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The railway bridge in Prague under Vyšehrad is a steel riveted structure with a lower deck from 1901 connecting the right and left banks of the Vltava River. The bridge is double‐track and is located on a national track included in the TEN‐T system. This is the transit corridor Nuremberg – Pilsen – Prague – Brno – (Vienna, Bratislava, Poland). It is therefore one of the busiest railway bridges in the Czech Republic. The bridge is a cultural monument. At the moment, it is also the best‐known and most discussed railway bridge in the Czech Republic. The bridge has been in service for more than 120 years and its expected lifespan has long been exceeded. The railway needs to increase the track capacity. At the same time, it is being discussed what to do with the heritage‐protected bridge. Repair? Replace? Shift? These are the questions and challenges facing the Railway Administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the classification of regeneration methods of buildings damaged by factors of aging, emergency situations and military events. Regeneration is becoming more urgent due to the destruction of a large number of historical quarters by military aggression. Different methods inherent in the regeneration of destroyed neighborhoods are classified, namely restoration, reconstruction and various options for new construction. The methods are illustrated with examples of their use mainly based on the experience of regeneration of Kyiv Podol district and other historical areas of Ukraine, as well as foreign ones. In the complex regeneration of neighborhoods, the preservation of architectural monuments, the restoration of the most valuable and preserved objects of the historical background building, the reconstruction of a certain part of the built objects that have value due to their facade solutions, new construction with the reproduction of the traditional character of the environment in various forms. At the moment, the new construction takes on the solution of modern urban planning and functional requirements for city centers as much as possible, and also serves as a hub of ideas for engineering reconstruction of the entire quarter, is the basis of sustainable development. Defined methods of ensuring the diversity of facade sweeps, which corresponds to the nature of background buildings and forms effective scenarios for pedestrian spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry Standard for carbon reinforced concrete ‐ with standardization into a resource‐efficient way of construction Making construction more sustainable – that is the challenge! So manage this, a fundamental transformation of construction industry is necessary. The material carbon reinforced concrete makes a substantial contribution in this regard. With the aim of creating the necessary foundations for a climate‐conscious construction method, in January 2022 the research project Industry Standard Carbon Reinforced Concrete (ISC) was launched, funded by the BMBF as part of the program RUBIN (Regional Entrepreneurial Alliances for Innovation). Missing standards and guidelines for using carbon reinforced concrete in new construction are being drawn up in this project. The ISC will increase the acceptance and the economic efficiency of carbon reinforced concrete. Entry barriers will be removed for planners, builders, manufacturers and contractors. In this paper, the project partners, the objectives of the ISC, selected research activities and results are presented and an outlook on further activities is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it more environmentally friendly to replace an existing building with a new one or to renovate the existing property? This paper addresses how to frame and evaluate this question. Although several previous studies exist, their methods lack a harmonised set of practice. A new framework is introduced that adopts the concept of consequential replacement framework (CRF) for life cycle assessment (LCA) which had previously been applied to vehicles. The application of the CRF to buildings is demonstrated with case studies on school buildings in Finland. Three alternative cases are examined: the refurbishment of a 1950s school; extending it with an annex; and demolition and replacement with a new concrete or timber building. As the European environmental impact regulation of buildings pertains to CO2 emissions, the paper also focuses on CO2. The case studies demonstrate that refurbishment in Finland is a more climate-friendly alternative to demolition and new build. The studied new buildings’ better energy efficiency is set off for decades by the carbon spike caused by the embodied CO2 in their materials. The CRF is shown to be a methodologically sound, easily approachable framework for evaluating immediate environmental consequences of decision-makers’ retention or replacement choices, suitable to different contexts. Policy relevance As the global CO2 budget is running out, the need to combat the escalation of the climate emergency is imminent. Decades-long payback times for embodied CO2 investments in new replacement buildings, as in the paper’s case studies, are not helpful in this effort. The introduced framework helps to uncover the climate change mitigation potential in building preservation, which is presently poorly understood and considered in policymaking. The new framework provides a useful decision support tool and evidence for both policymakers and planners. Current policy initiatives in Europe focus on CO2 regulation for new build and renovation. However, replacement situations are not yet regulated. In contexts where renovation clearly proves to be more climate friendly (as validated by this method), policymakers should recognise the greenhouse gas-mitigation potential in building retention and create policies to encourage renovation over new build.

