bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The overlooked significance of plasma volume for successful adaptation to high altitude in Sherpa and Andean natives
Authors: Stembridge Mike , Williams Alexandra M. , Gasho Christopher , Dawkins Tony G. , Drane Aimee , Villafuerte Francisco C. , Levine Benjamin D. , Shave Rob , Ainslie Philip N.
Published: July 2019

In contrast to Andean natives, high-altitude Tibetans present with a lower hemoglobin concentration that correlates with reproductive success and exercise capacity. Decades of physiological and genomic research have assumed that the lower hemoglobin concentration in Himalayan natives results from a blunted erythropoietic response to hypoxia (i.e., no increase in total hemoglobin mass). In contrast, herein we test the hypothesis that the lower hemoglobin concentration is the result of greater plasma volume, rather than an absence of increased hemoglobin production. We assessed hemoglobin mass, plasma volume and blood volume in lowlanders at sea level, lowlanders acclimatized to high altitude, Himalayan Sherpa, and Andean Quechua, and explored the functional relevance of volumetric hematological measures to exercise capacity. Hemoglobin mass was highest in Andeans, but also was elevated in Sherpa compared with lowlanders. Sherpa demonstrated a larger plasma volume than Andeans, resulting in a comparable total blood volume at a lower hemoglobin concentration. Hemoglobin mass was positively related to exercise capacity in lowlanders at sea level and in Sherpa at high altitude, but not in Andean natives. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a unique adaptation in Sherpa that reorientates attention away from hemoglobin concentration and toward a paradigm where hemoglobin mass and plasma volume may represent phenotypes with adaptive significance at high altitude.
Article Commentary: Retention in Care as a Quality Measure for Opioid use Disorder
Authors: Martin Stephen A. , Chiodo Lisa M. , Wilson Amanda
Published: July 2019

US health care systems are struggling to formulate quality metrics that are patient-centered and describe outcomes rather than processes. Addiction medicine is no exception. Of particular interest is the identification of quality metrics in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. The prevalence and lethality of OUD, together with concomitant efforts to increase provision of its care, makes well-designed and validated quality metrics especially important. One insightful approach has been to use the “cascade of care” model derived from human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) care. A core part of the cascade is “retention in care,” a concept initially identified during the development of methadone-based OUD care. Not only is retention in care associated with improved morbidity and mortality, it also offers strategic approaches to improving care for OUD. This paper provides an introduction to retention in care and its implications for quality measurement.
Moving beyond Perceived Riskiness: Marijuana-Related Beliefs and Marijuana use in Adolescents
Authors: Chadi Nicholas , Levy Sharon , Weitzman Elissa R.
Published: July 2019

Background: Perceived riskiness of marijuana in adolescents has been trending downward in the context of increasing legality and availability. Low perceived riskiness has been associated with marijuana use though evidence is lacking on associations among use and more specific claims about marijuana's safety and benefit, improved understanding of which could guide clinical interventions to reduce use.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional survey data collected from 502 adolescents aged 14–18 years recruited from an urban adolescent primary care clinic. Self-report questionnaires were administered via tablet computer. Use of marijuana was assessed with a brief validated screening tool, and agreement with each of five statements about marijuana's riskiness and health properties were reported using a four-point Likert scale. We conducted multivariable logistic regressions to determine the association between perceived riskiness and other marijuana-related beliefs and past-year marijuana use.

Results: In total, 149 adolescents reported past-year marijuana use (29.7%). High overall perceived risk was associated with lower rates of past-year use (AOR 0.27, 95%CI: 0.15–0.48). Agreement with positive health beliefs that “marijuana can help teenagers focus in school” and that “marijuana is safe because it's natural” were associated with past-year marijuana use (respectively, AOR 5.50, 95%CI: 3.06–9.88 and AOR 6.61, 95%CI: 3.59–12.19) while agreement with negative health beliefs that “marijuana can affect youth even after they don't feel high anymore” and that “marijuana can be addictive” were both associated with lower rates of use (AOR 0.56, 95%CI: 0.31–0.99, and AOR 0.30, 95%CI: 0.16–0.56, respectively), adjusting for sociodemographic factors and use of other substances.

