Search Results (123)

Growing concerns about industrial waste have intensified the search for practical reuse strategies in the construction industry. One of the most problematic types of waste is decommissioned wind turbine blades, which are tough, lightweight glass fibre composites that resist conventional recycling. In this study, shredded glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) recovered from such blades was used to partially replace the 2–8 mm fraction of natural aggregate in concrete at 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% by volume. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis showed that the material consists mainly of SiO₂, CaO, and Al₂O₃. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) revealed uneven fibre dispersion and a clear increase in porosity. Compared with the control mix, compressive strength reduced by 7–25%, splitting tensile strength by 18–24%, and elastic modulus by 17–35%. All mixes achieved watertightness class W12 (1.2 MPa), though the depth of water penetration increased with GFRP content. After 50 freeze–thaw cycles, frost-resistance class F50 was only met at 10% replacement. While these trends underline the performance trade-offs, they also point to a realistic route for diverting composite waste from landfills, reducing reliance on quarried aggregate and producing ‘green’ concretes for non-structural, prefabricated elements, where moderate strength is acceptable and reducing weight is advantageous. Full article

Cracks in concrete dam tunnels compromise structural safety, watertightness, and durability, while conventional repair materials such as epoxy and cement impose environmental burdens. This study investigates biomineralization methods, namely Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) and Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP), for repairing fine cracks in a large hydropower dam tunnel. Laboratory tests and field applications were conducted by injecting urea–calcium solutions with Sporosarcina pasteurii for MICP and soybean-derived urease for EICP, applied twice daily over three days. Both techniques achieved effective sealing, with precipitation efficiencies of 93.75% for MICP and 84.17% for EICP. XRD analysis revealed that MICP produced a mixture of vaterite and calcite, reflecting biologically influenced crystallization, whereas EICP yielded predominantly calcite, the thermodynamically stable phase. SEM confirmed that MICP generated irregular layered clusters shaped by microbial activity, while EICP formed smoother spherical and more uniform deposits under enzyme-driven conditions. The results demonstrate that MICP provides higher efficiency and localized nucleation control, while EICP offers faster kinetics and more uniform deposition. Both methods present eco-friendly and field-applicable alternatives to conventional repair, combining technical performance with environmental sustainability for hydraulic infrastructure maintenance. Full article

Architecture can play a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis by embedding sustainable design principles that reduce environmental impact and enhance resilience. Beyond ecological considerations, architectural interventions are crucial in developing structures capable of withstanding extreme weather events—and thereby mitigating the displacement of vulnerable populations. This study emphasizes the importance of tailoring architectural responses to the specific environmental challenges and evolving needs of rural communities. Drawing on the Perceived Values and Climate Change Resilience Dataset collected in Siaya County, Kenya, the research explores local perceptions of climate change and how these shape housing priorities. Among 300 respondents, 83% express concern about climate change, identifying drought as the most pressing environmental threat. The evolving desire for housing solutions that respond to specific needs highlights the need for more secure housing. This specifically calls for improvements in watertightness, pest resistance (especially against termites), and overall structural durability, as well as reducing maintenance effort, enabling houses to be enlarged, and improving their aesthetics. These findings provide critical insights into how rural populations in western Kenya are experiencing and responding to climate-related stressors. By foregrounding community perspectives, the study informs the development of adaptive, resilient, and contextually appropriate architectural solutions. It contributes to broader discourses on climate adaptation, vernacular design, and inclusive development strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa, reinforcing the imperative to align architectural innovation with both environmental imperatives and cultural realities. Full article

Creating high-fidelity digital twins (DTs) for Industry 4.0 applications, it is fundamentally reliant on the accurate 3D modeling of physical assets, a task complicated by the inherent imperfections of real-world point cloud data. This paper addresses the challenge of reconstructing accurate, watertight, and topologically sound 3D meshes from sparse, noisy, and incomplete point clouds acquired in complex industrial environments. We introduce a robust two-stage completion-to-reconstruction framework, C2R3D-Net, that systematically tackles this problem. The methodology first employs a pretrained, self-supervised point cloud completion network to infer a dense and structurally coherent geometric representation from degraded inputs. Subsequently, a novel adaptive surface reconstruction network generates the final high-fidelity mesh. This network features a hybrid encoder (FKAConv-LSA-DC), which integrates fixed-kernel and deformable convolutions with local self-attention to robustly capture both coarse geometry and fine details, and a boundary-aware multi-head interpolation decoder, which explicitly models sharp edges and thin structures to preserve geometric fidelity. Comprehensive experiments on the large-scale synthetic ShapeNet benchmark demonstrate state-of-the-art performance across all standard metrics. Crucially, we validate the framework’s strong zero-shot generalization capability by deploying the model—trained exclusively on synthetic data—to reconstruct complex assets from a custom-collected industrial dataset without any additional fine-tuning. The results confirm the method’s suitability as a robust and scalable approach for 3D asset modeling, a critical enabling step for creating high-fidelity DTs in demanding, unseen industrial settings. Full article

