Search Results (29)

Existing research has primarily focused on investigating barriers in developed countries, emphasising economic, technical, and governmental factors which impede the diffusion of green building practices. However, developing regions, including the Middle East, often must be represented in green building research. Understanding these region-specific barriers is important for developing tailored solutions. In addition, existing identified green building barriers have primarily been obtained from the industry sector, while perspectives from other stakeholders, such as academia, have less attention. Hence, this study compares the perspectives of academic and industry professionals regarding the possible barriers which may impede the adoption of green buildings, with a particular focus on cultural, educational, and social factors. A mixed-method approach was employed, including a large-scale survey (n = 1112) with 54% of the participants being from the industrial sector and 46% being from the academic sector, as well as 17 semi-structured interviews to triangulate the data obtained from the survey. The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia as a representative case of the Middle East. Participants reported 23 barriers, which were themed into six groups: economic, technical, governmental, market demand, educational, and cultural barriers. Notably, seven of these barriers were reported for the first time in this study, including a lack of integrating green building concepts into university curricula, cultural preferences for traditional construction practices, resistance to change, prioritisation of economic factors over environmental and social considerations, a limited number of completed green building projects, delays in the permit and approval processes, and a lack of leadership and coordination. The statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the industry and academic perspectives (p < 0.05, d = 0.61) regarding the barriers to adopting green buildings, with academics over-reporting the educational, cultural, and technical barriers compared with the industry sector. Based on the identified barriers, five strategies were suggested which could help promote the widespread adoption and long-term sustainability of green buildings in the Middle East. Full article

Ecuador has significant solar potential, and the growing demand calls for sustainable energy solutions. Photovoltaic (PV) microgeneration in buildings is an ideal alternative. Identifying barriers to the widespread adoption of this technology is based on expert consultation and multi-criteria analysis, followed by proposals to overcome these challenges. The methodology of this study includes a systematic literature review (SLR), surveys of industry professionals, and statistical analysis of the collected data. The results highlight barriers such as the high initial cost, government-subsidized tariffs, bureaucratic processes and permits, ineffective regulations, limited awareness, lack of financing, distribution and operational network challenges, and insufficient government incentives. The proposed solutions suggest developing incentive policies to promote investment in PV microgeneration, training programs to enhance technical and cultural knowledge of solar energy, simplifying regulatory processes to facilitate project implementation, and providing accessible financing to reduce economic barriers. Additionally, the recommendations include the implementation of demonstration and outreach projects to showcase the feasibility and benefits of PV microgeneration, thus improving the social and technical acceptance of these systems. These actions aim to foster a faster and more effective energy transition in Ecuador. Full article

After an earthquake, legislation tends to permit the rapid demolition of damaged buildings, including the built heritage, for safety reasons, as was the case for many small historic centers after the 2016 earthquake in central Italy. A balance should, of course, be struck between safety and preservation. There must be a willingness to engage in continuous interaction with the various bodies involved in post-earthquake management, particularly in the preventive phase of the complex activities regarding the issues of the seismic vulnerability of historic built. The widespread historical built heritage in Italy requires fast and reliable assessment procedures that allow a large-scale evaluation of the vulnerability of historical buildings before a seismic event. To this end, a proposal is presented here for the inverse use of the protocol for the seismic vulnerability survey of historic centers by means of a system called CARTIS form, coordinated since 2015 by the Italian consortium of Seismic and Structural Engineering Laboratories (ReLUIS). This rapid assessment is compared with an equally fast method for constructing fragility curves, based only on the information available in the ReLUIS–CARTIS database, defining the relationship between the probability of reaching a level of loss of structural safety or a vulnerability index as a function of the seismic acceleration PGA and the ground orography. The methodology outlined could be considered to be progress in cultural heritage diagnostics on a large scale, considering cultural heritage to be the diffuse historical residential masonry buildings that form the historic centers. Full article

This article aims to determine the causes of the delays in South African construction project planning, discussing the centralised hierarchical planning system factors, multiple agencies/spheres of government regarding building-permit approval factors, and systems and spheres of government/multiple agencies for improving preconstruction project planning in South Africa. It also describes a one-stop centre as a framework for improving South African preconstruction planning. The nature of planning in South Africa is influenced by many legislative measures. The delays being experienced in the educational infrastructure project have attributed to the backlogs currently existing in the delivery of basic education infrastructure. This study was conducted using a quantitative research design technique to assess the secondary data findings through primary data gathered on about 106 construction industry operatives. The primary data collected from the 106 construction operatives focused on architects, engineers, surveyors, and contractors. The researchers conducted a pilot survey with experts/professionals before an industry-wide survey as a questionnaire pretest. The finalised questionnaire was used as a data-gathering technique in the quantitative study approach. A focus group discussion was held to validate the findings. The collected information was then subjected to quantitative analysis in SPSS Version: 29.0.2.0 to verify the veracity of the research. According to the findings, a one-stop centre would enhance systems and sectors of government/multiple agencies and prevent preconstruction project-planning delays in South Africa. A centralised hierarchical planning system is essential for reducing preconstruction-planning delays and multiple agencies/sectors of the government delaying building-permit approvals. The critical research contribution is in that expanding on what is already known about preconstruction project planning in South Africa, this study shows how crucial it is to identify and understand the factors that influence preconstruction project planning in that country. The limitation, however, is that, regarding South Africa, the available literature indicates that there is a problem with systems responsible for approving construction projects. In conclusion, by proposing a structure known as the one-stop centre (OSC) to address the issues that lead to delays in preconstruction project planning in South Africa, this study offers a significant contribution. Full article

