Type Of Dwelling Research Articles

Evaluation of the embodied carbon of insulation in achieving a national retrofit plan in Ireland: Probono case study and the national perspective

Overall, the building and construction sector, in Ireland, was responsible for 23 % of final energy use and 37 % of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2021. Ireland boasts some of the most ambitious targets for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction to 2030 in the world. In Ireland, emissions related to the operation of the residential sector receive particular attention, and the government have introduced a National Retrofit Plan that aims to retrofit 500,000 (~25%) of the national housing stock by 2030. However, carbon emissions related to the achievement of this retrofit have not been quantified. This paper aims to outline the initial steps in evaluating the embodied carbon input of achieving a national retrofit plan of this unprecedented scale. Also, it aims to assess the relative carbon savings resulting from the production of materials to achieve retrofit plan. In the first stage, a case study of social housing, used in Probono project within the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) local authority of Dublin City in Ireland is investigated as a best practice template for future retrofit projects. The embodied carbon of retrofit is evaluated. Then, a large housing sample set of DLR is evaluated in terms of Building Energy Rating (BER). This sample set is compared with the BER ratings of national stock to evaluate its representativeness. The results indicate that most of the dwellings on the sample set of DLR, in line with the national stock, are C and D rated and need to be retrofit to achieve B rating or better. In the final section, four types of nominal dwellings in Ireland are selected to evaluate the required volumes of thermal insulation and the added embodied carbon of retrofit to reach the national retrofit plan. The results demonstrate that ~30 million m3 of thermal insulation will be required for the national retrofit plan and it will add ~2 MtCO2 of the embodied carbon.

First record of Sebastes schlegelii Hilgendorf, 1880 along the Turkish Black Sea coast – new addition to the alien species inventory

Sebastes schlegelii is a typical bottom dwelling boreal species, whose native distribution range includes Japan, Korean peninsula and China. This northwest Pacific originated species has recently been recorded from the Crimean and Caucasian coast (northern Black Sea), whose introduction was assumed to be either by balast waters or the acclimatization of Crassostrea gigas (Pacific oyster). On 16 August 2023, a single S. schlegelii specimen with 20.6 cm standard length and 282.1 g in weight was captured off Ünye, Ordu coast (southeastern Black Sea), which was previously an unreported fish from the Turkish marine waters. Detailed morphometric and meristic characteristics are presented in the paper, and species identification was further confirmed by genetic analysis. Available information reveals this alien species to be fished regularly, although in small quantities, indicating a presumably established population in the region. The species should be treated as a potentially invasive fish, since it may negatively influence to the local biodiversity through interspecific competition. Close monitoring of its existing population is strongly suggested.

Mining research on correlation factors of residential electricity stability based on improved FP-growth algorithm

PurposeOn the one hand, this paper is to further understand the residents' differentiated power consumption behaviors and tap the residential family characteristics labels from the perspective of electricity stability. On the other hand, this paper is to address the problem of lack of causal relationship in the existing research on the association analysis of residential electricity consumption behavior and basic information data.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise method is used to extract the typical daily load curve of residents. Second, the degree of electricity consumption stability is described from three perspectives: daily minimum load rate, daily load rate and daily load fluctuation rate, and is evaluated comprehensively using the entropy weight method. Finally, residential customer labels are constructed from sociological characteristics, residential characteristics and energy use attitudes, and the enhanced FP-growth algorithm is employed to investigate any potential links between each factor and the stability of electricity consumption.FindingsCompared with the original FP-growth algorithm, the improved algorithm can realize the excavation of rules containing specific attribute labels, which improves the excavation efficiency. In terms of factors influencing electricity stability, characteristics such as a large number of family members, being well employed, having children in the household and newer dwelling labels may all lead to poorer electricity stability, but residents' attitudes toward energy use and dwelling type are not significantly associated with electricity stability.Originality/valueThis paper aims to uncover household socioeconomic traits that influence the stability of home electricity use and to shed light on the intricate connections between them. Firstly, in this article, from the perspective of electricity stability, the characteristics of the power consumption of residents' users are refined. And the authors use the entropy weight method to comprehensively evaluate the stability of electricity usage. Secondly, the labels of residential users' household characteristics are screened and organized. Finally, the improved FP-growth algorithm is used to mine the residential household characteristic labels that are strongly associated with electricity consumption stability.HighlightsThe stability of electricity consumption is important to the stable operation of the grid.An improved FP-growth algorithm is employed to explore the influencing factors.The improved algorithm enables the mining of rules containing specific attribute labels.Residents' attitudes toward energy use are largely unrelated to the stability of electricity use.