Residential foundation selection is critical for the lifetime performance of the project, but the type of foundation selected can depend on cost. This study aims to compare the new construction costs of residential slab-on-fill and four types of crawl space foundations for residential projects by quantifying the material quantities for each and exploring the effect of building characteristics on material quantities and total costs. The building characteristics selected are size (139 m2, 186 m2, and 232 m2), footprint aspect ratio (1:1, 1:2.5, and 1:5) and first floor elevation (0 m–1.2 m in 0.3 m increments). We find that material quantities and total costs change not only with building size and elevation, but also with footprint aspect ratio. Applying 2022 RSMeans Building Construction Cost data, the results show that for any building size, aspect ratio, or elevation, raised wood flooring on pier foundations ($118–$180 per m2) and slab on fill ($103–$211 per m2) are the least expensive, while crawl space foundations with stemwalls are the most expensive ($147–$280 per m2). The results of this study can be used by residential builders, developers and designers in evaluating foundation costs and design alternatives. The methodology may also be adapted for use in other applications such as flood mitigation or energy efficiency projects or environmental sustainability assessments.

Is it more environmentally friendly to replace an existing building with a new one or to renovate the existing property? This paper addresses how to frame and evaluate this question. Although several previous studies exist, their methods lack a harmonised set of practice. A new framework is introduced that adopts the concept of consequential replacement framework (CRF) for life cycle assessment (LCA) which had previously been applied to vehicles. The application of the CRF to buildings is demonstrated with case studies on school buildings in Finland. Three alternative cases are examined: the refurbishment of a 1950s school; extending it with an annex; and demolition and replacement with a new concrete or timber building. As the European environmental impact regulation of buildings pertains to CO2 emissions, the paper also focuses on CO2. The case studies demonstrate that refurbishment in Finland is a more climate-friendly alternative to demolition and new build. The studied new buildings' better energy efficiency is set off for decades by the carbon spike caused by the embodied CO2 in their materials. The CRF is shown to be a methodologically sound, easily approachable framework for evaluating immediate environmental consequences of decision-makers' retention or replacement choices, suitable to different contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bottom hand line is one of the fishing tools commonly used by fishermen around Manado Bay. This fishing gear is classified as environmentally friendly and selective because it does not damage the ecosystem, and the hook size of the fishing line used is adjusted to the target catch. The making of this fishing gear is straightforward, as in the construction of fishing rods in general. The branch line is tied on the main line and given a hook and a weight. This old construction, when operated, often occurs twisting of the branch line on the main line, so the catching success rate is low. Based on these problems, this study aimed to create a new design that minimizes twisting of the branch line on the main line, which in turn can increase the catch. The method used in this research is an experimental fishing method. In this experiment, four boats used fishing lines with the old construction, and the other four ships fishing lines with the new structure. The results obtained during the 15 trips of experimental fishing were 38 for the old construction fishing line and 80 for the new construction fishing line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This data article includes a dataset developed between 2020 and 2022 to characterize and analyze the state of energy efficiency of nearly zero energy buildings in ten Eastern European countries. The data article refers to the paper' Overview and future challenges of nearly zero-energy building (nZEB) design in Eastern Europe' (Attia and Kosinski et al., 2022). The data provides an overview of the status of building energy use, energy savings, and regulations for the newly constructed building stock, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The importance of the dataset lies in its unique approach of data collection that provides detailed information on electricity, gas, oil, coal, and wood used in the investigated countries between 2015 and 2020. The methodology involves compiling and fusing data from national registries and depositories written in ten different national languages. Thus, the data is not available in Eurostat or any EU platform. The methodology followed to produce the data is mainly a literature review of restricted national publications and an extensive questionnaire with 14 national experts involved with the nZEB implementation plans and policies. The data include several parameters, including building energy efficiency thresholds expressed in the form of primary energy use intensity; primary energy conversion factors; renewable energy shares; building envelope performance requirements; mechanical ventilation performance requirements; thermal comfort requirements; construction rates of residential buildings; and heat pumps market penetration expressed as heat pump units per 100 households. The data paper is valuable for scientists to conduct future research to implement energy efficiency measures and renewables towards energy-neutral buildings.

