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Sustainable construction technologies have recently acquired more attention in the construction industry. However, their adoption has faced different barriers. This study aimed to identify and rank the impediments to sustainable construction technologies in developing countries. A systematic literature review (SLR) method was employed. After screening using inclusion/exclusion criteria, 22 publications were selected for further analysis. Afterwards, ten major impediments were explored with a thematic analysis method. Therefore, the finding of this study reveals that developing countries could enhance the implementation of sustainable technologies and alleviate environmental consequences, boost economic growth, and promote inclusive development by designing and implementing corresponding strategies that could tackle the identified impediments.

The asphalt bridge deck pavement (BDP) is usually constructed on site. The on-site construction quality of asphalt BDP is easily affected by environmental conditions, and the carbon emissions and polluting gas emissions during the construction need to be concerned. The development of prefabricated asphalt BDPs is an available way to mitigate the above problems, but application of prefabricated asphalt BDP has not yet realized due to the limitations of existing materials and construction technology. In this study, the objective is to investigate a feasible construction scheme for the prefabricated asphalt BDP on the concrete box-girder bridge. To achieve this goal, a self-compacting epoxy asphalt concrete (EAC) was developed as the prefabricated asphalt BDP material, and an epoxy asphalt mastic (EAM) was developed as the joint treatment material in the assembly of prefabricated asphalt BDPs. Subsequently, a complete and feasible construction process for the prefabricated asphalt BDP was proposed, and the novel prefabricated bridge deck composite structure of concrete box-girder bridge was designed. The results show that the self-compacting EAC has sufficient fluidity and mechanical properties to meet the construction and performance requirements of prefabricated asphalt BDP. The superior physical and mechanical properties and good cooperative work performance with the origin pavement structure make the EAM an available joint treatment material. The feasible construction scheme of prefabricated asphalt BDP is that the self-compaction EAC is paved on the prefabricated main girder to make prefabrication segments, and then the prefabrication segments are transported to the engineering site and assembled. The prefabricated asphalt BDPs are connected by joint treatment with EAM. Given the height different of prefabricated base layer due to the assembly deviation, a wearing layer is constructed on site to achieve a good surface evenness of BDP.

The commercial performance of a construction company (CC) largely depends on the planned work programme. The annual CC work programme is a set of objects of a specific purpose and structure (a building system). The programme has the following characteristics: first, the number of objects; second, the construction technologies provided for in the projects (fully prefabricated, monolithic, brick, etc.); third, the variation of work scopes among objects; and fourth, the construction technology. These CC work programme features are interrelated, i.e., aligned with each other, forming the technological structure (TS) of the CC work programme. Once these attributes were formalised, four partial indicators were obtained: the first assesses the variation in construction objects’ sizes; the second — their number; the third — the number of applied technologies; and the fourth — the technologies. The importance of these indicators was assessed to combine them into an indicator of the technological structure of the annual CC work programme. Its quantitative assessment has scientific and practical importance, providing an opportunity to analyse its impact on the results of commercial activities, to improve the organisational management structure of the company, etc.

New advanced construction technologies have been gaining traction in the construction industry. Because using advanced technologies and tools ensures more accuracy. It implies that more precise measurements for the foundations, perimeters or corners and more in depth charting of existing structures, all of which contributes greatly to creating and offering buildings of high quality. This research aims to quantify the impact of construction technologies success criteria on customer satisfaction (or real estate developers) among residential real-estate developers. The study employed Kano Quality Model (KQM) to achieve research objective. The research starts by identifying the critical criteria of the construction technologies that have impact on the customer requirements and satisfaction. The gaps and the shortcomings between the customer requirements and the capability of the construction technologies are the opportunities of improvement of the construction technologies in the construction sector. Therefore, this research enables manufactures to evaluate their new construction technologies before lunching it in the market and identifying the shortcomings of their technologies as the opportunities of improvement to enhance its success. Results showed that the criterion “Reducing the need for storage area for materials and equipment on site” has the most impact on the customer satisfaction, but its impact on the customer dissatisfaction is negligible. The criteria “Increasing safety on site”, “Reducing the Cost” and “Reducing time” have the most impact on the customer dissatisfaction. Although, construction technologies are promising, but it is still below expectations and needs development in some areas in order to become a practical and widely accepted strategy.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative technology in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, with increasing application in civil infrastructure projects. This study comprehensively reviews the research landscape of BIM applications in civil infrastructure through bibliometric analysis. Based on data from the Web of Science database, 646 relevant papers published between 2020 and 2024 were collected, and 416 papers were selected for in-depth analysis after screening. Using bibliometric methods, the analysis reveals the evolution of research trends, identifies key contributors and influential publications, and maps the knowledge structure of the field. Our study shows a significant increase in research output over the past five years, particularly in studies focusing on the integration of BIM with emerging technologies such as Digital Twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning. The results indicate that the United States, China, and the United Kingdom lead in terms of research output and citation impact. Additionally, based on clustering results and representative keywords, several key research clusters were identified, including BIM in infrastructure lifecycle management, BIM collaboration in large-scale projects, and BIM for sustainable infrastructure design.

A foundation pit is constructed in the floodplain of Yangtze River, and a deep and thick layer of large-particle pebble gravel exists below the base slab, thus forming a connected supply channel with the adjacent Yangtze River. The large water volume, high water pressure, and strong permeability of this layer bring great risks to the foundation pit construction. In view of the fact that conventional waterproof curtain construction technologies such as the deep mixing column and high-pressure jet grouting column cannot meet the engineering requirements under these kinds of geological and environmental conditions, a new waterproof curtain construction technology that combines the trenching technology of the diaphragm wall with the TRD (Trench cutting Remixing Deep wall) technology is proposed, i.e., the trenching-and-replacing-style TRD technology, as well as the construction process of this technology, is presented. After the waterproof curtain is built using the proposed technology, the strength, integrity, uniformity, and service performance of the waterproof curtain wall are tested and evaluated by the comprehensive methods of coring, borehole television imaging, resistivity CT, and a group well pumping test. The results show that the proposed technology overcomes the adverse effects of underlying large-particle pebble gravel layer, and the waterproof curtain built by it effectively cuts off the hydraulic connection inside and outside the pit. The technical proposal can provide useful references for similar projects.

