Building Envelope Prefabricated with 3D Printing Technology

The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents the beginning of a profound change for the building sector. In the last decade, the perspective of shapes, materials, and construction techniques is evolving fast due to the additive manufacturing technology. On the other hand, even if the technology is growing fast and several 3D printed buildings are being developed worldwide, the potential of concrete 3D printing in building prefabrication remains unexplored. Consequently, the application of new digital fabrication technologies in the construction industry requires a redesign of the construction process and its components. This paper proposes a novel conception, design, and prototyping of a precast building envelope to be prefabricated with extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (3DCP). The new design and conception aim to fully exploit the potential of 3D printing for prefabricated components, especially in terms of dry assembly, speed of implementation, reusability, recyclability, modularity, versatility, adaptability, and sustainability. Beyond the novel conceptual design of precast elements, the research investigated the 3D printable cementitious material based on a magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC), which was devised and tested to ensure good performances of the proposed component. Finally, a prototype has been realised in scale with additive manufacturing technology in order to verify the printability and to optimize the extruder path. This study leads us to believe that the combined use of prefabricated systems, construction automation, and innovative materials can decisively improve the construction industry's sustainability in the future

Effects of bonding on the performance of optical fiber strain sensors

[EN] The structural health monitoring (SHM) of existing buildings, structures, and infrastructures has become increasingly important in recent years, while the interest of the scientific community is focused on the use of new high-performance technologies. Fiber optic sensors have become particularly attractive, thanks to their potential for monitoring strain in smart structures. The performance of this new technology depends to a large extent on the bonding technique used for its manufacture. Although the related literature has identified a correlation between some efficiency issues and the geometrical parameters of the bonding and mechanical properties of the materials adopted, the phenomenon is still not completely understood. This paper describes an in-depth study of the geometrical and mechanical parameters that influence the efficiency of optical fiber point sensors' surface bonding by synergistically related techniques such as computational simulation, experimental tests, sensor manufacturing, and data analysis. The paper's novelty is fourfold: (1) the investigation of the strain transfer mechanism of surface-bonded fiber optic sensors by considering, for the first time, all the parameters influencing the phenomenon through a considerable number of finite element (FE) analyses (117 three-dimensional FE models); (2) the development of a series of bonding efficiency predictive models; (3) the design of a specific laboratory test to validate the computational outcomes; and (4) the definition of useful guidelines for effective bonding manufacturing in order to maximize the performance of these sensors when acquiring monitoring data.Project Manufacturing Education and Training Governance Model; Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Grant/Award Number: PAID-01-18; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Grant/Award Number: DIMENSION TEC2017-88029-R; H2020 Marie SklodowskaCurie Actions, Grant/Award Number: 722509Floris, I.; Sangiorgio, V.; Adam, JM.; Uva, G.; Rapido, M.; Calderón García, PA.; Madrigal-Madrigal, J. (2021). Effects of bonding on the performance of optical fiber strain sensors. Structural Control and Health Monitoring. 28(9):1-23. https://doi.org/10.1002/stc.278212328

Sonic Crystal Noise Barrier with Resonant Cavities for Train Brake Noise Mitigation

[EN] In an experimental investigation, the development of sonic crystal noise barriers (SCNBs) is undertaken to address the issue of train brake noise (TBN), focusing on the use of local resonances in scatterers of sonic crystals. Recent research has shown that the inclusion of cavity resonators in the crystal scatterers allows for the modification of their insulating properties. In those works, it has been demonstrated that this interaction can be used to build highly insulating structures. The study proposes an SCNB design that includes a resonant cavity specifically to mitigate TBN and validates this design through experimental measures. The experiments confirm the enhanced sound insulation capabilities of SCNBs, compare them to the conventional noise barriers ones and demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed design in real-world scenarios.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MINECO) and the European Union FEDER (project PID2019-109175GB-C22).Ramírez-Solana, D.; Galiana-Nieves, J.; Picó Vila, R.; Redondo, J.; Sangiorgio, V.; Vito Graziano, A.; Parisi, N. (2024). Sonic Crystal Noise Barrier with Resonant Cavities for Train Brake Noise Mitigation. Applied Sciences. 14(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/app1407275314