Conclusions: Marijuana use varied in association with beliefs about its beneficial and harmful health properties. Clinical interventions that target specific marijuana-related health beliefs including unfounded claims of benefit may provide robust talking points for centering provider guidance and public health messaging.
A review of energy harvesting using piezoelectric materials: state-of-the-art a decade later (2008–2018)
Authors: Safaei Mohsen , Sodano Henry A , Anton Steven R
Published: July 2019

Energy harvesting technologies have been explored by researchers for more than two decades as an alternative to conventional power sources (e.g. batteries) for small-sized and low-power electronic devices. The limited life-time and necessity for periodic recharging or replacement of batteries has been a consistent issue in portable, remote, and implantable devices. Ambient energy can usually be found in the form of solar energy, thermal energy, and vibration energy. Amongst these energy sources, vibration energy presents a persistent presence in nature and manmade structures. Various materials and transduction mechanisms have the ability to convert vibratory energy to useful electrical energy, such as piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and electrostatic generators. Piezoelectric transducers, with their inherent electromechanical coupling and high power density compared to electromagnetic and electrostatic transducers, have been widely explored to generate power from vibration energy sources. A topical review of piezoelectric energy harvesting methods was carried out and published in this journal by the authors in 2007. Since 2007, countless researchers have introduced novel materials, transduction mechanisms, electrical circuits, and analytical models to improve various aspects of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices. Additionally, many researchers have also reported novel applications of piezoelectric energy harvesting technology in the past decade. While the body of literature in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting has grown significantly since 2007, this paper presents an update to the authors’ previous review paper by summarizing the notable developments in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting through the past decade.
Integration of urban agriculture in public areas. The case of the ex-military camp “Karatassiou” in Thessaloniki
Authors: Maknea K I , Tzortzi-J.Georgi N
Published: July 2019

The increase in interest in urban cultivation of edible eco-products has been the principle of the creation of movements and various groups of initiatives with a focus on agriculture, public health and information. Their aim is to return to nature, address the nutritional economy, organic nutrition, social relationships, and acquire specialist knowledge. The claim for the creation of urban agriculture areas such as public gardens and more specifically in inactive camps is based on ecologically sustainable and socially equitable development, the use of available natural resources in a sustainable manner and the rehabilitation of the bioclimatic intervention site.

As a case study was selected, the inactive camp (area of 689.000 m2), where the self-managed venture of the group “Peri-urban Cultivators” was developed. The aim is, to acquire a triple role in the area: green vegetable garden, recreation area and leisure park, without disturbing the historicity. The proposal is based on the principle of simplicity, using native flora, recyclable and eco-friendly materials and the existing infrastructure. Particular gravity was given to preserve the existing balance of space, with the functions, which have developed over time.

The elements of originality of the present work are identified by the use of more methodological tools such as: recording and analysis of existing state of the site, processing of questionnaires distributed to the self-managing group of growers and lastly, the processing of results from the open consultation of the municipality with the society the future sustainable development of the site.

Questions were used with elements of landscape architecture design focusing on: approaching the view of the general ecological park design and expanding and shaping the vegetable gardens with social and sustainable criteria. The results of the survey were elaborated using the statistical program S.P.S.S. highlighting the bases for a balanced proposal to redevelop an inactive camp. The research has highlighted the mistakes of the past in many areas and has mobilized the world with the aim of surviving or improving its life, in terms of quality and not just quantity. It also highlighted the sensitivity of the world to the environment and its preference for the use of eco-products.
Assessing the impact of selective demolition techniques on C&D waste management
Authors: Ruggeri M , Pantini S , Rigamonti L
Published: July 2019

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is one of the heaviest and most voluminous waste streams generated nowadays in the world. Improper management of C&D waste often results in considerable environmental impacts. This study investigates the potential environmental impacts related to the end-of-life stage of buildings, focusing on how the use of different demolition techniques can influence the performances of the entire system of waste management. The main aim is to investigate if and how the environmental impacts associated to the selective demolition, that may be even higher than the ones associated to traditional techniques, are compensated by the benefits deriving from the waste recovery, reuse and recycling, that selective demolition is expected to maximize. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology is used to analyse and compare different scenarios: a selective demolition scenario for a residential building is compared with a traditional demolition one. Primary site-specific data supplied by demolition companies has been used. Indeed, unexpectedly, the selective demolition scenario results worse than the traditional one. Actions to improve the selective demolition have thus been identified.
Impact of vehicular emissions in an urban area of the Po valley by microscale simulation with the GRAL dispersion model
Authors: Fabbi S , Asaro S , Bigi A , Teggi S , Ghermandi G
Published: July 2019

