Social infrastructure, as the physical medium for social life in cities, is increasingly being acknowledged for its ability to offer climate-proofing benefits both in times of climate stability and climate disturbances. However, more evidence is needed on how social infrastructure can be deliberately shaped to contribute to climate-proofing cities. Our study addresses this gap through exploring the key strategies which ensure the effective engagement of social infrastructure (SI) in climate proofing cities (CPC). An explorative case study of Rotterdam city is performed, as the city is well recognized as a pioneer in climate resilience through spatial planning. Data sources for the case study include the review of key city documents and primary data collected from walk-through observations of three social infrastructure projects in the city (Watersquare Benthemplien, Dakpark, and Markthal). Through a reflexive thematic analysis of the collected data, we identify six key strategies for enabling active engagement of SI in CPC: Contextualize, Reframe, Collaborate, Integrate, Mobilize, and Evaluate. These strategies work together through all stages of SI development, with climate, society, and economy as core values of the process. The findings reveal that effective climate-proofing through SI requires more than engineered interventions or planting greenery on sites; it demands a holistic vision, deep community integration, a robust strategic framework to ensure long term success. Ultimately, the research provides a strategic framework that solidifies the link between SI design and CPC, with valuable practical implications for urban planners and policy makers. The proposed strategies help to amplify the multidimensional benefits of SI in CPC, through infusing climate-proofing measures within the place shaping process of SI. Furthermore, the study offers a transferable analytical framework that can be conducted on other cities with variant urban and climate contexts to further scrutinize the findings.
The integration of supportive outdoor environments (SOEs) in healthcare settings has gained increasing attention for their potential to enhance patient recovery, support staff well-being, and contribute to holistic therapeutic outcomes. This scoping review examines design recommendations for inclusive outdoor environments in healthcare settings that impact user health and experience. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Sage), yielding 697 records. Following screening and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 articles were selected for analysis. This scoping review identified consistent evidence linking outdoor environment qualities with improved psychological and physiological health. Thematic analysis revealed 5 key themes forming 15 domains that articulate a set of evidence-based design recommendations, reflecting user-centered health needs and experiential outcomes. Building on this synthesis, this study proposes a multidimensional conceptual framework that elucidates how SOEs shape health outcomes through interactions between user engagement, design conditions, and experiential processes. The framework provides an integrative synthesis of evidence to architects, landscape designers, and healthcare policymakers to support outdoor design and evaluation in healthcare settings. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating spatial design with operational and policy-level strategies and highlight the need for further empirical research to strengthen evidence-based practices and address existing knowledge gaps.
This study suggests that RF and ANN are proven to be robust algorithms in predicting in-situ soil density, which is considered a significant geotechnical parameter. The research is based on 86 soil samples and focuses on five main input parameters: Gravel Percentage (G%), Plastic Limit (PL%), Sand Percentage (S%), Fines Percentage (F%), and Liquid Limit (LL%). The models developed here utilize five commonly recorded index properties (G%, S%, F%, LL, and PL) for all field samples taken from the Basra-Faw Road project. The influence of moisture content and compressive energy was ignored, as all field samples acquired the same moisture content and compressive energy during compression. The fit of the two models was thoroughly tested with statistical indices, including the coefficient of determination (R2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The analysis shows that the ANN model has better predictive performance compared to the RF model, with the R2 and the RMSE equal to 0.98786 and 0.0027 for the ANN model and 0.96249 and 0.0192 for the RF model. This result emphasizes the ANN's great capability in capturing the complicated non-linear relationship between input variables and soil density. Moreover, the study reveals gravel and fines percentages as the most significant parameters that control the prediction of soil density. Results indicated that machine learning methods, namely ANN, can be an easy, quick, and nondestructive alternative to traditional field-testing methods to predict soil compaction. The research findings add to the base of the art in geotechnical engineering by highlighting the benefits of advanced predictive tools in improving soil density revocation accuracy and efficiency. Incorporating other factors, such as moisture content and compressive energy during compaction, into future datasets may enhance the model's generalizability and accuracy. The findings of this study can have significant implications for bidding purposes and safety in infrastructure-related design; the accuracy of the soil density predictions is critical to such applications as foundation design, slope protection, and pavement construction.
