Interior Rooms Research Articles

Effects of sugarcane bagasse ash as partial replacement of cement in the compressive strength and light transmissibility of Litracon blocks

Living up to a culture of sustainability and efficiency, the Light Transmitting Concrete or Litracon came to its prominence recently. Aside from that, the increase in the production of cement for building structures to facilitate various social dynamics has contributed to the world’s exponentially increasing carbon emissions. Thereby, this study acts upon both phenomena by partially replacing the cement in the concrete mix for producing Litracon blocks using an agricultural waste material called Sugarcane Bagasse Ash or SCBA while aiming to improve their structural performance. The study used five (5) mix designs of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% replacements, and a controlled mix with no replacement. Three (3) cubic samples of 150 mm side dimension for each mix were subjected to the light transmissibility test before the compressive strength test. Results showed that the illumination values in lux of 103 to 120 were at par with the Philippine illumination guidelines for interior rooms, from 100 to 150. Moreover, the highest recorded compressive strength result with SCBA percentage replacement was the 5% design mix at 28.81 MPa, and the 2.5% design mix had the lowest recorded compressive strength of 23.51 MPa. The results further showed that even with no significant relationship between the percentage replacements and compressive strength values from the two-tailed T-test, no significant difference between such strength values was found using the One-way ANOVA test. Thus, this supports the claim that SCBA can partially replace the cement used for the concrete mix of Litracon blocks.

Giuseppe Torres’s ‘Byzantine House' in Venice: Building Materials and Deterioration Products of an Early 1900s Home in the Lagoon Environment

ABSTRACT In the frame of the Venezia2021 project the private ‘Byzantine house' designed by Giuseppe Torres in 1905 was chosen as the emblematic architectural site which marks Venice’s transition towards modernity, requiring study of its conservation in the lagoon environment of the city of Venice. In conjunction with the definition of a specific Path of Knowledge of the ground floor, a series of stone and lithoid materials as well as their related deterioration products from the interior rooms were sampled for analysis. The investigations covered a wide range of materials (plasters, mortars, natural and artificial stones, bricks, glass and finishings). They were carried out by means of a multi-analytical approach comprising SEM-EDX and optical microscopy; XRPD; XRF, ion chromatography; and Raman and infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. The stones identified are linked to the Venetian architectural tradition (Euganean trachyte and Istrian stone). The sands in the mortars are mainly of regional origin and the glass is compatible with traditional Venetian (Murano) recipes. Of particular interest is the presence of an intonachino charged with ground fluorite. The deterioration products are linked to the extensive and intense phenomenon of capillary rising damp and efflorescence deposition induced by the lagoon environment.

Study of the hygroscopic properties of environmentally friendly lightened composites through waste recovery

Gypsum-plaster is becoming an ideal binder in the valorisation and recovery of waste for designing more sustainable composites. Nevetheless, the main limitation of plaster lies in its susceptibility to the action of water. In this research, a complete study of the hygroscopic properties of a new material has been carried out, in which plaster material has been partially substituted in mass by dissolved expanded polystyrene waste in percentages of 8.8% to 26.5%. Additionally, fibres from end-of-life tyres have been incorporated at 1.2% by mass to improve the strength and durability of the compounds, achieving a total reduction of up to 28% of the original raw materials. The experimental campaign delves into the water performance of this new plaster composites through mercury porosimetry tests, water absorption by capillarity, total water absorption, water vapour permeability, Karsten Tube penetration, water-stove cycles, as well as the analysis of images obtained by scanning electron microscopy. The main results obtained show a reduction of 97.8% in surface water absorption, as well as a decrease of up to 17.44% in water vapour permeability compared to traditional plaster. Moreover, the developed materials exhibit good mechanical behaviour after undergoing several accelerated ageing cycles. This work highlights the potential of the new plaster composites designed to produce a more sustainable alternative to commercial prefabricated boards and panels, especially suitable for use in interior rooms where high resistance to the action of water is required.

