This book presents recent research in the area of construction pathology, hygrothermal behaviour of buildings, service life and diagnostic techniques, and highlights the latest developments in building physics, hygrothermal behaviour, durability and numerical models applied to building materials analysis. Discussing the state of the art in the field, and covering topics relevant to variety of engineering disciplines, such as civil, materials and mechanical engineering, it will appeal to scientists, students, practitioners, lecturers and other stakeholders.

To attract investment and tourists and to enhance the quality of life of their citizens, municipal authorities are paying considerable attention to the quality of the public domain of their cities - including their urban squares. Politicians find them good places for rallies. Children consider squares to be playgrounds, the elderly as places to catch-up with each other, and for many others squares are simply a place to pause for a moment. Urban Squares as Places, Links and Displays: Successes and Failures discusses how people experience squares and the nature of the people who use them. It presents a 'typology of squares' based on the dimensions of ownership, the square's instrumental functions, and a series of their basic physical attributes including size, degree of enclosure, configuration and organization of the space within them and finally based on their aesthetic attributes - their meanings. Twenty case studies illustrate what works and what does not work in different cities around the world. It discusses the qualities of lively squares and quieter, more restorative places as well as what contributes to making urban squares less desirable as destinations for the general public. The book closes with the policy implications, stressing the importance and difficulties of designing good public places. Urban Squares offers how-to guidance along with a strong theoretical framework making it ideal for architects, city planners and landscape architects working on the design and upgrade of squares.

A collection of the writing of the highly influential architect, Juhani Pallasmaa, presented in short, easily accessible, and condensed ideas ideal for students Juhani Pallasmaa is one of Finland's most distinguished architects and architectural thinkers, publishing around 60 books and several hundred essays and shorter pieces over his career. His influential works have inspired undergraduate and postgraduate students of architecture and related disciplines for decades. In this compilation of excerpts of his writing, readers can discover his key concepts and thoughts in one easily accessible, comprehensive volume. Inseminations: Seeds for Architectural Thought is a delightful collection of thoughtful ideas and compositions that float between academic essay and philosophical reflection. Wide in scope, it offers entries covering: atmospheres; biophilic beauty; embodied understanding; imperfection; light and shadow; newness and nowness; nostalgia; phenomenology of architecture; sensory thought; silence; time and eternity; uncertainty, and much more. Makes the wider work of Pallasmaa accessible to students across the globe, introducing them to his key concepts and thoughts Exposes students to a broad range of issues on which Pallasmaa has a view Features an alphabetized structure that makes serendipitous discovery or linking of concepts more likely Presents material in short, condensed manner that can be easily digested by students Inseminations: Seeds for Architectural Thought will appeal to undergraduate students in architecture, design, urban studies, and related disciplines worldwide.

This book presents a selection of recent research works that provide best practice solutions, case studies and practical advice on the implementation of sustainable construction techniques. The topics covered include innovations in building sustainability assessment, sustainable construction and materials, service-life prediction, construction 4.0, digitalization of the construction process, and circular economy. Reviewing the current state of knowledge, the book will benefit scientists, students, practitioners, lecturers and other interested parties in a range of scientific and engineering disciplines, e.g. civil, materials and mechanical engineering.

Smart Technologies and Design for Healthy Built Environment connects smart technology to a healthy built environmentthat builds upon the sustainable building movement.It provides an overall summary of the state-of-the-art technologies that are applied in the built environment. The book covers a broad spectrum of smart technology categories ranging from dynamic operability, energy efficiency, self-regulating and self-learning systems, and responsive systems. The foreseeable challenges that are associated with smart technologies are discussed and outlined in the book. Firstly, this book provides a snapshot of state-of-the-art smart technologies being applied in the built environment. It covers a broad spectrum of smart technology categories, ranging from dynamic operability, energy efficiency, self-regulating and self-learning systems, to responsive systems. Secondly, this book provides in-depth analysis of the four primary components of health (biological, physical, physiological and psychological); their effects on wellbeing and cognitive performance are introduced as well. Thirdly, it connects smart technologies to those health-influencing factors by reviewing three completed smart building projects. This book can also serve as a basis for education and discussion among professionals and students of diverse backgrounds who are interested in smart technologies, smart building, and healthy building. Smart Technologies and Design for Healthy Built Environment serves as the basis for education and discussions among professionals and students who are interested in smart technologies, smart building and healthy building, as it bridges the gap between smart technologies and a healthy built environment. The book also provides a foundation for anyone who is interested in the impact of smart technology on the health of built environment.

