Framework For Construction Research Articles

Ecological Security Evaluation System Integrated with Circuit Theory for Regional Ecological Security Pattern Construction: A Coordinated Study of Chang-Zhu-Tan Metropolitan Area in China

Rapid urbanization and land use changes have brought enormous pressure onto the ecological environment. Constructing ecological security patterns (ESPs) contributes to scientifically utilizing ecosystem functions, maintaining biodiversity, and protecting the ecological environment. Thus, this study proposed a regional ESP construction framework, which integrated circuit theory with an ecological security evaluation system composed of a landscape connectivity analysis, an ecosystem service evaluation, and an ecological sensitivity analysis, to generate the ESP of the national-level Chang-Zhu-Tan Metropolitan Area (CZTMA). The results showed that (1) there were 22 ecological sources mainly consisting of woodlands, grasslands, and water bodies and distributed heterogeneously from the eastern to western CZTMA; (2) 48 ecological corridors connected the large-scale ecological patches such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and woodlands in the CZTMA, and the average distance of the east side was shorter, while the distance of the west side was longer; and (3) 13 ecological pinch nodes and 28 ecological barrier nodes were identified as important nodes. On this basis, this research constructed a multi-level ESP consisting of “one center and multiple cores, one belt and two screens, multiple corridors and multiple nodes” for the CTZMA, which not only guarantees the stability of ecosystems but also maintains their efficiency in providing ecological services and their resistance to the pressure of human activities. Moreover, a series of specific recommendations for the optimization of regional ESPs were provided, including protection of ecological sources and enhancement of their habitat quality, improvement of ecological corridor connectivity, maintenance of pinch nodes, and restoration of barrier nodes. Coordinated mechanisms at the provincial level were proposed. This study could help with ecological conservation and restoration, and strategic planning making in integrated nature–human systems that cross administrative boundaries.

How professional development and coaching with a project construct framework promotes teacher practices that support social development

ABSTRACT Implementing high-quality professional development (PD) holds the potential to increase the quality of the early childhood profession. However, not all PDs are equally beneficial in improving teacher pedagogy and child outcomes. There is limited understanding of the most effective methods for conducting professional development in early childhood, particularly from a constructivist perspective. This study aimed to investigate the impact of receiving professional development and coaching on teacher pedagogy compared to those who only received professional development. Findings revealed significant growth in how teachers supported students’ social development and autonomy among those who received professional development and coaching, whereas there was no significant growth observed among those who only experienced the professional development sessions. These results underscore the importance of coaching in facilitating the application of teaching practices, providing feedback, and fostering self-reflection among teachers.

Employee innovation behavior, technology adoption, and process innovation among public universities: Basis for digitalization construction framework

Employee innovation behavior, technology adoption, and process innovation among public universities: Basis for digitalization construction framework

Framework for Design and Construction of Long-Life Concrete Pavements

In the past, concrete pavements were routinely designed and constructed to provide low-maintenance service life of 20 to 25 years. In fact, the majority of the U.S. interstate and the primary system were designed on the basis of the 20 to 25 year initial service life. Experience has shown that pavements in high volume traffic corridors need to be designed and constructed to provide longer service life because of the difficulties in performing effective repair and rehabilitation activities along these high volume highway corridors. In addition, the public is no longer tolerant of frequent extended lane closures to perform repair activities. It is becoming an established practice in the U.S. to require that concrete pavements provide low-maintenance service life of 40 plus years. PCC pavements can meet this specific requirement if proper considerations are incorporated in the design and good construction practices, including use of sound concrete making materials, are followed. This paper provides an overview of current U.S. practices and efforts at optimizing pavement design features and construction practices to minimize early age failures and provide long-term low-maintenance service in excess of 40 plus years. The paper also provides a framework for ensuring that the critical design and construction features that impact long-term service are recognized and accounted for. The design and construction features discussed include features that improve slab cracking and deflection responses, features that minimize maintenance operations, and construction features that assure long-life pavement.

Infinite Mixture Chaining: An Efficiency-Based Framework for the Dynamic Construction of Word Meaning.

