Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010091
Hongwei Zhu, Liang Wang, Chao Li, Simon P. Philbin, Hujun Li, Hui Li, Martin Skitmore
With digital transformation underway in various Chinese construction enterprises, each enterprise has progressed differently, and a clear direction for future digital transformation and upgrading is lacking. As such, the importance of measuring the level of digitization among Chinese construction enterprises is increasing. This paper presents a model for evaluating digital transformation maturity within construction enterprises. The model considers six aspects: digital strategy, digital business applications, digital technology capabilities, and so on. The digital maturity of enterprises is determined using the Analysis of Hierarchy (AHP)-Decision Making Experiment and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. Technical abbreviations are explained when first used. This study demonstrates that digital business applications are the most significant primary indicator, with a weight of 29.53%. The success of digital transformation in the construction industry is strongly influenced by the interconnection between digital technology and construction sites, as well as other factors such as new technical personnel, digital infrastructure, digital innovation, and innovation iteration ability. It is crucial to understand how digital technology and the construction industry can effectively connect in order to achieve success in this realm. This paper aims to enhance the digital transformation capabilities and efficiency of construction companies and boost their core competitiveness through targeted measures.
{"title":"Building a Digital Transformation Maturity Evaluation Model for Construction Enterprises Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Method","authors":"Hongwei Zhu, Liang Wang, Chao Li, Simon P. Philbin, Hujun Li, Hui Li, Martin Skitmore","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010091","url":null,"abstract":"With digital transformation underway in various Chinese construction enterprises, each enterprise has progressed differently, and a clear direction for future digital transformation and upgrading is lacking. As such, the importance of measuring the level of digitization among Chinese construction enterprises is increasing. This paper presents a model for evaluating digital transformation maturity within construction enterprises. The model considers six aspects: digital strategy, digital business applications, digital technology capabilities, and so on. The digital maturity of enterprises is determined using the Analysis of Hierarchy (AHP)-Decision Making Experiment and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. Technical abbreviations are explained when first used. This study demonstrates that digital business applications are the most significant primary indicator, with a weight of 29.53%. The success of digital transformation in the construction industry is strongly influenced by the interconnection between digital technology and construction sites, as well as other factors such as new technical personnel, digital infrastructure, digital innovation, and innovation iteration ability. It is crucial to understand how digital technology and the construction industry can effectively connect in order to achieve success in this realm. This paper aims to enhance the digital transformation capabilities and efficiency of construction companies and boost their core competitiveness through targeted measures.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":" 46","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139143199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this paper, a data-driven modeling method for precast concrete (PC) balcony components was proposed to solve the problems of low informatization and the difficult modeling of components at the design stage. Through the analysis of the characteristics of PC balcony components and the combination of modular design methods, the paper designed a data structure for the components and developed a data-driven modeling tool for PC balcony components that can realize the input of structural design data, automatically generating component models. First, this paper introduced the data-driven modeling concept and the modeling process. Second, the PC balcony components in common prefabricated residential projects were analyzed to identify their characteristics. By using a modular design approach, these components were divided and a module dataset was created based on the split modules. Consequently, a data structure for the prefabricated balcony component model was established, wherein both conventional parameters and adaptive parameters between modules were interrelated. Finally, the function of data-driven modeling was achieved by developing a modular design tool on the Revit platform using the C# programming language. The application conducted on a prefabricated building project demonstrated that the software tool and modeling method in this paper effectively improve the level of informatization and modeling efficiency of PC balcony components. The modular design approach was satisfied with the standardization and diversification requirements of balcony components, thereby offering insights for modeling other complex components.
