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Sustainable Innovative Solutions for Material Efficient Buildings

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 27579

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Daniel Tsavdaridis

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Guest Editor

School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of London, Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB, London, UK
Interests: static; quasi-static; dynamic and combined structural and environmental large-scale laboratory testing; design heuristics; computational design; design for additive manufacturing and 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Agathoklis Giaralis

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Guest Editor

Associate Professor (Reader) in Structural Dynamics, Department of Engineering, City, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK
Interests: optimal structural vibrations control; nonlinear stochastic dynamics; structural health monitoring; earthquake and wind engineering

Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: steel structures; thin-walled structures; optimisation of steel sections; innovative steel products and systems; fire safety of buildings; aluminium structures; lightweight concrete; enhanced plasterboard; modular building systems; advanced numerical modelling; fibre composites for retrofitting and rehabilitation of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Reducing cost, time, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in constructing new and in retrofitting existing building structures are key to improving the efficiency of the construction sector, which is a well-sought global challenge. Material-efficient design for new buildings aiming to minimise structural weight, as well as retrofitting solutions for existing buildings aiming to enhance their performance with least additive weight can achieve all the above reductions. This is because material efficiency reduces requirements for construction materials production, which contributes a significant percentage of global GHG emissions. It further relaxes requirements for heavy/deep foundations and excavation in new building construction, while it minimises downtime and obtrusiveness in retrofitting existing buildings. In this context, this Special Issue focuses on the latest innovations in the material-efficient design of new and retrofitting of existing buildings aiming to promote environmentally and financially sustainable structures and intervention solutions while safeguarding structural resilience. Contributions from the construction, built environment and structural engineering disciplines addressing the design or assessment of new buildings and the retrofit of existing ones through reducing, minimising or redistributing structural materials usage to achieve lightweight, cost-effective and over-performing resilient structures are mostly invited. Review and opinion articles, as well as research papers and technical notes are welcome. Theoretical/conceptual studies as well as practical application-driven studies are accepted adopting any one or a combination of analytical, numerical, experimental or field-work methodologies. The ultimate aim of this Special Issue is to deliver a state-of-art collection of articles on innovative design solutions, assessment frameworks and analysis methodologies leading to weight or material savings in the construction and retrofitting of buildings, resulting in evermore sustainable and resilient structures.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

Environmental sustainability
Economical sustainability
Design innovation
Design optimisation
Material reduction and efficiency
Static and dynamic performance of structures and systems

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 30422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Method to Evaluate Sustainability for Vulnerable Buildings Addressing Life Cycle Embodied Impacts and Resource Use

by Fatma Seyma Keskin, Pedro Martinez-Vazquez and Charalampos Baniotopoulos

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10204; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810204 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3482

Abstract

The vulnerability of buildings faces further scrutiny as gaps in design, construction, operation, and maintenance remain. Although there has been noticeable progress in the field, the frequency and magnitude of building damage during natural events highlight the fact that sustainable infrastructure has not yet reached all targets. In this study, sustainability aspects of vulnerable buildings are revisited to propose more robust measures to prevent damage and a lack of functionality. Those measured are underpinned by the merging of environmental and structural sustainability for one novel integrated approach. The method devises structural intervention scenarios based on damage levels and service period. It also aims at reducing resource use and embodied impacts through the discretization of standard life cycle analysis into customized stages. The integrated method to evaluate sustainability is tested on two vulnerable buildings in Turkey and Mexico, built with different codes of practice and having experienced low to medium damage during severe earthquake events. Research findings indicate that although embodied impacts form a minor part of the building life cycle environmental impacts, sustainable structural interventions can further reduce both embodied impacts and demands on natural resources. Hence strengthening vulnerable buildings can provide an advantage to help the sustainable transformation of cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovative Solutions for Material Efficient Buildings)

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25 pages, 13397 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Steel-Concrete Composite Beams with Precast Hollow-Core Slabs: A Sustainable Solution

by Felipe Piana Vendramell Ferreira, Konstantinos Daniel Tsavdaridis, Carlos Humberto Martins and Silvana De Nardin

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4230; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084230 - 10 Apr 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 8884

Abstract

Industrialization of construction makes building operation more environmental friendly and sustainable. This change is necessary as it is an industry that demands large consumption of water and energy, as well as being responsible for the disposal of a high volume of waste. However, the transformation of the construction sector is a big challenge worldwide. It is also well known that the largest proportion of the material used in multistory buildings, and thus its carbon impact, is attributed to their slabs being the main contributor of weight. Steel-Concrete composite beams with precast hollow-core slabs (PCHCSs) were developed due to their technical and economic benefits, owing to their high strength and concrete self-weight reduction, making this system economical and with lower environmental footprint, thus reducing carbon emissions. Significant research has been carried out on deep hollow-core slabs due to the need to overcome larger spans that resist high loads. The publication SCI P401, in accordance with Eurocode 4, is however limited to hollow-core slabs with depths from 150 to 250 mm, with or without a concrete topping. This paper aims to investigate hollow-core slabs with a concrete topping to understand their effect on the flexural behavior of Steel-Concrete composite beams, considering the hollow-core-slab depth is greater than the SCI P401 recommendation. Consequently, 150 mm and 265 mm hollow-core units with a concrete topping were considered to assess the increase of the hollow core unit depth. A comprehensive computational parametric study was conducted by varying the in situ infill concrete strength, the transverse reinforcement rate, the shear connector spacing, and the cross-section of steel. Both full and partial interaction models were examined, and in some cases similar resistances were obtained, meaning that the same strength can be obtained for a smaller number of shear studs, i.e., less energy consumption, thus a reduction in the embodied energy. The calculation procedure, according to Eurocode 4 was in favor of safety for the partial-interaction hypothesis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovative Solutions for Material Efficient Buildings)