Ship seismic wave signals represent one of the most critical physical field characteristics of vessels. To achieve the high-precision detection of ship seismic wave field signals in marine environments, an underwater seismic wave signal detection system was designed. The system adopts a three-stage architecture consisting of watertight instrument housing, a communication circuit, and a buoy to realize high-capacity real-time data transmissions. The host computer performs the collaborative optimization of multi-modal hardware architecture and adaptive signal processing algorithms, enabling the detection of ship targets in oceanic environments. Through verification in a water tank and sea trials, the system successfully measured seismic wave signals. An improved ALE-LOFAR (Adaptive Line Enhancer–Low-Frequency Analysis) joint framework, combined with DEMON (Demodulation of Envelope Modulation) demodulation technology, was proposed to conduct the spectral feature analysis of ship seismic wave signals, yielding the low-frequency signal characteristics of vessels. This scheme provides an important method for the covert monitoring of shallow-sea targets, providing early warnings of illegal fishing and ensuring underwater security. Full article

Background/Objectives: We aimed to review pediatric patients who underwent surgical treatment for posterior fossa tumors and to share our experience with the various types of dural grafts used in these patients. Methods: We carried out a retrospective study on pediatric patients who received surgical treatment for posterior fossa tumors and underwent duraplasty using either an autograft or a xenograft from January 2018 to December 2022. Data were gathered from patients’ medical records, encompassing demographic details. Additional information included tumor locations and the extent of resection. Factors such as postoperative complications like meningitis, pseudo-meningocele, and hydrocephalus were also noted. Results: Our cohort included 50 patients, 13 of whom underwent surgeries with autografts and 37 had xenografts. The patients’ tumors were in various areas, including intraventricular or those extending into the ventricle (31) and intracerebellar (17) and extra-axial (2) cases. Subtotal resection occurred in 8 cases, near-total resection in 9, and gross-total resection in 33. Postoperatively, meningitis occurred in 12 patients, pseudo-meningocele in 13, and hydrocephalus in 10, with 9 requiring V/P placement. Conclusions: In conclusion, techniques for dural closure hold great significance in neurosurgery, particularly during pediatric posterior fossa surgeries. Although the modest size of the autograft cohort limited statistical power, our epidural onlay fascia lata autograft produced fewer postoperative complications than the bovine xenograft and achieved outcomes comparable to those reported for watertight closure. Full article

Background: This study introduces a novel quantitative method—groove loss time (GLT)—to objectively assess wound leakage following cataract surgery. Methods: In this prospective, single-center study, 70 eyes of 70 patients undergoing cataract surgery via CCI were enrolled. Wound sealing was evaluated by measuring the GLT, defined as the duration the stromal groove remains visible after corneal hydration. GLT was categorized into five grades: ‘water-tight’ (>10 s), ‘excellent’ (>5 s), ‘good’ (3–5 s), ‘bad’ (1–2 s), and ‘poor’ (<1 s). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded at four time points: preoperatively, immediately post-surgery, 3–4 h postoperatively, and on postoperative day one. In select cases, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) was used to confirm wound architecture. Results: All patients demonstrated a GLT longer than 5 s, corresponding to water-tight or excellent wound sealing. Mean IOP values were 16.08 ± 3.61 mmHg preoperatively, 29.48 ± 11.13 mmHg immediately post-surgery, 16.38 ± 5.45 mmHg at 3–4 h, and 16.65 ± 4.36 mmHg on the day after surgery. No cases of postoperative endophthalmitis, anterior chamber loss, or hypotony were observed. Conclusions: The GLT method provides a simple, objective, and effective tool for evaluating wound integrity in CCIs, ensuring optimal sealing and enhancing postoperative safety. Full article

Countries worldwide have implemented regulations on the green coverage ratio of new buildings to address the urban heat island effect. For example, Taipei City mandates that the green coverage rate of new buildings must be between 40% and 70%, while Singapore requires a green coverage rate of 100% or higher. Consequently, building greening is now a regulatory requirement rather than a preference. This study focuses on developing an indoor light-emitting-diode (LED) hydroponic inverted planting system to utilize ceiling space for expanding green areas in buildings. The light source of this system is suitable for both plant growth and daily lighting, thereby reducing electricity costs. The watertight planting unit does not require replenishment of the nutrient solution during a planting cycle for small plants, which can reduce water consumption and prevent indoor humidity. The modular structure allows various combinations, enabling interior designers to create interior ceiling scapes. Additionally, it is possible to grow aromatic plants and edible vegetables, facilitating the creation of indoor farms. Consequently, this system is suitable for high-rise residential buildings, office buildings, underground shopping malls, and indoor areas with limited or no natural light. It is also applicable to hospitals, clinics, wards, and care centers, where indoor plants alleviate psychological stress and enhance mental and physical health. Full article

