Static yield stress is crucial for concrete, especially for 3D printed concrete, as it determines whether the bottom layer can support the load of the subsequent layers or withstand any potential impulses. A better understanding of the evolution of the static yield stress and its changing mechanism is therefore needed. Under the assumption that hydrate formation follows fractal patterns, this work

The interfacial bonding between steel fibers and Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) matrix is pivotal for the mechanical properties in extreme environments. Herein, a surface nanoengineering approach using the sol-gel method was reported to enhance the resistance of fiber bonding to varying cryogenic and elevated exposures (−170 °C to 200 °C). Additionally, the interfacial bonding and failure of

To enhance the safety and functionality requirements of engineering structures, carbon nanotubes are used to improve the performance of concrete. However, their high cost limits their large-scale application. In this study, industrial multi-walled carbon nanotubes (IMWCNT) were employed to ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) to achieve a balance between nanomodification and economy. The effects

Computer vision strain sensors typically require the camera position to be fixed, limiting measurements to surface deformations of structures at pixel‐level resolution. Also, sensors have a service term significantly shorter than the designed service term of the structures. This paper presents research on a high durable computer vision sensor, microimage strain sensing (MISS)‐Silica, which utilizes

Growth in urban population, travel, and motorization continue to cause an increased need for urban projects to expand road capacity. Unfortunately, these projects also cause travel delays, emissions, driver frustration, and other road user adversities. To alleviate these ills, road agencies often face two work zone design choices: close the road fully and re‐reroute traffic or implement partial closure

This study presents a homogenization approach to understand and simulate the heterogeneous expansion of irregularly shaped aggregate induced by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). The analysis employs a cubic representative volume element (RVE) containing a single reactive aggregate with an arbitrary shape embedded in a mortar matrix. At the aggregate level, ASR expansion is characterized by applying a homogeneous

This study explores the feasibility of NaCl based magnesium phosphate cement (NaCl-MPC) composites as a solid electrolyte for energy storage applications by analyzing the physical, mechanical, hydration and electrochemical properties of composites. The results indicated that the incorporation of NaCl greatly improved the mechanical properties and ionic conductivity of composites, demonstrating enhanced

A ductile oil well cement paste (OWCP) with lower autogenous shrinkage is of paramount importance to the integrity of cement sheath under downhole condition. Taking advantage of multiple experimental tests and a micromechanical model, the hybrid effects of nano-rubber (NR) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the mechanical properties, autogenous shrinkage, hydration behavior and microstructure of OWCP were

The cover image is based on the Article A multi-phase mechanical model of biochar–cement composites at the mesoscale by Muduo Li et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/mice.13307.

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This study proposes a multi‐perspective fusion model for operating speed prediction based on knowledge‐enhanced graph neural networks, named RoadGNN‐S. By utilizing message passing and multi‐head self‐attention mechanisms, RoadGNN‐S can effectively capture the coupling impacts of multi‐perspective alignment elements (i.e., two‐dimensional design, 2.5‐dimensional driving, and three‐dimensional spatial

Photovoltaic Shading Devices (PVSDs) serve as integral components of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), fulfilling both architectural shading functions and supplying on-site renewable energy to buildings. Previous studies have primarily focused on the energy efficiency of PVSDs in single-story or low-rise buildings, often overlooking the thermal hotspot effects caused by the shading of upper

This paper provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of state-of-the-art technological advancements in building integration insmartgrids, with a focus on enabling their participation in demand response (DR). We consolidate knowledge from high-quality sources on the main research topics, helping researchers, building owners, and energy stakeholders to stay informed about the latest developments

This study proposed a novel approach for naturally ventilated buildings to address the challenges of rising temperatures and increased urban heat island effect in African cities. Existing research often overlooks the performance of combined wind and buoyancy-driven systems in the context of climate change. This research introduced a novel chimney-enhanced cross-ventilation configuration that effectively

Establishing a realistic three-dimensional (3D) microstructure is a crucial step for studying microstructure development of hardened cement pastes. However, acquiring 3D microstructural images for cement often involves high costs and quality compromises. This paper proposes a generative adversarial networks-based method for generating 3D microstructures from a single two-dimensional (2D) image, capable

Engineered geopolymer composites (EGC) are promising alternatives to highly ductile cement-based composites, whereas effectively balancing the strength and ductility of most developed EGC mixes is challenging. This study systematically evaluated the feasibility of incorporating nano-silica (NS) particles to address the problem of balancing strength and ductility in EGC, aiming to develop EGC with extraordinary