This study evaluates the façade quality of three municipal buildings using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify strengths, weaknesses, and improvement priorities in public architecture. Although façade design has been widely studied, quantitative and integrated assessment frameworks for municipal building façades remain limited. To address this gap, the study integrates the Design Quality Indicator (DQI) with AHP within a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) framework, proposing a systematic and replicable evaluation model. The research assesses three main DQI criteria-functionality, building quality, and impact-subdivided into twelve sub-criteria and analyzed through pairwise comparison matrices. Data were collected through structured expert interviews with four academic designers and façade condition evaluations using a 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire. Consistency of expert judgments was verified through consistency ratio analysis. The findings indicate distinct quality levels among the buildings. The Yenisehir Municipality Building achieved a partially sufficient quality score (408.29), the Kayapınar Municipality Building demonstrated a moderate level (310.07), and the Sur Municipality Building was evaluated as insufficient (171.21), highlighting the need for comprehensive façade improvements. The study contributes by demonstrating the applicability of an integrated AHP-DQI framework in municipal façade evaluation and provides a transferable decision-support model that supports objective assessment and evidence-based design interventions in public architecture.
As the globe becomes more urbanised, anchor Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are becoming increasingly crucial to the well-being of cities and communities. Egypt's Vision 2030 positions universities as key pillars of national development, aiming to transform them into fourth-generation universities that foster innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and community service. The plan aligns education with economic needs, promotes a knowledge economy, and improves quality of life through digital transformation and specialized institutions to meet rising demand and accomplish Sustainable Development Goals. This paper explores the role of fourth-generation universities as anchor institutions in promoting regional development, considering various aspects, including education, urban, social, cultural, economic, sustainability, and environmental impacts, with special emphasis on the role of King Salman International University (KSIU) in South Sinai governorate, Egypt, as a case study. The research employs a combined quantitative and qualitative approach, enabling triangulation and supporting the validation of results. Several techniques are used, including statistical data analysis, GIS imagery, and field observations, as well as semi-structured interviews with stakeholders based on their roles and/or areas of expertise, including academia, public servants, community leaders, residents, and representatives from education, the environment, and culture. The research findings revealed the benefits of establishing KSIU in South Sinai, encompassing the governorate's educational, urban, social, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions, as well as sustainable development, realizing Egypt's Vision 2030.
The quality of open public spaces in city centres significantly affects people's satisfaction and responses to their built environment. The significance of these areas allow people to assess their performance. this paper addresses the issue of People's interests that affect their evaluation of public urban spaces in city centres. The research applied an ontological methodology that is people's experiences determine the spatial quality of the public spaces in city centres. In order to discover and assess the seven value variables, it recommended diagnosing a random sample of users as a group (A) and (B). The urban space in the historic center of Erbil, Iraq, was taken as a case study. A survey was conducted on two groups of users of this space to determine the impact of their interests on their evaluation of its quality. The study found that Societies establish general criteria for assessing the urban spaces they inhabit. It concluded that the satisfaction of people is linked to the superior functioning of these environments. They assess the quality of open public spaces based on the extent of their benefits. The quality of open public spaces supports the built environment.