The lexicon is an evolving symbolic system that expresses an unbounded set of emerging meanings with a limited vocabulary. As a result, words often extend to new meanings. Decades of research have suggested that word meaning extension is non-arbitrary, and recent work formalizes this process as cognitive models of semantic chaining whereby emerging meanings link to existing ones that are semantically close. Existing approaches have typically focused on a dichotomous formulation of chaining, couched in the exemplar or prototype theories of categorization. However, these accounts yield either memory-intensive or simplistic representations of meaning, while evidence for them is mixed. We propose a unified probabilistic framework, infinite mixture chaining, that derives different forms of chaining through the lens of cognitive efficiency. This framework subsumes the existing chaining models as a trade-off between representational accuracy and memory complexity, and it contributes a flexible class of models that supports the dynamic construction of word meaning by automatically forming semantic clusters informed by existing and novel usages. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework in reconstructing the historical development of the lexicon across multiple word classes and in different languages, and we also show that it correlates with human judgment of semantic change. Our study offers an efficiency-based view on the cognitive mechanisms of word meaning extension in the evolution of the lexicon.

Learning for sustainability in higher education institutions: a theoretical evaluation of a construction framework

Purpose This study aims to propose a framework for constructing a sustainable higher education institution (HEI) from the perspective of transformative learning. Design/methodology/approach This literature review focused on the construction framework, using themes of transformative learning approach and learning cycles and transitions approach. Findings This study reviews the articulation between the levels of transformative learning (instrumental, conventional, green and sustainable HEIs) and learning cycles (single-loop, double-loop and deutero-learning). The study explores how the maturity of HEI, process until it achieves higher levels of sustainability. However, positioning a HEI on a macroscale level is utopian as it represents an ideal type, using Max Weber’s terminology, which can only be overcome through deep institutional changes driven by sustainable concerns. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the framework, links to the limited number of studies that applied the I3E model – acronym for inform, engage, empower and embed – (Cebrián, 2016) and the lack of deepening of the four elements proposed to understand the process of sustainable management. The article expands on the literature by proposing ways for HEIs to engage toward a paradigm shift and a critical-based sustainable transformation. Practical implications This article provides an integrated approach for incorporating sustainable practice concerns into education, management, research and university–society relations. In addition, the results provide policymakers in HEIs with an understanding that transformative learning guides protocols to address challenging sustainability issues, in addition to new perspectives, approaches and understandings that bring the maturity levels of HEIs closer to an ideal sustainability model. Originality/value The study opens space for new research to be conducted, investigating how progress occurs in the face of sustainability and how it can be improved, in addition to serving for HEIs as a guide to actually becoming spaces where there is greater awareness, social justice, ethics and critical thinking. By using the transition to sustainability approach, it is possible to view how HEIs move toward a transition, understanding how it is managed and can be improved.

A framework for validating efficiency models of thermal separation columns with tray internals

Abstract Tray columns are globally used for distillation processes, and their performance must be optimized to reduce their cost and energy expenditures as well as carbon emissions. A prerequisite to achieve these targets demands a realistic account of the tray performance based on tray efficiency model application. The proof of concept of a Refined Residence Time Distribution (RRTD) model, recently proposed by the authors, is presented. The multifaceted challenges in acquiring hydrodynamic and performance data suitable for model validation are discussed in this work. In that regard, an unprecedented experimental campaign was performed in a representative large-scale air-water tray column simulator based on the application of multiplex flow profiler, new chemical system, and novel data processing schemes. Using these data and additional case studies, the capabilities of the RRTD model were demonstrated. This model successfully accounted for the impacts of varying local liquid flow characteristics and vapor flow maldistributions on the tray efficiency thereby advancing the state of the art of the tray efficiency models. This work particularly aimed at proposing a constructive framework to evaluate tray efficiency models in the future campaigns, and those campaigns will benefit from the learnings of the present work.

The Divinity of Christ in a Pluralistic World – A Study of Johannine Christology

This paper explored the doctrine of the divinity of Christ within the context of a pluralistic world, where multiple religious traditions coexist, each claiming distinct revelations of divine truth. The Christian belief in the unique divinity of Jesus Christ has often been challenged by such pluralism, especially in the face of modern interreligious dialogues. This paper examined the historical, biblical, and theological foundations of Christ’s divinity, focusing on Johannine Christology as a primary source of high Christology. Additionally, it engaged contemporary debates on religious pluralism, exploring inclusivist, exclusivist, and pluralist approaches to Christ’s divine identity. The paper argued that while the divinity of Christ remains a central and non-negotiable tenet of Christian theology, an inclusive approach to interfaith dialogue can be adopted without compromising this belief. This perspective not only preserves the integrity of Christian doctrine but also offers a constructive framework for engaging with religious diversity, thereby highlighting the significance of maintaining Christ’s divinity in interfaith dialogues and its implications for Christian theology in a pluralistic society. Keywords: Christology, Divinity of Christ, Pluralism, Johannine Theology, Interfaith