Real‐time hybrid simulation (RTHS) divides structural systems into numerical and experimental substructures, providing a cost‐effective solution for analyzing structural systems, especially those that are large or complex. However, the actuation systems between these substructures inevitably introduce delays, affecting the stability and accuracy of RTHS. To address this issue, this study proposes an

The cooling requirements of communication base stations (CBSs) align with the effects of radiative cooling coatings. However, these effects have not been comprehensively verified by in-situ measurements heretofore. To evaluate the cooling efficacy of radiative cooling coatings on CBSs, in this study, the radiative properties of a radiative cooling coating were tested in the laboratory. The cooling

The application of renewable energy in the building sector has received increasing attention. In this work, a zero-energy photocatalytic double-layer ventilation window was proposed to reduce building energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. The effects of environmental and operational parameters on the system’s performance were investigated through experimental testing and simulation analysis

This Editorial briefly introduces and organizes the worthy studies provided in the Special Issue of Energy and Buildings, entitled “Future technologies for building sector to accelerate energy transition: a special issue”. The main topics of selected papers are herein summarized, proposing scientific studies concerning the next generation buildings, and thus mandatory targets of energy efficiency,

This study assessed 40 industrial clinkers from 16 cement plants, determining their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and the corresponding cements' strength development and hydration kinetics. Pearson's statistical analysis identified key factors influencing clinker and cement properties. Clinker composition ranged within 56.5–73.9% C₃S, 4.1–24.5% C₂S, 0.8–8.4% C₃A, and 7.4–13.9% C₄AF

In this study, we explored the potential of microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP) for enhancing the microstructural integrity of waste concrete fines (WCF). Traditionally, ureolytic bacteria, such as Sporosarcina pasteurii, have been widely used in MICP due to their ability to produce calcium carbonate via urea hydrolysis, but this process generates ammonia, raising environmental concerns

Using multi-solid wastes to prepare foam ceramics, it can not only recycle a large amount of solid waste, but also obtain products with excellent performance. In this study, foam ceramics were prepared by sintering method using recycled waste concrete powder and waste glass power as main raw material. The effect of foaming agent content on the physical properties and pore structure of foam ceramics

To minimize the dust removal duration associated with tunnel blasting excavation, this study employs on-site measurements and numerical simulations within a railway tunnel to investigate the dynamics of blasting dust during construction. On-site, a dust meter is utilized to monitor the blasting dust in real-time. Utilizing one-dimensional uniform turbulent diffusion theory and numerical simulation

Asbestos has been used extensively in several applications. Once it is known as a dangerous mineral, its usage has been prohibited and its identification and remediation play a very important role from the health safety point of view. Nowadays, deep learning techniques are used in many applications, especially for image analysis. They can be used to significantly reduce the time and cost of traditional

Using shotcrete as lining supports can effectively prevent tunnels from the rock burst of the surrounding rock, while rock-concrete interfaces play key roles in determining the supporting effect. In the present study, both experimental and numerical efforts are made to quantify the effect of joint roughness coefficient (i.e., JRC ranging from 4 to 20) and interface shape (i.e., wave, triangle and ladder-shape)

Low delta-T syndrome is known to decrease the energy efficiency of chilled water systems and jeopardize human thermal comfort. Many studies have addressed low delta-T syndrome, suggesting possible measures to solve or mitigate its symptoms. However, while numerous measures have been proposed, a connection to the fundamental causes and the potential side effects that could cause low delta-T syndrome

Renewable Energy Communities (REC) can largely contribute to building decarbonization targets and provide flexibility through the adoption of advanced control strategies of the energy systems. This work investigates how the role of flexibility sources will be impacted by shifting towards advanced control strategies under a high penetration of variable Renewable Energy Sources, in the following years

Building Energy Models (BEM) are widely utilized throughout all stages of a building's lifecycle to understand and enhance energy usage. However, creating these models demands significant effort, particularly for larger buildings or those with complex HVAC systems. While a substantial amount of information can be extracted from Building Information Models (BIM) — which are increasingly accessible and

Microbial induced concrete corrosion (MICC) is the main deterioration mode of concrete corrosion in concrete wastewater transportation system. Protective coating is one of the commonly used microbial corrosion protection technologies for concrete. In this study, the effects of CuSO4 concentration and pH value of electroless plating solution on the preparation of copper-plated hardened cement paste

