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Earthquakes cause rapid variations of direction, speed and acceleration. Vibrations are generated either by the moves of the tectonic plates, or by the volcanic activity, or by the collapse of the geological layers. The foundation conveys the maintained oscillatory movement and executes free cushioned oscillations. Due to the seismic action, an energy balance is created that contains: the energy induced into the structure, the energy absorbed by the structure and the energy returned to the ground. All these forms of energy constitute the capable energy of the structure. This energy reflects the possibilities of elastic structure deformation but also the elastoplastic deformation capacity. The seismic insulation systems are intended to reduce the impact of earthquakes on buildings by means of special devices. One uses two types of seismic systems: active and passive. The insulation of the propping base of the structure aims at inserting a smaller amount of energy into the superstructure. The protection of the structures exposed to the risk of earthquake is based on the three fundamental operational modes: insulation, connection, dissipation of energy. Connectors. Insulators and seismic dampers. The centrically braced metallic frames provide resilience, rigidity and ductility, being thus ideal for the bracing of the seismic systems.

Educational facilities are expected not only to provide good thermal performance regarding energy efficiency, but also healthy and comfortable indoor conditions. The latter is specifically relevant to the well-being and learning performance of the children or students in such buildings. While the performance of school buildings in central Europe has been subjected to several scientific investigations, the same does not apply to the same extent to educational facilities from CEE (Central and Eastern European) countries. While general economic circumstances in these countries are arguably improving, the state of the public educational facilities remains less than ideal. In this contribution, which is based on a research effort conducted in the framework of a master thesis [1], we illustrate a related case study from Albania. This study focuses on the thermal performance of three school buildings (in different cities and climate zones in Albania) in view of energy demand and indoor thermal comfort. Thereby, both on-site data monitoring and numeric thermal simulation were deployed to assess the performance of these school buildings.

The goal of this paper is to assess two ultra-low-energy family houses from thermo-physical aspects and environmental perspectives. Thermo – physical evaluation, done in two-dimensional PC software Area, has shown results that consent with the newest standards for designing critical details in two ultra-low-energy family houses. Both cases show correctness in design in regards to thermo-physical properties. Both critical spots – corners are well insulated with surface temperatures over 17°C, which indicates low risk of mold occurring. Most of the embodied energy is in roof construction with value of 3084 MJ in house A and 1943 MJ in house B. In terms of indicator of global warming potential, most emissions were calculated in bearing walls of house B (593 kgCO2eq/m2). From the acidification potential, the most emissions were determined in the roof construction B (1.02283 kgSO2eq/m2). It can be stated that financial expenses on groundwork and preparing polystyrene casing for a reinforced concrete slab is significantly higher (family house A) than for foundation insulated from the exterior side with extruded polystyrene (family house B).

Within several research projects and with the aim to optimize structural performance, energy efficiency and ecological characteristics of structural building components the Department of Structural Design and Timber Engineering (ITI) at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) developed several wood-based composite systems, which combine timber products with other conventional building materials and components. As a representative example for these developments, this paper illustrates the results of the joint research project “Wood-based concrete: building construction with composite elements of wood-concrete compounds and timber (WooCon)”. The objective of the research project “WooCon” is to develop a multi-layer wall system composed of wood lightweight concrete (WLC), connected timber sections, textile reinforcement as well as glass layers on the exterior to gain and use advantages of each used material - lightweight, structural, thermal storage and insulation, ecological and economic benefits - to name the most important ones. In order to assess the structural physical properties of wood-based composite wall elements, in a first step measurements of the thermal properties with respect to thermal-insulating properties and thermal storage capacity are carried out. In following step, the results obtained are used further to simulate the thermodynamic and hygrothermal building behavior. The aim of the simulations is to investigate the effect of the wood-based composite wall elements to the annual heating demand as well as to the operative room temperature of a typical south-orientated living space.

Through the investigation of bridges along Shanghai Suzhou Creek, we find a lot of problems. Firstly, Bridge layout is unreasonable. Secondly, mobiles occupy the main traffic volume. Thirdly, slow-traffic and lingering space isn’t comfortable. This study proposes the bridge planning and design idea oriented by slow-traffic and lingering space. Learning from overseas experiences, we put forward the bridge layout suggestions for Suzhou Creek from three aspects. First is to construct the reasonable distance between slow-traffic and lingering bridges. Second is to build the bridge system suitable for fast and slow-traffic. The last is to connect the cross-river attracted sources and bridges. Based on the above, we propose the bridges layout suggestion plan of Suzhou Creek.