This rare book is one of two volumes comprising a comprehensive catalogue of Indian architecture. This volume deals with the development of Muslim architecture in India up to modern times, and comprises the chapters: The source of Islamic Architecture in India, The Delhi or Imperial Style, Provincial Styles, The Buildings of Sher Shah Sur, The Mughul Period, The Medieval Palaces and Civic Buildings, and The Modern Position. This wonderful text can be considered the definitive handbook on the subject, complete with a wealth of information and illustrations of the beautiful Islamic architecture of India a veritable must-have for anyone with an interest in the topic. Percy Brown was a famous British scholar, historian, artist, and archaeologist. This rare book is proudly republished now with a prefatory biography of the author."

Chapter “A Multi-functional Design Approach to Deal with New Urban Challenges� is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

How the scientific community overlooked, ignored, and denied the catastrophic fallout of decades of nuclear testing in the American West In December of 1950, President Harry Truman gave authorization for the Atomic Energy Commission to conduct weapons tests and experiments on a section of a Nevada gunnery range. Over the next eleven years, more than a hundred detonations were conducted at the Nevada Test Site, and radioactive debris dispersed across the communities just downwind and through much of the country. In this important work, James C. Rice tells the hidden story of nuclear weapons testing and the negligence of the US government in protecting public health. Downwind of the Atomic State focuses on the key decisions and events shaping the Commission's mismanagement of radiological contamination in the region, specifically on how the risks of fallout were defined and redefined, or, importantly, not defined at all, owing to organizational mistakes and the impetus to keep atomic testing going at all costs. Rice shows that although Atomic Energy Commission officials understood open-air detonations injected radioactive debris into the atmosphere, they did not understand, or seem to care, that the radioactivity would irrevocably contaminate these communities. The history of the atomic Southwest should be a wake-up call to everyone living in a world replete with large, complex organizations managing risky technological systems. The legacy of open-air detonations in Nevada pushes us to ask about the kinds of risks we are unwittingly living under today. What risks are we being exposed to by large organizations under the guise of security and science?

Each century has its own unique approach toward addressing the problem of high density and the 21st century is no exception. As cities try to cope with rapid population growth - adding 2.5 billion dwellers by 2050 - and grapple with destructive sprawl, politicians, planners and architects have become increasingly interested in the vertical city paradigm. Unfortunately, cities all over the world are grossly unprepared for integrating tall buildings, as these buildings may aggravate multidimensional sustainability challenges resulting in a `vertical sprawl' that could have worse consequences than `horizontal' sprawl. By using extensive data and numerous illustrations this book provides a comprehensive guide to the successful and sustainable integration of tall buildings into cities. A new crop of skyscrapers that employ passive design strategies, green technologies, energy-saving systems and innovative renewable energy offers significant architectural improvements. At the urban scale, the book argues that planners must integrate tall buildings with efficient mass transit, walkable neighbourhoods, cycling networks, vibrant mixed-use activities, iconic transit stations, attractive plazas, well-landscaped streets, spacious parks and engaging public art. Particularly, it proposes the Tall Building and Transit Oriented Development (TB-TOD) model as one of the sustainable options for large cities going forward. Building on the work of leaders in the fields of ecological and sustainable design, this book will open readers' eyes to a wider range of possibilities for utilizing green, resilient, smart, and sustainable features in architecture and urban planning projects. The 20 chapters offer comprehensive reading for all those interested in the planning, design, and construction of sustainable cities.