Among smart construction technologies, 3D laser scanning technology is used in a variety of applications, including progress measurement, quantity management, reverse engineering (RE), health monitoring, mechanical electronic plumbing (MEP), and so on, using point clouds data (PCD) in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field. This technology is one of the important data acquisition technologies in construction status to perform active project management through the complete and accurate three-dimensional and visual judgment of building acts. The surveying work for setting out a building is the first step in constructing a building; the location of the building must match the design plan for a building to be sustainable. This is because, if a location deviation exceeds the permitted range, the building must be demolished and rebuilt. When this happens, sustainable construction management is impossible due to delays in the construction schedule, increased construction costs, waste generation, and so on. The purpose of this study is to investigate a case where the accuracy of setting out a building was measured in the construction stage of a building and the building layout design was modified by RE. Although the foundation construction of the case building was in progress, it was confirmed that the setting out of the building measured using a 3D laser scanner did not match with the building layout plan. Therefore, there was no legal problem even if the layout plan is modified according to the measured results, so the building layout plan was modified through RE. Consequently, it was confirmed that a case building under construction became sustainable through RE, and that sustainable construction management was possible by preventing construction schedule delays, increased construction costs, and waste generation. Full article

Cloud computing offers more advantages to clients and associations regarding capital uses and working cost investment funds. This study gives an ontological model of the cloud fabricating space to help with the data trade between the cloud-producing assets. The ideas of the proposed model depend on a writing survey of models of the cloud and models of assembling. In the research article, the problem addressed is how cloud brokers are providing cloud services in an efficient way to cloud users. It is the main prologue to an ontology-based, process-situated, and specialist framework that is autonomous of a society that permits most associations to utilize it. The rising number of cloud providers, the nonappearance of interoperability, and the heterogeneity in current open cloud stages lead to the requirement for creative frameworks to track down the foremost fitting cloud resource plan as successfully and mechanized as may be anticipated. In this paper, we depicted the building arrangement of a cloud organization made of two agreeable modules. The Cloud Agency’s objective is to naturally secure assets from suppliers on the premise of SLA evaluation rules and find the foremost reasonable cloud supplier that fulfills users’ prerequisites, and the Semantic Motor’s objective is to make a rationalist depiction of assets based on users’ benefit prerequisites and a brokering framework. Full article

The main objective of urban land management is to support efficient land use and supply tracking techniques. The various decision-making stages of the planning process should allow urban land management affected by development projects to participate. In the towns of Gelan and Lega Tafo Lega Dadi, this study attempted to assess the difficulties in the practice of urban land use planning from a governance perspective. To find the gap in land use planning descriptive data analysis was used. Both qualitative and quantitative research techniques were employed. Data were collected using surveys, interviews, focus groups and secondary sources. Descriptive analysis was then used to examine the results. The research showed that citizens’ preferences or existing urban land rights were not taken into account throughout the process of infrastructure construction and urban growth. In addition, urban land expropriation occurred without sufficient consultation and agreement with affected parties. Urban land valuations and property compensation did not represent market values. Urban zoning and law also have not kept pace with urban growth, to control urban sprawl, protect cultural monuments and heritage regions and prevent the spread of informal settlements in metropolitan areas. The general conversion of the land use planning did not exist before the demand from the municipal actors. Last, but not least, the process of obtaining a building permit was lengthy and expensive, and in places of informal tenure, there was no viable concept of protecting urban tenure. Full article

