Building Industry Research Articles

Polymer Nanocomposites: A Review on Recent Advances in the Field of Green Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract: In order to address environmental issues, polymer nanocomposites are becoming more and more popular because of their remarkable functionality. Their use in various fields is highlighted by their special physicochemical features (i.e., stability, high reactivity, robustness, regenerability, etc.), conductivity, electronic compatibility, quick interfacial contacts, simplicity of functionalization, simplicity of synthesis, interface-to-volume ratio, and low cost. Green polymer nanocomposites have drawn a lot of attention for use in a variety of applications to preserve the environment. Because they are made of eco-friendly materials, they are frequently utilised in the automobile, building, packaging, and medical industries. Eco-friendly solutions to the problems caused by plastic trash are biodegradable polymers produced from renewable sources (microbes, plants, and animals). Plant fibres and natural resins are combined to create green composite materials. These fibres and resins used in green composites can be broken down by bacteria. The mixing of natural fillers and organic polymers results in green polymer nanocomposites with distinct characteristics. This review is anticipated to be comprehensive, compelling, and practical for the scientists and business professionals who collaborate to address a variety of environmental problems on a global scale using green polymer nanocomposites.

Analysis and Design of Pre-Engineered Industrial Warehouse Building with Different Standard

Over the years, pre-engineered building (PEB) has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete construction as well as conventional steel construction. In this paper, pre-engineered industrial warehouse building will be design with different codal provision using software Staadpro and analyzed with different loads on building i.e. dead load, live load, collateral load, wind load and load combinations on building .The main objective of this study to find the optimum weight of steel quantity in building with use of different country codel provision .

Industrial Heritage and Cultural Clusters: More Than a Temporary Affair?

The transformation of industrial heritage buildings into cultural clusters has emerged as a prominent topic of academic research in urban planning, urban studies, heritage conservation, and architecture. Cultural clusters, defined as geographically concentrated cultural activities and organisations, have become a key instrument in urban regeneration, fostering economic growth and cultural development. Despite the benefits that cultural clusters offer in terms of fostering cultural activity, they often prove to be short-lived due to various external factors, including urban regeneration pressures, shifts in policy, and changes in zoning regulations. This thematic issue presents seven case studies that offer insights into the current state of cultural clusters, their transient nature, and the conditions necessary to guarantee their long-term sustainability in industrial heritage sites. The research is particularly relevant in light of the mounting pressure on urban land, where industrial heritage sites are frequently repurposed for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes.

A Newly Bio-Based Material for the Construction Industry Using Gypsum Binder and Rice Straw Waste (Oryza sativa)

Construction is one of the economic sectors with the greatest influence on climate change. In addition to working procedures, the primary carbon footprint is attributed to the choice of materials and the energy required for their manufacturing. The underlying idea of this study is to minimize the effects and offer new solutions to emerging problems in the quest for materials that can be deemed as natural, such as gypsum (calcium sulphate dihydrate) and rice straw (Oryza sativa). The acquisition of these materials involves a lower carbon footprint compared to the conventional materials. It is well known since ancient times that gypsum and cereal straw can be used in construction, with numerous examples still available. Cereal straw is one of the oldest construction materials, traditionally combined with earth and occasionally with certain binders, with it continuing to be employed in construction in many countries to this day. This work showcases the feasibility of producing stable prefabricated elements from straw waste with construction gypsum, addressing a significant environmental concern posed by the alternative of having to burn such materials. In this study, for the proposed bio-based material, specific tests, such as thermal conductivity, flexural and compressive strength, and fire resistance, were carried out to evaluate the principal physical and mechanical characteristics for different compositions of water, gypsum, and straw fiber samples. The results highlighted the good performance of the proposed materials in order to spread their use in the green building industry. The addition of straw fibers improved, in different ways, some important physical characteristics of these components so as to diminish environmental pollution and to obtain better material performance. The tests highlighted the different behaviors of the proposed material with respect to the different cuts of the straw and as well as the water/gypsum ratio; this is not very well understood and probably depends on the micro structure of the straw fibers. The blocks with raw straw showed a significant improvement in the breaking mechanism (1775.42 N) compared to the blocks with cut straw (712.26 N) when subjected to bending tests, and their performance in compression tests was also acceptable. Additionally, a very interesting reduction in thermal conductivity was achieved by incorporating rice straw (0.233 W/mK), and high fire exposure times were obtained, with gypsum preventing the spread of ignition in any type of fiber.