This work sets out the test of the GRAL model (Graz Lagrangian Model, vs.18.1) in the urban area of Modena (Po valley, Northern Italy). The simulation domain sizes 2 000 x 3 000 m2 and it features ‘microscale’ cells of 4 x 4 m2. The simulation focuses on an intersection featured by large traffic flows next to a school and a regulatory air quality monitoring station classified as an urban traffic site. The model is a lagrangian particle dispersion model and it takes into account the presence of buildings as obstacles and generating microscale wind fields accordingly, making this class of model suitable for investigating spatial pattern of atmospheric pollution in urban areas where local accumulation might occur. The simulation investigates traffic emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the period October 29 to November 10, 2016, when direct measurements of traffic flow were collected by four one-channel doppler radar traffic counters. These counters provided continuous estimate of vehicle length, speed and number. These latter data were combined with available traffic flows at rush hour by PTV VISUM mobility software and the fleet composition of the municipality to estimate the total NOx emissions by vehicular traffic over the roads included in the simulation domain. NOx simulated concentrations showed a moderate correlation with the NOx observations at the nearby monitoring site. To have a better insight on the potential and the limitations of the GRAL model, its results will be compared with the output of the lagrangian particle dispersion model PMSS over the same area.
Chameleon Building
Authors: Mandaglio M
Published: July 2019

The research lines that are outlined for the next few years identify the most promising innovation territory for the development of resilient envelopes in materials and construction systems. In the last two decades, this research lines has fuelled the development and then the entry on the market of different materials supported by a growing demand for resilience and characterized by the adoption of different approaches: from the design of the same material to the modification of some of its characteristics, obtained by technological transfer both within the same building sector, both from other sectors already tested, from the “eco-active” ones to obtain self-cleaning surfaces, up to PCM Phase Change Material, TIM Transparent Insulation Material, Aerogel, ETFE Ethylene, a polymer made of a translucent and resilient plastic film an air cushion that inflates and deflates according to weather conditions. To this, adds the strong contribution of SMART systems that produce sensitive and responsive envelopes that define its new resilient character. Another approach inherent in the adaptive requisite of buildings is that following the dictates of Biomimetic, it directs studies towards the realization of iridescent facades in the material-functional and language responses, to the different solicitations deriving from the contexts.

Assuming nature as a model, measurement we study materials and components that react to environmental stimuli in an organic and passive way. These highly adaptive strategies could substantially contribute to the realization of resilient envelopes. The use of innovative materials and systems would therefore in a certain sense “tune” the building to the climate, in fact with the right sensors and controls the building is able to respond to weather conditions in real time.
Thermal performance evaluation of a low-cost housing ceiling prototype made with gypsum and sisal fibre panels
Authors: Pinto C C , Carvalho R F
Published: July 2019

Social housing needs and constructive demands required new constructive solutions based on the use of innovative materials, aiming energy efficiency, reducing waste, maintains of buildings and pollutants such as CO2. The composites materials with a ceramic matrix and fibres as reinforcement originate materials widely used in building industry. However, the study of the thermal performance of these composites materials as a ceiling prototype panels contributes to the determination of the internal temperatures and thermal comfort achieve by the social house. The present research had the purpose of conceiving and evaluating the thermal performance of a low-cost ceiling prototype panels made of a gypsum composite reinforced with sisal nonwoven (“in nature”), located in Salvador, Napoli, Barcelona and Marseille, by means of computer simulations for testing the improvements of the original gypsum ceiling. Among the composites used in this study are the following conformations: gypsum-sisal-gypsum (GMG), gypsum-sisal-sisal-gypsum (GMMG), gypsum-sisal-gypsum-sisal-gypsum (GMGMG). From obtained results, general guidelines were drawn for improving indoor comfort condition for summer at each location.
An overview on contemporary rammed earth buildings: technological advances in production, construction and material characterization
Authors: Giuffrida G , Caponetto R , Cuomo M
Published: July 2019

