The use of Parametric modeling techniques in the design process of buildings and built forms produce some characteristic formal expression which many times produce a striking visual interest. This paper outlines how this kind of formal expression influences visual perception. However, this aspect is not considered objectively in the design process. With the help of parametric design, one now has the liberty to explore different design alternatives in less time and with more ease. The paper explores the possibilities of leveraging this technology to parameterize the formal expression of a built space, that thereafter shape up human perception and subsequent decision making - achieving more holistic built-space design approach.
When city's become more dense, the need for high rise buildings increases. However, implementation of high rise buildings in a crowded city is difficult on street level. Common high rise designs have a discrete transition between public and private area, subsequently losing interaction with the city. In this research a new high rise building concept has been developed. An integrated design approach combining architectural and structural solutions has been used. The final design consists of three slender buildings with public space between them combined through a diagrid structure. This diagrid structure ensures the lateral stiffness of the buildings. This innovative high rise building concept is a new possibility to implement high rise in a city that combines all important design criteria.
social hub media websites such as Face book, Instgram and Twitter. These websites were originally informal virtual places for friends to connect, but have gradually become used as tools for businesses, and more significantly, government to connect with citizens. Public participation is a form of civic duty that is required in all stages of planning. But fewer people in Jordan are taking part in the public participation process, and there is a trend towards an older group (over 40) of residents that come to such meetings or workshops. Moreover, Plans, such as Specific Plans or General Plans in Jordan often take years to implement and require all generations to give feedback on what is needed for the future. This study investigates the relationship between public participation and the rise of social hub media as a tool for engagement, demonstrating how Jordanian cities use Face book. This research suggests that social hub media provides a two-way form of communication between the community and the local government, which aids in promoting authentic participation. Additionally, social media allows for efficient outreach and noticing of meetings or public workshops. As opposed to newspaper or website noticing, websites such as Face book allow local governments to target a specific audience by location, age, or interests. Findings indicate that although many cities developed a Face book Page to engage the "younger generation", they attract all ages to become fans. Additionally, the findings show that the true potential of Face book as a participatory tool has not been discovered. Cities are developing their own ways of using it as a tool as there is no formal best practices manual for City planning departments. The findings of this study have provided the necessary information to develop a best practice manual for planning practitioners to utilize. The manual provides information on developing a Face book Page as well as the implications of the technology.
Nowadays, the pavement maintenance programming and preservation are considered as a necessity in road agencies. In other words, the road agencies have realized that using the decision support system such as pavement management system (PMS), which assists them to find cost-effective maintenance solutions, could be useful for managing pavement networks. Budget limitation compels road agencies to prioritize the maintenance of pavements. Actually, maintenance prioritization, which depends on various factors like pavement conditions, traffic volume, performance standards and financial constraints, is a necessity for the optimal use of the resources and selection of the better choices. The pavement management system, as a strategic tool, has been organized by collecting and retaining large amounts of data. The Geographical information system (GIS), as a practical tool, can be appropriate for data integrating, collecting, managing, analyzing and output presenting in PMS. Factors such as the significant cost of data collection, the lack of long-term pavement performance data and the lack of developed and calibrated pavement deterioration models, are important reasons that can affect the implementation of pavement management system and the pavement maintenance prioritization. In the absence of these main needs, providing a new and simple approach can be used as a short-term management decisions for pavement maintenance management. This paper, develops a short-term maintenance management approach in 2 scenarios (with and without budget limitation) at the network level, wherein prioritization is based mainly on pavement condition, treatment cost, importance of road performance and communication role (connectivity) and traffic range in the GIS environment. Furthermore, crack sealing, patching, and thin overlay have been chosen as maintenance activities. To check the results of the proposed method, the surface distress of flexible pavements in Ilam province, Iran, were investigated in 2013 through rapid visual evaluations. Moreover the geographical information system (GIS), as a strategic asset management tool, has been used to display pavement section distress and the result of prioritization.