Construction of buildings with wooden frames higher than two stories has been permitted in Sweden since 1994. As construction of multi-story buildings with wooden frames is relatively new, people in the construction industry are more likely to construct these buildings with concrete frames. The current research evaluates the factors influencing the choice of wooden frames for construction of multi-story buildings in Sweden. The purpose of this study is to explain which advantages and disadvantages construction companies in Sweden consider with wooden construction and to highlight the factors for why multi-story buildings are built with wood to a lesser extent than with other materials. The main goal is to investigate what factors or assumptions construction companies base their decisions on, and whether experience and competence in wooden frames for construction of multi-story buildings are considered in short supply in Sweden today. The chosen method for this research is a descriptive survey study with a qualitative and quantitative approach. The survey is based on respondents from five leading building companies in Sweden with regard to the companies’ revenue. The respondents had either previous experience in constructing multi-story buildings with wooden frames, experienced respondents (ERs), or no experience, unexperienced respondents (UERs). 63% of the respondents were ERs, while 37% of them were UERs. It is resulted that the respondents think there is a lack of competence and experience in wooden frames for construction of multi-story buildings in Sweden. Factors that have the greatest impact on decisions to construct with wooden frames are positive environmental and climatic aspects as well as production advantages. Factors that are considered as major obstacles to construct with wooden frames are cost, acoustics, and moisture problems. Full article

Parametric design, algorithmic modeling, generative design, and associative design are only some of the keywords of a work paradigm that is becoming more and more popular, designed to respond to the complexities of contemporary architecture. Most commonly, such an approach is used for new buildings, but when algorithmic design meets heritage building information modeling (HBIM), the process can take on an even greater centrality—flexibility and control go hand-in-hand, ensuring precious tools for the planning of restoration interventions and management projects. This contribution, oriented to expand the use of these strategies to heritage, deals with the theme of parametric modeling of masonry vaults, a structural–architectural feature that in many forms and combinations characterizes most historic buildings. In particular, the connection of BIM software with algorithmic modeling software can allow the ‘translation’ of complex geometric shapes into elements with full Level of Detail elements (LOD 500) while preserving, at the same time, the algorithmic editing functions. In this paper, it is illustrated as this approach permits the finetuning of the vaults’ details, from time to time, based on different survey strategies (e.g., direct measurements, experimental tests, laser scanners, etc.). In other words, using this new connection in real time, architects can design restoration interventions tied to shapes, geometries, and masonry peculiarities that would otherwise be impossible to manage. An updatable virtualization of the actual state of a heritage building thus becomes affordable for the wider public (LOD G). There is also a valuable benefit for the heritage stakeholders in terms of protection of the architectural value and conscious planning in the restoration practice, especially in the museum field. Full article

This article reflects upon how LGBTQIA+ Christians and their allies within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor denominations ‘called the question’ on their right to and responsibility for membership, ordination, and marriage by simultaneously (1) practicing apologetic ‘ministries of presence’ and (2) grounding their ecclesio-juridical arguments in the church’s long-standing polity principles. It is commonly argued that advocates for full inclusion pushed the church to change historic norms, while ‘conservative’ voices called for the maintenance of time-honored principles. In an effort to problematize such reductionistic accounts, this article begins by sketching the historical trajectory of U.S. Presbyterian theology and polity, with special emphasis on the Adopting Act of 1729 and the tradition that proceeds from it. Building upon its survey of the debates that shaped the church’s history between the early eighteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, the text then shows how LGBTQIA+ Presbyterians and their allies acted within the traditional discursive patterns of their faith community when they advocated for the repeal of the exclusive policies that arose in the second half of the twentieth century. Inspired by the work of advocates and allies alike, when the PC(USA) and its predecessor denominations articulated an inclusive stance toward openly LGBTQIA+ members in 1978/1979, removed barriers to their ordination in 2011, permitted same-sex marriages within Presbyterian communities in 2015, and opened the church to receiving new theological insights from queer people via the adapted version of the ‘Apology Overture’ in 2016, the church’s collective discernment drew on historic Presbyterian principles of theology and governance to respond (often imperfectly) to contemporary challenges. The church’s multi-generational self-critique thus created a space in which queer Christians could ‘re-de-normalize’ their experiences of life and faith in ways that may open doors for post-apologetic reconstructive theological engagement in the years to come. Full article

Blockchain technology (BCT) can enable distributed collaboration, enhance data sharing, and automate back-end processes for digital twin (DT) decentralized applications (dApps) in the construction industry (CI) 4.0. The aim of this paper was to propose a software architecture and to develop a framework of smart contracts for blockchain-based digital twin (BCDT) dApps throughout the lifecycle of projects in CI 4.0. This paper leveraged the existing literature and action research interviews to identify and validate the critical industry problems, functional requirements (FRs), and non-functional requirements (NFRs) to be addressed by BCDT dApps in CI 4.0. Basic use cases were developed to design a framework of smart contracts for BCDT dApps throughout the lifecycle of projects. The analysis of an online survey was used to identify the key requirements and enablers to propose a software architecture for BCDT applications and to validate the requirements for developing the framework of a smart contract for BCDTs. The findings were: (1) The identification of key problems in CI 4.0 for each BIM/BCDT dimension (3D, 4D, 5D, 6D, 7D, 8D, and contractual (cD)) and the related FRs and NFRs for BCDT applications. Additionally, key use cases were designed to address the problems identified. (2) The proposed BCDT architecture permitted us to narrow gaps in the literature on blockchain-based decentralized digital twins. Moreover, the proposed BCDT architecture and smart-contract framework addressed the main requirements in the literature on BCDTs. (3) The study leveraged the non-fungible token (NFT) standard to develop a framework for smart contracts that addressed the key use cases and the related industry problems and functional requirements that were identified. The study also considered the contractual dimension (cD) as an overarching dimension in relation to the other BCDT dimensions. (4) We also compared the costs of several public blockchains for executing the proposed smart-contract framework throughout the lifecycle of a medium-sized building project. The cost analysis permitted the development of criteria to evaluate the suitability of blockchain networks for BCDT applications in CI 4.0 depending on the principal blockchain networks’ properties (security, decentralization, scalability, and interoperability). Finally, this study resulted in a novel framework that included software architecture, smart-contract use cases, and selection criteria among blockchain networks for BCDT dApps in CI 4.0. Full article

In recent years, Bucharest’s residential dynamics have thrived, fueled by growing demand and an insufficient housing fund. This study aimed to analyze the residential satisfaction of those living in newly built dwellings. Its objectives were to identify the characteristics of three new residential areas and analyze the satisfaction level among residents regarding both their dwellings and neighborhoods. The investigation employed direct observations during the fieldwork phase (through observation sheets and mapping methods) and surveys (through questionnaires with residents and interviews with developers). Its results highlighted spaces that exhibit an increase in residential constructions, with a tendency to expand toward suburban areas, without necessarily meeting legislative requirements. When measuring the population’s residential satisfaction level, the study observed a general satisfaction regarding dwellings’ modernity and price but noticeable differences within the sample residential nuclei. The solutions proposed by residents mainly target authorities, who were held responsible for developing the urban infrastructure prior to granting building permits, as well as for vetting developers better and requiring them to respect the legislation. Hence, scientists, local authorities, real-estate developers and the local population represent the beneficiaries of the current study’s results. Full article

The paper presents a view on the possibilities of using big data in traffic planning and traffic engineering, which are used in the urban and spatial planning of cities. The question is whether the method of this design activity—especially in feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, or documentation for land-use decisions—can be part of Building Information Modelling (BIM). The result of this engineering activity could at the same time be linked to the documentation for building permits, where a number of professional civil engineers are already making full use of the BIM management system. The problem of traffic engineering and traffic planning is related to the need for extensive data, which are usually not available and, if they are, are from different database sources. Very often, however, engineers have to carry these tasks out with traffic surveys. Most often, these data are from transport centres, or from spatial databases of Geographical Information System (GIS) of cities or regions. In addition, in developed cities, detailed data from specialised strategic materials are available from municipal databases at various levels, in addition to the land-use plan that is the guarantor of the city’s development. Based on empirical experience from the creation of the new city centre of Bratislava, the authors present, from more than six years of engineering activity, what different data traffic engineers and planners need, which can be processed and unified to be part of the management system in the future and, thus, assist in the development of linear construction using BIM tools. Full article

The article presents a method of non-invasive diagnostics of a historic wooden church, built in the 18th century. Over the hundreds of years of its use, changes in the geometry of the structure have been observed. This article presents the requirements of so-called architectural and geodetic survey and the method of using terrestrial laser scanning to create a three-dimensional solid model of an object. The diagnostic tests performed made it possible to perform analysis based on a so-called point cloud, which is a virtual representation of a real object. In order to determine the basic parameters of the building, the area and volume of all rooms were determined. It was found that the object exhibited deformations that cannot be explained solely as a result of imperfections during climb and normal wear and tear during operation. Therefore, the changes in shape were assessed in detail by means of an assessment of the verticality of the pillars supporting two levels of the church, the verticality of the walls, and the inconsistency of the floors, as well as the shape and horizontality of the roof edge. Additional InSAR and FEM tests of the object’s location on the ground allowed identification of the cause of the object deformation as the influence of inhomogeneous groundwater relations under the building. Without prophylactic measures, this deformation phenomenon can be expected to worsen. The tests described should therefore be considered as essential in subsequent diagnostic cycles and permit future extended numerical FEM analysis. Full article

The present study provides a simplified framework verifying the degree of coverage and completeness of settlement maps derived from the OpenStreetMap (OSM) database at the national scale, with a possible use in official statistics. Measuring the completeness of the objects (i.e., buildings) derived from OpenStreetMap database supports its potential use in building/population censuses and other diachronic surveys, as well as administrative sources such as the register of building permits and land-use cadasters. A series of measurements at different scales are proposed and tested for Italy, in line with earlier studies. While recognizing the potential of the OpenStreetMap database for official statistics, the present work underlines the urgent need of an additional (spatially explicit) analysis overcoming the data heterogeneity and sub-optimal coverage of the OSM information source. Full article