Raw earth is a traditional material used worldwide in vernacular architectures. For its wide availability, recyclability and low embodied energy in its life cycle, earth is acknowledged as one of the most environmentally sustainable material. Earth construction diffusion has been slowed by the lack of broadly accepted standards. Due to it, earth has been used as an artisanal material or adapted to existing technologies in combination with high embodied energy materials as steel, concrete and EPS or PU insulations (as in rammed earth technique, from now on RE). Aim of the research is to propose an innovative RE constructive technology, more coherent with the sustainable features of the base material, which can reach the high performances and the quality target required by the constructions sector using a low-tech prefabrication process. Prefabrication of RE elements can also reduce the construction times and the risks of technological faults, enhancing the quality of the entire building. The basic idea is to create manageable and transportable rammed earth panels with superior mechanical and thermal performances. The prefabrication under controlled conditions ensures a high-quality product which can be combined, on site, with a reinforcing timber structure with anti-seismic function. A characterization campaign on different local soils has been performed in order to implement the desired RE elements. The soils have been analysed with a set of geotechnical tests and qualitative assessments in order to detect their suitability for constructions. Once a suitable soil has been identified, a physical and / or chemical stabilization is needed to improve the physical features, mechanical characteristics and thermal properties of the natural soil. In the last section of the paper, the first results on natural local soil and engineered soil (an optimized mix of soil, sand and gravel) are presented and compared to identify a suitable material for the RE panel.
Thermo-hygrometric behavior of hempcrete walls for sustainable building construction in the Mediterranean area
Authors: Aversa P , Daniotti B , Dotelli G , Marzo A , Tripepi C , Sabbadini S , Lauriola P , Luprano V A M
Published: July 2019

Recent studies have demonstrated that the use of natural materials represents one of the pathways to achieve energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in buildings. In the framework of Circular Economy policies aimed at reducing the consumption of raw materials, shives, as an agricultural by-product of hemp cultivation, have gained a renovated life in the construction sector. Among all the building products made of hemp, hempcrete blocks are the most innovative, because they represent the solution to the needs of new and traditional buildings, offering a high energy saving, combined with the sustainability of materials and products, while remaining, in terms of shape and size, very close to the culture and the construction systems best known by professionals. In order to assess the potential benefits of hempcrete in the construction sector, its environmental performances were evaluated using the LCA methodology, following the international standard ISO 14044:2006+A1:2018 and in compliance with the European standard EN 15804:2012+A1:2013. To this purpose, four non-loadbearing walls were compared in the “cradle-to-gate” scenario, one made with hempcrete blocks and the others with more “traditional” materials. This research aims to be a basis for the development of future guidelines at national and international level in order to guarantee the maximum diffusion of this type of product also in the Mediterranean area. For this reason, it is important to identify the performance characteristics essential for hempcrete products studying their behavior not only as defined in the UNI EN ISO 12571, 2013 standard, but also in the Mediterranean climate. To achieve these objectives, some tests have been carried out to verify the thermo-hygrometric behavior. A 1 m2 of hempcrete wall was submitted to tests in a climatic chamber which simulated the environmental conditions typical of the south of Italy, in terms of temperature and moisture, in order to evaluate thermo-hygrometric behavior of hempcrete. Sensors and thermo-flowmeters for parameter analysis were applied on the wall. On the same material was carried out hygroscopic sorption tests as defined in the UNI_EN_ISO12571,2013 standard. The behavior detected by the experimental measurements on the masonry was compared with the simulated numerical behavior using WUFI software.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis of renders and paints for the restoration of historical buildings
Authors: Bonoli A , Franzoni E
Published: July 2019

A significant percentage of the building stock in Europe was built before 1950, hence the restoration, retrofitting and renovation of historical buildings is of paramount importance not only for society, but also for the overall sustainability of the construction sector, which is known to have a huge environmental impact. In particular, the application of new paints and renders is extremely common in the restoration interventions carried out in historical buildings. In the selection of these materials, it is important to consider that they must comply with compatibility requirements, in terms of low stiffness and high water vapour permeability, not to give rise to premature defects and detachment. However, their environmental impact is basically never evaluated.

In this study, a preliminary evaluation of the environmental impact of some selected renders and paints for the restoration of historical buildings by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was carried out. This analysis was performed using the information that are supplied by the manufacturers of the materials (as reported in the technical data sheets), so from the point of view of the designers, who must select among a range of commercial alternatives. Both ready-mix dry renders and mortars purposely prepared in the building site, with or without paint, mechanically or manually applied, were analysed.