The accurate representation of backfill soil behaviour is a critical step in Finite Element (FE) analysis of Integral Abutment Bridges (IABs) subjected to thermally induced cyclic loading. This paper focuses on the evaluation and selection of a constitutive model, out of those commonly available in geotechnical FE packages, suitable for this purpose. Hardin–Drnevich (HD), General Quadratic/Hyperbolic Shear (GQHS), Hardening Soil (HS) including its extension to consider the small-strain stiffness (HSS), and the University of British Columbia (UBC) sand model were first assessed through simulating drained cyclic simple shear element tests. The results indicated that the UBC model captured key aspects of cyclic soil response more realistically than the other formulations. The HS model was also carried forward to the next stage due to its widespread use in soil–structure interaction analysis. Both models were then examined in a boundary value verification study, where numerical simulations were compared against published experimental results. The verification demonstrated that although both models captured the overall soil–abutment response, the UBC model provided superior agreement with experimental measurements, particularly in terms of passive pressure build-up with cycles. The study concludes that the UBC model offers the most reliable constitutive framework for FE simulation of IAB backfills under cyclic thermal loading.
Sustainable architectural design strategies offer effective solutions for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs in energy-intensive buildings, such as hotels in hot-arid climates. However, limited research has addressed the integrated application of multiple passive design strategies within hotel buildings using a unified simulation-based framework. This study investigates the combined application of wind catchers (Malqaf), adaptive mashrabiya shading systems, and high-performance glazing on a proposed hotel floor in Ras Sedr, Egypt. The design was modeled in Autodesk Revit and analyzed through dynamic simulation using EnergyPlus. A comparative approach was adopted, including a baseline scenario and an improved design scenario. The evaluation was based on key performance indicators (KPIs), including energy consumption, indoor thermal performance, and ventilation effectiveness. The results demonstrate that integrating these passive strategies can significantly improve indoor thermal comfort while reducing building energy demand, highlighting the potential for climate-responsive design to deliver energy-efficient and economically viable hotel solutions in hot-arid regions.
Egypt’s higher education sector expanded rapidly over the last decade, resulting in increased energy consumption, negative environmental impacts, and economic challenges. Existing academic buildings present promising opportunities for energy savings through retrofitting; however, a validated pathway for achieving Zero-Energy Buildings ZEBs in Egypt remains underdeveloped. This study aims to develop a practical scenario and a replicable retrofitting pathway based on a multi-tiered approach that includes passive envelope enhancements, active system optimization, and the integration of renewable energy RE systems. Using the Canadian International College CIC campus as a case study, the research adapted the building energy simulation BES methodology to model the base case in Energy Plus-DesignBuilder v7.0. The key findings showed that the campus’s energy performance was sensitive to LED upgrades, HVAC set-point/setback optimization, and external wall retrofit, while integrating optimal passive and active strategies reduced the building’s total energy consumption by 50.84% and CO2 emissions by 49.65%. The study culminates in a design proposal for an integrated rooftop solar PV system to achieve ZEB status. The results demonstrated an applicable scenario and a retrofitting pathway for achieving ZEB for higher educational institutions in a similar context, and support both Egypt’s Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.
In hot climates, demand for effective sustainable cooling strategies to maintain comfort is high. Nevertheless, conventional radiant cooling systems are often hindered by condensation risks and complex control requirements in partially occupied spaces. To address these challenges, at top inlet conditions of approximately 26°C and 50% Relative Humidity) RH (, three-dimensional CFD simulations validated against the 1.405 kW reference case of Shin et al. were performed to quantify the effect of installation height and panel geometry on spot radiant cooling performance. Lowering the flat CRCP from 2.6 m to 2.2 m reduced volume averaged air temperature (Ta) by 0.3–0.4°C, while maintaining a total panel heat removal of ≈0.700–0.702 kW, dominated by radiation (∼65–70%). The dome-shaped CRCP, with 21% less surface area (10.37 m2 vs 13.18 m2), achieved comparable operative temperature (Top ≈ 25.3°C). When extended to full area with a cylindrical skirt, total heat extraction increased to ∼0.70 kW and Top dropped to ≈ 23.6°C. These results demonstrate that geometric optimization can enhance localized cooling efficiency and occupant comfort without increasing system energy demand.