本文提出了一种数据驱动的预制混凝土(PC)阳台构件建模方法,以解决设计阶段构件信息化程度低、建模困难的问题。通过分析 PC 阳台构件的特点,结合模块化设计方法,本文设计了构件数据结构,开发了数据驱动的 PC 阳台构件建模工具,可实现结构设计数据的输入,自动生成构件模型。首先,本文介绍了数据驱动建模的概念和建模过程。其次,分析了常见预制住宅项目中的 PC 阳台构件,找出了它们的特点。通过模块化设计方法,对这些组件进行了划分,并根据划分后的模块创建了模块数据集。因此,建立了预制阳台组件模型的数据结构,其中模块之间的常规参数和自适应参数相互关联。最后,通过使用 C# 编程语言在 Revit 平台上开发模块化设计工具,实现了数据驱动建模的功能。在一个预制建筑项目中的应用表明,本文的软件工具和建模方法有效提高了 PC 阳台组件的信息化水平和建模效率。模块化设计方法满足了阳台构件标准化和多样化的要求,从而为其他复杂构件的建模提供了启示。
{"title":"Research on a Data-Driven Modeling Method for Precast Concrete Balcony Components","authors":"Jie Cai, Xin Wang, Junfeng Shi, Xingxing Xie, Yu Feng, Yingjun Wu","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010096","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, a data-driven modeling method for precast concrete (PC) balcony components was proposed to solve the problems of low informatization and the difficult modeling of components at the design stage. Through the analysis of the characteristics of PC balcony components and the combination of modular design methods, the paper designed a data structure for the components and developed a data-driven modeling tool for PC balcony components that can realize the input of structural design data, automatically generating component models. First, this paper introduced the data-driven modeling concept and the modeling process. Second, the PC balcony components in common prefabricated residential projects were analyzed to identify their characteristics. By using a modular design approach, these components were divided and a module dataset was created based on the split modules. Consequently, a data structure for the prefabricated balcony component model was established, wherein both conventional parameters and adaptive parameters between modules were interrelated. Finally, the function of data-driven modeling was achieved by developing a modular design tool on the Revit platform using the C# programming language. The application conducted on a prefabricated building project demonstrated that the software tool and modeling method in this paper effectively improve the level of informatization and modeling efficiency of PC balcony components. The modular design approach was satisfied with the standardization and diversification requirements of balcony components, thereby offering insights for modeling other complex components.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":" 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139143140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010099
Y. Shin, J. Ko, Dong-An Cha, J. Hong
An inappropriate thermal environment negatively impacts workers, causing mental stress and safety accidents. Unskilled workers are more vulnerable to industrial accidents and thermal stress compared with skilled workers due to suboptimal and unfamiliar work. Previous studies have focused on individual characteristics (such as gender, age, and race), with limited emphasis on the thermal comfort sensation. This study identified the preferred thermal environment according to work experience and how mental stress differed between unskilled and skilled workers by examining their thermal comfort sensation. Predicted mean vote (PMV) was used as an indicator of the thermal environment, and five environments were constructed for PMV: -2, -1, 0, 1, and 2. Participants were recruited among current workers and the public. Mental stress and thermal comfort sensation were assessed using heart rate variability and thermal comfort vote, respectively. This study demonstrated that the skilled group experienced higher mental stress and a lower thermal comfort sensation. Contrastingly, in the sensitivity analysis, the unskilled group exhibited greater sensitivity to changes in the thermal environment. Through a comprehensive analysis, this study derived an optimal PMV range for each group. The findings can provide a reference for configuring the optimal thermal environment of the workplace.
