BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-15DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072172
Shengkun Liu, Zhidong Chen, Yongdou Liu
{"title":"Seismic Isolation Layout Optimized of Mid-Rise Reinforced Concrete Building Frame Structure","authors":"Shengkun Liu, Zhidong Chen, Yongdou Liu","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072172","url":null,"abstract":"Seismic isolation technology plays a crucial role in enhancing earthquake resistance and mitigating disasters for building structures. In this study, the ETABS analysis software V21.0.1 is utilized to establish a numerical model of a six-story steel reinforced concrete frame structure. Both the time-history analysis method and response spectrum method are employed to calculate the seismic response of the model under earthquake actions. The placement of an isolation layer on the foundation and from the first to fifth floor is considered, with separate calculations conducted for each scenario. Subsequently, a comprehensive comparison and analysis of the dynamic response characteristics among different design schemes are performed. The results demonstrate that the most favorable isolation effect is achieved when the isolation layer is implemented on the foundation or first floor. Compared to non-isolated structures, the natural period of the structure can be extended by 2.2 times and 2 times under the base isolation and first-floor top isolation schemes, respectively. The damping coefficients can reach 0.35 and 0.36, respectively, while the inter-story drift angles can be reduced by 66% and 67%, respectively.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"17 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141646678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analysis and Comparison of Three Bending Tests on Phosphogypsum-Based Material According to Peridynamic Theory","authors":"Haoyu Ma, Kai Zhang, Sheng Liang, Jiatian Dong, Xiangyang Fan, Xuemei Zhang","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072181","url":null,"abstract":"Phosphogypsum-based materials have gained much attention in the field of road infrastructure from the economic and sustainable perspectives. The Three-point bending test, the Four-point bending test and the Semi-circular bending test are three typical test methods applied for fracture energy measurement. However, the optimal test method for fracture energy evaluation has not been determined for phosphogypsum-based materials. To contribute to the gap, this study aims to analyze and compare the three test methods for fracture energy evaluation of phosphogypsum materials based on the peridynamic theory. For this purpose, the load–displacement, vertical displacement–Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD) and fracture energy of the phosphogypsum-based materials were measured and calculated from the three test methods. The simulated load–displacement and vertical displacement–CMOD by PD numerical models, with different fracture energy as inputs, were compared to the corresponding tested values according to simulation error results. The results showed that the Four-point bending test led to minimized errors lower than 0.189 and indicators lower than 0.124, demonstrating the most optimal test method for the fracture energy measurement of phosphogypsum-based material. The results of this study can provide new methodological references for the selection of material fracture energy measurement tests.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"115 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141647075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-15DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072184
Lianzi Wang, W. Pan, Muhan Yu, Chang Liu, Yu Ban
{"title":"Roof Shape Design for Ice Rinks in Cold Regions under Carbon Reduction Targets","authors":"Lianzi Wang, W. Pan, Muhan Yu, Chang Liu, Yu Ban","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072184","url":null,"abstract":"In the midst of today’s energy crisis, carbon emissions from ice rinks in cold regions present a significant environmental challenge. The shape of an ice rink’s roof significantly influences these emissions. This study developed a methodology to quantify the carbon emissions of ice rinks and explained how their roof shapes impact emissions during the operational phase. Roof shapes were divided into the following three categories: flat, curved, and combined torsion shell. Carbon emission modeling was established and calibrated using the Ladybug + Honeybee platform, followed by regression analyses on the slope and curvature of each roof type. The findings indicate a robust correlation between the carbon emissions of an ice rink and the slope and curvature of its roof. Roof shape influences approximately 2% of carbon emissions during the operational phase of an ice rink. Among the various roof shapes, the curved dome roof demonstrates the most effective overall carbon savings, at a rate of 0.93% compared to the flat roof. Selecting an appropriate roof shape has significant carbon-saving potential for ice rinks. The findings of this study may serve as a valuable reference for the formulation of energy-saving design standards in cold regions.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"21 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141648959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-15DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072180
Loai Alkhattabi, Ahmed H. Ali, H. Mohamed, Ahmed Gouda
