bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laboratory Experiment of Soil Vertical Displacement Measurement Near an Axially Loaded Pile
Authors: Zarkiewicz Krzysztof 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
The paper presents the results of static pile load test in laboratory conditions with additional measurement of vertical displacement of soil surrounding the shallow embedded pile. The main purpose of research to determine the pattern of soil displacement due to axial load of the pile. Although, the dimensions of pile are strongly differing from field pile used in practice, there are some phenomena which are similar to natural conditions. Tests were performed on a small precast concrete pile which was 7 cm in diameter and 25 cm long embedded in cohesionless soil. The measurements of the study were: applied load, resistance under the toe of the pile, settlement of the pile and vertical displacement of chosen points in the soil near to the toe of the pile. Performed test indicated that in small load the displacement in soil increase due to increasing load, but when the load was approaching the value of ultimate load, displacement stopped and at the limit load the direction of displacement vector changed to upward. The shape of the shear failure mechanism took the form of a logarithmic spiral which was widely described in literature. In this study an attempt at mathematical description has been made. In the proposed approach it was assumed that the displacement of the pile influenced the change of the sphere volume under the pile base which affects the displacement of the selected points of the soil. The research allowed to determine the size of ground space which was affected by the studied pile. The other studies indicate that the failure mechanism in deep piles and poorly compacted soils is caused by punching shear failure when only soil displacement down occurs, but in very compacted sands the mechanism of failure would be similar to obtained in laboratory test.
Cost and Energy Efficient Envelope Systems for a Single-Family House in Timisoara, Romania
Authors: Ciprian Maties Ionut , Muntean Daniel M. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Over the last decade, Romania has faced a rapid expansion in the residential sector. The need for housing has increased significantly next to the ever-developing urban areas. One of the main targets for our country is to reduce the total energy consumption stipulated by the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD). The main purpose of the study is to determine a comparative solution of the building envelope for a single-family house with a given net area and interior volume suited for a family with two adults and two children. The study is applied on a masonry two story house with continuous concrete foundations and a flat roof. This kind of scenario fits the local seismic building codes and currently, is the most accessible solution on the market. According to the national energy efficiency building requirements two different envelope systems are considered: monolithic wall (autoclaved aerated blocks) and multi-layered wall (large ceramic blocks with additional insulation), both having the same U value required by the above-mentioned code. Because the monolithic wall solution should have a shorter execution period than a multi-layered component, we intent to compare cost-efficiency scenarios of the two systems given local building standards. In both cases, the masonry acts as the main structural component of the system with similar concrete components. Because, in Romania, the most used thermal envelope system is based on polystyrene (EPS), a material with high embodied energy, the paper studies alternative solutions for residential buildings, with lower impact on the surrounding environment.
‘From Bata to Prada’: Appraisal Approach in New Retail Design
Authors: Forte Fabiana 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Many contemporary architectural design projects, frequently characterized by the interaction between creativity, beauty and innovation, reflect the changes in consumption models. Also with specific reference to retail spaces, the concept of store has developed into something that includes knowledge, discovery and seduction in addition to the traditional selling of products. The passage from material to immaterial culture in the digital era, conduces to design spaces able to offer an experience, more than a product, as in the several projects for Prada’Stores. In this changing scenario, the worldwide famous brand Bata Co., with its very long tradition - founded in 1894 - constitutes one of the most successful examples of how a smart management system finds into its spaces of production and distribution a creative correspondence. It is not a case that from Bata derives one of the most emblematic example to conceive the modern retail spaces, thanks to the projects of Le Corbusier. Nowadays, in the face of challenges of digital innovation, among the several typologies of retail spaces, the traditional store is going through a profound transformation, in addition to being a strategic segment in the real estate market. In the last few years, in fact, Informative systems, Technologies, IT platforms, are radically changing the customers’ purchasing process – the customer experience -, affecting more and more the re-design of spaces, processes and functionality of the store. Technological development not only is changing purchasing behaviour but it also is determining the need to deal with radical changes in the current stores to make them more attractive for tenants and property investor. In this perspective the article, starting from the comparison between two different ways to conceive the commercial spaces (functionalism in Bata and spectacle in Prada) and highlighting the role of the new consumer, deals with some evaluative aspects in the new retail design. An overview of the retail from the perspective of the real estate market, confirms as it is in constantly expanding in the international arena; in Italy, also if positive signs affect all kinds of retail (high street, commercial centers, outlets, etc.), new challenges arise for the small and traditional retail stores. With specific reference to the project of the physical space of the new retail store, the business analysis involves some aspects, such as the so called “soft costs” sustained for re-design the relationship with the customer/consumer, which deserve further insights in the new culture of Retail Design.