Self-supporting thin Shells in Italy. Space and Structure of the Industrial Buildings (1930-1970)

Self-supporting thin Shells in Italy. Space and Structure of the Industrial Buildings (1930-1970)

OPTIMIZING HVAC EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY: A REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

This study presents a comprehensive review of strategies to optimize HVAC systems in commercial and industrial buildings, focusing on enhancing energy efficiency, system reliability, and environmental sustainability. HVAC systems are major energy consumers, contributing significantly to operational costs in large buildings. With increasing energy costs, regulatory pressures, and the push for sustainability, technological advancements and management strategies have emerged to improve HVAC performance. Following PRISMA guidelines, this review analyzed 58 high-quality peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2023. Key findings show that energy management systems (EMS) can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%, while Building Management Systems (BMS) enhance system reliability through centralized control and predictive maintenance. The adoption of eco-friendly refrigerants and energy-efficient designs, such as heat recovery and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technologies, further lowers energy usage and environmental impact. Additionally, integrating renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal into HVAC systems can reduce energy consumption by as much as 40%. Green building certifications, such as LEED and BREEAM, drive the adoption of optimized HVAC technologies, delivering both environmental and financial benefits. This review underscores the crucial role of HVAC optimization in reducing energy consumption, lowering carbon footprints, and improving the operational performance of buildings, offering valuable insights for building managers, engineers, and policymakers.

Simulation-based design: minimizing energy consumption in residential buildings through optimal thermal insulation

Purpose This study aims to optimize the energy consumption of residential buildings in mild and humid climates. It investigates the use of thermal insulation to reduce thermal load through energy simulation analysis. Design/methodology/approach A residential building located in Rasht city, Iran (a mild and humid climate zone), is simulated using DesignBuilder software. Subsequently, the minimum thermal resistance for external walls and roof is analyzed along with its impact on building energy consumption and carbon emissions. Findings The simulation results indicated a 26.5% reduction in heat loss through the walls and a 14.2% reduction through the roof due to optimal thermal insulation. Furthermore, optimal insulation led to a 19.2% reduction in cooling system energy use, a 12% reduction in heating system energy use and a combined 15.3% reduction in total energy consumption for cooling and heating. Originality/value This optimization process leads to several benefits: reduced costs associated with thermal and cooling energy losses in buildings, improved building performance against atmospheric factors and, ultimately, a reduction in energy consumption across the building industry. This research can be valuable to various stakeholders, including the construction industry and building sector, municipalities and engineering systems, building owners and contractors and environmental organizations. By implementing these findings, they can improve the state of modern building insulation and achieve greater energy efficiency.

Research on the green development path of prefabricated building industry based on intelligent technology