Purpose. The authors aim to substantiate a new technology for the construction of an escalator tunnel in Ukraine based on the results of field studies performed as part of surveying measurements during the construction of the inclined run of the Dnipro metro. Methodology. The article analyzes the main technology of the escalator tunnel construction, which was based on the development of an inclined working from top to bottom with preliminary preparation of the massif by means of artificial soil freezing. Several cases of application of the bottom-up escalator tunnel construction method using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), which is successfully used in metro of other countries, are considered. The main principle of the method is that a shotcrete system is used as a temporary (primary) support, and a reinforcement system with monolithic concrete is used as a permanent support. Findings. The authors analyzed the peculiarities of the escalator tunnel excavation of the Dnipro metro by the Turkish company «Limak» in 2017–2018. It was noted that the excavation was carried out from the bottom up in conditions of strong rock (plagiogranite) using drilling and blasting operations. The characteristic results of field studies during drilling and blasting operations in the process of developing the calotte are analyzed. On the basis of these data, it is possible to trace the tendency to the appearance of minor overburden during sinking. The value of the deformed state (displacement of the contour of the designed casing) is within the normative limits, which indicates the effective use of these works within the framework of NATM. It is proved that in the conditions of military operations, the technology of building an escalator tunnel from the bottom up is a guarantee of the safety of workers and equipment. Originality. The results of the scientific work presented in the article make it possible to determine the level of deformed state during the excavation of the escalator tunnel of the Dnipro metro in hard rocks. During the field studies, the dependences of deformation of plagiogranite in the inclined bore were obtained. Practical value. An alternative technology for the construction of a bottom-up escalator tunnel based on NATM with the provision of normative deformation of the surrounding rock mass is substantiated.

This systematic review, not financially supported by any funding body, aims to synthesize the current knowledge on the applications, potential benefits, and challenges of 4D printing in civil engineering, with a focus on its role in sustainable solutions. Comprehensive searches were conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using related keywords. Articles that discussed 4D printing within civil engineering and construction contexts, encompassing both conceptual and empirical studies, were included. The findings suggest that 4D printing, with its time-responsive transformation feature, can enhance design freedom, improve structural performance, and increase environmental efficiency in construction. However, challenges persist in material performance, scalability, and cost. Despite these, ongoing advancements signal potential future developments that could widen the opportunities for large-scale applications of 4D printing in civil engineering. The potential use of renewable, bio-based materials could also lead to more sustainable construction practices. This review highlights the transformative potential of 4D printing, underlining the need for further research to fully leverage its capabilities and address current limitations. 4D printing emerges as a promising avenue for sustainable civil engineering solutions, offering a transformative approach that calls for continued exploration and development.

On one hand, anti-slide shaft technology can overcome the problems of blocking the seepage and drainage path in the slope by traditional anti-slide piles. On the other hand, it can reduce the excavation quantities when the vertical drainage and anti slide structures are separately constructed. Besides, it can fully provide the hydration-heat dissipation surface to ensure the overall structure quality. It has been an important technology in modern landslide prevention engineering, and the novel one of geological disaster, hydrogeology and underground engineering in recent years. The anti-slide shaft technology involves hydrodynamic mechanics and solid mechanics, as well as hydrodynamic model, structural model, engineering geological model, etc. Besides, its promoted application is restricted by some problems, such as the lack of mature theoretical system, the relatively complex of this spatial structural combination, and the difficulty of the construction technology. Thus, it is necessary to carry out targeted current status summary research. Based on a large number of relevant documents, patents and practical engineering applications at home and abroad, we summarize the characteristics and classification of anti-slide shaft structure (anti-liquefaction pile, hollow anti-slide shaft, box anti-slide shaft, etc), and find that the anti-slide shaft structure are mostly pile-type or tie-type, forming a 3-D structure system with the combination characteristics of seepage, collection, drainage and anti-slide. This kind of seepage-collection-drainage structures usually include water permeable holes, radiant seepage holes and drainage pipes. The demonstration of typical application examples show that although the anti-slide shafts have the advantage of significant improvement on the stability, there is still a large optimization space from its extensive use and diversification. Thus, the current complex construction process, unclear mechanical properties and drainage characteristics, imperfect stability calculation theory, plane layout optimization method to be improved in anti-slide shaft technology are important scientific issues and research trend, which need to be paid attention in the future. The solutions of these scientific problems are not only beneficial to improving the mechanical and drainage theory, but also beneficial to improving the overall application level of anti-slide shaft technology.

Rapid construction of ripple web (RW) is a new construction technology that can be applied to the prestressed concrete (PC) box girder bridge with corrugated steel webs (CSWs). In order to analyse the mechanical behaviour in the construction process when the RW method is applied, the main bridge of Zhao-Jun Yellow River Super Large Bridge was adapted as the engineering background, and a three-dimensional simulation finite element model was established. Thereafter, detailed mechanical analyses were carried out for CSWs, top concrete and bottom concrete, lining concrete, temporary support and other structures in the construction process when the RW method was used. The results reveal the excellent quality of the mechanical properties of the structure, thus indicating the structure’s safety and reliability. This study can provide a reference for similar research and have a positive impact on the further promotion of the RW method for application in the continuous girder bridge with CSWs.