This study aimed to apply the integrated WASH assessment tool and assess the performance of WASH services in three Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in Rakhine State, Myanmar. The tool was applied in a unique non-household setting that is vulnerable to annual storms and storm-induced flooding, while also facing the complexity of political and social constraints. The assessment focused on nine components of the tool: water, sanitation, hygiene, financial, institutional, environmental impacts, technical, social, and climate change. Afterwards, the overall WASH services performance of the three IDP camps was determined. The assessment revealed good performance in water, financial, institutional, and social components across all camps. However, environmental impact, technical, and climate change components showed the need for improvement due to recurrent climate hazards, and their impacts on WASH facilities, such as latrine destruction, saltwater intrusion into handpumps, and increased diarrhea cases. Based on the findings, the study recommends constructing disaster-resilient latrines, reinforcing handpumps with watertight materials, elevating wellheads to prevent contamination, and forming emergency response teams with appropriate training. Overall, Ohn Taw Gyi (South) and Kaung Doke Khar (2) camps had a good level of WASH performance with a 6.38 sum of net scores of components (SAS), and with 6.06 SAS, respectively. Thet Kae Pyin camp had a moderate level of performance with 5.35 SAS. The application of the assessment tool provided valuable data to support evidence-based decision-making. It serves as a useful resource for WASH professionals, humanitarian organizations, and local governments to evaluate service performance and ensure sustainable service provision in their areas. Full article

Point clouds from laser scanners have been widely used in recent research on indoor modeling methods. Currently, particularly in data-driven modeling methods, data preprocessing for dividing structural components and nonstructural components is required before modeling. In this paper, we propose an indoor modeling method without the classification of structural and nonstructural components. A pre-mesh is generated for constructing the adjacency relations of point clouds, and plane components are extracted using planar-based region growing. Then, the distance fields of each plane are calculated, and voxel data referred to as a surface confidence map are obtained. Subsequently, the inside and outside of the indoor model are classified using a graph-cut algorithm. Finally, indoor models with watertight meshes are generated via dual contouring and mesh refinement. The experimental results showed that the point-to-mesh error ranged from approximately 2 mm to 50 mm depending on the dataset. Furthermore, completeness—measured as the proportion of original point-cloud data successfully reconstructed into the mesh—approached 1.0 for single-room datasets and reached around 0.95 for certain multiroom and synthetic datasets. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in automatically removing non-structural components and generating clean structural meshes. Full article

In this paper, we investigate implicit surface reconstruction methods based on deep learning, enhanced by multi-sensor data fusion, to improve the accuracy of 3D reconstruction in complex scenes. Existing single-sensor approaches often struggle with occlusions and incomplete observations. By fusing complementary information from multiple sensors (e.g., multiple cameras or a combination of cameras and depth sensors), our proposed framework alleviates the issue of missing or partial data and further increases reconstruction fidelity. We introduce a novel deep neural network that learns a continuous signed distance function (SDF) for scene geometry, conditioned on fused multi-sensor feature representations. The network seamlessly merges multi-modal data into a unified implicit representation, enabling precise and watertight surface reconstruction. We conduct extensive experiments on 3D datasets, demonstrating superior accuracy compared to single-sensor baselines and classical fusion methods. Quantitative and qualitative results reveal that multi-sensor fusion significantly improves reconstruction completeness and geometric detail, while our implicit approach provides smooth, high-resolution surfaces. Additionally, we analyze the influence of the number and diversity of sensors on reconstruction quality, the model’s ability to generalize to unseen data, and computational considerations. Our work highlights the potential of coupling deep implicit representations with multi-sensor fusion to achieve robust 3D reconstruction in challenging real-world conditions. Full article

The present work addresses the critical challenge of assessing building facade watertightness against wind-driven rain, a major threat to structural integrity and durability. The current evaluation methods rely heavily on standardized test outcomes, neglecting a disconnect between test conditions and real-world exposure, leading to subjective judgments. To bridge this gap, this paper developed a quantitative method linking key inspection parameters (pump pressure, water spray distance) to wind-driven rain characteristics (wind speed, rainfall intensity) in the Shanghai area using statistical return periods. The calculation process encompasses regression models that correlate extreme rainfall and wind velocity values over sub-daily intervals, as well as a method for extrapolating maximum wind velocities using wind data coinciding with rainfall events. This approach enables specification-compliant performance assessment and tailored inspection protocols, such as JGJ/T 299, EN 12155, and ASTM E547. Applied to two Shanghai buildings, the method demonstrated a robust framework for translating environmental data into actionable inspection criteria. The results show a direct correlation between test parameters and extreme weather statistics. For instance, the watertightness performance of an old building is quantitively assessed as a return period of 1.02 years, while a new office building aiming for 50-year waterproofing could be inspected at a pump pressure of 900 kPa and a spraying distance of 0.15 m using the proposed method. This paper offers a data-driven alternative to empirical assessments, enhancing reliability in facade design and regulatory compliance, and provides a scientific basis for decision-making in building maintenance and renovation. Full article

