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This study aims to analyze the collapse mechanism of an Ammu Hawutraditional Indonesian house, which has palm wood (Borassus flabellifer) as its main material, by using Wallstat program and extended distinct element method. Wallstat is a collapse analysis program used to determine a building's damage status and likelihood of collapseduring an earthquake. A total of 10 models were generated for numerical simulation. Among them, 1 represented the original structure, 4 were bracing reinforced models, and 5 were shear-wall reinforced models. These models were observed under the conditions of the ElCentro (1940) and Kobe (1995) earthquakes. Results showed that the models reinforced with diagonal bracings used at the first story of the Ammu Hawu house were significantly more effective in collapse prevention than the shear wall reinforcement at the second story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. The seismic events which affected Central Italy in the last ten years, in the city of L'Aquila 2009 and Amatrice in 2016, had catastrophic consequences, in particular concerning the loss of human lives and buildings in old towns. The use of good masonry was not sufficient and the building materials, in many cases of low quality, did not resist strong shakings, crumbling and causing the sudden collapse of the buildings. The real problem for small villages having an historic importance, like in Abruzzo municipalities, was rebuilding, in particular civil houses with one or two overground floors. The case study treated in my master thesis consisted in designing a low-cost wood house, energetically self-consistent, simple and easily assemblable, for the post-seismic phase. This should be exploitable not only in the emergency phase, i.e. as a temporary solution, but also as definitive solutions, which on one side does not deface the architecture of affected old towns, and on the other side does not bring to the birth of a "new town". This could be accomplished by preserving the external walls of a partially collapsed civil house, tying them with a new internal wood structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring that predicted (simulated) energy performance figures are realized once a building is in-use has been of growing concern since issues surrounding the 'performance gap' were realized in the mid 1990's [1]. Increasing energy demand and a decrease in thermal comfort with an added pressure on fuel poor occupants has questioned why some dwellings are not delivering their design expectations. In accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive 2010/31/EC,EPBD) [2], each EU member state is required to evaluate at design stage the energy performance of buildings. Following these predictions, it is expected that the completed building is constructed to a performance level which ultimately reflects the design model. There is, however, significant evidence to show that buildings are not achieving these aspirational energy requirements which often translates into higher energy bills for the occupant(s). This paper has evaluated the difference in energy demand at the design stage and early-occupation stage of two similar dwellings constructed in Scotland for a large social landlord. The dwellings were constructed side-by-side, built using a similar timber frame system fabricated by the same manufacturing firm. One dwelling was constructed to Passive House (Passivhaus) standards, the other in accordance to conventional 2010 Scottish Building Regulations. Furthermore, this paper presents insitu thermal envelope evaluation results that were measured at post-construction and early occupation stage. The early findings from this research have shown that energy figures obtained through real-time hourly data of space and water heating for the Passive House and the more conventionally designed house during the first year of occupation were 37% and 35% higher in energy consumption, respectively, than the predicted figures. Field test results have provided evidence to suggest that this increased demand is, in-part, due to some deficiencies of the thermal envelope. Other factors that influence the operation of the dwelling, for example building services efficiency, control systems and occupant behavior have also contributed to widening the performance gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of wood in building construction in China dates back millennia. In recent decades with rapid industrialization and shortage of timber, the use of wood as a building material has substantially decreased. Since 2000, though, a certain revival of wooden houses has occurred, especially in the most developed cities. Nevertheless, both the number of wooden houses and the awareness of the potential of using wood in housing remain low. The present study aimed at better understanding the perceptions of Chinese experts on wooden house. The study analyzed the needs and the potential for the construction of wooden houses in China, training and education capacity and requirements, and the implications for sustainable forest management. The semi-structured questionnaire method was chosen to explore the experts’ views on specific issues and more general aspects. The experts perceived a low level of public awareness on the use or purchasing of wooden houses. This and other results and their implications are discussed in consideration of the ambitious national policies, including the pursuit of a low-carbon economy. Knowledge and information dissemination, education dealing with forest resources, wooden construction know-how, and the properties and benefits of wooden housing need to be promoted at different levels to improve the acceptance of wood framed houses in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent historians have unquestioningly supported the hypothesis that balloon-frame construction was invented in Chicago in 1833. In Space, Time, and Architecture, Sigfried Giedion based his argument on a set of circumstances peculiar to Chicago and on the improved production of nails and dimension lumber. However, at the time, Chicago was not a unique town in the Midwest, and the amount and type of materials required for balloon framing, including nails, were not significantly different from those required for timber framing. Documentary evidence suggests that the balloon frame existed elsewhere in 1833 and as early as 1804 in the French settlements along the Mississippi River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zum Titelbild Ein neues Elefantenhaus bereichert nun den Zoo Zürich. Das Gebäude ist ein Holzbau, der sich aufgrund seines netzartig-konstruierten Daches unauffällig in die Umgebung einfügt. Zielstellung, Planung und Umsetzung werden im Beitrag auf Seite 51 beschrieben. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]