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17 pages, 1898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Algorithm for Embodied Energy Optimisation of Steel-Concrete Composite Beams

by Alex H. Whitworth and Konstantinos Daniel Tsavdaridis

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3102; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083102 - 13 Apr 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2411

Abstract

The optimisation of structural performance is acknowledged as a means of obtaining sustainable structural designs. A minimisation of embodied energy of construction materials is a key component in the delivery of sustainable future designs. This study attempts to understand the relationship between embodied energy and structural form of composite floor plates for tall buildings, and how this form can be optimised to minimise embodied energy. As a search method based upon the principles of genetics and natural selection, genetic algorithms (GA) have previously been used as novel means of optimising composite beams and composite frames for cost and weight objective functions. Parametric design models have also been presented as optimisation tools to optimise steel floor plates for both cost and embodied carbon. In this study, a Matlab algorithm is presented incorporating MathWorks global optimisation toolbox GA and utilising Eurocode 4 design processes to optimise a composite beam for five separate objective functions: maximise span length; minimise beam cross-section; minimise slab depth; minimise weight; minimise deflected shape for each of the objective functions. Candidate designs are to be assessed for embodied energy to determine individual relationships. This study shows that it is possible to reduce the embodied energy of steel–concrete composite beams by genetic algorithm optimisation whilst remaining compliant to given design codes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovative Solutions for Material Efficient Buildings)

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Review

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25 pages, 2045 KiB

Open AccessReview

Sustainable and Renewable Bio-Based Natural Fibres and Its Application for 3D Printed Concrete: A Review

by Salmabanu Luhar, Thadshajini Suntharalingam, Satheeskumar Navaratnam, Ismail Luhar, Julian Thamboo, Keerthan Poologanathan and Perampalam Gatheeshgar

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10485; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410485 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 6833

Abstract

The concept of sustainability and the utilization of renewable bio-based sources have gained prominent attention in the construction industry. Material selection in construction plays a significant role in design and manufacturing process of sustainable building construction. Several studies are being carried out worldwide to investigate the potential use of natural fibres as reinforcement in concrete with its noticeable environmental benefits and mechanical properties. 3D printed concrete (3DPC) is another emerging technology, which has been under-developed for the past decade. The integration of reinforcement is one of the major challenges in the application of this new technology in real-life scenario. Presently, artificial fibres have been used as a reinforcement material for this special printable concrete mixture. However, natural fibre composites have received significant attention by many 3DPC constructions due to their lightweight energy conservation and environmentally friendly nature. These benchmarking characteristics unlock the wider area of natural fibres into the composite sector and challenge the substitution of artificial fibres. Hence, this paper presents a comprehensive review on the current practice and advantages of natural fibres in conventional concrete construction. Subsequently, with a view to the future efficient 3DPC construction, the potentials of natural fibres such as eco-friendly, higher impact, thermal, structural, and fire performance over the artificial fibres were highlighted, and their applicability in 3DPC as composites was recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovative Solutions for Material Efficient Buildings)

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Other

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20 pages, 35370 KiB

Open AccessHypothesis

Numerical Study of Fire and Energy Performance of Innovative Light-Weight 3D Printed Concrete Wall Configurations in Modular Building System

by Thadshajini Suntharalingam, Perampalam Gatheeshgar, Irindu Upasiri, Keerthan Poologanathan, Brabha Nagaratnam, Heshachanaa Rajanayagam and Satheeskumar Navaratnam

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2314; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042314 - 20 Feb 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4682

Abstract

3D Printed Concrete (3DPC) technology is currently evolving with high demand amongst researches and the integration of modular building system (MBS) with this technology would provide a sustainable solution to modern construction challenges. The use of lightweight concrete in such innovative construction methods offers lightweight structures with better heat and sound insulation compared to normal weight concrete. It is worth noting that fire and energy performance has become central to building design. However, there are limited research studies on the combined thermal energy and fire performance of 3DPC walls. Therefore, this study investigates fire performance of 20 numbers of varying 3DPC wall configurations using validated finite element models under standard fire conditions. The fire performance analysis demonstrated that 3DPC non-load bearing cavity walls have substantial resistance under standard fire load and its performance can be further improved with Rockwool insulation. There is significant improvement in terms of fire performance when the thickness of the walls increases in a parallel row manner. Previous thermal energy investigation also showed a lower U-value for increased thickness of similar 3DPC walls. This research concludes with a proposal of using 3DPC wall with Rockwool insulation for amplified combined thermal energy and fire performance to be used in MBS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovative Solutions for Material Efficient Buildings)

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