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
Eco-Innovative Envelope Systems – New Approaches to Sustainable Buildings
share announcement

Eco-Innovative Envelope Systems – New Approaches to Sustainable 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: closed (28 February 2024) | Viewed by 3058

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Joana Maia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction (CONSTRUCT), Laboratory of Building Physics (LFC), Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: building physics; building technology; envelope; façade; hygrothermal behaviour; durability; thermal mortars; etics; material properties; laboratory tests; accelerated ageing; numerical simulation; innovative coatings; cool pigments; circular economy; eco-innovative solutions; waste valorisation; geopolymers
Dr. Joao Ventura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IFIMUP and Department of Physics and Astronomy of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Interests: energy harvesting; nanotechnology applicable to building envelopes; high reflective and cool materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy efficiency, durability and sustainability are major concerns in different areas. The construction sector, particularly with regard to buildings, significantly impacts energy consumption and the increase in green gas emissions. As such, the building envelope constitutes an important element in the thermal response of the whole building. The durability increase of envelope systems also directly contributes to reducing the carbon footprint by extending their service life. New eco-innovative envelope systems may effectively raise buildings’ sustainability. To this end, the recent development of affordable micro and nanomaterials presents new application domains, particularly in the construction sector. In particular, the unique optical, catalytic or electronic properties of nanomaterials are paving the way for improved construction materials and the development of smart, green, durable, and more efficient buildings.

This Special Issue focuses on the most recent developments in envelope systems, such as new building materials, advanced envelope components, and adaptative solutions, from a sustainable and green perspective. Topics include (but are not limited to):

  • Eco-innovative insulating materials;
  • Nanotechnology applicable to building envelopes;
  • High reflective and cool materials;
  • Hygrothermal performance;
  • Adaptative envelope systems;
  • Energy efficiency in buildings;
  • Durability and life cycle assessment of eco-innovative solutions.

Dr. Joana Maia
Dr. Joao Ventura
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

  • building envelope
  • sustainability
  • nanotechnology
  • construction materials
  • adaptative systems
  • eco-design
  • energy efficiency
  • durability
  • hygrothermal behavior

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

19 pages, 8578 KiB  
Article
The Effectiveness of Spraying nTiO2 on Coating Mortars in Historical Buildings Aimed at Reducing Fungal Growth
by Fernanda Lamego Guerra, Caroline Giordani, Lais Zucchetti, Rodolfo Ribas, Angela Borges Masuero, Denise Carpena Coitinho Dal Molin and Fatima Menezes Bento
Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2751; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112751 - 31 Oct 2023
Viewed by 787
Abstract
In historic mortars, the main binder used are calcitic or dolomitic lime. However, these mortars are also susceptible to the biochemical action of fungi causing undesirable changes in those materials. Nanotechnology has been investigated as a strategy to mitigate the deterioration of the [...] Read more.
In historic mortars, the main binder used are calcitic or dolomitic lime. However, these mortars are also susceptible to the biochemical action of fungi causing undesirable changes in those materials. Nanotechnology has been investigated as a strategy to mitigate the deterioration of the cultural heritage. Photocatalysis has proven effective as an agent of degradation of organic contamination by inhibiting the recolonization of substrates affected by biological growth. This study verifies the effectiveness of a nanometric photocatalyst (nTiO2-P25, 3% in deionized water) sprayed on the surface of simple lime–sand mortar (1:4 mass trace), typically used in historical buildings, against the growth of Aspergillus niger fungal isolates, inoculated with a 106 spore/mL suspension. The samples were exposed to the incidence of artificial radiation of UVA light with a wavelength of 285 nm to activate the nTiO2. We observed a reduction in fungal colonies, especially after four hours of exposure per day, reaching 100% in the staining reduction in one case. Another aspect observed was that the previous application of nTiO2 on the mortar samples caused alterations in the morphology of the A. niger fungus structures, evidence of a disturbance in the growth of the colonies or even their reduction over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Innovative Envelope Systems – New Approaches to Sustainable Buildings)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

7 pages, 3394 KiB  
Communication
Reflectance and Color Tuning in TiO2-CuO Nanoparticle Composition Mixing
by Catarina Dias, Rita C. Veloso and João Ventura
Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2437; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102437 - 25 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 720
Abstract
Energy consumption for building cooling is directly related to incident solar radiation. Therefore, solutions of high reflectivity, while keeping color comfort, are being actively researched. Here, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations were used to investigate the influence of nanoparticle and core–shell additives on coating [...] Read more.
Energy consumption for building cooling is directly related to incident solar radiation. Therefore, solutions of high reflectivity, while keeping color comfort, are being actively researched. Here, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations were used to investigate the influence of nanoparticle and core–shell additives on coating reflection and color. Different TiO2 and CuO nanoparticle mixings were tested, with relative concentrations varying from 0 to 20% of each on acrylic. The same compounds were used to define core–shells with a varied inner radius (0–30 nm) for both TiO2 and CuO as the core and shell. The numerical simulations demonstrate that mixing CuO with TiO2 enables dark colors while maintaining the overall reflectance. The reflectance results for the core–shell structure are comparable with those of the nanoparticles when CuO is the core, while a more pronounced color change is originated when CuO is the shell. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Innovative Envelope Systems – New Approaches to Sustainable Buildings)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 10550 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Photocatalytic Nano-TiO2 Mortars’ Behavior When Exposed to Simulated Indoor Conditions of Glazed Buildings
by Roberta Picanço Casarin, Jéssica Deise Bersch, Joana Maia, Angela Borges Masuero and Denise Carpena Coitinho Dal Molin
Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2250; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092250 - 5 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 886
Abstract
The application of nano-TiO2 as a photocatalytic agent in buildings’ internal surfaces has recently attracted attention to mitigate microorganism growth, soiling, and contamination in indoor environments. This work aimed at comparing the Rhodamine B (RhB) dye degradation efficiency of three different mortar [...] Read more.
The application of nano-TiO2 as a photocatalytic agent in buildings’ internal surfaces has recently attracted attention to mitigate microorganism growth, soiling, and contamination in indoor environments. This work aimed at comparing the Rhodamine B (RhB) dye degradation efficiency of three different mortar compositions subjected to simulated internal radiation, in which nano-TiO2 (10 wt% of binder mass) was dispersed by ultrasonic and mechanical methods. Mortar specimens were produced with white Portland cement, hydrated lime, sand, and water in different volume proportions of 1:1:6 (cement:lime:sand), 1:3 (cement:sand), and 1:4 (cement:sand). The first stage of the research evaluated samples exposed to the natural outdoor environment and proved the efficiency of specimens’ photoactivity when covered by a glass layer. The second and principal phase of the study simulated indoor conditions in glazed buildings through artificial weathering in which the composition of 1:1:6 was mechanically dispersed and exhibited the highest global color change (ΔE) values for RhB staining. The main finding of the study was that the mortars exposed to simulated indoor conditions presented high ΔE grades, classified as easily perceived by the human eye. This demonstrates the photocatalytic efficiency in an internal building environment that receives radiation through a glass surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Innovative Envelope Systems – New Approaches to Sustainable Buildings)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

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