Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a digitalization tool that is widely adopted in construction industry. BIM has now been essential in various countries; for example, new UK BIM standards require asset owners to keep and maintain building information. BIM adopts an interoperable concept that benefits the whole life-cycle assessment (LCA) and circularity of the built environments. Its...
Knowledge and awareness of traffic regulations play an important role in the reduction of traffic accidents, especially among the younger generations. This study was conducted to evaluate the traffic awareness and behavior of students, academic staff, and workers at the German Jordanian University in Amman, Jordan. In order to achieve the aim of this study, a survey was constructed and sent...
The situation and tendencies of organic nano-photovoltaics will be reviewed from the point of view of circular economy.
Organic photovoltaics offers many advantages as compared to the inorganic one, as, e.g., green production, recyclability, cheap manufactory, advanced design possibilities for incorporation into green houses, and many more.
We will give a concise overview of organic...
Increasing urbanization trends led to a growing concern regarding human health risks linked to the long-time exposure to poor indoor air quality. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and benzene are the most significant pollutants in indoor environments due to the relative high number of sources that contribute to increase their concentration in interiors if compared to...
The concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained increasing attention in recent years, also in the context of the built environment. Different CE strategies for new buildings (such as reusing structures, Design for Disassembly/Adaptability, etc.) have been discussed in literature, but a clear definition and framework is lacking. This can limit the possibility of assessing the environmental...
The built environment is responsible for around 50% of the total extraction of raw materials. Furthermore, 25% of all waste in the European Union is construction and demolition waste, which comprises numerous materials that still have the potential for reuse and recycling. Due to the planet's finite reserves of raw materials, transitioning towards a circular approach in the built environment...
The source of energy, which is the primary input of production, is an essential determinant of environmental degradation. Today, because environmental degradation has reached alarming levels, it has become necessary to take precautions on a global scale. Research is being carried out to investigate measures that will reduce CO2 emissions. This research investigated whether R&D investments and...
This paper investigates the response of the road pavement of a road sector analyzed to the traffic load that was determined numerically by using Abaqus numerical modeling software. This tool offers advanced analysis options in comparison with the normative road structure dimensioning tool. Thus, the Abaqus software allows the user to define the interfaces between layers and switch loads from...
It is well known that at a European level, a large building fund must be retrofitted by 2050 to meet the climate and energy targets defined by a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions up to 80 - 95% compared to 1990 levels. In this regard, the proposed recast of the energy performance directive defines a new path: going from nearly Zero Energy Buildings to Zero Emission Buildings for...
This study addresses the burgeoning issue of urban transportation-induced air pollution, focusing specifically on its repercussions in Amman, Jordan. Given the profound implications for both environmental and public health, it is critical to illuminate the interplay between urban mobility and air quality. This study thereby seeks to evaluate the impacts of urban transportation on air quality...
The urban circular economy is a highly effective approach to both waste management and the utilization of resources. Many cities have already adopted best practices based on circular economy principles. However, implementing such practices requires multi-stakeholder engagement, new business models, and collaboration between cities. Some successful strategies exist, ranging from urban...
One of the effective ways to increase the efficiency of the circular economy is the reuse of existing structures and parts of buildings or extending the life cycle of existing buildings. Assessing the technical condition of existing systems is the basis for reliable and safe operation, both of structures and buildings as a whole. Ukrainian researchers have over 30 years of experience creating,...
Prefabricated buildings have started attracting significant interest, not only for the various, well-known advantages but also for their significant potential to support an efficient circular economy framework in the building and construction sector. This potential is mainly due to their ability to reuse, implement deconstruction or disassembly schemes at the end of their life, and allow easy...
The aspect of the structural systems with constructively distinct anti-seismic devices with different amortization characteristics consists in the fact that it is necessary to assess the compound amortization for the entire functional assembly.
This paper presents the results of the research on the determination of the compound amortization when antiseismic devices have distinct values of the...
When an RC (a contraction for reinforced concrete) structure is prone to a very high temperature, the structure severely deteriorates; the reasons for this are: a) the degradation in the products of the cement hydration, b) the production of vapor’s pressure, and c) the incompatible change in the volumes of the components of concrete when the temperature is higher than 500°C. Nevertheless, the...
Currently, the world is hotly discussing the implementation of the principles of a circular economy, including in the construction industry. Broadly speaking, the concept of a circular economy aims to close the loop and return resources back into the system, thereby minimizing waste and maximizing value. These goals coincide with sustainable construction processes, which aim to reduce waste...