3D printed concrete blocks made with sustainable recycled material

The use of recovered materials in building construction is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the environmental impacts of the construction sector. Innovative technologies such as 3D construction printing can be applied in combination with recycling strategies in order to optimise their performances also from an environmental point of view. In fact, several studies have proposed the processing of waste material into printable material. At the same time, performance studies must be conducted on the building components produced by these methods. This study proposes a methodological approach to design a 3D printable building component made with recycled materials considering the improvement of thermal performances. In particular, the approach is based on three steps: reuse strategy conception; target performance definition, modelling and iterative simulation; 3D printing setting. The methodological approach has been applied to a 3D printable block using as printable material a cement-based mortar with recycled aggregates and recycled insulating material. As a result, the component’s shape (interlocking and inspired by honeycombs) can be customised to achieve the required thermal performance by using recycled materials in the printing process

The New Boundaries of 3D-Printed Clay Bricks Design: Printability of Complex Internal Geometries

The building construction sector is undergoing one of the most profound transformations towards the digital transition of production. In recent decades, the advent of a novel technology for the 3D printing of clay opened up new sustainable possibilities in construction. Some architectural applications of 3D-printed clay bricks with simple internal configurations are being developed around the world. On the other hand, the full potential of 3D-printed bricks for building production is still unknown. Scientific studies about the design and printability of 3D-printed bricks exploiting complex internal geometries are completely missing in the related literature. This paper explores the new boundaries of 3D-printed clay bricks realized with a sustainable extrusion-based 3D clay printing process by proposing a novel conception, design, and analysis. In particular, the proposed methodological approach includes: (i) conception and design; (ii) parametric modeling; (iii) simulation of printability; and (iv) prototyping. The new design and conception aim to fully exploit the potential of 3D printing to realize complex internal geometry in a 3D-printed brick. To this aim, the research investigates the printability of internal configuration generated by using geometries with well-known remarkable mechanical properties, such as periodic minimal surfaces. In conclusion, the results are validated by a wide prototyping campaign

Comparative Analysis and Mitigation Strategy for the Urban Heat Island Intensity in Bari (Italy) and in Other Six European Cities

The presence of higher air temperatures in the city in comparison with the surrounding rural areas is an alarming phenomenon named the urban heat island (UHI). In the last decade, the scientific community demonstrated the severity of the phenomenon amplified by the combination of heat waves. In southern Italy, the UHI is becoming increasingly serious due to the presence of a warming climate, extensive urbanization and an aging population. In order to extensively investigate such phenomenon in several cities, recent research calibrated quantitative indexes to forecast the maximum UHI intensity in urban districts by exploiting multicriteria approaches and open-source data. This paper proposes different mitigation strategy to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Intensity in Bari. Firstly, the research evaluates the absolute max UHI intensity of the 17 urban districts of Bari (a city in southern Italy, Puglia) by exploiting the recent index-based approach IUHII. Secondly, a comparative evaluation of seven European cities (Bari, Alicante, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Milan and London) is achieved to point out the positives and negative aspects of the different urban districts. In total, the comparison required the analysis of 344 districts of 7 European cities: 17 districts in Bari (Italia); 9 districts in Alicante (Spain); 21 in Madrid (Spain); 80 in Paris (France); 96 in Berlin (Germany); 88 in Milan (Italy) and 33 in London (UK). Finally, the results emphasize some virtuous examples of UHII mitigation in the major European cities useful to draw inspiration for effective mitigation strategies suitable for the urban context of Bari

Comparative Analysis and Mitigation Strategy for the Urban Heat Island Intensity in Bari (Italy) and in Other Six European Cities