Intermediate space for housing design learned from tradition of Korean maru and Turkish sofa

The study examines traditional design approaches for intermediate spaces of residential buildings to support environmentally driven design strategies of current practices. For the evaluation of the potential of traditional design strategies, traditional houses of Korea and Turkey are explored by making a detailed comparison of maru and sofa according to theoretical considerations on intermediate spaces. After examining the concept of the intermediate space and the general characteristics of Korean and Turkish traditional housing, 10 cases from 17th to 19th centuries are selected and compared to clarify the features of maru and sofa as intermediate spaces. Based on the results, the arrangement of maru shows characteristics of contradiction between interior rooms and intermediate spaces in a monotonous structural repetition, while sofa presents an apparently hierarchical spatial composition. Sofa has the placeness quality, while maru has the quality of plurality, actively mixing both inside and outside environments. While maru allows various free access with clear spatial continuity, sofa produces a sequential spatial experience with the pleasure of different architectural qualities. Finally, the study suggests opened type and closed type of intermediate space as two possible strategies for modern houses based on the results of comparative analyses. Recent environmental studies in architecture should consider intermediate spaces of various traditional houses due to the insights and possibilities these spatial elements may potentially provide to both architectural practice and theory, especially in a pandemic era.

Строительные материалы в средневековой архитектуре археологического памятника Дерахейб (Судан)

The material for the article was samples of light gray rock with lighter and darker inclusions taken during the study of architectural structures of the archaeological site Deraheib (Sudan), which has been investigated since 2017 by the Nubian Archaeological and Anthropological Mission of the Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (NAAM). This rock was used for making floor in Building 3 (Mosque) and as a bonding material in the walls of the Northern Fortress. Decorative architectural elements carved from the same rock were found during the study of the interior rooms of the Northern Fortress. Samples of this rock were taken into Russia by agreement with the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) of the Republic of Sudan. The prepared thin sections were examined at the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. Results. The analysis of thin sections showed that highly altered volcanic-metamorphic rocks, metamorphosed tuffs of acidic or alkaline composition, widespread in this region of Sudan, served as the material for pouring floors and for the making of a binder in the architectural structures of Deraheib, as well as for decorative architectural elements. Discussion. The conducted research indicates that the architects who erected buildings in Deraheib in the medieval period used locally available material, since it was very difficult to deliver building materials from the Nile Valley, taken into account the location of the monument almost in the center of the Nubian Desert. The tuff deposits at the site allowed the architects to build durable structures using local materials. The results of the study will allow to elaborate more accurate recommendations for the restoration of medieval architectural monuments of Deraheib.

Registration‐free point cloud generation technique using rotating mirrors

AbstractPoint cloud registration is generally required to combine multiple scans from various locations to generate a complete 3D reconstruction model. However, this registration process is error‐prone and time‐consuming. To deal with this problem, this study presents a novel registration‐free point cloud generation method for the 3D reconstruction of small‐scale components and interior rooms, using rotating flat mirrors. First, a geometrical model is developed to define the relationship between the laser scanner, mirrors, and target structure. Second, the optimal positions of the laser scanner and mirrors, as well as the optimal mirror sizes, are determined from the developed geometrical model. To validate the proposed technique, simulation tests and experimental validations are conducted on a precast concrete slab and an interior room. The validation results show that the proposed technique facilitates efficient and accurate registration‐free 3D point cloud generation without changing the laser scanner location, demonstrating its potential in the construction industry.

Photosynthetic Responses of Anthurium × 'Red' under Different Light Conditions.