{"title":"The Effect of Length of Service in a Thermal Environment on Thermal Comfort and Mental Stress","authors":"Y. Shin, J. Ko, Dong-An Cha, J. Hong","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010099","url":null,"abstract":"An inappropriate thermal environment negatively impacts workers, causing mental stress and safety accidents. Unskilled workers are more vulnerable to industrial accidents and thermal stress compared with skilled workers due to suboptimal and unfamiliar work. Previous studies have focused on individual characteristics (such as gender, age, and race), with limited emphasis on the thermal comfort sensation. This study identified the preferred thermal environment according to work experience and how mental stress differed between unskilled and skilled workers by examining their thermal comfort sensation. Predicted mean vote (PMV) was used as an indicator of the thermal environment, and five environments were constructed for PMV: -2, -1, 0, 1, and 2. Participants were recruited among current workers and the public. Mental stress and thermal comfort sensation were assessed using heart rate variability and thermal comfort vote, respectively. This study demonstrated that the skilled group experienced higher mental stress and a lower thermal comfort sensation. Contrastingly, in the sensitivity analysis, the unskilled group exhibited greater sensitivity to changes in the thermal environment. Through a comprehensive analysis, this study derived an optimal PMV range for each group. The findings can provide a reference for configuring the optimal thermal environment of the workplace.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":" 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139144566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010092
Abdullah Cengiz, Tuba Gurbuz, A. Ilki, Metin Aydogan
Columns can suffer heavy damage due to dynamic impact effects, which are ignored during their design. The impact effect could be a vehicle crash to columns of streetside buildings, parking garages or bridges. However, the effect of impact loading on the behavior of reinforced concrete columns has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, an experimental and numerical investigation is carried out on the impact behavior of axially loaded reinforced concrete columns. Dynamic experiments were carried out by dropping a mass from different heights to apply low-elevation impact on axially loaded, full-scale (30 × 30 × 320 cm) columns. After evaluating the performance of the columns under varied impact loadings, the residual load carrying capacities of the columns were also obtained by static loading. Additionally, a three-dimensional finite element model was developed and validated by using drop weight experimental results. The effect of increasing the impact energy on the behavior of RC columns was also examined numerically. As a result of the research, it has been observed that, as the applied impact energy increases, the dynamic damage/failure mode changes from flexure to shear. When a column was impacted by 75.8% of its total impact energy capacity, a decrease of 38.1% in its stiffness and a decrease of 49.7% in its load carrying capacity were determined compared to its previous unimpacted state. Additionally, the static energy dissipation capacity loss of the column was reached, up to 81.7% of its preloading state. The developed finite element model can also be utilized to determine the dynamic performance and the damage modes of columns under vehicle collision-type low-elevation impacts, which can be a guide for structural engineers in the design of such vulnerable columns and will contribute to safer structural designs.
{"title":"Dynamic and Residual Static Behavior of Axially Loaded RC Columns Subjected to Low-Elevation Impact Loading","authors":"Abdullah Cengiz, Tuba Gurbuz, A. Ilki, Metin Aydogan","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010092","url":null,"abstract":"Columns can suffer heavy damage due to dynamic impact effects, which are ignored during their design. The impact effect could be a vehicle crash to columns of streetside buildings, parking garages or bridges. However, the effect of impact loading on the behavior of reinforced concrete columns has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, an experimental and numerical investigation is carried out on the impact behavior of axially loaded reinforced concrete columns. Dynamic experiments were carried out by dropping a mass from different heights to apply low-elevation impact on axially loaded, full-scale (30 × 30 × 320 cm) columns. After evaluating the performance of the columns under varied impact loadings, the residual load carrying capacities of the columns were also obtained by static loading. Additionally, a three-dimensional finite element model was developed and validated by using drop weight experimental results. The effect of increasing the impact energy on the behavior of RC columns was also examined numerically. As a result of the research, it has been observed that, as the applied impact energy increases, the dynamic damage/failure mode changes from flexure to shear. When a column was impacted by 75.8% of its total impact energy capacity, a decrease of 38.1% in its stiffness and a decrease of 49.7% in its load carrying capacity were determined compared to its previous unimpacted state. Additionally, the static energy dissipation capacity loss of the column was reached, up to 81.7% of its preloading state. The developed finite element model can also be utilized to determine the dynamic performance and the damage modes of columns under vehicle collision-type low-elevation impacts, which can be a guide for structural engineers in the design of such vulnerable columns and will contribute to safer structural designs.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"10 35","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139147405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-28DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010085
Kai Ma, Changyong Zhang, Xinzhi Dang, Guoquan Zhang
To investigate the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) characteristics of two rectangular cylinders with a width-to-depth ratio of 5:1 in a tandem arrangement, sectional model wind tunnel tests that measure vibration responses and pressure distributions simultaneously were adopted. The ratio of the spacing between the cylinders to its width is 1.2. The analyses were performed considering VIV responses as well as the distribution characteristics of mean and rms pressure coefficients. Additionally, the time-frequency domain statistical parameters like correlation and contribution coefficients, phase lags between distributed and general vortex excited forces (VEFs), and amplitudes of VEF coefficients at predominant frequencies were calculated to analyze the physical VIV mechanism of two 5:1 rectangular cylinders in tandem. This study indicates that the influence of incidence angles on the dynamic responses is notable; the contribution of the distributed VEFs acting on the trailing surface of the upstream cylinder and the leading surface of the downstream one is significant to VIVs of the cylinders from wind pressure distribution characteristics and correlation analyses.