The Center of the Universe and its Symbolic by the Georgian Highlanders

Existence of the center of the universe and its symbolic always used to have great importance in general perception of the world, and consequently it is by various models confirmed in religious thinking of the world people. Georgian ethnographic material, in which sacral nature of the center is clearly disclosed, is not an exception insofar. The first example of this is tree. In Georgian ethnographic reality it represents in static (sacral tree, sacral pillar) or mobile (chichilaki, karachka, sacral flags) forms and mostly is considered as symbol of sacral Centre. In our opinion the micro cosmic model of universe, with clearly expressed sacral center represents the Georgian traditional dwelling with its construction and symbolic –religious meaning and main ritual function of central pillar in dwelling exactly is marking out sacral center. The importance of sacral Centre is proved by mythological legends and ethnographic materials concerning the establishment of shrines of mountain areas of Georgia. One of the key symbols of sacral center are Holy Mountain, hearth and their directly connection with religious traditions. Symbolism of the hearth as Centre plays particular role in wedding ritual, relatively seldom, but still the function hearth appears in funeral ceremony. All these give possibility to conclude the following: Symbolization of the center is quite distinguishing event for religious thinking of Georgian mountaineers and is realized in different forms in different cases; The first example of this symbol is holy mountain and tradition of building cultic structures on peaks of mountains, which is generalGeorgian phenomenon; Symbolism of the center of universe is clearly reflected in such traditional type of Georgian dwelling as earth dwelling house with central wooden pillar and hole for light and smoke; Symbolic of the center explains special meaning of hearth in ethnographic reality (traditions of wedding and funeral, reconciliationnear the hearth); Symbolic of the center is declared in Legends concerning establishment of the shrines in mountain areas.

Identifying bioclimatic techniques for sustainable low-rise high-density residential units: Comparative analysis on the ventilation performance of vernacular dwellings in China

Vernacular dwellings equipped with bioclimatic techniques, used to form low-rise high-density communities in most Asian regions, are of great value for the development of modern sustainable residential units. Natural ventilation is a major concern mainly because of its climate-related characteristics of improving indoor thermal comfort at extremely low ecological costs. Therefore, this study applies a comparative analysis coupled with field investigations and numerical simulations to the ventilation technologies of vernacular dwellings in different areas of China. Geometric prototypes of typical vernacular dwellings in six climate zones were generated based on field measurements. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations were conducted in OpenFOAM with the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling approach and the RNG k-ε turbulence model. A correlation analysis of the building elements and climate factors was also performed to determine the relevant parameters affecting ventilation performance. The results revealed different emphases and verified strategies for wind environment regulation based on different local climates. Six physical parameters, namely wind projection angle, orientation, wind inclination angle, window-to-wall ratio, top-to-bottom ratio, and height-to-width ratio of the atrium, are considered to be closely related to ventilation efficiency. The findings from the current research provide quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of natural ventilation technologies of vernacular dwellings and contribute to comprehensive knowledge for designing sustainable low-rise high-density residential units with optimum ventilation functions.