The concept of circular economy has become an important topic nowadays. This paper provides a brief literature review that introduces sustainability and the circular economy by presenting their origins and their conceptual definitions. In accordance with the above-mentioned, the standards applied in Serbia are enumerated. In April 2020, the Roadmap for Circular Economy in Serbia, the first...
The development of public awareness of sustainable development is the first desired response to the overwhelming environmental impact of human activities. Understanding that industrial activities, such as mining and metallurgy, have so far favored mass production over a balance with natural resources is the first step in shifting toward concepts such as the circular economy. The concept aims...
Circular economy approaches are increasingly important for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Circular healthcare allows reducing waste generation and minimising the exposure to harmful chemicals in the healthcare sector. However, research in this field is scarce. This paper aims to investigate the key components of circular economy strategies in healthcare and highlight their potential...
Circular economy concept has gained a significant attention in recent years as an ideal approach to resource management and waste reduction. The principles of circular economy have emerged as a promising framework to minimize environmental impacts and maximize resource efficiency throughout the entire life cycle of a building. To effectively assess and monitor the progress towards circularity...
In the contemporary world, digitalisation and technology have been transforming cities. Many technology companies have been collaborating with governments to construct smart cities that promise sustainability. However, sustainability challenges in cities keep rising. In this paper, we focus on and link these two trends: smart cities and sustainability, by focusing on the potentials and...
a significant number of inefficient built environments are at risk of abandonment. In response to this, there is a growing need for strategies that facilitate the renovation of existing buildings, with a specific focus on incorporating renewable energies and solar energy. This study explains the advantages of involving the Public, Private, and People sectors (PPPP) to achieve sustainable urban...
The transition to more circular practices in the building sector offers an alternative path to the dominant linear, highly polluting and wasteful processes. To better understand the full impact of building materials and buildings over their lifetime and beyond, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies have been an area of interest and a growing body of knowledge over the past three decades....
An essential part of the solution to reduce building-related carbon emissions and improving energy resiliency is the integration of renewable energy sources in buildings to achieve net-zero, diversifying building energy sources [1]. Renewable building integration is typically achieved with photovoltaic (PV) panels which convert about 20% of the solar radiation reaching panels into electricity...
It is apparent nowadays that, in order to meet the goal of climate neutrality and to increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, an overall energy transition should be initiated and steered. The major challenge is not just to focus on the further development of the various renewables in isolation, but also to consider the potential of the efficient utilization of the...
Our research focuses on the reutilization of construction materials and how we could foster growth in this sector. It deals with the specific case of the reuse sector around Strasbourg, France, providing a comprehensive overview of the local landscape. Indeed, the research was conducted in partnership with the School of Architecture of Strasbourg, the City of Strasbourg, and an engineering...
The selection of materials, design principles, construction methods, operational effectiveness, and end-of-life management are just a few of the many factors that need to be considered to conduct an efficient circularity assessment of new buildings. The absence of a consistent methodology encompassing all important requirements for materials and design currently poses a challenge for...
Abstract. The construction industry is undergoing a significant transformation driven by digitalization and an unwavering commitment to implementing Circular Economy (CE) principles and sustainability into its core practices.
Digitalization, particularly Building Information Modelling (BIM), one of the most well-established methodologies, has become the basis for increasing building...
The construction industry is undergoing a significant transformation driven by digitalizationandan unwavering commitment to implementing principles of Circular Economy (CE) and sustainability into its core practices. Within the framework of the EU’sdigitalization action plan, the construction industry is fervently pursuing digitalization as a primary goal.
Digitalization, particularly...
3D printing has emerged as a promising technique for the construction industry, in the context of Industry 4.0. Such a technique can enable the fabrication of complex concrete structures with improved efficiency and design freedom. Concrete mixtures for 3D printing exhibit unique rheological and mechanical properties. Several important properties, such as extrudability, printability,...
This article brings into consideration the possibility of intervention on an existing structure by adding secondary structural elements, equipped with viscous fluid dampers. The proposed goal is that the intervention is mini-mally invasive in terms of the use of the building during the execution. The herewith article analyses the ability of viscous fluid devices to fight against the effects of...
In an effort to mitigate climate changes the construction industry is steered towards a more responsible approach regarding production and design methods. The environmental impact of a structure must be lowered from the design phase by using reliable design approaches and choosing the production and construction process which limits as much as possible the carbon footprint. The purlins are...
Wood's rise in popularity as a construction material is driven by its positive environmental impact and favorable material properties, such as its high strength-to-mass ratio, low thermal conductivity, and renewable nature. This shift towards wood as a construction material is a response to concerns over the carbon footprint and environmental harm caused by traditional materials like steel and...