Light is an essential energy source for plant photosynthesis, although it can also be a stress-causing element. Therefore, the current research was aimed to compare photosynthetic responses of Anthurium × ‘Red’ leaves at different positions (bottom old leaf, 1; center mature leaf, 2; top expanded leaf, 3) established under three photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs): 550 μmol·m−2·s−1 as high (H), 350 μmol·m−2·s−1 as medium (M), and 255 μmol·m−2·s−1 as low (L). After six months, all the replicates were relocated to interior rooms with a PPFD of 30 μmol·m−2·s−1. There were no significant differences in chlorophyll concentration of the old leaf among treatments, before (Day 0) and after shifting the plants to interior rooms (Day 30). The total chlorophyll concentrations of the mature and top leaves increased significantly. In greenhouse conditions, H and M treatments did not show any significant change for net photosynthetic rate (Pn) at various leaf positions. However, M2 exhibited an improved Pn in the interior conditions. Plants grown under M treatment were greener and had bigger leaves compared to other treatments. Our study reveals that Anthurium × ‘Red’ photosynthesis responses to different light conditions varied distinctly. However, M treatment can keep the plants looking green by accumulating enough energy for indoor conditions, and middle and lower leaves may be triggered to restore photosynthetic activity under low light or indoor conditions.

EDIFICIO 4, TULA GRANDE: ARCHITECTURE, OCCUPATION, AND ABANDONMENT

AbstractThis article summarizes recent excavations of Edificio 4 in the Early Postclassic city of Tula, Hidalgo, which, despite prior evidence of its considerable importance, was largely unexcavated. Despite changes in strategy that resulted in discontinuous rather than complete exposure, excavation successfully delineated the entire structure and exposed portions of all or virtually all of its interior rooms, revealing a layout and architectural features notably different from those of the other buildings in Tula's monumental center, and suggest that Edificio 4 had functioned as a palace whose occupants were closely tied to Pyramid B, one of Tula's two largest pyramids. These excavations provide additional perspectives on previously noted similarities between Edificio 4 and the Casa de las Águilas of Aztec Tenochtitlan, revealing striking similarities in layout which, together with equally striking artistic similarities noted previously, make it almost certain that a major portion of the Casa de las Águilas was constructed in the image of the corresponding portion of Tula's Edificio 4.

VAN HÜSREV PAŞA KÜLLİYESİ HANI KAZI-RÖLÖVE- RESTİTÜSYON VE RESTORASYON KORUMA PROJESİ HAKKINDA BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Inn Building, the prominent part of Husrev Pasa Social Complex is located on south of the Old City of Van. Other complementary parts are located in the west side and Kaya Celebi Mosque is located in the east sides of the Building. An epitaph of the building is nonexist for the Inn currently. The Inn has been planned and built by Sinan on 975 A.H. – 1567 A.D. besides the social complex as indicated by the The Husrev Pasa Foundation Charter Certificate. The Inn building’s excavation works have been completed in the year of 2010 under the authorization certificate from Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is understood that the building had been one inn instead of being double inn after all underground sections of the building were discovered during the excavation works. Entire interior rooms of the inn, interior courtyard and symmetrical rooms which were arranged in the same line towards east direction were discovered. Additionally a rubble stone covered pattern which provides connection between the inn and southern walls of the city has been discovered with said excavation. After excavations, any evidence having inventory value was not reached. However, some pieces that do not form a unity were found in various places of the building; such as amorphous quality metal pieces and particles, pots and pan pieces, two deformed metal window fences. The Inn's scientific excavation and application projects are conducted by Dr. Sahabettin Ozturk, instructor at the Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Department of Architecture, Restoration Programme Directorate. Husrev Pasa Social Complex Inn’s excavation and documentation works have been done by experts using optical tools in the year of 2011 under the support of Provincial Special Administration of the Van Governorship. The period architecture of which the social complex had built accordingly, have been determined according to the building survey. Within the Husrev Pasa Social Complex’s unity, projects of building survey, restitution and restoration have been prepared under the supervision of scientific head of the excavation and have been approved by Regional Protection Board for Van’s Cultural Heritage.

