Civil Engineering Commons^™

Digital Construction Annual Survey 2022 Report, Davitt Lamon, Ted Mckenna

Reports

The Annual Survey 2022 was conducted to assess the state of digital transformation in the Irish construction and built environment sector. This report presents the analysis of survey data, with a focus on implications for the Build Digital project and Build Digital’s five pillars: Digital Leadership & Cultural Change, Digital Standards, Digital Education & Training, Digital Procurement, and Sustainability & Circular Economy. Key findings from the survey indicated that a significant number of organisations have started their digital transformation journey, with many identifying themselves as proactive and possessing a clear business-focused strategy. However, a considerable cohort of respondents are keen …

Information Management And Bim Standards And Supports Inventory, Ryan Dempsey, Barry Mcauley, David Burke

Tools

The Digital Standards pillar consists of industry experts who champion the benefits of common rules, guidelines, and workflows that facilitate the improvement of information flow and information management across asset life cycles. Digital standards provide a common language that can be translated to technical specifications enabling clients, designers, contractors, and facilities managers, irrespective of their preferred tools, to communicate efficiently and reduce cost, rework, and disputes. Working closely with the Digital Procurement and Digital Education and Training pillars, this pillar is developing and delivering Irish Information Management/BIM (Digital Construction) guidelines for the sector.

This report summarises existing digital construction standards, …

International Information Management And Bim Best Practice Report, Ted Mckenna, Davitt Lamon

Reports

In order to inform the Digital Leadership and Cultural Change pillar of the Build Digital, a study of international best practice in digital adoption within the built environment sector globally was undertaken and is presented here-in. In order to identify key learnings for Ireland in the context of digital transformation, eight countries were included in this study, namely, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. These countries were selected for various reasons, including the level of digital maturity, the scale of the built environment sector and geographic spread. Key data for each country is included …

Sustainability And Circular Economy Horizon Scan And Needs Analysis, Sadaf Dalirazar, Mark Kelly, Derek Sinnott, James O'Donnell

Reports

The construction industry plays a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis as it is the largest global consumer of raw materials and contributes significantly to global energy consumption and emissions. Considering the world’s continuous population growth and the imperative to address infrastructure and housing demands the construction sector needs to adopt further sustainable strategies in its activities to reduce the pressure on natural resources. In addition, the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector is responsible for generating substantial amount of waste known as Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW), which is projected to increase due to the future construction developments. …

An Investigation Into Ireland’S Bim Skills Gap, Guadalupe Centanni, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The adoption of digital skills within the Irish AEC Sector has the potential to enhance efficiency and competitiveness among its stakeholders. Despite this opportunity, there is still a high demand for skilled BIM professionals, which cannot be currently met. To meet this skills demand and directly target future skills gaps within Ireland, several challenges must be addressed to facilitate broader BIM adoption. This paper focuses on addressing this gap by identifying steps to be followed to develop skilled professionals within BIM. This has been achieved by investigating the extent to which construction stakeholders in Ireland comprehend BIM and, examiningthe training …

Accelerating Bim Adoption In Ireland: A Ten-Year Review Of Cita Bim Gathering Proceedings, Alan Hore, Roger West, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

Digital construction interfaces have been studied extensively over the last few decades, with an ever-grow- ing catalogue of publications. The CitA BIM Gathering conferences have played a key role in bringing together the research and industry communities ina collaborative setting over the past decade in Ireland. In this paper the authors systematically review 10 years of papers published in the BIM Gathering pro- ceedings since the inaugural conference in 2013. A total of 175 papers involving over 200 authors have been reviewed and classified under the 2018 World Economic Forum (WEF) recommendations in respect to ac- celerating BIM adoption. The …

Industry Colloquium Report, Robert Moore

Reports

In the ever-evolving landscape of the construction industry, digital transformation has emerged as a pivotal force reshaping the way projects are conceived, executed, and delivered. This transformation, fuelled by cutting-edge technology and innovative practices, holds the promise of greater efficiency, sustainability, and collaboration within the construction sector.