Indoor Thermal Comfort Condition Analyzing In Naturally Ventilated Rural Houses of Dhaka Region, Bangladesh

Thermal comfort has become one of the most pressing problems for people all around the world as global warming worsens. Bangladesh is an economically prosperous country with a large rural population living in substandard housing. Because these dwellings are in a tropical climate, they are frequently built from locally accessible materials such as mud, wood, bamboo, straw, jute stalk, grass, and so on. These materials are being replaced by brick, corrugated galvanized iron sheets, cement, concrete, and other materials as a result of increasing industrialization, technical improvement, and the improving economic status of rural people. The purpose of this article is to show the current thermal state of three types of naturally ventilated rural dwellings made of two different materials in the Dhaka region. As part of the study approach, a field investigation and a questionnaire survey were carried out. For the comparative examination of three types of dwellings, the existing values of the thermal comfort variables (temperature, humidity, and air velocity) were used. The analysis demonstrates that the double-heightened mud home is more pleasant in terms of thermal comfort factors and psychological reactions of the residents than the single-heightened mud house and C. I sheet constructed houses in a specific climatic location. This study intends to indicate that thermal comfort varies with different building materials and construction techniques in the same climatic situation, and so further research and material-based studies should be conducted to ensure the thermal comfort of rural residents.

Influence of Doorway Position on Wind Comfort in Beijing Quadrangle Dwellings

During the Qing Dynasty and Republic of China, Three Essentials of Dwelling was a much-sought-after approach for the design of quadrangle dwellings, with the primary focus being on the positioning of the doorways. By employing vector data of typical quadrangle dwellings in Beijing to construct an ideal model that complies with the Three Essentials of Dwelling setting, this study aims to investigate the impact of the doorway position on the wind comfort of quadrangle dwellings through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation, by comparing and analyzing the wind comfort of quadrangle courtyards with different doorway position layouts. The results are as follows: (1) Placing doors in the windward position during the season can make a significant difference in the courtyard wind comfort of quadrangle dwellings. (2) Compared to the direction of the doorway, the position of the doorway significantly affects the wind comfort of the courtyard in a quadrangle dwelling. (3) Keeping the position of the doorway constant, adjusting the height of the main room can be a successful strategy to improve the wind comfort of the courtyard in a quadrangle dwelling. (4) There is no link between environmental quality assessment and wind environmental quality assessment in Three Essentials of Dwelling. This study proves that the positioning of doorways can optimize the wind comfort in quadrangle dwellings, demonstrating the ancient Chinese’s ecological acumen in the layout of quadrangle houses, and providing useful guidance to designers.

Examining the fire risk in London dwellings using the London Fire Brigade Incident database

AbstractAnalysis of the Fire Brigade's database of fires in London between 2009 and 2020 provided insight into the level of fire safety in the city and how it varies across different types of dwellings and different levels of protection. Regarding the number of fires, fatalities, and injuries, fire safety in London has significantly improved on average over these years. However, average trends cannot analyze catastrophic fires with multiple fatalities, like at Grenfell Tower in 2017, as these events are too rare to form a suitable sample size. Dwelling fires are the most lethal in London: despite accounting for only 28% of fires, they lead to 87% of fatalities and 83% of injuries. The odds of a dwelling fire becoming fatal in London fell from 1 in 174 in 2009 to 1 in 208 in 2019, a decrease of 16%. The total number of fires has decreased over this period, and the number of fires where an alarm was raised has increased, suggesting that the prevention and detection layers of fire safety have improved, while our analysis suggests that the level of protection from the compartmentation and evacuation layers has remained constant over time. An analysis of the different layers of fire protection suggests that compartmentation was the most impactful layer, with a failure in compartmentation increasing the odds of a fire being fatal by 1.5 to 5 times. Overall, this analysis shows that the fire hazard to Londoners in general is low and the lowest since 2009; however, there is still a threat that should not be understated.

Life satisfaction in the time of COVID-19. The frog effect

Besides the physical and mental health problems it brought, the COVID-19 pandemic impinged on economic and social aspects of people's lives, threatening economic security and interpersonal relationships, aspects that are major determinants of perceived subjective well-being. We investigate the relationship between individual life satisfaction, and relational and material goods under the exceptional circumstance of the pandemic and lockdown in Italy. Unlike other studies, this paper examined whether COVID-19 infection and deterioration of economic and relational circumstances caused by COVID-19 can predict changes in individual life satisfaction, controlling for other contextual factors. The results suggest that the pandemic threatened the life satisfaction of respondents and the main predictor of this deterioration was related to the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on social relations. Aspects like gender, type of city and dwelling also emerged to be important predictors of LS. These findings have implications for social policies and urban planning, and offer additional insight in the research on LS.