Study of the Influence of Limewash on the Conservation of Islamic Plasterworks through Weathering Tests

ABSTRACT In a previous study, a layer of limewash was detected over the gypsum plasterworks used to decorate different spaces of the Real Alcázar of Seville such as interior rooms, patios and outdoor galleries. In this paper its use is analysed, namely whether it improves the properties of the plasterworks and provides a protective effect, through accelerated weathering tests designed specifically to reproduce real environmental conditions. Plaster specimens with similar composition and physical characteristics to those of the original plasterworks were prepared. After the cure of the specimens, the application of a layer of limewash was made. Samples were subjected to weathering tests that consist of water absorption cycles (by capillarity and immersion) and drying. The results showed that the application of limewash did not improve the durability of the plaster significantly, although seemed to have a more protective effect against weathering by capillarity tests in the specimens prepared with a higher water/plaster ratio. In fact, after the immersion tests a great part of the limewash layer became detached, while in the plasterworks of the Real Alcázar this behaviour has not been observed. So, capillarity tests seem to be more adequate to reproduce the real weathering conditions of these ornamental elements.

Analytical Prediction of Tubular Light-Pipe Performance Under Arbitrary Sky Conditions

The tubular light guides are devices allowing deliverance of solar light into deep interior rooms, offices, or underground spaces. Due to considerable costs of such systems, the reasonable assessment of their lighting performance is desirable. To predict accurately their efficiency, precise numerical computations have to be performed. Such computations may be strongly time consuming, mainly when mass calculations are required as it is in case of the so-called climate-based daylight modeling. This paper presents an analytical solution to the optical efficiency of cylindrical straight pipes that is applicable over a wide range of pipe’s parameters and under arbitrary sky luminance conditions. The proposed method gives results in good agreement with ray-tracing numerical simulations—the mean absolute percentage errors are less than 3%—but unlike them, the calculations are much faster. Therefore, it appears to be convenient for daylight modeling, which takes into account utilization of tubular light guide systems in buildings.

Structure formation of gypsum binder with zinc hydrosilicates

Due to high danger of mold fungi spores for humans, it is necessary to develop new fungicidal building materials, especially – materials that help to maintain biosafety in interior rooms. One of such materials is the fungicidal gypsum binder. The aim of the present work was to study the process of structure formation of gypsum in case of the presence of a previously developed fungicidal modifier which is based on hydrosilicate systems with zinc in different quantities. The studies were carried out in accordance with current regulations. The rheological and mechanical properties, including normal density, setting time and compressive strength were determined. The titrimetric method of analysis was used for determination of the content of calcium ions in the solution. It was revealed that the zinc content in the modifier does not affect the mobility of the mixture; however, it changes the rate of formation of the gypsum stone and also affects its strength. In particular, when the ratio ν(Zn)/ν(Si) is equal to 0.9, there was an increase of setting time. The mechanism of the formation of gypsum stone also changes: influence of both constructive and destructive factors simultaneously decreases. The latter was confirmed by the peculiarities of the binding of calcium ions in the presence of a fungicidal modifier.

Environmentally friendly building materials for residential high-rise construction

Materials, products and systems used as finishing of external surfaces and/or interior rooms when erecting or reconstructing buildings and structures should: protect the person in the room finished with these materials from the pathogenic effects of materials, products and building systems; if possible, do not exert pathological physiological and/or activity loads on people carrying out production or life activities in rooms finished with these materials and/or equipped with products and systems. As a result of the research, it was found that the source of 80% of the chemicals found in the air environment of the apartments is used construction and finishing materials. Currently, the quality of raw materials for building materials and the building materials and structures themselves are determined by GOST and Technical Specifications. A civil engineer is required to correctly select a material, product, or structure that has sufficient strength, reliability, and durability for specific conditions. Safe in themselves, finishing materials, products, and systems in the composition can acquire and demonstrate new properties. Therefore, the study of this problem is an urgent task of the near future and one of the directions of construction anthropotechnology, in particular, when implementing high-rise construction projects.