The paint, notwithstanding its low amount with respect to the render, seems to have a very high impact. The results also suggest that an evaluation of these materials by LCA is definitely not easy, mostly because some key characteristics of materials which are needed for this analysis are currently not reported at all in the technical datasheet, thus jeopardizing a proper evaluation of their environmental impact.
Toilet paper recovery from municipal wastewater and application in building sector
Authors: Cipolletta G , Eusebi A L , Palmieri S , Giosuè C , Tittarelli F , Frison N , Pastore C , Foglia A , Fatone F
Published: July 2019

One of the most innovative applications for a circular economy approach is the recovery of cellulose fibres from municipal wastewater. Recovered cellulose fibres from the wastewater could bring benefits to the construction industry in terms of reducing the amount of non-renewable raw materials and increasing sustainability. Rotating belt filter was used to obtain cellulose fibre-rich sludge from real urban influent. Recovered cellulosic material reached values up to 26.59 g m-3 when the solids removal efficiency was higher than 70%. Treated cellulosic sludge had an average of 87% content of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The recovered cellulose fibres were analysed and used in mortar mix to understand their possible impact in the building sector and the effect on the properties of hydraulic lime-based mortars. Properties of fibre addition were investigated in terms of microstructure and mechanical strength. Cellulose fibres were added by mix volume up to 20%. The overall results with the maximum content of cellulose fibres indicated the improvement of mortars performance in terms of increased lightness, flexural strength and hygrometric properties.
Design optimization of mist cooling for Urban Heat Island mitigation: experimental study on the role of injection density
Authors: Ulpiani G , Giuseppe E Di , Perna C Di , D’Orazio M , Zinzi M
Published: July 2019

Climate change, heat waves and weather extremes unveil the need to counteract excess heat and its dramatic consequences on energy, economy, outdoor liveability and, above all, health. In the urban context, further concern arises from the concerted action of cities’ materials, fabric, layout, density and activities, which are responsible of heat and pollutants entrapment, of wind force breaking and sweltering microclimates. Ready-to-use, high-impact, smart, cost and energy-effective countermeasures are the only ones having chances to be widely implemented in the short haul. Against this backdrop, this work presents the results obtained from an experimental campaign conducted on a single mitigation technology, meant to reach high local temperature reductions and empowered with climate-adaptive features to be applicable close to any vulnerable target (e.g. schools, hospitals, hospices …): a web of smartly controlled mist sprayers. A prototype was designed and its impacts on the local microclimate were thoroughly characterized. Notably, the nozzle density was investigated to delineate the tradeoffs between evaporative cooling global magnitude and spatial dilution: in fact, by rarefying water emission, a larger air volume can partake to the cooling as it gets harder to reach saturation; conversely the point spatial temperature drop might weaken and become negligible, jeopardizing the whole mitigation strategy. This paper discloses such a controversial point and provides guidelines for the correct design of mist cooling systems for Urban Heat Island counteraction.
LCA and LCC as decision-making tools for a sustainable circular building process
Authors: Giorgi S , Lavagna M , Campioli A
Published: July 2019

Resilience can be interpreted as the capacity to overcome sudden negative events, including those caused by environmental impacts, by minimizing their effects. Through the application of circular economy, built environment can be more resilient, decoupling the human well-being by resources consumption and waste generation. Within a circular approach, buildings are considered “material banks” and materials reuse/recycling is promoted. In this context, it is important to verify the life cycle sustainability of the new circular practices, linking the economic and environmental sustainability with circularity. In fact, resource efficiency and waste management in term of reduction of material flows, don’t represent certainly sustainable solutions. In this paper, LCA and LCC methodologies, which are scientific methodologies used to quantitatively assess the environmental and economic impacts, are investigated. Through a literature review, the paper analyses the state of the art regarding the application of Life Cycle tools for evaluating circular strategies, at the building level and at material level; then the use of Life Cycle tools for decision-making in the circular design process is investigated. Through the scientific literature review, the methodological assumption to assess the sustainability in decision-making is shown. Finally, the limitation of the methodology is highlighted and the improvement necessary to promote the use of Life Cycle tools in decision-making is discussed.
Long - Term Renovation Strategies, Energy Voluntary Certification Scheme and Building Renovation Passport: an overview on Energy Performance Certification tools for the European Building stock
Authors: Sesana M M , Salvalai G , Greslou O , Rivallain M , Zirngibl J
Published: July 2019

The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU) 2018/844 has huge potential for efficiency gains in the EU building sector, including measures that should accelerate the rate of building renovation towards more energy efficient systems. Under the 2010 EPBD, all EU countries have established independent energy performance certification systems supported by independent mechanisms of control and verification. However, current practices and tools of energy performance assessment and certification applied across Europe face several challenges. The paper presents an overview on researches and tools for the European building stock renovation process with the goal to highlight barriers, limits and benefits to increase the energy renovation rate. The main focus is to clarify the energy performance assessment and process for the certification and the introduction of the Building Renovation Passport, considering the novelty introduced by latest regulations and standards.
Plant maintenance in hospitals facilities
Authors: Dejaco M C , Gramigna M , Moretti N
Published: July 2019

