and exacerbating social inequalities. Urban climate refuges—cool, accessible indoor and outdoor public spaces that maintain their ordinary functions—are increasingly adopted as a local adaptation measure to protect vulnerable populations during heat events. This study aims to develop and test a SWOT–CAME analytical framework to evaluate and compare the maturity, equity, and implementation logic of urban climate refuge networks in three European cities with contrasting climates and governance traditions: Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. A qualitative multiple-case design is combined with a transparent indicator set (coverage, accessibility, and typology mix) derived from official municipal sources and planning documents. Results show differentiated pathways: Barcelona represents an institutionalized network model; Amsterdam illustrates an emerging coordinated public-health approach; and Copenhagen reflects an ecosystem-based orientation where green–blue infrastructure provides substantial passive cooling capacity but requires clearer heat-specific operational protocols. The discussion highlights the need for hybrid adaptation strategies that combine nature-based solutions with operational governance and targeted support for vulnerable groups. The paper concludes with a transferable framework for cities seeking to integrate climate refuges into resilience and climate-justice agendas. Full article

This paper presents the development of a robot-oriented Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system designed for environmental monitoring and hazard detection on ground robotic platforms. Unlike conventional DAS solutions primarily intended for stationary or quasi-stationary infrastructures, the proposed approach explicitly accounts for robot-induced mechanical vibrations, mobility constraints, and limited onboard resources. A dedicated anti-jitter signal processing pipeline combined with edge-based data processing is introduced to suppress motion-induced strain components while preserving weak external acoustic signals. The system integrates optical fiber deployment along the robot structure using flexible guides and vibration-isolated clamps, ensuring stable mechanical coupling under continuous motion. Experimental validation, including laboratory tests and preliminary outdoor field trials, demonstrates reliable detection of acoustic events in the 10–200 Hz frequency range, with reduced processing latency of 80–100 ms and a detection reliability of up to 95%. Comparative analysis with conventional sensors confirms the advantages of the proposed DAS-based approach in terms of sensitivity, spatial coverage, and robustness. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of DAS technology for real-time sensing applications on mobile robotic platforms. Full article

This study investigates safety management and risk prevention on Mount Olympus, Greece, focusing on challenges having an impact on visitors and professionals operating in the area. The research is grounded in theories of safety, risk management, and sustainable tourism in mountain environments. A mixed qualitative methodology was applied, including a review of secondary literature, ten semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and data triangulation. Results show that, although major trails are well-marked, deficiencies persist in permanent rescue infrastructure, technological support, visitor education, and coordinated communication. Stakeholder collaboration remains fragmented, and the implementation of innovative technologies is limited. The study recommends enhancing inter-agency cooperation, adopting technological tools such as navigation and early warning systems, and promoting active community participation. Overall, the findings highlight the necessity of an integrated safety framework that combines prevention, preparedness, and education to ensure the sustainable development of Mount Olympus as a safe and high-quality outdoor tourism destination. Full article

Urban air pollution is a major public health concern, especially in densely populated cities. This problem also includes food safety issues in outdoor retail environments, where fresh products may be exposed to airborne pollutants. This study examines the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on fruits sold at indoor and outdoor locations across Budapest and several Hungarian cities. Results showed higher PAH concentrations on fruit sold outdoors, with benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) exceeding 2 µg/kg in 62% of outdoor samples and in 22% of indoor ones. Washing with water reduced contamination by 40–50% on average, with some samples showing over 65% reduction for BAP. Differences across fruit types were limited overall, though statistically significant for BAP in certain cases, highlighting compound-specific variability. Correlation analysis revealed weak but interpretable associations between PAH levels and ambient air quality indicators, with a moderate correlation for fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM_2.5) (r = 0.4355) and a weaker one for the calculated Air Quality Index (AQI) (r = 0.2148). These findings suggest that while urban microenvironments influence contamination, the general air quality indices may not predict surface PAH burden reliably. The study highlights the role of public wells in enabling citizen-level mitigation through rinsing and calls for integrated urban health strategies considering food exposure alongside infrastructural access. Full article

Rapid urbanization and climate change have increased urban air temperatures and intensified the urban heat island effect through the expansion of impervious surfaces, loss of green areas, and high-density development. This study quantitatively evaluates the heat-mitigation performance and outdoor-thermal-comfort benefits of a high-pressure micro-mist cooling-fog system installed in the Oncheoncheon area of Busan, South Korea. Five environmental sensors were deployed in Gwajeong Park to monitor the near-pedestrian air temperature and relative humidity, and thermal comfort was assessed using the Universal Thermal Climate Index and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature derived from meteorological variables. Both indices indicated improved thermal comfort during fog operation relative to the control condition. The relationship between air temperature and perceived thermal conditions was strong, while the mean radiant temperature exhibited substantial dispersion even under similar air temperatures. Higher global horizontal irradiance (GHI: incoming solar radiation on a horizontal surface) was associated with elevated mean radiant temperature, highlighting the importance of radiative load in pedestrian thermal stress. Overall, the findings provide field-based evidence that high-pressure micro-misting can improve outdoor thermal comfort and function as practical cooling infrastructure for heat-stress mitigation and urban climate resilience. Full article

With accelerating urbanization and climate change, outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) in high-intensity urban blocks presents a critical challenge. While existing studies have established the general correlation between morphology and microclimate, most remain descriptive and lack a systematic framework to quantitatively integrate the non-linear coupled effects between multi-dimensional morphological variables and green infrastructure. To address this, this study proposes an automated performance-based design (PBD) framework for urban morphology optimization in Shenzhen. Unlike traditional simulation-based analysis, this framework serves as a generative tool for urban renewal planning. It integrates a multi-dimensional design element system with a genetic algorithm (GA) workflow. Analysis across four urban typologies demonstrated that the Full Enclosure layout is the most effective strategy for mitigating thermal stress, achieving a final optimized UTCI of 37.15 °C. Crucially, this study reveals a non-linear synergistic mechanism: the high street aspect ratios (H/W) of enclosed forms act as a “radiation shelter”, which amplifies the cooling efficiency of green infrastructure (contributing an additional 1.79 °C reduction). This research establishes a significant, strong negative correlation between UTCI and the combined factors of building density and green shading coverage. The results provide quantifiable guidelines for retrofitting existing high-density districts, suggesting that maximizing structural shading is prioritized over ventilation in ultra-high-density, low-wind climates. Full article

To address traffic safety hazards from asphalt pavement icing in Xinjiang’s cold regions and inefficiencies of conventional deicing and imprecise geothermal deicing systems, this study focused on local asphalt surfaces. Using “outdoor qualitative screening and indoor quantitative verification”, key variables were identified via controlled tests and their coupling effects on the time to complete icing were quantified through an L16(4⁴) orthogonal test (a 4-factor, 4-level design encompassing 16 test groups). A Backpropagation (BP) neural network model (3 inputs, 5 hidden neurons, and a learning rate of 0.7) optimized with 64 datasets was established to predict the time to complete icing of asphalt pavements, achieving a prediction accuracy (PA) of 90.7% for the time to complete icing and a mean error of merely 0.71 min. Dynamic icing risk thresholds (high/medium/low) were established via K-means clustering and statistical tests, enabling data-driven precise activation and on-demand regulation of geothermal deicing systems. This resolves energy waste and deicing delays, offering technical support for efficient geothermal utilization in cold-region transportation infrastructure, and provides a scalable “factor screening + model prediction” framework for asphalt pavement anti-icing practice. Full article