FIRST STEPS TO AUTOMATED INTERIOR RECONSTRUCTION FROM SEMANTICALLY ENRICHED POINT CLOUDS AND IMAGERY

Abstract. The automated generation of a BIM-Model from sensor data is a huge challenge for the modeling of existing buildings. Currently the measurements and analyses are time consuming, allow little automation and require expensive equipment. We do lack an automated acquisition of semantical information of objects in a building. We are presenting first results of our approach based on imagery and derived products aiming at a more automated modeling of interior for a BIM building model. We examine the building parts and objects visible in the collected images using Deep Learning Methods based on Convolutional Neural Networks. For localization and classification of building parts we apply the FCN8s-Model for pixel-wise Semantic Segmentation. We, so far, reach a Pixel Accuracy of 77.2 % and a mean Intersection over Union of 44.2 %. We finally use the network for further reasoning on the images of the interior room. We combine the segmented images with the original images and use photogrammetric methods to produce a three-dimensional point cloud. We code the extracted object types as colours of the 3D-points. We thus are able to uniquely classify the points in three-dimensional space. We preliminary investigate a simple extraction method for colour and material of building parts. It is shown, that the combined images are very well suited to further extract more semantic information for the BIM-Model. With the presented methods we see a sound basis for further automation of acquisition and modeling of semantic and geometric information of interior rooms for a BIM-Model.

Aggregative stability of fungicidal nanomodifier based on zinc hydrosilicates

Currently, there is a strong need of high performance multi functional materials in high-rise construction. Obviously, such materials should be characterized by high strength; but for interior rooms biosafety is important as well. The promising direction to obtain both high strength and maintain biosafety in buildings and structures is to manage the structure of mineral binders by means of fungicidal nanomodifier based on zinc hydrosilicates. In the present work the aggregative stability of colloidal solutions of zinc hydrosilicates after one year of storage was studied. It has been established that the concentration of iron (III) hydroxide used to prepare the precursor of zinc hydrosilicates has a significant effect on the long-term aggregative stability: as the concentration of iron (III) hydroxide increases, the resistance of the fungicidal nanomodifier increases. It was found that, despite the minimal concentration of nano-sized zinc hydrosilicates (0.028%), the colloidal solution possesses a low long-term aggregative stability; while in the initial period (not less than 14 days) the colloidal solution of the nanomodifier is aggregatively stable. It is shown that when the ratio in the colloidal solution of the amount of the substance CH3COOH / SiO2= 0.43 is reached, an increase in the polymerization rate is observed, which is the main cause of low aggregative stability. Colloidal solutions containing zinc hydrosilicates synthesized at a concentration of iron (III) hydroxide used to produce a precursor equal to 0.7% have a long-term aggregative stability and do not significantly change the reduced particle. Such compositions are to be expediently used for the nanomodifying of building composites in order to control their structure formation and to create conditions that impede the development of various mycelial fungi.

DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S MASTERPIECE, FALLINGWATER

Abstract. Since 1988, the professional staff of Architectural Preservation Studio (APS) has been involved with the conservation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA. Designed and erected from 1935 to 1939 as a weekend home for the Kauffman family, the complex consists of the main house and guest house. After five years of reports and prototype repairs, we produced a two-volume master plan. Using original Frank Lloyd Wright drawings from Avery Library as background drawings, we measured every surface and reproduced the drawings in CAD, also developing elevations of every room. Stone-by-stone drawings of every flagstone floor and terrace scheduled to be lifted were also created using overlapping film photography that was assembled into a photo mosaic. By 2005, we designed, administered and completed a four-phase exterior restoration, with the paint-stripping and repainting of interior rooms being performed during the brief winter period when the building is closed to the public on an ongoing basis. In 2016, we were invited back to the site to review conditions and advise on routine maintenance. At that time we proposed to re-document the buildings, this time using laser-scanning. Laser-scanning of the exterior was performed in May of 2016, and of the interior in March 2017, each over the course of four days. This paper will make a comparison between manual and digital techniques in terms of Fallingwater’s documentation.