Introduction. This article addresses the role of engineering surveys in construction, engineering surveys in the Far North, the feasibility of using mobile soil testing laboratories for soil research, the influence and the technology of work performance in the conditions of permafrost soils. Besides, the co-authors address factors influencing the complexity of engineering surveys in the Far North.Materials and methods. The co-authors used the following research methods: the study of relevant regulatory documents related to the field of research, analysis and theoretical generalization of the obtained data, systematization, the analysis of existing Russian and English-language sources.Results. The design of a mobile soil laboratory in a 1SS container was studied. The use of mobile soil testing laboratories, organized in 1SS containers, contributes to the reduction of deadlines for the implementation of the required tests and production control. A mobile modular laboratory in 1SS type containers can be installed anywhere, including remote destinations, while the cost of financial and labour resources, needed to install the laboratory, is low, which positively affects the construction process organization.Conclusions. The article summarizes the efficiency and profitability of a mobile soil laboratory in the Far North in terms of construction process organization. Particular aspects of use of a mobile soil testing laboratory, its expediency in individual cases are addressed, since labour remuneration in the Far North is increased in accordance with the labour legislation of the Russian Federation.

The tendency to identify and achieve identity in architecture is a significant trend in contemporary architecture. The trend of contemporary architectural projects occurred during the 1980s by the architects in Saudi Arabia. During that period, the Saudi institutes drove the transition from traditional to contemporary architecture to express their conservative view and the importance of the local cultural identities in architecture. This study aims to examine this experiment led by the Saudi government to understand how the architects could express their concept of regional identity in their work was expressed. The research examines five components shaping the architectural identity in two aspects. First is the concept of identity in the architects' work and how it was expressed. The second is how the public sees and understands the design product of the architects. According to the theoretical research framework, contemporary architectural works can be understood through five main areas: design concept, shape and form, construction technology, the materials used, and relationship with the surrounding.The case study approach was chosen as a viable tool for gathering the qualitative and quantitative data necessary for this study. Furthermore, the researcher chooses stadiums as a type of building because they challenge the designer to deliver cultural identities in architectural works. Therefore, King Fahd International Stadium (KFIS) in Riyadh and King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (KASCS) in Jeddah were chosen as case studies for this research. These two projects are similar and separated by more than two decades and will be analyzed according to the main parameters. In addition, the degree of correlation between the two groups’ opinions (the designer’s opinion and the experts’ perception of the design) will be elaborated. KFIS is found to be better in architectural identity based on these five different aspects. Various architects are successful in creating structures while integrating modern and local architecture. The traditional materials make it easy to adapt to the region's climatic conditions. In addition, the study recommends that emphasizing harmony with context and environment will increase their success in achieving identity-oriented and context-oriented work.

With the depletion of shallow mineral resources, China’s mineral mining is gradually developing into deep rock mining, which will become an important source of mineral resources in China. The mineral–geothermal co-mining technology can reduce the heat disaster and utilize the geothermal resources simultaneously, thus being a deep mining technology with wide applications in the future. The co-mining of deep mineral and geothermal energies is an important means to ensure the sustainable utilization of deep resources. However, the construction of deep roadways and chambers faces many new challenges and technical issues. High temperature and stress are the two major characteristics of deep rock, causing completely different mechanical characteristics of deep strata to those of ordinary strata. Technical solutions are required to resolve these two problems in the development of mineral–geothermal co-mining. This study analyzed the strategic position and significance of roadway and chamber construction in deep high-temperature strata and introduced the basic theory of roadway and chamber construction technology in a deep high-temperature environment. Current research is insufficient for application in practical engineering; thus, in the future, diagenetic rock characteristics of rocks under high temperatures should be studied, and the stress–strain characteristics of deep strata under multifield coupling should be described. Targeting the problems of heat disaster and surrounding rock stability control in the construction of deep roadways and chambers, this study summarized and introduced the existing techniques and analyzed the shortcomings in the construction of deep roadways and chambers with co-mining. The traditional deep roadway and chamber construction technology does not fully utilize the resources and fails to provide enough safety guarantees. The construction of deep roadways and chambers should understand the obscure fundamental, physical, and mechanical properties of rock under high temperature and stress and deal with the backward control technology of surrounding rock stability. In addition, new technologies and materials should be used to improve the utilization rate of geothermal energy and achieve carbon neutralization. Finally, establishing a technical system for fine geological survey, optimization of surrounding rock cooling and stability control technology, and roadway and chamber risk monitoring is discussed in this paper.

With the continuous development of the construction technology of the main structure of high-rise buildings, traditional construction techniques have been widely used in high-rise building projects. However, these technologies have problems such as low safety, low intelligence, and poor integrity. In order to solve these challenges, the Third Engineering Bureau of China Construction independently developed a new type of construction technology—a high-rise building integrated work construction platform (referred to as a building machine). Building machines has been gradually applied to high-rise building projects due to its intelligence, integration, safety, and other advantages. However, with the increase in the number of high-rise building projects, the traditional way of designing building machine layout programs is inefficient and the design program is complicated to change. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a building machine parametric design and layout and virtual simulation method. This method uses Blender open-source software to model the building machine parametrically and quickly using its visual programming tool Geometry Nodes (GN) and simulates the building machine in the virtual scene through the Unity3D platform. The results show that, compared with the traditional design mode, the method proposed in this paper can quickly complete the scheme design in the design phase of the building machine and display it through the 3D model, which has a better visualization effect, improves the design efficiency, and reduces the design cost, and the Unity simulation platform can also provide the construction personnel with pre-shift education and simulation of the operation of the building machine. This method provides a theoretical basis and guidance for the digital construction of the building machine.

The Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River is a key pillar project for harnessing, developing, and protecting the Yangtze River. It is the world’s largest water conservancy complex as well as a landmark project representing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This section presents the case study of the Three Gorges Project. First, the project highlights and characteristics were summarized. Second, the survey and design, engineering construction, and scientific and technological research and design were presented. Third, the operation benefits of the Three Gorges Water Conservancy Complex were discussed. Finally, engineering pictures are provided.

