Search Results (289)

The paper presents the results of research aimed at verifying the possibility of creating renovation layers using HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) technology. HVOF ceramic coatings represent a promising way to increase the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of manufacturing processes. Molds for high-pressure injection of aluminum alloys were analyzed. The degradation mechanism of the functional surfaces of the molds was determined. The paper analyzes two types of HVOF coatings—Cr₂O₃-TiO₂ and Al₂O₃-TiO₂. For both coatings, a Ni-Al interlayer was used for mechanical stability, durability, and reliable functionality in demanding operating conditions. The interlayer is used in thermal spraying as a so-called bond coat—a layer that mediates adhesion between the metal substrate and the ceramic coating. EDX maps of chemical elements from the coating surface and cross-sections were determined. The tribological properties of the coatings were evaluated by a ball-on-disk test at 20 °C and 250 °C. SEM analysis of the surface after the tribological test was performed. The resistance of the coatings was evaluated by COF and friction resistance. Full article

This study presents a novel low-cost workflow integrating smartphone-based photogrammetry, Building Information Modeling (BIM), infrared thermography, and real-time interactive visualization to create digital twins for comprehensive energy assessment of existing buildings. Unlike conventional approaches requiring expensive laser scanning equipment and specialized software, this methodology democratizes advanced building diagnostics through accessible technologies and academic licenses. The research aims to develop and validate a replicable workflow that enables architects, engineers, and educators to conduct detailed energy assessments without high-end equipment, while establishing technical criteria for accurate geometric reconstruction, thermal data integration, and interactive visualization. The workflow combines terrestrial photogrammetry using smartphone cameras for 3D reconstruction, BIM modeling in Autodesk Revit for semantic building representation, infrared thermography for thermal performance documentation, and Unreal Engine for immersive real-time visualization. The approach is validated through application to the historic control tower of the former Rabassa aerodrome at the University of Alicante, documenting data capture protocols, processing workflows, and integration criteria to ensure methodological replicability. Results demonstrate that functional digital twins can be generated using consumer-grade devices (high-end smartphones) and academically licensed software, achieving geometric accuracy sufficient for energy assessment purposes. The integrated platform enables systematic identification of thermal anomalies, heat loss patterns, and envelope deficiencies through intuitive three-dimensional interfaces, providing a robust foundation for evidence-based energy assessment and renovation planning. The validated workflow offers a viable, economical, and scalable solution for building energy analysis, particularly valuable in resource-constrained academic and professional contexts, advancing both scientific understanding of accessible digital twin methodologies and practical applications in building energy assessment. Full article

The greatest challenge of our era is achieving climate neutrality while strengthening adaptation and resilience to climate change. Addressing this requires an integrated approach that combines scientific, technological, and economic solutions with community engagement and public awareness. In this context, the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative serves as a bridge linking science and technology with art, culture, social inclusion, and civic participation. This paper investigates the regeneration of an urban area in Kozani, Greece, carried out in alignment with the principles of NEB. The project comprises the energy and esthetic renovation of three public buildings—two schools and a cultural center—together with the comprehensive revitalization of an adjacent park. The impact of these interventions is assessed through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) defined within the NEB framework. These KPIs encompass technical, social, and economic dimensions, with a particular emphasis on the initiative’s three core values: Beautiful, Sustainable, and Together. The implementation represents one of the earliest practical applications of the NEB framework in Europe. Beyond the tangible outcomes, its significance lies in the systematic evaluation of both the interventions and the methodological tools employed, highlighting how the implementation process diverges from conventional urban regeneration approaches, how it operationalizes NEB principles, and how these principles contribute to results that are more effective. Finally, this comprehensive assessment provides a transferable model for monitoring, learning, and scaling similar initiatives in other urban contexts. Full article