This study investigated optimum design methods for frame buildings with focus on minimization of economic costs. The methods discussed are intended to provide sufficient reserves for reliability of load-bearing steel structures. The analyzed mathematical models enable to assess seismic resistance of a structure and implement optimum design methods according to the selected key criterion. The available mathematical models assessing economic efficiency of metalwork reinforcement need further development. The model based on the principle of balanced risk is considered as the most appropriate for the study of structural reliability for industrial buildings. This model allows to assess the expected damage as compared with the initial spending on seismic protection. The focus is on setting and implementation of the task whose limiting condition provides equality between expenditures for reinforcement of damaged steel structures and those for damage prevention activities. Minimum of economic costs for construction or reconstruction of a structure is taken as the optimality criterion. This takes into account accumulation of damages within the standard life cycle and changes in stiffness of materials. Assessment of damage risk is based on the life cycle of a structure, its seismic resistance class and spending on damage repair. The study suggests a number of structural solutions that enable to reduce deformation of steel parts of the frame.

The purpose of this study is to select the appropriate high quality-strong-durable type of glue for bamboo laminated composite to substitute Teak wood as an alternative material for fishing boat construction. Tape Test and Pull Off Test according to ASTM D3359 and ASTM D4541 are applied on substrates of Betung laminated bamboo (Dendrocalamus Asper species) in order to determine the strength level of adhesiveness. Four types of glue are applied to bamboo laminated substrate. Having analyzed the experiment results, it indicates that Epoxy Polyamide has the highest adhesion value comparing to others. The Tape Test grades for Epoxy Polyamide are 5A (no glue peeling) and 5B (0% glue chipped extension) as well as the score of Pull Off Test is 7.92 MPa. In terms of construction cost for building fishing boat 20GT (laminated bamboo) using epoxy polyamide is a half compared to Teak wood material.

A new type of recycled aggregate concrete curb is designed based on the strength comparison between the recycled concrete mixed with crushed brick masonry at an appropriate ratio with the ordinary concrete through a compression strength test. The result shows the compressive strength of this recycled concrete curb is not as good as that of ordinary concrete curb, so reinforcement measures have to be taken. The construction technique of the new designed recycled concrete curb is simple, environment-friendly and permeability, it is recommended for urban and rural roads subject to rainy weather.

Most indoor substations adopt oil-immersed transformers as voltage transformation device. In multiple disadvantage conditions, the flammable gases formed form transformer oil may explode in transformer room. Typical 220kV main transformer room of indoor substation was researched in this paper. An correlation of pressure relief area of the 220kV mail transformer room of indoor substation were presented based on the CFD tool FLACS modeling of the general designing schemes of the State Grid Corporation of China. This research may be used as reference of the pressure relief technology for main transformer rooms of indoor substations.

The considers the concept of competitiveness of a construction company. Provides information aboutthe necessity of calculation of the production potential of the enterprise. Given the formulas to calculate the production capacity of the enterprise. Given the results of the evaluation of the competitiveness of the building enterprise of Open Joint Stock Company "Reinforced concrete structures-1" in city Penza. Presents the results of the evaluation analysis of the factors influencing the productive capacity of the enterprise. Submitted theweight of each factor affecting the production potential of the enterprise. Calculated the value of the production potential Given the state of the stability of technological process, the financial condition and the condition of other factors in the company of Open Joint Stock Company "Reinforced concrete structures-1"showed that the company uses its capacity only at 80% The evaluation of industrial potential of the enterprise developed recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the enterprise Open Joint Stock Company "Reinforced concrete structures-1", city Penza. The recommendation is to use intensive and extensive reserves of the company.

Floor impact sound is one noise in apartment houses that cannot be avoided. Heavyweight impact sound can be evaluated by three indexes: a method using reverse-A curve (Li,Fmax,Aw), A-weighted sound level (LiA,Fmax), and the method of the arithmetic mean of measured frequencies (Li,Favg,Fmax). The present study divided slab thickness in apartments into two groups on the basis of 210 mm thickness. Their correlations with the three indexes were then analyzed. Among the three indexes, a determination coefficient (R2=0.97) between the index using reverse-A curve and dB(A) index was the highest. The analysis result of the correlation between the three indexes and frequencies (63 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz) revealed that a correlation with the 63 Hz was the highest although the result was somewhat different depending on data group and index.