Maintenance is crucial in hospitals, where potential systems failures can have a significant impact on patients. An hospital is a complex asset because of the co-existence of multiple areas and interaction among health-related and non-health-related activities. The central hypothesis is that the appropriate maintenance procedure depends on served spaces and plants. Therefore, the research aims at establishing a correlation between the operational criticalities of each area and critical elements of plants to improve and optimize the execution of maintenance activities. The analysis is based on three steps. Firstly, the identification of criteria aimed at defining the plants criticality in correlation with the ways in which spaces are served and, moreover, definition of criteria for spaces classification based on performed activities. Last step is the description of components through two categories of factors. The first refers to analysis of design and functioning aspects of plants; the second is related to components functioning and deterioration. This correlation among “criticality index” and “health index” for all components provides indications on modalities and priorities for extraordinary interventions. Relative weights were attributed through the consultation with hospital technical office. The proposed maintenance management was applied in a hospital made up of 65000 squared-meters to include it in the informatic system that is currently used for repairs. This new maintenance management has the purpose of providing indications for maintenance strategies by considering contemporary nature of functional spaces, activities design characteristics and health state of them. The implementation into the informatic system and its check will be developed in future.
Decision Support for existing buildings: an LCC-based proposal for facade retrofitting technological choices
Authors: Seghezzi E , Masera G , Cecconi F Re
Published: July 2019

The goal of this paper is to present a usable and effective tool to evaluate residential façade retrofitting solutions in early stages of design, keeping into account envelope features and installation issues. Decarbonisation goals set for 2050 impose existing building stock renovation and energy retrofit. Several drivers are available in EU Countries to trigger these operations. Nonetheless, the renovation rate in EU Member States remains low: barriers to building retrofit are identified, and a main issue in this sense is the lack of use of Decision Support Systems. DSS exist but are often neglected by building designers or owners, due to different reasons. Existing methodologies do not take into account the quantity and quality of information available at the various stages of building life cycle; furthermore, they mainly focus on energy related aspects, neglecting technological and installation related factors. This paper aims at providing an LCC-based decision framework to help decision makers in early stages of design to choose the most suitable technology for building façade retrofitting. A Utility Function expressing LCC for residential building renovation is provided, focusing on façades renovation and on installation and morphology related aspects. Information and data flow through the phases is presented and discussed, showing how the proposed method can be adapted to different stages, and testing its robustness through sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Three main categories of renovation technologies are analysed (ventilated façade, ETICS, and prefabricated solutions). The proposed method is applied to a residential case study building. The adaptability of the tool to different stages of design is discussed, and further potential applications are presented.
Urban Heat Island (UHI) risk maps as innovative tool for urban regeneration strategies. The case of Parma
Authors: Rota P , Gravante A , Zazzi M
Published: July 2019

For the purposes of regeneration of the consolidated city it is increasingly important to have the knowledge of the micro-scale distribution of the vulnerability of the population to the consequences of climate change and increasing urbanization. The work to be presented starts with the creation of maps of the risk classification induced by the heat islands in the city of Parma, and aims to investigate which are the most effective strategies that a Public Administration can adopt. The maps that have been created allow to assess the risk for the fragile population at the level of the single building. They relate the climatic datum of thermal variation with the population residing within each building, and verify the causal relationship with the soil sealing and with the morphology of the urban fabric. The results of the study can help to identify the thermal hot spot, receivers of specific mitigation actions. The risk map is itself a tool to develop multilevel actions, designed according to the peculiarities of the sites, where the possible adaptive solutions are compared with the physical and morphological characteristics of the places. The positive function of green infrastructures (contrast of overheating, flood mitigation, creation of places and services with a recreational function) is acquired by research and urban planning practice. It is equally well known the difficulty faced by Local Authorities in the maintenance and increase of unbuilt public areas, fundamental for the connection of ecological networks.
A 3d platform for energy data visualization of building assets
Authors: Cecchini C , Magrini A , Gobbi L
Published: July 2019

