Contemporary Building Construction Research Articles

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Concrete Mix with Lightweight Expanded Polystyrene and Steel Fibers

The demand for lightweight aggregates in concrete compositions for diverse structural and non-structural applications in contemporary building construction has increased. This is to achieve a controllable low-density lightweight concrete, which reduces the overall structural weight. However, the challenge lies in achieving an appropriate strength in lightweight concrete while maintaining a lower unit weight. This research aims to evaluate the performance of lightweight concrete by integrating expanded polystyrene (EPS) as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate. Test specimens were cast by blending EPS with coarse aggregate at varying proportions of 0%, 15%, 30%, and 45%, while maintaining a constant water-to-binder ratio of 0.60. To enhance the bonding and structural capabilities of the proposed lightweight concrete mixes, reinforcement with 2% and 4% steel fibers by volume of the total concrete mix was incorporated. Silica fume was introduced into the mix to counteract the water hydrophobicity of EPS material and enhance the durability of lightweight concrete, added at a rate of 10% by weight of cement in all specimens. A total of 60 samples, including cylinders and beams, were prepared and cured over 28 days. The physical and mechanical properties of the lightweight EPS-based concrete were systematically examined through experimental testing and compared against a standard concrete mix. The analysis of the results indicates that EPS-based concrete exhibits a controllable low density. It also reveals that incorporating reinforcement materials, such as steel fibers, enhances the overall strength of lightweight concrete.

Paradigm Shift of New Building in Old Urban Districts: Case Study of Bangkok Chinatown Workshop

Architects and designers realize that new buildings cannot completely replace old buildings in the process of urbanization in the world. To establish a method of the new building and the old building coexist and to create the new paradigm of the new building construction in the old district is the responsibility faced by the contemporary architects. This paper first analyzes the old building renovation projects in Berlin and Paris in the 1980s and puts forward the symbiotic relationship between the old and the new buildings in the new era, thus obtaining the research objectives, trying to redefine new buildings and old districts, and creating the new paradigm of contemporary building construction in old districts. Using workshop as an exploration method, this paper conducts data research and sampling analyses on the Chinatown area in Bangkok, and explores the combination mode and paradigm transformation of new buildings and old districts in the city, aiming to seek solutions utilizing art exploration.

The Role of Advance Composite material In Contemporary Buildings

Composite materials have been used from the earliest times, from wood, which is a naturally occurring composite of lignin and cellulose, through straw reinforced clay bricks to reinforced concrete. In the 20th century, a new breed of composite materials was developed using polymer matrices with high-performance reinforcement fibres. The great effect and uncompromising properties of advance composite materials have enabled the emergence of composites cut across all fields of application and all areas of work, just to mention a few aeronautic engineering, automobile engineering, and medicine, military and building construction. Therefore, with emphasis on building construction, advance composite material has played a vital role in today’s contemporary building construction method, by presenting its self as an alternative building construction material, its application has made the contemporary building construction much more flexible and achievable, compared to traditional building materials and its methods of construction. It further offers the building construction industry the technical know-how of having new possibilities of design styles, shapes and forms. Therefore, advance composite material proves it’s self to be a better and a new alternative building construction material that remains construction friendly and flexible based on its properties. This study, therefore, tends to provide an overview of advance composite material, its application as well as its role in today’s contemporary building.

Water uptake experiments of historic construction materials from Venice by neutron imaging and PGAI methods

We aimed at establishing a multidisciplinary procedure to characterize porous historic construction materials, whose properties (physical and mechanical, as well as chemical composition) can be affected by the presence and action of water content and salt ions. The whole procedure’s objective is to relate qualitative to quantitative information, to get an evaluation of the selected material’s mechanical properties. We developed a neutron-based investigation technique to assess the condition of historic buildings’ construction materials. Neutron radiography and tomography, as well as prompt-gamma activation analysis and imaging were applied to various types of stone blocks (which can be characterized e.g. with different levels of liquid permeability in saturated conditions) to detect the uptake of water and salt ions in porous construction materials of cultural heritage significance. The results enlighten the accurate water intrusion patterns, the evaluation of the water content in unsaturated conditions, the movement of water and salt contents inside the stone samples. The established methodology may find its application niche in the non-destructive assessment of historic and contemporary building construction materials.