{"title":"Strain Behavior of Short Concrete Columns Reinforced with GFRP Spirals","authors":"Loai Alkhattabi, Ahmed H. Ali, H. Mohamed, Ahmed Gouda","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072180","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive study focused on evaluating the strain generated within short concrete columns reinforced with glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and spirals under concentric compressive axial loads. This research was motivated by the lack of sufficient data in the literature regarding strain in such columns. Five full-scale RC columns were cast and tested, comprising four strengthened with GFRP reinforcement and one reference column reinforced with steel bars and spirals. This study thoroughly examined the influence of various test parameters, such as the reinforcement type, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and spacing of spiral reinforcement, on the strain in concrete, GFRP bars, and spirals. The experimental results showed that GFRP–RC columns exhibited similar strain behavior to steel–RC columns up to 85% of their peak loads. The study also highlighted that the bearing capacity of the columns increased by up to 25% with optimized reinforcement ratios and spiral spacing, while the failure mode transitioned from a ductile to a more brittle nature as the reinforcement ratio increased. Additionally, it is preferable to limit the compressive strain in GFRP bars to less than 20% of their ultimate tensile strain and the strain in GFRP spirals to less than 12% of their ultimate strain to ensure the safe and reliable use of these materials in RC columns. This research also considers the prediction of the axial load capacities using established design standards permitting the use of FRP bars in compressive members, namely ACI 440.11-22, CSA-S806-12, and JSCE-97, and underscores their limitations in accurately predicting GFRP–RC columns’ failure capacities. This study proposes an equation to enhance the prediction accuracy for GFRP–RC columns, considering the contributions of concrete, spiral confinement, and the axial stiffness of longitudinal GFRP bars. This equation addresses the shortcomings of existing design standards and provides a more accurate assessment of the axial load capacities for GFRP–RC columns. The proposed equation outperformed numerous other equations suggested by various researchers when employed to estimate the strength of 42 columns gathered from the literature.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"57 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141644707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-15DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072178
Larissa Fé Alves, Poliana de Melo Pessôa, P. I. L. G. Jardim, Emerson Faustino, H. F. dos Santos, Franscisco Antonio Rocco Lahr, Diego Henrique de Almeida, A. Christoforo
{"title":"Numerical Evaluation of the Influence of Using Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Rebars as Shear Connectors for Cross-Laminated Timber–Concrete Panels","authors":"Larissa Fé Alves, Poliana de Melo Pessôa, P. I. L. G. Jardim, Emerson Faustino, H. F. dos Santos, Franscisco Antonio Rocco Lahr, Diego Henrique de Almeida, A. Christoforo","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072178","url":null,"abstract":"Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets have been used to reinforce cross-laminated timber (CLT)–concrete systems in recent years. The existing studies have indicated that the use of CFRP rebars as shear connectors in CLT–concrete panels can improve the structural performance of these elements. However, the application and understanding of CFRP rebars as shear connectors still need to be improved, since comprehensive studies on the subject are not available. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the structural performance of CLT–concrete panels with CFRP rebars as shear connectors through finite element (FE) numerical simulation. A parametric study was conducted, varying the connector material, the number of CLT layers, the connector insertion angle, and the connector embedment length. According to the results, panels with CFRP connectors showed a higher maximum load, bending strength, and maximum bending moment than panels with steel connectors. The regression models revealed that the parameters analyzed explained between 80.2% and 99.9% of the variability in the mechanical properties under investigation. The high explanatory power (R2) of some regression models in this study underscores the robustness of the models. The number of CLT layers and the connector material were the most significant parameters for the panels’ maximum load, displacement at the maximum load, ductility, bending strength, and maximum bending moment. The number of CLT layers and the connector insertion angle were the most significant parameters for the panels’ effective bending stiffness. This research highlights the importance of studies on CLT–concrete composites and the need to develop equations to estimate their behavior accurately. Moreover, numerical simulations have proven very valuable, providing results comparable to laboratory results.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"93 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141647310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-14DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072168
Lu Jin, Min Sun, Z. Dou, Zishuo Huang, Yinhui Chen