Municipalities in Canada have noted that 59% of their water systems need repair, and the condition of 43% of those systems is apparently intolerable. Hence, large volumes of rehabilitation projects are necessary to improve the performance of Canadian water systems. A reliability (R) and criticality index (CI) are crucial for prioritizing rehabilitation activities and distribute budgets efficiently. “R”is a function of failure rate, while“CI”is a function of economic, operational, social, and environmental factors. The research presented in this paper aimed to develop a performance index (PI) that considered the combination of “R” and “CI” for water networks. Sound techniques were utilized to generate the PImathematical model, such as reliability theory, simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART), and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data on water networks were collected from the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Four sub-networks were selected from the entire network to represent four types of land uses; undeveloped, residential, park, and commercial/industrial. The results showed that the PI value was 0.72, 0.93, 0.87, and 0.76 for these types of land uses, respectively. The developed models and tools are assumed to be beneficial for municipal engineers and managers as well as academics.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the trends of smart city technology, which has attracted attention recently in relation to its urban revival functions along with changes in the industrial structure in deprived urban areas, and to draw implications. With this aim, the trends by country and detailed research field were analyzed in this study through a technology level analysis, and the technology growth stage and network analysis were examined by utilizing research paper information published worldwide. From these results, it was determined that smart city technology is likely to be commercialized because recently it has reached a maturity stage, and relevant research has been conducted actively mainly by China, the USA, and major European countries. Through this trend analysis, useful information is presented in this study for establishing R&D strategies to preoccupy the smart city technology field.

In the field of energy supply for residential and commercial buildings, the optimal operation,system configuration and sizing of generation as well as storage technologies are essential stepsfor cost-efficient investments. In current research, flexibility options for electricity from growing renewableenergies attract attention. One of the considered options is the power-to-gas technology incombination with fuel cells. Linear Programs for optimal system operation exist for example for distributedenergy systems. In this study we propose a Mixed Integer Linear Program of a power-to-gasunit consisting of an electrolyzer, a fuel cell and a hydrogen storage. For the fuel cell a minimum loadand a non-linear efficiency curve is taken into account. The non-linear efficiency curve is approximatedby piecewise linearization. Bilinear products in the modeling of the efficiency curve are beingsubstituted to maintain full power plant sizing and operation functionality. Different fuels, such as naturalgas and hydrogen to be converted in the fuel cell, are implemented as well. As a result, we showthat a detailed model of the non-linear efficiency curve of a fuel cell leads to more accurate results concerningthe system operation. The configuration of system components in the observed energy systemchanges. Especially the battery system experiences a change in sizing and operation. However, solvingtime of the model is increasing dramatically. Our results demonstrate a valuable approach to comparethe results of a Linear Program to a Mixed Integer Linear Program. Hence giving the possibility toevaluate the necessity of detailed over simplified models regarding calculation of cost-effectiveness.

At present, pruning of fruit trees on hills is mainly completed by climbing on trees or ladder, which could cause injury due to poor landform. In order to avoid such kind of risks, it is important to develop a lifting platform for orchards in hilly area. In this paper its structure and working mechanism were introduced. This lifting platform, as a machine, is comprised of power device, elevating mechanism, leveling mechanism, slewing mechanism, supporting mechanism and hydraulic control system, and is driven by a small four-wheel tractor. Its hydraulic system can control hydraulic cylinders to extend and retract so as to lift, lower, rotate or keep platform at horizontal position. By analyzing the machine’s kinematic model, the mode of hydrostatic triangle leveling was determined. In order to simplify the machine’s structure, a cantilever beam was used as a supporting mechanism. After carried out the performance test for the machine, the results show that the machine has the following features: stable working performance, the maximum load up to 150 kg, the lifting height 1.5 m, the rotating speed 1 r/min, the lifting velocity 0.1 m/s, and leveling error in lifting process no more than 2° (no matter on horizontal plane or on slopes). So the machine can be suitable for sloped terrain, and the design requirements are well satisfied.

This paper presents heat transfer and deformation of an insulated decorative panel subject to weather resistance experiments using finite element analysis of ANSYS software. A 3D model is developed following a typical external structure of standard high-rise residential building, then thermal performances of hot-rain cycle, hot-cold cycle, and freeze-thaw cycle experiments are predicted numerically. According to the results of ANSYS analysis, it is found that stress due to temperature change concentrates at external corners between wall and doors and windows. It is suggested that the pasting area of inorganic mortar insulation decorative panel and bonding mortar should be strengthened in order to reduce the influence of temperature stress, and meanwhile, to adapt to the temperature deformation, the width of seam should be wide enough to avoid any sealing failure.