Tertiary buildings, characterized by temporary uses and frequent renovations of internal spaces, present some criticalities in terms of the consumption of materials that quickly become waste, despite their high residual value, not exploited for further use. The goal of rethinking the life cycle of building products, and related construction systems, enabling multiple cycles of use and extending the life span of the products, presupposes new Organizational Models and changes throughout the whole building process. This paper presents two Pilot Projects (developed within Re-NetTA research), which experiment with innovative Organizational Models and disassembly construction solutions in the tertiary building sector with the goal of extending the life cycle of materials and products through reusing and remanufacturing. The Pilot Projects involve two key operators: a manufacturer and a Third Sector organization. The paper highlights the fundamental key role of digital technologies by analyzing the following: (i) the development of virtual models to understand the technical feasibility for disassembly and to foresee reuse and remanufacturing scenarios; and (ii) the use of digital twin, augmented reality, and web-based platforms as a support tools, to put the products on a virtual market to reach customers before the activities of remanufacturing. Finally, the enabling conditions for improving circularity are discussed in terms of design process, environmental and economic sustainability assessment, and operator networking. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reforming pharmaceutical sciences by renovating traditional drug formulation and dosage calculation approaches. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how AI technologies, such as machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and natural language processing (NLP), are currently being used in pharmaceutical calculations to improve accuracy, efficiency, and personalization. We have explored the role of AI in predicting drug properties, excipient optimization, and formulation design, as well as its applications in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling, real-time dose adjustment, and precision medicine. Despite significant progress, data quality, interpretability, regulatory acceptance, and ethical considerations persist. Therefore, this review examines the impact of AI on automated decision-making, quality control, and regulatory compliance in pharmaceutical formulation development. The article also highlights the emerging trends in pharmaceuticals, including AI-assisted 3D printing, integration with wearable technologies, and emphasizing AI’s transformative potential in reforming the landscape of pharmaceuticals and personalized therapeutics. Full article

Digital transformation powered by Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping renovation practices by addressing persistent challenges such as fragmented records, scheduling disruptions, regulatory delays, and inefficiencies in stakeholder coordination. This study explores the integration of these technologies through a case study of a Catholic church renovation (2022–2023) in Hong Kong, supplemented by insights from 10 comparable projects. The research proposes a practical framework for incorporating digital tools into renovation workflows that focuses on diagnosing challenges, defining objectives, selecting appropriate BIM/AI tools, designing an integrated system, and combining implementation, monitoring, and scaling into a cohesive iterative process. Key technologies include centralized BIM repositories, machine learning-based predictive analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and robotic process automation (RPA). The findings show that these tools significantly improve data organization, proactive planning, regulatory compliance, stakeholder collaboration, and overall project efficiency. While qualitative in nature, this study offers globally relevant insights and actionable strategies for advancing digital transformation in renovation practices, with a focus on scalability, continuous improvement, and alignment with regulatory frameworks. Full article

China’s urbanisation has transitioned from an era of rapid, coarse expansion to one of refined and targeted development. In accordance with China’s “dual-carbon” strategy, the building sector—presently the third-largest source of domestic carbon emissions—is compelled to pursue emission optimisation in its forthcoming evolution. Photovoltaic-building technologies offer an effective response to this imperative. Within the context of accelerating high-rise residential construction, the architectural integration of scientifically configured photovoltaic façades has emerged as a critical challenge. Employing an integrated methodology of urban surveying and simulation, this study examines the façade characteristics of residential buildings in northern Chinese cities, selecting Xi’an as the representative case. Three PV-facade integration strategies for existing stock are presented: window retrofitting, wall retrofitting, and full-façade renovation. Utilising the EnergyPlus platform, the manuscript simulates the electrical demand profiles and clean-electricity generation of typical dwellings under varying photovoltaic materials and configuration schemes, while concurrently assessing economic performance. It demonstrates that a judicious determination of photovoltaic installation scale and layout strategy markedly amplifies energy-saving efficacy, diminishes aggregate energy consumption and carbon emissions, and simultaneously reduces the capital expenditure of photovoltaic systems. For multi-story buildings, a full façade retrofit yielded the highest annual electricity generation of 514,703.56 kWh and an annual carbon reduction of 15,521.50 kgCO₂. For high-rise buildings, installing PV modules only above the 20th floor increased the effective generation ratio from 45.24% to 87.17%, while the carbon reduction efficiency per unit investment improved from 0.05 to 0.22 kgCO₂/¥. Full article

