Damage based reliability of smart industrialised building system for residential units

SMART Industrialised Building System (IBS) is the invention of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) researcher. The system is targeted to resist earthquakes up to 6.0 Richter scale. However, the damage based reliability of one storey SMART IBS system may become a serious concern before the product is commercialised to the countries that prone to earthquakes. In this research, scaled 1: 5 model was developed according to the Buckingham Pi Theorem and Similitude Theory. Therefore, the experimental results of scaled 1:5 model are representing the real behaviour of full scaled model and then damage based reliability of one storey of SMART IBS system on seismic performance were studied. Four types of laboratory tests with scaled 1:5 were conducted which were beam flexural test, single column pushover test, two bay frames with wall panels pushover test and vibration test of one model of residential unit. In comparison between experimental test and nonlinear finite element analysis, the results were proven to have similarities in linear and nonlinear behaviour in terms of failure modes and strength profiles. The structure was assessed based on three different performance levels that were Immediate Occupancy (IO), Life Safety (LS) and Collapse Prevention (CP). Five damage ranks ranges from 1 to 5, five damage index ranges from 0 to 1 and five damage states that were Slight, Light, Medium, Heavy and Collapse were proposed based on the damage intensities of the components. The damage based reliability procedure and equation were developed to obtain a structural damage based reliability index. The proposed damage based reliability analysis starts with the determination of weighting factor of part in a component. Then, the weighting factor was multiplied with damage ranking score to obtain the damage score. The probability of failure of a component was determined by total damage score of component in the cumulative distribution function of the damage score. The damage based reliability index was obtained by one minus the probability of failure of component. One storey SMART IBS system was proven very reliable with damage based reliability index of 1 for earthquake peak ground acceleration (PGA) ranges from 0.05g to 5.3g

The role of linked building data (LBD) in aligning augmented reality (AR) with sustainable construction

Over the years, the construction industry has been evolving to embrace the delicate balance between buildings and a sustainable environment by optimizing resource use to create greener and more energy efficient constructions. Sustainable building design and optimization is a highly iterative and complicated process. This is mainly attributed to the complex interaction between the different heterogenous but heuristic construction processes, building systems and workflows involved in achieving this goal. Augmented Reality (AR) has rapidly emerged as a revolutionary technology that could play a key role towards improving coordination of sustainable design processes. AR makes possible the real-time visualization of a three-dimensional (3D) building prototype with linked design information in a real-world environment based on a two-dimensional drawing. From past research, it is evident that this technology relies heavily on a common data environment (CDE) that syncs all construction processes with their related building information in one central model. However, due to the fragmented nature of the construction industry, different domain experts generate and exchange vast amounts of heterogenous information using different software tools outside a CDE. This paper therefore investigates the performance gap that exists within Malaysia’s construction industry towards using linked building data (LBD) with AR to improve the lifecycle sustainability of buildings. The results of this study clearly delineate how current construction practices in Malaysia do not favor the use of AR however, stakeholder perception is positive towards adoption of workflows that link heterogenous building data to streamline AR with sustainable building design and construction

Linked MaaS: a vision for leveraging semantic web technologies for mobility as a service.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) promises to dissolve the boundaries of today's transport network through the integration of transport modes. However, stakeholders such as the operators, public transport authorities, or end-user routing application developers, are facing interoperability barriers in the way of providing a seamless travel experience. To identify, understand, and devise a plan for integration, we must first be able to clearly define the interoperability requirements of MaaS. In this paper, we propose a framework consisting of 6 layers: (i) the Stakeholder layer, (ii) the Data layer, (iii) the Infrastructure layer, (iv) the Ownership layer, (v) the Auth layer, and (vi) the Connection layer. In each layer, we outline the opportunities for Semantic Web technologies. In addition, each layer is equipped with use-cases to illustrate the application of the framework. Through the Linked MaaS framework, we formulate a baseline that extends the research focus of semantics in transportation and builds a guideline for the development of an explicitly defined and understood MaaS

Future-proofing Klang Valley’s veins with REBET: a framework for directing transportation technologies towards infrastructure resilience.

The transportation industry is in the midst of a revolution with technologies, such as shared vehicles, drones, and autonomous vehicles, that are poised to reshape the way we move. Yet, the multitude of technologies present a difficulty in prioritizing which technologies should be invested in. While focusing on Klang Valley's transportation system, this research proposes the REsilience Brittleness and Emerging Technologies (REBET) framework, which aims to identify the transportation technologies with the highest potential of strengthening the system's resilience. We used a Dephi technique to identify the Sources of Brittleness (SBs) in the system and technologies with the highest relevance to the Malaysian setting. Using multiple linear regression, we then derived a relationship between the two aspects. The framework defines the relative resilience of the technologies according to their forecasted ability to eliminate system brittleness. The results ranked 23 technologies, with the topmost recommendations being ITS, Big Data, and Smart Buses. We highlight REBET's robustness as a global decision-making tool for infrastructure managers, researchers, and policymakers to identify ideal technologies for their transportation systems

Deploying a Deep Learning-based Application for an Efficient Thermal Energy Storage Air-Conditioning (TES-AC) System: Design Guidelines