In this paper, evaluation index system of green building energy-saving technology was established on the basis of comprehensive analysis of the factors affecting green building energy-saving technology. This evaluation index system was divided into two levels. Thermal performance of maintenance structure, energy efficiency of building equipment, design management, operation management and indoor comfort and health were one-level evaluation index, and there are eighteen two-level evaluation indexes. Entropy weight method was introduced to determine the weight of evaluation index. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation method was applied to synthetic evaluation. On this basis, a model based on entropy weight method and fuzzy synthetic evaluation method was proposed to evaluate the green building energy-saving technology. An example was given to verify the validity and feasibility of the model. Results show that the model can used to evaluate the green building energy-saving technology, and offers reference on evaluation of green building energy-saving.

The stress and strain of surrounding rock and the development of plastic zone in the process of excavation of large underground cavern group have been the main concern of the design unit. The numerical simulation software is used to analyze the stability of caverns of an underground pumping station. The stress and displacement of the surrounding rock and the development of the plastic zone in the process of excavation are analyzed in detail. The results show that the tensile stress is easily generated in the side wall, and the maximum value can reach 4 M Pa. Correspondingly, the maximum displacement of the side wall part can reach 4 cm. The plastic zone is mainly concentrated in the surrounding rock near the side wall, the thickness can reach about 9 m. In general, the excavation of underground caverns is basically stable.

It is very important for engineering design to study the excavation and support time of underground caverns based on the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). The sensitivity of surrounding rock of underground wall and in-situ stress of field are analyzed by Hoek-Brown strength criterion, which is widely used in geotechnical engineering. The results show: With the increase of burial depth, the magnitude of in-situ stress increases, the safety factor of structure becomes a form of power function, with the increase of GSI, the safety factor is reduced first and then increased by polynomial form change, with the increase of rock mi, the safety factor gradually increased, but the range of change is not obvious, with the increase of the rock disturbance factor D, the safety factor gradually increases. Note that, with the increase of these parameters, and sometimes the safety factor to show an increasing trend, but at this time should pay attention to the deformation of the surrounding rock has been great, the surrounding rock prone to destabilization damage.

Analyze and comparison the favorable conditions of rural buildings using solar energy resources, and summarizes the existing problems during using the solar hot water system in villages and towns of North China, combined with the successfully applied of solar thermal integration technology in Shijiatong demonstration area, the integrated technology on solar energy utilization system with slope roofs which apply to the villages and towns of North China

Compositions with different pipe segments for constructing structural columns were investigated. In this article there is shown a column type composed of five parallel bamboo bars, connected by screws 16 mm and 13 mm in diameter. Compression tests instrumented with displacement transducers are associated with numerical modeling analysis to describe the column load capacity, from the general criteria of dimensioning. The chosen Bamboos are from the species Phyllostachys pubescens due to its favorable characteristics to produce structures and their common use in China, Brazil and other countries of temperate zones. In this proposal, the load capacity is considerably increased and lateral displacements are insignificant compared to the bamboo tested separately. More usual columns 3 and 4 meters long were modeled and presented the load limits of use for these types of structures. Other dimensions of columns can be calculated by the same system, presenting great design opportunities in the construction of the architecture and built spaces. This article shows a great advantage in using columns with bamboo bars compared to other materials used in the architecture, with guarantee and good indexes of security.

Performance-based seismic design is the basis of most new seismic design standards and specifications worldwide. In a performance-based seismic design, a performance objective consists of the specification of a performance level and a corresponding probability that this performance level may be exceeded. This study explored some probability information for seismic performance for reinforced concrete buildings and masonry buildings. The exceeding probabilities of various performance levels for reinforced concrete buildings and masonry buildings during their 50-year useful lives were investigated. Then, a probabilistic evaluation was performed for these buildings to examine the achievement of desired performance design objectives.

Energy consumption awareness and reducing consumption are popular topics. Building energy consumption counts for almost a third of the global energy consumption and most of that is used for building heating and cooling. Building energy simulation tools are currently gaining attention and are used for optimizing the design for new and existing buildings. For O&M phase in existing buildings, the multiannual average weather data used in the simulation tools is not suitable for evaluating the performance of the building. In this study an existing building was modeled in EnergyPlus. Real on-site weather data was used for the dynamic simulation for the heating energy demand with the aim of comparing the measured energy consumption with the simulated one. The aim is to develop an early fault detection tool for building management.