Advantages of Modularity Applied in Architecture
Authors: Silva Raquel R.S.C. , Campos Inês D.D. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
This article intends to explore the concept of modularity, namely its advantages in the application to architecture projects. The world is constantly evolving, there are new needs, and architecture has to know how to respond to it. The choice of this topic rests on a very current theme - although modularity in architecture is not a recent concept, its use is becoming more and more widespread at an increasingly frenetic pace, in which time is quite valuable. Modularity is an interesting concept because of its effectiveness. There are many advantages of this working methodology - which begins at the design stage and is later reflected in its execution - and, therefore, this is an increasingly studied, developed and applied subject. When well applied, the use of modular systems proves to be quite effective. Planning is the keyword which ultimately translates into optimizing the time spent on a project and its execution, thus reducing expenses, through premeditation of problems, and the waste of raw material. The modular architecture is a very functional and appealing concept. Through a practical example in the application of the system in the rehabilitation of a street store to transform it into housing, a closed modular system – thought to be applied in rehabilitation works – is used in order to demonstrate these same advantages. This system consists of all the necessary parts for the rehabilitation of a space – a structure for the floor, the walls and the ceiling, and also includes all technical equipment – without being dependent on other constructive systems and with the advantage of being flexible and non-invasive. This article aims to raise the interest of the scientific community in this subject and to encourage the study and the application of modularity in the day-to-day practice so that in the future its use becomes the most common technique and not the exception.
Landscape Project for the Environmental Recovery of a Quarry
Authors: Semeraro Teodoro , Arzeni Stefano , Turco Alessio , Margiotta Stefano , La Gioia Giuseppe , Aretano Roberta , Medagli Pietro 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
The growth of urban populations causes cities, and their suburbs, to spread, expand, and replace natural lands by agricultural. Urbanization brings land-use change, altering the relationship between human societies and environmental resources. Therefore, the management of natural resources connected to urban expansion has become one of the most important challenges in attaining sustainable landscape. Quarrying is a crucial component of local socio-economic development providing key materials for infrastructures and buildings. However, like many other human activities, quarrying causes a significant impact on the environment. In Mediterranean countries, quarrying activities exert increasing pressures on limited soil and water resources, thus accelerating erosion processes and subsequent destruction of existing arable lands. Quarrying operations can profoundly alter pre-existing ecosystems and perturb hydro-geological and hydrological regimes. They can profoundly modify the substratum, change landscape patterns and integrity, destroy natural habitats and interrupt their natural succession, as well as alter genetic resources. The resulting situation is seriously compromised by anthropic regeneration processes on degraded sites after the end of quarrying activities, which are not focused on potential natural vegetation which these sites could develop, considering the surrounding ecosystems. In this work, we propose a landscape regeneration project which was developed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure on quarrying activity located in the municipality of Lecce, South Italy. This project aims to integrate environmental and landscape aspects with the economic and social ones in order to guarantee the sustainability of the proposed intervention. The new project modifies the one presented at the start of the quarrying activity which planned planting of trees directly on the bottom of the quarry, (about 40 meters deep from the ground level and three meters above the groundwater level). The new project foresees the partial filling of the quarry using waste materials according to the environmental legislation. This allows to protect the groundwater better and to create a microclimate more suited to the development of natural vegetation. The quarry filling activity represents an economic activity for the company and therefore can guarantee the development of jobs for at least 5 years. In addition, the proposed project aims to reconstitute the pre-existing vegetation, consistently with the surrounding ecosystem. This will allow the development of the priority habitat *6220: Pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea (Directive 92/43/CEE), producing a landscape of recognized ecological value, not detached from the surrounding landscape. In this way, the closed quarry can act as a stepping stone and play a significant role in regulating green infrastructure in landscapes.
