Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Obstacles of Alkali-Activated Binders as a Sustainable Alternative
Alkali-activated binders (AABs) are prepared from solid low- or high-calcium aluminosilicate precursors in a strongly alkaline environment, thus generating hardened binders with cement-like properties. In the contemporary literature, the issue of the necessity of distinguishing between AABs and geopolymers has been widely discussed. A geopolymer is defined as a polymer created by the partial dissolution of an aluminosilicate source in a user-friendly alkaline or acidic medium to construct three-dimensional polymeric networks. On the other hand, the mechanism for the creation of AABs is similar to that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), where, instead of calcium silicate hydrate gel, potassium or sodium aluminosilicate hydrate is available. Davidovits makes a distinction even between a geopolymer cement and a binder, stating that cement refers to a binding system that hardens at room temperature (e.g., OPC), while a binder requires heat setting.
  • 1.3K
  • 29 May 2023
Topic Review
Systematic Literature Review of Open Infrastructure BIM
Representation and modeling using the building information modeling (BIM) methodology of civil works have become the subject of increasing attention, thanks to the potential offered by Open Infrastructure BIM (I-BIM). However, the complexity of infrastructure works, i.e., the variety of construction and technological systems, makes Open I-BIM very complex and challenging. The lack of systemic knowledge on the subject is another challenging factor. 
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Jul 2023
Topic Review
New Austrian Tunnelling Method
The New Austrian tunneling method (NATM), also known as the sequential excavation method (SEM) or sprayed concrete lining method (SCL), is a method of modern tunnel design and construction employing sophisticated monitoring to optimize various wall reinforcement techniques based on the type of rock encountered as tunneling progresses. This technique first gained attention in the 1960s based on the work of Ladislaus von Rabcewicz, Leopold Müller, and Franz Pacher between 1957 and 1965 in Austria. The name NATM was intended to distinguish it from earlier methods, with its economic advantage of employing inherent geological strength available in the surrounding rock mass to stabilize the tunnel wherever possible rather than reinforcing the entire tunnel. NATM/SEM is generally thought to have helped revolutionise the modern tunneling industry. Many modern tunnels have used this excavation technique. The works built by the Sequential Excavation Method are very attractive from the economic point of view and reasonable in karst conditions.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Microbial-Induced Calcite Precipitation in Unsaturated Soil
Unsaturated soil is a form of natural soil whose pores are filled by air and water. Different from saturated soil, the microstructure of unsaturated soil consists of three phases, namely, the solid phase (soil particle), vapor phase, and liquid phase. Due to the matric suction of soil pores, the hydraulic and mechanical behaviors of unsaturated soils present a significant dependence on the moisture condition, which usually results in a series of unpredictable risks, including foundation settlement, landslide, and dam collapse. Microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is a novel and environmentally friendly technology that can improve the water stability of unsaturated soft or expansive soils.
  • 1.3K
  • 27 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Geopolymers vs. Cement Matrix Materials
Geopolymers are spreading more and more in the cementitious materials field, exhibiting technological properties that are highly competitive to conventional Portland concrete mixes.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Building Information Modelling for Post-Disaster Reconstruction
Disasters can be defined as “an action that causes a threat to life, well-being, material goods, and the environment from the extremes of natural processes or technology” . Natural and human-made disasters affect the built environment. The large-scale damages caused by infrastructures and houses are accompanied by injuries and fatalities, reversal or stagnation of the local economy, and mislaying of livelihood sources. Post-disaster reconstruction (PDR) has been gaining more attention in the world because of frequent natural environment disasters, such as earthquakes tsunamis, and other activities, caused by human-made factors, such as conflicts and wars, which have raised the importance of PDR.