Currently, we are witnessing the significant impact of industrial activity on the environment. A recent study shows that construction is the third largest industry sector in terms of environmental pollution. One option to reduce these negative effects is environmental assessment of buildings, as well as the used building materials. One of the most comprehensive environmental assessment methods is LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), which includes the assessment of impacts within mode ”Cradle-to-gate” which is focused on assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (i.e., before it is transported to the consumer). The aim of this paper is a comparison of the environmental impact of selected material variants applied within modern methods of construction. The comparison will be processed through the results of the case study containing three material variants of family houses construction in term of three selected parameters - embodied energy, global warming potential and acidification potential.

A common source of dissatisfaction in buildings pertains to acoustical issues. Specifically, in existing buildings, exposure to impact noise represents a frequent problem. In Central Europe generally, and in Vienna (Austria) specifically, there is a significant number of existing buildings with floor constructions involving wooden beams as structural elements. Given the steady rise in inhabitants' expectations regarding buildings' acoustical quality, such existing floor constructions do not sufficiently provide the sufficient impact noise insulation. In many instances, the replacement of these floor constructions with concrete slabs is not an option, given a number of structural, financial, and legal (conservation related) obstacles and constraints. The present contribution thus explores the acoustical improvement potential of floor constructions with wooden beams by using modern materials and techniques. Toward this end, a typical 19th century building in Vienna downtown was selected. Multiple improvement options were realized. These involved the deployment of a honey-comb acoustic system, installation of stiffeners bolted to the original wooden beams, as well as an additional structurally decoupled ceiling layer. The impact sound was measured at different stages of retrofit and compared with the performance of the original construction.

The paper is focused on an example of volume solution of a superstructure designed within allowable legislative limits and its impact on light comfort in shaded flats. It deals with issues such as : optimizing allowable amount of external shade in relation to sustainable hygienic quality of residential environment, an impact of superstructure ́s shade on insolation time in affected flats and consequently on passive solar gain intensity of apartment buildings, as well as evaluation of energy efficiency of infill walls in compensating of their heat loss in heating period, depending on the amount of external shading, their orientation, and thermo-insulation quality in all model scenarios - current, legislatively allowable, and optimized. It solves compatibility of optimized shading in terms of hygienic quality in relation to the increased efficiency of solar gains utilization to cover heat loss by heat-exchange shell in contemporary and prospective low-energy buildings.

In the members states of the European Union, portion of buildings in the total consumption of energy represents 40%, and their portion in CO2 emissions fluctuates around 35%. The European Union is trying to protect the environment by reducing energy demand and releasing CO2 emissions into the air. Energy performance is the quantity of energy, which is necessary for heating and domestic hot water production, for cooling and ventilation and for lighting. Based on results of energy performance, individual buildings are classified into energy classes A to G. A global indicator (primary energy) is the decisive factor for final evaluation of the building. The new building must meet minimum requirements for energy performance, i.e. it must be classified to energy class A1 since 2016, and to energy class A0 since 2020. The paper analyses effect of the use of different resources of heat in a family house designed according to requirements valid since 2020, and its subsequent classification into an energy class.

This paper focuses on the analysis of thermal comfort in a flat in the new high residential building. Providing the optimal parameters of thermal comfort in each room of the flat is the basic prerequisite for the satisfaction with housing. Incorrect position and size of heating elements, incorrect positioning of the furniture and incorrect use of residential interiors may significantly disturb the thermal comfort. Residential areas in the new residential buildings are much more intensively used as in the other types of buildings. Surface of new flats is the most optimized. Experimental measurements were carried out in the winter season in 2016 in the residential rooms of the large flat in the new high residential building. Device Testo 480 with temperature and humidity sensor, globe thermometer and turbulence sensor was used for the measurements. Obtained values of air temperature, air relative humidity, air velocity, globe temperature and indexes PMV, PPD are presented in the graphs. Heating system of the flat and the possibility of its regulation, positioning and size of the heating elements in the individual rooms, positioning of the furniture and the utilization of rooms were evaluated on the basis of parameters of thermal comfort. In the conclusion of the paper, there are principles on the architectural design of the residential interiors and their heating in the new residential buildings.

In this paper a conjugated heat and moisture transport investigation of industrial floors is presented. We have analyzed 2D general segments of wall and foundation connections in three different climatic conditions: Budapest (Hungary), Lisbon (Portugal) and Espoo (Finland). We also modeled the component with horizontal or vertical edge insulations with various thicknesses and lengths, and two different soil compositions under the floors. The design of the floor and wall components was performed according to the current standards. We examined 126 combination of the segment and the results shows difference both in relative humidity across the components and heat losses through the internal faces. In conclusion, the simulations and results can improve the energy efficient design of industrial buildings across Europe.

