Architecture Commons^™

Exploring The Necessity Of Technology In Architectural Design: Moving Beyond Showcasing, Ertunc Hunkar

All Theses

Advancements in technology, particularly computational design tools, have transformed the field of architectural design. However, it is crucial to evaluate the impact of technology on the core principles of problem-solving and the design process within architecture. This study aims to examine the consequences and opportunities associated with the integration of technology in architectural design, focusing on the necessity of maintaining a strong problem-solving foundation. Architectural problem-solving involves spatial organization, functional requirements, contextual integration, and user experience. These principles guide architects in addressing design challenges and achieving successful outcomes. The design process comprises stages such as research, analysis, concept development, and …

Building Services Engineering July/August 2023

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Seismic Architecture: Exploring The Synergy Of Mortise-And-Tenon Joinery And Modern Timber Construction For Reducing Embodied Carbon, Cong Li

Masters Theses

Abstract

This design thesis explores the potential of combining ancient Mortise-and-Tenon joinery techniques with modern timber construction to create sustainable seismic architecture that simultaneously reduces embodied carbon. By studying the enduring qualities of Mortise-and-Tenon structures and their ability to withstand earthquakes, this research uncovers a synergistic relationship between traditional joinery methods and contemporary building materials, unlocking significant opportunities for embodied carbon reduction ranging from 7 to 40% compared to other modern architecture construction.

The research reveals that Mortise-and-Tenon structures commonly incorporate large roof systems, acting as mass dampers that provide flexibility and distribute weight evenly to columns. By transferring the …

Wast3d Potential, Andrew Larsen

Masters Theses

Waste is obsolete. Standard building industry practices are harmful to the environment. Non-traditional construction methods were examined as alternatives. Circular design logic was the guiding principle in material choice. Additive manufacturing is a proven modern method for building construction. Research on 3D printing case studies revealed that recycled plastic is a proven material and readily available. Removing plastic waste from the environment and sequestering it in architectural components gives the material a new purpose. The component of focus was a building block for a wall assembly. Inspiration was taken from the hexagonal Basalt rock formations found near volcanic fault lines. …

The Center For Centering Dome, Olek Piechaczek, Ryan M. Scharf

Architectural Engineering

The Center for Centering seeks to create a large-scale healing center, conducive to individual centering of the mind and body. This mobile installation provides a relaxing, enclosed space while still maintaining a connection to the outdoors. The clients liked the idea of having a pop-up installation that could be easily set up as a touring display. With a deadline for installation looming in June 2022, a team of students had five months to design and manufacture the structure.

In winter 2022, the students developed custom geometry to minimize the number of individual parts and built a ¼ scale model of …

Incentivizing Electric Vehicle Adoption Through State And Federal Policies: Reviewing Influential Policies, Joshua Sabata, Subhaditya Shom, Ahmad Almaghrebi, Anne Mccollister, Mahmoud Alahmad

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

All-electric vehicles (EVs), battery-powered EVs (BEVs), and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVS) are gaining market share and increasing in popularity with the buying public because the battery range (longer) and cost (lower) have reached sweet spots, the charging infrastructure is more robust, and concern with global cli­mate change is high. In 2013, only 100,000 EVs were sold in the United States, but by 2022, approximately 800,000 have been purchased. A similar growth is seen in EV sup­ply equipment (EVSE), i.e., EV charging stations, with 19,742 documented EV charging station locations in the United States in 2013 to 50,054 documented EV charging …

The Viability Of Electrification For Industrial Off-Road Vehicles In Construction, Caden Patrick Stoker

Construction Management

Federal and State legislation has been passed limiting the prospective propulsion options for heavy industrial off-road vehicles that general contractors can operate on the jobsite. The interest behind this research project is the viability of introducing fully electric off-road construction vehicles into the heavy civil construction industry and if the timeline for implementation is realistic or optimistic. As new rules and regulations pertaining to the future emissions requirements of civilian and commercial vehicles effect the country, the construction industry is spending billions in order to develop (and are currently developing) fully electric off-road industrial vehicles (dozers, front loaders, scrappers, dump …

City Farm Slo Educational Pizza Oven, Koby J. Ramage

Construction Management

City Farm SLO is a nonprofit that educates the public about growing food, and they donate the produce to food banks and communities in need. Their mission is to promote healthy living through sustainable agriculture and farm-based education. This senior project is to build them an educational pizza oven for them to use in their classes. With it they will give lessons where they cook pizzas using ingredients that they grow on site. To do this, the builder had to make it lightweight and able to move around the property to different meeting places and outdoor classrooms. It is also …

Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews

Construction Management

Sustainability has fortunately been a recent concern in the construction industry as climate change continues to impose potentially insurmountable threats to the global environment. Although many new methods have been adopted in efforts to lessen the adverse environmental effects of construction-related activities, as a society, we still have much room for growth as the built environment accounts for almost 50% of global emissions. Many changes and standards must be adopted to make these solutions efficiently beneficial. To set industry standards, we must start with the most basic form of construction- residential building. This report covers two attainable framing solutions for …

City Farm Slo Garden For All Accessible Planter Beds, Allison C. Wild

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design, coordination, and construction efforts to build the Accessible Planter Boxes for the City Farm SLO’s Garden for All. The Garden for All was a concept created by the City Farm SLO staff to meet the need for an accessible learning space for students. The full design for the Garden for All also included mobile benches and tables, a shade structure, and decomposed granite pathways that were completed by other students. This project included the construction of 6 raised planter beds of differing heights and designs. Each planter bed was approximately 10 feet long and varied …

Exploring The Potential Of Pavegen’S Kinetic Energy Generating Floor For Sustainable Energy Solutions: A Proposal For Cal Poly Slo, Brandon J. Cuneo

Construction Management

This paper proposes the installation of Pavegen's kinetic energy generating floors at Cal Poly’s campus as a sustainable energy solution. Pavegen has developed a pioneering technology that converts footsteps into clean and renewable energy. The versatility of these floors is demonstrated through successful implementations in various settings, such as transportation hubs and public spaces, generating power from foot traffic. Collaborations with Schneider Electric, installation at Dupont Circle, and integration at Heathrow Airport showcase the potential for sustainable urban infrastructure. This paper outlines research conducted on Pavegen and similar solutions, including communication with company representatives and examining proposed installation locations at …

Optimization Of Plastic Waste Integration In Cement Bricks, Yara Salah El-Din El-Metwally

Architectural Engineering

Implementing plastic waste in construction materials is a sustainable disposal method to overcome plastic pollution. The current study aims to optimize the integration of plastic waste in cement bricks regarding their thermomechanical properties in order to develop an eco‑friendly building material. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high‑density polyethylene (HDPE) partially substituted cement with different ratios (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 20%). The type that achieved better thermomechanical performance further replaced the other brick components; sand and coarse aggregates to determine the optimum replacement scenario and best design mix. Laboratory experiments have been carried out to measure the compressive strength, indirect tensile …

Out-Of-Plane Flexural Behavior Of Insulatedwall Panels Constructed With Large Insulation Thicknesses, Jacob Luebke, Fray F. Pozo-Lora, Salam Al-Rubaye, Marc Maguire

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Insulated concrete sandwich wall panels (ICSWPs) are gaining popularity as energy regulations become stricter worldwide. ICSWPs are now being constructed with thinner wythes and thicker insulation to keep up with the changing market, which is reducing material costs and increasing thermal and structural efficiency. However, there is a need for adequate experimental testing to validate the current design methods for these new panels. This research aims to provide that validation by comparing the predictions of four different methods with experimental data obtained from six large-scale panels. The study found that while current design methods adequately predict the behavior of thin …

Using Bim To Increase The Efficiency Of Energy-Driven Retrofitting Projects, Anne Grego, Shannon Chance, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The building sector is responsible for nearly 40% of global energy consumption. Many existing buildings have poor thermal insulation and low energy performance, hindering sustainability goals. Energy-driven building retrofitting could address this issue and implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) in retrofitting can reduce process time, costs, and waste associated with such undertakings. Yet, there is a lack of research and insufficient guidance for implementing BIM in energy-driven retrofitting. A BIM framework is presented to enhance decision-making processes during retrofitting. The aims of this study were to (1) identify BIM technologies and methodologies that could address existing barriers and improve efficiency …

Simplified Engineering For Architects And Builders, 13th Edition, Sharon Kuska, Patrick Tripeny, James Ambrose

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The twelfth edition of the Work was published by the Publisher under the agreement between the Publisher and Patrick Tripeny dated February 24, 2014 (the “Twelfth Edition”).

The Publisher and the Author wish to work together to achieve the professional standards and success that they each desire from the Work, and agree as follows:

The Dwelling And The Shed: Redefining The Homestead, Ryan Mattox

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The homestead is the frontier of exploration. It is the place that shows people can take care of themselves through self-sufficient means. This place also looks at making a more sustainable population. That is partly due to the individual needing to take care of the environment around themselves so that the environment can provide for them.

My thesis project will look to create a technological and sustainable residential module that can be replicated and modified to create community based on self-sufficiency by means of sustainability. To achieve this goal, my thesis will look at combining the architectural elements of the …

The Neighborhood As An Energy-Generating Community The Case Of El-Banafseg Residential Neighborhood, East Cairo, Amany G. Micheal Prof., Mona Helmy Dr.

Centre for Advanced Materials

Nowadays, energy consumption is a global challenge. This is due to the shortage of several energy sources, and consequently, to their increasing prices. This paper argues that by using an integrative approach for using various energy harvesting techniques, a typical residential neighborhood can be operated as a self-generator of its needed energy, or part of it.

The paper follows a mixed qualitative, experimental, and numerical simulation approaches to examine the practicality of the paper hypothesis. It uses Space syntax modeling theory (a socio-spatial software) to analyze the pedestrian flow to indicate the potential locations of the kinetic energy harvesting Piezoelectric …

Enhancing Station Level Direct-Demand Models With Multi-Scalar Accessibility Indicators, Luis Enrique Ramos-Santiago

Open Access Publishing Fund

Direct-demand models (DDM) are increasingly being used for a diversity of transit research and practice purposes. Yet few station-level DDM studies have explored the use of composite indicators of metropolitan accessibility in predicting demand. After all, provision of access to metropolitan destinations is one of the main goals of rapid-transit systems. Furthermore, to this author’s knowledge no study has explored potential interactions with local-level accessibility indicators that are typically included in station level transit DDMs. This study explores these possibilities and uses Los Angeles multimodal rapid-transit network as a representative case study of a system that operates in a dispersed …

Building Services Engineering May/June 2023

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Law School News: Joyce And Bill Cummings Of Cummings Foundation To Deliver Keynote Address At Rwu Commencement 4-20-2023, Jill Rodrigues

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Reconfigurable Metatiles With Circular Maze-Like Space-Coiling-Based Acoustic Metastructure For Low-To-Mid Frequency Sound Attenuation, Sanjay Kumar, Heow Pueh Lee

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This study presents a compact, lightweight, and reconfigurable acoustic metatile for sound mitigation applications. The metatile prototype is designed based on a circular maze-like acoustic metastructure, which utilizes a space-coiling technique for enhanced acoustic performance in low-to-mid frequencies. The proposed labyrinthine acoustic metadisk structure comprises a central hollow front face sheet and two coiling-up backing cavities. Experimental results show that the metadisk has high absorption peaks of 0.81 and 0.75 at 574 and 1436 Hz, respectively, and exhibits high sound transmission loss (STL) values (≥25 dB) in separate wide frequency bands between 100–580 Hz and 820–1600 Hz. Based on the …

Structural Testing Of Concrete Walls On-Edge With Combined Axial And Out-Of-Plane Loading, Salam Al-Rubaye, Marc Maguire

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Full-scale testing of structural components can be time consuming and difficult. The design of full- scale slender concrete walls is highly influenced and controlled by second-order and out-of-plane bending loads. Previous experiments on out-plane bending of slender walls and insulated walls have been performed with bending in the direction of gravity (with or against). Additionally, most of the research considering out-of-plane bending does not include an axial load and suffers from inaccurate results due to not simulating the actual loading and constraining conditions or safety issues. This testing method was developed expressly for the determination of slender wall behavior in …

Design Of Wythe Connectors For Concentrated Out-Of-Plane Loading Of Insulated Walls, Ammar Al-Maabreh, Fray F. Pozo, Marc Maguire

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Partially composite concrete insulated wall panels must be designed to handle different types of loading, including out-of-plane concentrated loads. Currently, there is a lack of information that describes and helps engineers analyze the mechanics of axial load transfer for insulated wall panels for concentrated out-of-plane loads that may occur from lifting, handling, or floor/roof reactions. Such loading generates axial and shear forces in the wythe connectors, making it important to choose the type and quantity of connectors in the design process. This paper aims to develop a better understanding of out-of-plane point load mechanics on concrete sandwich wall panels. A …