Building telescope enclosures is vital for setting up any optical observatory. An enclosure was constructed in remote hilly terrain to provide shelter to India’s largest 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT). Primarily, the enclosure was built to protect the telescope from tough weather conditions and provide optimum space for performing various telescope related operational and maintenance activities. Other elements that were considered in the building enclosure were low thermal mass, sustainability, seismic and acoustic considerations. A steel building designed with mostly bolted connections, suitably selected materials, and mechanical systems for facilitating construction activities on site has been built for the telescope at the Devasthal site of ARIES. The enclosure construction was quite a challenging task with various project complexities. Multidisciplinary works of civil, mechanical and electrical systems in enclosure required efforts on various fronts in parallel to achieve the targets. Limitations of resources, manpower, and site conditions were managed to keep flexibility and economics in construction. Numerous challenges faced during the making of enclosures have been discussed in the paper. Insights into the construction of enclosures will provide a basic framework and learning opportunities for managing such typical construction projects in adverse weather conditions at mountainous sites. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-02-05 Full Text: PDF

China’s traditional connecting aisle construction technology is mainly to combine soil reinforcement with mining excavation. The technology is relatively mature, but it has shortcomings such as long construction period and long-term construction settlement. In order to overcome the above shortcomings, mechanical methods for connecting aisle technology has become increasingly mature after years of research and development, and has been successfully applied in many areas. For the cross-sea tunnel project, this technology was first tried and applied in the interval tunnel of Qingdao Metro Line 8. It is challenging to construct the connecting aisle by mechanical method in Bohai mudstone stratum with high water pressure, which has the construction difficulties such as high excavation requirements, high requirements for post-support function and limited space of main tunnel. In this study, a cutter, propulsion system, and back supporting system were designed to handle the key and difficult points and risks of the aforementioned construction. Furthermore, targeted construction schemes were adopted for sleeve sealing, sleeve removal, and improvement of sleeve sealing. The applicability of the improved mechanical construction method to the geological conditions of the Qingdao area was verified through a numerical simulation. The research results can provide a reference for the mechanical construction of connecting aisle under similar formation conditions.

The air-lifting pump has the advantages of low cost, strong reliability, simple structure and convenient maintenance, especially in the fields of deep-sea mining, oilfield mining and mineral mining under complex geological conditions. The construction technology and air intake mode not only play a decisive role in the performance of the air-lifting pump, but also greatly hinder the engineering application of the air-lifting pump. Here, the air-lifting pump is taken as the research object, and the river sand is used as the experimental transport medium. The particle concentration-efficiency model is established based on the mechanical energy conservation theorem. The working performance characteristic parameters of the air-lifting pump under different construction technologies are obtained by a three-axis motion control system. On this basis, the working performance characteristic parameters of the air-lifting pump under different intake modes are obtained by changing the intake mode. The results show that the particle concentration-efficiency model can well describe the efficiency of lifting solid particles by the air-lifting pump. When the sand depth is less than 200 mm, the concentration and efficiency of solid particles transported by the air-lifting pump in the horizontal movement construction are significantly better than those in the fixed position construction. In the same construction technology, the solid particle concentration of the air-lifting pump in uniform intake mode is better than that in non-uniform intake mode, while the transportation efficiency of the air-lifting pump in non-uniform intake mode is better than that in uniform intake mode. The research results of this paper can provide an important theoretical reference value for the air-lifting pump in practical engineering applications.

Due to the complexity of building shape, the diversification of building materials and the nonstandard construction technology, the seepage channel exists in the outer wall envelope of building engineering, which causes the leakage of the outer wall of the building project to become more and more serious. Therefore, the research on the construction of anti leakage of the exterior wall of the building project based on the improved attribute identification model is proposed. On the basis of the attribute recognition theory subsystem, this paper introduces the grey correlation degree method in the grey system to improve the attribute recognition theory subsystem, and uses the improved attribute recognition model to analyze the influencing factors of the leakage of the building envelope. Based on the porous medium model and numerical simulation method, this paper studies the internal flow of the medium in the external wall of construction engineering, and constructs the micro flow numerical model of fracture water. In this paper, the influence of wind pressure, height and local structure on crack flow is analyzed. The results show that the initial velocity of water is related to wind pressure, building height and the local structure of surrounding retaining structure. The water flowing into the fracture is deep at a small speed, and the velocity inside the fracture has nothing to do with the pressure distribution inside the fracture.

This article describes the use of glass-reinforced polyester (GRP) in Preston Bus Station in Lancashire, England, designed by Building Design Partnership (BDP) and completed in 1969. GRP was used both for concrete moulds that play a key role in enabling the construction of the building’s distinctive elevation, and for kiosks, signage and smaller fittings. A survey of articles shows that the use of GRP for concrete moulds enabled innovative and efficient construction and this practice continues to date. Some smaller fittings in GRP which were expected to be durable and maintenance-free have been modified, damaged, or removed, yet, others survive and are in a good condition. The legacy of the car park pay kiosks was to last as a prototype for a prefabricated sectional building system.

With its advantages, prefabricated building has become a new development trend in the construction industry and has been vigorously promoted. However, the construction problems in its construction process have not been effectively solved. Prefabricated components have blind spots in the connection, rebar positioning is difficult to achieve accurate, when hoisting, the position of tower cranes is uncertain, and the sequence of using tower cranes is not clear for each shift and group, the layout is not reasonable, the adverse effect of construction environment is not considered, which affects the transportation and connection of components on roads and other issues. The development of interactive visualization transforms data information into a three-dimensional view with obvious visual effects, enhancing the information exchange between users. Through a large number of literature collection, the existing prefabricated building construction methods are summarized and analyzed, knowing that there are few studies that combine interactive visualization with prefabricated building construction technology. This paper tries to apply interactive visualization technology to the construction process of prefabricated buildings, and organically combine. Building information modeling technology and related technology with construction technology, through the establishment of virtual information model to achieve the purpose of visualization, building parts model information base, to achieve real-time interaction between users and building model information. Combined with the construction site conditions to determine a reasonable and feasible structure form, optimize the construction technical scheme, and then effectively improve the construction quality, achieve visual management of the construction process, promote the construction of assembly building information and digital level.