Instant cities are on the rise. With a global trend that has stretched from the Far East to the Middle East, these emergent cities have challenged the world through their instant urban growth and their spectacular economic impact on a global scale. Cities like Shanghai and Dubai have been instrumental in the growth of other emergent cities - the craze of 'Dubaization' [1] or Dubai-mania has been on the rise through out the more politically stable countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Middle East. The GCC came together in 1981 uniting the countries of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. In recent years, cities of the GCC, primarily, Doha, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama have each adapted to the notion of instant urban growth, and much like Dubai, they have become part of the race for urban and architectural development. This paper will examine the city of Abu Dhabi as a case study considering its uniqueness and rich history, though considered short in comparison with other major cities around the world. Abu Dhabi has an opportunity to document and analyze its architectural and urban evolution in order to fully understand its past, present and potential future as a modernized metropolis. Instant cities now have the challenge to meet the needs of environmental sustainability in order to become even smarter cities and thus must face the challenge of adapting their existing urban fabric to accommodate sustainable urban and architectural development. This paper provides an overview of the urban morphology of Abu Dhabi, an influential instant Arab gulf city, and the process of their instantaneous urban growth. An overview of their urban history may call upon the question of their future adaptability and current progress for future changes to the city. The current research identifies the unique historical phases of urban development of Abu Dhabi up to present day that each correspond to and contain their distinctive cultural, societal and environmental factors that have helped shaped the city – these factors have been taken into consideration when defining the stages of urban development through the defined phases. The continuous development of the city of Abu Dhabi, to a great extent, considers its ongoing growing economy and distinctive environment contained as part of each defined period provided in the following overview.
FeCo/Cu core shell structure with FeCo as a core and copper as the shell has been successfully synthesized by displacement reaction. The morphology, grain size, lattice strain, and magnetic properties of all the samples were examined by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Annealing temperatures and its effect on magnetic properties of the FeCo/Cu core shell particles was investigated. A maximum coercivity (Hc) of 398.84 Oe was recorded for the sample heat treated in magnetic field. The blocking temperatures (TB) and squareness (Mr/Ms) of the sample gradually increased due to the influence of temperature and magnetic field.
The paper shows a comparison of nanocrystalline and microcrystalline tantalum sinters. The nanocrystalline tantalum was made using high-energy ball milling. The sinters were made using hot pressing with high frequency induction heating. The structure and microstructure of the powders and sinters were investigated. After 48 hour milling, the microcrystalline tantalum transformed into nanocrystalline powder. The hot pressing resulted in a formation of bulk tantalum with ultrafine grains and hardness as high as 1067 HV. The nanostructure supports the densification process at lower sintering temperature in comparison to microcrystalline tantalum. The average crystallite size in nanocrystalline bulk materials reached 170 nm.
This paper aims to understand the power and governance questions in the case of co-location of university (NTNU) campuses in the city of Trondheim. NTNU has three main campuses; 1. Gloshaugen, the technical campus, 2. Dragvoll, the social and human science campus, and 3. Oya, the hospital and medical campus. Since NTNU was built, the co-location of its campuses was on the agenda in order to increase the interdisciplinary and collaboration between them. In 2000s, the desire of co-locating the campuses was reinforced by the new trend of knowledge-based urban development in Trondheim. A large part of the higher education and research institutions, including Gloshaugen and Oya campuses, has been located in the area close to Trondheim city center. The vicinity of these institutions embarks on a strategic mission to firmly encourage and nurture locally focused innovation, science and creativity within the context of expanding knowledge economy. Subsequently, the municipality’s wish is to physically and institutionally combine the functions of a science park with civic and residential functions by opening up campus areas for the outside world, integrating university activities with the rest of the city. Regarding the co-location of campuses, a political mainstream is to move (re-locate) both administration and education affairs of NTNU’s Dragvoll campus to the Gloshaugen- Oya area (distance of 5 km). This process of moving is an intricate evolution that brings different social, economic and ecological issues into question that has provided an implicit testimony to the broad range of political interests and power issues. The latent conflict between different interests and power levels have permeated multi-stakeholder discussions at the national and local level and undermined the process of decision-making for nearly 15 years. The process of decision-making has continuously been influenced by the power of actors in terms of their position, personality and opportunity they grasp for actions. The findings of this research attract attentions to the importance of networking with individuals, who have the necessary power and interest, in order to understand the governance structure and the mechanism for its change in the specific period of time.
The four components used in producing cement concrete generally are cement, water, sand and aggregate. But, natural sand is being depleted at present and also becoming costly, particularly in the rapidly developing countries like India. Hence, there is a necessity to develop a substitute for the fine sand for use in the concrete mixture, one of which is the manufactured sand developed from locally available quarry stone. Therefore, in this study, investigations are carried out to determine the mechanical properties of manufactured sand and Slurry Infiltrated Fibrous Concrete (SIFCON) made with the manufactured sand. Also, SIFCON specimens are exposed to the elevated temperatures for a period of one hour in this study. The fibre additions in SIFCON vary from 8% to 12% in steps of 2%. The strength properties such as compression, split tensile and flexural strength are studied in the laboratory. The higher the fibre content, the better the results that are achieved in accordance with various strengths: compressive, split tensile and flexural strength. When the specimens are exposed to the elevated temperatures the strength of specimens increases gradually up to a temperature of 300o C. Thereafter, the strength decreases.
Mechanical Engineering students are exposed to drawing both 2D and 3D using CAD software in their curriculum. Recently, 2nd Year Mechanical Engineering students from Roever Engineering College, Tamil Nadu, India scored poorly in 5 skills namely Theoretical and Conceptual Knowledge, Visualization skill, Working Knowledge, Speed and Accuracy of Drawing even when their capabilities are beyond those scores. When enquired on this, the students stated that the exposure to both 2D and 3D CAD software to develop the five skills should have been acquired at the 1st Year itself, which became the need of the study.
Low-income families in developing countries including Tanzania experience challenges on owning better houses appropriately constructed from locally available materials. Houses are either of low standard or low-quality materials. This project examined the use of rice husks, as agricultural wastes substance, in burnt and unburnt blocks commonly used for house construction in Mbeya, Tanzania. Blocks were cast by mixing the natural soil with water and 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 percent rice husks. The cast blocks were air/sun-dried then half of them burnt. Tests performed on the blocks include compressive strength, flexural strength, relative density and water absorption. Although it constitutes further study, the efflorescence test were not available when writing this paper. Findings indicated that much as burnt blocks without rice husks have higher compressive strength compared to unburnt blocks, their water absorption is almost three times of the unburnt blocks. Therefore, unburnt blocks could have more potential to resist efflorescence than burnt blocks due to its low water absorption. Results also indicates that rice husks slightly increase the compressive strength of unburnt blocks but are not beneficial on burnt blocks.
Anodic alumina films with uniformly distributed self assembled pores of diameters in the nanometric length scale were prepared by dual step anodization technique in oxalic, phosphoric and sulphuric acid medium. The variations of pore morphology and photoluminescent properties were studied with respect to the change in electrolytic medium. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the films prepared in different electrolytic medium have been recorded and compared. The PL spectra of the porous anodic alumina (PAA) film prepared in oxalic acid was found to be much stronger than the PAA prepared in phosphoric and sulphuric acid. However, pore size of the PAA films prepared in oxalic and sulphuric acid were significantly smaller than the PAA films prepared in phosphoric acid medium. Presence of oxygen deficient defect centre exerts a strong influence on the PL properties of the films.
AbstractA series of alternative structures for housing are proposed through a design-research prototyping process. Nine proto-structures are developed through the conception and realization of columns cast in concrete. The series explores specific structural principles at 1to1 scale, which are further architecturally tested as speculative towers for urban living at 1to100 scale.At 1 to 1 scale, concrete as process rather than just concrete as material sets the main methodology for the design-research. Trial and error experiments, closely related to the properties of the material (liquid to solid formation), seek to put forward new techniques of formwork design and construction procedures that are more flexible and more sustainable than past and current systems.Design analysis, informed by the work of the early ‘structural rationalists’ (F. Candela, P.L. Nervi, H. Isler, R. Maillard, E. Dieste, et al.), considers the transformation of structural languages in an attempt to revive an architecture for vertical living (point-block).
The paper discusses the concept of placemaking and the implementation of UNESCO conservation policies, how it made an impact on the example of Malacca, Malaysia also mentioning the reactions of the local residents. It covers a basic historic background of placemaking concept and the process of Malacca getting into the World Heritage List. This study, then tries to combine the two approaches to form an upgraded concept of urban historic center preservation summarized in basic principles.
In recent years, the luminous efficacy of light emitting diodes (LEDs) has met energy conservation requirements. However, in lighting applications, lighting instruments must be appropriately applied to illuminate regions of interest. In this study, the LED AR111 downlight was used as an example to limit beam areas within a preset illuminating range. The TRIZ method was applied to generate ideas for product design concepts. We proposed installing replaceable gratings on LED lighting instruments, three types of multi-reflector cups that can be installed at various angles were designed for use in lighting instruments, and designed multi-reflector cups within gratings based on compound parabolic concentrator principles for calculating various beam angles, thereby improving the distribution of luminous intensity by using secondary optics. The 3D model and optical simulation showed that multi-reflector cups effectively controlled beam angles, satisfied various types of applications for illuminated objects, and enabled the effective utilization of light beams. By manufacturing a lighting instrument and measuring the distribution of luminous intensity, we ascertained that the use of multi-reflector cups in lighting instruments effectively prevented glare. Moreover, replacing the multi-reflector cups for use at different angles enabled the illuminated object to receive favorable lighting. The component was verified to satisfy design requirements.