With an exemplary role, the improvement of energy efficiency in public buildings is in the forefront of the European policies for smart and sustainable growth. However, very often the sector is characterized by large and old constructions that may also be marked by historical and cultural value and whose energy consumption is hard to be reduced, due to specific constraints. In order to operate in this field, the definition of a solid knowledge framework on the built environment appears to be the only viable starting point. Therefore, the analysis of the delicate balance between conservation and transformation should be investigated with a multi-scalar approach able to move from the city to the building elements. For this reason, it is extremely important to provide tools for monitoring and analysing the energy behaviour of the public building stocks to those actors that are involved in their management. The research here presented proposes a workflow to implement a web platform based on a three-dimensional GIS (Geographic Information System) interoperable with BIM (Building Information Modeling) and able to store, handle and display information on building assets and their energy consumption. With the aim of defining a repeatable model, the process starts from easily retrievable data on the built environment and uses standard data models and classification systems. The three-dimensional model is built in a semi-automated way from the combination of the two-dimensional GIS cartography of the municipality and from the point cloud resulting from a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) national survey campaign. The set of thermal properties and energy data can be retrieved from the energy performance certificate of the buildings. In order to test and validate the process, an application on the building stock owned by the University of Pavia (Italy) is presented. Nine complexes distribute inside the historical centre of the city and heterogeneously dated from the X to the XX century are considered. After the definition of the model and its representation inside the web environment, an example of use is displayed with reference to a comparative energy analysis of different buildings.
Analysis of the solar potential of urban public areas for the installation of integrated photovoltaic systems
Authors: Paparella R , Caini M
Published: July 2019

The analysis of the solar potential carried out in a defined territorial context and considered as a case study, intends to estimate the potential production of electricity from solar sources starting from a survey on the availability of the present surfaces.

The use of energy from renewable sources for public purposes, obtained through the installation of integrated photovoltaic systems in public urban areas available and appropriately identified, can represent a valid energy strategy in response to the provisions of the European Directive 2009/28 / EC.

In this study we want to show how the upgrading of public areas for parking, areas of interchange, or for the shelter of pedestrians in holding areas for public transport or in parking ones for cars can become an opportunity for energy production.

In fact, all these public spaces can be transformed into places designed to characterize and redevelop the built space with the use of appropriately designed urban furnishing elements that integrate, for example, the function of shelter and energy production. This research project aimed at developing a methodology of systematic approach that can represent a further element that is part of the policies that can be drawn up in the next 30 years towards a decarbonisation in the territorial area taken into consideration.

The methodology developed concerned the following points:

1) Identification of the areas and spaces present in the territory taken as a case study, suitable for an upgrading project and/or for the insertion of urban furnishing elements made with integrated photovoltaic panels;

2) Calculation of usable areas and consequent calculation of installable photovoltaic surfaces;

3) Identification of the elements of urban furniture made with integrated photovoltaic panels and present in the market.

The work identifies and computes, through the use of specific softwares, the areas and spaces suitable for the insertion of integrated photovoltaic systems. Subsequently, after identifying the areas, the quantities of hypothetically installable photovoltaic surfaces and the quantities of energy that can be produced are calculated. The latter are then compared with the quantities needed to cover the energy requirements for public lighting.
Use of 3D tessellation in curtain wall facades to improve visual comfort and energy production in buildings
Authors: Giostra S , Masera G , Pesenti M , Pavesi P
Published: July 2019

In the vast majority of new buildings, energy and comfort requirements are met mostly by active systems that are often expensive, energy intensive, and complex to maintain. At the same time, advances in the use of digital tools for the design and fabrication of unitised curtain wall systems have substantially reduced the costs associated to non-planar surfaces in building envelopes. As a result, buildings deploy an increasing level of surface geometry articulation that is mostly used for decorative effects. By and large, the flourishing of a new formal vocabulary, enabled by digital tools, rarely translated into buildings that perform better. The research proposes the use of non-planar surface geometries for precise calibration in tilt angle and orientation of individual panels in curtain walls, as an effective passive design strategy. The goal is to improve visual comfort for users, limiting potential glare without the use of shading or blinds and, at the same time, to provide high potential for PV production without negatively affecting daylighting levels in the building interiors. The study explores four families of three-dimensional geometries, based on size limitations and other design constraints typically associated to unitized curtain wall systems. The investigation takes into account aspects such as local climate data, orientation, glass properties, morphology of the façade unit, indoor visual comfort, energy efficiency and energy production. Results show that all four families can be optimised to meet LEED requirements of sDA > 50% and ASE < 10% in office buildings, delivering better performances when compared to a flat facade.
Smart cities and enabling technologies: influences on urban Facility Management services
Authors: Talamo C , Pinto M R , Viola S , Atta N
Published: July 2019