This report offers a comprehensive summary of the Build Digital Project colloquium. It provides actionable insights and recommendations for clients, supply chain partners, and for prioritisation within the Build Digital Project pillars. As the industry partners seek to build a more efficient, sustainable, and collaborative construction sector, understanding and harnessing the invaluable insights …

Skills Matter – Up-Skilling Across Construction Stakeholders For Emerging Roles, Avril Behan, Paul Mccormack, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

The EU’s Climate Target Plan To 2030 (European Union 2020b) of achieving at least 55% reduction in Green House Gas emissions from 1990 levels, delivering towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050, requires systems-level change in the way we design, construct, and operate our built assets. Funding initiatives, such as co-ordinated by BUILD UP Skills, aim to deliver upskilling to the market but targets set by the European Skills Agenda may not be reached at current achievement levels. This paper presents the results of one completed and the progress of one ongoing Horizon 2020 funded project, BIMcert and ARISE, respectively. Learning …

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 …

How Can Visual Programing Be Used To Aid The Development Of A Structural Scheme Design Process Utilising Geometric Data Within An Architectural Revit Model?, Ed Carthy, Kieran Lakhera O'Shea

Reports

The early-stage structural scheme design of a building is a complex task requiring the collection of multiple information categories such as geometry, loading and materials. The collection and review of this information is traditionally conducted in a 2D environment. This is inefficient, time-consuming, and tedious. This paper provides a review of how structural engineers’ understanding and implementation of BIM has evolved significantly in recent years, validated by extant literature in areas such as BIM automation, visual programming, and structural optimisation in the structural engineering sector. Structural engineers are growing more aware that BIM provides a vast repository of data to …

Virtual Industry Visits, Cian Farrell

Articles

Cian Farrell of Technological University Dublin describes a virtual educational approach trialled during the Covid-19 pandemic to engage students during a period of remote learning and educate them on industry processes and practices. Virtual industry visits saw students receive online briefings and tours of manufacturing plants and construction sites from industry representatives to complement their taught modules. The virtual visits have continued since Covid restrictions eased as part of a hybrid approach to learning that increases student exposure to real-life projects. The initiative won the Institution of Structural Engineers Excellence in Structural Engineering Education Award in 2022.

Guest Editorial: Building Performance And Sustainable Infrastructure: Unsustainable Return To Practice, Christopher Gorse, Colin Booth, Lloyd Scott

Articles

The abrupt decline in global carbon emissions experienced during the pandemic was not sustainable. Overwhelmingly, this is evidenced by the advanced economies’ swift return to close to pre-pandemic levels and, of greater concern, the total global use of fossil fuels has rebounded to their highest level in history (IEA, 2021; Jackson et al., 2022). Unfortunately, post-pandemic, the anthropic life threating activities have resumed.

Hdd Dataset: Optimising Retrofitted Insulation For Irish Residential Building Walls, Rakshit D. Muddu, Aimee Byrne, Anthony James Robinson

Datasets

In this study, a thermal-economic analysis was conducted to determine the optimum insulation thickness of retrofitted insulation walls in different regions in Ireland. This was based on the Heating Degree Day method (HDD). This dataset contains optimum insulation thickness, payback period, cost savings and carbon emission for all 25 counties in the Republic of Ireland

Survey Data: Optimising Retrofitted Insulation For Irish Residential Building Walls, Rakshit D. Muddu, Aimee Byrne, Anthony Robinson Dr.