CAPTURING REALITY AT CENTRE BLOCK

Abstract. The Centre Block of Canada’s Parliament buildings, National Historic Site of Canada is set to undergo a major rehabilitation project that will take approximately 10 years to complete. In preparation for this work, Heritage Conservation Services (HCS) of Public Services and Procurement Canada has been completing heritage documentation of the entire site which includes laser scanning of all interior rooms and accessible confined spaces such as attics and other similar areas. Other documentation completed includes detailed photogrammetric documentation of rooms and areas of high heritage value. Some of these high heritage value spaces present certain challenges such as accessibility due to the height and the size of the spaces. Another challenge is the poor lighting conditions, requiring the use of flash or strobe lighting to either compliment or completely eliminate the available ambient lighting. All the spaces captured at this higher level of detail were also captured with laser scanning. This allowed the team to validate the information and conduct a quality review of the photogrammetric data. As a result of this exercise, the team realized that in most, if not all cases, the photogrammetric data was more detailed and at a higher quality then the terrestrial laser scanning data. The purpose and motivation of this paper is to present these findings, as well provide the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods and data sets.

The Room and the Street: Gwen John’s and Jean Rhys’s Insider/Outsider Modernism

The modernist city is commonly thought of as a city of exteriors; we envision the ‘spaces of modernity’ as sites of industry or leisure, and apply the very notion of the ‘urban’—urban planning, urban studies—to the way we approach public spaces. But by reading together the paintings of Gwen John (1876–1939) and the writings of Jean Rhys (1890–1979), we discern a different modernist story than we are used to hearing—one that collapses divisions between the room and the street, the private and the public. By focusing on tropes of rooms in their works, the author seeks to nuance our understanding of John’s and Rhys’s relationship to community from within the supposed safety or isolation of their interior rooms, and argues more broadly for a women’s modernism of the city that collapses divisions between the room and the street, the private and the public. These two figures, who are usually read as ‘outsiders’ to mainstream modernist culture, produce a distinct ‘insider/outsider’ aesthetic which reveals them to be working not outside, but at the very heart of modernist experimentation.

A framework for 3D traffic noise mapping using data from BIM and GIS integration

Traffic noise is a major health concern for people living in urban environments. Noise mapping can help evaluating the noise level for certain areas in a city. Traditionally, noise mapping is performed in 2D geographic information system (GIS). The use of 3D GIS is also emerging in noise mapping in recent years. However, the current noise-mapping platforms can only conduct noise evaluation for the outdoor environment and the indoor environment separately. In addition, related information about absorption coefficient and transmission loss (TL) in noise calculation is not properly retrieved and is often replaced with a single value. In this research, building information modelling (BIM) and 3D GIS are integrated in order to combine traffic noise evaluation in both outdoor environments and indoor environments in a single platform. In our developed BIM–GIS integration platform, the built environment is represented in a 3D GIS model that contains information at a high level of detail from BIM. With the integration with BIM, the 3D GIS model now has access to detailed indoor features such as interior walls and interior rooms. Noise evaluation could therefore be performed at a room level in the developed platform. Essential parameters such as absorption coefficient and TL can be extracted directly from BIM for noise calculation. The 3D GIS model is connected with detailed BIM so that any changes in the indoor and outdoor features can be reflected to each other. The Italian C.N.R model is modified and applied in the platform to conduct noise calculation. This paper presents the details for the development of the noise-mapping BIM–GIS platform based on ArcGIS. Two use cases were analysed to show the role of such platform in the decision-making process of both urban planning and interior design.

Automatic Transformation of Different Levels of Detail in 3D GIS City Models in CityGML

3D Geographic Information System (GIS) models are increasingly used for planning and analyses on a city level. Defining 3D GIS city models in different levels of detail (LoD) is often needed to browse and handle large models more efficiently. In this paper, a methodology framework for automatic transformation of different LoDs in CityGML is presented and illustrated. A new exterior shell extraction algorithm was developed from the Ray Tracing algorithm for classifying building surfaces as interior or exterior. A transformation framework among each LoD was developed based on the new exterior shell extraction algorithm. The transformation framework also includes an additional LoD called LoD3.5 that the authors proposed in this paper. The new LoD can satisfy the needs of applications which require information about interior rooms while maintaining a small data storage. The results show that the new exterior shell extraction algorithm can help achieve an automatic derivation of LoDs in CityGML.