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Buildings
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Challenges Posed by Climate Change to the Building Industry
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Challenges Posed by Climate Change to the Building Industry

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2023) | Viewed by 4128

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nuno Simões

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: energy performance of buildings; materials characterisation; heat and mass transfer problems; passive solutions; laboratory techniques for thermal characterisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michael A. Lacasse

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Construction Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Building M-24, Ottawa, ON K1A0R6, Canada
Interests: environmental loads; climate change; material durability; service-life prediction; sustainable development; sustainability; materials technology; construction materials; polymers; building and civil engineering; simulation and numerical modeling; technological innovation; technology transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Julieta António

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: building acoustics; sustainable building materials; materials characterization; numerical simulation of wave propagation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is related to the Second International Conference on Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES 2023*), organized by Itecons, University of Coimbra (Portugal), in collaboration with CONST-NRC (Canada), taking place in Funchal (Madeira Island), Portugal, from 27 to 30 June 2023.

The effects of climate change on buildings and building occupants is necessitating changes to building practice in order to counter the impact of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, such as intense winds, rain events of longer duration and greater strength, hurricanes, and prolonged periods of excessive heat. New as well as retrofitted buildings are now in need of updated performance requirements and more useful standards and related building codes. At the same time, there is a need for product manufacturers to re-engineer their products, or develop new ones, which can achieve and maintain these new requirements over time. Given the obligation for a more resilient built environment, all key stakeholders of the construction sector need to be involved in adapting their practices going forward.

This Special Issue is dedicated to studies focused on addressing challenges facing the building industry that may arise from the effects of climate change.

Dr. Nuno Simões
Dr. Michael A. Lacasse
Dr. Julieta António
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • climate resilience
  • service life prediction
  • high-performance building elements
  • durability

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 7767 KiB  
Article
Active Green Constructions and Their Impact on Gray Infrastructure
by Daniela Kaposztasova, Katarina Lavkova Cakyova, Marian Vertal, Zuzana Vranayova and Eva Kridlova Burdova
Buildings 2024, 14(2), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020306 - 23 Jan 2024
Viewed by 733
Abstract
Addressing climate change necessitates a conscious transition toward sustainable infrastructure solutions. Our vision involved transforming an experimental area into the University Experimental Center. This experimental building serves as a model for gray infrastructure implementation, taking into account its dimensions, layout, flooring, and material [...] Read more.
Addressing climate change necessitates a conscious transition toward sustainable infrastructure solutions. Our vision involved transforming an experimental area into the University Experimental Center. This experimental building serves as a model for gray infrastructure implementation, taking into account its dimensions, layout, flooring, and material composition. Our study aims to compare the retention capacities of various types of vegetated roofs, as determined by different legislations. The findings indicate that the outcomes vary based on the regulations used. This variation subsequently influences the design of associated infrastructures, such as rainwater drainage systems, and the design of stressed structures. This is due to the impact of water quantity on the thermal response of a stressed structure. The water used to irrigate the vegetation layer, along with the water retained by the upper roof, has a positive impact on both the building and its surroundings. Initially, the system comprised two functional components: vegetated roofs and a reference roof. The integrated experimental roof shell, in conjunction with the frame, forms an autonomous system. This system serves as a segment for quantifying water retention, humidity, and temperature across diverse green infrastructure substrates. We analyzed the thermal response of experimental roof constructions and monitored the influence of water and precipitation. Our results indicate that the height of the substrate affects not only the retention capacity but also the thermal response of the vegetated roof. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges Posed by Climate Change to the Building Industry)
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26 pages, 2259 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Sectoral Environmental Product Declarations as a Data Source for Life Cycle Assessment
by María Seila Otero, Teresa Garnica, Soledad Montilla, Marta Conde and José A. Tenorio
Buildings 2023, 13(12), 3032; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123032 - 05 Dec 2023
Viewed by 910
Abstract
The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is becoming increasingly prevalent in the quantification of the environmental status in the building sector following new legislative frameworks. Countries need to quantify and assess their environmental impacts as a previous step to regulation and decision-making. In [...] Read more.
The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is becoming increasingly prevalent in the quantification of the environmental status in the building sector following new legislative frameworks. Countries need to quantify and assess their environmental impacts as a previous step to regulation and decision-making. In this context, based on a consensus with manufacturers, standardized national data sets are being developed, referred to as sectoral environmental product declarations (EPDs). This study assesses these EPDs with the aim of providing relevant information for global decision-making, focusing on their consistency and shortcomings. An assessment was carried out at both the national level, considering all sectoral EPDs and declared products, and at the international level, with three common building materials (brick, steel, and concrete). The results highlight the lack of traceability in the development and assessment of uncertainty, resulting in substantial discrepancies in reported impacts, especially in the later stages of the life cycle (up to 90% difference). Meanwhile, impacts such as global warming potential or total renewable and non-renewable primary energy use show homogeneous values in the cradle-to-gate stages, with differences generally being under 10%. The analysis of sectoral EPDs should act as a guideline for designing buildings with environmental sustainability criteria, as the last section of this study attempts to highlight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges Posed by Climate Change to the Building Industry)
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12 pages, 967 KiB  
Article
To What Extent Could Alternative Economic Models Increase Investment in the Renovation of and Reduce Energy Poverty in Social Housing in Flanders?
by Els Van de moortel and Karen Allacker
Buildings 2023, 13(12), 3001; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123001 - 30 Nov 2023
Viewed by 530
Abstract
An important share of the social housing stock in Flanders is outdated, resulting in a high energy demand for heating. Energetic renovation is hence urgently needed. The current economic model, however, does not stimulate this due to a split incentive. As energy prices [...] Read more.
An important share of the social housing stock in Flanders is outdated, resulting in a high energy demand for heating. Energetic renovation is hence urgently needed. The current economic model, however, does not stimulate this due to a split incentive. As energy prices have increased in the past few years, more tenants have suffered from energy poverty. This paper investigates three alternative economic models aiming at increasing the incentive for renovation, while financially protecting the tenants. In the first alternative model, tenants are protected by inducing a maximal cost of living based on their income. In the second alternative model, a fixed rent is applied, while the third alternative model proposes to share the cost benefits of the energetic renovation. The paper analyses the alternative models by assessing the costs and income for social housing companies and the costs for tenants for an unrenovated building, a renovation with a low investment cost and a deep energetic renovation. The results show that limiting the cost of living based on income seems most interesting as this is beneficial for the tenants and gives an incentive for the social housing companies to renovate. To reduce energy poverty, a deep renovation is necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges Posed by Climate Change to the Building Industry)
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Review

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27 pages, 2654 KiB  
Review
Qualitative and Quantitative Scientometric Analysis of Bioclimatic Retrofitting in Commercial Buildings from 2008 to 2022
by Ali Heidari and Francesca Olivieri
Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2177; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092177 - 28 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1109
Abstract
The present study offers a thorough scientometric analysis of the practice of bioclimatic retrofitting in commercial buildings, which is considered a crucial approach for mitigating energy consumption and addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Since Scopus offers advanced tools for literature search [...] Read more.
The present study offers a thorough scientometric analysis of the practice of bioclimatic retrofitting in commercial buildings, which is considered a crucial approach for mitigating energy consumption and addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Since Scopus offers advanced tools for literature search and analysis, its database was used to acquire bibliographic data for nearly 400 published papers using a bibliometric search, a scientometric methodology, and an in-depth qualitative analysis. The scientometric procedure utilizes various quantitative dimensions, such as the number of intermediate citations, occurrences, average publication year, and general connection power. A retrospective examination of research publication patterns spanning 2008 to May 2022 has unveiled an upward trajectory in scholarly investigations pertaining to commercial buildings during this 15-year period. Nevertheless, research on the topics of bioclimatic design, retrofitting strategies, and green building practices in the context of commercial buildings exhibits a more gradual incline, displaying an almost linear trend between the years 2016 and 2020. Additionally, the study provides qualitative perspectives on the research environment. The paper delineates various focal points of research within the field, encompassing thermal comfort in the context of energy management and climate control, ventilation systems, sustainable development as it pertains to architectural designs and green buildings, retrofitting strategies in commercial buildings to enhance energy efficiency, the interplay between carbon dioxide levels and energy resources, the utilization of solar energy, the relationship between energy conservation and atmospheric temperature, and the application of building energy simulation techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges Posed by Climate Change to the Building Industry)
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