PurposeIn order to make the construction industry develop in the direction of greening, this paper analyzes whether the application of intelligent technology in prefabricated buildings can achieve carbon emission reduction, starting from the problems of weak technology and insufficient encouragement policies in the prefabricated building industry. It also designs dynamic and adjustable incentives for the smart transformation of prefabricated buildings and makes recommendations to facilitate the transformation of assembly manufacturers into “smart factories”.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes the intelligent technology for carbon reduction, energy efficiency and policy design in the prefabricated buildings industry as the starting point. Based on in-depth expert interviews and questionnaire survey data, a linear multiple regression model is used to establish an association network of intelligent technology in the production and transportation, construction, operation and maintenance, demolition and scrapping stages. On this basis, an evolutionary game theory is used to construct a smart transformation and carbon reduction utility game model between the government and manufacturers, and relevant suggestions for smart empowerment of green construction development technology combinations and policy settings are proposed.FindingsAn assembly manufacturing plant with smart empowerment is an important way to achieve green and sustainable development in the construction industry. Among them, BIM and IoT have made a greater impact on carbon emission reduction of prefabricated buildings in all stages of the whole life cycle. The government’s proposed energy efficiency incentives and environmental tax amount will effectively increase companies' motivation for smart transformation of prefabricated buildings. However, when the environmental tax amount is low, the government should strengthen the regulation of the industry in order to increase the speed of smart transformation of assembly manufacturers. Therefore, a reasonable setting of the environmental tax rate and energy-saving incentives and flexible adjustment of the regulatory efforts can maximize the functional utility of the government in the process of smart transformation.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on the impact of intelligent technologies on the overall carbon emissions of the industry and provides an evolutionary analysis of the strategic game between the government and assembly manufacturers, the main players in the smart transformation process of prefabricated buildings. However, smart technologies for different categories of assembly manufacturing plants and strategic options for a wider range of stakeholders have not been examined in depth.Originality/valueDifferent from existing research, this study focuses on exploring the strategic game between the government and assembly manufacturers in the smart transformation of prefabricated buildings. It provides an innovative explanation of the connection between intelligent technology and carbon emissions. The study develops an evolutionary game model for both parties, addressing the research gap on the combined effects of policy incentives and intelligent technology on carbon reduction and efficiency improvement in the prefabricated buildings industry. This research not only offers practical reference for the government in designing incentive mechanisms and establishing regulatory systems but also provides feasible practical guidance for the smart transformation and carbon reduction efforts of assembly manufacturing plants.

New generalized expressions for forced convective heat transfer coefficients across the flat plate

This study presents a novel generalized model for forced convective heat transfer coefficients (CHTC) over flat plates, addressing key limitations in existing models. Current expressions often provide averaged values and fail to capture the local variations in heat transfer, leading to inaccuracies, particularly in transitional zones. Moreover, there is no consensus on boundary layer classifications, which further complicates the development of reliable CHTC models. To address these issues, we conduct extensive CFD simulations to systematically analyze the combined effects of plate length (L), wind velocity (v), position along the plate (x), and temperature difference (Δt) on local CHTC. The simulations span a wide range of conditions (0.25 m ≤ L ≤ 8 m, 3 m/s ≤ v ≤ 25 m/s, and 5 °C ≤ Δt ≤ 80 °C), creating a comprehensive database of local CHTC values. Based on this data, a new generalized CHTC expression is derived as a function of L, v, x, and Δt, accurately predicting CHTC across laminar, transitional, and turbulent zones of flat plats. The accuracy of proposed CHTC expression is verified through thorough in-sample and out-of-sample evaluations, achieving R2 values between 0.973 and 0.999, with maximum deviations ranging from 2.6 % to 8.5 %. These research methods and conclusions can provide valuable references for optimizing thermal processes in applications such as industrial heat exchangers, electronics cooling, and building heating systems, where precise heat transfer modeling is critical for enhancing efficiency and system design.

Heating Industrial Buildings with Heat Pump Air Systems: Is It Always the Most Advantageous Option?

According to extant Italian legislation implementing the Renewable Energy Directive, the mandatory renewable quota for a new building is 60% referring to a single service (e.g., heating during winter) or to multiple services (e.g., heating during winter and air conditioning during summer), depending on which services are actually present. The obligation to satisfy this minimum value often leads heating and ventilation plant designers to provide heat pump systems in industrial buildings, typically air/water or direct expansion type coupled with air terminals (air heaters or ventilation units) or radiant floors. The question is: Is this always the most advantageous option for industrial buildings? A typical industrial building was modeled by Trnsys® in two different climates. Based on the calculated thermal heating loads, the condensing radiant tubes and heat pump coupled with the air heaters systems were analyzed through dynamic simulation, evaluating their performance from an energy, environmental impact, and economic point of view. The analysis carried out revealed that a heat pump system is not always the most advantageous solution depending on the climate, the characteristics of the building (less or more thermal insulation, which corresponds to existing buildings rather than new ones), and the size of the photovoltaics system eventually installed on the roof.

Utilization of natural kapok and coconut fiber in thermally insulated sustainable concrete design.