Datasets

A survey was conducted to determine the preferred set point temperature and heating pattern among Irish households. The survey was sent to 237 people living across Ireland, out of which 32 respondents skipped the survey and 9 surveys were found to be incomplete. Amongst the counties in Ireland 71.1% respondents were from Dublin, 6.34% from Kildare, 5% from Meath, 5% from Wicklow and in all the remaining counties response rate was below 2%. Part 1: This section of the survey recorded information regarding characteristics of the building such as house type, wall type, insulation type, period the house was built. …

Thermoelectric Properties Of Cement Composite Analogues From First Principles Calculations, Esther Orisakwe, Conrad S.N. Johnston, Ruchita Jani, Xiaolo Liu, Lorenzo Stella, Jorge Kohanoff's, Niall Holmes Dr., Brian Norton, Ming Qu, Hongxi Yin, Kazuaki Yazawa

Articles

Buildings are responsible for a considerable fraction of the energy wasted globally every year, and as a result, excess carbon emissions. While heat is lost directly in colder months and climates, resulting in increased heating loads, in hot climates cooling and ventilation is required. One avenue towards improving the energy efficiency of buildings is to integrate thermoelectric devices and materials within the fabric of the building to exploit the temperature gradient between the inside and outside to do useful work. Cement-based materials are ubiquitous in modern buildings and present an interesting opportunity to be functionalized. We present a systematic investigation …

Comparing The Measured And Thermodynamically Predicted Afm Phases In A Hydrating Cement, Niall Holmes Dr., Mark Russell, Geoff Davis, Mark Tyrer

Articles

In hydrating Portland cements, more than one of the AFm family of calcium aluminates may exist. Depending on the amount of carbonate and sulfate present in the cement, the most common phase to precipitate is monosulfate, monocarbonate and/or hemicarbonate. It has been reported in the literature that hemicarbonate often appears in measurements such as XRD but not predicted to form/equilibrate in thermodynamic models. With the ongoing use of commercial cements such as CEM I and CEM II containing more and more limestone, it is important to understand which hydrate solids physically precipitate and numerically predict over time. Using 27 cement …

Employing Discrete Solid Phases To Represent C-S-H Solid Solutions In The Cemdata07 Thermodynamic Database To Model Cement Hydration Using The Phreeqc Geochemical Software, Niall Holmes Dr., Mark Tyrer, Denis Kelliher

Articles

This paper presents a cement hydration model over time using the cemdata07 thermodynamic database and a series of derived discrete solid phases (DSPs) to represent calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) as a binary solid solution with two end-members. C-S-H in cement is amorphous and poorly crystalline with a range of molar Ca/Si ratios from 0.6 to 1.7. It displays strongly incongruent dissolution behaviour, where the release of calcium into solution is several orders of magnitude greater than silicon. It is, therefore, important that any cement hydration model provides a credible account of this behaviour. C-S-H has been described in the cemdata07 …

Modelling The Hydrating Behaviour Of Fly-Ash In Blended Cements Using Thermodynamics, Nikki Shaji, Niall Holmes Dr., Mark Tyrer

Conference papers

This paper presents a new method to thermodynamically model the hydration behaviour of fly-ash (FA) blended cements by deriving individual phase descriptions depending on the proportion of FA in the blended cement. The predicted hydrated phase assemblage, pore solution chemistries and pH over 1,000 days of hydration and with increasing FA proportions are presented. The thermodynamic data for the FA phases are derived using oxide proportions and mineral compositions are copied directly into the PHREEQC input file. The FA phases take account of all minerals to give a more accurate description of its behaviour during hydration. The calcium aluminosilicate hydrate …

Review Of Fly-Ash As A Supplementary Cementitious Material, Nikki Shaji, Niall Holmes Dr., Mark Tyrer

Conference papers

This paper presents a review of fly-ash as a Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) in concrete in terms of its effects on hydration and durability. The climate change agenda has focused the cement and concrete industry on using low embodied CO2 materials and much effort has been made on incorporating industrial by-products into cement as SCMs. With worldwide cement production (circa 4 billion tonnes) currently accounting for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions and 7% of industry energy use, the use of suitable SCMs to partially replace cement in concrete is extremely important. However, while coal-fired power stations are in the …

Optimising Existing Digital Workflow For Structural Engineering Organisations Through The Partnering Of Bim And Lean Processes, John Mclaughlin, Barry Mcauley

