Traditional Civil Engineering Research Articles

A Systematic Analysis on the Applications of Local Materials in Civil Engineering

This article presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the utilization of local materials in civil engineering projects, examining their role in fostering sustainable construction practices. Through a systematic review spanning from 2004 to 2024, the study delves into various dimensions of sustainability within civil engineering, emphasizing the critical importance of employing local materials. It underscores the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural benefits of integrating local resources into construction, while also highlighting the challenges associated with their variability, limited availability, and the need for standardized testing. The methodology involves a detailed bibliometric analysis, including data collection from prominent databases, and employs bibliometric software for data analysis, focusing on identifying key trends, research gaps, and emerging themes in the domain. The results reveal a stable annual growth rate in publications, with a significant emphasis on conference papers, indicating an active discourse within academic and professional forums. The study identifies China as a leading contributor to research in this area, showcasing a global interest with varying degrees of focus. Additionally, the analysis of keyword co-occurrences maps out the central research themes, reflecting a strong integration of traditional civil engineering concerns with modern sustainability challenges. The conclusion advocates for a continued emphasis on sustainable building practices, integrating local materials as a fundamental component of civil engineering projects to enhance environmental outcomes and societal value.

Application and research of artificial intelligence in civil engineering intelligent construction

When artificial intelligence (AI) begins to intervene, the production and lifestyles of various industries have also undergone great changes. The civil engineering construction industry has taken this opportunity to carry out the industry transformation, from traditional civil engineering construction to the intelligent construction of civil engineering with the participation of AI. Through the dynamic tracking and data analysis of construction sites and buildings through AI, the life safety of construction workers can be ensured by improving efficiency and ensuring quality. This paper analyzes the feature of intelligent construction, and discusses the current situation of intelligent construction and the application progress of intelligent construction in civil engineering construction, including Building information modeling (BIM) technology, Internet of Things and big data technology, AI technology, virtual reality technology, three-dimensional scanning technology, intelligent equipment and construction robots. At the same time, the problems and disadvantages of AI in the construction field are analyzed, and the application prospect of intelligent construction technology in future engineering construction is forecasted.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in engineering and technology

From traditional civil engineering and aerospace engineering to large portions of electrical, electronics, and computer engineering, and most importantly, the medical and clinical sciences, artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most critical and useful tools for research. The human brain’s ability to interpret sensory data, solve issues, learn from past experiences and tests, store and retrieve data, etc., is where the current discipline starts. In particular, the power sector is on the cusp of inevitable change as a result of numerous restructuring efforts, and the power science community requires artificial intelligence resources for effective planning, operation, and control of the power system. Almost every AI method is logically conceived of as an optimization or decision-making problem. Power utilities can benefit from these AI methods because they provide novel approaches to efficient evaluation, effective management, and astute decision-making. We have learned more about the design process and created higher-quality goods and artifacts thanks in large part to the widespread use of AI techniques and approaches over the past few decades. When these disciplines work together, they produce cutting-edge architectures that can solve a wider range of design problems at once.

Research on Discipline Construction of Civil Engineering Based on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is gradually changing the development direction of civil engineering, and the traditional civil engineering specialty needs to be transformed. This paper discusses the application of artificial intelligence technology in the field of civil engineering, and analyzes the opportunities and challenges brought by the combination of artificial intelligence and civil engineering. A feasible scheme for the integration of artificial intelligence and civil engineering disciplines is proposed to help civil engineering majors better adapt to market demand and technological development trend, and realize transformation and upgrading.

The Influence of the Shaft on the Uplift Capacity of Single-Plate Helical Pile in Clay

Helical piles with small sizes are widely used in traditional civil engineering infrastructure application, especially in onshore electrical power industry. The floating offshore wind power industry has taken an interest in helical piles because of their rapid installation and ability to support immediate loading. Compared with onshore structures, wind power structures suffer larger external load and it becomes necessary to increase the overall size of helical piles, leading to considerable load capacity provided by the shaft, which is typically neglected for a light structure. In this paper, the undrained uplift capacity of helical piles was studied using finite-element limit analysis. The analysis explored various diameter ratios of the shaft to the plate and embedment depths, as well as different interface conditions. The local bearing capacity on the plate was also explored for attached and vented interface conditions. The failure mechanisms of a helical pile were presented to explain the mutual influence between plate anchor and shaft on the uplift capacity. Algebraic expressions for the uplift capacity of a helical pile were proposed. Engineers may use these expressions to improve the accuracy of their estimates for the uplift capacity of helical piles.