The Australian built environment is pivotal to achieving national net-zero targets, yet progress remains slow due to fragmented policy frameworks, low retrofit adoption, and uneven integration of emerging technologies. Despite these challenges, little research has applied a foresight perspective that both defines reproducible scenario thresholds and provides semi-quantitative comparisons tailored to Australia. This study integrates strategic foresight with international benchmarking to develop four scenarios for 2050: Business as Usual, Accelerated Sustainability, Technological Transformation, and Climate Resilience. Each scenario is underpinned by measurable thresholds for renovation rates, electrification, digital penetration, and low-carbon material uptake, and is evaluated through a scorecard spanning five outcome domains, with sensitivity and stress testing of high-leverage parameters. Findings indicate that an Accelerated Sustainability pathway, driven by deep retrofits of ≥3% annually, whole-life carbon policies, and renewable penetration of at least 70%, delivers the strongest combined performance across emissions reduction, liveability, and resilience. Technological Transformation offers adaptability and service quality but raises concerns over equity and cyber-dependence, while Climate Resilience maximises adaptation capacity yet risks under-delivering on mitigation. The study contributes a reproducible framework and transparent assumptions table to inform policy and industry road mapping, suggesting that a policy-led pathway coupling retrofits, electrification, and digital enablement provides the most balanced route towards a net zero and climate-resilient built environment by 2050. Full article

The historical pipe organ, an instrument of vast scale and complex construction, has a significant connection to liturgical celebration and to the history of European churches. It is also one of the few musical instruments considered to be a work of architecture. The evolution of organ building, especially in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, required deep knowledge of musical culture and technology. The significance of this relationship is illustrated by the example of the former and present organs of the church of St. Mary Magdalene in Wroclaw (Breslau). The first church organs appeared here in the Middle Ages, and as will be shown, in subsequent eras, their location, form, and décor were changed according to evolving cultural and liturgical mandates as well as changes to the structure of the church architecture. The history of the specific organs of the church of St. Mary Magdalene is the product of a rich history of monumental construction, reconstruction, conservation, and restoration, and it is poised to offer a continuation of this tradition in the present and future of the parish and in music history with proposed restorations and renovations of their historic space and instruments. Full article

With the intensification of population aging, addressing the needs of older adults and enhancing their daily activities has become increasingly significant. This study focuses on community parks—frequent outdoor activity venues for older adults—as the research subject. Starting from older adults’ needs, pedestrian simulation technology was employed using AnyLogic to model their behavioral activities within Qiaokou Park in Wuhan. Unlike previous studies applying simulation tools to general public spaces, this research develops age-sensitive indicators (Pedestrian Walking Cost, Connectivity of Activity Space Nodes, Functional Mix Efficiency, Activity Intensity of Activity Space Nodes, Pedestrian Density Map) tailored to older adults’ behavioral and spatial characteristics. Integrating empirical data from questionnaires and on-site observations with simulation, the study establishes a systematic framework linking user needs and spatial design. Based on simulation outputs, the park’s current “non-age-friendly” issues were analyzed, and optimization strategies were proposed regarding service capacity, functional layout, and pathways. The optimized scheme underwent secondary simulation to evaluate improvements in spatial indicators. This approach extends the methodological toolkit for age-friendly park research and provides replicable, evidence-based guidance for community park renovation in rapidly aging urban contexts. Key recommendations include the following: (1) Improve the relationship between activity nodes and park entrances; (2) Enhance connectivity among nodes to support continuous activity flows; (3) Optimize the pathway network to reduce congestion and barriers; (4) Promote functional diversity to stimulate active and social use; (5) Strengthen service capacity of nodes to accommodate user demand. Full article

The Italian school building stock is largely outdated, with structural and technological inadequacies leading to low comfort and high energy consumption. Addressing this challenge requires large-scale renovation supported by an integrated, data-driven approach. This study conducted a nationwide analysis of over 40,000 school buildings. After incomplete or inconsistent records were filtered out, a refined subset was selected. Building forms were reconstructed by cross-referencing GIS data with multiple open data sources. Using supervised machine learning, the research identifies and classifies recurring morphological patterns to define a set of 3D school building archetypes. These archetypes are enriched with spatial configurations and physical characteristics aligned with national educational standards. The result is a macrotypological classification based on form, conceived as part of an operational tool to support policymakers, designers, and public administrations in selecting effective retrofit strategies. This contributes to the creation of large-scale national renovation strategies, as well as Renovation Roadmaps and Digital Building Logbooks in line with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD IV), specifically tailored to the Italian context. The novelty of this work lies in its unprecedented scale and the use of AI to enable fast, replicable assessments of retrofit potential, thereby supporting informed decisions in energy-efficient renovation planning. Full article