This paper shows the results of a project that investigated the humidity of the air in the ventilation gap of a green façade system. The systems which were investigated are made of aluminium troughs, aluminium modules, or fleece. These systems are mounted on metal rails. The metal rails connect the façade with the plants. This creates a curtain façade that is ventilated by air. The humidity of the air in the gap was investigated, and this paper shows the results of the investigation.

Drying masonry building structures using high-frequency electromagnetic radiation, so-called microwave technology in construction practice is becoming more common. It is an innovative method which can be used to remove excess moisture with significant speed. This article focuses on the description of physical phenomena that occurs during drying and compares the most commonly used processes for drying buildings. This article describes the heating of building materials (basement spaces built from full burnt bricks) using microwave radiation. It assesses the depth of the heating process achieved under different conditions while taking account of various moisture content of irradiated material and varied length of heating.

The overall energy performance of buildings is determined not only based on structural and material solutions of the building. Boundary conditions affect the results of evaluation of the energy performance too. This paper deals with buildings in the Czech Republic. The paper is devoted to the evaluation of energy performance of buildings under changing boundary conditions. This means the change of the intensity of ventilation, changes in the structures’ accumulation and influence of thermal connections.

The provision of comfortable indoor conditions is widely considered as one of the key tasks of architecture. Hereby, different climatic regions require different concepts for the operation of buildings. Achieving thermal comfort in buildings in hot and humid regions without Air-Conditioning can be considered as a challenging task. In this context we present a monitoring study of the indoor conditions in a new prototype building, called the Zero Carbon Resort Demonstration Cottage. This building was designed according to passive cooling principles with the intent to reach a high degree of sustainability and to have little environmental impact. To explore the viability of this concept, we deployed a comprehensive monitoring of the outdoor conditions via a weather station and of the indoor conditions via air temperature and relative humidity sensors. Moreover, short-term monitoring of thermal comfort was conducted. In a first analysis step we compared the results of the indoor monitoring with the corresponding outdoor measurements. In a second step we conducted a standardized thermal comfort study. Thereby we considered the special circumstances of the thermal comfort in naturally ventilated buildings. Results suggest that acceptable indoor conditions can be maintained, if passive cooling methods are applied properly.

At present, seismic load evaluation for design of Indian buildings are carried out using Indian seismic code. In which, building Time period, Response Reduction factor and Importance factor alters design base shear majorly. Currently IS code defines Importance factor differently as “1” for general buildings and “1.5” for public buildings. This factor makes public buildings as heavier sections as it increases design base shear. However there are no evidence that, how this importance factor affects/alters/improves the seismic behavior of buildings. In this present study, four storey RC frames are designed with different importance factors. Pushover analyses are carried out to find its effects on over strength factor and response reduction factor.

Current requirements for the reduction of the noise pollution in inhabited areas are constantly increasing. Acoustic wearing courses represent the real measures how to directly mitigate sources of road traffic noise created by a tire/road contact. Directly reduced noise emissions created by a tire/road contact don't need further mitigation by expensive noise barriers. Noise emissions on two different types of wearing courses of asphalt mixtures (Asphalt concrete for very thin layers and Low-noise stone mastic asphalt) were measured using the specialized device operating on the basis of CPX (Close Proximity method) and compared with the standard mixture of Asphalt concrete. Differences were between 1 dB and 5 dB depending on the wearing course and the vehicle speed. The efficiency of the low-noise asphalt pavements was also compared with the initial costs of the pavements. The economical evaluation confirmed that the initial costs of the acoustic wearing courses are higher than the costs of the standard asphalt concrete mixture. However the noise reduction by 1 dB using the asphalt concrete for very thin layers increases the costs just by 350 USD (considering the same length and width of the road segment), which makes acoustic wearing courses the economically efficient noise reducing measure.

As an economical way of transmitting the loads from structures to the soil or rock layer, pile foundations have been widely applied in construction projects. With an objective of developing a model for selecting the optimum pile installation method for a project, this study investigated three alternative methods that are commonly used in Taiwan. Based on a review of related researches, a generic evaluation framework of a hierarchy comprising 21 factors in four groups is proposed and a model using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to produce the weight of the factors and the ratings of the pile installation methods is presented. The model is illustrated using an example, in which the rankings of the alternative methods from best to worst are precast pre-stressed bored piles (PPBP), cast-in-situ concrete piles (CISP) and precast pre-stressed driven piles (PPDP). Practitioners may use the model as a structured, systematic and effective approach in evaluating and selecting the installation method for a project.

