Causal Modelling Based on Bayesian Networks for Preliminary Design of Buildings

Bayesian networks are a very general and powerful tool that can be used for a large number of problems involving uncertainty: reasoning, learning, planning and perception. They provide a language that supports efficient algorithms for the automatic construction of expert systems in several different contexts. The range of applications of Bayesian networks currently extends over almost all fields including engineering, biology and medicine, information and communication technologies and finance. This book is a collection of original contributions to the methodology and applications of Bayesian networks. It contains recent developments in the field and illustrates, on a sample of applications, the power of Bayesian networks in dealing the modeling of complex systems. Readers that are not familiar with this tool, but have some technical background, will find in this book all necessary theoretical and practical information on how to use and implement Bayesian networks in their own work. There is no doubt that this book constitutes a valuable resource for engineers, researchers, students and all those who are interested in discovering and experiencing the potential of this major tool of the century

A decision support system for scenario analysis in energy refurbishment of residential buildings

none3noThe energy efficiency of buildings is a key condition in the implementation of national sustainability policies. Energy efficiency of the built heritage is usually achieved through energy contracts or renovation projects that are based on decisions often taken with limited knowledge and in short time frames. However, the collection of comprehensive and reliable technical information to support the decision process is a long and expensive activity. Approximate assessment methods based on stationary thermal models are usually adopted, often introducing unacceptable uncertainties for economically onerous contracts. Hence, it is important to develop tools that, by capitalizing on the operators’ experience, can provide support for fast and reliable assessments. The paper documents the development of a decision support system prototype for the management of energy refurbishment investments in the residential building sector that assists operators in the energy performance assessment, using a limited set of technical information. The system uses a Case Based paradigm enriched with probabilistic modelling to implement decision support within the corporate’s knowledge management framework.openGiretti Alberto, Corneli Alessandra, Naticchia BerardoGiretti, Alberto; Corneli, Alessandra; Naticchia, Berard

Augmented Reality Application Supporting On-Site Secondary Building Assets Management

none5sinoneA. Corneli, B. Naticchia, A. Carbonari, F. Bosché, L. PrincipiCorneli, A.; Naticchia, B.; Carbonari, A.; Bosché, F.; Principi, L

Iot open-source architecture for the maintenance of building facilities

none6noThe introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the construction industry is evolving facility maintenance (FM) towards predictive maintenance development. Predictive maintenance of building facilities requires continuously updated data on construction components to be acquired through integrated sensors. The main challenges in developing predictive maintenance tools for building facilities is IoT integration, IoT data visualization on the building 3D model and implementation of maintenance management system on the IoT and building information modeling (BIM). The current 3D building models do not fully interact with IoT building facilities data. Data integration in BIM is challenging. The research aims to integrate IoT alert systems with BIM models to moni-tor building facilities during the operational phase and to visualize building facilities’ conditions virtually. To provide efficient maintenance services for building facilities this research proposes an integration of a digital framework based on IoT and BIM platforms. Sensors applied in the building systems and IoT technology on a cloud platform with opensource tools and standards enable monitoring of real-time operation and detecting of different kinds of faults in case of malfunction or failure, therefore sending alerts to facility managers and operators. Proposed preventive maintenance methodology applied on a proof-of-concept heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) plant adopts open source IoT sensor networks. The results show that the integrated IoT and BIM dashboard framework and implemented building structures preventive maintenance methodology are applicable and promising. The automated system architecture of building facilities is intended to provide a reliable and practical tool for real-time data acquisition. Analysis and 3D visualization to support intelligent monitoring of the indoor condition in buildings will enable the facility managers to make faster and better decisions and to improve building facilities’ real time monitoring with fallouts on the maintenance timeliness.openVilla V.; Naticchia B.; Bruno G.; Aliev K.; Piantanida P.; Antonelli D.Villa, V.; Naticchia, B.; Bruno, G.; Aliev, K.; Piantanida, P.; Antonelli, D

Design and first development of an automated real‐time safety management system for construction sites