Conference Papers

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is now seen as one of the leading transformative processes within the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector and has the potential to assist in streamlining the structural design process. However, its practical implementation can often add another layer to the existing workflow and can result, to its detriment, in the primary objective of optimising structural workflows being hindered. This can lead to structural organisations producing 3D models in tandem with traditional drawings, a lack of human intervention regarding software interoperability, and a reluctance to move away from conventional work methods. This paper will explore how …

Deriving Discrete Solid Phases From Csh-3t And Cshq End-Members To Model Cement Hydration In Phreeqc, Niall Holmes Dr., Colin Walker, Mark Tyrer, Denis Kelliher

Conference papers

This paper presents a cement hydration model over time using the CEMDATA thermodynamic database and a series of discrete solid phases (DSP) to represent calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) as a ternary (CSH-3T) and quaternary (CSHQ) solid solution. C-S-H in cement is amorphous and poorly crystalline with a range of molar Ca/Si ratios = 0.6-1.7 and displays strongly incongruent dissolution behaviour where the release of calcium into solution is several orders of magnitude greater than silicon. It is therefore important that any cement hydration model provides a credible account of this behaviour. C-S-H has been described in the CEMDATA thermodynamic database …

Modelling The Thermoelectric Properties Of Cement-Based Materials Using Finite Element Method And Effective Medium Theory, Lorenzo Stella, Conrad Johnston, Javier Troncoso, Piotr Chudzinski, Esther Orisakwee, Jorge Kohanoff, Ruchita Jani, Niall Holmes Dr., Brian Norton, Xiaoli Liu, Ming Qu, Hongxi Yin, Kazuaki Yazawa

Conference papers

Because of the thermoelectric (TE) effect (or Seebeck effect), a difference of potential is generated as a consequence of a temperature gradient across a sample. The TE effect has been mostly studied and engineered in semiconducting materials and it already finds several commercial applications. Only recently the TE effect in cement-based materials has been demonstrated and there is a growing interest in its potential. For instance, a temperature gradient across the external walls of a building can be used to generate electricity. By the inverse of the TE effect (or Peltier effect), one can also seek to control the indoor …

Correlations Between Dynamic Probe Blow Count And Undrained Shear Strength For Peat At A Well-Characterised Raised Bog In Ireland, David Mchugh, Ciaran Reilly, Juan Pablo Osorio

Articles

Peat deposits are generally heterogeneous, with large variations over small areas. Peat has an extremely high water content, high compressibility and low shear strength. This presents a major issue in studying the geomechanical behavior of peat. For this study, field and laboratory tests were conducted to establish the undrained shear strength (s_u) of peat at a cutover industrial peatland in Ireland which had been extensively characterized in the past. The new field work included TRL-type Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, Mackintosh probe and field vane shear tests. A correlation was developed between the Mackintosh probe “M-value” blow count and the …

Critical Evaluation Of Time And Cost Of Terrestrial Laser Scanning For Construction Automated Qa Analysis, Joao Rocha, Davitt Lamon

Capstone Reports

Many governments agencies and private owners are demanding up-to-date information related to the current conditions of their facilities. Conventional QA is time-consuming and inefficient; thus, 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology has been adopted due to the fast speed and high accuracy in acquiring data. Automated QA analysis can reduce the labour and time needed, reduce the costs, and improve the overall project efficiency. However, very few research efforts have been made to study the benefits of the automated QA analysis in a quantitative way. The process of the TLS-based geometric QA based in an automated data analysis process is …

Performance Modeling And Analysis Of A Thermoelectric Building Envelope For Space Heating, Xiaoli Liu, Ming Qu, Kazuaki Yazawa, Jorge Kohanoff, Piotr Chudzinski, Lorenzo Stella, Brian Norton, Niall Holmes Dr., Ruchita Jani, Hongxi Yin