This paper explores the lifting project of a steel structure corridor in the Haiyue Center, Quanzhou City, with a focus on mechanical response, safety, stability, and construction guidance under wind load conditions. The investigation attends to safety apprehensions stemming from the absence of horizontal constraints within the corridor, rendering it vulnerable to wind-induced loads. Measures are implemented to prevent collisions with nearby buildings during lifting. Stability challenges, including beam displacement and excessive stress, are examined. Anti-deformation trusses and inclined web rods are employed to ensure stability, prevent potential instabilities, and promote uniform deformation. The study also analyzes stress during asynchronous lifting. Through the enforcement of stringent parameters, where asynchronous displacement is confined to a maximum of 25 mm and asynchronous lifting load is limited to 20%, the structural integrity of the corridor is meticulously upheld. This judicious approach serves to not only avert deformation but also to forestall structural impairment. Therefore, the significance of stress distribution and deformation is emphasized when conducting the integral lifting of steel structure corridor between two super-tall buildings under wind load conditions. Simultaneously, relevant construction control measures have been devised, along with offering scientific recommendations for similar cases involving lifting construction processes under the influence of wind.

This paper presents a novel design for uplift piles incorporating a composite-anchor system. The composite-anchor system consists of steel strands, a non-expansion grouting body, and a high-strength steel pile. The aim of this design is to enhance the mechanical performance, durability, and economic efficiency of uplift piles. To evaluate the performance of the new pile, three sets of full-scale load tests were conducted, focusing on their in situ capacity, deformation, and stress characteristics. Despite a significantly lower reinforcement ratio of 0.75% compared to conventional piles with a ratio of 3.84%, the new uplift piles exhibit an exceptional uplift bearing performance. The utilization of the lateral friction resistance of the lower pile body is significantly improved, leading to enhanced load distribution and stress transfer mechanisms. Furthermore, a numerical model was developed and validated against the experimental results, demonstrating its reliability in simulating the bearing characteristics of the new uplift piles. The multi-interface design of the composite-anchor system ensures the efficient transmission of internal forces induced by external uplift loads, resulting in an improved stress state within the pile body. Moreover, the multi-layer structure of the composite main bar enhances the durability of the uplift piles. In comparison to conventional piles, the new uplift pile design offers substantial advantages, including an 80% reduction in reinforcement ratio, a 65% reduction in reinforcement cage welding, a cost reduction of approximately 30%, and a shortened construction time by around 20%. These findings highlight the potential of the new composite-anchor-pile design to revolutionize the field of uplift pile applications, offering improved efficiency and effectiveness.

An effective strategy for sustainable development is to conduct research on vernacular architecture in response to urbanisation as well as environmental and climate change challenges. However, focused discussion has been limited to date due to the diverse range of disciplines involved in vernacular architecture and the unique examples in practice. Scopus, one of the largest literature databases, was used to find and select a total of 1403 documents for this paper. Techniques for both quantitative and qualitative literature analysis were employed using Microsoft Excel (Version 16.75.2) and the visualisation tool VOSviewer (Version 1.6.19). Using bibliometric analysis, more academic publications were reviewed, aiming to analyse the current situation, influence, and future direction of the literature related to vernacular architecture. The current issues have been obtained from the statistical results, and the opportunities and challenges of vernacular architecture in today’s cities are discussed. The twenty most frequently referenced publications, keywords, and correlations between co-occurrences were all examined in this bibliometric analysis, along with annual publishing trends and the most influential nations, institutions, sources, and authors. The analysis showed a rising trend in vernacular architectural publications, with China, Italy, and Spain being the most prolific nations whose institutions have a high academic impact. However, the degree of international author collaboration remains insignificant. Future themes could focus on energy, comfort, earthquake resilience, and sustainability, with cultural heritage and vernacular communities still receiving little research attention. This study is a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of vernacular architecture, as well as an important study of sustainability and resilience, affirming the importance of vernacular architecture in terms of future urban form and drawing on the lessons of history. Also, the proposed research framework could be a strong reference for future researchers looking for inspiration.

ABSTRACT: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful technology with a range of capabilities, which are beginning to become apparent in all industries nowadays. The increased popularity of AI in the construction industry, however, is rather limited in comparison to other industry sectors. Moreover, despite AI being a hot topic in built environment research, there are limited review studies that investigate the reasons for the low-level AI adoption in the construction industry. This study aims to reduce this gap by identifying the adoption challenges of AI, along with the opportunities offered, for the construction industry. To achieve the aim, the study adopts a systematic literature review approach using the PRISMA protocol. In addition, the systematic review of the literature focuses on the planning, design, and construction stages of the construction project lifecycle. The results of the review reveal that (a) AI is particularly beneficial in the planning stage as the success of construction projects depends on accurate events, risks, and cost forecasting; (b) the major opportunity in adopting AI is to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks by using big data analytics and improving the work processes; and (c) the biggest challenge to incorporate AI on a construction site is the fragmented nature of the industry, which has resulted in issues of data acquisition and retention. The findings of the study inform a range of parties that operate in the construction industry concerning the opportunities and challenges of AI adaptability and help increase the market acceptance of AI practices.

Construction stakeholders aim at limiting the impact of the construction sector on the natural environment to assure sustainability. The construction industry forms a significant portion of the Egyptian GDP and employs millions of labor force and consumes most of the country's energy and its primary resources. Egypt faces dual pressure of maintaining economic growth and largely reducing carbon emissions. This study aims at exploring the effect of finance-growth-energy nexus on carbon emissions for Egypt over the 1990–2050 period. By employing the system dynamics approach, the study tries to capture the impact of some investment policies on the consumption of energy, financial development and economic growth in addition to linking them with the carbon emissions of Egypt in a simulation model using Vensim® PLE software. The model provides the policy makers with a simulating tool supporting their decisions. The findings reveal that both construction technology, represented in construction materials and construction machinery, and labor education are main keys of true sustainable development. Several policies are examined to study system behavior and revealed that it is not enough to capture the technology in order to achieve development, and suitable education and training courses should be provided to deliver labor force that can use and improve such technologies. The proposed methodology aids construction in Egypt which is considered a strong indicator of the country's economic strength. The construction industry forms a significant portion of the Egyptian GDP and employs millions of labor force and consumes most of the country's energy and its primary resources. To remain vital, the construction industry is demanding better, safer, energy-efficient and more affordable construction materials and technology.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing applications have emerged as a new production method in the construction industry. The materials that are to be used in 3D production process play an important role for a sustainable built environment. The main objective of this study is to design a suitable mixture to produce 3D printed concrete paving stones. In this respect, a unique 3D printer was also developed. The results show that the setting time of cement-based mortars was shortened by increasing the ratio of the added accelerator admixture. However, the optimum mixture proportions for 3D printed concrete paving stones were not reached. The results of the study are expected to develop a sustainable method of paving stone production.