Probabilistic economic evaluation of the most prevalent in Greek market space heating systems

In the present study, the most prevalent space heating (SH) systems are assessed by means of probabilistic economic method, for Athens (Greece) under the ongoing energy crisis. The examined SH systems are the air source heat pump, the natural gas boiler and the oil boiler. An apartment of 85 m2 living area is chosen as the standard Athenian dwelling type for the assessment of the SH systems. In addition, two economic scenarios are set related to the annual energy inflation rate, the pessimistic and the optimistic. Simulations are executed in TRNSYS for the physical system and in MATLAB for the economic analysis. The economic analysis is carried out with the combination of the Monte Carlo simulations and the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) method. It turned out that, the LCC (as net present value) for all systems is much higher than the pre-crisis cost and is not feasible under the existing obscure economic period. It was proved that, the energy cost subsidy may be a solution on the volatility of the energy market, however, this can be achieved with rather high subsidy rates. The air source heat pump system was found to obtain better economy than the conventional fuel-based systems and the pairing of the heat pump with the PV system proved as the only economic feasible solution. The developed methodology can be utilized for evaluating the investment risk associated with the uncertain of the future cost of energy.

Human Life of Korean University Students

Purpose: The Korean wave phenomenon is closely related to university students in Korea, and university students are greatly influenced by the Korean Wave phenomenon and experience and develop positive changes and opportunities through it. The Korean Wave phenomenon is contributing to university students introducing and promoting Korean wave contents abroad, contributing to Korean language education and cultural exchange, and becoming Korea's representative soft power factor through cultural event planning and international leadership. Through these roles, university students can gain opportunities to promote Korean culture and values to the world and form an international network, which has created a need for research on the lives of Korean university students.
 Method: In this study, 150 Korean university students were surveyed by convenience sampling method. A valid questionnaire was analyzed for 136 people, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS 23.0 program. Frequency analysis, t-test, and One Way ANOVA were used as analysis methods. According to the purpose of the analysis, differences in stress by gender, difference in organizational commitment by presence or absence of friends of the opposite sex, differences in empowerment by religious type, and differences in organizational commitment by friends of the opposite sex and dwelling type were explored.
 Results: First, as a result of examining the difference in stress according to gender in Korean university students, males answered Q7(I feel the need to reduce part of my role in my team) and Q8(I feel my role is too much in my team). It was found that women experience higher levels of stress than women. Second, as a result of verifying differences in empowerment according to religious types of Korean university students, in Q8(I decide the goal of my training by myself), the result was that Christian believers experienced higher empowerment than other religions(non-religious). And as a result of examining the difference in organizational commitment according to the presence or absence of friends of the opposite sex among Korean university students, those who have friends of the opposite sex were Q1(I feel a strong sense of belonging to the team I am currently training for), Q2(I think the current team is worth putting my heart and soul into), and Q3(I look forward to life in the team more positively in the future).
 Conclusion: First, Korean university students showed different role burdens and stress levels according to gender. Second, Christians tended to feel greater self-determination and control through religious values and belief systems. Third, those who have friends of the opposite sex tend to feel a strong sense of belonging and passion within the organization. Fourth, students living in university dormitory dormitories showed higher organizational commitment than students who commute to school. The university dormitory provides an environment that encourages the formation of relationships with classmates and communication with the outside world.