Bridges are considered one of the major infrastructure projects that pose many challenges for design and construction. This is because they require highly efficient structural systems that last for many years, require minimal maintenance, and provide a short construction period. Monopiles are the most common foundation system concept in wind turbines, but they have also proven to be an economically sound foundation solution in bridge foundation systems (as seen in monorails, railway bridges, bridges extensions and ramps) owing to their simple design, easy construction, low manufacturing costs, and minimal excavation work. However, the durability of bridges resting on monopiles and their capability of resisting lateral loads, especially under seismic excitation, remains a concern and is the most important requirement to avoid severe damage. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of adding a concrete skirt to monopile foundations in improving their seismic response. Installed around the monopile's base, the proposed concrete skirt aims to improve soil-structure interaction, increase lateral stiffness, and improve energy dissipation. Parametric analysis and numerical simulations were used to investigate how the skirt geometry and soil characteristics affect seismic performance. The results show that adding a concrete skirt significantly reduces the monopile's acceleration by up to 75%, shear forces by 65%, bending moments and lateral deformations by 65% and 50% respectively, depending on soil conditions, concrete skirt geometry, and seismic intensity, affording a practical and reasonable solution to increase the seismic resilience of structures supported by monopiles.
With the rapid urban expansion of new cities in hot desert climates, the challenge of designing open urban spaces and public squares becomes evident, particularly in providing thermal comfort. These spaces are exposed to intense sunlight and temperatures exceeding 40°C for extended periods, limiting their usability and increasing reliance on traditional, non sustainable shading methods. Addressing this issue, the research explores the potential of bio-dynamic shading units that utilize plants with self-moving responses such as nyctinastic and heliotropic movements as sustainable alternatives that adapt automatically to climatic changes without mechanical systems or energy consumption. The study assumes that integrating plants with adaptive movement into lightweight architectural structures can enhance thermal regulation, reduce solar exposure, and improve thermal and visual comfort in public spaces. The New Administrative Capital in Egypt serves as a case study, representing a new generation of cities in arid environments. A comparative analytical method was employed, involving a systematic review of biological and environmental studies on plant movement, and the development of a multi-criteria evaluation matrix. Five plant species were assessed based on movement type and range, shading efficiency, climate suitability, and architectural integration. Results identified Albizia julibrissin as the most suitable candidate, providing a high level of shading during peak sun hours, based on literature expectations, while offering design flexibility and visual integration. The study recommends implementing bio-shading units using Albizia julibrissin within urban strategies and green infrastructure plans in the New Administrative Capital, with potential applications in similar desert cities regionally and globally.
When problematic clayey soils are used for engineering purposes without treatment, they can lead to structural cracks in roads, buildings, and underground infrastructure. The use of oyster shell powder in geotechnical applications has been the subject of little research, which is why this study looked into it. Examining the stabilization of different percentages (6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 percent) of oyster shell (OS) treatment of clayey soil is the aim of this study. Compaction, strength, CBR, and Atterberg tests are among the experiments used in this study. The study's importance lies in turning oyster shell waste into a beneficial soil-improvement additive and reducing environmental pollution brought on by the careless disposal of oyster shells, which typically emit an unpleasant stench. The results show that 18% of oyster shell is the perfect percentage to increase the liquid limit by approximately 10% while reducing the plasticity index by 31.4% and increasing in plastic limit, maximum dry density and decreased moisture content. The unconfined compressive strength increased from 40 kPa (soft) for untreated soil to 281 kPa (stiff) at 18% shell content. A verification model with PLAXIS software version 8.2 was used for pavement application under applied traffic loading. It was determined that stabilizing the subgrade soil with oyster shell (18%, 9%) reduced the vertical deformation (rutting) for flexible pavement by roughly (93.5%, 85.8%). Oyster shell alone does not achieve subbase-grade stabilization without additional binders.