Methods for the Construction and Editing of an Efficient Control Network for the Photogrammetric Processing of Massive Planetary Remote Sensing Images

Planetary photogrammetry remains an important technical means of producing high-precision planetary maps. High-quality control networks are fundamental to successful bundle adjustment. However, current software tools used by the planetary mapping community to construct and edit control networks exhibit very low efficiency. Moreover, redundant and invalid control points in the control network can further increase the time required for the bundle adjustment process. Due to a lack of targeted algorithm optimization, existing software tools and methods are unable to meet the photogrammetric processing requirements of massive planetary remote sensing images. To address these issues, we first proposed an efficient control network construction framework based on approximate orthoimage matching and hash quick search. Next, to effectively reduce the redundant control points in the control network and decrease the computation time required for bundle adjustment, we then proposed a control network-thinning algorithm based on a K-D tree fast search. Finally, we developed an automatic detection method based on ray tracing for identifying invalid control points in the control network. To validate the proposed methods, we conducted photogrammetric processing experiments using both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) narrow-angle camera (NAC) images and the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) PolyCam images; we then compared the results with those derived from the famous open-source planetary photogrammetric software, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) version 8.0.0. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methods significantly improve the efficiency and quality of constructing control networks for large-scale planetary images. For thousands of planetary images, we were able to speed up the generation and editing of the control network by more than two orders of magnitude.

State-of-the-Art Drought Handling in Indonesia

Droughts tend to become more extreme, longer, and more frequent as an impact of climate change. Droughts now impact various development activities, especially those reliant on water resources, like agriculture for food security. Drought management issues in Indonesia stem from inadequate regulations and laws regarding drought response, due to intricate agency procedures and overlapping responsibilities. Nevertheless, there are currently established partial regulations and laws that govern the management of meteorological data and the accessibility of water resources. Without clear rules, policies, and frameworks, government policies on drought become less effective and overlapping. The research and novelty aim to design an integrated framework for handling drought by examining the present circumstances of relevant agencies using spatial nexus framework that is divided into three stages (construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction). During the first stage, the focus goes toward developing the construction framework will be proposed. The construction framework was conducted descriptively through a desk research method of drought management public policies, institutions, and operating systems for the agricultural sector in Indonesia. Moreover, a panel discussion was held to obtain the data and information about drought management by the government. Field observations were conducted to determine the handling of water resources practically for agriculture. Thus, drought management has been more concentrated on meteorological/climatological and hydrological elements. Moreover, it focuses on the statistical results of public and agricultural activities rather than on their socioeconomic consequences. A spatial approach will become the integration node of meteorological/hydrological elements, socioeconomic components, and agricultural activities.

Bibliometric Analysis of Thermal Comfort and Environmental Quality: A Framework for Sustainable Construction

Abstract Thermal comfort and environmental quality in buildings are critical factors in achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to health, energy efficiency, and sustainable constructions. The present paper aims to establish a scientific framework for sustainable construction, focusing both on the thermal comfort and indoor/outdoor quality of the air. With the average person spending 87% of their day indoors, understanding thermal comfort, defined as the subjective experience of a satisfactory thermal environment, is essential. Two primary models, the stable model and the adaptive model, are employed to analyze thermal comfort, accounting for various factors such as ambient temperature, air circulation, and individual differences. This study uses bibliometric analysis and scientific mapping to evaluate 14,179 articles from the Web of Science database indexed in the last 4 years (2020/2024). Current findings indicate a significant interest in this topic, with China and the USA leading in research output. The study reveals a strong focus on improving thermal comfort through innovative materials, mixed-mode ventilation, and vegetation integration in urban environments. Additionally, there is a notable emphasis on the air quality’ s influence on human health. Present analysis underscores the international collaboration implications, highlighting strong links between major research countries. This comprehensive bibliometric study provides insightful observations about the field’s prospects and existing trends, highlighting the necessity of ongoing research and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance thermal comfort and environmental quality in sustainable construction.

ONTOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE SYMBOL IN A.F. LOSEV'S AESTHETICS

The aim of the article is to reveal the role of the symbol and A.F. Losev's ontological scheme in the sphere of art. The article attempts to link the ideas of two important works of A.F. Losev: “Philosophy of the Name” and “Dialectics of Artistic Form” within the framework of a single theoretical construction. The concepts that influenced the formation of A.F. Losev's ontological scheme and his aesthetic views are analyzed. The significance of the symbol in the artistic sphere at each stage of A.F. Losev's ontological scheme, as well as its role in the creation of artistic form is revealed.

