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17 pages, 1482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Resilience and Systems—A Building Structure Case Example

by Khalilullah Mayar, David G. Carmichael and Xuesong Shen

Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1520; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061520 - 13 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1870

Abstract

The resilience of building structures—as plain technical/physical/engineering systems or complex sociotechnical systems exposed to perturbations and change—has become increasingly important as natural disasters are on the rise and the world is changing rapidly. Existing resilience frameworks are focused mainly on the responses of [...] Read more.

The resilience of building structures—as plain technical/physical/engineering systems or complex sociotechnical systems exposed to perturbations and change—has become increasingly important as natural disasters are on the rise and the world is changing rapidly. Existing resilience frameworks are focused mainly on the responses of building systems to perturbation events and their functional recovery, while change appears to be left out. This study applies the resilience system interpretation framework, which defines resilience in a cross-disciplinary environment as adaptation and adaptive systems, to analyze actual and conceptual building structure systems. The system framework, using modern control systems theory, defines resilience as the ability of the system state and form to return to their initial or other suitable states or forms through passive and active feedback mechanisms. A sample SMRF office building structure system is utilized to simulate the system state and form return abilities that are demonstrated by the system functional recovery time and functional recovery curve shape, respectively. This novel understanding of resilience accommodates a holistic and systematic integration of both perturbation and change in the portfolios of various building structures. The framework also provides a practical roadmap for resilience design and building of structures that effectively respond to perturbation while dynamically adapting to change in order to avoid obsolescence, as well as to increase the building’s useful life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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21 pages, 1706 KiB

Open AccessArticle

L-Moments-Based FORM Method for Structural Reliability Analysis Considering Correlated Input Random Variables

by Zhi-Peng Li, Dong-Zhu Hu, Long-Wen Zhang, Zhen Zhang and Yue Shi

Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051261 - 11 May 2023

Viewed by 967

Abstract

Leveraging the properties of the first three linear moments (L-moments), this study proposes an effective normal transformation for structural reliability analysis considering correlated input random variables, in which the admissible range of the initial correlation matrix when employing this transformation is also presented. [...] Read more.

Leveraging the properties of the first three linear moments (L-moments), this study proposes an effective normal transformation for structural reliability analysis considering correlated input random variables, in which the admissible range of the initial correlation matrix when employing this transformation is also presented. Subsequently, a practical procedure for structural reliability analysis, grounded in the proposed transformation and first-order reliability method (FROM), is proposed, accommodating instances wherein the joint probability density functions (PDFs) or marginal PDFs of the relevant random variables remain unknown. In comparison to the technique premised on the first three central moments (C-moments), the proposed method, based on the first three L-moments, exhibits a more extensive applicability. Various practical scenarios showcase the method’s effectiveness and precision in calculating the structural reliability index, considering diverse distributions, numerous variables, and complex structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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19 pages, 34538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Windows and Doors Extraction from Point Cloud Data Combining Semantic Features and Material Characteristics

by Baoquan Cheng, Shuhang Chen, Lei Fan, Yange Li, Yuanzhi Cai and Zeru Liu

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020507 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2440

Abstract

Point cloud data have become the primary spatial data source for the 3D reconstruction of building engineering, where 3D reconstructed building information models can improve construction efficiency. In such applications, detecting windows and doors is essential. Previous research mainly used red-green-blue (RGB) information [...] Read more.