Flexible Refugee Shelter
Authors: Oliveira Nadine M.M. , Campos Inês D.D. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
In recent years, there has been a great number of disasters such as natural disasters and wars. Wars occur, mostly, due to political, religious and economic confrontations. Calamities or natural disasters, which are considered as inevitable manifestations of Mother Nature, become uncontrollable and unpredictable. When they happen, they leave thousands of people in emergency conditions since they have lost everything they owned and are left without support. The emergency architecture lies in creation of temporary shelters to receive and protect the victims of these limit situations. This happens due to the need of minimum conditions of habitability these people have until being relocated. Disasters/wars, apart from the direct impact they have on the victims, also affect one of the main human factors: The Habitat. This type of architecture is perceived as transitory which requires fast solutions, cost-effective and easy-to-execute systems, thus focusing mainly on prefabricated or standard materials that enable a quick and low-cost assembly. However, in this type of architecture, one cannot only think of the quick solution of building/assembling shelters. Notwithstanding, it is also necessary to take into account that it functions as a humanitarian service, in which human needs must be meticulously thought about. On the basis of this last statement, it is intended to meet, in the best possible way, the needs of the refugees who are victims of the wars that come into their lives and who are not likely to return to their territory. These victims are sent to refugee camps - controlled and delimited spaces with the minimum equipment - usually with random tents provided by the UN which do not provide comfort to these families while they try to organize their lives. The lack of comfortable shelters and the minimum housing conditions are essential for these victims who see their lives change drastically from one day to the other. However, while designing a temporary shelter, one has to take into account the fact that it is temporary, transitory and that people only take advantage of this space for a short period of time. Faced with this primordial factor, the transience, the proposed space corresponds to adequate and comfortable minimum areas which allow a good quality of life for a short period of time. This proposal lies in the creation of an emergency shelter, as previously mentioned, through the development of a modular system that is flexible and temporary. It can be allocated in different ways on the ground, thus allowing the creation and adaptation to different spaces according to the needs of the people. This model unit will have a primordial base structure which will facilitate the adaptation to the terrain and the stability of the shelter. The construction method was designed to be as easy as possible by using lightweight materials, so it can be implemented on the ground and having good thermal and acoustic capacities so that it can be adapted to different climatic scenarios.
Factors Affecting Performances of Small Projects in Small Island States – Stakeholders’ Perceptions
Authors: Seeboo Asish 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Numerous are the studies that investigate the performances of big construction projects. However, in this particular investigation, the emphasis is on small construction projects. The intent was to capture the perceptions of the major stakeholders, that is the clients, contractors and consultants on the factors that could affect the performances of such small projects, which have limited budget, are of short duration and to further complex the situation, the projects are executed in small island states, such as the Republic of Mauritius. After an extensive literature search, a list of 61 performance indicators was made, which was further grouped into 10 main clusters, namely (i) cost; (ii) time; (iii) quality; (iv) productivity; (v) owner; (vi) regulator; (vii) employee; (viii) health and safety; (ix) learning; and (x) environment. A performance success survey was devised, tested and refined before circulating to the major stakeholders (response rate; client – 89%; contractors – 68.5% and consultants – 56%). With Kendall’s coefficient of concordance W = 0.954 being greater than 0.5, the degree of agreement amongst stakeholders was found to be statistically significant. Hence the major 5 factors that impeded on the performances of smaller construction projects being executed in small island countries were found to be due to (i) poor leadership skills; (ii) absence of skilled force; (iii) inadequate liquidity within the company; (iv) escalation of material prices and (v) unavailability of resources.
