Research

21 pages, 3317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Sustainable Construction: Optimization Tool for Glulam Roof Structures According to Eurocode 5

by María Simón-Portela, José Ramón Villar-García, Pablo Vidal-López and Desirée Rodríguez-Robles

Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3514; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093514 - 23 Apr 2024

Viewed by 285

The construction industry has a notably negative impact on the environment; thus, the promotion of the use of timber structures is an alternative to mitigate its effects. This research develops an artificial intelligence-based decision approach in the calculation of timber structures focused on [...] Read more.

The construction industry has a notably negative impact on the environment; thus, the promotion of the use of timber structures is an alternative to mitigate its effects. This research develops an artificial intelligence-based decision approach in the calculation of timber structures focused on the enhancement of the sustainability of roof structures. Based on the optimization carried out through genetic algorithms and the framework established in Eurocode 5, a general set of equations has been proposed for a laminated timber roof structure. The tool, which determines the most suitable roof structure for each strength class of laminated timber, allows for the determination of the dimensions of beams and purlins and their respective separations in order to minimize wood consumption. The ultimate goal is to offer multiple solutions regarding strength classes and structural designs in order to foster sustainability-informed choices that promote efficient use of resources in construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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20 pages, 7232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Sustainable Material: Optimizing Geopolymer Mortar Formulations for 3D Printing: A Life Cycle Assessment Approach

by Charlotte Roux, Julien Archez, Corentin Le Gall, Myriam Saadé, Adélaïde Féraille and Jean-François Caron

Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3328; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083328 - 16 Apr 2024

Viewed by 514

Abstract

Geopolymer-based concretes have been elaborated among others for their potential to lower the environmental impact of the construction sector. The rheology and workability of fresh geopolymers make them suitable for new applications such as 3D printing. In this paper, we aim to develop [...] Read more.

Geopolymer-based concretes have been elaborated among others for their potential to lower the environmental impact of the construction sector. The rheology and workability of fresh geopolymers make them suitable for new applications such as 3D printing. In this paper, we aim to develop a potassium silicate- and metakaolin-based geopolymer mortar with sand and local earth additions suited for 3D printing and an environmental assessment framework for this material. The methodology aims at the optimization of both the granular skeleton and the geopolymer matrix for the development of a low-environmental-impact material suited for 3D printing. Using this approach, various metakaolin/earth geopolymer mortars are explored from a mechanical and environmental point of view. The environmental assessment of the lab-scale process shows an improvement for the climate change category but a degradation of other indicators, compared to Portland-cement-based concrete. Several promising options exist to further optimize the process and decrease its environmental impacts. This constitutes the main research perspective of this work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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18 pages, 9469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Roof Refurbishment Strategy to Improve the Sustainability of Building Stock: A Case Study

by María J. Ruá, Ángel M. Pitarch, Inés Arín and Lucía Reig

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 2028; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052028 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 530

Abstract

The aging of the building stock in most cities highlights the relevance of refurbishment to achieve sustainability. Current refurbishment practices are often short-sighted and do not encompass holistic strategies beyond energy saving. This research study aims to analyze the factors involved in roof [...] Read more.

The aging of the building stock in most cities highlights the relevance of refurbishment to achieve sustainability. Current refurbishment practices are often short-sighted and do not encompass holistic strategies beyond energy saving. This research study aims to analyze the factors involved in roof refurbishment versus current decision-making determinants. The objective is to identify the barriers that hinder their implementation and to find arguments to support roof renovations. A multicriteria analysis, which considered environmental, economic and performance factors, was employed to select optimal roof refurbishment solutions. This study evaluated five solutions. With interviews held with construction professionals and a survey of experts and homeowners, the preferences and criteria for making decisions about roof refurbishments were analyzed. Simulation tools were then used to estimate the energy savings, payback periods and environmental impact for a representative building in the study area. The results were extrapolated to a neighborhood level. The results highlight the importance of considering factors, such as weight, cost and user preferences when selecting suitable refurbishment solutions. The findings not only estimate the potential energy savings and carbon emission reductions in the area but also underscore the relevance of roof refurbishments for prolonging a building’s life span to contribute to sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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20 pages, 742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Measurement Framework for Prediction and Management of Construction Investments

by Kristina Galjanić, Ivan Marović and Tomaš Hanak

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13617; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813617 - 12 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1023

Abstract

Despite good ideas, great efforts, and high investments, many projects do not end with success. Projects often fail due to a lack of understanding of the project requirements and constraints necessary for overall success. Five selected projects were analyzed in detail through the [...] Read more.