Sustainable Architecture: Bamboo in Contemporary Building Construction in South-South Nigeria

Sustainable Architecture: Bamboo in Contemporary Building Construction in South-South Nigeria

Challenges Regarding to Usage of Nanostructured Materials in Contemporary Building Construction

Development of ultrafine grained and nanostructured materials helps other disciplines and has made a meaningful contribution to other fields especially materials and building construction. New nanostructured materials open new horizons to scientific bases of building and construction materials. Sustecture - sustainable high-tech architecture is to meet new life architectural prerequisites regarding latest achievements in material engineering and new materials developments especially smart and nanostructured materials. Despite this fact, usage of new composite materials in building construction industry had yet to be widespread. Therefore the most important question which is remained to be answered is: what are the most challenges regarding to usage of nanostructured materials in contemporary building construction? Logical argumentation has been adopted as research method of this paper to answer research question, which finalized by descriptive - analytical techniques and depth diagnostic interviews. Samples have been selected randomly among from three major groups namely: 1-accademic scholars, 2-architectural consultants and 3-construction practitioners. The research is to find out the level of their awareness about new developed nanomaterials. In order to find out what are the most challenging issues which prohibited sustecture in achievement of its goals and objectives? The results of the paper show that level of technical knowledge and public awareness regarding to developments of new materials is not in a satisfactory condition especially in building construction and architectural performance side. In other word, however general knowledge regarding to ultrafine grained and nanostructured materials enhanced among architectural contributors, there is not enough technical knowledge among construction practitioners.

"스마트폰" 기반을 활용한 건설장비 안전관리에 관한 연구 (굴삭기, 고소작업대 중심으로)

As contemporary building construction type is getting higher and deeper, construction equipment usage is getting more, and related fatal accidents are on an increasing trend. Because of this, a method was drawn which could grasp the present state of construction equipment management and manage safety of the equipment more easily for accident prevention by choosing 2 kinds of Construction equipment which cause safety accident frequently among the equipment mainly used in construction site. This study suggested a method about construction equipment safety management using "smart phone" base which could be used in safety management for construction equipment by whomever in construction site. After attachment of QR code included safety checklist, It became possible that site managers could check more efficiently by scanning with their smart phone when they inspect equipment. Moreover, by the construction interested who didn't know what and how they have to inspect could point out unsafe condition in the early stage of equipment entering or take unsafe one out of the site by using new smart phone safety checking system is installed, it became possible that critical accident caused by construction equipment was prevented in advance.

Building noise criterion curves, BNC, for interior spaces

This paper presents an updated set of noise criterion (NC) curves that are renamed building noise criterion (BNC) curves. They are based, in part, on the latest definition of four‐band speech interference level and on “spectrum balance,” that is to say, the premise that the loudnesses of all bands containing the same number of critical bands should be equal, as calculated by Stevens Mk. VII perceived loudness method. The curves are extended downward in frequency to include the two octave bands with mean frequencies at 16 and 31.5 Hz. Finally, the high‐sound level, low‐frequency region of the curves [Blazier, Noise Control Eng. 16, 64–73 (1981)] are demarked to show where human annoyance will probably result from vibrations caused by such noise levels in contemporary building construction. The paper details the use of the BNC curves in writing a specification for building construction and in determination of the conformance of the measured result to the specification, or in rating an existing noise. Particularly important are the procedures given for determining “spectrum imbalance.” The handling of two typical types of imbalance are discussed: (1) an acceptable speech interference level accompanied by high low‐frequency band levels; (2) acceptable low‐frequency band levels accompanied by a very low speech interference level.