The purpose of this paper is to present correlations that may help in predicting swelling pressure (PS) and swelling potential (SP) for expansive clay, which can contribute to solving engineering problems such as cracking, shifting or other structural damage, that may occur, if the behavior of this type of soil is not taken into consideration. Therefore, in this research, five different samples of expansive clay soils were collected from different site locations in New Cairo, Egypt. Then, these samples were dried, pulverized and passed through sieve No. 40 (0.425 mm). The samples were prepared initially at maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) by carrying out the standard proctor compaction test. After that, the values of swelling pressure (PS) and swelling potential (SP) were measured by using the oedometer apparatus. Also, the percentage of clay in each sample was determined by the use of hydrometer analysis, and plasticity index (PI) by applying Atterberg limits. In addition, the clay activity (A) values were calculated. Consequently, equations were deduced to estimate swelling pressure and swelling potential using the activity (A). Furthermore, another equation was deduced to calculate swelling pressure by using both the activity and swelling potential.
The Earth's climate is changing, and projections indicate that global warming will continue throughout this century, leading to increased occurrences of extreme temperatures. This raises critical questions about the performance and resilience of different energy-saving design strategies in buildings under future climatic conditions. To address this, the present study investigates the impact of passive design strategies, including building orientation, window-to-wall ratio, south and east/west shading devices, and thermal insulation on a prototype building's energy performance across four timeframes: 2002, 2020, 2050, and 2080, using validated computer-based thermal simulations. The results indicate that individual strategies vary significantly in their effectiveness, with thermal insulation showing the greatest energy savings, followed by WWR optimization, east/west shading, south shading, and finally optimal building orientation. Furthermore, a simple economic analysis highlights that future energy price escalations significantly amplify the monetary benefits of early adoption of green design strategies. These findings also underscore the importance of adopting holistic, climate-responsive design approaches that integrate multiple passive measures rather than a single strategy.
A place’s personality is beyond the sum of its characteristics. It’s how people perceive it on a human level, hoping for a better understanding and seeking connection. This study aims to understand how people connect with public spaces to enhance the quality of urban life. A place’s personality extends beyond its physical attributes—it reflects how people emotionally perceive and connect with it. This study investigates the relationship between the perceived personality of urban streets and users’ behaviour to enhance the quality of urban life in Cairo. Focusing on Downtown Cairo and New Cairo, it addresses a gap in destination personality research by examining an underexplored context and scale: Cairo’s streets. A mixed-method approach was used to achieve this aim. First, an online questionnaire was distributed to investigate how Egyptians perceive the personality of the main streets of the two selected districts in Cairo, and to understand their preferred activities on these streets. Second, field studies that included observation, photographing, Visual mapping, behavioural mapping and test walks were conducted in selected streets of these districts to analyse users’ behaviour on-site. The study concluded that the relationship between a place’s perceived personality and users’ behaviour within it is reciprocal, with each influencing and shaping the other. Together, they form an opportunity to affect the connections between people and public spaces.
Balanced cantilever concrete bridges have recently been widely used in mid and long-span bridges. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the development and design of prestressed concrete balanced cantilever (PCBC) bridges, focusing on research related to real case studies of both precast and cast-in-place box-girder bridges investigated through finite element modeling (FEM) or field measurements. The research strategy targeted peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports published over the last two decades in major engineering databases. Construction methods, design methodology, and structural behavior of this type of bridge are discussed, alongside key findings on long-term response, dynamic performance, and reliability. The long-term response due to shrinkage, creep, and cable relaxation is discussed, as well as the different design models used to predict the long-term behavior of such concrete bridges. Historical developments and case studies are synthesized alongside numerical analyses and field measurements to evaluate the accuracy of existing prediction models. Reviewed studies indicate that neglecting the construction stage analysis leads to significant underestimation of deflections and bending moments. In addition, available prediction models without calibration are not accurate in determining the long-term response of this type of bridge, especially deflection, when compared with field measurements, yielding only 21% to 61% agreement with the observed deflections, calculated as normalized prediction / measurement ratios. The importance of using long-term monitoring systems in PCBC bridges is recommended for more accurate predictions and validation of design methodology.