To address the age and low efficiency of Europe's building stock, the European Union (EU) has focused on renovation strategies. However, recent studies suggest that demolishing and reconstructing a building in poor physical condition may be a more effective approach to achieving energy efficiency goals. Although a significant number of authors compare renovation and reconstruction scenarios, the majority of them focus primarily on the operational phase of a building and energy use, disregarding other relevant stages and indicators. Consequently, there is still no consensus on the conditions to choose between alternatives. Therefore, this systematic literature review of 44 articles aims to find patterns in methodological approaches within comparative studies that assess renovation and reconstruction scenarios and those that evaluate them isolated. To ensure articles incorporate the triple bottom line of sustainability, a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) approach is adopted. Results indicate that the building scale is the most researched with Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA) being the preferred method among authors, followed by cost analysis, with social aspects being often overlooked. Moreover, only a limited number of articles present a comparison between renovation and reconstruction at an early-stage design, among them the majority assess impacts related to global warming potential and conclude that renovation is preferable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rasterised: the third life of Auen School, Frauenfeld – renovation and expansion of a 1960s school complex The 1960s Auen school complex in Frauenfeld by architects Barth and Zaugg is an exemplary work from the so‐called "Solothurn School" and is listed under "noteworthy post‐1959" in the Canton Thurgau Heritage Preservation Office's reference inventory. The renovation and extension of this complex enhance the pre‐existing ensemble and make its original concept perceptible again. Along the complex's central axis, three pavilion‐like new structures sit between the pre‐existing buildings. This "third lane" leads to a densification, in which the ensemble's original composition is preserved and simultaneously reinforced. The architecture of the new structures (pavilion, break shelter and bicycle shelter) incorporates the structural logic of the pre‐existing buildings. However, as open steel pavilions placed in the open space, they do not have a corporeal presence, but appear primarily as roofs supported by columns. Also to emphasise the relationship between the two new buildings, both pavilionś steel support structures are on the outside. Consequently, the steel columns are shifted away from the corners and, despite all the similarities, make the different nature of the new structures in comparison to the pre‐existing ones apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young children spend a substantial part of their waking time in preschools. It is therefore important to reduce the load of hazardous semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in the preschools' indoor environment. The presence and levels of five SVOC groups were evaluated (1) in a newly built preschool, (2) before and after renovation of a preschool, and (3) in a preschool where SVOC‐containing articles were removed. The new building and the renovation were performed using construction materials that were approved with respect to content of restricted chemicals. SVOC substance groups were measured in indoor air and settled dust and included phthalates and alternative plasticizers, organophosphate esters (OPEs), brominated flame retardants, and bisphenols. The most abundant substance groups in both indoor air and dust were phthalates and alternative plasticizers and OPEs. SVOC concentrations were lower or of the same order of magnitude as those reported in comparable studies. The relative Cumulative Hazard Quotient (HQcum) was used to assess the effects of the different reduction measures on children's SVOC exposure from indoor air and dust in the preschools. HQcum values were low (1.0–6.1%) in all three preschools and decreased further after renovation and article substitution. The SVOCs concentrations decreased significantly more in the preschool renovated with the approved building materials than in the preschool where the SVOC‐containing articles were removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many anomalies and problems in modern construction do not result in spectacular collapses but in other, more commonplace situations such as the entrance of water or certain dysfunctions of use. The reduction of these circumstances leads to an increase in service life and a decrease in expenses resulting from nonquality. This research resorted to a data source that was very difficult to access and compile (court sentences from complaints by private individuals) in order to better understand the reality in construction that leads building owners to resort to the courts of law. The study was carried out on roofs (both flat and pitched roofs) so