Construct a tunnel is a challenge to nature. It releases stress by drilling and sometimes blasting different rock formation. Once it is constructed, existence of water seepage infiltrated through weakest formation of rock has developed distresses that become one of common problems in underground structure. This paper presents development a web based distress mapping application using visual assessment, non-destructive assessment and utilizing 360° spherical panoramic images to give real visualization experience tunnel and cavern of underground hydroelectric power plan. In developing the application, the virtual tour engine from krpano and scripting language Java Script were utilized. Statistical analysis on the condition of the distress was also discussed. The developed system is used to improve human experience on the assessment processes at location of distresses. By using this system, the assessment can be recorded into the database easily using any smart device with HTML browser capability and assist safety officer, engineers and tunnel owner to decide appropriate mitigation of maintenance and/or repair in order to prolong service life of the tunnel and caver of the hydroelectric power plan.

This paper studies the energy saving on the rural housing of the Jiangnan Region in China, by introducing the coupling analysis of climate response design method and orthogonal test method into the passive optimal design. Six design factors influencing energy consumption of rural buildings in this region are screened, combining with the energy consumption simulation and analysis software. Meanwhile, the analysis on climate-adaptable strategies, influence trend and importance on cooling & heating load of rural buildings imposed by various design factors, as well as the combination mode of design factors achieving the optimal cooling & heating load are obtained in order to play a certain guiding role in construction of rural buildings in this region.

With the implementation of the "One Belt, one Road" national strategy, the western region traffic can develop rapidly. This paper aims to improve the service performance in Inner Mongolia cold and heavy-load asphalt pavement through research. The mix design and performance verification of Zhuozi mountain mixture is the main line, in order to get a good fit to the local situation, and draw the key technical indicators of the design.

Dujiangyan Irrigation Project promotes the sustainable development of economy and society in Chengdu plain, which plays an important ecological role and has great historical, cultural and social values. As an significant infrastructure, Dujiangyan project not only optimizes the river system distribution in Chengdu plain and improves the ecological living environment of Chengdu plain, but also grants Chengdu plain a rich connotation of water cultures, such as scientific concept of water management, advanced water-control techniques and the customs of loving water and protecting water. These are all the ecological wisdom of ancient urban construction. This essay summarizes the ecological and cultural wisdom of Dujiangyan irrigation project, its influences on the development and living environment of Chengdu plain. It not only provides some pretty enlightenment for rationality and moderation of urban infrastructure construction, also is an important reference of sustainable development. At the same time, this paper puts forward the importance of cultural relics in the process of sustainable development, which provides a new idea about the research on the future urban infrastructure.

This paper presents a case study in the city of Hefei, China that exhibits the principles employed by the current practice of transforming and renovating old city districts. The studied is a district around Town God’s Temple, an important heritage building in Hefei.

With the rapid development of urbanization, human requirement of residential buildings becomes higher and higher. Ecological and environmental design are the main theme. This paper mainly introduces the nationality characteristics and ecological design idea of the traditional stilted building projecting in Kaili City, Miao and Dong Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. Stilted buildings are simple and practical, Ecological organic, energetic architecture which deserve to be developed.

A field study of residents’ thermal comfort in a naturally ventilated intermediate single storey terrace house was carried out at Merlimau, Melaka. An intermediate single storey terrace house was chosen as a case study and indoor thermal condition measurements were recorded for three days. The indoor ambient temperature, relative humidity and air speed were measured using on-site monitoring equipment to evaluate the thermal performance of this house. A questionnaire survey was also conducted involving all occupants to determine their thermal comfort perception of the same case study house. The aim of this study is to analyse the indoor thermal condition of an intermediate single storey terrace house in order to propose architectural features to climatically adapt to the local climate. In naturally ventilated condition, results showed that this house is thermally uncomfortable and the indoor thermal condition was between 2.7°C to 5.9°C higher than suggested temperatures stipulated in ASHRAE Standard 55. Consistently, five out of eight occupants or less than 80% of occupants voted the house as thermally acceptable according to ASHRAE Standard 55.