Most literature has focused on the effect of shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) in shrinkage mitigation resistance of concrete. This study aims to examine the impact of SRA on the efficiency of macro synthetic fibers (MSF) in enhancing the flexural post-cracking behavior of fiber-reinforced super workable concrete (FR-SWC). A comparative analysis of the influence of fiber combinations on the flexural

Point cloud registration plays a crucial role in processing large-scale building point cloud data. However, existing registration algorithms face challenges in effectively handling outliers in descriptor-based correspondence. This paper presents an automatic registration method for large-scale building point clouds that is capable of achieving swift and accurate registration without the need for initial

The integration of smart technologies is set to revolutionize pavement data collection and analysis, leading to more efficient decision-making in Pavement Management Systems (PMS). Smart pavements, featuring embedded sensors, offer continuous streams of high-quality real-time data, enhancing the PMS data analysis process. This paper provides a detailed examination of these embedded smart systems, discussing

In this paper, a terrain-adaptive motion planner is developed specifically for articulated construction vehicles (ACVs) to address instability issues caused by elevation changes on unstructured construction sites—challenges that traditional 2D motion planners struggle to manage effectively. The proposed planner adopts a modular framework, incorporating a terrain elevation model, an articulated vehicle

Decision‐making of project‐level road maintenance is the process of mapping road information into a maintenance plan. Even though benefitting from deep learning, the decision‐making still faces the problem of maintenance data uncertainty. The data uncertainty derives from imperfect road information collection and arbitrary selection of maintenance plans. Such uncertainty always leads to unreasonable

Predicting multiple properties of concrete using empirical models has become increasingly challenging due to the complexity of modern concrete formulations and the nonlinear behavior of their constituents. This study introduces a sequential model that integrates mix proportions with microstructural information of concrete. The model addresses the limitations of small datasets and the inherent variability

Rock wool, as an external wall insulation material, is crucial in improving the energy efficiency of structures. However, a large amount of rock wool furnace slag (RWFS) generated during the production of rock wool panels manufacturing causes environmental problems. To address these issues, this study focuses on the use of waste RWFS as a precursor in alkali-activated cementitious materials. In addition

Chloride-induced corrosion is a primary cause of performance degradation and lifespan attenuation in reinforced concrete (RC) structures in marine and de-icing salt environments. This paper focuses on identifying and modeling the uncertainty of chloride transport induced by the mesoscopic structure of concrete. Utilizing mesoscopic statistics conducted on random concrete specimens with different volume

In response to the growing demand for living environment, enhancing the physical environment of residential buildings has become an imperative priority. This study proposes an optimization and low-carbon decision-making framework. Interestingly, a multi-objective optimization model was developed by integrating a backpropagation neural network with the NSGA-II algorithm, and a carbon emission model

Daylighting studies always bring new requirements of growing sophistications, following almost identical simulation procedure that yields spatiotemporal luminous results. While these simulations require defining a complex set of input variables, architects can easily fine-tune the precision of internal inputs, but external inputs, especially Typical Weather Datasets (TWDs), remain beyond their direct

Particulate matter severely affects human health, and its migration is closely related to human walking and ventilation. It is essential to select an appropriate ventilation strategy to control the particulate matter caused by cluster passengers walking. In this study, cluster passengers walk in the narrow passage of a subway station. Large eddy simulation (LES) was used to study the influence of cluster

In the present study, the thermoelectric ventilation (TEV) system, whose electricity is supplied by a system consisting of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) panels cooled with thermoelectric generators (TEGs), is used to supply the heating and cooling loads of a building located in Huaian city (Jiangsu, China). Two new parameters named Energy Proficiency Indicator (PIen) and Exergy Proficiency Indicator

Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) is a critical type of pressure pipe widely used in major water conveyance projects worldwide. As essential components of a PCCP, the mortar coating and concrete core are directly linked to its operational safety. This study employed piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) devices as transducers to generate excitation vibrations and measure the resulting

The maximum ceiling excess smoke temperature is a critical parameter for assessing fire safety in Z-shaped passages. These passages are long and narrow spaces formed by two horizontal segments connected by an inclined passage. Smoke movement in such passages significantly differs from traditional confined spaces due to the stack effect and the presence of corners where the horizontal and inclined segments

Heat damage in tunnels is an increasingly prevalent issue, particularly in deeply buried tunnels. Thermal pressure ventilation cannot be ignored in high-temperature inclined tunnels. Implementing appropriate thermal pressure ventilation can lead to substantial energy savings. To achieve this outcome, this study proposes a novel calculation model that integrates analytical solutions for the surrounding