Conference papers

To provide energy-efficient space heating and cooling, a thermoelectric building envelope (TBE) embeds thermoelectric devices in building walls. The thermoelectric device in the building envelope can provide active heating and cooling without requiring refrigerant use and energy transport among subsystems. Thus, the TBE system is energy and environmentally friendly. A few studies experimentally investigated the TBE under limited operating conditions, and only simplified models for the commercial thermoelectric module (TEM) were developed to quantify its performance. A holistic approach to optimum system performance is needed for the optimal system design and operation. The study developed a holistic TBE-building system model …

Characterization And Performance Enhancement Of Cement-Based Thermoelectric Materials, Ruchita Jani, Niall Holmes Dr., Roger West, Kevin Gaughan, Xiaoli Liu, Ming Qu, Esther Orisakwee, Lorenzo Stella, Jorge Kohanoff, Hongxi Yin, Bartlomiej Wojciechowski

Articles

Thermoelectric materials enable the direct conversion of thermal to electrical energy. One application of this is ambient heat energy harvesting where relatively stable temperature gradients existing between the inside and outside of a building could be utilized to produce electricity. Buildings can thus change from energy consumers to energy generators. This could ultimately help reduce the surface temperatures and energy consumption of buildings, especially in urban areas. In this paper, research work carried out on developing and characterizing a cement-based thermoelectric material is presented. Cement-based samples are doped with different metal oxides (Bi2O3 and Fe2O3) to enhance their thermoelectric properties, …

A Review Of Current Construction Guidelines To Inform The Design Of Rammed Earth Houses In Seismically Active Zones, David Thompson, Charles Augarde, Juan Pablo Osorio

Articles

Sustainability in the materials we use for construction is a prime concern, focusing on reducing the embodied energy and carbon footprints of the materials used. The cement used in concrete products is responsible for a significant proportion of Man's CO2 emissions and its production requires substantial energy input, as do fired clay products. For this reason, products formed from unfired earthen materials are of increasing interest and the current challenges include devising means of robust design for strength and to address durability concerns. One form of earthen construction that employs an in-situ method is rammed earth, and it is a …

A Systematic Literature Review Exploring The Barriers To Innovative Modular Construction Methods For The International Hyper-Scale Data Centre Sector, Peter E. Lonergan, A.Omar Portillo-Dominguez

Other

Data centres form the essential global infrastructure relied upon for multiple industries such as the internet, financial services, and telecommunications. Consequently, data centre construction has developed into a buoyant business sector, leveraging increasing global investment. However, traditional means of data centre procurement do not match stakeholder’s ambitions or current delivery demands. Thus, there is a need for the adoption of new and innovative construction methodologies in the sector to introduce improvements for the delivery of this essential infrastructure. As a step in that direction, this paper presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that investigates the barriers preventing the implementation of …

Geological Origin As An Input Variable In Reliability-Based Designs: For An Accurate Exploration In Geotechnical Engineering, Juan Camilo Viviescas, Juan Pablo Osorio

Conference papers

Soil is one of the most difficult materials to characterize realistically, which partly explains the uncertainty between the designs and the geostructures real behavior. Different recommendations have arisen with respect to carrying out field investigations in order to reduce the uncertainties inherent to the soil. However, the field exploration and the implementation of sophisticated geotechnical models have proven to be insufficient to mitigate the geotechnical uncertainty. Therefore, Reliability-Based Designs (RBD) emerge as a decision-making tool through the definition of the probability of failure in conjunction with the typical Factors of Safety. RBD requires a previous understanding of the most appropriate …

Development Of A New Electro-Osmotic Consolidation Apparatus, Yenni Mariana Ramírez-Mazo, Juan Pablo Osorio, Sergio Agudelo

Conference papers

Electro-osmotic consolidation is a ground improvement technique in which a DC voltage is applied to the soil via electrodes, in order to drain the water contained in the pores increasing the effective stress, and thus improving the geotechnical properties of the soil. The technique increases the shear strength, reduces the compressibility, and changes the chemical composition of the saturated soft clayey and silty soils to which it can be applied. Electro-osmotic consolidation has been successfully applied in different projects worldwide. This paper presents the development of a new electro-osmotic consolidation apparatus built at Universidad de Antioquia. Tests were carried on …