Point cloud data have become the primary spatial data source for the 3D reconstruction of building engineering, where 3D reconstructed building information models can improve construction efficiency. In such applications, detecting windows and doors is essential. Previous research mainly used red-green-blue (RGB) information or semantic features for detection, where the combination of these two features was not considered. Therefore, this research proposed a practical approach to detecting windows and doors using point cloud data with the combination of semantic features and material characteristics. The point cloud data are first segmented using Gradient Filtering and Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) to obtain the 3D indoor data without intrusions and protrusions. As input, the 3D indoor data are projected to horizontal planes as 2D point cloud data. The 2D point cloud data are then transformed to 2D images, representing the indoor area for feature extraction. On the 2D images, the 2D boundary of each potential opening is extracted using an improved Bounding Box algorithm, and the extraction result is transformed back to 3D data. Based on the 3D data, the reflectivity of building material is applied to differentiate windows and doors from potential openings, and the number of data points is used to check the opening condition of windows and doors. The abovementioned approach was tested using the point cloud data representing one campus building, including two big rooms and one corridor. The experimental results showed that accurate detection of windows and doors was successfully reached. The completeness of the detection is 100%, and the correctness of the detection is 90.32%. The total time for the feature extraction is 22.8 s for processing 2 million point cloud data, including time from reading data of 10.319 s and time from showing the results of 4.938 s. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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18 pages, 1587 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Input-Output Benefit Analysis of Green Building Incremental Cost Based on DEA-Entropy Weight Method

by Wei Liu, Xiaohui Huang, Zhuan He, Yongxiang Wang, Luyao Han and Wenxuan Qiu

Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2239; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122239 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2056

Abstract

Green buildings are an important carrier for the transformation of the construction industry to green, efficient and energy-saving, and an important part of the national sustainable development strategy. At present, the development of green building in China is still in the primary stage, [...] Read more.

Green buildings are an important carrier for the transformation of the construction industry to green, efficient and energy-saving, and an important part of the national sustainable development strategy. At present, the development of green building in China is still in the primary stage, the willingness of construction enterprises to develop green building is low, and the promotion of green building is facing the problem of insufficient power. The main reason is that the incremental cost of green building is too high. Therefore, this paper takes green building as the research object, and studies the quantification and evaluation of its incremental cost-benefit. Firstly, the incremental cost composition of green buildings is analysed from the perspective of the whole life cycle, and the incremental benefits are divided into economic benefits, environmental benefits and social benefits. Secondly, the green building incremental cost-benefit evaluation model is constructed by combining the entropy weight method and the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. Finally, the feasibility of this evaluation method is verified through the analysis of practical engineering cases. By evaluating the input-output benefits of incremental costs, the projects with DEA effectiveness and DEA ineffectiveness are identified, and specific suggestions are put forward for them respectively. The research results not only provide theoretical support for the quantification and evaluation of incremental costs and benefits of green buildings, but also provide a reference for the formulation of corresponding cost control measures, and lay a foundation for the realization of the cost minimization and benefit maximization of green buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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16 pages, 5011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Quantitative Method for Assessing and Monetizing the Failure Risk of Prefabricated Building Structures under Seismic Effect

by Yange Li, Tianyu Wang, Zheng Han, Weidong Wang and Jianling Huang

Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2221; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122221 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1612

Abstract

As a new construction mode, the prefabricated building is the main direction of the transformation and upgrading process of the Chinese construction industry. In an earthquake area, prefabricated building damage is often reported; therefore, it is important to evaluate the failure risk of [...] Read more.

As a new construction mode, the prefabricated building is the main direction of the transformation and upgrading process of the Chinese construction industry. In an earthquake area, prefabricated building damage is often reported; therefore, it is important to evaluate the failure risk of its structure under seismic effect. In this paper, combined with the vulnerability and building depreciation theory of prefabricated buildings, as well as a seismic hazard analysis of engineering sites, we propose a quantitative method for evaluating the structural failure risk of prefabricated buildings under seismic effect during their service life. In order to illustrate the proposed method, a residential prefabricated building as described in the previous study is used as a case study. The structural failure risk value and overall risk level of the case under seismic effect are calculated to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the seismic risk evaluation method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method benefits and assists risk management in the decision making and disaster prevention and mitigation regarding prefabricated buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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27 pages, 11552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Half-Grouted Sleeve Connections with Grouted Defects

by Dong Chen, Zhixiang Wu, Yu Bao, Shaopeng Ding, Ye Shao and Tao Xu

Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1807; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111807 - 28 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1464

Abstract

Prefabricated concrete structures are driving the development of green buildings, and the connection between prefabricated components is the main factor affecting the safety performance of these structures. Grouted sleeve technology can effectively improve the safety performance of precast component connections. In the process [...] Read more.

Prefabricated concrete structures are driving the development of green buildings, and the connection between prefabricated components is the main factor affecting the safety performance of these structures. Grouted sleeve technology can effectively improve the safety performance of precast component connections. In the process of grouting operation, the grouted sleeves are affected by the construction environment and often have various defects. In this work, to study the influence of defects on the mechanical properties of half-grouted steel sleeve connections, 33 specimens (10 groups of defective specimens (three in each group) and 1 standard group) were prepared and subjected to uniaxial tensile tests. The failure modes, load–displacement curves, stress distribution, and other mechanical properties of the specimens were studied. Sleeves with different defects were simulated, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental results. The experimental results showed that the failure modes are rebar fracture and rebar pull-out. In the strengthening stage, the specimens exhibited a large slip. The critical length for failure mode transition was 2.5 d (defect length). The middle defects and uniform defects had the most unfavorable effect on the ultimate bearing capacity of the specimens. The stress transfer was blocked in specimens with end and middle defects. The numerical simulation results were consistent with the experimental results, thus verifying the accuracy and feasibility of the simulation method for practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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19 pages, 7841 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Deformation of Segment Linings in Cross-Fault Tunnel Considering the Creep Behavior of Surrounding Rock during Construction-Operation Period

by Yinpeng He, Xinjian Sun and Mengxi Zhang

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101648 - 10 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1514

Abstract

Time-dependent deformation of surrounding rocks during construction and service directly affects the structural safety of hydraulic tunnels. Specifically, the creep effect on the cross-fault diversion tunnels is particularly significant. In recent years, a variety of research has focused on the impact of creep [...] Read more.

Time-dependent deformation of surrounding rocks during construction and service directly affects the structural safety of hydraulic tunnels. Specifically, the creep effect on the cross-fault diversion tunnels is particularly significant. In recent years, a variety of research has focused on the impact of creep on operating cross-fault diversion tunnels. However, there is a lack of consideration for the creep phenomenon during the construction-operation period. This study proposes a simulation method of segment linings deformation of cross-fault diversion tunnel combining deformation monitoring, creep constitutive identification, and creep during construction operation. According to the measured time-displacement data of the surrounding rock, the suitable creep constitutive model is selected by a regression-comparison method. Subsequently, the three-dimensional numerical model of the cross-fault tunnel is established, with the tunnel excavation and long-term creep calculation carried out under the creep effect of the surrounding rock. In addition, the intelligent inversion model was adopted to obtain the basic parameters of the surrounding rock. The results show that fault directly affects the rock mass characteristics near the fault. The radius of influence is about one time the tunnel diameter from the fault. The vertical deformation of segment linings of the vault and inverted arch tends to be subsidence when the fault is above the tunnel; however, the trend is inverse when the fault is under the tunnel. This work gives targeted engineering suggestions and provides a scientific basis for designing and constructing diversion tunnels under complicated geological structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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16 pages, 1707 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Influencing Factors Analysis of Supply Chain Resilience of Prefabricated Buildings Based on PF-DEMATEL-ISM

by Jiequn Lu, Junwu Wang, Yinghui Song, Chunbao Yuan, Juanjuan He and Zhao Chen

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1595; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101595 - 02 Oct 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3034

Abstract

The supply chain for prefabricated buildings (PB) is vulnerable to the operation failure of node enterprises, with frequent damage occurring. Therefore, it is vital to establish an evaluation model of supply chain resilience (SCRE) to improve the ability to resist unanticipated risks. However, [...] Read more.

The supply chain for prefabricated buildings (PB) is vulnerable to the operation failure of node enterprises, with frequent damage occurring. Therefore, it is vital to establish an evaluation model of supply chain resilience (SCRE) to improve the ability to resist unanticipated risks. However, existing research falls short of explaining the hierarchy of the influential components. To fill this gap, this paper established an element-based system of PBSCRE affecting factors. The DEMATEL-ISM method, which combines Pythagorean fuzzy sets, was utilized to analyze the factors. The effectiveness of this framework was then verified via a case study. The results showed the following: the top six elements in terms of centrality were risk management level, inventory management, emergency response plan, visibility, environmental risk, and information technology level; all factors were divided into six levels: (1) factors in level 1 are surface direct influence factors, (2) factors in levels 2 to 5 are intermediate transfer factors, and (3) factors in level 6 are deep root factors. There are 4 root factors, namely, supplier level, environmental risk, information technology level, and visibility. The results indicate that the proposed model will assist managers in identifying critical aspects and achieving sustainable management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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22 pages, 2380 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Competence Model of Construction Project Manager in the Digital Era—The Case from China

by Hui Liu, Hang Zhang, Ruixiang Zhang, Hongbing Jiang and Qianqian Ju

Buildings 2022, 12(9), 1385; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12091385 - 05 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3557

Abstract

With the digital development of the construction industry, a new competence model of CPM (construction project manager) to meet the new requirements is highly needed. However, there is still a paucity of research on CPM competences in the new era, and no new [...] Read more.

With the digital development of the construction industry, a new competence model of CPM (construction project manager) to meet the new requirements is highly needed. However, there is still a paucity of research on CPM competences in the new era, and no new CPM competence model has been constructed. To address this problem, this study uses data mining method to collect 2387 big data of recruitment advertisement in the Chinese construction market between August 2020 and October 2021 to construct a competence model of CPM in the digital era, which is called the Diamond model. The Diamond model consists of nine key competences, among which digital capability is a newly emerging one. The digital capability for CPMs is identified and classified into three levels, i.e., technology, knowledge and management. The requirements from the industry for the digital capability of CPM are mostly at the technology and knowledge levels. The results of the study provide a clear reference for both the demand and supply sides of CPM talents. Based on this, construction enterprises can formulate more accurate recruitment strategies, practitioners can dynamically benchmark themselves to the ever-changing industry needs and education, and training parties can better bridge the talent gap. Furthermore, the introduction of digital capability into the CPM competence system also provides a solid departure point for further follow-up research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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15 pages, 1133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on an Integrated LCA-LCC Model for Assessment of Highway Engineering Technical Schemes

by Yunfei Hou, Xiaojing Qian, Rui Zhang, Fan Gu and Ping Feng

Buildings 2022, 12(7), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12071050 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1901

Abstract

This paper proposes an integrated life cycle assessment-life cycle cost (LCA-LCC) model of environmental and economic factors for highway engineering technical schemes to problems such as the limitations of single-dimensional assessment, their narrow scope, the difficulty in tracing sources, and the conflicts of [...] Read more.

This paper proposes an integrated life cycle assessment-life cycle cost (LCA-LCC) model of environmental and economic factors for highway engineering technical schemes to problems such as the limitations of single-dimensional assessment, their narrow scope, the difficulty in tracing sources, and the conflicts of various dimensions in existing integrated assessment methods. The latest documents issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Ministry of Transport of China used as an integrated assessment database. Air pollution, water pollution, solid waste pollution, noise pollution, energy consumption, pre-project cost, project construction cost, project operation cost, and post-project cost were used to construct the integrated assessment index system of environmental and economic factors. An improved entropy method was adopted in the LCA-LCC model to overcome the problems of ambiguous results of the previous entropy due to too few assessment schemes, the inoperability of the method when it encounters a negative value or zero value, and unbalanced multi-angle assessments. This model was applied to the assessment of two asphalt pavement maintenance schemes of Highway US280 in Alabama and two improvement schemes of high liquid limit soil subgrade of Highway G360 in Hainan. The results show that the LCA-LCC model overcomes the limitations and imbalances of a single LCA or LCC. The gravel improved scheme and the cold recycling scheme were identified through quantitative assessment as more sustainable. This paper can provide a reference for the comprehensive quantitative assessment of environmental and economic benefits of highway engineering technical schemes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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21 pages, 8400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automated Rule Checking for MEP Systems Based on BIM and KBMS

by Xuanfeng Xie, Jianliang Zhou, Xuehai Fu, Ruoyi Zhang, Hui Zhu and Quanxi Bao

Buildings 2022, 12(7), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12070934 - 01 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2644

Abstract

Due to the growing complexity of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) designs and the rules that govern them, performing rule checks manually has become expensive. However, MEP-based rule checking has not received adequate attention compared to automated rule checking in other domains. Based [...] Read more.