The work presented in this study aims to demonstrate the capacity of ceramic materials in the configuration of solar thermal collectors (CSTs) for the production of domestic hot water (DHW) and heating in buildings. Currently, the ceramic tile and panel manufacturing sector presents very advanced manufacturing systems at a technological level that allows the generation of pieces with high physical and mechanical performances. Especially, their high resistances to extreme temperatures and good thermal conductivities position these materials as great candidates in the field of CSTs. In addition, ceramic materials tend to be durable and corrosion resistant, which makes them a very reliable option in the long term. The results obtained in the test campaign and presented in the article confirm the capacity of ceramics to meet the basic requirements of a CST system for buildings in terms of absorption, energy performance, watertightness, and resistance to water pressure, among other aspects, and make it possible to advance new research to improve the behaviors, performances, and architectural integration of ceramic collectors. Full article

The joint of a shield tunnel segment is the weak part of tunnel, and the opening amount of the joint seriously affects the watertightness of the internal structure of the tunnel. In this experiment, a model was created with ANSYS, the fluid–solid coupling effect of the seawater and seabed was considered using the SuperFLUSH/2D 6.0 software, and the local site effect was considered by free-field seismic response analysis. Considering the structure and stress characteristics of the shield tunnel in conjunction with the marine area, earthquake research on shield tunnel culverts was conducted using lateral and longitudinal beam–spring models. The main focus of this article is to study the earthquake resistance of shield tunnel joints under extreme seismic excitation (SL-2) in complex marine environments. The results indicated that in the lateral analysis, under varying soil layer conditions, the diameter deformation rates for sections 1 and 2 using high-strength bolts were 1.752% and 1.334%, respectively, while the joint-opening amounts were 0.515 mm and 0.387 mm, respectively. This suggests that locations with thicker silt layers exhibit larger joint-opening amounts and are more susceptible to deformation. In the longitudinal analysis, when bolt strength varied, the maximum joint-opening ranged from 4.706 mm to 6.507 mm, and the maximum dislocation ranged from 0.625 mm to 1.326 mm. The deformation rule of the joint bolts followed the pattern that higher stiffness led to smaller deformation, whereas poorer geological conditions resulted in larger deformation. Therefore, the interface between soft and hard strata is a weak point in the longitudinal seismic resistance of the shield tunnel structure. The conclusions of this study can supplement the seismic research on shield tunnels in the marine areas of nuclear power plants. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accurate patient-specific dosimetry is essential for optimizing radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), but current tools lack validation in clinically realistic conditions. This work aimed to develop a workflow for designing and fabricating patient-derived, organ-realistic RPT phantoms and evaluate their feasibility for commissioning patient-specific RPT radioactivity quantification. Methods: We used computed tomographic (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of representative patients, computer-aided design, and in-house 3D printing technology to design and fabricate anthropomorphic kidney and parotid phantoms with realistic organ spacing, anatomically correct orientation, and surrounding tissue heterogeneities. We evaluated the fabrication process via geometric verification (i.e., volume comparisons) and leak testing (i.e., dye penetration tests). Clinical feasibility testing involved injecting known radioactivities of ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617 into the parotid and kidney cortex phantom chambers and acquiring SPECT/CT images. MIM SurePlan MRT SPECTRA Quant software (v7.1.2) reconstructed the acquired SPECT projections into a quantitative SPECT image and we evaluated the accuracy by region-based comparison to the known injected radioactivities and determined recovery coefficients for each organ phantom. Results: Phantom fabrication costs totaled < USD 250 and required <84 h. Geometric verification showed a slight systematic expansion (<10%) from the representative patient anatomy and leak testing confirmed watertightness of fillable chambers. Quantitative SPECT imaging systematically underestimated the injected radioactivity (mean error: −17.0 MBq; −13.2%) with recovery coefficients ranging from 0.82 to 0.93 that were negatively correlated with the surface-area-to-volume ratio. Conclusions: Patient-derived, 3D-printed fillable phantoms are a feasible, cost-effective tool to support commissioning and quality assurance for patient-specific RPT dosimetry. The results of this work will support other centers and clinics implementing patient-specific RPT dosimetry by providing the tools needed to comprehensively evaluate accuracy in clinically relevant geometries. Looking forward, widespread accurate patient-specific RPT dosimetry will improve our understanding of RPT dose response and enable personalized RPT dosing to optimize patient outcomes. Full article