Engineering the filial self. Negotiating the moral construction of filial piety at different government levels in China

This article draws on discourse analysis of central and local government texts alongside ethnographic fieldwork conducted in China to depict the negotiation and implementation of filial piety ( xiao), as advocated in the moral construction framework, across different levels of government in China. We show how heterogeneous actors within the Chinese state fill the vague framework of the discourse on filial piety with their concerns and visions of a ‘better’ individual, family, or society, and how they try to connect through the concept of ‘promoting xiao’. We examine three levels of government: The central government's grand narrative of moral construction in propaganda texts on xiao; how local governments pick up, use, and negotiate this discourse in their self-presentations and reports on local promotion of xiao on the online propaganda platform Xuexi Qiangguo; and grassroots government organisations’ approaches to promote xiao within their neighbourhoods.

Based on Productive Failure Theory Apply in STEM Learning

From the perspective of existing research results, the application of effective failure theory in education has been proven to promote students' conceptual understanding, transfer, and problem-solving abilities. In terms of the scope of research implementation, most studies have focused on single disciplinary approaches to solving fixed answers, with little in-depth research in interdisciplinary fields, especially STEM education. Kapur's four student behaviors need to be adapted and improved to facilitate teachers to construct frameworks more accurately.

Uptake and acceptability of oral HIV self-testing in the context of assisted partner services in Western Kenya: A mixed-methods analysis.

Integrating HIV self-testing (HIVST) into assisted partner services (APS) has potential to increase identification of people with HIV in the community, but little is known about acceptability of HIVST among partners traced via APS. We assessed characteristics of APS partners testing with HIVST, and factors influencing HIVST uptake and acceptability in a cluster-randomized control trial on APS+HIVST. Using convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we evaluated socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of APS partners who were offered HIVST or provider-delivered testing, and purposively selected a sub-set of partners for in-depth interviews (IDIs). Descriptive and log-binomial regression analyses were performed controlling for health facility clusters, while IDIs were thematically analyzed applying the theoretical framework of acceptability. Among 3312 partners who were offered HIVST or provider-administered testing through APS, 2724 (82.2%) used HIVST. There was no association between partner demographics and HIVST uptake. HIVST use was less likely than provider-delivered testing among those identified as a casual (adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 0.93; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.88-0.98) or transactional (aRR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.87-0.94) partner compared to those in a defined relationship. HIVST use was slightly lower among those offered the option of an additional kit when compared to those only offered one kit (aRR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.88-0.98). In the IDIs (N = 24), partners reported that HIVST was a viable option for individuals who do not find provider-delivered testing suitable or convenient. For the APS partners, 'intervention coherence', 'self-efficacy', and 'ethicality' presented as most significant theoretical framework of acceptability constructs. APS providers played a critical role in creating HIVST awareness and driving acceptability. Increasing HIVST awareness and providing tailored solutions will empower APS clients optimize their HIV testing decisions. Providers should consider context of the partner's sexual encounter and extend counselling support when recommending HIVST within APS.

A Simple Yet Effective Corpus Construction Framework for Indonesian Grammatical Error Correction

Currently, the majority of research in grammatical error correction (GEC) is concentrated on universal languages, such as English and Chinese. Many low-resource languages lack accessible evaluation corpora. How to efficiently construct high-quality evaluation corpora for GEC in low-resource languages has become a significant challenge. To fill these gaps, in this paper, we present a framework for constructing GEC corpora. Specifically, we focus on Indonesian as our research language and construct an evaluation corpus for Indonesian GEC using the proposed framework, addressing the limitations of existing evaluation corpora in Indonesian. Furthermore, we investigate the feasibility of utilizing existing large language models (LLMs), such as GPT-3.5-Turbo and GPT-4, to streamline corpus annotation efforts in GEC tasks. The results demonstrate significant potential for enhancing the performance of LLMs in low-resource language settings. Our code and corpus can be obtained from https://github.com/GKLMIP/GEC-Construction-Framework.

