Construction Engineering Commons^™

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.

Energy Efficient Integrated Mems Neural Network For Simultaneous Sensing And Computing, Hamed Nikfarjam, Mohammad Megdadi, Mohammad Okour, Siavash Pourkamali, F. M. Alsaleem

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Biological systems seamlessly combine multiple functions in lightweight and energy-efficient structures. Such capability in synthetic structures would be desirable in numerous engineering applications such as aerospace, robotics and wearable devices. Here we report an integrated silicon-based structure configured to sense, perform different classification algorithms, and produce an action signal within the same physical layer. The algorithms are coded in the mechanical responses of the sensing elements of multiple coupled micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), simultaneously capturing acceleration measurements to produce an actuated signal. This all-in-one structure operates with zero circuitry and low power consumption. As a demonstration, we designed and fabricated a …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Skip The Grid: Providing Power And Light To The Navajo Nation, Esai Contreras

Construction Management

Skip the Grid was created as an initiative to power communities that are in need. This project was made possible through a collaborative effort from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students, industry partners SOLV Energy and Goal Zero, and facilitated through the educational non-profit organization Heart of America (HOA). The goal of this project was to help families of school age children in the Navajo Nation by providing solar energy systems including a battery and lighting. We hoped to achieve a long-lasting effect on the families by installing necessities for families with school-aged children. For the …

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 …

Construction Of High-Bay Lab Reaction Frame Foundations, David R. Bowen, Henry E. Miller, Blaize Twisselman

Construction Management

This paper details the construction process of two concrete modular foundations designed to meet specific design standards for various testing methods. The project, positioned within the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) High Bay Lab, will provide the Architectural Engineering (ARCE) and Construction Management (CM) departments with valuable insight into industry structural elements. The project required extensive forethought and thoroughness due to the complex designs, including 200 all-thread coupler attachments and a cumbersome rebar cage. This paper outlines the primary phases of construction, including material procurement and quality control, and discusses how the final product was obtained. …

Employment, Remuneration And Workplace Report 2023, Roisin Murphy Dr

Reports

This report follows the previously published “Employment Opportunities and Future Skills Requirements for Surveying Professionals, 2018-2021” in which a significant shortage of property, land and construction professionals was projected. The current research has been undertaken against a backdrop of economic uncertainty due largely to Brexit, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine.

The Irish economy rebounded well following the Covid-19 pandemic with low unemployment, moderate economic growth and solid Exchequer balances forecast in the medium term. On the downside, price inflation, fueled by soaring energy costs, have resulted in interest rates rising for the first time in over a decade which …

A Framework To Predict Variability Characteristics In Building Load Profiles, Sam Moayedi, Andrew Parker, Kevin James, Xiaoyue Cheng, Michael Hempel, Hamid Sharif, Mahmoud A. Alahmad

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The expansion of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) has provided building operators and researchers detailed information on building energy consumption. The majority of AMI systems, however, record data at relatively low resolutions of 15, 30, or 60 minutes, due to cost, storage and bandwidth limitations. Emerging applications in power flow analysis, Quasi-Static Time-Series Simulation (QSTS), smart grid integration and load matching, however, require data at higher resolutions. Short-term energy demand can deviate significantly from long-term averages, with an unknown magnitude and frequency when only low-resolution load profile data is available. This paper presents a novel data-driven approach to predict characteristics of …