The presence of higher air temperatures in the city in comparison with the surrounding rural areas is an alarming phenomenon named the urban heat island (UHI). In the last decade, the scientific community demonstrated the severity of the phenomenon amplified by the combination of heat waves. In southern Italy, the UHI is becoming increasingly serious due to the presence of a warming climate, extensive urbanization and an aging population. In order to extensively investigate such phenomenon in several cities, recent research calibrated quantitative indexes to forecast the maximum UHI intensity in urban districts by exploiting multicriteria approaches and open-source data. This paper proposes different mitigation strategy to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Intensity in Bari. Firstly, the research evaluates the absolute max UHI intensity of the 17 urban districts of Bari (a city in southern Italy, Puglia) by exploiting the recent index-based approach IUHII. Secondly, a comparative evaluation of seven European cities (Bari, Alicante, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Milan and London) is achieved to point out the positives and negative aspects of the different urban districts. In total, the comparison required the analysis of 344 districts of 7 European cities: 17 districts in Bari (Italia); 9 districts in Alicante (Spain); 21 in Madrid (Spain); 80 in Paris (France); 96 in Berlin (Germany); 88 in Milan (Italy) and 33 in London (UK). Finally, the results emphasize some virtuous examples of UHII mitigation in the major European cities useful to draw inspiration for effective mitigation strategies suitable for the urban context of Bari

Integrated Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Masonry Churches Including Architectural and Artistic Assets Based on Macro-element Approach

[EN] Masonry churches represent a significant construction typology at risk from earthquakes, as clearly shown by recent seismic events. For a quick assessment of the vulnerability of historical churches, a very effective method is the well-known form for the evaluation of damage and vulnerability based the macro-element approach. Anyway, in the calculation of the vulnerability index of the method intangible aspects related to architectural, historical and artistic value are not included. This paper proposes a procedure that combines the above-mentioned vulnerability analysis with the evaluation of architectural and artistic assets such as frescoes, statues and paintings, by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process. A site test, involving eight churches in Valencia (Spain) and Tuscany (Italy) regions, shows how important it is to provide a complete overview of a church's structural condition that includes its artworks in order to create a priority scale for the assessment, retrofitting and protection of existing masonry churches.Sangiorgio, V.; Uva, G.; Adam, JM. (2021). Integrated Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Masonry Churches Including Architectural and Artistic Assets Based on Macro-element Approach. International Journal of Architectural Heritage. 15(11):1609-1622. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2019.1709916S16091622151