This paper reports a feasibility study which addressed the development of a new, advanced system mainly devoted to automatic real‐time health and safety management on construction sites. The preliminary analyses and experiments described in this paper concern two of the most important functionalities which must be included in the system's final release. The first functionality consists in real‐time position‐tracking of workers involved on construction sites and the second ‐ in a software tool for the prevention of non‐authorized access to dangerous zones. This research step is part of a vaster, ongoing research project, addressing the development of a new generation of advanced construction management systems which allow real‐time monitoring and coordination of tasks, automatic health and safety management, on‐site delivery of technical information and the capture of "as‐built" documentation. This paper focuses mainly on the development of a reliable methodology for real‐time monitoring of the position of both workers and equipment in outdoor construction sites by applying Ultra Wide Band (UWB) based technologies. This positioning system was then interfaced with a software tool which performs virtual fencing of pre‐selected, dangerous areas. Guidelines for the design of the receivers' topology will be addressed and the results of measurements recorded on a typical medium‐sized block of flats, during different phases of the construction progress will be summed up. Finally, the preliminary experimental results obtained by the virtual fencing application tool will be presented and used to plan future research objectives. Santrauka Straipsnyje aptartos naujos automatinės darbo ir saugos valdymo sistemos statybos aikštelėje kūrimo galimybės. Aprašytos preliminarios analizės ir eksperimentai – du pagrindiniai veiksniai, kurie turi būti įtraukti į galutinį sistemos variantą. Pirmasis veiksnys susijęs su statybos aikštelės darbininkų padėties realiu laiku nustatymu. Kompiuterine programa ribojamas jų patekimas į pavojingas neleistinas zonas. Šie tyrimai yra didelio besitęsiančio projekto dalis. Projektas susijęs su naujos kartos statybos valdymo sistemos kūrimu. Sistema leis kontroliuoti statybos eigą realiu laiku, užtikrinti automatinį darbų saugos valdymą, techninės informacijos ir dokumentacijos gavimą. Straipsnyje pagrindinis dėmesys sukoncentruotas į patikimos metodikos kūrimą. Taikant šią metodiką ir ultraplačiajuosčio bevielio ryšio (angl. Ultra Wide Band (UWB)) technologiją, galima bus nustatyti darbininkų ir įrangos padėtį atvirose statybos aikštelėse realiu laiku. Ši nustatymo sistema per grafinę terpę yra sujungta su programine įranga, kuri sukuria virtualų aptvarą iš anksto nurodytoms pavojingoms zonoms. Pateiktos imtuvo topologijos projektavimo rekomendacijos. Įvertinti tipinių vidutinio dydžio butų blokų užfiksuotų matavimų rezultatai skirtingais statybos etapais. Pateikti preliminarūs eksperimentiniai rezultatai, gauti įvedus virtualaus aptvėrimo koncepciją. Šie rezultatai bus panaudoti planuojant būsimų tyrimų tikslus

Feasibility analysis of an active technology to improve acoustic comfort in buildings

In buildings, windows and glazed facades are often the preferred noise path for exterior disturbing noise towards the interior. Since passive means for improving sound transmission loss (STL) of glazed facades are very expensive and are effective only at high frequencies, an active controller that increases the STL in the low-frequency range is an attractive approach for reducing the noise level in buildings with glazed facades, guaranteeing the performance required by the 89/106/CEE European Directive, which made protection against noise a compulsory requirement for buildings. As buildings are often inserted in highly inhabited urban areas, near infrastructures and plants radiating high noise levels, the strategic importance of this task is increasing, together with the importance of acoustic comfort inside buildings. This paper concerns a feasibility study on the implementation of an active structural control system for glazed facades, in order to improve their STL at low frequencies. At present, applications for the reduction of noise level inside cars and planes are known. Relative to the use of active structural acoustic control (ASAC) systems, these systems are based on the reduction of structural vibrations through the use of actuators bonded on the vibrating surfaces, driven by an automated control system, whose task is minimizing those vibrations, and the radiated sound as a consequence. In this work, it is shown that actuators bonded on the vibrating surfaces, driven by an automated control system, are able to dramatically reduce those vibrations and, consequently, the radiated sound. The proposed technology is tested through experiments and numerical simulations, in order to compute the reduction of interior noise that could be pursued through the use of piezoelectric stack actuators

Tecnologie innovative a supporto della gestione della sicurezza nei cantieri

Decisions made during project planning strongly influence the level of safety which can be reached on site. However, some hazards are generated by the concurrence of several unpredictable risk factors. So the use of tracking systems might become decisive.In this paper we will present three example of advanced monitoring systems: one proactive safety management system to prevent overhead hazards; one infrastructureless real-time monitoring system to avoid hazardous interferences among the several teams operating on site; one real-time control system of fine particle concentration in construction sites. They all take advantage of the use of advanced technologies and implement some intelligent logics to evaluate the corresponding hazard level. ICT based technologies are shown to positively influence health and safety in construction site.Il conseguimento di elevati livelli di sicurezza in cantiere è infl uenzato dalle decisioni assunte in fase di programmazione. Permangono tuttavia i pericoli generati dalla concomitanza di fattori impredicibili, che possono essere mitigati dall’adozione di sistemi di monitoraggio automatico.Questo contributo presenterà tre sistemi: un sistema proattivo adatto a prevenire rischi di caduta di materiali dall’alto; un sistema di monitoraggio in tempo reale a bassa infrastrutturazione per segnalare interferenze pericolose tra le squadre; un sistema di controllo in tempo reale della concentrazione di particolato fi ne. Tutti questi sistemi adottano tecnologie avanzate e implementano logiche per valutare il livello di rischio contingente. Si mostra perciò come l’impiego di tecnologie ICT può supportare la gestione della sicurezza

On the Design of Intelligent Buildings for Ambient Assisted Living

This contribution concerns the integration of Ambient Assisted Living and, more in general, of automation technologies in the standard building performance frame. To date there is a mismatch between what users expect from an intelligent built environment and what the suppliers are able to deliver. This is mainly because the potential advances introduced by intelligent building organisms do not encompass the whole building life cycle. In order to achieve real effectiveness, the automation technologies must be harmonized with the building performance framework that drives the traditional building design science