  • 1.3K
  • 15 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Historic-Building Information Modeling and Artificial Intelligence
Heritage- or Historic-Building Information Modeling (H-BIM) reconstruction from laser scanning or photogrammetric surveys is a manual, time-consuming, overly subjective process, but the emergence of AI techniques, applied to the realm of existing architectural heritage, is offering new ways to interpret, process and elaborate raw digital surveying data, as point clouds. The proposed methodological approach for higher-level automation in Scan-to-BIM reconstruction is threaded as follows: (i) semantic segmentation via Random Forest and import of annotated data in 3D modeling environment, broken down class by class; (ii) reconstruction of template geometries of classes of architectural elements; (iii) propagation of template reconstructed geometries to all elements belonging to a typological class. Visual Programming Languages (VPLs) and reference to architectural treatises are leveraged for the Scan-to-BIM reconstruction. 
  • 1.3K
  • 01 Apr 2024
Topic Review
Cement-Based Piezoelectric Ceramic Composites
Compatibility, a critical issue between sensing material and host structure, significantly influences the detecting performance (e.g., sensitive, signal-to-noise ratio) of the embedded sensor. To address this issue in concrete-based infrastructural health monitoring, cement-based piezoelectric composites (piezoelectric ceramic particles as a function phase and cementitious materials as a matrix) have attracted continuous attention in the past two decades, dramatically exhibiting superior durability, sensitivity, and compatibility.
  • 1.3K
  • 13 May 2021
Topic Review
Textile-reinforced Concrete
Embedding reinforcing textiles into inorganic matrices is an innovative technique which offers the possibility to manufacture thin, slender, and lightweight but robust structural elements. Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a promising composite material with enormous potential in structural applications because it offers the possibility to construct slender, lightweight, and robust elements. 
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Wearing Course Materials Modified with Waste Plastic
Roads and bridges are one of the most crucial components of infrastructure engineering and they play a vital role in lifetimes. Bituminous mixture is a composite material made up of other distinct materials, employed in a range of civil engineering tasks, such as the construction of roads. It consists of mineral aggregate, bitumen, and air voids, which are the main components of bituminous mixture, blended and then laid and compacted to form the surface of roads. Asphalt pavement or flexible pavement is widely employed throughout the globe. Asphalt pavement has good riding quality, and it is much cheaper to construct, in comparison to concrete or rigid pavements. HMA mixtures for asphalt pavement are divided into three main categories: dense-graded mixture, open-graded mixture, and gap-graded mixture.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Natural Pozzolan in Concrete
For several decades, class F fly ash has been an attractive supplementary cementitious material, at least in part, due to its ability to reduce Portland cement consumption and mitigate alkali-silica reactions in concrete. However, fly ash availability is becoming uncertain as the energy industry decommissions coal burning power plants as it transitions to renewable energy production. This situation creates a need to identify viable and sustainable alternative supplementary cementitious materials. There are several types of supplementary cementitious materials, such as natural pozzolans, metakaolin, or ground granulated blast-furnace slag, which appear to be potential alternatives to fly ash in concrete. In this research, a locally available natural pozzolan (pumicite) was selected to replace fly ash in concrete. After conducting alkali-silica reaction tests on mortar mixtures, rheological and strength properties, shrinkage, resistance to freezing and thawing, and chloride ion permeability of concrete mixtures containing different amounts of fly ash and natural pozzolan were evaluated. The results showed that pumicite was more effective than fly ash at mitigating the alkali-silica reaction, and a pumicite content of 20% was necessary to mitigate the alkali-silica reaction. Ternary mixtures containing both pumicite and fly ash were the most effective cementitious materials combinations for mitigating the alkali-silica reaction expansion. Additionally, pumicite provided acceptable compressive strength and modulus of rupture values (greater than 4.0 MPa) that exceeded the flexural strengths provided by established mixtures containing only fly ash. Shrinkage and durability factor values for all mixtures were less than 710 μstrain and greater than 75, which are generally considered acceptable. Additionally, all mixtures with acceptable alkali-silica reaction expansions had very low chloride permeability. These results indicate that pumicite can be a reliable alternative for fly ash.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Building Information Modelling for Application in Geotechnical Engineering
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the modern technology of digital transformation in architecture and engineering. The technology includes software and multi-disciplinary data processing procedures for designing, documentation and modeling.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Connected Vehicles
Connected and autonomous vehicles and cooperative intelligent transportation systems (C-ITSs) are new technologies that will impact traffic control and management.