Due to the growing complexity of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) designs and the rules that govern them, performing rule checks manually has become expensive. However, MEP-based rule checking has not received adequate attention compared to automated rule checking in other domains. Based on Knowledge Management and Building Information Modeling (BIM), an automated rule checking system integrated knowledge base management system (KBMS) for model information expansion, information extraction, system integrity checking, and element spacing checking was developed. MEP rules for automated rule checking were collected, optimized, and stored in the MEP knowledge base. The KBMS facilitates the management of MEP rules in the knowledge base. A Revit plug-in of MEP rule checking system was developed including functions of KBMS, Model Integrity Checking, Elements Space Checking, and Locating the non-compliant element in model view. This study integrated both KBMS and BIM technologies to achieve automated rule checking for MEP. This simplifies the process of rule checking of MEP systems in an automated manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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13 pages, 3364 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Computer Vision-Based Hazard Identification of Construction Site Using Visual Relationship Detection and Ontology

by Yange Li, Han Wei, Zheng Han, Nan Jiang, Weidong Wang and Jianling Huang

Buildings 2022, 12(6), 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12060857 - 19 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3019

Abstract

Onsite systematic monitoring benefits hazard prevention immensely. Hazard identification is usually limited due to the semantic gap. Previous studies that integrate computer vision and ontology can address the semantic gap and detect the onsite hazards. However, extracting and encoding regulatory documents in a [...] Read more.

Onsite systematic monitoring benefits hazard prevention immensely. Hazard identification is usually limited due to the semantic gap. Previous studies that integrate computer vision and ontology can address the semantic gap and detect the onsite hazards. However, extracting and encoding regulatory documents in a computer-processable format often requires manual work which is costly and time-consuming. A novel and universally applicable framework is proposed that integrates computer vision, ontology, and natural language processing to improve systematic safety management, capable of hazard prevention and elimination. Visual relationship detection based on computer vision is used to detect and predict multiple interactions between objects in images, whose relationships are then coded in a three-tuple format because it has abundant expressiveness and is computer-accessible. Subsequently, the concepts of construction safety ontology are presented to address the semantic gap. The results are subsequently recorded into the SWI Prolog, a commonly used tool to run Prolog (programming of logic), as facts and compared with triplet rules extracted from using natural language processing to indicate the potential risks in the ongoing work. The high-performance results of Recall@100 demonstrated that the chosen method can precisely predict the interactions between objects and help to improve onsite hazard identification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 5386 KiB

Open AccessReview

Green and Sustainable Construction Industry: A Systematic Literature Review of the Contractor’s Green Construction Capability

by Jianglin Gu, Feng Guo, Xiaojing Peng and Bin Wang

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020470 - 09 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6672

Abstract

Contractors are the main implementers to achieve green construction, and the contractor’s green construction capability (CGCC) is far-reaching for green construction. Research on CGCC exists in a number of disciplines, with major contributions in construction management, environment management, and sustainable management research. Despite [...] Read more.

Contractors are the main implementers to achieve green construction, and the contractor’s green construction capability (CGCC) is far-reaching for green construction. Research on CGCC exists in a number of disciplines, with major contributions in construction management, environment management, and sustainable management research. Despite the fact that CGCC is widely utilised in both research and practice, its formation and action mechanism remain obscure due to the multi-disciplinary nature of CGCC. This study is motivated by this research gap. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation of CGCC by using a systematic review covering 74 relevant publications published from 2005 to the first half of 2022. Five main research clusters were identified: (1) CGCC implementation; (2) CGCC performance; (3) CGCC profound impact; (4) CGCC and green building; and (5) CGCC and sustainability. Existing research collaborations on CGCC are infrequent, although this is an area of research that requires multi-disciplinary collaboration. Studies such as CGCC enhancement mechanisms and evaluation systems have received less attention. An integrative framework was proposed for future scholars to build upon as well as a guidance for executives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Methods for Infrastructures Management towards Sustainability, Intelligence, and Resilience)

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