Building Research Articles

Assessment of Knowledge and Fire Safety Preparedness among Employees at Shopping Malls in Lusaka District

Fire disasters in public buildings continue to raise major concerns about the safety of individuals who occupy thesebuildings, as well as the customers. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and fire safetypreparedness among employees of shopping malls in Lusaka district. This study employed cross sectional descriptivedesign, with quantitative methods. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from 83 respondents(employees) who were purposively sampled from six shopping malls in Lusaka. Collected data was analysed usingdescriptive statistics. The findings revealed that employees’ levels of knowledge on fire safety preparedness is low.Further, that there is low or lack of implementation of practices aimed at ensuring fire safety. The study therefore,recommends that employees in public buildings be trained on how to ensure fire safety and appropriate responses incase of fire. Moreso, fire safety plans should always be displayed to the public.

Assessment of Scaffolding Systems in Addis Ababa Public Building Projects; Current Practice, Related Problems, and Potential Solutions

Assessment of Scaffolding Systems in Addis Ababa Public Building Projects; Current Practice, Related Problems, and Potential Solutions

DEFINITION OF THE RECONSTRUCTION METHOD OF A PUBLIC BUILDING OR STRUCTURE

A systematic approach to the organization and management of various types of work within a particular industry is what makes the research relevant, including the creation of a well-established method for selecting methodological solutions. The various industries that make up the structure of the national economy have certain distinctive features. Construction, as one of the most complex industries from an organizational and technological point of view, is of particular interest to study. The various types and areas of activity in its composition define narrow areas of research. The definition of the reconstruction method as an integral part of the organizational and technological system is a serious and urgent task of urban planning. The construction of new buildings and structures for cultural, educational purposes and spiritual and ethical education is currently carried out much less frequently than residential buildings. Accordingly, it is often necessary to reconstruct buildings and structures that have already been built. The reconstruction process includes a significant number of types of work, has its own specifics that distinguish it from new construction. The choice of the method of reconstruction of a public building or structure involves making decisions based on the established tasks for each specific object of reconstruction. The article considers the concept of reconstruction, systematizes the tasks of reconstruction of public buildings and structures, develops an algorithm for choosing a reconstruction method, and considers the factors that determine decision-making at certain stages of work.

Output-only response migration method of single-layer reticulated shells based on generative adversarial network

As an important form of important public building roofs, single-layer latticed shells (SLRSs) are equipped with health monitoring systems (SHMs) to collect extensive data to study their complex response characteristics. For SLRSs without structural SHMs, limited response data can only be obtained through on-site measurements, which limits the further application of data-driven machine learning methods on SLRSs. Based on the measured actual response, a traditional generative network can generate fake responses similar to the actual responses to expand the existing response dataset. However, this method is not subject to enough constraints, leading to a small portion of the generated fake responses do not match the actual situation. This paper proposes a response migration method to expand the response dataset of SLRS. Firstly, the output-only response migration method for SLRS is proposed, utilizing frequency domain responses from two different response domains to expand the responses of the actual SLRS through response migration. Then, more constraints are applied to the response migration process to reduce the occurrence of abnormal fake responses through cycle consistency generation adversarial network (GAN). The adaptive response migration generation adversarial network (ARMGAN) is proposed based on cycle consistency GAN, which can automatically select networks with better migration performance. Finally, two numerical spherical SLRS examples and an engineering example are used to verify the proposed method. The responses migrated through ARMGAN have characteristics similar to the actual responses, and ARMGAN can significantly reduce abnormal fake responses.

Ottoman Bazaars in Anatolia and the Balkans

Bazaars were spaces that formed the center of the cities during the Ottoman period, had a certain order, and were shaped spatially and architecturally depending on the geographical-topographical characteristics and commercial potential of each city. Proximity to the citadels, connection with city gates and main roads, relations with Friday mosque and other public buildings in the city were the main factors shaping the bazaar spatially. In bazaars, where bedesten and khans, and in some cases covered bazaar-arastas, appeared on a building scale, shops that lined on open or covered streets formed the architecture of the bazaar. In addition to these, the sovereignty and order established by the state over trade during the Ottoman period, the institution of waqf, and the guilds of tradesmen also played a decisive role in the bazaar. With the bazaars examined, it is concluded that while administrative and commercial influences in the shaping of bazaars in Anatolian and Balkan cities during the Ottoman period created bazaar spaces with similar qualities, urban inputs led to the differentiation of bazaars in terms of scale, spatial and architectural qualities.

