Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.1
3.8
Journals
Buildings
Special Issues
Advanced Materials, Structural Systems and Construction for Green Buildings
share announcement

Advanced Materials, Structural Systems and Construction for Green Buildings

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 3480

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Han Fang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Interests: low-carbon structural systems for sustainability; structural design for rebuild; high-strength steel; geopolymer concrete; fibre-reinforced concrete; structural fire resistance
Prof. Dr. Ornella Iuorio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Interests: cold-formed steel structures; digital design and robotic manufacturing; sustainability; modular housing; resilient historical constructions; retrofit; circular economy
Prof. Dr. Yu Bai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
Interests: composites for construction and lightweight structures; modular construction and design for manufacturing and assembly; construction automation and design for robotic construction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to present and communicate the latest research findings with respect to the theme of green buildings, which requires advanced technology and development in materials, structural systems and construction.

Material consumption, design, construction and operation of buildings can cause high and constant CO2 emissions and environmental impacts worldwide. Reduction in the embodied and operation carbon of existing and new buildings in their life cycle is thus necessary to combat the climate emergency and avoid the continuous environmental deterioration and global warming trend, with the increasing demand on buildings to accommodate the population and economic growth. To address such challenging issues, research that generates effective solutions to realise green buildings with lower global warming potential and reduced environmental impact is required in a timely manner for the transformation towards net-zero emissions.

Multidisciplinary research that advances the technology to improve the sustainability of buildings during the life cycle can span across different areas, which include but are not limited to sustainable materials, bio-based construction systems, optimised structural systems, advanced design concepts and construction technologies and circular systems. This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality papers to facilitate the development of green buildings and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable future.

Dr. Han Fang
Prof. Dr. Ornella Iuorio
Prof. Dr. Yu Bai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable and green materials
  • building materials made from wastes
  • bio-based construction systems
  • functional materials and structures with life-cycle sustainability
  • low-carbon structures
  • structural optimisation
  • life-cycle assessments
  • new construction technology for energy efficiency
  • design and re-manufacturing for reuse
  • design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA)
  • damage detection and maintenance planning for life preservation