The circular economy has emerged as a powerful solution to address pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges within urban contexts. As urban areas continue to grow and face increasing resource demands, it is crucial to adopt sustainable practices that promote resource efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance the overall well-being of urban communities. This study aims to evaluate the...
The building environment has been the focus of energy and environmental debates and policies, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet targets by 2050 and improve energy security has motivated a large body of studies on energy efficiency and environmental impacts associated with buildings. Improvement in energy and environmental performance requires innovative research, new...
The expansion of human settlements has reached maximum levels during the last few years and the construction industry is facing new challenges every day. One of these is the necessity of evaluating or even improving the slope stability of certain sites. There are different types of methods which are commonly known for helping in this regard, such as limit equilibrium methods, slip line...
Within a transportation organization, an efficient research center can significantly contribute to the realization of overarching objectives. Consistent evaluation of such research centers is paramount in assessing if allocated research funds are being optimally utilized, thereby retaining managerial backing. This research aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Wyoming Department of...
Nature-based solutions are increasingly being implemented to increased sustainability and resiliency of urban spaces. Amongst the solutions available for buildings, green roofs are probably the most used and studied. Within the range of benefits associated with green roofs, several studies addressed the carbon emissions associated with the: i) direct CO2 exchanges between the plants and...
Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) demonstrate very promising potential in unlocking the plentiful wind resource in deep-water oceans. Meanwhile, the combination of the harsh marine environment and strong dynamics complicate the long-term deterioration of FOWT-supporting towers, specifically the escalating corrosion fatigue (C-F) coupled deterioration in critical connections. Unlike...
Cold-formed steel composite floors are lightweight systems whose use increased in the last few decades. According to the design guidelines, the frequency of floor systems should be more than 4 Hz while in the case of light steel floors, the natural frequency of the system should be in the high frequency range above 8 Hz. The main focus of this paper is to investigate the vibration performances...
Humanity in our days is fighting with climate change effects and the depletion of natural resources. In this direction, the adoption of sustainable and circular practices is considered vital and in most cases is prescribed by regulations. The construction sector is responsible for massive amounts of energy consumed during the extraction of raw materials, the production of building materials,...
The study aims to propose the integration of Axiomatic Design (AD) and Design Structure Matrix (DSM) approaches to support and track decision-making in the design of reversible buildings and show potential implications for the development of a BIM tool. In architecture, design concepts to support changes in buildings and extend components’ lifespan were initially formalized by J. Habraken...
Climatic characteristics have always been one of the significant influencing parameters that have been considered in constructions in Iranian vernacular architecture during history. Iranian vernacular architecture is based on using locally available materials which are also more adapted to the climate. Even though the topics related to the circular economy and material conservation...
Purpose: Focusing on the Swiss real estate development universe, the research is addressing a threefold paradigm shift towards the circular economy, impact investments and digitalisation. While traditional investments traded off sustainability impact for financial performance, the research aim is to assess the novel circular economy business models in real estate development which have...
Urban system transformation in view of sustainability is fundamental for efficient adaptation and mitigation of challenges faced by cities. Sustainable urban transitions, under the umbrella of circular economy, are key to effectively addressing future challenging scenarios and their impacts. The adoption of nature-based solutions (NBS) for circular resource management can provide beneficial...
Steel and composite shear wall systems are used for vertical stabilisation of buildings and have been widely investigated in recent decades. Such systems provide excellent shear strength and ductility while allowing material savings due to optimal material usage and an increase in construction speed. A double-skin cold-formed steel shear wall filled with concrete is an innovative composite...
To ensure an adequate safety and reliability for offshore wind turbines, their designs must be acceptable from an environmental and economic point of view. With an average lifespan of 20-25 years, many of the world’s offshore wind turbines installed during the 1990-2000s, are now reaching the end of their design lifetime. In this connection, understanding and addressing the technical...
Structural engineers are always struggling with the unpredictable complexities of the extreme vibration due to natural or human made loads. It is not possible to eliminate the vibration from structures entirely what so ever. Therefore, in order to keep the structures safe and healthy, the vibration needs to be mitigated and that can be done by adopting passive, active or semi-active type...
Significant changes in the strategic goals of the construction sector at the global level have been visible in recent years. By implementing the fundamental principles of sustainable development and circular economy, the modern construction industry tries to contribute to a healthier environment by reducing CO2 emissions, minimizing waste landfills, and preserving non-renewable natural...