Using BIM and LCA to Calculate the Life Cycle Carbon Emissions of Inpatient Building: A Case Study in China

Hospital buildings provide healthcare services at the costs of significant amounts of energy consumption and carbon emissions, further exacerbating the environmental load. Because of the limited research on the life cycle carbon emissions of Chinese hospitals, this study conducted a detailed carbon-accounting and comparative study. Firstly, BIM and LCA were used to quantify the carbon emissions of the inpatient building in each stage of the life cycle. Secondly, the differences in carbon emissions by stage were compared on the basis of 20 cases of public buildings. The results show that the whole-life carbon emissions of the inpatient building was 10,459.94 kgCO2/m2. The proportion of operational carbon emissions was 94.68%, with HVAC (52.57%), equipment (27.85%), and lighting (10.11%) being the main sources. Embodied carbon emissions accounted for 4.54%, and HRB400 steel and C30 concrete were the main sources of carbon emissions. Hospitals are second only to emporiums in terms of operational carbon intensity, being 1.71 and 1.41 times that of schools and office buildings, with inpatient buildings being 3 and 1.7 times that of medical complexes and outpatient buildings, respectively. The future sustainable development of hospital buildings should promote efficient building performance and good environmental quality, both in terms of energy efficiency and carbon reduction.

Benefits of Integrating Green Architecture in Public Buildings within the Savannah Region of Nigeria

This study examines the benefits of integrating green architecture into public buildings in the savannah region of Nigeria. The study emphasizes the region's unique climatic conditions, characterized by high temperatures and significant diurnal variations, and explores how green architecture can mitigate environmental challenges and enhance building efficiency. Key benefits identified include reduced energy consumption through natural cooling and ventilation, improved indoor air quality, and enhanced occupant comfort. The implementation of sustainable building materials and practices is discussed, highlighting their potential to reduce the carbon footprint and operational costs of public buildings. Additionally, the review addresses socio-economic impacts, such as job creation in green construction and long-term cost savings for government facilities. By synthesizing existing research, the paper aims to provide an understanding of how green architecture can promote environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and improved public health in the savannah region of Nigeria.

Fire Endurance of Spherical Concrete Domes Exposed to Standard Fire

Fire is considered a common hazard for civil structures. Public and administrative buildings are commonly designed by considering the standard fire rating and, in many cases, contain large compartments with central domes, in which fire growth can be significant. Moreover, tanks and underground fortified structures may be constructed as domes to support the heavy soil above. This paper numerically addressed such a case. First, an axisymmetric finite element model was developed and validated to predict the dome’s transient, thermal, structural, and thermal-structural behavior. Next, the model was used to conduct a parametric study to investigate the effects of the dome ring reinforcement, thickness, stiffness, central angle, base restraints, load type (external pressure or gravitational), and load ratio on the fire endurance of the dome. Design recommendations to increase the fire endurance of concrete domes were formulated based on the parametric study.

Health burden and costs attributable to the carbon footprint of the health sector in the European Union

BackgroundThe healthcare sector has an environmental impact of around 4.6% of global CO2 emissions, contributing to aggravating the climate crisis. However, the impact of the health sector’s emissions on human health is not regularly assessed. We aim to estimate the health burden and associated costs of the health sector’s carbon footprint within the European Union (EU). MethodsWe calculated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and associated costs based on human health damage factors (DALYs/kg-CO2e) by considering four scenarios. Three scenarios for shared socioeconomic pathways (S1 – high growth, S2 − baseline, and S3 − low growth) represented variations of global society, demographics, and economics until 2100. A fourth scenario (S4) considered the current EU’s 55% reduction goal of greenhouse gas emissions. The healthcare sector’s emissions per capita (in CO2-equivalent) in 2019 were extracted from the Lancet Countdown, and population data were retrieved from Eurostat for the same year. ResultsIn the EU, 365,047 DALYs (95%CI: 194,692–535,403) are expected to be caused by the health sector’s emissions at baseline (S2). In an S1 scenario, the burden would slightly decrease to 316,374 DALYs (95%CI: 170,355–462,393), whereas a S3 scenario would increase 486,730 DALYs (95%CI: 243,365–681,422). If EU’s carbon goals are met, the burden could be substantially reduced to 164,271 DALYs (95%CI: 87,611–240,931). Costs can amount to 25.6 billion euros, when considering DALYs monetisation. ConclusionCO2 emissions from the health sector are expected to significantly impact human health. Therefore, it is important to ensure that EU climate policies for public buildings are in line with the Paris Agreement, increase funding for climate mitigation programs within the healthcare sector, and review clinical practices at the local level.

Evaluating rooftop rainwater harvesting potential to satisfy urban water demand in Hosaena City, South Central Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The assessment of the rainwater harvesting (RWH) potential in Hosaena City from medium to large public buildings is the main objective of the study. ArcGIS with Google Earth Pro was used to calculate the rooftop area of the selected building, and RWH from each category of public buildings was evaluated by considering rooftop areas, monthly rainfall, and runoff coefficient. The result shows that the highest amount of rainwater was harvested from the City Administration building in August (197.1 m3), whereas the lowest was collected from the Health Center building in December (1.8 m3). Additionally, the contribution of RWH from individual public buildings for each month was evaluated, and its values ranged from 0.073 to 1.8%. The comparison shows that Wachemo University, Nigist Eleni Comprehensive Hospital, a technical and vocational institute, and teacher training center buildings, could have a significant potential for rainwater storage, ranging from 1.56 to 28.41%. This implies that, besides saving a noteworthy volume of potable water, the excess rainwater can be stored and utilized for the later dry months. As a result, it is recommended that rooftop RWH in Hosaena be the best source of the city's water supply system to reduce the current water supply shortage.

Study on prestress distribution and structural performance of heptagonal six-five-strut alternated cable dome with inner hole

The cable dome structure is a highly efficient prestressed space structure with reasonable force, attractive shape, and large spanning capacity. It is increasingly widely used in stadiums, exhibition halls, terminals, and other large-scale public buildings and the roof structure of various transport hub projects. To solve the problem of weak overall structural stability of the traditional cable dome structure, a new type of prestressed space structure is proposed - heptagonal six-five-strut alternated cable dome with an inner hole. The composition of the structural system was given and a theoretical study of the distribution of structural prestress was carried out; based on the symmetry and periodicity conditions, the initial prestress distribution of the structure was accurately calculated using the node balance method, and the formulae for the geometric parameters of the structural cable-strut were derived; the numerical model was established by using the finite element software ANSYS 2022 R1, and the force characteristics of the structure under full-span uniform load, half span uniform live load, wind load, and temperature were studied. The effects of structural prestress, overall shape, and support stiffness, totaling three categories and six parameters, on the structural mechanical performance of the internal force of the member, node displacement, and support reaction force were analysed in detail and the sensitivity of the parameters is assessed quantitatively, accordingly, the values of the main design parameters such as thick-span ratio are given as suggestions. The analysis results show that the new structural system has a high load-carrying capacity and deformation resistance, and its proposal provides a new scheme and new ideas for the selection and design of the cable dome.

The role and benefits of storage systems in distributed solar PV generation on public buildings in Brazil

This paper proposes a method for assessing the energy and economic impacts provided by the adoption of battery energy storage (BESS) in public buildings with integrated photovoltaic (PV) systems under current legislation. The method is applicable to prosumer units (PU) connected on the medium voltage grid and is based on techniques for measuring the electric energy demand and the surplus PV energy injected by the PU into the grid. Empirical data, including ambient temperature and solar irradiation, were employed to assess the solar radiation resource. In BESS simulations, PU power flows were utilized. The BESS defined operation (charging/discharging schedules) was aimed at the maximum use of the surplus PV energy and the largest reduction in electricity expenses (energy arbitrage). The suggested methodology was applied to a case study of a public building PU in Brazil. The results showed that, during peak hours, the adoption of the BESS would provide a 100 % reduction in measured power demands and consumed energy with a significant annual injection of power in the utility grid. During off-peak hours, the annual self-consumption of the PU would increase by nearly 30 %. This outcome underscores the benefits associated with time-of-use billing structure for public PU + BESS. Approximately 85 % of the total energy required to charge the BESS would be originated from the surplus of PV energy. The remaining 15 % would be supplemented by the utility grid. The findings show that currently, the insertion of BESS would not present financial attractiveness. However, it is anticipated that BESS costs will drop during the next few years. A sensitivity analysis was carried out which concluded that for a cost of US$408 (expected value for 2025) the BESS would present financial attractiveness.