Nowadays, when regenerable alternative green sources are attracting more caution under sustainability targets, kapok and coconut fibers, known as natural fibers, have come to the fore as a very significant raw material source. In this experimental study, compressive strength, thermal insulation, and pore structure characteristics of kapok fiber (KP)- and coconut fiber (CC)-incorporated concrete samples under different curing conditions were analyzed. For that purpose, randomly distributed fiber-incorporated concrete mixtures containing 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% KP and CC fiber by the weight of cement were prepared and under H2O2 and NaClO curing conditions, the effects of KP and CC fiber inclusion on properties mentioned above of fiber-incorporated concrete samples were researched in detail. Experimental results depict that a maximum thermal conductivity coefficient decrease of 24.31% was detected at a content ratio of 1.5% by the reason of the pore modification effect of used natural fibers in the H2O2 curing group. Because of the remarkable pore modification effect of KP fiber incorporation into the cement matrix compared to the CC fiber inclusion cases, strong linear correlations revealing the insulation-strength mechanism could be detected for both H2O2 and NaClO curing cases. This work intends to promote sustainable development in the building industry by integrating natural fibers into concrete mixtures as an innovative design approach.

Synergistic Effect of Resveratrol and Paclitaxel in the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a lethal and aggressive cancer due to exposure to asbestos since this carcinogen is still being used in industrial buildings and housing in several countries. Untreated MPM has a median survival time of 12 months, and most people die within 24 months after diagnosis. If caught early, surgery may be performed. Treatment option for palliative care is limited using platinum with pemetrexed. Malignant transformation of a cell is attributed to a series of genetic and epigenetic events involving alterations in several oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and others. Different anticancer and antioxidants with anticancer properties were tested individually and in combination to find the best synergistic effect in killing MSTO-211H, a lung mesothelioma cell line used as model of MPM. Once the combination was identified, assays and staining methods such as MTT, Rhodamine123, Hoechst 33342, Nuclear ID Red/Green, and Western Blot were performed to identify different proteins involved in apoptosis and cell signaling cascade to proof the cytotoxic effect of the combine anticancer and antioxidant treatment. Combination of Paclitaxel (PAC) at 3 µM and Resveratrol (RSV) at 62.5 µM showed synergistic effect on MSTO-211H cells by causing inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), inhibition of mitogen activated protein kinases (MEKs) 1-4, inhibition of programmed death ligand-1 (PDL-1), inhibition of cell cycle proteins, and induction of caspases 3-8. This study provided possible potential application of using RSV as a chemo-enhancing compound with PAC in the treatment of MPM.

Brickwork in Norway: tradition encounters a new age of industrial construction, 1905–1912

During the first decades of the twentieth century, construction technology experienced rapid developments, which also affected industrial buildings. This paper demonstrates this evolution between 1905 and 1912 through the case of the Rjukan and Notodden UNESCO World Heritage site in central southern Norway. The site was established for the purpose of producing synthetic nitrogen fertiliser by the company Hydro. There, building systems changed from timber frames with brick infill to pure brick bearing walls and finally to more sophisticated wall-braced cage buildings where steel was incorporated. Increasing the structural capacity was the answer to the growing demand for higher and larger industrial buildings. This case study presents the characteristics and establishes an initial account of the types of construction systems. Embedded steel that is concealed within brickwork can be subject to corrosion and compromise structural integrity. Studying these systems and materials in greater detail and identifying conservation issues will support future repair work. The studied buildings reveal also that used systems were not unique to this remote mountain area, but the technology used was in line with developments in leading industrial nations around the world. This places the site also in an international context of architecture and engineering history.

State-of-the-art of mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete

The utilization of 3D printing in civil engineering has expedited the progression of intelligent construction and building industrialization. A plethora of studies in recent years have contributed to the advancement of 3D printed concrete technology. In contrast to traditional concrete construction techniques, 3D printed concrete technology offers additional benefits such as cost-effectiveness, reduced environmental impact, and a simpler process. The mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete are crucial for its application in building structures. This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest research endeavors in 3D printed concrete, covering both research and application. Firstly, this manuscript examines the size parameters and fabrication methods of the specimens utilized for mechanical performance tests. Subsequently, the mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete are described, and the effect of time-gap as a significant parameter on the performance of 3D printed concrete is discussed. Finally, the existing 3D printed concrete reinforcement technologies and their applications are summarized and categorized based on fibers and steel bars. Moreover, the key technical obstacles in the application of 3D printed concrete in building structures are identified. The ultimate objective of this article is to chart a course for the development and implementation of 3D printed concrete in building structures.