{"title":"Carbon Reduction Potential of Flexible Energy Use for Air Conditioning Considering Uncertainty: A Case Study","authors":"Lu Jin, Min Sun, Z. Dou, Zishuo Huang, Yinhui Chen","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072168","url":null,"abstract":"Flexible air conditioning energy use, leveraging building thermal inertia and thermal energy storage, can effectively reduce building carbon emissions. The carbon reduction potential of flexible energy use in air conditioning is influenced by uncertainties, such as dynamic electricity carbon emission factors. To accurately quantify this potential, a methodology for calculating the carbon reduction achievable through flexible energy use in air conditioning, considering these uncertainties, is proposed. First, the sources of uncertainty in air conditioning energy use are identified and mathematically described. Next, the relationship between uncertainty, load, and carbon emissions is analyzed. Subsequently, the carbon reduction mechanisms of various flexible air conditioning energy use methods, based on building thermal inertia and energy storage, are, respectively, explained, and corresponding mathematical models are established. Finally, a case study is conducted to verify the feasibility of the method and reveal the characteristics of the carbon reduction potential of various flexible energy use methods, considering uncertainty.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"7 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-14DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072169
A. Albidah, Y. M. Abbas
{"title":"Improving Shear Strength Prediction in Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams: Stacked Ensemble Machine Learning Modeling and Practical Applications","authors":"A. Albidah, Y. M. Abbas","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072169","url":null,"abstract":"Existing machine learning (ML) models often encounter challenges in accurately predicting the shear strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams, mainly due to a lack of generalization. This study introduces an advanced stacked ensemble ML architecture to overcome this limitation by utilizing a comprehensive data set of 394 experimental observations and a 20-feature matrix. The model exhibits exceptional performance with a mean absolute error of 0.391 and a correlation coefficient (R2) of 93.7%, and surpasses traditional ML algorithms. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the developed model yields that shear strength is highly responsive to the shear span-to-effective depth ratio, with an increase from 1 to 4 resulting in a significant reduction (about 50%) in strength. Increasing the percentage of longitudinal steel from 1 to 2% leads to a 14.6% gain, whereas doubling its yield strength has a more modest 3.7% effect. Increasing the compressive strength of concrete from 25 to 50 MPa, notably increases the shear strength by 19.6%. Fiber length, diameter, and aspect ratio exhibit varying impacts, with shear strength most influenced by the fiber volume fraction, which leads to a peak enhancement of 30.7% at 2% fibrous volume; however, the tensile strength of fibers minimally affects the shear strength. Additionally, this research presents a simplified empirical model to predict the shear strength of SFRC beams based on the key determinants. This model employs the iterative Gauss–Newton algorithm, demonstrates reasonable predictive capability, and boasts an R2 of 83.3% and mean prediction-tested strengths of around 1.039. The practical implications of these findings are substantial for the construction industry as they enable a more accurate and reliable design of SFRC beams, optimize material usage, and potentially reduce construction costs as well as enhance structural safety.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"54 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Predicting Land Use Changes under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway–Representative Concentration Pathway Scenarios to Support Sustainable Planning in High-Density Urban Areas: A Case Study of Hangzhou, Southeastern China","authors":"Song Yao, Yonghua Li, Hezhou Jiang, Xiaohan Wang, Qinchuan Ran, Xinyi Ding, Huarong Wang, Anqi Ding","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072165","url":null,"abstract":"Amidst the challenges posed by global climate change and accelerated urbanization, the structure and distribution of land use are shifting dramatically, exacerbating ecological and land-use conflicts, particularly in China. Effective land resource management requires accurate forecasts of land use and cover change (LUCC). However, the future trajectory of LUCC, influenced by climate change and urbanization, remains uncertain. This study developed an integrated multi-scenario framework by combining system dynamics and patch-generating land use simulation models to predict future LUCC in high-density urban regions under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP)–Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. The results showed the following: (1) From 2020 to 2050, cultivated land, unused land, and water are projected to decrease, while construction land is expected to increase. (2) Future land use patterns exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity across three scenarios. Construction land will expand in all districts of Hangzhou, particularly in the main urban areas. Under the SSP585 scenario, the expansion of construction land is most significant, while it is the least under the SSP126 scenario. (3) Distinct factors drive the expansion of different land use types. The digital elevation model is the predominant factor for the expansion of forest and grassland, contributing 19.25% and 30.76%, respectively. Night light contributes the most to cultivated land and construction land, at 13.94% and 20.35%, respectively. (4) The average land use intensity (LUI) in central urban districts markedly surpasses that in the surrounding suburban areas, with Xiacheng having the highest LUI and Chun’an the lowest. Under the SSP126 scenario, the area with increased LUI is significantly smaller than under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. These findings offer valuable guidance for sustainable planning and built environment management in Hangzhou and similarly situated urban centers worldwide.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"46 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-14DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072161