Autonomous ecologies of construction: Collaborative modular robotic material eco-systems with deep multi-agent reinforcement learning

To address the unprecedented challenges of construction pressurized by the global climate crisis, housing shortage, and growing shortage of skilled labor, this research presents a radical shift in the construction lifecycle of buildings, from linear processes that produce static continuous buildings to interrelational processes linking adaptative eco-systems of collaborative robots and reconfigurable building parts. Inspired by natural builders, the interdisciplinary field of collective robotic construction (CRC) offers the potential for scalable, adaptive, and resilient construction with simple robots. We establish a design framework for autonomous collaborative robotic construction (ACRC) through modular robotic material eco-systems (MRMES) trained with deep multi-agent reinforcement learning (DMARL). This involves the integration of three core aspects: (1) modular robotic material eco-systems (2) cyber-physical simulation and control with bidirectional feedback (3) adaptive intelligence through deep multi-agent reinforcement learning. The framework is implemented through three comparable case studies for collaborative modular robotic assembly of reconfigurable building parts.

Optimization of architectural design and construction with integrated BIM and PLM methodologies.

Digital transformation in the architecture industry encounters challenges such as data silos within design stages, between design and construction, and across the entire industry chain, including BIM and project management. This study introduces a pioneering approach for seamlessly integrating building information modeling (BIM) and product lifecycle management (PLM) within the management framework and collaborative workflows of architectural design and construction. The proposed methodology was implemented in two major projects, namely, the Wuhan Next-Generation Weather Radar Construction Project and the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention Comprehensive Capacity Enhancement Project (Phase I), with the former being China's first end-to-end digitally integrated construction project. Compared with traditional projects, these implementations achieved improvements of 24.39% and 38.04%, respectively, in objective function values. The findings highlight the unique advantages of BIM-PLM integration in optimizing lifecycle management, enhancing cross-disciplinary, cross-enterprise, and cross-regional collaboration, improving project design efficiency and quality, and reducing costs and waste. This integration provides valuable insights into the digital advancement of the construction industry.

Risk assessment for autonomous navigation system based on knowledge graph

This paper presents a knowledge graph construction framework based on the Adversarial Interpretive Structure Model (AISM), aiming to reveal the failure interdependencies of autonomous navigation assemblies. The autonomous navigation system is divided into 6 systems with 43 failure modes. The hierarchical correlations between multiple systems are quantified by establishing the distance matrix and adjacency matrix, which are defined as triples to serve the entities and attributes for the knowledge graph. The centrality metrics are applied to evaluate the importance of nodes and to assess the stability of the knowledge graph. The coordination relationships between autonomous navigation systems and the impact associations of failure modes are discussed to validate the reasonability of the proposed framework. The results indicate that The NAVTEX operation panel and The installation base of the temperature sensor are the most essential components in the hierarchical results. The positioning system has a high degree centrality and betweenness centrality, while the server system has the highest closeness centrality. The propagation path from Decrease in positioning accuracy to The installation base of the temperature sensor is investigated, providing the methodological and data basis for decision-making.

Construction 5.0 and Sustainable Neuro-Responsive Habitats: Integrating the Brain–Computer Interface and Building Information Modeling in Smart Residential Spaces

This study takes a unique approach by investigating the integration of Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) within residential architecture. It explores their combined potential to foster neuro-responsive, sustainable environments within the framework of Construction 5.0. The methodological approach involves real-time BCI data and subjective evaluations of occupants’ experiences to elucidate cognitive and emotional states. These data inform BIM-driven alterations that facilitate adaptable, customized, and sustainability-oriented architectural solutions. The results highlight the ability of BCI–BIM integration to create dynamic, occupant-responsive environments that enhance well-being, promote energy efficiency, and minimize environmental impact. The primary contribution of this work is the demonstration of the viability of neuro-responsive architecture, wherein cognitive input from Brain–Computer Interfaces enables real-time modifications to architectural designs. This technique enhances built environments’ flexibility and user-centered quality by integrating occupant preferences and mental states into the design process. Furthermore, integrating BCI and BIM technologies has significant implications for advancing sustainability and facilitating the design of energy-efficient and ecologically responsible residential areas. The study offers practical insights for architects, engineers, and construction professionals, providing a method for implementing BCI–BIM systems to enhance user experience and promote sustainable design practices. The research examines ethical issues concerning privacy, data security, and informed permission, ensuring these technologies adhere to moral and legal requirements. The study underscores the transformational potential of BCI–BIM integration while acknowledging challenges related to data interoperability, integrity, and scalability. As a result, ongoing innovation and rigorous ethical supervision are crucial for effectively implementing these technologies. The findings provide practical insights for architects, engineers, and industry professionals, offering a roadmap for developing intelligent and ethically sound design practices.