Failure analysis of reinforced concrete elevated storage tanks

[EN] Assessing the condition of existing structures, with a particular focus on analysing the degradation level, is a complex issue for those responsible for maintenance and monitoring. Elevated storage tanks (water towers) are particularly prone to suffering obsolescence and degradation. As many of these structures are no longer in use and in a poor state of conservation, researchers and local administrators need new tools to achieve a complete overview of the tank condition on a regional scale with limited resources. This paper presents a large-scale structural degradation analysis on the specific structural typology of storage tanks. Firstly, the tanks performances and degradation level are analysed by using a multicriteria approach useful to include both qualitative and quantitative data in the analysis. Secondly, 32 case studies in Valencia (Spain) are investigated to demonstrate the method's potential. Thirdly, the results of the degradation analysis were used to identify the most frequent damage, the related causes and the structures in the worst conditions. Finally, the best maintenance and intervention strategies to extend the tanks' remaining life and protect them from further damage are proposed.Sangiorgio, V.; Uva, G.; Adam, JM.; Scarcelli, L. (2020). Failure analysis of reinforced concrete elevated storage tanks. Engineering Failure Analysis. 115:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2020.104637S116115Catbas, F. N., & Aktan, A. E. (2002). Condition and Damage Assessment: Issues and Some Promising Indices. Journal of Structural Engineering, 128(8), 1026-1036. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9445(2002)128:8(1026)Dağdeviren, M., & Yüksel, İ. (2008). Developing a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model for behavior-based safety management. Information Sciences, 178(6), 1717-1733. doi:10.1016/j.ins.2007.10.016Das, S., & Chew, M. Y. L. (2011). Generic Method of Grading Building Defects Using FMECA to Improve Maintainability Decisions. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 25(6), 522-533. doi:10.1061/(asce)cf.1943-5509.0000206Faggiano, B., Formisano, A., De Gregorio, D., De Lucia, T., & Mazzolani, F. M. (2011). A Quick Level Methodology for the Volcanic Vulnerability Assessment of Buildings. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 82, 639-644. doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.82.639Porco, F., Fiore, A., Uva, G., & Raffaele, D. (2014). The influence of infilled panels in retrofitting interventions of existing reinforced concrete buildings: a case study. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 11(2), 162-175. doi:10.1080/15732479.2013.862726Chew, M. Y. L., Tan, S. S., & Kang, K. H. (2004). Building Maintainability—Review of State of the Art. Journal of Architectural Engineering, 10(3), 80-87. doi:10.1061/(asce)1076-0431(2004)10:3(80)Straub, A. (2009). Dutch standard for condition assessment of buildings. Structural Survey, 27(1), 23-35. doi:10.1108/02630800910941665António Costa Branco de Oliveira Pe, J., Ângelo Vasconcelos de Paiva, J., & José Dâmaso Santos Matos Vilhena, A. (2008). Portuguese method for building condition assessment. Structural Survey, 26(4), 322-335. doi:10.1108/02630800810906566Serre, D., Peyras, L., Tourment, R., & Diab, Y. (2008). Levee Performance Assessment Methods Integrated in a GIS to Support Planning Maintenance Actions. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 14(3), 201-213. doi:10.1061/(asce)1076-0342(2008)14:3(201)Sangiorgio, V., Uva, G., Fatiguso, F., & Adam, J. M. (2019). A new index to evaluate exposure and potential damage to RC building structures in coastal areas. Engineering Failure Analysis, 100, 439-455. doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.02.052Sangiorgio, V., Uva, G., & Fatiguso, F. (2018). User Reporting–Based Semeiotic Assessment of Existing Building Stock at the Regional Scale. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 32(6), 04018079. doi:10.1061/(asce)cf.1943-5509.0001227A. Talon, D. Boisser, J. Hans, M.A. Lacasse, J. Chorier, FMECA and management of building components, 11Dbmc, 2008.Hammoum, H., Bouzelha, K., Ait Aider, H., & Hannachi, N. E. (2014). Tanks criticality assessment by the dependability method. Case study. Engineering Failure Analysis, 41, 10-22. doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2013.07.016Sangiorgio, V., Pantoja, J. C., Varum, H., Uva, G., & Fatiguso, F. (2019). Structural Degradation Assessment of RC Buildings: Calibration and Comparison of Semeiotic-Based Methodology for Decision Support System. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 33(2), 04018109. doi:10.1061/(asce)cf.1943-5509.0001249V. Sangiorgio, Development of a Decision Support System for the structural degradation analysis of RC buildings supported by user-reported data and modern Information Technologies, PhD thesis, 2019.Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping of Valencia, Economic Studies Service, 2013. www.camaravalencia.com.Moreno, J. D., Bonilla, M., Adam, J. M., Victoria Borrachero, M., & Soriano, L. (2015). Determining corrosion levels in the reinforcement rebars of buildings in coastal areas. A case study in the Mediterranean coastline. Construction and Building Materials, 100, 11-21. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.09.059Moreno, J. D., Pellicer, T. M., Adam, J. M., & Bonilla, M. (2018). Exposure of RC building structures to the marine environment of the Valencia coast. Journal of Building Engineering, 15, 109-121. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2017.11.016Adam, J. M., Moreno, J. D., Bonilla, M., & Pellicer, T. M. (2016). Classification of damage to the structures of buildings in towns in coastal areas. Engineering Failure Analysis, 70, 212-221. doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2016.09.00

Card game analysis for fast multi-criteria decision making

Multi-criteria decision methods are very popular in decision-making for many application fields thanks to their versatility and ability to involve qualitative and quantitative data in the analysis. On the other hand, the many of these techniques requires time consuming analysis and the involvement of expert users in the decision-making process. In this paper, a novel method named Card Game Analysis (CGA) is proposed to perform Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) analysis. Such methodology uses a set of cards and a suitable game procedure to perform the analysis, allowing to determine indirectly tabulated weights of involved parameters (criteria, sub-criteria, alternatives, etc.) and obtain the ranking of priorities. The CGA is defined following the footsteps of the ``structuring of the problem’’, typical of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and takes inspiration from an evaluation procedure presented in the related literature. In particular, the CGA is composed by the following steps: (1) structuring of the problem, (2) card setting, (3) card game weights evaluation, (4) synthesis of priorities. Finally, a validation through a comparison with the AHP procedure is performed by exploiting 25 case studies regarding the desirability of the enabling technologies of the Industry 4.0 for a set of companies in the Adriatic Ionian area