Compressive and Flexural Strength of Concrete with Different Nanomaterials: A Critical Review

With recent technological advances, adding nanomaterials as a reinforcement material in concrete has gained immense attention. This review paper aims to report advances in the form of a one-stop shop catering to methods that focus on improving the quality of traditional concrete. Nanoparticles—the elementary form of nanomaterials—are proven to enhance the strength and longevity of concrete. Nanosilica, nanoalumina, nanometakaolin, carbon nanotubes, and nanotitanium oxide are modern nanomaterials that have demonstrated strong evidence of enhancing concrete quality, which supports infrastructure building and long-term monitoring. Nanoconcrete—an exciting prospect extending the boundaries of traditional civil engineering—exhibited increased compressive and flexural strength using elementary compounds. In particular, the rigorous research survey of many articles reveals an increase in compressive strength from 20% to 63% by replacing the cement with different nanomaterials in different percentages and flexural strength from 16% to 47%.

Molecular Dynamics Study on Crystallization Patterns in Tunnel Drainage Pipes in Alkaline Geological Environments

In the alkaline geological environment, crystallization blockage of tunnel drainage systems is a common engineering problem and it is difficult to treat. The microscopic mechanism of crystallization and the environmental influence factors are still unclear. Based on the molecular dynamics (MD) technique, this study establishes nanoscale models of CaCO3 and the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, which is commonly used in drainage systems, under different alkaline environments. The goal is to study the interfacial interaction between CaCO3 and PVC and to reveal the effect of the alkaline environment on the adsorption of CaCO3 by PVC at the atomic scale. Analysis of the adsorption properties predicted by the CaCO3-PVC MD model reveals that CaCO3 molecules attract each other and form many atomic clusters at approximately 0.11 nm from the PVC interface. The peak difference between the strongly alkaline solution and the pure water solution at this distance reaches 31.6%. An in-depth exploration of the differences in adsorption between CaCO3 and PVC under different alkaline environments indicates that the mobility of CaCO3 rises gradually as the alkalinity of the solution increases. In particular, the mobility of CaCO3 in strongly alkaline solutions is approximately 60% higher than that in pure water. Moreover, as the alkalinity of the solution increases, the binding energy of the interface increases, the affinity of the interface increases, and the CaCO3 adsorption capacity gradually increases. The results of laboratory experiments were consistent with the MD simulation results, which indicates that MD simulation can play an important role in the design and evaluation of engineering practice. The innovation of this paper is to try to use the molecular dynamic (MD) technique in the field of materials to explain the practical problems in the field of traditional civil engineering, and the feasibility of molecular dynamic simulation is verified by indoor simulation experiments. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of crystallization patterns in tunnel drainage pipes in alkaline geological environments and attempt to provide a theoretical basis and new ideas for solving this problem.

Numerical study of the utility of bioengineering technique for slope stabilisation

ABSTRACT The bioengineering technique of slope stabilisation, which has been developed as a sustainable alternative to traditional civil engineering structures, requires more scientific research and a good understanding of the factors that influence its effectiveness since many a time it fails to provide the desired outcome. The present study discusses the importance of understanding the variable root distribution and root-soil-slope relationship before implementation. The probabilistic analysis was used to take into account the natural variability of root features, which includes root length, strength, branching and orientation along with heterogeneity of slope material. It was observed that the mean rooting depth plays a vital role in deciding the utility of the bioengineering technique. Though its effect in gentle slopes is negligible, in the case of moderate to steep slopes, it can significantly affect the overall stability. Improper planning can lead to aggravation of the situation leading the slope more vulnerable to failure. Furthermore, the stabilisation using vegetation is best suitable for moderate slope inclinations, and the maximum shear strength increase is obtained for slope inclining around 50°. A gradual reduction in overall stability was observed with the reduction of mean rooting depth and an increase in the spacing of the plants.

Research on Green Building Materials in Civil Engineering Management System

The development of the real estate industry has increased the application market capacity of green building materials, and the demand for green building materials has also greatly increased. The formation of the concept of pollution-free, energy-saving and environmentally friendly housing by consumers has gradually changed the choice of traditional civil engineering construction materials and Cost control. The application and promotion of a large number of green building materials in civil engineering construction has laid a material foundation for the construction of energy-saving and environmentally friendly buildings in China. The article is based on this, using inorganic raw materials potassium silicate, sodium silicate, and silica sol as base materials, add a certain proportion of organic silicon modified styrene-acrylic emulsion, and then add titanium dioxide, kaolin, talc, nano-titanium dioxide and other fillers and coating film-forming additives to prepare water-based inorganic coatings. The test results show that the prepared coating has good physical and chemical properties, environmental protection performance, and fire resistance performance, and can be widely used in the construction industry with obvious social and economic benefits and environmental protection benefits.