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

23 pages, 5391 KiB  
Article
Structural Optimization of Trusses in Building Information Modeling (BIM) Projects Using Visual Programming, Evolutionary Algorithms, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Tools
by Feyzullah Yavan, Reza Maalek and Vedat Toğan
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1532; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061532 - 25 May 2024
Viewed by 274
Abstract
The optimal structural design is imperative in order to minimize material consumption and reduce the environmental impacts of construction. Given the complexity in the formulation of structural design problems, the process of optimization is commonly performed using artificial intelligence (AI) global optimization, such [...] Read more.
The optimal structural design is imperative in order to minimize material consumption and reduce the environmental impacts of construction. Given the complexity in the formulation of structural design problems, the process of optimization is commonly performed using artificial intelligence (AI) global optimization, such as the genetic algorithm (GA). However, the integration of AI-based optimization, together with visual programming (VP), in building information modeling (BIM) projects warrants further investigation. This study proposes a workflow by combining structure analysis, VP, BIM, and GA to optimize trusses. The methodology encompasses several steps, including the following: (i) generation of parametric trusses in Dynamo VP; (ii) performing finite element modeling (FEM) using Robot Structural Analysis (RSA); (iii) retrieving and evaluating the FEM results interchangeably between Dynamo and RSA; (iv) finding the best solution using GA; and (v) importing the optimized model into Revit, enabling the user to perform simulations and engineering analysis, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and quantity surveying. This methodology provides a new interoperable framework with minimal interference with existing supply-chain processes, and it will be flexible to technology literacy and allow architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals to employ VP, global optimization, and FEM in BIM-based projects by leveraging open-sourced software and tools, together with commonly used design software. The feasibility of the proposed workflow was tested on benchmark problems and compared with the open literature. The outcomes of this study offer insight into the opportunities and limitations of combining VP, GA, FEA, and BIM for structural optimization applications, particularly to enhance structural efficiency and sustainability in construction. Despite the success of this study in developing a workable, user-friendly, and interoperable framework for the utilization of VP, GA, FEM, and BIM for structural optimization, the results obtained could be improved by (i) increasing the callback function speed between Dynamo and RSA through specialized application programming interface (API); and (ii) fine-tuning the GA parameters or utilizing other advanced global optimization and supervised learning techniques for the optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structural Systems and Construction for Green Buildings)
24 pages, 2900 KiB  
Article
3D-Printed Bioreceptive Tiles of Reaction–Diffusion (Gierer–Meinhardt Model) for Multi-Scale Algal Strains’ Passive Immobilization
by Yomna K. Abdallah and Alberto T. Estévez
Buildings 2023, 13(8), 1972; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13081972 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2113
Abstract
The current architecture practice is shifting towards Green Solutions designed, produced, and operated domestically in a self-sufficient decentralized fashion, following the UN sustainability goals. The current study proposes 3D-printed bioreceptive tiles for the passive immobilization of multi-scale-length algal strains from a mixed culture [...] Read more.
The current architecture practice is shifting towards Green Solutions designed, produced, and operated domestically in a self-sufficient decentralized fashion, following the UN sustainability goals. The current study proposes 3D-printed bioreceptive tiles for the passive immobilization of multi-scale-length algal strains from a mixed culture of Mougeotia sp., Oedogonium foveolatum, Zygnema sp., Microspora sp., Spirogyra sp., and Pyrocystis fusiformis. This customized passive immobilization of the chosen algal strains is designed to achieve bioremediation-integrated solutions in architectural applications. The two bioreceptive tiles following the reaction-diffusion, activator-inhibitor Grier–Meinhardt model have different patterns: P1: Polar periodic, and P2: Strip labyrinth, with niche sizes of 3000 µm and 500 µm, respectively. The results revealed that P2 has a higher immobilization capacity for the various strains, particularly Microspora sp., achieving a growth rate 1.65% higher than its activated culture density compared to a 1.08% growth rate on P1, followed by P. fusiformis with 1.53% on P2 and 1.3% on P1. These results prove the correspondence between the scale and morphology of the strip labyrinth pattern of P2 and the unbranched filamentous and fusiform large unicellular morphology of the immobilized algal strains cells, with an optimum ratio of 0.05% to 0.75% niche to the cell scale. Furthermore, The Mixed Culture method offered an intertwining net that facilitated the entrapment of the various algal strains into the bioreceptive tile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structural Systems and Construction for Green Buildings)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 2693 KiB  
Review
Gamification Approaches and Assessment Methodologies for Occupants’ Energy Behavior Change in Buildings: A Systematic Review
by Wenting Li, Ornella Iuorio, Han Fang and Michele Win Tai Mak
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1497; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061497 - 22 May 2024
Viewed by 313
Abstract
With the trend of achieving both energy efficiency in buildings and occupants’ comfort, gamification strategies have started to be developed and applied as incentive mechanisms to increase social interaction and facilitate human energy behavior transformation. In this article, 306 published papers are reviewed, [...] Read more.
With the trend of achieving both energy efficiency in buildings and occupants’ comfort, gamification strategies have started to be developed and applied as incentive mechanisms to increase social interaction and facilitate human energy behavior transformation. In this article, 306 published papers are reviewed, and 21 studies are identified to determine the challenges and potential for the development of gamification strategies to improve building energy efficiency. Specifically, this work reviews the implementation techniques of gamification and methods to assess the impact of gamification mechanisms on human energy behavior changes. This analysis demonstrates that, firstly, the choice of an optimal gamification implementation method should be inherently attuned to the distinct characteristics of the building type and its occupants. Secondly, it is imperative to strike a judicious balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, in which customization of gamification design elements are based on users’ unique personality traits and preferences, to properly tailor gamification mechanisms. Thirdly, integrating a fusion of quantification of energy savings and qualitative interpretation of user behaviors to improve the energy efficiency in buildings is essential for a more holistic understanding of the impact of gamification on users’ energy-related behavior change. The findings indicate that gamification techniques can enable the effective reduction of energy consumption in buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structural Systems and Construction for Green Buildings)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop