Chinese Building Research Articles

A multilayer perceptron-based fast sunlight assessment for the conceptual design of residential neighborhoods under Chinese policy

In Chinese building codes, it is required that residential buildings receive a minimum number of hours of natural, direct sunlight on a specified winter day, which represents the worst sunlight condition in a year. This requirement is a prerequisite for obtaining a building permit during the conceptual design of a residential project. Thus, officially sanctioned software is usually used to assess the sunlight performance of buildings. These software programs predict sunlight hours based on repeated shading calculations, which is time-consuming. This paper proposed a multilayer perceptron-based method, a one-stage prediction approach, which outputs a shading time interval caused by the inputted cuboid-form building in realtime. The sunlight hours of a site can be obtained by calculating the union of the sunlight time intervals (complement of shading time interval) of all the buildings. Three numerical experiments, i.e., horizontal level and slope analysis, and simulation-based optimization are carried out; the results show that the method reduces the computation time to 1/84∼1/50 with 96.5%∼98% accuracies. A residential neighborhood layout planning plug-in for Rhino 7/Grasshopper is also developed based on the proposed model. This paper indicates that deep learning techniques can be adopted to accelerate sunlight hour simulations at the conceptual design phase.

A detection method for the ridge beast based on improved YOLOv3 algorithm

The ridge beast is a beast placed on the ridge of the roof of ancient Chinese buildings, not only has a decorative function, and has a strict hierarchical meaning, the number and form of the ridge beast placed on different levels of buildings are strictly limited. The detection technology of ridge beast decorative parts has important application value in the fields of fine 3D reconstruction of ancient buildings, historical dating and cultural and tourism services. Aiming at the problem of poor detection performance of traditional detection algorithms due to high texture similarity and poor discrimination of ridge beast, this paper proposed an improved YOLOv3 based detection algorithm for ridge beast decorative pieces. In terms of basic network improvement, local features are aggregated to the deep separable convolution internal embedding summation layer, and point convolution is used to connect the channel information of original features and aggregated features, so as to expand the receptive field and learn more diverse features. The residual structure of the feature extraction network was constructed by using the convolution, and the extraction effect of the model on the fine-grained features of the ridge beast was optimized, so that the detection accuracy was improved. In the prediction head improvement of the model, the original linear structure was reconstructed, and the extrusion and excitation modules were introduced to model the channel relationship of multi-scale feature map, which suppressed the response of interference signals and made the feature more directivity. The parallel 1 × 1 and 3 × 3 convolution are used to construct a multi-size convolution structure, which enhances the semantic information extraction ability of the model and further improves the detection effect. Experiments were conducted on the constructed ridge-beast dataset, and the results showed that the mAP of the improved algorithm can reach 86.48%, which is 3.05% higher than YOLO-v3, and the model parameters are reduced by 70%, which has a better detection performance and can provide a reference for the automated detection of ancient building components.

Experiment research on Chinese antique buildings with dual-lintel-column joint of steel and composite structures

ABSTRACT In order to study the mechanical behavior of Chinese traditional style architecture dual-lintel-column joint, typical Chinese traditional style architecture dual-lintel-column joint was selected as the model structure, specimens be adopted the steel-concrete composite structure and viscous dampers are set at the connection of lintel and column. Total 3 specimens were designed and test under fast harmonic load, including two specimens with viscous damper and one specimen without viscous damper. On the basis of experimental study, the key indexes of mechanical properties are analyzed, such as the load-displacement hysteretic curve of specimens and viscous damper, skeleton curve, load-bearing capacity and deformation performance, stiffness and strength degradation. The results indicate that mechanical properties of antique buildings dual-lintel-column subassemblages with steel and composite structures and viscous damper can significantly increase the mechanical properties, the hysteretic curve of the damping joint is plump. descending phase of skeleton curves is smoother, and the deformation capacity has been significantly improved. The carrying capacity is increased by 13.9%~14.1%, and Displacement ductility is increased by 13.0%~18.6%. The viscous damper and the dual-lintel-column subassemblages can work together, which can significantly improve the deformation performance of structures at the failure stage and enhance the collapse resistance of the structure.

Experimental performance and numerical prediction of precast prestressed concrete frames endowed with shear panel dampers

The precast prestressed efficiently fabricated frame (PPEFF) represents a rapid assembly system. However, it may possess limited energy-dissipating capacity when applied to high-rise buildings in high seismic-prone zones. To solve this problem, a precast prestressed efficiently fabricated frame with shear panel dampers (PPEFF-SPDs) is proposed in this paper. Along this vein, this study focuses on the effective modular techniques for damper installation as well as the seismic performance of a PPEFF-SPDs. To investigate the seismic performance of the PPEFF-SPDs, a 0.8-scale two-story specimen was tested using hybrid and quasi-static tests. The test results showed that the PPEFF-SPDs designed according to Chinese building codes exhibited reliable seismic performance with the corresponding performance objectives satisfied. The specimen displayed an effective and stable energy-dissipating capacity even when the inter-story drift ratios reached 2%, and the specimen damage conformed to the failure pattern foreseen for strong columns and weak beams. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed PPEFF-SPDs and provides a promising alternative for the PPEFF in high seismic-prone zones.

Numerical study on wind pressure characteristics of Chinese yurt building under downburst wind

SummaryInner Mongolia is a high‐frequency thunderstorm region in China, and the downburst caused by the thunderstorm weather is a severe threat to buildings. In order to study the influence of downburst on the wind pressure characteristics of the yurt building, the wind field model of the yurt building under downburst is established based on the computational fluid dynamics method, and the effect of the wall treatment method and turbulence model on the numerical simulation of wind pressure of the yurt building under downburst is analyzed. The results demonstrate that the maximum positive pressure at the windward side of the yurt building occurs at 3/4 of the yurt building height under downburst, and the maximum negative pressure at the roof of the yurt building appears at the center of the roof. Compared with the experimental results, the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k‐ω model is suitable for simulating both sides of the yurt building, while the Reynolds Stress equation Model (RSM) is suitable for simulating the windward side, roof, and leeward of the yurt building. The enhanced wall treatment is appropriate for simulating the remaining sides of the yurt building while the standard wall function is appropriate for simulating both sides of the building.

Chinese prototype building models for simulating the energy performance of the nationwide building stock

Chinese prototype building models for simulating the energy performance of the nationwide building stock

Experimental Study of the Burning Characteristics of Wood Grilles with Different Porosities

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effect of porosity on the burning and flame spread characteristics of the wood grille. Five pore side lengths (1–9 cm, 5 porosities φ, 38.25%−85%) of the grilles are studied and compared, which are widely used in Chinese historical buildings. The results show that both peak mass loss rate and peak heat release rate decrease with increasing porosity, while the grille with 65% porosity is the first to experience significant mass loss. The flame height and pyrolysis height have a clear power-law relationship. When the side length is less than 5 cm (φ ≤75.5%), the flames are merged and this relationship is similar to continuous fuels. While for the side length higher than 5 cm (φ > 75.5%), the main part of the flame mostly stays on the vertical strips in a discrete state, rather than continuous fuels. This phenomenon can be explained that the flow rate of the gas flowing through the pores increases with the increase of the porosity, which effectively enhances convective heat transfer. As the porosity increases further, the effective heating length on the wood samples is reduced, resulting in a smaller total heat input and a slower burning process.

Rethinking of Joseon’s transition to modern times in the late Joseon Dynasty: focusing on Chinese-style architecture manifested in the Joseon Dynasty in the 19th century

ABSTRACT This study aims to find Chinese-style buildings and architectural factors manifested in those buildings by paying attention to Chinese-style buildings centered on buildings used in the palaces and royal family houses in Joseon Korea during the 19th century. Although the influences of Qing on the late Joseon Dynasty have been researched in history studies, anthropology, and literature, research in architecture is greatly lacking. However, in the late Joseon Dynasty, changes in the recognition of the culture of Qing China resulted in demonstrable influences of the architecture of the Qing on the features of some buildings, such as the use of Chinese-style bricks, Gyeongsan Jibung, Gwonbung Jibung, Jeonchug Bagpung, Wonchang, Siheyuan, and Yeongjocheok. Those Chinese-style elements, however, appeared only in particular Joseon buildings, such as the palaces and houses of aristocratic class who maintained contacts with the Qing. This research was performed through field research of Korean and Chinese buildings related to the diverse literature review and primary historical materials. The absorption of foreign styles, especially the Chinese style, in architecture in the late Joseon Dynasty is presumed to have alleviated the cultural shock that occurred in the process of accommodating western architecture after the country was opened.

A systematic review on thermal environment and thermal comfort studies in Chinese residential buildings

Amid the backdrop of the energy crisis, thermal comfort is crucial to achieve energy savings. Residential buildings are characterized by a wide range of adaptive comfort opportunities. However, there has been a lack of systematic refinement and review of residential thermal comfort field studies in China to provide valuable recommendations for energy conservation. We systematically reviewed studies on thermal environment and thermal comfort in Chinese residential buildings published in peer-reviewed journals up to 2020. A total of 34 studies were deemed to have provided sufficient information on both the thermal environment and thermal comfort. We found that in winter, there were obvious differences between urban and rural dwellings in Severe Cold (SC) and Cold (C) zones, with regard to their indoor air temperature (urban: 19.8 ∼ 25.0 °C v.s. rural: 11.3 ∼ 17.8 °C) and neutral temperature (urban: 17.6 ∼ 25.1 °C v.s. rural: 11.9 ∼ 23.45 °C). While in summer, the indoor air temperature in urban dwellings were slightly lower than those in rural areas due to their prevalent use of air conditioner (urban: 26.1 ∼ 28.9 °C v.s. rural: 29.5 ∼ 34.9 °C). Indoor air temperature and neutral temperature varied considerably in different climate zones in winter. In SC zones, the indoor environment was overheated, which could lead to energy wastage and overheating discomfort for residents. Residents in Hot-Summer and Cold-Winter (HSCW) zone were the most tolerant to the variation of thermal environment (the median coefficient of MTS or TSV equation: SC: 0.18; C: 0.20; HSCW: 0.13; HSWW: 0.23).

Comparative Analysis of Research Trends and Hotspots of Foreign and Chinese Building Carbon Emissions Based on Bibliometrics

The construction industry has great potential for carbon emission reduction, which strongly impacts the peak of carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. This paper compares foreign and Chinese articles on building carbon emissions from publication objects, journals, subject categories, authors, and institutions. It discusses the differences in research trends and hotspots from keywords, reference co-citation analysis, and historical citation analysis. The results show that the number of publications on building carbon emissions steadily increased. The research on building carbon emissions in foreign articles is earlier and more systematic than that in China, and the output and influence of foreign articles are generally more prominent than those of Chinese articles. However, the production and influence of articles by certain Chinese authors and institutions have been remarkable. The topics of ‘CO2 emission’, ‘life-cycle assessment’, ‘environmental impact’, ‘greenhouse gas emission’, and ‘renewable energy’ are essential subjects for foreign and Chinese articles in the research field of building carbon emissions and the development trend is similar. The thematic direction of Chinese articles is more divergent and lacks well-developed themes that greatly influence other research themes. Finally, based on the research results, this study puts forward the potential future research direction of building carbon emissions. The results of this study will provide a current and systematic overview of this field, which will be helpful for future researchers to promote the development of research on building carbon emissions.

Using phase change materials to alleviate overheating phenomenon of residential buildings in severe cold and cold regions of China

Due to global warming, the overheating risk of residential buildings (especially with no air conditioning) in severe cold and cold regions of China is attracting increasing attention. This phenomenon will seriously affect people’s comfort and even health. Fewer studies and Chinese local building standards, however, are related to overheating in such region, which were not considered overheating in the past. It is not clear whether integrating phase change materials (PCM), which has been considered as a useful method to improve thermal comfort, into building envelopes can effectively alleviate the overheating phenomenon in the severe cold and cold regions. This paper aims to reveal the overheating risk by monitoring four residential buildings, and to verify the effectiveness of using PCM to alleviate the overheating in these regions through simulation. The results indicate a significant overheating risk. During the summertime (May to September), overheating hours were recorded for 395, 618, 857 and 713 h out of total 3672 h (accounted for 25.82%, 40.39%, 56.01% and 46.60%) in the south-facing bedrooms of Yichun, Harbin, Shenyang and Dalian respectively. The study finds that PCM reduces overheating hours in south-facing bedrooms in Yichun, Harbin, Shenyang and Dalian by 19.66%, 17.95%, 15.88% and 10.87%, and saves cooling energy by 25.67%, 15.36%, 14.61%, 15.34% respectively. This paper proposes a standard for evaluation and practical guidance for policy makers on reducing indoor overheating in severe cold and cold regions of China.

Estimation of earthquake safety escape time and casualties in Chinese masonry buildings

To predict the number of casualties in dwellings when a strong earthquake occurs, this paper investigated the seismic performances of masonry buildings located in a rural town where earthquake occurs frequently with high earthquakes. The incremental dynamic analysis method was employed to estimate the available escape time and the collapse probability of building under those selected ground motions with a series of peak accelerations. Meanwhile, the required safety escape time of the building was obtained through evacuation simulation analysis. According to the safe evacuation criteria, the probability of casualties in terms of earthquake intensity measure was predicted. The results show that available escape time decreases with the increase of peak ground acceleration level. While the required safety escape time increases with the number of building layers subjoining; residents on the upper floors have a lower probability of escape. The present work implied that the residents on the higher floors must seek temporary security zones in their rooms to reduce casualties.

Phenomena of the Cultural Meaning of "Feng Shui" in the Relationship Between Consultants and Users of Services About the Practice of Spatial Planning Consultation for Chinese Community Buildings in Indonesia

This study aims to understand the meaning and find the cultural concept of "Feng Shui" in the concept of spatial planning practices of Chinese communities in Indonesia. This study uses a phenomenological approach regarding the meaning and cultural values of "feng shui" in the spatial planning practices of Chinese communities in Indonesia. The research findings indicate that there is symbolic interaction in interpersonal communication between consultants and service users (patients). In this study, researchers collected data using observation and in-depth interviews to obtain research results. The research results obtained by researchers are the symbolic interactions that occur in the "feng shui" culture in the spatial practice of Chinese community buildings in Indonesia which have several stages, namely actions, namely consultant service users accept the presence of "feng shui" in their midst because it brings damage positive for the community, gestures that is, people interpret the movements of the practice of "feng shui" when possessed by spirits from gods who are trusted to provide solutions, significant symbols, namely symbols contained in the practice of "feng shui" which can be seen from the tools used during practice, mind in the process of consulting the practice of "feng shui" is closely related to symbols and language reflected in how the symbols and language that "feng shui" consultants use to service users and vice versa, self is the ability to self-reflect each individual from the assessment of the point of view or opinion of others.

Convergence and Entanglement: Reconsidering the Mongol Architectural Narrative

Abstract Among nearly four hundred buildings that survive from the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), or the period of Mongolian rule in China, less than 1 percent have features that sharply distinguish them from the rest. Five of these are a pagoda, a mosque, an observatory, a mausoleum, and a rock-carved site. Previous research has cited the pagoda, minaret, and observatory as evidence for the infiltration of foreign architecture into China during this period. This study reexamines those buildings, demonstrating that although they are so distinctive one might refer to them as anomalies, none includes features that were not already part of the long-established repertoire of Chinese building. This study turns to the processes of convergence and entanglement as both metaphor and methodological framework to help explain how these structures took form.

Study on loose damage monitoring of mortise-tenon joints in traditional wooden structures based on piezoelectric active sensing

In traditional Chinese wooden structural buildings, mortise-tenon joints are used as connection nodes. Under the erosion effects from wind and rain, such nodes are prone to aging and loosening. If they are not tracked and repaired in time, they are likely to cause structural damage when they encounter sudden loads such as earthquakes. In accordance with engineering practice, one mortise-tenon joint specimen with a penetrating straight tenon and one mortise-tenon joint specimen without a penetrating tenon were constructed. Active sensing technology based on piezoelectric ceramics was used to identify the loosening state of tenon and mortise joints. The amplitude of the piezoelectric signal, wavelet packet energy, information entropy, and damage index based on the root mean square deviation were analyzed. It was found that with the increase in loosening damage, the amplitude of the signal gradually decreases, and the information entropy gradually increases. When the damage reaches a certain extent, the changes in the monitoring signal characteristics is limited. The proposed monitoring method can be used to identify the damage state for mortise-tenon joints effectively, and the research results can provide a valuable guideline for the repair of mortise-tenon joints used in traditional wooden structures.

On The Profiling of Air Leakage Infiltration Pattern across Chinese Vernacular Buildings

The purpose of this paper is to provide understanding of the seasonal pattern of air leakage (infiltration) in Chinese vernacular buildings across China’s five climate regions. In achieving the set purpose, a grand extensive literature survey was conducted and supported with data drawn from established Meteonorm V6.1 on sensible heat and psychrometric variables. Numerical computations for normalized and specific infiltration from stack effects followed the Gowri method in line with ASHRAE reference 2004. Solar energy admittance into building followed Bouger’s model form Angstrom properties. From the distribution of vernacular buildings across five climate regions of China, evidence from computational and numerical values showed symmetries in terms of minimums and maximums times of occurrence. Further, a reciprocal pattern exists between solar radiative admittance and region’s temperature profile. Knowing that Chinese vernacular building heritage extended to further Asia, this research became limited to only the Chinese region. It became difficult to report if the construction culture away from China has correlation with infiltration and energy admittance value. Earlier works on Chinese climate and vernacular dwellings reported a climate responsive dwelling designed by passive cooling strategy; a gap was closed by extending the previous work to specific infiltration pattern and energy admittance level. Chinese vernacular buildings by virtue of research outcomes are and should be adoptable to modern housing needs for cultural integration.

The Application of The Indigenization Technique in Modern Chinese Church Architecture

"Indigenization" is a process that presents a blend and adaptable feature by combining foreign elements with the local natural environment and cultural factors. Church buildings are the most tangible manifestation of the "indigenization" of Christianity. This paper discusses the application of indigenization techniques in modern Chinese Catholic church architecture from four aspects: layout, structure, materials, and decoration. In terms of layout, indigenization is reflected in space, plan, and orientation. The space mainly imitates traditional Western-style churches and simplifies with the simplification of function. In terms of plan form, the basic rectangular space is retained and combined with local architectural features to evolve into some new variants. Orientation, some churches have absorbed local building orientation patterns. In terms of structural indigenization, the main materials are stone, brick, and soil, and the building structure is mainly supported by load-bearing walls and wooden beams. In terms of material selection, indigenization techniques are mainly based on regional resource conditions and are combined with the characteristics of local residences and climate conditions. The choice of building materials is made by considering the availability, processing difficulty, and physical properties of materials. The application of decorative indigenization often borrows common decoration techniques from local residential buildings and combines them with traditional Chinese culture to create a unique Chinese and Western fusion style building, making the church better integrated into the local architectural community and accelerating local residents' acceptance of Catholicism.

11.4% Efficiency Kesterite Solar Cells on Transparent Electrode (Adv. Energy Mater. 19/2023)

Kesterite Solar Cells The image representing article number 2300253 by Wei Huang, Hao Xin, and co-workers depicts the architectural photovoltaic integration inspired by the Chinese building Water Cube. The work of this article is illustrated by the device structure of a kesterite solar cell on a translucent substrate applied to the building facade and the crystal structure of its absorber layer.

Numerical Simulation Analysis of Chinese Timber Frame Ancient Buildings - An Example of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City

Chinese ancient architecture is renowned for its unique large wooden structures and standards. However, the safety of the wooden structures in the Forbidden City has gradually deteriorated over long-term use. At present, most building safety evaluation methods rely on qualitative assessments rather than quantitative identifications. In the process of conducting safety evaluations, it is necessary to conduct sufficient analysis and judgment of building damage to determine the safety status of ancient buildings. To ensure the safety of the buildings, this study takes the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City as an example, using numerical simulation methods to analyze the components of Chinese wooden ancient architecture through finite element analysis, with the aim of quantitatively protecting China's traditional architectural cultural heritage. This study provides a scientific basis for the protection of China's traditional architectural cultural heritage and has high practical significance. The results showed that the deformation peak and internal force were within the allowable range according to relevant specifications.

Seismic performance of steel semi-rigid friction-damped joints with replaceable angles in modern Chinese traditional-style buildings

As an important part of world-class architectural art, Chinese ancient timber architecture has a very high level of artistry and technology. However, these buildings have been seriously damaged in the long history. To inherit and reflect the national characteristics and regional culture, the modern Chinese traditional-style building (MCTB) is newly developed to imitate the appearance of Chinese ancient timber architecture. The base metal of the typical joint area in MCTBs is always fractured under earthquakes because of its rigid characteristics, which is difficult to repair once damaged. To prevent joint failure and improve reparability after earthquakes, steel semi-rigid friction-damped joints with replaceable angles in MCTBs are proposed. Four specimens were fabricated and tested under lateral cyclic loading. The test results showed that the failure of all specimens is mainly concentrated in the weak region of the replaceable angles. Compared with simple semi-rigid joints, the yield displacements of specimens with friction dampers (including shear damper and rotational damper) are obviously larger, and the strength, initial stiffness, cumulative energy dissipation and replaceable capacity are significantly improved. The improvement is more pronounced with the increase of the slip force of the dampers. Based on experimental results, the corresponding numerical models were established to optimize the structural design of steel semi-rigid friction-damped joints with replaceable angles in modern Chinese traditional-style buildings.