Application of self-healing engineering materials: Mechanical problems and research progress

In order to meet the needs of future infrastructure and industrial construction, namely building new advanced infrastructures with intelligent capabilities, the optimization of the structure and material composition design in traditional civil engineering has aroused general interest in both industrial and academic fields. The damage resistance of engineering structure has a direct impact on the social and economic cost to a country. To considerably reduce the maintenance cost and improve the service life of engineering structures, a feasible scheme is to build a life-like system with the capability of self-healing. In recent years, techniques like microcapsule self-healing, electrodeposition self-healing, induction heating self-healing and microbial self-healing have been widely used in civil engineering and road engineering, which are expected to improve the durability and stability of engineering structures, thus prolonging their service life to the maximum extent. However, the improvement of the performance of self-healing engineering materials and the accurate prediction of the crack propagating trajectory and the service life of the materials require a better understanding of the self-healing mechanism. In this review, the development and the advancement of the application of self-healing materials in civil engineering are firstly summarized. The self-healing mechanisms of cement concrete and asphalt, the two most used materials in civil engineering, are concluded, respectively. However, due to the low efficiency of the materials’ natural self-healing capability, some enhancement technologies are proposed and applied to improve the self-healing performance of those engineering materials, which are summarized in the later introduction. In the second part, the mechanical analysis for the explanation and prediction of the self-healing behaviors is introduced in detail based on damage and fracture mechanics. Besides, there are still some mechanical problems that remain unsolved, such as decoupling of elastic effect and self-healing effect on macro performance recovery and establishing a fatigue model considering damage evolution, crack propagation and self-healing effect, which are also summarized and analyzed. In the third part, the existing constitutive models considering self-healing effects and the relevant numerical algorithms are reviewed. Based on the three basic hypotheses, namely the strain equivalent hypothesis, the strain energy equivalent hypothesis and the power equivalent hypothesis, the effective configuration considering damage-healing effect is described. Additionally, relatively detailed review is given on the numerical algorithms considering self-healing mechanism with the aid of molecular dynamics (MD) and finite element method (FEM). Finally, the unsolved problems and challenges are proposed for further researches, where the coupling effects of the internal and external factors on the damage-fracture-healing process will be studied from a mechanical point of view. Therefore, the deep understanding of the healing and damage behavior of materials needs sufficient multi-scale analysis involving nano-scale, micro-scale, meso-scale and macro-scale. To sum up, self-healing materials play an important role in improving the durability and reliability of engineering structures. Therefore, the improvement of the self-healing efficiency is the key point to realize the wide and high efficient application of self-healing materials in civil engineering, which needs not only an essential understanding of the mechanical mechanisms but also fast numerical algorithms to accurately evaluate and predict the self-healing behavior.

Panoramic Display and Planning Simulation of Civil Engineering Project Based on Virtual Reality Technology

In the traditional civil engineering industry, only abstract theoretical concepts are applied to express complex realistic contents, but this method of information transmission is sometimes very limited for engineering participants, because its expression is not comprehensive and specific and also makes the recipients have difficulty in understanding its information. The rise and development of virtual reality (VR) technology has become a good assistant to overcome this difficulty, providing an extremely effective means for displaying and simulating civil engineering project in real time. This paper introduced the methods and principles of VR platform system and structure dynamic analysis, conducted virtual scene design and three-dimensional modeling of civil engineering project, analyzed the synthetic debugging and simulation roaming of the virtual environment, proposed the engineering model of virtual construction process and planning structure calculation, discussed the realization method of virtual project management and visualization, and finally performed the simulation and its result analysis of panoramic display and planning of civil engineering project based on VR technology. The results show that the VR technology can simulate various environments and activities of civil engineering projects in advance, analyze the rationality of various schemes, and modify their different functional parameters, so it can achieve the simulation optimization of project planning, design, and construction.