Slope stability is considered one of the crucial topics in geotechnical engineering. Accurate soil slopes stability analyses are essential as slope failures could cause catastrophic environmental and human disasters. Geosynthetics are widely used as stabilizing elements in slope stability analyses. Incorporating geosynthetic reinforcement generally improves the global factor of safety against slope failure. However, in practice, analyses must not only focus on the global slope stability but should also account for any sliding along geosynthetic interfaces, since geosynthetics are considered as week layers within the reinforced soil mass and act as potential slip interfaces that should be checked for stability. Although slope stability analyses are predominantly conducted using a traditional limit-equilibrium method, in this study the Heuristic Particle Swarm optimization method was embedded into this classic approach to identify all possible sliding along a geosynthetic interface that a conventional limit equilibrium method might overlook. Since it is generally perceived that reinforcement variables might affect the stability of the reinforced slopes, a parametric study is conducted on geosynthetics variables such as the tensile strength, length, and number (vertical spacing), for slopes with berm and without berm. The comparative results obtained show that its length has a significant effect on slope stability, while the tensile strength and spacing has a minimal one. It is also worth noting that the reinforcement's length and spacing are significantly reduced when a berm is added to the slope and thus highly improves its stability with less reinforcement materials.
This study investigates the suitability of five Egyptian clay deposits—Wadi El-Natrun, Qasr El-Sagha, Kafr Homied, Fayed, and Suez Road—for ceramic building applications. Representative samples were characterized chemically and mineralogically, with grain size distribution and Atterberg limits determined to assess their industrial potential. Mineralogical analysis identified montmorillonite, illite, and kaolinite as the dominant clay minerals. Grain size and plasticity data, plotted on industrial diagrams, revealed that all samples are highly plastic clays with elevated clay fractions and minimal sand content. Such properties, while beneficial for molding, require modification to reduce excessive plasticity. The addition of non-plastic materials is recommended to enhance workability and product quality. Among the studied deposits, clay from Kafr Homied exhibited molding characteristics within the permissible range for pottery production. Moreover, extrusion processing was found feasible for broader ceramic applications. These findings highlight the potential of Egyptian clays as valuable raw materials for the ceramic industry, provided that appropriate adjustments are made to optimize their performance. The chemical composition of the studied clay samples in oxides form and their loss on and the examined clay samples (WN, QS, KH, FA and SU) show that they are mainly composed of SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, with weak amounts of calcium (except KH), magnesium, sodium, potassium, and titanium oxides suggesting mirror accessory minerals, The SiO2 content is relatively high (46.9–50.9%), indicating the dominance of quartz and silicate minerals. Al2O3 is moderate (8.8–11.6%), reflecting the existence of alumino-silicate clay minerals such as kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite, which improves cohesiveness and thermal stability. Fe2O3 values (9.6–11.6%) showing a significant number of iron-bearing phases like hematite or goethite, which enhances density and compressive strength, The contents of CaO (0.5–6.6%), suggesting low to moderate range, It reduces firing shrinkage and cracks and increases mechanical resistance, K2O was present in all sample (1.0–1.3%) indicates the presence of illite mineral.
This study develops and validates, using the Delphi method, a conceptual decision-support framework for construction contractors' sustainable productivity management (CSPM) in developing-country settings. Guided by KAMET rules, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts to elicit, refine, and reach consensus on a set of productivity management attributes that construction contractors can realistically apply. The outcome is 29 feasible productivity management attributes, organized under the four Sustainable Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) perspectives and mapped onto five management phases (planning, organizing, staffing, leading/coordination, and controlling). Rather than predicting or demonstrating productivity gains, the framework provides a practical roadmap for diagnosing capability gaps, prioritizing actions, and guiding subsequent empirical testing and case-based validation. Conceptually, it extends the traditional Balanced Scorecard by embedding sustainability—balancing economic performance, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility—and by clarifying how SBSC perspectives connect operational efficiency with financial outcomes, customer expectations, and organizational learning. Developed in Vietnam, the framework is also relevant to other emerging economies facing similar sustainability pressures.
