Architecture, Structures and Construction最新文献

Reevaluating the materials that shape our built environment holds significant importance for sustainable construction. This research introduces newly developed natural fibre pultruded profiles, composed of flax fibres and bio-resin, customised for specific properties and targeted applications. Engineered to withstand both bending and compression loads, these profiles have been subjected to rigorous mechanical testing to demonstrate their compression and flexural strength, as well as flexibility. The emphasis lies on the bottom-up design approach, guiding the creation of applications suitable for this innovative material in various lightweight structures. The paper presents a series of case studies showcasing the use of biocomposite profiles in diverse design and structural contexts. The initial focus was on active-bending structures, highlighting the material’s flexibility, showcased at a ten-metre span structure, the first large-scale demonstrator. However, given the material’s versatile properties, it is suitable for a wide range of other applications. Key case studies discussed include reciprocal, tensegrity and deployable structures, as well as modular planar or space frame systems. These profiles offer a sustainable and versatile alternative to traditional materials and composites, providing innovative and eco-friendly construction solutions while contributing to industry sustainability goals.

‘Mass housing’ has a very controversial heritage, often associated with policies of transformation that do not pay respect to characteristics or value. Additionally, they are frequently under market pressures that promote its demolition. This paper aims to highlight mass housing as having a special heritage that represents new visions and cultural values to be preserved. Mass housing could represent an explorative field for innovation and sustainability, leading cities towards energy transition. The topic is addressed through theoretical and critical observations on mass housing and its legacy in the contemporary, and through comments on project solutions concerning transformation strategies. In conclusion, the research showed an urban design solution utilizing the transformation of open spaces in a mass housing neighborhood near Naples (south Italy). The project converts empty and abandoned areas within the neighborhood into a new agro-urban landscape crossed by pedestrian and bicycle paths and surrounded by small rest areas where people can sit and enjoy the landscape and panoramic views. The project combines paths of innovation and sustainability to increase the urban quality of the district with the aim of supporting the recognition of mass housing as having a special heritage, including material integrity and inherent value, involved in the process of transformation that needs to be preserved.

Facades play a pivotal role in the performance of a building, serving various environmental, structural and operational functions. As climate-induced extreme events become more frequent, developing resilient facades is becoming crucial. Although facades can contribute significantly to the total post-disruption losses, their resilience is not sufficiently addressed in current design approaches. In response to this research gap, this study proposes a multi-criteria decision-making methodology to select optimal facade designs using resilience criteria: resilience loss and economic loss. The framework addresses the complexity of facade design, considering multiple hazards such as earthquakes and heatwaves. For seismic hazard, the facade’s resilience is defined as its ability to mitigate damage. In the case of heat hazard, resilience is assessed based on the ability to keep indoor conditions within a comfortable thermal range. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology, a case study of an 18-story office building in Izmir (Turkey) is used to compare alternative facade packages. These packages identify the facade design cases, each coupled with a dataset of seismic and thermal fragility curves. Numerical simulations are conducted to derive seismic and thermal resilience curves for each facade package, along with resilience criteria. These criteria are embedded into a practical decision-making process to enable the selection of the optimal design case based on project specifications.

Climate change has become a worldwide problem, and many conventional construction materials contribute to carbon emissions. Therefore, the need for sustainable infrastructure has progressed with the increasing use of various plant-based natural fibers for structural applications. This study assesses the feasibility and performance of using natural fiber rope-based reinforcement in foamed concrete structures. The flexural behavior of foamed concrete beams reinforced with the roselle fiber rope-based reinforcement is investigated using finite element (FE) analysis-based numerical and code-based simplified analytical approaches. In the FE model, beams are discretized along the length and depth with a multi-fiber model approach. The nonlinear constitutive behavior of the concrete is taken as per the design standards, and the material properties of natural fiber-based reinforcement, i.e., roselle fiber and roselle fiber rope, are obtained experimentally. The bond-slip behavior between reinforcement and concrete is also implemented using Eligehausen’s law. Furthermore, the influence of the elastic modulus of the reinforcement, span length, and reinforcement ratio on the flexural capacity and deflection of the beams is investigated. The study provides an understanding of roselle fibers and roselle fiber rope in terms of tensile strengths and stiffness to explore their suitability as reinforcement materials. Moreover, it is shown that roselle fiber rope-based reinforcement increases the load-carrying capacity of reinforced foamed concrete beams by approximately 90% (depending upon the elastic modulus of the reinforcement) compared to plain foamed concrete beams. This significant improvement underscores the potential of roselle fiber ropes as an alternative to steel or synthetic fiber-based reinforcement in concrete beams subjected to relatively low-magnitude loads, providing a clear conclusion and recommendation based on the findings of the study.

After the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) religious architecture represented a pivotal era of transformation within the Catholic Church. This liturgical reform aimed to deepen the engagement of worshippers in the liturgy, fostering a more direct connection between the congregation and the celebrant. Architects responded by radically reimagining the design and aesthetics of sacred spaces and embracing innovative materials and construction techniques such as reinforced concrete. This shift enabled the creation of bold, symbolic structures characterized by simple geometric forms, fluid spaces, and enhanced transparency, utilizing natural light to evoke sacred atmospheres. An outstanding example of this architectural paradigm is the Church of the Holy Family in Salerno, Italy, designed by Paolo Portoghesi and Vittorio Gigliotti, starting in 1968. Built entirely in reinforced concrete, this church embodies the fusion of technical innovation with spiritual exploration, typifying ecclesiastical postmodernism. Despite their architectural significance, many postconciliar churches face challenges today, including insufficient conservation efforts and inadequate community recognition. This research focuses on the Church of the Holy Family in Salerno, investigating its evolution, technological advancements, and conservation needs. A comprehensive Conservation Plan is proposed to safeguard this architectural heritage, integrating analyses of degradation and restoration interventions. By addressing these aspects, this study aims to ensure the preservation of this postconciliar religious architecture within contemporary urban and social contexts.