Inter-Wythe Slip Design Criteria For Non-Composite Insulated Walls, Abdelrahman Awawdeh, Fray F. Pozo-Lora, Marc Maguire

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Non-composite insulated wall connector design is governed by ICC-ES AC320. This standard works entirely in the loading domain, asking the engineer to prevent connector failure due to tension and shear loading. In this paper, the authors discuss additional criteria related to thermal loading and out-of-plane wind loading that create displacement demand in the non-composite connectors. Loads suitable for such analyses are not well defined. Loads are assumed and demonstrated herein and shown to cause significant displacement demand on connectors. Limited non-composite wythe connector testing is available, and some results are presented here. A comparison indicates that outright failure of non-composite …

Relationships Between Residence Characteristics And Nursing Home Compare Database Quality Measures, Brian J. Puckett, Erica E. Ryherd, Natalie Manley, Carey S. Ryan

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Objective: This study evaluated relationships between physical characteristics of nursing home residences and quality-of-care measures.

Design: This was a cross-sectional ecologic study. The dependent variables were 5 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare database long-stay quality measures (QMs) during 2019: percentage of residents who displayed depressive symptoms, percentage of residents who were physically restrained, percentage of residents who experienced 1 or more falls resulting in injury, percentage of residents who received antipsychotic medication, and percentage of residents who received anti-anxiety medication. The independent variables were 4 residence characteristics: ownership type, size, occupancy, and region …

Applying 3d Printing Technology In Constructing Sustainable Houses, Maged Youssef, Lena Abbas

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Innovation is advancing at an ever-expanding pace and has been for decades. Regular objects have gotten to be minimal in measure and cheaper to deliver. 3D printing technology (3DP), also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has gaining rapid development in recent years. is a method for turning a computer file into 3D solid objects of any shape or geometry. The creation is accomplished by building up layers of a certain substance until the full item is produced. The 3D printing technologies, comparing to traditional techniques of constructing the buildings, could be considered as environmentally friendly derivative giving almost unlimited possibilities …

Analysis And Design Of Lateral Framing Systems For Multi-Story Steel Buildings, Husam Al Dughaishi, Jawad Al Lawati, Moad Alosta, Shaker Mahmood, Mohamed Faisal Al-Kazee, Nur Izzi Md Yusoff, Abdalrhman Milad

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This study focused on identifying the most appropriate structural system for multi-story buildings and analyzing its response to lateral loads. The study analyzed and compared the different structural systems to determine the most suitable option. The study aims to utilize three lateral framing systems (moment, braced, and diagrid) in order to investigate which system needs the least amount of steel to meet the design requirements. Thus, in order to determine the estimated steel savings of this system as compared to the moment and braced frames, the four-story and eight-story buildings that are 96' × 96' in the plane and utilize …

Close Mapping Of St. Olav’S Pilgrimage Path Through Gudbrandsdal Norway: Probabilities Of A Designed, Land Surveyed Concept Of A Large-Scale Christianised Landscape, Dennis Doxtater

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This exercise in Norway ‘close-maps’ accurate, existing geometries between thirty-two latitude / longitude points of mostly medieval churches and other sites on the major pilgrimage path through Gudbrandsdal to Trondheimsfjord where the martyr St.Olav was venerated. Site data and basic path routes are taken from the Pilegrimsleden website, popular today with religious or recreational tourists. The inclusion of the largest prehistoric monumental mound in Scandinavia as an important early stop on the pilgrimage provides the first clue to the eventual mapping of a large-scale ‘system’ of land surveyed patterns. This symbolic anchor in the south, is connected to likely ancient …

Building Services Engineering March/April 2023

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Building Artificial Reefs From Recycled Construction Materials: A Feasibility Study, Nicholas H. Lew

Construction Management

Naturally occurring reefs are some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems formed by jagged rocks tucked slightly below sea level. In recent years global warming began to pose a major threat to many reef habitats. Most relevant is the increase in surface seawater temperatures that cause coral to bleach, taking away major food sources for larger marine species. Researchers have combated this by deploying artificial reefs in substitution for naturally formed limestone rock formations in order to promote the expansion of coastal habitats. This project specifically aims to utilize construction waste towards the production of artificial reefs, effectively upcycling …