Multi-objective integrated optimization of geothermal heating system with energy storage using digital twin technology

Heat energy storage technology plays a significant role in energy systems, and the various technological solutions brought about by digitalization are especially valuable in the field of energy storage. This article proposes an innovative model based on digital twin technology to solve the supply–demand mismatch problem in geothermal heating systems. This model achieves multi-objective optimization of comprehensive cost, geothermal energy utilization rate, and carbon emission by constructing a heat storage geothermal heating system. Digital twin technology integrates data and information models of public buildings and facilitates their sharing and transmission throughout the entire lifecycle of the geothermal heating system. Initially, the proposed method employs a machine learning-based approach to accurately predict heating demand. Subsequently, the operation of the heat storage water tank and heat pump units is optimized to resolve difficulties in matching energy supply and demand. Finally, the method takes full advantage of time-of-use electricity pricing policies to reduce costs. The data utilized were collected from an office building in China over a period of six months. Experimental results demonstrate that: (1) In terms of predicting heating demand, the improved neural network proposed in this study achieved a prediction accuracy of 98%, which is a 10% improvement over comparative algorithms. Additionally, the experimental comparison of four types of errors showed that the machine learning method proposed had smaller errors across the board. (2) The method realized collaborative multi-objective optimization, and in five scenarios, the comprehensive performance index increased by up to 38.03% compared to the benchmark system. This indicates that intelligent technology is an effective means of enhancing the energy sustainability of geothermal heating systems, and the use of geothermal energy as a clean energy source effectively addresses issues related to the storage, utilization, management, and energy conservation of buildings.

Carbon emissions path of public buildings based on LEAP model in Changsha city (China)

China is currently the world's top carbon emitter due to the acceleration of urbanization, the rapid growth of energy consumption and the rise in carbon emissions, with the construction industry leading the three energy sectors in terms of emission reduction potential. Among the various sectors, the construction industry holds immense potential for emission reduction, with public buildings playing a crucial role. In China, the expansion of public building spaces is closely linked to the pace of urbanization and contributes to a rising share of total building area. Public buildings, characterized by high energy usage, offer a great opportunity for energy conservation and emission reduction. Changsha is experiencing rapid growth and change, and the city is becoming more industrialized and urbanized, which leads to a prominent contradiction between energy supply and demand. There is also great potential for energy conservation and emission reduction in public buildings. Additionally, Changsha is an important node city in the Yangtze River urban agglomeration and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is a typical area that has hot summer and cold winter, thus Changsha is selected as the research case to examine the carbon emission path of public buildings. The primary influencing factors of carbon emissions of public buildings in Changsha City are determined by using the LMDI factor decomposition method addition model. The scenario analysis method is adopted to set the two energy consumption forecast scenarios, which are the baseline scenario and the green scenario. Based on LEAP model and GREAT framework structure, the LEAP prediction model is constructed to predict the carbon emissions of public buildings in Changsha City from 2021 to 2035. The Baseline scenario indicates that while carbon emissions from public buildings in Changsha continue to rise, they are expected to decline starting in 2030. The peak carbon emission of 34.279 million tons of CO2 is predicted for 2032. In contrast, the Green scenario reveals a significantly slower growth rate in carbon emissions from public buildings, with the peak carbon emission projected to reach 27.054 million tons in 2030. This aligns with China's national goal. The findings of this study support the accuracy of the long-term prediction of the model, and offer recommendations for energy conservation and emission reduction in Changsha. This study also provides an example and certain guidance for other provinces and cities that have similar development models and climate conditions. Pertinent development strategies serve as a point of reference for other typical hot summer and cold winter regions.

Penerapan Sertifikasi Laik Fungsi Terhadap Bangunan Publik di Kota Banda Aceh

Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is a certificate issued by the Regional Government for a building that has been completed and has met the requirements for the proper occupancy of the building, which is also applied to public buildings in Banda Aceh. The problem of this research is whether the building owner/user knows about CO and whether the building owner/user already knows about the implementation of CO in accordance with the law. This study aims to investigate the owner/users knowledge on CO and to determine the owner/users of the building knowledge about the application of CO in accordance with the law. The data collection technique was carried out by distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents, namely owners/users of public buildings in Banda Aceh. The variables used in this study are architectural components, structural, mechanical, electrical, outdoor layout, and the reliability of buildings to public buildings. The results of the factor analysis show that the correlation between a variable and the factors formed is > 0.5, so the factors formed have a relationship to summarize the six variables which has been analyzed. The results of the validity test of the r-table value of 0.197 meet the requirements of rcount > r table. The reliability test results qualify with Cronbach's Alpha value greater than 0.6. The results of descriptive analysis show that the frequency of building owners who know about CO is 6% and building users who know about CO is 2%, while the frequency of owners who know about the application of CO in accordance with the law is 2% and users who know about the application of CO are in accordance with the law is 1%. This indicates that there are still many users/owners of public buildings in Banda Aceh who do not know about CO and do not understand about the application of CO in accordance with the law. Therefore, the Banda Aceh Government needs to disseminate information about the implementation of CO, especially to owners of public buildings.

Analysis of Art Museum Design under the Concept of Sustainable Development

With the rapid growth of economy and urbanization, the development of cities has gradually focused on promoting the culture and image of cities and meeting the spiritual needs of the people. Therefore, cultural public buildings play an important role in urban development. However, the process of urbanization has led to the gradual saturation of urban architectural space. Cultural public buildings must not only meet the development requirements of cities, but also have the sustainability of development advocated by society and the diversity of use functions. On this basis, this article takes spatialism as a design approach and urban art gallery space as a design carrier to summarize the characteristics of green, low-carbon and sustainable development pursued by urban development under the spatialism design idea. This article discusses the overall situation from large to small, from far to near, summarizes the corresponding design ideas, and uses a large number of cases to support the relevant design ideas, aiming to explore the research on the architectural space design of art galleries that is both in line with the sustainability of urban development and in line with the aesthetics of modern people in architectural space.

Building renovation between CAM and Superbonus: limitations and prospects for mass retrofitting

This paper reflects on the results of the recent technical policy for energy requalification in Italy, focusing on both the European objectives of decarbonisation, circularity and industrialisation of the sector, and the size and characteristics of demand. Starting from the comparison between the two main models of efficiency of the public and private building stock, based respectively on the Minimum Environmental Criteria and the Superbonus, the study examines the effectiveness and limitations of the measures for private construction, which constitutes the majority share of the entire Italian building stock. The study identifies the Energiesprong model as a possible way to improve the management and quality of energy requalification interventions capable of expanding their effectiveness beyond the environmental point of view.

Data-Driven and Domain Adaption Framework for Optimizing Energy Usage Forecasting in Smart Buildings Using ARIMA Model

Building energy demand and energy system supply are increasingly balanced by energy storage and short-term DSM. This is necessary due to fluctuating renewable energy supplies and rising building power use. Worldwide, structures utilize tons of energy. Greenhouse gas emissions and operational expenses decrease with construction energy efficiency. Forecasting and optimization algorithms can solve challenges, including supply chains (inventory optimization), traffic, and sustainable energy system battery/load/production scheduling for carbon-free energy generation. We often solve optimization problems that need forecasting due to uncertain future values. Predicting and optimizing are challenging; therefore, little research has been done. Our method uses building energy modeling professionals' data to forecast neighboring building types for new or unknown building types. After training, we utilize the models to estimate energy usage for the k-closest building types and combine the predictions using a weighted average. We used time-series decomposition to detect uncertainty and a hybrid model to close this gap: The concepts encode static features and predictable patterns in time-series simulation results. The model learns latent performance differences and calibrates output using outcomes and history records. Historical data predicts public building energy ARIMA use. Our method covers data processing, training, validation, and forecasting. We measured our method. Mixed integer linear optimization and ARIMA projected most accurately.

A socioeconomic framework for cultural heritage loss and rebuilding in post-war Ukraine: a case study learning from the Balkan experiences

ABSTRACT The war that has been raging in Ukraine since 24 February has claimed thousands of lives. The attacks by Russian forces on residential and public buildings have caused material damage on a scale not seen since the Second World War, in violation of existing international conventions. Military operations have also targeted Ukrainian cultural heritage. The conflict in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, which was to some extent similar, also resulted in the destruction of a large amount of immovable heritage. This article outlines promising approaches to solving the key problems of post-war heritage restoration in Ukraine, taking into account the relevant experiences of the Balkan countries. The Balkan case can provide scientific added value derived from the synthesis of the Balkan and Ukrainian experiences to increase the effectiveness of reconstruction assistance from international institutions. Practical recommendations for the establishment of an efficient post-war heritage management system are also provided.

Utilization of project support for renewable energy financing in public buildings: A solar carport feasibility example

Utilization of project support for renewable energy financing in public buildings: A solar carport feasibility example