Despite good ideas, great efforts, and high investments, many projects do not end with success. Projects often fail due to a lack of understanding of the project requirements and constraints necessary for overall success. Five selected projects were analyzed in detail through the multiple case study method followed by semi-structured interviews with 56 experts to develop a pattern for the future prediction of project success. This paper aims to identify key factors for project performance in a multi-stakeholder environment, define a performance measurement framework for construction investments, and establish a link between performance measurement and prediction of project performance. The findings could help researchers in modeling performance measurement tools for project managers to achieve their designated project goals, reach better decisions, and achieve full potential in their future projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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19 pages, 6331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of Using Waste Materials in Flexible Pavement Structures Identified by Optimization Design Approach

by Primož Jelušič, Süleyman Gücek, Bojan Žlender, Cahit Gürer, Rok Varga, Tamara Bračko, Murat V. Taciroğlu, Burak E. Korkmaz, Şule Yarcı and Borut Macuh

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13141; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713141 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1226

Abstract

This paper presents the design of geosynthetic reinforced flexible pavements and their modification by incorporating waste materials into bonded and unbonded layers of the pavement structure. The optimal design of flexible pavements was achieved by minimizing the construction cost of the pavement. The [...] Read more.

This paper presents the design of geosynthetic reinforced flexible pavements and their modification by incorporating waste materials into bonded and unbonded layers of the pavement structure. The optimal design of flexible pavements was achieved by minimizing the construction cost of the pavement. The incorporation of waste materials into the pavement structure affects the material properties. Therefore, along with the traffic load, the effects of the material properties of the asphalt concrete, base layer, sub-base layer, and subgrade were analyzed in terms of pavement structure costs and CO₂ emissions of materials used in pavement construction. In addition, a comparison was made between pavements with and without geosynthetic reinforcement in terms of design, optimum construction cost, and CO₂ emissions. The use of geosynthetics is even more effective in pavement structures that contain waste materials in an unbound layer, both in terms of cost and CO₂ emissions. The minimum value of the California Bearing Ratio of the subgrade was determined at which the use of geosynthetic reinforcement for pavement structure with and without the inclusion of waste materials is economically and sustainably justified. The use of geosynthetics could result in a 15% reduction in pavement structure cost and a 9% reduction in CO₂ emissions due to the reduced thickness of unbound layers. In addition, reducing the CBR of the unbound layer from 100% to 30% due to the inclusion of waste materials implies a cost increase of up to 13%. While the present study is based on an empirical pavement design method in which pavement thickness is limited by the pavement thickness index, the same minimum thicknesses are obtained in the optimization process regardless of whether the objective function is the minimum construction cost or minimum CO₂ emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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19 pages, 4657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Design of Circular Reinforced Concrete Column Sections via Multi-Objective Optimization

by Primož Jelušič and Tomaž Žula

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11689; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511689 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1323

Abstract

An optimization model for reinforced concrete circular columns based on the Eurocodes is presented. With the developed optimization model, which takes into account the exact distribution of the steel reinforcement, which is not the case when designing with conventional column design charts, an [...] Read more.

An optimization model for reinforced concrete circular columns based on the Eurocodes is presented. With the developed optimization model, which takes into account the exact distribution of the steel reinforcement, which is not the case when designing with conventional column design charts, an optimal design for the reinforced concrete cross section is determined. The optimization model uses discrete variables, which makes the results more suitable for actual construction practice and fully exploits the structural capacity of the structure. A parametric study of the applied axial load and bending moment was performed for material cost and CO₂ emissions. The results based on a single objective function show that the optimal design of the reinforced concrete column cross section obtained for the material cost objective function contains a larger cross-sectional area of concrete and a smaller area of steel compared with the optimization results when CO₂ emissions are determined as the objective function. However, the optimal solution in the case where the material cost was assigned as the objective function has much more reserve in axial load capacity than in the optimal design where CO₂ was chosen as the objective function. In addition, the multi-objective optimization was performed to find a set of solutions that provide the best trade-offs between the material cost and CO₂ emission objectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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21 pages, 9020 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Dimensions of Post-Tensioned Concrete Cylindrical Walls Using Harmony Search and Ensemble Learning with SHAP

by Gebrail Bekdaş, Celal Cakiroglu, Sanghun Kim and Zong Woo Geem

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7890; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107890 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1255

Abstract

The optimal design of prestressed concrete cylindrical walls is greatly beneficial for economic and environmental impact. However, the lack of the available big enough datasets for the training of robust machine learning models is one of the factors that prevents wide adoption of [...] Read more.