One of the most significant and crucial issues in geotechnical engineering works, such as earth dams, embankments, and landfills to name a few, is slope stability assessment. Better methods are required to anticipate slope collapse because of its fatal effects. The goal of this research is to create a straightforward machine learning (ML) model for examining slope stability under seismic conditions. Four ML algorithms are examined, including Logistic Regression (LR), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). The models are trained and tested on the database containing 700 slopes. Tenfold cross-validation is utilized for parameter tuning, model training, and performance estimation of machine learning models using the training set. The best model is interpreted using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method, which is built on game theories. Among the studied models, the LGBM model is the most accurate based on ranking technique. Most influential features for slope stability prediction under seismic conditions are detected by the SHAP method as follows: peak ground acceleration, friction angle, and angle of inclination.

Seismic damage to building services systems, that is, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in buildings related to energy and indoor environments, affects the functionality of buildings. Assessing post-earthquake functionality is useful for enhancing the seismic resilience of buildings via improved design. Such assessments require a model for predicting the time required to restore building services. This study analyzes the downtime data for 250 instances of damage to building services components caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake in Japan, presumably obtained from buildings with minor or no structural damage. The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the empirical downtime distribution of building services components and (2) to assess the dependence of the downtime on explanatory variables. A survival analysis, which is a statistical technique for analyzing time-to-event data, reveals that (1) the median downtime of building services components was 90 days and, 7 months after the earthquake, the empirical non-restoration probability was approximately 32%, (2) the services type and the building use are explanatory variables having a statistically significant effect on the downtime of building services components, (3) the log-logistic regression model reasonably captures the trend of the restoration of building services components, (4) medical and welfare facilities and hotels restored building services components relatively quickly, and (5) the 7-month restoration probability was observed to be highest for electrical systems, followed by sanitary systems, then heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, and finally life safety systems. These results provide useful information to support the resilience-based seismic design of buildings.

Construction workers engage in physically strenuous tasks while being exposed to adverse environments, rendering them susceptible to a multitude of health complications and safety risks. The effect of hot weather on the exposed individuals varies based on several demographic attributes. This study aims to examine the influence of hot temperatures on respiratory health, fatigue and workplace injuries based on socio-demographic attributes for construction workforce active in hot weather conditions. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of this study, a cross-sectional study design was adopted, where a comprehensive survey was designed and disseminated to workers in construction industry across the United States. The study adopted logistic regression method to develop separate models for workers’ respiratory health, fatigue, and injuries, to examine the relationship between these challenges and the socio-demographics. The results of the regression analysis revealed that, workers above 50 years of age had higher odds of experiencing workplace injuries, respiratory health problems, and physical fatigue than workers below 50 years of age. The odds of experiencing respiratory problems is higher in male construction workers than female construction workers. Also, construction workers involved in commercial and infrastructure project types had higher odds of experiencing injuries in workplace compared to workers involved in residential project types. The outcomes of this research can aid policy makers and employers in construction industry to identify the workers at risk. The findings can also be used to develop strategies and training to reduce workplace injuries for construction workers active in hot weather conditions.

Bolted connections offer advantages in terms of disassembly and reusability, potentially replacing conventional connections like screws, welds, or chemical bonds. This research investigates the behaviour of bolted connections between lightweight exterior infill walls and beams of primary structural members that are conventionally connected using screws. Although previous studies have investigated bolted connections in different structural members, understanding of the behaviours of these specific connections remains limited. The connections between infill walls and steel beams primarily experience shear loads under serviceability conditions. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted to gain insight into their shear behaviour. The obtained experimental results were analysed using existing predictive equations from design standards that are used across European, North American and Oceanian countries, to identify the most suitable equations for designing such connections.

The Heritage Buildings are the evidences of our history and culture, by passing the time these evidences are fading day by day, the neglecting behavior toward heritage showcase our interest in our culture and history. Some recent conservation work in the region give relief to this heart burnt scenario. Some heritage buildings and sites are declared as World heritage Site by UNESCO. But unfortunately, there are many heritage sites which are still ignored. Masjid Mahabat Khan Peshawar, KPK Pakistan is the most glorious heritage of the region. The condition of the Mosque is very carious, this research work is completely revolving around the conservation of this glorious mosque. Including the current condition statement of the building, numbers of required repair works, and conservation techniques. Conservation is a long reviving process with professional management and supervision attitude. Management and proper work frame is the main key of positive conservation. The conservation process is briefly discussed with respect to many aspects. It is advised that before starting the conservation process make sure the availability of local craftsmen, once the conservation work starts there should be zero break during all the process. Highlight the sensitive deteriorated part of the building to management panel, if it is hard to conserve or need reconstruction, the panel will sort out an alternative solution. The most important part in implementation phase is; Properties and composition of conserving materials. The bond between new and old material need to be strong and flexible, avoid the extra strength solutions in conservation, by executing hard or strengthen material in conservation process the thermal expansion and contraction in building is highly effected. The materials with same properties and composition take the thermal effect in a balanced way.