{"title":"Study on VIV Behavior of Two 5:1 Rectangular Cylinders in Tandem Based on Correlation Analysis","authors":"Kai Ma, Changyong Zhang, Xinzhi Dang, Guoquan Zhang","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010085","url":null,"abstract":"To investigate the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) characteristics of two rectangular cylinders with a width-to-depth ratio of 5:1 in a tandem arrangement, sectional model wind tunnel tests that measure vibration responses and pressure distributions simultaneously were adopted. The ratio of the spacing between the cylinders to its width is 1.2. The analyses were performed considering VIV responses as well as the distribution characteristics of mean and rms pressure coefficients. Additionally, the time-frequency domain statistical parameters like correlation and contribution coefficients, phase lags between distributed and general vortex excited forces (VEFs), and amplitudes of VEF coefficients at predominant frequencies were calculated to analyze the physical VIV mechanism of two 5:1 rectangular cylinders in tandem. This study indicates that the influence of incidence angles on the dynamic responses is notable; the contribution of the distributed VEFs acting on the trailing surface of the upstream cylinder and the leading surface of the downstream one is significant to VIVs of the cylinders from wind pressure distribution characteristics and correlation analyses.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"30 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139149728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Under the influence of material defects, structural grooving, environmental corrosion, and other factors in engineering, concrete-filled steel tubes incur local defects on their external surfaces that affect their structural integrity and service life. This work conducts axial compression tests on 10 grooving-damaged square hollow concrete-filled steel tube (SHCFST) columns to investigate the effect of grooving damage on their axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity and the effect of steel tubes on concrete confinement. It explores the effects of three parameters, namely, the length of grooves, presence of slots in internal and external steel tubes, and orientation of grooves, on structural static performance. This study analyzes the loading, failure mechanisms, and axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity of grooving-damaged SHCFST columns. Results indicate that grooving weakens the steel tube’s confinement effect on the concrete core, reducing the axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity of specimens. On the basis of this experimental research, a method for calculating the axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity and axial compressive stiffness of grooving-damaged SHCFST columns is proposed. The calculation results closely align with experimental outcomes, providing valuable insights for related scientific research and engineering applications.
{"title":"Experimental Investigation on the Axial Loading Performance of Grooving-Damaged Square Hollow Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Columns","authors":"Jing Liu, Zimao Pan, Zhicheng Pan, Shaohua He, Wenzhuo Yu","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010087","url":null,"abstract":"Under the influence of material defects, structural grooving, environmental corrosion, and other factors in engineering, concrete-filled steel tubes incur local defects on their external surfaces that affect their structural integrity and service life. This work conducts axial compression tests on 10 grooving-damaged square hollow concrete-filled steel tube (SHCFST) columns to investigate the effect of grooving damage on their axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity and the effect of steel tubes on concrete confinement. It explores the effects of three parameters, namely, the length of grooves, presence of slots in internal and external steel tubes, and orientation of grooves, on structural static performance. This study analyzes the loading, failure mechanisms, and axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity of grooving-damaged SHCFST columns. Results indicate that grooving weakens the steel tube’s confinement effect on the concrete core, reducing the axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity of specimens. On the basis of this experimental research, a method for calculating the axial compressive ultimate bearing capacity and axial compressive stiffness of grooving-damaged SHCFST columns is proposed. The calculation results closely align with experimental outcomes, providing valuable insights for related scientific research and engineering applications.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"3 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139148710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-28DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010089
Xuepeng Shen, Hao Ding, Zhichun Chen, Ying Li, Wenxuan An, Aili Chen, Dongyi Lei, Ying Fang, Dongxu Li
To comprehensively utilize industrial by-products of gypsum while reducing the consumption of natural river sand, this experiment was conducted to prepare gypsum-based sandless self-leveling (PGSL) materials by using phosphorus-building gypsum (PBG) and portland cement (PC) as gelling raw materials with the addition of polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE), cellulose ethers (CE), and retarders. However, employing phosphogypsum as the source material results in a significant 30 min fluidity loss in the gypsum-based self-leveling system. Therefore, to enhance the flow characteristics of gypsum self-leveling, sodium gluconate was chosen for usage in this research. The impact of single and compound mixing of protein-based retarder (PR) and sodium gluconate (SG) on gypsum-based sandless self-leveling materials was evaluated in terms of heat of hydration analysis, pore structure, fluidity, strength, and setting time. According to the experimental findings, it was possible to considerably decrease the fluidity loss of gypsum-based sandless self-leveling materials, postpone the setting time, boost strength, and enhance pore structure when combined with 0.4% SG and 0.03% PR.