The present paper investigates measures for successful design of dam bottom outlets. First, some of definitions and functions of bottom outlets are provided. Associated challenges and solutions will be discussed. Different parts of bottom outlets like intake structures, conduit, control structure and outlet structures are discussed and measures for successful design for each of them are presented with related design cases. Also risk management measures for ensuring successful performance of bottom outlets are discussed with proper examples.
This research examines the effects of the built environment on human stress and anxiety levels, by measuring the responses of participants as they interact with various architectural design features using Augmented Reality technology. Architectural form-making is becoming more dynamic and expressive in today’s world, deviating from traditional designs, especially in urban contexts. Current technology enables such forms to be created, but prior to their construction there is no easy way to determine how they might affect the stress levels of the people who experience the redesigned environment. The physical geography of cities is already known to have an effect on human well-being, and specific design issues have been correlated with negative health outcomes, including increased levels of anxiety. However, the positive or negative changes that can be induced through new designs are often just a matter of speculation. Our research helps to address this issue by developing a prototype interface to evaluate human-experience factors during the design review process. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate biometric data obtained from participants through an Augmented Reality experience, and parsed that data with respect to the participants’ personal backgrounds and other demographic information. The prototype toolset was developed based on three different architectural variables—shape, height, and visual pattern. The results from the experiment indicate there is a relationship between these architectural forms and stress levels. This research contributes to design pedagogy and practice, and it helps to show how continuous parametric form generation can be used to better reduce anxiety levels in future urban environments.
Nowadays many cities set priorities to shift from automobile-centered towards more bicycle and pedestrianoriented planning directions followed by high-cost infrastructure change projects. Open spaces (recommended to be 15-20% of city land) have greater importance for social interaction and relaxation especially for middle-income communities. Seoul has a historical network of Cheonggyecheon water stream and its tributaries. The transport traffic is linked it and with pedestrian and cyclist circulation along natural and artificial lines. This paper considers different conditions of existing urban pathways in Seoul through the case studies: Chyonggyecheon as a largest water stream restoration project in a city; Seongbukcheon water stream as a linear open space for local residents; Jeongreungcheon under the Naebu expressway as a hybrid landscape. This paper aims to correlate the issues of existing water streams condition, local neighborhood condition (land value change), and community planning. Cost-effective revitalizing of high-dense downtown areas is a challenge for a city that incorporates multifunctional urban environment of hybrid landscapes and community planning.
The future project of cities and highly attractive places must respond to global environmental goals, to historical and architectural heritage, and to the needs of local environments and quality of life. Taking on that issue, this research project originates from the exchange of experiences between the Polytechnic University of the Marches (Italy), the Moscow State Forest University and the A&P Studio (Architettura&Paesaggio, Italy), who initiated the research on urban landscapes with particular reference to the sustainable regeneration in certain parts of the metropolitan area of Moscow, the saturated city at the top of the network of global cities, taken as a case study on the world level. The trial field is the net of the “infra” spaces of Moscow, which is re-established by architecture restoring links which are broken by the infrastructure. Infrastructure and its spaces, generally regarded as the developing drive behind the territory, in this study become the re-governing instrument of the city and opportunity for wise dialogue between the economic-financial, environmental and cultural spheres. That is possible through the project of multi-functional Hubs: they recover the marginal spaces of railway areas and tends to restore a state of dynamic equilibrium between multimodal mobility, parks and a functional mix of public services. From the “Social Condenser” of Soviet Constructivism, the research alights on the catalysts (the new Hubs) of the collective life, which lead to the innovative use of public transport in relieving areas saturated by private transport. «Would it be possible to use the highway as a means of education?» (The view from the road, Kevin Lynch 1964). The “Moskva 7 Kholmov” idea-project replies by introjecting previous theories and more mature situations (Archigram, Yona Friedman, OMA/Rem Koolhaas) with ecological theories (Forman and Sperling). The study suggests the overcoming of the evolutionary trauma of the metropolis in a project that reunites the senses of place and time through innovative architecture dedicated to people on the move. By skilfully balancing the infrastructural, urban, ecological and landscaping points of view, the new architecture fulfils the role of infrastructural shock absorbers, thanks to which the “Slow Metropolis” becomes a possible utopia: Moscow, urban-architectural utopia of the Twenties, becomes a positive example of the functioning of infrastructure and architecture for a mobile society.