Blue Growth Development in the Mediterranean Sea: Quantifying the Benefits of an Integrated Wave Energy Converter at Genoa Harbour

Coastal resilience is often achieved by traditional civil engineering projects, such as dikes and breakwaters. However, given the pressing nature of Climate Change, integrating energy converters in “classical” structures can enhance innovation, and help in pursuing decarbonisation targets. In this work, we present an alternative for integrating a wave energy converter at a vertical wall breakwater, following past successful projects. Our approach is based on a high spatio-temporal wave dataset to properly quantify expected energy production, but also focus on the hours for which other time-dependent renewables cannot produce, i.e., solar. Our analysis evaluates the power performance and assesses the economic parameters and viability of the proposed installation. Our integrated solution shares the main capital with the breakwater and can produce from 390 MWh–2300 MWh/year, displacing more than 1760 Tn of CO2 annually. In addition to power generated, we estimated the payback period for most cases being approximately 10–15 years, but when accounting avoided oil CO2 emissions, the installation is highly attractive with payback in less than 9 years, with favourable financing indicating 3.4 years.

Implementing resilience in flood risk management

Implementing resilience in flood risk management

Research on steel structure technology in civil engineering construction

In recent years, with the improvement of science and technology level in China, construction technology in the construction industry is constantly improving. In the traditional civil engineering construction, the construction is through the concrete frame structure. Facing the rapid pace of urbanization construction, various new steel structures are applied to modern construction. Although steel structure technology has many advantages, there are still many shortcomings in the application, need improving. This paper discusses the steel structure technology in civil engineering construction.

Waste glass in civil engineering applications—A review

AbstractEach year, hundreds of thousands of tons of industrial wastes are being stockpiled, landfilled, and disposed of in storages occupying large areas of land that would otherwise be available for productive use. Recycling of such wastes is now becoming of urgent global interest due to an increasing population, the rise in anthropogenic activities, and the need for more efficient resource and waste management systems. Among many wastes, the generation of glass is dramatically increasing, particularly in the municipal, industrial, and construction sectors. In civil engineering, in general, crushed waste glass has been mainly investigated as a substitute for sand and fine‐grained aggregate in concrete production. In geotechnical engineering, in particular, the application of glass wastes is mainly limited to road pavements or as an additive to different soils for subgrade improvement. While glass wastes are relatively inert and potentially offer several opportunities for recycling as a substitute for diminishing and increasingly expensive sand supplies, their potential use yet remains relatively under‐researched. This paper systematically reviews the current status of knowledge on the use of glass wastes in various civil engineering applications and discusses the suitability assessment of waste glass for use as a sustainable alternative to traditional civil engineering materials.

Infrastructure construction in developing countries: a shared approach to sustainability

The oil and gas and extractive industries face the constant challenge of locating new resources in remote parts of the developing world. Skill shortage, inhospitable locations and outdated engineering practices and technology characterise these projects. Companies operate under fixed-period concessions, which place huge time pressures on the exploration and production cycle. Construction of the associated civil engineering infrastructure is often on the critical path. These projects typically use pools of foreign skilled workers and large volumes of imported materials and equipment. The cost and carbon dioxide emissions associated with logistics alone are enormous. Overcoming these challenges calls for a critical rethink in the way traditional civil engineering construction practice is undertaken. This paper reports on the implementation of a sustainability management and resource training framework by a foreign consulting and advisory firm. The framework examines in-country labour skill sets, natural resource and technology relevant to project needs, identifying constraints and knowledge gaps. Innovative engineering solutions that maximise use of local workforce, materials and technology are subsequently designed in line with project timelines. Case studies from Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, demonstrate that the framework is an effective tool for human resource development and sustainability management.

Risk‐based framework accounting for the effects of vegetation in geotechnical engineering

AbstractEco‐engineering techniques comprise the use of vegetation, either alone or in combination with traditional civil engineering structures, for control of soil erosion and shallow landslides. The main perceived disadvantage in the design of these solutions is often listed as the uncertainty, and thus, hazards and risks related to the living material. In order to account and mitigate for these uncertainties, an approach is proposed where a number of novel methods aimed at enhancement of the understanding of the mechanisms of soil‐root reinforcement are presented. These methods range from fundamental assessment of suction stress induced by the vegetation in the design phase, through assessment of root growth on slopes during construction and operation, to the assessment of long‐term slope stability and sustainability of the solution implemented. The results of this study show that multidisciplinary knowledge of the risks and processes occurring at different project stages as well as input from relevant disciplines are needed in order to inform the geotechnical design and construction.