{"title":"Effects of Sodium Gluconate on the Fluidity and Setting Time of Phosphorus Gypsum-Based Self-Leveling","authors":"Xuepeng Shen, Hao Ding, Zhichun Chen, Ying Li, Wenxuan An, Aili Chen, Dongyi Lei, Ying Fang, Dongxu Li","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010089","url":null,"abstract":"To comprehensively utilize industrial by-products of gypsum while reducing the consumption of natural river sand, this experiment was conducted to prepare gypsum-based sandless self-leveling (PGSL) materials by using phosphorus-building gypsum (PBG) and portland cement (PC) as gelling raw materials with the addition of polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE), cellulose ethers (CE), and retarders. However, employing phosphogypsum as the source material results in a significant 30 min fluidity loss in the gypsum-based self-leveling system. Therefore, to enhance the flow characteristics of gypsum self-leveling, sodium gluconate was chosen for usage in this research. The impact of single and compound mixing of protein-based retarder (PR) and sodium gluconate (SG) on gypsum-based sandless self-leveling materials was evaluated in terms of heat of hydration analysis, pore structure, fluidity, strength, and setting time. According to the experimental findings, it was possible to considerably decrease the fluidity loss of gypsum-based sandless self-leveling materials, postpone the setting time, boost strength, and enhance pore structure when combined with 0.4% SG and 0.03% PR.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"51 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139149559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-28DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010086
Giulia Procaccini, A. Prieto, Ulrich Knaack, Carol Monticelli, T. Konstantinou
The European building stock demands urgent renovation due to the age of the buildings, their expected lifetime, and their excessive energy consumption, which accounts for more than a third of the EU’s total emissions. However, the complexities involved, such as time, costs, and structural modifications, often discourage clients, tenants, and occupants from undergoing a building renovation process. Textile membranes, despite their long history in various architectural applications, have only been employed in façades in the last decades. Their intrinsic properties, such as lightness and flexibility, together with rapid assembly and low maintenance make these materials particularly suitable for façade retrofitting. Therefore, they are worth exploring as a way to promote the development of lightweight and easy-to-assemble façade products that could help overcome the current limitations of building retrofitting efforts. This paper aims to establish relationships between textile membranes and potential building retrofit applications. To this end, this study builds on the categorization of traditional façade retrofit strategies and proposes a new classification for textile façade retrofit products. The methodology includes a comprehensive literature review of textile properties and characteristics, along with a thorough assessment through case studies, of membrane use in façade applications. A sequential investigation leads to the main outcome of identifying three clear pathways for the development of new textile-based façade products for building retrofit.