Cloud Model-Based Intelligent Construction Management Level Assessment of Prefabricated Building Projects

Intelligent construction is vital for achieving new building industrialization by enhancing prefabricated buildings through integrated, digital, and intelligent management across production and construction processes. Despite its significance, detailed research on evaluating the intelligent construction management (ICM) level of prefabricated projects remains limited. This study aims to develop a comprehensive, multi-level, multi-dimensional ICM assessment system. By reviewing the literature, engaging in expert discussions, and conducting case studies—specifically using a project in Guangzhou as an example—this study employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and entropy weight methods to assign indicator weights. Utilizing cloud model theory, it establishes evaluation standards for intelligent construction management. This model identifies the project’s ICM level, suggests practical improvement methods, and validates its applicability. This work not only advances theoretical understanding but also provides a practical framework for assessing ICM levels in prefabricated projects, thus contributing significantly to the field by offering new research perspectives and empirical evidence.

Evaluating UKCP18-Based weather files for overheating assessment using building simulation: A case study for a flat in london

Global warming and net zero transition are the two biggest challenges currently faced by the building industry in the UK. While the net zero transition primarily focuses on the problems of energy efficiency and heat decarbonization, the rise of global temperature imposes a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of occupants and the industry is obliged to make buildings climate-resilient by testing their designs using future weather files. To improve the quality of the current weather files, a new project has been commissioned by CIBSE to revisit the data and the methodology employed for creating future weather files and produce new CIBSE weather files using the latest UK Climate Projections released in 2018 (UKCP18). In this study, we evaluate the newly produced weather files for overheating risk using building simulation. Two different batches of weather files were curated. The first batch was produced primarily using the existing methodology for creating the UKCP09 based weather files, with an adjustment to accommodate new features of the UKCP18 and an improved procedure for morphing the solar radiation data. The second batch was created through an improved morphing process to better emulate the characteristics of distributions of climatic variables. The differences between the existing UKCP09 and new UCKP18 based weather files are compared by evaluating overheating metrics. The new weather files enable robust building performance assessment against future climate conditions under different scenarios and will play an important role in designing climate-resilient buildings and delivering a net zero built environment. Practical applications As the extreme weather events resulting from climate change become more frequent and intense, they pose significant challenges to the resilience of the built environment and severe threats to the health and wellbeing of the occupants. Climate data, which serves as the foundation for climate risk assessment, plays a critical role in helping the building sector to achieve climate resilience through the means of performance assessment and the channel of regulatory compliance. In this study, the revised future weather files created using the latest UKCP18 climate projections are presented and evaluated using building simulation, as part of the weather file testing programme for quality assurance. The revision of the CIBSE weather files according to the latest climate science, i.e. UKCP18, will enable the building industry to quantify overheating risks with more accurate climate assumptions and better inform decision making about risk mitigation and climate adaptation.

Ecological Consequences of Changes in the Territorial and Branch Structure of Moscow Manufacturing Industry in 1990–2023

The peculiarities of the dynamics of the volume and structure of emissions from manufacturing enterprises in Moscow in 1990–2023 have been revealed. It is noted that the economic process of deindustrialization in the 1990s–2000s has been replaced in recent years by a small reverse process of reindustrialization, with an increase in the diversity of sectoral structure, and a change in the role and internal structure of machine building and chemical industry. The decrease of manufacturing industry output was noticed, while pollution from large enterprises producing products necessary for the city was preserved; at the same time, the rates of decrease in specific pollution for these enterprises have slowed down in recent years. It is concluded that during periods of crisis and recession there is a faster change in industrial structure compared to the change in pollution structure, and that during the recovery phase the pollution structure changes faster, largely due to the fact that industries are expanded initially without adequate expansion of treatment systems.