The application of innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the field of Urban Facility Management (UFM) outlines new possibilities for optimizing existing services and for developing new services based on the key concepts of: Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, information sharing and smart applications. Such ICT-based services could potentially be able to: transform the demand for infrastructures and physical assets; participate to requalification processes; influence the sustainability of the built environment as well as the economic value of urban areas. Starting from this premise, the paper deals with the contents and the current results of an ongoing research whose aim is to propose sets of classification and coding rules and a framework for identifying, analysing and linking Smart Cities (SC) domains and sub-domains, related UFM services and the various levels of enabling ICT technologies. The application of the proposed framework to a selected representative sample made up by both European Initiatives (e.g. H2020 projects) involved with SC solutions at the urban scale and virtuous cases of cities that have implemented smart solutions, allows to collect, allocate and process information, in a unified way, in order to:

• identify and describe the current main trends within each of the SC domains (e.g. mobility, energy, waste, building, governance) and sub-domains;

• implement a taxonomy of UFM services, including related characterising parameters and stakeholders;

• identify and analyse, according to reading keys, smart UFM services that may have meaningful impacts (accessibility, transport, land-use, etc.) on urban areas;

• draw the current innovative scenarios of smart UFM services enabled by ICTs, characterized by information sharing (Big Data flows) and by the integration of physical and digital infrastructures and assets;

• highlight the emerging and widespread enabling technologies for smart UFM services, related to each of the layers of the technological infrastructure (e.g. sensing, network, platform, analytics, applications);

• investigate the possibility of the creation of context-aware communities through the inclusion of multiple social components.

The research, which is part of the PRIN research “Metropolitan cities: economic-territorial strategies, financial constraints and circular regeneration”, aims at providing interpretive keys and structured information, useful to study, evaluate and compare possible influences and impacts of the smart UFM services on the sustainability of the urban environment and on the dynamics of property values. The scenario that emerges from the analysis is inscribed in the broader framework of the circular economy where, with the support of ICTs -based services, cities can put in place virtuous processes to reduce, recycle and reuse waste.
Localizing the SDGs through tailored-based training solutions targeting students and academics
Authors: Fernandez G , Maione C
Published: July 2019

This paper focuses on understanding, education, and knowledge gaps on topics related to sustainable development such as urban metabolism, responsible use of natural resources, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This work is part of a broader study that aims at disseminating education on topics at all level of societies, including minority groups such as children, elderly, persons with disabilities, students and academics, women, LGBTI+, and homeless and refugees. The current study tackles students and academics specifically and illustrates the relationship between cultural background (country and continent of origin) and perceptions of sustainable development and politics at the local level. For this analysis, data were analysed and collected at the Politecnico di Milano, Milan (Italy) using structured interviews and survey questionnaires. Findings provide a deeper understanding of students and academic sensitivities of SDGs and local political system spatial patterns by continent across the world.
BIMReL: a new BIM object library using Construction Product Regulation attributes (CPR 350/11; ZA annex)
Authors: Pavan A , Mirarchi C , Amosso G , Nesa L Meherun , Pasini D , Daniotti B , Spagnolo S Lupica
Published: July 2019

The digitalisation of construction sector introduces opportunities for all the actors of AEC chain. Using the virtualisation of real entities, with models of buildings, infrastructures or of the environment (BIM: Building Information Model), it could be possible to simulate the sustainability of new property developments or renewal ones (capex/opex; BS PAS 1192-2-3 [1] [2]). With the object-oriented programming, the new ICT tools for AEC sector can rework on the data themselves, with the classes and attributes they have “learned”. At the beginning, the typology of classes and attributes were defined in BIM authoring software. To complete all the information required for every different use, the actors can find other attributes (of objects) they may need in other database existing on the market. These extended attributes could be linked to the BIM authoring objects to complete their functionality in all phases of the construction process. Thus, all the attributes of each object are now defined by the software houses, by public or private organisations (and their BIM tools) or by every single manufacturer company. However, there isn’t an international standard other than the Italian UNI 11337-3:2015 [3]. To improve this status quo, increase the implementation of sustainability simulation and life cycling data management in AEC process, it is necessary to define a new specific technical standard of BIM object attributes. BIMReL is the first BIM object library that uses the common information structure and the essential characteristics for CE mark of CPR 350/2011 (Construction Product Regulation) [4], to define the attributes of the virtual objects like the real products. The architecture of BIMReL is based on the data structure of newly released Italian standard UNI 11337-3 (2019) and, as a consequence, part of the EN draft standard at European CEN 442 Technical Committee (WG 4).