Smart water metering as a non-invasive tool to infer dwelling type and occupancy – Implications for the collection of neighbourhood-level housing and tourism statistics

The international rollout of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the residential water supply sector affords tremendous benefits in driving water-use efficiencies, accurate billing and network management (e.g. leak detection). AMI, using ‘smart meters’ fitted at a dwelling level, record water consumption at high temporal resolution. Since water is typically only consumed when householders are present, these data could offer a non-intrusive means of inferring dwelling occupancy patterns. These insights could have a range of benefits dependent upon the spatiotemporal scale and the intended application – our interest is in the potential of these data to identify dwelling type, specifically to identify dwellings that have occupancy patterns associated with tourism, such as second homes or short-term holiday rentals. We focus on these data in a UK context and draw on data rarely available for academic research. Our data relate to a sample of dwellings in Devon and Cornwall, South West England. They capture high-temporal resolution water consumption during Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ and ‘staycation’ periods, providing a unique opportunity to demonstrate that these data can reveal the unusually pronounced property-level occupancy trends evident during this period. We apply Non-Intrusive Occupancy Monitoring (NIOM) to extract dwelling-level occupancy status (occupied/unoccupied) on a day-by-day basis. We group properties according to their occupancy trends, inferring a set of properties that exhibit occupancy characteristics associated with tourism. We demonstrate that these show correspondence with underlying indicators of tourism activity, drawn from AirDNA records of short-term tourist rental properties in this area. Ongoing global rollout of AMI means that these data will be routinely available at the dwelling level and we reflect on the benefits they could provide in generating near real time insights into dwelling occupancy. Drawing on our collaboration with the Office for National Statistics (the UKs national statistical institute) we outline the considerable potential that these data and approaches could offer in the collation of small area housing and tourism statistics.

Building and environmental acoustics in obsolete residential neighbourhoods: The case of San Pablo, Spain

In order to establish an agreement between the objectives of acoustic quality in the outdoor environment and the acoustic insulation in a building as required in the current legislation in Spain, the acoustic insulation of typical social housing has been studied in the residential neighbourhood of San Pablo in Seville. Field measurements based on acoustic sonometry have been performed in its public areas, together with the consultations to the strategic noise maps prepared by the administration of the city and with data from a questionnaire answered by neighbours on the perception of environmental and domestic noise. These inputs have enabled calculations of airborne and impact noise insulation in a typical dwelling of the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood presents various kinds of obsolescence, as do many residential estates built in Europe in the same period, mainly in terms of its low quality of construction and structural solutions, its energy poverty, and its typology. Results on acoustic insulation indicate that the requirements of current Spanish legislation have not been met, Dnt,A = 49 dBA, L'nT,w = 80 dB. However, thanks not only to the urban layout of the various types of housing blocks in the neighbourhood, but also to the breadth and abundance of green and common areas and to their roads, the existing environmental sound levels remain below the established limit: Ld < 60 dBA. Hence, the calculation for the external noise insulation in façades indicates that the requirements are met, D2m,nT,Atr = 33 dBA. In the acoustic survey, most people consider the environmental acoustic conditions of the neighbourhood to be acceptable or good and believe that they are barely affected by the domestic noise of next-door neighbours. The research found that social heritage neighbourhoods of the 1960s and 1970s, laid out with cul-de-sacs, curved layouts, and small pockets of parking, significantly improve their urban acoustic performance.

The Analysis of the Relationship between residents’ Perceived Probability of Property Victimization in Dwellings and the Level of Home Security Systems

Using the dataset of the first nationwide victimization survey in Azerbaijan, the current paper analyzed whether home security systems have a relationship with the perceived probability of property crime victimization. The ordinal logistic regression analysis was employed. Examination of the distribution of security systems identified that dwelling type, residential location and income had a higher level of significance than the perceived risk of property crime victimization in predicting the level of security systems at home. As to the predictive capacity of security systems in relation to the perceived risk of property crime victimization, the former is statistically significant. Additionally, being a victim of property crime, residential location, age, and perceived neighborhood disorder level predicted the perceived risk of property crime victimization.