{"title":"Textile Membrane for Façade Retrofitting: Exploring Fabric Potentialities for the Development of Innovative Strategies","authors":"Giulia Procaccini, A. Prieto, Ulrich Knaack, Carol Monticelli, T. Konstantinou","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010086","url":null,"abstract":"The European building stock demands urgent renovation due to the age of the buildings, their expected lifetime, and their excessive energy consumption, which accounts for more than a third of the EU’s total emissions. However, the complexities involved, such as time, costs, and structural modifications, often discourage clients, tenants, and occupants from undergoing a building renovation process. Textile membranes, despite their long history in various architectural applications, have only been employed in façades in the last decades. Their intrinsic properties, such as lightness and flexibility, together with rapid assembly and low maintenance make these materials particularly suitable for façade retrofitting. Therefore, they are worth exploring as a way to promote the development of lightweight and easy-to-assemble façade products that could help overcome the current limitations of building retrofitting efforts. This paper aims to establish relationships between textile membranes and potential building retrofit applications. To this end, this study builds on the categorization of traditional façade retrofit strategies and proposes a new classification for textile façade retrofit products. The methodology includes a comprehensive literature review of textile properties and characteristics, along with a thorough assessment through case studies, of membrane use in façade applications. A sequential investigation leads to the main outcome of identifying three clear pathways for the development of new textile-based façade products for building retrofit.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"1 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139152146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-28DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010090
Younggi Hong, Jaeho Cho
This study focuses on improving pre-emptive risk recognition and safety checks to prevent workplace accidents. It underscores improvements by addressing existing research issues, suggesting potential enhancements through system development. Work approval procedures and workers’ prior risk awareness, through the confirmation of work safety standards in physically separated work areas, are fundamental methods of preventing serious accidents and creating a safe work environment. A key factor concerning worker safety is recognizing the potential accident risk factors (or hazards) in advance through practical job hazard analysis and consequently take risk-reduction measures in case the safety standards are not met. Despite the crucial significance of pre-awareness of work risks at the majority of construction sites, tools to enhance this awareness are currently limited. Furthermore, real-time detection of work risks and the implementation of risk reduction measures are contingent upon a monitoring environment and a robust safety culture. This study proposed construction worker location-tracking technology that recognizes personal identification (ID). A safety check system based on location tracking combining personal quick response code (QR code) recognition and computer vision technology to automatically identify workers’ personal identities and track their physical location was proposed. A real-time safety check system was implemented to classify automatically whether workers have confirmed hazards and to approve a work process in high-risk workplaces by supervisors. Location-tracking technology with ID recognition performed the following two safety management functions. First, if a construction worker does not pre-check the work risk information before entering the work zone, the geofencing technology automatically classifies workers as those who are not aware of job hazards. Secondly, the safety manager or supervisor entering the on-site work zone possesses the authority to halt work if the work environment fails to meet safety standards and can issue warnings regarding risky situations. Essential functions were validated through a case study involving preliminary testing within the development system. To assess the practical application of the system, virtual simulations were conducted using recorded videos from a construction site to replicate the two essential functions of the system. The system was constructed using an Apache server and Python code, and for testing purposes, the names of the workers were randomized.
