The Potential of Sustainable Materials for Green Building Practices
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2023
Pages:
30-35
Received:
14 July 2023
Accepted:
31 July 2023
Published:
9 August 2023
Abstract: The selection of materials is a critical aspect of any construction activity, and there is a significant reliance on man-made materials compared to those sourced from natural resources. The production of man-made construction materials produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other ecologically harmful gases and byproducts. These substances can be deadly and hazardous to both human and environmental health. As a result, the infrastructure sector has become one of the major contributors to environmental deterioration. The recent population growth has led to a significant increase in the demand for man-made materials. To address this pressing need of the current situation, there is a call for sustainable and eco-friendly materials that offer energy efficiency, easy availability, and minimal disturbance to the environment's ecological system. The primary objective of using these green building materials is to mitigate the negative effect of construction projects on both human health and the natural environment. Typically, building materials are chosen based on their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. However, the selection and utilization of green materials focus on their functional, technical, and financial attributes. Green materials encompass recycled and reused materials, products made through sustainable production practices, locally available resources, or those derived from environmentally friendly sources. The objective of this paper is to describe various green materials that can be used in building construction and emphasize their positive impact on reducing environmental degradation. These materials contribute to the creation of healthy, sustainable buildings that are beneficial for both occupants and the environment.
Abstract: The selection of materials is a critical aspect of any construction activity, and there is a significant reliance on man-made materials compared to those sourced from natural resources. The production of man-made construction materials produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other ecologically harmful ...
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Enhancing Safety Monitoring and Management for Concrete Dams: A Comprehensive Lifecycle Approach in China
Shuai Zhang,
Guang Yang,
Libing Zhang,
Zhiyong Zhao
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2023
Pages:
36-39
Received:
20 June 2023
Accepted:
6 September 2023
Published:
14 September 2023
Abstract: Dams’ safety affects their expected benefits and puts human life and property, in addition to local public security, at risk, as dams are important pillar infrastructures supporting the sustainable socioeconomic development of a number of countries. As an important means for safe dam operations and management, safety monitoring efforts should permeate all phases of the full lifecycle of dams, including design, construction, and operation, with objectives to be achieved at each phase. Equal emphasis should be placed on the construction and operations of monitoring systems, inspections and instrument observations, evaluation and acquisition of results, and risk warning and analysis feedback. This is to address the pressing issues encountered in routine monitoring work, such as increased effort in construction and decreased effort in management, superficial inspections, inadequate maintenance of monitoring facilities, and an absence of satisfactory analysis of monitoring results. Based on China’s Technical Standard for Concrete Dam Safety Monitoring (GB/T 51416-2020), the systemic nature of the full lifecycle of concrete dam safety monitoring efforts and the “four equal emphases” were elaborated in this paper, revealing a shift from putting more effort on design and construction to focusing on the full lifecycle of monitoring work in a bid to comprehensively improve the safety monitoring and management of dams towards higher standards.
Abstract: Dams’ safety affects their expected benefits and puts human life and property, in addition to local public security, at risk, as dams are important pillar infrastructures supporting the sustainable socioeconomic development of a number of countries. As an important means for safe dam operations and management, safety monitoring efforts should perme...
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