Facility management and maintenance of the Thermal-Energy-Storage AirConditioning (TES-AC) system is a tedious task at a large scale mainly due to the charging load that can increase energy consumption if needed to be charged at peak hours. Besides, maintenance of TES-AC at a large scale gets complex as it contains many sensor data. By utilizing deep learning techniques on the sensor data, charging load prediction can be made possible, so facility managers can prepare in advance. However, a deep learning-based application will be unusable if it is not deployed in a userfriendly manner where facility managers can benefit from this application. Hence, this research focuses on gathering design guidelines for a deep learning-based application and further validates the design considerations with a developed application for efficient human-computer interaction through qualitative analysis. The approach taken to gather design guidelines demonstrated a positive correlation between expert-suggested features and the user-friendly aspect of the application as 67.08% of participants found the features suggested by experts to be most satisfactory. Furthermore, it evaluates user satisfaction with the advanced developed application for TES-AC according to the gathered design guidelines

Genome sequence and genetic linkage analysis of Shiitake mushroom _Lentinula edodes_

_Lentinula edodes_ (Shiitake/Xianggu) is an important cultivated mushroom. Understanding the genomics and functional genomics of _L. edodes_ allows us to improve its cultivation and quality. Genome sequence is a key to develop molecular genetic markers for breeding and genetic manipulation. We sequenced the genome of _L. edodes_ monokaryon L54A using Roche 454 and ABI SOLiD genome sequencing. Sequencing reads of about 1400Mb were de novo assembled into a 40.2 Mb genome sequence. We compiled the genome sequence into a searchable database with which we have been annotating the genes and analyzing the metabolic pathways. In addition, we have been using many molecular techniques to analyze genes differentially expressed during development. Gene ortholog groups of _L. edodes_ genome sequence compared across genomes of several fungi including mushrooms identified gene families unique to mushroom-forming fungi. We used a mapping population of haploid basidiospores of dikaryon L54 for genetic linkage analysis. High-quality variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions, and deletions of the mapping population formed a high-density genetic linkage map. We compared the linkage map to the _L. edodes_ L54A genome sequence and located selected quantitative trait loci. The Shiitake community will benefit from these resources for genetic studies and breeding.
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Flexural strength of special reinforced lightweight concrete beam for Industrialised Building System (IBS)

Special reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (SRLWAC) beam is designed as beam component in Industrialised Building System (IBS). It is used to overcome the difficulties during the component installation due to the heavy lifting task. This paper presents the flexural strength and performance of SRLWAC beam under vertical static load. SRLWAC beam was set-up on two columns corbel and tested under monotonic vertical load. Five Linear Variable Displacement Transducers (LVDTs) were instrumented in the model to record displacement. The ultimate flexural capacity of the beam was obtained at the end of experiment where failure occurred. Performance of the beam was evaluated in load-displacement relationship of beam and mode of failure. SRLWAC beam was then modelled and simulated by nonlinear finite element software- Autodesk Simulation Mechanical. Result from finite element analysis was verified by experimental result. Maximum mid-span displacement, Von-Mises stress, concrete maximum principal stress, and yielding strength of reinforcement were discussed in this paper. The beam was behaved elastically up to 90 kN and deformed plastically until ultimate capacity of 250.1 kN in experimental test. The maximum mid span displacement for experimental and simulation were 15.21 mm and 15.36 mm respectively. The major failure of IBS SRLWAC beam was the splitting of the concrete and yielding of main reinforcements at overlay end. Ductility ratio of IBS SRLWAC beam was 14.2, which was higher than pre-stressed concrete beam

Spatial-temporal abundance and diversity of larval fish in different water bodies (Estuary and Adjacent Coastal Waters) from Sungai Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

During larval form, various factors will affect the distributions of fish which lead to spatio-temporal variation of their assemblage. Studies on the variation provide knowledge in understanding the fish ecology. Present study aims to survey the fish larval occurrence in the estuary of Sungai Terengganu and its adjacent waters. A total of 402 larvae samples were collected using a 100 μm mesh sized Bongo net. About 334 samples were identified belonging to 23 families while the rest (equivalent to 16.92% of total catch) were unidentifiable. Three most abundant recorded families are Gobiidae (19.65% of total catch, 2.22 indv. 100 m-3), Ambassidae (12.94% of total catch, 1.47 indv. 100 m-3) and Apogonidae (9.45% of total catch, 1.02 indv. 100 m-3). Based on cluster analysis, fish larvae were divided into two groups whereby one from estuary of Sungai Terengganu and another one from its adjacent coastal water with little overlapping between them. Estuary observed higher larval density than adjacent coastal waters while larval taxa diversity recorded to be higher in the adjacent coastal waters compared to the estuary. Throughout sampling months, two larval mean density peaks were observed during June 2019 (76.19 indv. 100 m-3) and January 2020 (105.38 indv. 100 m-3)

Standard verification test for Industrialised Building System (IBS) repetitive manufacturing

New innovative Industrialised Building System (IBS) has been implemented in Malaysia. It is a sustainable approach, innovative technique and implements repetitive manufacturing using green materials. This paper presents one of the standard tests to check the design and strength of IBS components via an experimental flexural test and then verify the finite element analysis. One IBS frame was set-up, tested with two points of monotonic vertical loading, and analysed by Abaqus 6.12 software. The structural performance in nonlinear state was evaluated in load-displacement relationship of beam, crack pattern, mode of failure, and stresses at concrete and connection deformation to guide the further components inspection