  • 1.2K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Applications of Solar Panel Waste in Pavement Construction
Waste from used solar panels will be a worldwide problem in the near future mainly due to the strong uptake in solar energy and the necessity of disposing solar panel systems at the end–of–life stage, as these materials are hazardous. While new techniques and strategies are often investigated to manage the end–of–life of solar panels effectively, there is huge potential in recycling and reusing solar panel waste as components for alternate products. Numerous studies have been conducted on using alternate materials instead of conventional materials in pavement construction.The findings present opportunities to use different solar panel waste materials such as glass, aluminium (Al), silicon (Si), and polymer waste as potential replacement materials in various types of pavement construction.
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Time-Cost Optimization Models in Construction Management
The construction sector is a crucial contributor to the national and global economy. Therefore, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of construction projects can have a significant impact on gross domestic product (GDP). However, managing construction projects can be challenging due to the uncertainties and complexities involved. The three primary interrelated constraints of construction projects, namely, time, scope, and cost, require effective management to ensure successful completion. To optimize the time and cost of construction projects, various optimization models and techniques have been proposed. 
  • 1.2K
  • 06 May 2023
Topic Review
Sustainable Smoke Extraction System
Smoke extraction systems, either static with natural ventilation, or dynamic with mechanical ventilation are required to keep smoke layer at high levels in many tall atria. It is observed that a design fire with high heat release rate (HRR) is commonly used for designing natural vents, but a low HRR is used for mechanical ventilation system. This will not produce a sustainable environment. A sustainable smoke extraction system is proposed by combining natural and mechanical ventilation.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Prefabrication in Construction Industry
Prefabrication is a well-established method that is widely accepted and executed across many countries around the globe. Much work goes into prefabrication projects that span across several project phases. Some of the most unique and important aspects are acquiring raw materials, manufacturing, transporting, and installing prefabricated elements on a site. Post-occupancy, the study of the on-site performance of end products, validates the achievement of the expected design objectives, furthering the development of the project processes, and also helps identify research voids that must be filled. Technology has a way of expanding as it upgrades itself by virtue of growth in research and development areas. There is an ever-growing demand for the adaptation of new technologies in the prefab industry. Many stakeholders such as the clients, contractors, industry practitioners (e.g., architects/designers), and end-users are involved in this process, and it is important to consider their perspectives.
  • 1.2K
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Factors Affecting Carbonate Crystallization in EICP Treatment
Urea hydrolysis involves the breakdown of urea in water. The result of this reaction forms calcite in the presence of a calcium source. The reaction can be 10 to the power of 14 times faster than the chemical (un-catalysed) urea hydrolysis in the presence of a catalyst (urease enzyme). The improvement in EICP treatment is based on the precipitation of calcium carbonate within the treated soil matrix. It is thus important to shed light on the crystallographic patterns, such as size, shape, and distribution of precipitates since they play a significant role in defining the mechanical properties of EICP bio-cemented soils. The main factors that affect crystallization are the temperature, urease activity, pH level of the cementing solution, and concentration of cementation solution. These factors are discussed in some detail below.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
3D Printing in Construction
Using 3D printing in the construction industry is gaining attention as a high-potential means of digitalization and automation of the construction process. Digital fabrication in construction would help reduce the environmental and economic impact of the building industry, allowing to realize efficient and sustainable structures for the future. Various types of large-scale 3D printing techniques and construction materials can be used. 
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Cooling Load of Radiant Systems
The cooling load of systems refers to the heat removed from a room to the outside environment and adjacent rooms, which is based on some parameters such as zone climate data, location, usage, and so on. The cooling capacity of a radiant system represents the amount of cooling required at a specific moment to keep a stable room temperature. It is a basic parameter of radiant systems and an important reference for system design and operation. In addition, The changes of surface heat transfer coefficient also cause changes of cooling load and cooling capacity of the radiant system. Based on above background, current situation of researchers' studies on the cooling load is summarized, cooling capacity and surface heat transfer coefficient of radiant systems.
  • 1.2K
  • 23 Aug 2023
  • Page
  • of
  • 23
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback