Current Issue : January - March Volume : 2017 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
Currently, Living Wall Systems (LWSs) are assuming great importance in the built\nenvironment, due to environmental and aesthetic advantages, as well as the use of\nurban residual space and underutilized surfaces of buildings. However, the maintenance\nand the durability of the materials used have been a challenge for architects and\nprofessionals in the field. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the anti-corrosion performance\nof a steel framing profile, galvanized carbon steel (55% Al-Zn), a sustainable\nmaterial with easy assembly, to apply LWS in the hot and humid tropical climate\nof NiterÃ?³i (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). In order to create the conditions of the tests, ââ?¬Å?Xââ?¬Â\ncut were made in Al-Zn coating, sanding, and application of epoxy and glass fiber-\nreinforced polyester. After the experiments that lasted four months, the 55%\nAl-Zn coating was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and energy\ndispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results of the tests were promising for the\nuse of this galvanized steel for application as a support for green vertical facades. 55%\nAl-Zn coatings are recommended for marine atmospheres due to their good anti-\ncorrosion performance....
Conventional construction methods of reinforced concrete (RC) structures generally require a long construction period and high\ncosts due to many on-site temporary form works. In this study, a prefabricated permanent thin-walled steel form integrated with\nreinforcement cage (PPSFRC) was developed, and it makes for a fast-built construction by reducing the temporary form works.\nAxial compression tests were conducted on a total of 9 test specimens to investigate the structural performances of the newly\ndeveloped columns. The proposed column construction method utilized relatively thinner steel plates compared to conventional\nconcrete-filled tube (CFT) columns, but it was designed to have sufficient resistance performances against the lateral pressure of\nfresh concrete and to prevent the buckling of the thin plates by utilizing the steel angles and channel stiffeners prefabricated in\nthe permanent thin-walled steel form. The experimental results showed that the column specimens fabricated by the PPSFRC\nmethod had better local buckling resistance and behaved in a more ductile manner compared to the conventional CFT columns.\nIn addition, the axial strengths of the test specimens were compared with those estimated by design provisions, and the flexural\nmoments induced by initial imperfection or accidental eccentricity of axial loads were also discussed in detail....
The paper deals with the use of vibro-compressed units with bio-natural components on\nconstruction. The proposed mix design of vibrated blocks consist of cork granules and/or hemp\nshives, with the aim to substitute polymeric elements or expanded clay, together with the use of\nnatural hydraulic lime (NHL) as binder. An experimental campaign is presented, with mechanical\ntests to evaluate the influence of each component on flexural and compression behavior. The proposal\nis also investigated from a productive point of view, considering how it can be harmonized in the\nproductive process of lightweight aggregate concrete units without modifications in the productive\nprocess. The tested elements could perform a certain reduction of the carbon impact, maintaining\ninteresting mechanical properties. The application of the proposed units in several contexts, as\nseparating elements joined with structural components, is considered to improve rehabilitation or to\nobtain higher performances in buildings....
Reinforced Baked Clay (RBC) seems to be potential alternative of Reinforced Cement Concrete\n(RCC) for construction of low cost houses. In order to utilize RBC as a construction material for\nbuildings, it is necessary to understand compression behaviour of baked clay. In this paper, relation\nbetween cube crushing strength and cylinder strength of baked clay is presented. For this\npurpose, clay beams were cast in a mould and compacted at a pressure of 6 MPa. The clay beams\nwere dried and fired in a kiln at a temperature of 900Ã?Å¡C. Cubes of 150 mm size were sawed from a\nbaked clay beam. Cylinders of 150 mm diameter and 300 mm height were cut, from another baked\nclay beam, using core cutter machine. Both the cubes and cylinders were tested for compressive\nstrength in Universal Testing Machine. The results showed that the cube crushing strength of\nbaked clay was 25 MPa and the ratio of the compressive strength of the cylinders and the cubes\nwas found to be 0.6. Suggestions for improvement of compressive strength of baked clay cylinders\nare also discussed....
The aim of this research is to assess the indoor thermal performance of rural dwellings in the\nEcuadorian highlands through both experimental and numerical analysis. A three-step methodology\nwas applied to conduct the research: (a) field data collection, (b) building thermal model development\nand calibration, and (c) comparison analysis and assessment of traditional improvement strategies.\nQualitative and quantitative data were collected from two representative rural dwellings under\ntypical usage conditions. The first is a traditional construction, medium-exposed thermal mass\ndwelling (Case A). The second is a local common, uninsulated, lightweight construction (Case B).\nThe thermal model was calibrated by comparing hourly temperature values of the observed and the\npredicted indoor air temperature. A high correlation level (R2) was achieved between the observed\nand predicted data; 0.89 in Case A and 0.94 in Case B. The results show that the roof, floor, and the\nairtightness are the critical building parameters affecting the indoor thermal environment. Likewise,\nthe indoor air temperature is increased up to 4 ââ??¦C through the implementation of traditional strategies.\nHowever, despite the rise in indoor air temperature, acceptable thermal comfort ranges were only\nreached for 25% of the total hours....
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