Risk Assessment for Integrated Project Management System in Construction Industry

Abstract This paper presents a risk assessment model for construction projects. There are a number of problems in the construction industry in India that are attributed to various factors. The focus of the present research is to identify factors that influence the smooth completion of a project and develop a risk assessment model. The experience and success in the construction industry nowadays does not depend only on the traditional civil engineering programs. Project management, over the last 25–30 years, has developed into a methodological and systematic way of dealing with all aspects of construction projects. The wide range of topics that are now representing the field of construction management are more than important on scheduling, cost control and resource management. They include, but are not limited to, engineering project management concepts, quality management system, environmental management system and techniques for analysis the potential success factors. A questionnaire was prepared on the basis of a literature review and was filled by contractors, project management experts having more than 20 years of experience in the construction field in India. This paper presents the results of a study carried out to identify some of the core issues in construction management which are mentioned above, as a skeleton of integrated project management system for construction industry, and highlights the implication of studying some techniques to explain the asset and softness for this knowledge area. It is planned that this study will continue to model the integrated project management system and develop an expert system for the purpose of education and training to better equip middle and top level managers in the construction industry with the state-of-the-art tools, techniques and methodologies of project management. Keywords: Project, management, quality, risk, integrated system, construction industry. Cite this Article Yash Upadhyay. Risk Assessment for Integrated Project Management System in Construction Industry. Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology and Management. 2018; 8(1): 20–25p.

TEACHING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

This study presents an overview of a civil engineering materials course curriculum at Carleton University developed by the authors. The curriculum aims to move away from traditional civil engineering materials courses, which focus heavily on concepts related to material science, and instead concentrate on concepts that are more relevant to today’s practicing civil engineers. The rationale, application, and analysis of the integration of these concepts through an advanced application of case-based and experiential learning is discussed. Central to this new course curriculum is a hands-on experiential learning activity on the construction and experimental testing of reinforced concrete beam specimens in lab sections of approximately 25 students. The goal of the lab is to provide students with a hands-on learning experience and use this as a tool to cover advanced topics related to civil engineering; for example, environmental sustainability and resilience. The assessment of the students’ understanding of the concepts taught in class were performed through the use of an anonymous questionnaire distributed at the end of the course and through traditional examination and assignments. Results of the survey were compared between classes who engaged in the advanced experiential learning laboratory and those who did not. The results demonstrate that after introducing experiential learning into the course curriculum, students were more likely to form an educated opinion on the potential sustainability of a material. Experiential learning is shown to be a valuable tool for engineering education that, when used efficiently, can seamlessly incorporate newly emerging engineering concepts to ensure that graduating students are equipped with the knowledge and tools they require to be competitive in the job market. The relation of the course to contemporary accreditation of Graduate attributes is discussed at length along with critical information regarding the effectiveness of balancing student engagement in STEM subjects.

Integration of artificial intelligence methodologies and algorithms into the civil engineering curriculum using knowledge-based expert systems: A case study

The aim of this study was to strengthen the engineering curriculum by integrating innovative electrical and computer engineering (ECE)-specialized artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies and algorithms into traditional civil engineering (CE) problem-solving methods. An interactive and comprehensive knowledge-based expert system (KBES) was developed to document, compare, and analyze cutting-edge AI applications in the field of CE. With a large amount of successful/unsuccessful AI applications being tried and tested in the CE field, this unique intelligent database can be used as the platform and educational media for the development and implementation of curricula for the problem-based learning approach to bridge the gap in the current curricula between conventional mathematics, physics, engineering methods and state-of-the-art AI techniques. This study is the first of its kind to (1) develop an intelligent KBES platform to increase the intellectual rigor, breadth, and depth of undergraduate engineering study and lay a foundation for students pursuing master's degree or PhD in engineering; (2) establish a new interdisciplinary AI curriculum as a capstone course, enrich existing curricula by integrating case studies of AI applications into different levels of undergraduate CE courses, and include knowledge automation software in an ECE course; (3) foster interdisciplinary academic setting that will introduce latest state-of-the-art AI applications to undergraduate students and facilitate their early involvement in research. A brief description of the comprehensive literature search is presented, followed by the proposal of methodologies for the development of the KBES and curriculum. Furthermore, a case study is described to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of introducing AI tools into the syllabus of a sophomore CE core course. Students' experiences were assessed and evaluated. The results of the analysis showed that the interdisciplinary curriculum could significantly increase students' awareness on the need for knowledge acquisition, which, in turn, will enhance the learning outcome. The integration of innovative theories and practical applications also improves the problem-solving and critical thinking skills of engineering students, broadens their horizons to new technology, and fosters interdisciplinary settings to better prepare them for diverse and multidisciplinary workforce requirements.