Causative factors of Abandoned Urban Housing Projects and Strategies for Revitalization in Ibadan, Nigeria

In Nigeria, over 56,000 projects have been abandoned, leading to negative societal and urban impacts, including wasted investment, job losses, increased crime rates, visual pollution, and disruption of urban planning. These abandoned projects, which include residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, have significant multiplier effects on the construction industry. As the housing sector plays a vital role in a country's economy, the issue of abandoned urban housing projects, particularly in Ibadan, Nigeria’s third-largest city, poses serious challenges. These challenges affect the city’s economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental quality, yet there is limited research addressing the problem. This paper investigated the causes of abandoned housing projects in Ibadan, aiming to find ways to revive them and prevent future abandonment. A structured questionnaire (n=45) was administered to consultants and professionals in the built environment (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and builders). Key causes of abandonment were identified, along with impacts such as building dilapidation, environmental decline, and urban visual displeasure. The paper recommended the establishment of regulatory frameworks for periodic inspections of ongoing projects and requiring developers to have exit strategies for financial setbacks. It also emphasized policies that promote repurposing abandoned buildings for public services, such as affordable housing or community centers. The conclusion stressed that without addressing the root causes, urban aesthetics and adequate housing provision will continue to suffer.

A review of approaches to assessment of potential radon hazard of land plots

According to Rosstat statistics, in recent years there has been a tendency in the Russian Federation to increase the intensity of construction, while both the number of buildings put into operation and their total area are increasing. The assessment of the potential radon hazard of land plots for construction provides the possibility of timely inclusion of the necessary protective (preventive) measures against radon in the design of buildings. This is a legal requirement in cases where the density of radon flux from the ground surface within the building area exceeds the established hygienic standards (action levels). The paper presents a review of Russian and foreign approaches to assessing the potential radon hazard of land plots conducted within the framework of engineering and environmental surveys. The current regulatory requirements to radiation safety indicators of land plots for construction of residential, public and industrial buildings and facilities in the Russian Federation are analyzed. The main drawbacks of the algorithm for determining the potential radon hazard of land plots, used in the current guidelines MU 2.6.1.2398-08 approved at the federal level more than 15 years ago, are described. Critical remarks (the unsuitability of the value of density of radon flux from the ground surface for designing radon protective and mitigation (remedial) measures, lack of consideration of seasonal variations of radon flux density, etc.) accumulated over the years as a result of practical application of these guidelines are presented. Benefits and drawbacks of foreign approaches to assessing the potential radon hazard of the territory based on the results of measurements of radon concentration in soil gas, as well as the very possibility of a transition in Russian regulations from the density of radon flux from the ground surface to the radon concentration in soil gas, are analyzed. Some rational proposals of various Russian research teams on improving the algorithm for determining the potential radon hazard of land plots are considered.

Structural Reuse of Decommissioned Ski Lift Steel Trusses for Load-Bearing Applications

The ongoing effects of climate change have led to a rise in global temperature, significantly reducing snow cover and resulting in the abandonment of numerous ski areas across Switzerland. As a result, many ski lifts have been decommissioned and left to deteriorate due to lenient local regulations. To address this issue, this paper presents a case study approach to repurposing steel trusses from abandoned ski lifts for a new structural application within the building industry. The design, sourcing, and construction of a new load-supporting column are described, focusing on reusing the ski lift steel trusses as a whole, without dismantling them into their components. After collection, these elements are adapted to comply with current building standards. By pouring out the hollow structure with the recently developed building material Cleancrete ©, a new load-bearing structure is developed. A comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates the environmental performance of the steel–Cleancrete hybrid construction, which achieves a global warming potential (GWP) of 536.58 kg CO2-eq. In comparison, alternative designs using wood and concrete exhibited GWP values of 679.45 kg CO2-eq, +26.6%, and 1593.72 kg CO2-eq, +197.02%, respectively. These findings suggest that repurposing abandoned ski lift structures can significantly contribute to sustainable building practices, waste reduction, and the promotion of circular economy principles. The process outlined in this paper holds potential for future applications, particularly in the reuse of other steel components, ensuring continued circularity even as the supply of ski lift structures may dwindle.