This study examines the impact of envelope renovation using Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) insulation and double glazing on reducing CO₂ emissions and energy consumption in low-income residential buildings in Mozambique’s tropical climate. Conducted in Maputo over 12 months (2023–2024), it targets urban households, addressing high energy use and emissions caused by inefficient building envelopes and limited access to sustainable technologies. The study uses DesignBuilder’s validated EnergyPlus engine to evaluate energy savings and financial viability within cultural and economic contexts. Results show a 42.16% reduction in energy consumption (from 5392.04 to 3118.69 kWh) and a 42.20% decrease in CO₂ emissions (from 3.27 × 10³ to 1.89 × 10³ kg) compared to conventional designs. With an 11.75% discount rate accounting for inflation and opportunity costs, the retrofit achieves a payback period of 6.9 years, confirming its financial viability. These findings offer policymakers, architects, and low-income communities a cost-effective retrofit model, advocating for policy integration of low-U-value materials to improve environmental and economic sustainability. Full article

Conducting structural monitoring of highway subgrades is crucial for investigating damage evolution mechanisms under dynamic load-temperature coupling effects. However, existing sensing technologies struggle to achieve distributed, long-term, and high-precision measurements of subgrade structures. Therefore, this study employs next-generation fiber-optic array sensing technology to construct a distributed monitoring system based on weak reflection grating arrays. A dual-parameter sensing network for strain and temperature was designed and installed during the expansion and renovation of a highway in Fujian Province, enabling high-precision monitoring of the entire continuous strain field and temperature field of the subgrade structure. Through a comprehensive analysis of dynamic loading test data and long-term monitoring records, the system revealed the dynamic response patterns of subgrade structures under the interaction of modulus differences, burial depth effects, temperature gradients, and load parameters. It elucidated the mechanical sensitivity of flexible base layers and the interlayer stress redistribution mechanism. The study validated that grating array sensors not only offer advantages such as easy installation, a high survival rate, and excellent durability but also enable high-capacity, long-distance, and high-precision measurements of subgrade structures. This provides a new technical approach for full lifecycle monitoring of expressways. Full article

In the process of revitalizing historic districts, creating a healthy living environment requires a focus on the microclimate comfort of historic districts. Microclimate comfort refers to the comprehensive physiological perception and psychological satisfaction of climate elements such as heat, wind, and humidity under specific local environmental conditions, typically within a spatial range of horizontal scale < 100 m and vertical scale < 10 m. Among these, wind environment quality, as a key factor influencing pedestrian health experiences and cultural tourism appeal, holds particular research value. This study takes the Dabao Island Courtyard District in Qingdao as its subject, employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation methods from the artificial intelligence (AI) technology framework for modeling. CFD is a numerical method based on computer simulation, which solves fluid control equations (such as the Navier–Stokes equations) through iterative optimization to achieve high-fidelity simulation of physical environments such as airflow, turbulence, and heat transfer. A three-dimensional geometric model of the Dabao Island courtyard district was established, and boundary conditions were set based on local meteorological data. Numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the wind environment before and after the renovation of different layouts, functional spaces, and spatial scales (individual courtyards, clustered courtyards, and surrounding neighborhoods) of the courtyard district. The results indicate that factors such as building layout, street orientation, and renovation strategies significantly influence the wind environment of the Dabao Island neighborhood courtyards, thereby affecting residents’ perceptions of wind comfort. For example, unreasonable building layouts can lead to excessive local wind speeds or vortex phenomena, reducing wind comfort, whereas reasonable renovation and update strategies can facilitate the introduction of wind corridors into the historical courtyard buildings, improving wind environment quality. This study contributes to better protection and utilization of traditional neighborhoods during urban renewal processes, creating a more comfortable wind environment for residents, providing scientific decision-making support for the renovation of historical neighborhoods under the Healthy China strategy, and offering methodological references for wind environment research in other similar traditional neighborhoods. Full article

The integration of digital technologies with Artificial Intelligence could serve as a strategic approach to achieving the goals set by the European Union, mainly concerning sustainability, carbon emission reduction, and digitalization in the construction sector. In this regard, this paper aims to examine the major trends in the application of AI integrated with digital technologies to boost the environmental sustainability of the built environment throughout its life cycle. A systematic literature review was conducted, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, inspecting the Scopus database from 2015 to 2025. After having applied specific exclusion and inclusion criteria, 102 studies have been examined to identify key trends and transformative innovations enhancing sustainable approaches for the built environment. The results have been systematized based on the phases of the building life cycle which are impacted most by AI-powered digital technologies, and on sustainability areas that are attracting the greatest attention. The main research gaps are identified in the limited exploration of renovation and end-of-life phases of the life cycle, in the lack of technologies interoperability, in data complexity and quality issues, in a lack of cost-effective solutions, and in limited regulation and standardization. Full article