M. Bosco, Angela Fiamingo, M. Massimino, Pier Paolo Rossi
{"title":"An Assessment of the Seismic Performance of EC8-Compliant CBFs Taking into Account the Role of Soil: A Case Study","authors":"M. Bosco, Angela Fiamingo, M. Massimino, Pier Paolo Rossi","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072161","url":null,"abstract":"Based on criticisms raised in the past by researchers about the effectiveness of the design rules reported in the European seismic code for the design of concentrically braced frames, a new design procedure has been proposed and included in the upcoming version of Eurocode 8. The upcoming version of Eurocode 8 is in the enquiry stage. Hence, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the design procedure reported in the code using accurate numerical models and seismic inputs. In the present paper, a four-story building with concentrically braced frames in the chevron configuration is designed according to the upcoming version of Eurocode 8. A seismic performance assessment is carried out by the means of multiple-stripe analyses performed on refined numerical models. The seismic input is defined based on one-dimensional local site response analyses. The numerical analyses prove that the use of local site response analysis to properly account for the soil-filtering effects is of paramount importance, and that the design procedure reported in the upcoming version of Eurocode 8 for chevron concentrically braced frames leads to reasonably low probabilities of exceeding the considered limit states.","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"48 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BuildingsPub Date : 2024-07-14DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072164
Semsi Coskun, Candace Washington, Ece Erdogmus
{"title":"A Study on Causes of Gender Gap in Construction Management: High School Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions across Genders","authors":"Semsi Coskun, Candace Washington, Ece Erdogmus","doi":"10.3390/buildings14072164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072164","url":null,"abstract":"This paper addresses three research questions: (1) According to the pertinent literature, what are the main causes of the current gender gap in the construction industry, particularly for management and leadership roles? (2) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students regarding their level of knowledge of the construction industry? (3) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students in their perception of the construction industry and factors impacting their career choice? These research questions are addressed by a review of the literature followed by a discussion of precamp survey results from two consecutive years of a two-week high school summer camp, which is focused on construction science and management. The literature review reveals that the issues are deep-routed and complex but can in general be categorized into two groups: the recruitment and retention of women in construction management and related careers. While the literature review summary in this paper addresses both categories, the focus of the paper remains recruitment, particularly through a study of high school students’ level of knowledge and perceptions of construction management. The pre-camp surveys assessed the participants’ baseline knowledge and perceptions of construction management as a career. The results showed that the knowledge of construction management as a career is very low, with no statistically significant difference between genders. It must be noted here that the participants are biased positively toward the construction management and related careers, as they chose to attend the camp for a variety of reasons, from wanting an experience on the campus of this university to parents’ encouragement. Despite this baseline interest, however, the data show that the participants lacked clarity on what this career really entails. It is suggested, therefore that the general knowledge of this career path across larger and more randomized samples across U.S. will be even lower. The perceptions of the construction industry differed slightly between genders, with females perceiving it as more physically challenging and prioritizing family friendliness when considering career options. In conclusion, both the literature review and the survey data analysis show that the lack of knowledge of this career path, exacerbated by the negative perceptions of the construction industry, contribute to the problem of women not choosing to study construction management. The construction industry continues to make significant improvements in their diversity and inclusion efforts, and there are a variety of paths within the industry for graduates of construction science and management degrees. As such, significant work remains for both the industry and academia to overcome the lack of knowledge and negative perceptions of the industry through increased outreach to better inform high school students, parents, and cou","PeriodicalId":505657,"journal":{"name":"Buildings","volume":"52 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}