as to determine their specific types of damages and underlying causes. Specifically, 100% of all cases existing in a European country in a complete period of six years were analyzed, allowing a complete X-ray of the situations that were reported. The complexity of the situation resulted in the identification of 84 different types of pathology processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New single-family home construction represents a significant and important market for the introduction of energy-efficient gas-fired space heating and water-heating equipment. In the new construction market, the choice of furnace and water-heater type is primarily driven by first cost considerations and the availability of power vent and condensing water heaters. Few analysis have been performed to assess the economic impacts of the different combinations of space and water-heating equipment. Thus, equipment is often installed without taking into consideration the potential economic and energy savings of installing space and water-heating equipment combinations. In this study, we use a life-cycle cost analysis that accounts for uncertainty and variability of the analysis inputs to assess the economic benefits of gas furnace and water-heater design combinations. This study accounts not only for the equipment cost but also for the cost of installing, maintaining, repairing, and operating the equipment over its lifetime. Overall, this study, which is focused on US single-family new construction households that install gas furnaces and storage water heaters, finds that installing a condensing or power-vent water heater together with condensing furnace is the most cost-effective option for the majority of these houses. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the new construction residential market could be a target market for the large-scale introduction of a combination of condensing or power-vent water heaters with condensing furnaces.

The trends of the territorial organization of industry associated with new industrial construction in post-Soviet Russia are determined. An exceptionally high territorial differentiation of industrial construction was revealed. This is manifested in its concentration in a small number of areas and in its superconcentration in the metropolitan regions. The northern and eastern regions of the country are distinguished by focal industrial development and the dominance of mining enterprises. In Asian Russia, the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrugs are distinguished by large-scale industrial construction, but the density of development is low. Against the total fragmentation of the single national economic complex in the course of market reforms, certain signs of spontaneous complexation appeared. In the new economic conditions, new industries have arisen: the extraction of oil and natural gas resources on the shelf of the Okhotsk, Caspian, Baltic, Pechora and Black seas; liquefied natural gas plants; and car assembly enterprises. Analysis of the structure of the new industrial construction revealed no signs of its greening. Two-thirds of the new facilities are related to basic, environmentally aggressive industries. The increasing concentration of industry in a few areas of economic activity, oriented mainly outward, is the main vector of Russia's territorial development. A similar vector prevailing in the conditions of the market element is poor in quality from both environmental and geopolitical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New single-family home construction represents a significant and important market for the introduction of energy-efficient gas-fired space heating and water-heating equipment. In the new construction market, the choice of furnace and water-heater type is primarily driven by first cost considerations and the availability of power vent and condensing water heaters. Few analysis have been performed to assess the economic impacts of the different combinations of space and water-heating equipment. Thus, equipment is often installed without taking into consideration the potential economic and energy savings of installing space and water-heating equipment combinations. In this study, we use a life-cycle cost analysis that accounts for uncertainty and variability of the analysis inputs to assess the economic benefits of gas furnace and water-heater design combinations. This study accounts not only for the equipment cost but also for the cost of installing, maintaining, repairing, and operating the equipment over its lifetime. Overall, this study, which is focused on US single-family new construction households that install gas furnaces and storage water heaters, finds that installing a condensing or power-vent water heater together with condensing furnace is the most cost-effective option for the majority of these houses. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the new construction residential market could be a target market for the large-scale introduction of a combination of condensing or power-vent water heaters with condensing furnaces.