Forecasting and evaluating the safety of mine main ventilator are helpful to prevent mine ventilation safety accidents from happening. First, on the basis of collecting and analyzing a large quantity of fault information of main ventilator in the nationwide coal mine, the index system was established for safety evaluation of coal mine ventilator. Second, the remark set was set up. Then, weights of safety estimation index of mine main ventilator was determined by using Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP). With the experts grading method, single-factor matrix of fuzzy evaluation was established. Last, mathematical model of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation was settled for mine main ventilator based on fuzzy theory and used to evaluate the safety of the coal mine main ventilator. The current safety assessment level of coal mine ventilator is “basically safe” and the result can be used to make decisions.

With our country economy has already came second in the world, urbanization development, but the rapid economic development also brings great hidden trouble, for example, the environmental problems, the population problem, such as water pollution problems. Which is closely related to the construction industry, therefore, make the green building industry, environmental protection and governance environment in China, such as water pollution problem plays an important role. This article is through the introduction to green materials, the classification of the new green building materials to do an overview.

Under the background of increasingly severe climate warming, it is very important to advocate green travel and low carbon tourism behaviors. Taking Xingwen World Geopark as the research object, this paper study on the carbon footprint of tourism activities in terms of traffic, and how to coordinate the contradiction between the environment and traffic construction in tourism development. The results showed that different vehicles have different carbon emissions based on calculation of traffic carbon footprint in Geopark. Finally, through analyzing the influence factors of traffic carbon footprint distance, transport, energy structure and capacity, the paper put forward some suggestions on low carbon tourism development of Geopark.

Currently, there are various research methods for soil macropores in vadose zone of well vegetated slope. They include theoretical and experimental research methods, which are water breakthrough curve and tension infiltrometer, dying and slicing. The emerging and noninvasive technique of CT and NMR technology break through many bottlenecks for soil macropores study that have many advantages such as nondestructive, accuracy, comprehensiveness, quickness compared to traditional methods that have disadvantages of destructive, qualitative and the accurate results , but themselves possess significant shortcomings, for example, operation need professional technology and high expense that restrict the popularize and apply. Combining with many years of research experience of the author in macropore, based on theoretical and experimental methods, this paper introduces the commonly used methods in macropores study and their advantages and disadvantages. In the end, the existing problems were discussed and the future research was put forward.

With the development of social information in the background of big data, this paper gives the practical problems in the construction of network course of "metal materials and heat treatment". The aim of the study established on the basis of the Internet will provide us more comprehensive supports and services, and more friendly practical systems in teaching. Our research will build a public open platform for the cultivation of high-quality talents and the promotion of lifelong learning process. This paper has focused on the theoretical value of the network course construction, construction objectives, the content and advantages of the construction. The results of this paper are helpful to improve the teaching effects of the course of "metal materials and heat treatment" in vocational colleges.

Nowadays, large-span underground structures can only be built at shallow depths or in hard rock since their structural strength is not great enough to bear the overburden pressure of thick overlying soil material. To build large-span structures at greater depths or in a wider range of geotechnical conditions, new technical and technological solutions must be developed. The paper discusses the possibility of using stay cable systems to enhance the load-bearing capacity and service performance of large-span underground structures. To assess the applicability of such stay cable systems for large-span underground construction, a numerical model has been developed and validated. The paper presents the results of the modeling of underground structures (20m to 50m wide) under different pressures and examines how the stress-strain behavior of the load-bearing structural elements depends on the span of the structures, the arrangement and height of pylons, and the number and arrangement of stay cables. It is shown that the use of stay cable systems can significantly improve the load-carrying capacity and performance of both individual structural elements of a large-span underground structure and the structure as a whole. The paper also discusses the possibility of using composite materials for the stay cable systems.

The present paper describes the activities carried out at Chieti-Pescara University after the 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake. The activities are multidisciplinary and have involved both engineers (structural and industrial) and architects (urban planner and specialist in historical buildings). The goal was to obtain a comprehensive approach to old towns reconstruction. This activity is particularly important to minimize the earthquake consequences.Two peculiar aspects of the work are selected among other ones and presented within this paper. The first one is: how reliable are speedy in-situ surveys, in order to evaluate post-earthquake damages and building occupancy? Considering that both people safety and reconstruction funding depend on this judgment, it is important to check the procedure reliability. The second aspect is the analysis of an old urban center, viewed as a system of fragile components. System components are both material (e.g. a particular building) and immaterial (e.g. availability of the road system), and have been selected to maximize inhabitants safety, above all in terms of first aid to injured people and in terms of efficiency of strategic structures and infrastructures. These considerations are being slowly introduced in the Seismic Italian Code.