Sources and Cause of Poor Performances on Residential Building Projects – Case Study of the Republic of Mauritius
Authors: Seeboo Asish , Proag Viren 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
In this particular study the intent was to determine the sources and causes of poor performances on residential projects. The methodology adopted was through observation of the construction (from start to end) of 18 houses, and to be part of the study the houses needed to satisfy specific requirements such as (i) floor area of residence not exceeding 1615 square feet; (ii) the residence has ground floor only; (iii) the residence will be made of reinforced concrete elements and cladded with cellular blocks; (iv) acceptance of the client to be part of the survey; (v) acceptance of the client to give access to the site during the execution of works; (vi) acceptance of the client to give access to the plans and financial information; (vii) construction will be executed by a team of masons or small to medium labour contractors; (viii) the team of masons or the labour contractor will supply labour only; (ix) the client will be the sole party to deal with the different suppliers throughout the project; and (x) construction will start in the coming weeks. Miscommunication, improper planning and absence of internal supervision of works lead to some reworks which add to the overall cost of the project as well as increases the duration. In many cases, the end product was not of standard quality, and there was nobody to flag these issues. To bridge the gap between the client and the contractor, it is primordial to have the third stakeholder (consultant) into the picture. The proposed consultant’s scope of works will have to be precisely defined and the fees charged will have to be rational.
River restoration as an element in sustainable urban development
Authors: Skrinar Andrej , Misik Martin , Janota Matus 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
In Bratislava (Slovakia), alongside the Danube River, there is a continuous green area of diverse character with enormous potential for quality of life in the city. A group of experts, enthusiasts and specialists for the Danube, architects and urban planners, natural scientists, water managers and conservationists formulated a vision of Bratislava’s Danube Park (BDP). The vision is to create and protect a unique and extensive territory along the river with aesthetic natural and natural-close riverbanks in places of suitable morphological and hydraulic conditions along with connection of several branches back to the main Danube channel. Many spots of urban greenery are directly connected to this area, which could thus become its backbone, providing recreation and a resting place not only on the original bank of the Danube. The river in all its forms is the most important landscape element unifying this vast and varied territory. Besides the well-designed urbanized embankments, the character of the Danube River along with its hydromorphological and hydraulic parameters make it possible for Bratislava to have extensive riverbanks and inundation areas of natural character suitable for recreation, stay and movement of people near the river. The access of people in the area will be possible by walking and hiking trails, cycling routes as well as water routes in the river itself, along with branches for recreational water sports. The process of implementation will be gradual. The first step will be to interest citizens in vision-performing with the help of conceptual materials and studies. An important step will be to coordinate the city with the relevant state institutions, in particular with the river manager, with the other actors in the area along with the public, so that the vision of the final outcome is widely accepted and supported.
Influence of Wood and Plastic Waste as Aggregates in Gypsum Plasters
Authors: Alejandro Pedreno-Rojas Manuel , Rodriguez-Linan Carmen , Jesus Morales-Conde Maria , Perez-Galvez Filomena , Rubio-de-Hita Paloma , Isabel Romero-Gomez Maria 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Large amounts of waste are generated each day in the world, being a major concern for the EU28, who establish waste management as a priority line of work within the Horizon 2020. Construction sector is one of the largest residues generators. In that sense, architects and civil engineers should give an answer to solve that environmental problem. One of the options is to reuse waste for the generation of new materials and products for construction. In this research, wood waste (sawdust) from demolition works and polycarbonate waste have been used as aggregates to generate new gypsum plasters. Different percentages of additions (5, 10, 20 and 40%) for each type of waste have been conducted to develop the gypsum composites. Physical (density and thermal conductivity) and mechanical (flexural and compressive strength) properties of the new plasters have been measured using the procedure regulated by standards, comparing them with the reference material values (commercial gypsum without aggregates). The results of the tests show that lighter composites have been obtained when the percentage of waste increased for both type of aggregate. This lightening is higher in composites with wood waste than in those with plastic at the same percentage of addition. Furthermore, an improvement in the thermal conductivity of the plasters have been achieved. On the other hand, a decrease on the mechanical properties of the composites, with higher percentages of additions, have been obtained. For all the cases, the minimum strength value required by standards have been achieved. As a conclusion, lighter gypsum composites with enhanced thermal properties have been obtained, achieving in all the cases an acceptable flexural and compressive strength.