The construction industry is a fairly capacious consumer of various fuel and energy resources, the period of construction of buildings deserves special attention, which is comparable to the stage of operation in terms of average annual costs. A document containing maximum allowable emissions is mandatory for categories of enterprises, including construction industries, which, in the course of their work, pollute the atmosphere with emissions of various substances: combustion products, exhaust gases, dust, etc. The article assesses atmospheric air pollution with harmful substances from the operation of machines and mechanisms at the construction site during the construction of an apartment building. The values of harmful emissions by types of mechanization of construction works are considered. The maximum allowable total emissions into the atmosphere for the considered construction object were calculated in order to control the quality and composition of pollutants into the atmosphere from mechanized sources located at the construction site. The results of calculations of maximum allowable emissions make it possible to assess the level of impact on the atmospheric air. If the emission values are exceeded, monitoring of compliance with environmental pollution is introduced in order to take corrective measures to improve the environmental situation.

The bell tower of Nanking University, built in 1888, is a milestone of modern educational architecture in Nanjing. It fully introduced Western architectural concepts and is an important historical witness to the cultural exchange between China and the West. At present, there are few studies on the conservation and reuse of the building, so the authors conducted the project. In this paper, we conducted research by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative analysis includes analyses of historical maps, photos, text, surveys, mapping of buildings, and a comparative analysis. The quantitative analysis includes statistics on the distribution of the urban school architectural heritage, the number of buildings at Nanking University, and China’s school building design standards. Through the historical research and value analysis of the building, we explore its real information from the aspects of architectural style, space, structure, material, and construction technology, and propose a reasonable conservation method. According to the current urban planning policy and architectural heritage data, the functional upgrading and renovation of the building will be carried out. This paper explores authenticity and integrity-based restoration methods, as well as the adaptive-reuse strategy for China’s architectural heritage, which can provide a paradigm for regional development and historic campus renewal.

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to enhance the teaching and learning experience in construction technology which involves the learning of construction processes and understanding the construction elements. Augmented reality also provides the ability to change and improve the nature of education. This is due to the possibility of overlaying media onto the real world for content consumption using smartphones and tablets devices, which enables students to access information at anywhere and anytime. However, before implementing a new approach to teaching, the state of whether the students are ready to use AR have to be identified. This also goes toward what the students expect when using AR in learning, how do they accept using AR and effectiveness of using AR in learning. Therefore the purpose of this study is to (1) Identify the readiness of students on using AR in teaching; (2) Identifying what do the students expect when using AR in learning construction technology; (3) Identifying the student’s acceptance of AR in learning; (4) The effectiveness of AR in construction technology learning. A quantitative method of analysis has been implemented measuring the mean score of objective 1-3 based on the student’s responses to the questionnaire. On the other hand, the second phase of the study which is to determine whether using AR is effective in learning was done by comparing pre-test and post-test results. Results from the study shows assuring indicators that students accept the usage of AR in construction technology education, the application also fulfils their expectations on what AR could aid in the learning process and for student’s acceptance, the result shows that students accepted the usage of AR as a learning tool. Meanwhile, the results regarding AR effectiveness on construction technology displayed noticeable improvements regarding student’s pre-test and post-test results with 68% of students display improvements in their scores.

This paper introduces a new type of prestressed uplift pile that adopts the semi-bonded composite anchor as the main reinforcement. An in-situ experimental study was carried out to investigate the new pile’s deformation, stress, bearing capacity, and cracking characteristics, which were then compared with the conventional piles. Results show that although the reinforcement ratio of the new pile is only 0.75%, much less than that of the conventional pile (i.e., 3.84%), it achieves similar or even better mechanical properties under uplift loads. The cost of the pile’s anchorage system is reduced by 43.8%, and the total cost of a single pile is reduced by 33.6%. Compared with the conventional pile, the new pile makes better use of the lateral friction resistance of the lower pile body, and the uplift bearing capacity and the uplift resistance of the pile are improved correspondingly. In addition, the cracking resistance of the new pile is significantly improved, with the cracking load increased by 88.2% and the cracking area reduced by 48.3%. In addition, the multi-layer structure of the composite main bar provides better protection for the load-bearing steel strands against corrosion. As such, the new type of pile is expected to gain much better durability than the conventional ones.

The research on solid waste based soft soil solidifying materials has received extensive attention in recent years. However, the properties of deep mixing piles are significantly affected by the construction technology. In view of this, this work carried out the systematic study on the influence of materials, the mixing tool and process optimization on the integrity and mechanical properties of deep mixing piles. Factors considered include the shape of the blade (strip and meniscus), the types of solidifying materials (PO 42.5 cement, self-developed soft soil solidifying agent), the content (50 kg/m, 65 kg/m, 80 kg/m and 100 kg/m) and how many times the materials needed to be mixed (two, four and six times). The solidification mechanism was analyzed. The results showed that the utilization of a meniscus blade contributed to the excellent integrity of the deep mixing pile, as well as solved the problems of oozing slurry and wrapped blade during construction. Mixing the materials four times is the most suitable for the construction of deep mixing piles in organic clay. The solidifying agent deep mixing pile showed satisfactory early and late strength. Microscopic analysis showed that more calcium silicate hydrate and ettringite formed in the solidifying agent solidified soil. Organic clay particles were better cemented and pores were fully filled, so that the solidified soil showed an integral and dense structure. The microscopically integral and dense structure contributed to the excellent integrity and mechanical properties of the solidifying agent deep mixing pile.