The simulation of human behavior is an essential component in the domain of energy demand modeling. However, due to its diverse nature, it is often unclear whether a simulated behavior pattern is fitting to certain contexts. Combined with the poor availability of appropriate activity data, this makes proper validation of behavior models difficult. Existing validation approaches are limited and specialized

The present study proposes an innovative active solar heating soil heat storage system to enhance the thermal environment of Gobi solar greenhouses (GSGs) and address the issue of uneven heat distribution. This system utilizes Gobi gravel soil as a heat storage medium, combining solar flat plate collectors and horizontal buried pipes at a depth of 0.15 m. To validate the system’s practical efficacy

A real-scene 3D model of complex buildings, derived from UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) surveys, can significantly improve the accuracy of sunlight analysis for the arrangement of photovoltaic panels. We propose a method for sunlight analysis of complex building roofs driven by the real-scene 3D model, which includes generating and optimizing the 3D model and a parameterized sunlight analysis algorithm

This study investigates the daylighting performance and energy efficiency optimization strategies of double-glazed photovoltaic windows (DS-STPV) in cold regions of China. By conducting a comprehensive comparative analysis with traditional and energy-efficient window systems, this research aims to identify high-efficiency building solutions tailored to extreme climatic conditions. Amidst the escalating

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems are designed to store excess thermal energy, addressing supply-demand mismatches during periods of low supply. Integrating such systems in the field is challenging due to the slow charging caused by the low thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCM). This shortfall can be mitigated using composite PCM (CPCM) as the thermal storage medium

This paper presents a Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC)-based energy management system (EMS) for residential complexes with integrated solar photovoltaics (PV), battery energy storage systems (BESS), and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The EMS coordinates BESS operations, integrating solar generation, residential load demand, and EV charging. It optimizes BESS charging/discharging

Building sustainable habitats on the moon has been planned for decades. However, applying fully automated construction systems is still challenging in altered environments. Teleoperation, which is the remote control of the machine, can serve as an intermediate phase before achieving fully autonomous systems. Since the teleoperation between operators on the earth-ground and robots on the lunar surface

The inherent complexity of historic buildings, particularly their internal structures, presents significant challenges to the efficiency of digital model creation. This paper aims to enhance modeling efficiency by automating the creation of timber frames using a procedural modeling method. It translates the architectural rules used by local carpenters into modeling rules for procedural modeling, allowing

Construction safety standards are in unstructured formats like text and images, complicating their effective use in daily tasks. This paper compares the performance of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and fine-tuned Large Language Model (LLM) for the construction safety knowledge retrieval. The RAG model was created by integrating GPT-4 with a knowledge graph derived from construction safety guidelines

This study proposes a collaborative control framework under the mixed traffic environment of connected and automated vehicles and connected human‐driven vehicles, which can simultaneously optimize the signal timing, lane settings, and vehicle trajectories at isolated intersections. Initially, considering the dynamics of traffic demand and incompatible signals, we analyze the vehicle delay of each lane

A novel damage detection model, which utilizes the spatiotemporal characteristics of the acceleration data, is proposed to assess the structural integrity of railway bridges. For this, the measured acceleration data are decomposed into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using the sparse random mode decomposition model. The generated IMFs are subsequently integrated into the enhanced time series

The integration of renewable energy sources has led to notable supply-demand imbalances due to their intermittent nature. Air-conditioning systems, as significant energy consumers with considerable flexibility, play a crucial role in integrating renewable energy and regulating power systems. This paper delves into the capability of air-conditioning systems in airports to flexibly adjust, particularly

The problem of cross-infection between patients and surgeons in the operating room had been widely concerned by the international community. The purpose of this study had been to explore the potential of a Dual-loop Different Velocity Air Curtain System (DDVACS) being applied in the operating room to reduce cross-infection. In this study, the performance of the system was studied using the computational

Trombe walls have been recognized as a cost-effective solution for reducing energy consumption if designed properly. Most of the experimental studies available in the literature have been carried out to assess the thermal performance of various types of Trombe walls and to understand the impact of key parameters affecting their behavior. However, within the general framework of double-skin facade systems

Nonstructural components such as furniture, ceilings, and lighting equipment exhibit varying behaviors during earthquakes influenced by factors such as seismic waves, floor heights, friction coefficients of floors, and the proximity of other objects. These variables can differ in each scenario, rendering it challenging for individuals to understand and implement effective seismic protection measures