Integrating living things and their intelligent capabilities at the heart of design processes, design evolves towards a creation in harmony with the surrounding nature. Therefore, the designer is led to reconsider the way he designs sustainable solutions, capable not only of integrating, but also of acting as living entities within within their ecosystem. It promotes continuous interaction...
Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) has, over the past years, become an appealing choice as a reinforcement for concrete structures, primarily because of their good resistance to chemicals and weathering. Basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) is the latest FRP material considered as reinforcement for concrete although it is not currently included as a design option in European design standards...
The studied one-family building is located in the heritage protection area, which is represented as a homogeneous historic old city center.The case study building is located in the Võru city in South-Eastern Estonia and is the example of the 19. and 20. century construction periods and different architectural styles.
The aim of the research is applying circular economy principles on the case...
Over the last decade, growing environmental concerns and the prospect of resource scarcity have stimulated interest in the circular economy (CE) concept. The construction industry plays an important role in the global economy. It is important to identify barriers to adopting circular economy practices in this industry because of its environmental footprint.
This research is handled through...
Over the last decade, growing environmental concerns and the prospect of resource scarcity have stimulated interest in the circular economy (CE) concept. The construction industry plays an important role in the global economy. It is important to identify barriers to adopting circular economy practices in this industry because of its environmental footprint.
This research is handled through...
There is a vast building stock of existing buildings and the exchange rate is low. ( our to 1 % per Year).
Therefore there is very strong need to deal with the existing building stock in respect to circularity. The effect of ( new) regulations and standards on this volume is therefore crucial to meet the targets of circularity, CO2 and sustainability overall. The effect of new released...
The twin transition towards the circular economy and digitalization is widely acknowledged and endorsed by policies and academia. However, there is a significant gap in the existing literature regarding the utilization of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and related technologies, such as City Information Modeling (CIM), for evaluating and assessing the circularity of buildings and the built...
A Parametric study is carried out in this research to study the temperature and thermal stresses distributions in Roller Compacted Concreter (RCC) dams. The RCC placement temperature, the Modulus of Elasticity, tensile strain capacity, placement schedule of RCC layers, number of layers, and thickness of each layer will all be considered in the analysis.
The Metolong Dam Project in South...
Shunted piezoelectric systems needed a careful optimal design in order to have the required performance. This performance is referred to the damping of critical eigenvalues of the host structure and can be tuned by computational experiments. The model of the electromechanical system is usually based on finite elements and is created using Multiphysics finite element codes. Numerical global...
Earthquakes have been hitting man-made constructions since immemorial time. In recent history, with modern seismic regulations, engineers try to prevent the seismic collapse of buildings with mixed results. Although seismic engineering theory is very advanced, in construction practice there are still many shortcomings and there is still a long way to go. One of the cases in which not...
Construction is considered one of the most environmentally sensitive industries that should adopt and encourage sustainable development practices (Mahmoud & Beheiry, 2021). The construction sector is currently responsible for at least 37 percent of global emissions, 40% of Energy consumption, 50% of Raw materials extraction, 21% Use of potable water, and 18 Million job positions (EU). ...
The transition towards a Circular economy (CE) stands as a pivotal strategy in reshaping our prevailing consumption patterns towards more sustainable resource management. Within this context, the European Union (EU) places a strong emphasis on elevating recycling and renovation rates while reducing dependence on primary resources, with a particular focus on the construction industry in the...
Abstract. The transition towards a Circular Economy (CE) stands as a pivotal strategy in reshaping our prevailing consumption patterns towards more sus-tainable resource management. Within this context, the European Union places a strong emphasis on elevating recycling and renovation rates while reducing dependence on primary resources, with a particular focus on the construction industry....
Improving the thermal properties of materials used in buildings is crucial to reducing energy demand and consumption. This study investigated the use of textile fiber waste in cement-based composites for construction applications. Mechanical and thermal characterizations were carried out to assess the behavior of cement mortars with different percentages of two types of textile fibers after 7...
It has become increasingly important to use sustainability design and construction techniques in order to contribute to an environmentally conscious construction industry on a global scale. Furthermore, BIM can be used to facilitate better energy management, material and method optimisation, and reduce LCC environmental footprint.
This paper aims to explore the profound impact of using...
One of the major motivations behind the effort for the transition from linear models to circular ones in the building sector is related to the need for the minimization of resources depletion. Water holds a prominent position among those resources, with the urgency for the adoption of measures aiming at its efficient and effective use being magnified by the advancing climatic change. The...