The historical monuments of the ‘City of Temples’ (Kathmandu) represent an intrinsic component of Nepal’s cultural heritage. The 2015 devastating Gorkha earthquake, besides human casualties, has led to a widespread demolition or partial damage of monuments at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the ones in Durbar squares. This study, through an integrated material characterization of masonry binders, used in four case monuments from Hanuman Dhoka and Patan Durbar squares, intends to contribute to the knowledge of the technological know-how of the past in order to maintain as much as possible the original traditions and to provide appropriate conservation strategies. The analytical characterization of the ancient mortars was carried out by means of X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), petrographic analysis, X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). The composition of the mortars has been determined and is in accordance with previous research in traditional materials used in the Nepalese architecture. Chromatographic techniques proved to be particularly important in the analysis of mortars with organic binders as they revealed the possible composition of the binding media, providing additional information valuable for the future conservation/restoration of the stone monuments of the ‘City of Temples’.

Kathmandu Valley comprises numerous tiered temples ranging from single to multi-tiered. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on 25th April 2015, with the epicenter in the Gorkha district at 80 km northwest of Kathmandu and south of the China border. The 2015 Gorkha earthquake and the following aftershocks caused damages to many temples; the damages ranging from minor to few fully collapsed state. This paper focuses on Nepal's tallest temple the Nyatapola, square-shaped in the plan, and the Bhairavnath temple, rectangular-shape in the plan-representing the tiered temples with more than three tiers of the Kathmandu Valley. The paper investigates the employed indigenous construction technology, the condition/ level of damage suffered by case studies during the 2015 earthquake; presents the ongoing rehabilitation/strengthening works introduced following the recommendations of structural, architectural, and conservation experts. The main objectives are to explore indigenous construction technology, evaluate damage scenarios in case studies, and plan rehabilitation approaches aftermath 2015 earthquake. Methodology in the research includes the literature reviews on the construction technology of multi-tiered temples, case studies on presentative cases and the rehabilitation process adopted, key findings for damages, conclude, and provide recommendations. The rehabilitation process consisted of workshops and meetings with related authorities and the formation of a technical committee as per the recommendations of the experts. The team prepares a condition assessment report based upon visual inspections, documentations through on-site measurements, photographs, records of changes, and alterations. Based on condition assessment, the reasons for the damages are analyzed and appropriate rehabilitation/strengthening methods are recommended. The key findings consist of common construction technology of locally available materials like timber, mud, bricks, and stone with reducing wall thickness, and roof towards the top. The geometrical configuration, the inconsistent relative motion of the wall and roof during the earthquake; insufficient joint keys, and lack of regular monitoring maintenance are responsible for the level of damages in the temples.

Adoption of digital information tools in the construction sector provides fertile ground for the birth and growth of companies that specialize in applications of technologies to design and construction. While some of the technologies are new, many implement ideas proposed in construction research decades ago that were impractical without a sound digital building information foundation. Building Information Modelling (BIM) itself can be traced to a landmark paper from 1975; ideas for artificially intelligent design and code checking tools date from the mid-1980s; and construction robots have laboured in research labs for decades. Yet only within the past five years has venture capital actively sought startup companies in the ‘Construction Tech’ sector. Following a set of digital construction innovations through their known past and their uncertain present, we review their increasingly optimistic future, all through the lens of their dependence on digital information. The review identifies new challenges, yielding a set of research topics with the potential to unlock a range of future applications that apply artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful technology with a range of capabilities, which are beginning to become apparent in all industries nowadays. The increased popularity of AI in the construction industry, however, is rather limited in comparison to other industry sectors. Moreover, despite AI being a hot topic in built environment research, there are limited review studies that investigate the reasons for the low-level AI adoption in the construction industry. This study aims to reduce this gap by identifying the adoption challenges of AI, along with the opportunities offered, for the construction industry. To achieve the aim, the study adopts a systematic literature review approach using the PRISMA protocol. In addition, the systematic review of the literature focuses on the planning, design, and construction stages of the construction project lifecycle. The results of the review reveal that (a) AI is particularly beneficial in the planning stage as the success of construction projects depends on accurate events, risks, and cost forecasting; (b) the major opportunity in adopting AI is to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks by using big data analytics and improving the work processes; and (c) the biggest challenge to incorporate AI on a construction site is the fragmented nature of the industry, which has resulted in issues of data acquisition and retention. The findings of the study inform a range of parties that operate in the construction industry concerning the opportunities and challenges of AI adaptability and help increase the market acceptance of AI practices.

The need to preserve the built heritage with cultural, social and historical value has been rising for the past years. For that purpose it is necessary to acquire knowledge on the old techniques. Marmorite is a very durable wall covering that does not require painting or much other maintenance, particularly used in Portugal during the so-called Estado Novo period. It is a finishing render composed by lime or cement, stone dust, stone or glass aggregates and, sometimes, pigments. A few hours after its application, the surface is washed, revealing the aggregates. The aim of this study was to gather information which may contribute to the correct preservation of this render. Through the material and building technology analysis in previous studies, oral testimony and case studies, it was possible to conclude that there is much variability on this type of coating, as well as a diversity of styles in each region.

The aim of this research is to develop a methodology for calculating the standard time using neural networks. The paper presents research questions and proposes a methodology. In addition, the methods used to calculate the standard time in the Czech Republic and in other parts of the world are presented, and the basics of the mathematics of neural networks are shortly explained. The paper also provides an example that represents a simple application of a neural network. This example is designed to confirm some assumptions and to arrive at the basic conclusions regarding the operation of models created using neural networks.