Optimising the material emissions of single-dwelling residential buildings using the dynamic life cycle iteration protocols

While developed countries progress in environmental impact mitigation, developing economies struggle to lessen the severity of environmental impact and improve performance strategies. As of 2021, only 199 research publications were linked to African Life Cycle Assessment investigations highlighting the environmental consequences and lack of research in developing countries. In 2022 Ghana's global environmental performance was ranked 170th out of 180 countries, with a score of 27.70 out of 100, showing a ten-year trend of -6.1. This study aimed to optimise single-dwelling residential buildings' material emissions from cradle to gate using first principles through the dynamic life cycle iteration protocols. The following objectives were set: 1) to identify the primary materials in a typical Ghanaian single-family dwelling and apply first principles to model the environmental impact, and 2) to replace the materials with an environmentally friendly type through iteration optimisation. The Building Information Modelling in Revit 2021 was used to design and take off quantities of the materials. The optimisation was conducted through iterations using MS Excel. The baseline model showed that steel and aluminium products generated frontal results of 28.64 ton CO2eq/m2 and 1.96 ton CO2eq/m2, representing 92% and 6% of the total GWP100, respectively. A decrease of 39% in GWP100 emissions was made possible by employing concrete blocks instead of expandable lightweight concrete clay blocks. It is noteworthy that gypsum plasterboard had the lowest material impact across the GWP100, emitting 1895.40 kgCO2eq/m2, or 0.81 percent carbon, during the production phase. The results of this study can aid the many real estate developers and construction firms in developing nations who want to build residential homes using sustainable materials to lessen the effects of climate change caused by using building materials.

Towards more equitable energy transitions in low-income households: An integrated analysis of energy and transport poverty in Northern Ireland

Despite increasing policy emphasis on creating a more equitable society as a key component of the energy transition, there is still a dearth of assessments investigating the equity outcomes of decarbonisation scenarios and community scale Just Transition case studies, and those focusing on both energy and transport. This work seeks to fill this gap by examining energy and transport poverty could be alleviated by scenario analysis of these linked aspects of the Just Transition using an urban and a rural case study in Northern Ireland. This work examines the total costs of ownership of mode shifting and car sharing in transport and investment needs for domestic retrofit for energy poverty alleviation. The analysis finds that eBikes for suitable commutes bring substantial economic and environmental benefits compared to cars. For car sharing, the economic and environmental benefits are also substantial, with electric vehicles becoming cost effective at all occupancy rates from 2025. Regarding the alleviation of energy poverty, the mean cost to retrofit energy poor dwellings ranges from £2,143 depending on dwelling type. However, up to 3.5% of residents of each dwelling type will find the consequent debt burden causes significant financial stress, particularly for the elderly and those claiming benefits. This study concludes that the current mechanisms to support energy and transport poverty alleviation are insufficient and too narrowly targeted. Their expansion is a requisite component of any hopes of achieving a Just Transition in Northern Ireland.

The influence of the urban heat island effect on the energy performance of residential buildings in a city with an oceanic climate during the summer period: Case of Valdivia, Chile

The intensification of urban growth and climate change are affecting the energy and thermal performance of buildings. In recent years, the issue of building resilience to urban heat island (UHI) conditions has become increasingly relevant. The energy performance of buildings can vary significantly in different areas of the same city, regardless of their size. The aim of this study was to evaluate the energy effects of UHI intensity differences in various local climate zones (LCZs) of Valdivia city, Chile, on a typical residential dwelling. A simplified methodology was used, based on the assessment of cooling degree days variations and heat gains variations inside the studied house through the thermal envelope. Valdivia has a homogeneous urban morphology, and three types of low-rise LCZs prevail in the city (LCZ 3, 6, and 9). The results showed that the average cooling demand for a 66 m2 residential dwelling during 39 summer days was 158 kWh for LCZ 9, 219 kWh for LCZ 6, and 289 kWh for LCZ 3, compared to the rural demand of 114 kWh. These results suggest that the energy effects of UHI can be significant, and that it is important to study the microclimatic conditions in various LCZs for a correct understanding of the UHI energy effects on different buildings.