{"title":"Enhancing Individual Worker Risk Awareness: A Location-Based Safety Check System for Real-Time Hazard Warnings in Work-Zones","authors":"Younggi Hong, Jaeho Cho","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010090","url":null,"abstract":"This study focuses on improving pre-emptive risk recognition and safety checks to prevent workplace accidents. It underscores improvements by addressing existing research issues, suggesting potential enhancements through system development. Work approval procedures and workers’ prior risk awareness, through the confirmation of work safety standards in physically separated work areas, are fundamental methods of preventing serious accidents and creating a safe work environment. A key factor concerning worker safety is recognizing the potential accident risk factors (or hazards) in advance through practical job hazard analysis and consequently take risk-reduction measures in case the safety standards are not met. Despite the crucial significance of pre-awareness of work risks at the majority of construction sites, tools to enhance this awareness are currently limited. Furthermore, real-time detection of work risks and the implementation of risk reduction measures are contingent upon a monitoring environment and a robust safety culture. This study proposed construction worker location-tracking technology that recognizes personal identification (ID). A safety check system based on location tracking combining personal quick response code (QR code) recognition and computer vision technology to automatically identify workers’ personal identities and track their physical location was proposed. A real-time safety check system was implemented to classify automatically whether workers have confirmed hazards and to approve a work process in high-risk workplaces by supervisors. Location-tracking technology with ID recognition performed the following two safety management functions. First, if a construction worker does not pre-check the work risk information before entering the work zone, the geofencing technology automatically classifies workers as those who are not aware of job hazards. Secondly, the safety manager or supervisor entering the on-site work zone possesses the authority to halt work if the work environment fails to meet safety standards and can issue warnings regarding risky situations. Essential functions were validated through a case study involving preliminary testing within the development system. To assess the practical application of the system, virtual simulations were conducted using recorded videos from a construction site to replicate the two essential functions of the system. The system was constructed using an Apache server and Python code, and for testing purposes, the names of the workers were randomized.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"336 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139149053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-28DOI: 10.3390/buildings14010084
Tokzhan Junussova, A. Nadeem, J. Kim, Salman Azhar
The value of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is widely discussed within all construction stages including the data-driven culture across building processes and sustainable impact in the long term. Yet, there is a need to explore the opportunities of BIM in improving construction materials management (CMM) as a core function of supply chain management. Due to the dearth of studies on BIM potential in improving CMM within the sustainability context, the authors examine the effectiveness and efficiency of BIM-enabled materials management, via three data streams: a literature review, an online survey, and interviews with subject matter experts in the field. This study aims to explore the drivers of BIM-enabled sustainable construction materials management. This is the preliminary study designed to test the initial hypotheses based on an online questionnaire application to derive tacit knowledge from industry and academic experts, followed by short interviews with respondents. Grounded in the comprehensive literature review, 24 indicators were defined for survey purposes. Preliminarily, 206 experts from 10 countries responded to the survey. The results show significant differences in the ranking of the indicators among the five factors. In developing countries, among two groups, industry sample awareness scales demonstrated lower understanding than among academic experts. Another finding relates to the significant agreement in scaling the importance of opportunities among industrial and academic sector experts. The research adds knowledge to deepen the understanding of opportunities of BIM-enabled materials management as a part of building project sustainable performance for industry policy and decision-makers. It also brings attention to the lack of sustainability awareness amongst industry experts in developing countries. Although materials constitute a solid part of any construction project cost, there is still a collaboration gap among designers, materials management, and, more broadly, supply chain management experts.
{"title":"Key Drivers for BIM-Enabled Materials Management: Insights for a Sustainable Environment","authors":"Tokzhan Junussova, A. Nadeem, J. Kim, Salman Azhar","doi":"10.3390/buildings14010084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010084","url":null,"abstract":"The value of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is widely discussed within all construction stages including the data-driven culture across building processes and sustainable impact in the long term. Yet, there is a need to explore the opportunities of BIM in improving construction materials management (CMM) as a core function of supply chain management. Due to the dearth of studies on BIM potential in improving CMM within the sustainability context, the authors examine the effectiveness and efficiency of BIM-enabled materials management, via three data streams: a literature review, an online survey, and interviews with subject matter experts in the field. This study aims to explore the drivers of BIM-enabled sustainable construction materials management. This is the preliminary study designed to test the initial hypotheses based on an online questionnaire application to derive tacit knowledge from industry and academic experts, followed by short interviews with respondents. Grounded in the comprehensive literature review, 24 indicators were defined for survey purposes. Preliminarily, 206 experts from 10 countries responded to the survey. The results show significant differences in the ranking of the indicators among the five factors. In developing countries, among two groups, industry sample awareness scales demonstrated lower understanding than among academic experts. Another finding relates to the significant agreement in scaling the importance of opportunities among industrial and academic sector experts. The research adds knowledge to deepen the understanding of opportunities of BIM-enabled materials management as a part of building project sustainable performance for industry policy and decision-makers. It also brings attention to the lack of sustainability awareness amongst industry experts in developing countries. Although materials constitute a solid part of any construction project cost, there is still a collaboration gap among designers, materials management, and, more broadly, supply chain management experts.","PeriodicalId":48546,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"70 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139149231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}