Workpiece location is critical to efficiently plan actions downstream in manufacturing processes. In labor-intensive heavy industries, like construction and shipbuilding, multiple stakeholders interact, stack and move workpieces in the absence of any system to log such actions. While track-by-detection approaches rely on sensing technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Global Positioning System (GPS), cluttered environments and stacks of workpieces pose several limitations to their adaptation. These challenges limit the usage of such technology to presenting the last known position of a workpiece with no further guidance on a search strategy. In this work we show that a multi-hypothesis tracking approach that models human reasoning can provide a search strategy based on available observations of a workpiece. We show that inventory tracking problems under uncertainty can be approached like probabilistic inference approaches in localization to detect, estimate and update the belief of the workpiece locations. We present a practical Internet-of-Things (IoT) framework for information collection over which we build our reasoning. We also present the ability of our system to accommodate additional constraints to prune search locations. Finally, in our experiments we show that our approach can provide a significant reduction against the conventional search for missing workpieces, of up to 80% in workpieces to visit and 60% in distance traveled. In our experiments we highlight the critical nature of identifying stacking events and inferring locations using reasoning to aid searches even when direct observation of a workpiece is not available.

Typical features of Upper-Kama dwellings characteristic of the final stage of the Early Iron Age, which have become a “calling card” of the Glyadenovo cultural community (the so-called Fedotovo type), are analyzed in the article. In the past half-century, the data on dwellings investigated by V.F. Gening at the Fedotovo fortified settlement have been substantially completed by materials from the newly-excavated settlements. It is suggested that the differences in dwelling construction technology on different Glyadenovo culture sites cannot be invariably regarded as cultural and chronological features but often bear an adaptive character, i.e. depend on the natural environment. The version of the Fedotovo dwellings reconstruction proposed in the early works by V.F. Gening also needs some correction, which is offered by the author in accordance with a number of features.

Typical features of Upper-Kama dwellings characteristic of the final stage of the Early Iron Age, which have become a “calling card” of the Glyadenovo cultural community (the so-called Fedotovo type), are analyzed in the article. In the past half-century, the data on dwellings investigated by V.F. Gening at the Fedotovo fortified settlement have been substantially completed by materials from the newly-excavated settlements. It is suggested that the differences in dwelling construction technology on different Glyadenovo culture sites cannot be invariably regarded as cultural and chronological features but often bear an adaptive character, i.e. depend on the natural environment. The version of the Fedotovo dwellings reconstruction proposed in the early works by V.F. Gening also needs some correction, which is offered by the author in accordance with a number of features.

Logging and tracking raw materials, workpieces and engineered products for seamless and quick pulls is a complex task in the construction and shipbuilding industries due to lack of structured storage solutions. Additional uncertainty is introduced if workpieces are stacked and moved by multiple stakeholders without maintaining an active and up-to-date log of such movements. While there are frameworks proposed to improve workpiece pull times using a variety of tracking modes based on deterministic approaches, there is little discussion of cases wherein direct observations are sparse due to occlusions from stacking and interferences. Our work addresses this problem by: logging visible part locations and timestamps, through a network of custom designed observation devices; and building a graph-based model to identify events that highlight part interactions and estimate stack formation to search for parts that are not directly observable. By augmenting the site workers and equipment with our wearable devices, we avoid adding additional cognitive effort for the workers. Native building blocks of the graph-based model were evaluated through simulations. Experiments were also conducted in an active shipyard to validate our proposed system.

There are highlighted the peculiarities of teaching subjects “Building Materials in Energy-efficient Construction” and “Technologies in Sustainable Construction” developed in English within the scope of Civil Engineering Master Studies curricula „Building ecological Europe”. Basic objectives, teaching methods, content of the lectures and course project, and course results are considered.

The increased number of energy efficiency requirements of the European Union has increased the renovation rate of apartment buildings. The external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) is often used to upgrade the façade. However, the construction process shortcomings very often cause defects shortly after completion. This paper develops a technical⁻economic relevance assessment model of the onsite degradation factors for better quality assurance in an SME. The model quantifies the technical significance of the degradation factors along with the future repair costs. The technical severity of 103 factors is evaluated by 12 experts, and the data is validated with the Friedman’s test. The occurrence ratio, detectability, and latency period are foreseen by five experts and validated with the Delphi technique. The results of the three sample simulations emphasize the activities during substrate preparation and application of adhesive as well as a base coat with reinforcement mesh. The application of a finishing coat and installation of insulation plates have less relevance. It is recommended to upskill the craftsmen in regard to working with mixtures as the shortcomings are covered simultaneously and the failure detection period is short. The measures to protect against external weather effects are recommended due to their relatively high impact. Half of the shortcomings appear during the first two years.

The urban nucleus of the Porcelain Factory of Vista Alegre reveals a special interest in terms of the evolution of the traditional adobe construction in the town of Ílhavo, located in the district of Aveiro. Presenting a structured philosophy of intervention in the territory since its very beginning, it possesses a rich heritage in the field of construction and architecture. The measures planned and implemented in the second phase of Vista Alegre growth reporting its beginning to the ends of the 30's, and along the 40's, confirm it both in the rehabilitation, extension and new constructions in adobe masonry. Those measures were implemented during the structural changes of the Industrial Unit administration that only until this period belonged to the family of its founder. These changes creates one of the focus of innovation in the region, with new construction strategies and solutions in adobe buildings, which will prolonged the period of use of this construction system, noticeable in buildings dated of 1958 in the Vista Alegre and at least in 1970 in the town.

The article presents the most important turning points in the development of the construction of apartment buildings in Slovenia. Urban planning, architecture and technology has, until recently, reflected foreign influences that have reached Slovenia with a delay. Significant turning points are also visible in economic organisation. The construction of apartment buildings is the only type of construction that is regulated, stimulated and (partly) also organised by the state.

This paper deals with the historical and current trends in the development of civil engineering and construction technologies. The authors demonstrate the continuity of creative thought and effort among early master builders and technology developers throughout the history of civilizations that created the most iconic structures remaining in the world heritage of the built environment to the contemporary times. Recent concepts and ongoing efforts in the development of advanced construction technologies based on automation and information sciences, materials science and systems engineering are highlighted in the context of historical ideas and achievements of past architects and construction engineers of the past century.