Correlation Analysis of Health Factors of Elderly People in Traditional Miao Dwellings in Western Hunan

Under the macro context of severe global aging, the typical villages and dwellings of the Miao ethnic group in western Hunan were selected, and the daily life and health status of the local elderly were evaluated through behavioral observation, interviews, and questionnaires (e.g., physiological, psychological, and residential environments). In addition, the health status and relevant evaluation factors of the respondents were correlated and then analyzed using SPSS software. As indicated by the results of this study, the local elderly used all the spaces and functions of the existing dwellings and were satisfied with the spaces except for the toilet. In addition, their physiological functions had declined, and their daily behaviors were affected by a wide variety of physical diseases. From a psychological perspective, more than 60% of the elderly had significant feelings of loneliness and frustration. As indicated by the correlation results, the health status of the elderly in traditional Miao dwellings in western Hunan was positively correlated with family, income, daily acts, dwellings, and infrastructure, and negatively correlated with age. They showed linear correlations with all impact factors: Health = 157.44 − 5.242 ∗ Gender − 1.611 ∗ Age − 0.606 ∗ Education level − 0.411 ∗ Family + 0.001 ∗ Income − 7.191 ∗ Daily acts + 13.621 ∗ Dwelling + 4.682 ∗ Infrastructure + 17.198 ∗ Natural. Based on the results of study, targeted improvement strategies were proposed for the elderly in traditional Miao dwellings in western Hunan from four aspects—infrastructure, traditional dwellings, mental health, and policy support—to improve the health status of the elderly in traditional Chinese villages and towns.

Analysis of Adaptive Pushover in Confined Masonry Dwellings with Height Irregularity in the Lima Metropolitan Area

Non-engineered confined masonry dwellings are characterized by having different masonry units. One of the most common cases in the Lima Metropolitan Area is that this type of dwelling has its first floors with handmade solid units and upper floors are composed of industrial horizontal hollowed (tubular) bricks. Nonlinear static analysis by the incrementally increasing loading pattern is inadequate to estimating earthquake response of structures with height irregularity, such as non-engineered confined masonry dwellings, because the loading pattern changes during the history of reversal loads due to damaging earthquakes. This paper presents the effect of nonlinear static analysis using adaptive loading patterns in confined masonry dwellings when the type of masonry units changes drastically. Nonlinear static analyses are applied using non-adaptive and adaptive displacement-based pushover procedures. A series of nonlinear time history analyses are also conducted to measure the error in the estimation of the seismic response. The adaptive loading pattern is based on displacement approximation by the modal analysis at each step of incremental-increasing loads. The load pattern is updated considering the modal analysis of an equivalent linear model using the equivalent stiffness of the structure at the secant of the maximum previous response. The application of the adaptive loading pattern in nonlinear static analysis significantly approximates the earthquake response of confined masonry dwellings with height irregularity provided by the change of masonry bricks.

Second-hand smoke and fine particulate matter exposures among multi-unit housing residents in Singapore: A pilot study

Globally, approximately 1.2 million deaths among non-smokers are attributed to second-hand smoke (SHS) per year. Multi-unit housing is becoming the common type of residential dwelling in developed cities and the issue of neighbour SHS is of rising concern especially as ‘Work From Home’ became the norm during and post COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this pilot study is to measure and compare the air quality of households that are exposed to SHS and unexposed households among smoking and non-smoking households in Singapore. A total of 27 households were recruited from April to August 2021. Households were categorized into smoking households with neighbour SHS, smoking households without neighbour SHS, non-smoking households with neighbour SHS, and non-smoking household without neighbour SHS. Air quality of the households was measured using calibrated particulate matter (PM2.5) sensors for 7–16 days. Socio-demographic information and self-reported respiratory health were collected. Regression models were used to identify predictors associated with household PM2.5 concentrations and respiratory health. Mean PM2.5 concentration was significantly higher among non-smoking households with neighbour SHS (n = 5, mean = 22.2, IQR = 12.7) than in non-smoking household without neighbour SHS (n = 2, mean = 4.1, IQR = 5.8). Smoking activity at enclosed areas in homes had the lowest PM2.5 concentration (n = 7 mean = 15.9, IQR = 11.0) among the three smoking locations. Exposure to higher household PM2.5 concentration was found to be associated with poorer respiratory health. A ‘smoke-free residential building’ policy is recommended to tackle the issue of rising neighbour SHS complaints and health concerns in densely populated multi-unit housing in Singapore. Public education campaigns should encourage smokers to smoke away from the home to minimize SHS exposure in household members.