The optimal design of prestressed concrete cylindrical walls is greatly beneficial for economic and environmental impact. However, the lack of the available big enough datasets for the training of robust machine learning models is one of the factors that prevents wide adoption of machine learning techniques in structural design. The current study demonstrates the application of the well-established harmony search methodology to create a large database of optimal design configurations. The unit costs of concrete and steel used in the construction, the specific weight of the stored fluid, and the height of the cylindrical wall are the input variables whereas the optimum thicknesses of the wall with and without post-tensioning are the output variables. Based on this database, some of the most efficient ensemble learning techniques like the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Categorical Gradient Boosting (CatBoost) and Random Forest algorithms have been trained. An R² score greater than 0.98 could be achieved by all of the ensemble learning models. Furthermore, the impacts of different input features on the predictions of different machine learning models have been analyzed using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) methodology. The height of the cylindrical wall was found to have the greatest impact on the optimal wall thickness, followed by the specific weight of the stored fluid. Also, with the help of individual conditional expectation (ICE) plots the variations of predictive model outputs with respect to each input feature have been visualized. By using the genetic programming methodology, predictive equations have been obtained for the optimal wall thickness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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18 pages, 5034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Analysis of the Racking Behaviour of Multi-Storey Timber-Framed Buildings Considering Load-Bearing Function of Double-Skin Façade Elements

by Miroslav Premrov and Erika Kozem Šilih

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6379; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086379 - 07 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1254

Abstract

The paper presents an innovative approach in the modelling of multi-storey timber-framed buildings, where double-skin façade elements (DSF) are additionally considered as load-bearing wall elements against a horizontal load impact. The mathematical model with a fictive diagonal element developed for timber-framed wall elements [...] Read more.

The paper presents an innovative approach in the modelling of multi-storey timber-framed buildings, where double-skin façade elements (DSF) are additionally considered as load-bearing wall elements against a horizontal load impact. The mathematical model with a fictive diagonal element developed for timber-framed wall elements with classical oriented strand boards (OSB) or fibre–plaster sheathing boards (FPB) is upgraded for DSF elements. The diameter of the fictive diagonal is determined with either experimental results or numerically obtained results using the time-consuming FEM model with elastic spring elements, which simulates the bonding line between the timber frame and both glazing panes. In the second part of the study, the numerical analysis of a specially selected three-storey timber-framed building was performed using the developed mathematical model with fictive diagonal elements. Two alternative calculations were performed with the DSF elements as non-resisting and racking-resisting wall elements. It was demonstrated on the selected case that the racking resistance (R) of a building can essentially increase up to 35% if DSF elements are considered as resisting wall elements. As a secondary goal of the study, it is also important to point out that by using DSF elements as racking-resisting elements, the distortion in the first floor essentially decreased. It is demonstrated on the selected numerical example that this torsional influence decreased notably (by almost 18%) when the load-bearing DSF elements were used for seismic excitation in the X direction. Therefore, such an approach can open new perspectives in designing multi-storey timber-framed buildings with a more attractive and dynamic floor plan and structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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19 pages, 883 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flat Roofs Renovation Planning on Public Buildings Using Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Analysis

by Katarina Rogulj, Nikša Jajac and Katja Batinić

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6280; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076280 - 06 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1300

Abstract

Renovation of flat roofs typically involves repairing or replacing the existing roof to improve its performance and extend its lifespan. The renovation process may include a range of tasks depending on the condition of the roof, such as repairing leaks, replacing damaged or [...] Read more.

Renovation of flat roofs typically involves repairing or replacing the existing roof to improve its performance and extend its lifespan. The renovation process may include a range of tasks depending on the condition of the roof, such as repairing leaks, replacing damaged or deteriorated materials, adding insulation, or upgrading drainage systems. This research aim was to establish the priority of renovation of flat roofs of the public building based on the principles of multi-criteria analysis and fuzzy set theory, using the multi-criteria method PROMETHEE II in fuzzy logic form (F-PROMETHEE II). The proposed approach is adequate due to its ability to transform the uncertain and vague information received from an expert into a fuzzy number. This way, the objective outcome can be obtained, the criteria conflict removed and the alternatives ranking and mutual comparison enabled. It was necessary to analyze the existing literature, the flat roofs of a public building in terms of their current condition, and define the main goals and criteria for the roof renovation project. Based on the defined goals and criteria, the roofs are evaluated and ranked according to the priority for renovation. The planning process of renovation of flat roofs was carried out specifically on the building of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy in Split. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Construction through Utilization of Optimization Tools and Experimental Methods)

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