Recent Trends in Cold-Formed Steel Construction discusses advancements in an area that has become an important construction material for buildings. The book addresses cutting-edge new technologies and design methods using cold-formed steel as a main structural material, and provides technical guidance on how to design and build sustainable and energy-efficient cold-formed steel buildings. Part One of the book introduces the codes, specifications, and design methods for cold-formed steel structures, while Part Two provides computational analysis of cold-formed steel structures. Part Three examines the structural performance of cold-formed steel buildings and reviews the thermal performance, acoustic performance, fire protection, floor vibrations, and blast resistance of these buildings, with a final section reviewing innovation and sustainability in cold-formed steel construction.

A Comprehensive Database of Tests on Axially Loaded Driven Piles in Sands reviews the critical need to develop better load-test databases for piles driven in sands. The key quality parameters, population of current entries and reporting formats are described before offering preliminary results obtained from comparisons between axial capacities calculated by various predictive approaches and site measurements. This book also shows that the "simplified" and "offshore" ICP and UWA variants proposed by some practitioners are over-conservative and that their use could be discontinued. The new pile capacity and stiffness database offers a broad scope for evaluating potential prediction biases relating to a wide range of soil and pile parameters. Submission of further high quality tests for inclusion in regularly updated versions is encouraged.

Nonconventional and Vernacular Construction Materials: Characterisation, Properties and Applications provides a comprehensive repository of information on materials science and the modern structural engineering application of ancient, vernacular, and nonconventional building materials, with leading experts contributing chapters that focus on current applications and the engineering of these construction materials. Opening with a historic retrospective of nonconventional materials, Part One includes a review of vernacular construction and a discussion of the future directions for nonconventional and vernacular materials research and applications. Chapters in Part Two focus on natural fibers, including their application in cementitious composites, non-cementitious composites, and strawbale construction. In Part Three, chapters cover the use of industrial by-products and natural ashes in cement mortar and concrete, and construction using soil-cement blocks, clay-based materials, adobe and earthen materials, and ancient stone masonry. Timber, bamboo, and paper construction materials are investigated in the final section of the book.

Innovative Developments of Advanced Multifunctional Nanocomposites in Civil and Structural Engineering focuses on nanotechnology, the innovation and control of materials at 100 nm or smaller length scales, and how they have revolutionized almost all of the various disciplines of science and engineering study. In particular, advances in synthesizing, imaging, and manipulating materials at the nano-scale have provided engineers with a broader array of materials and tools for creating high-performance devices. Nanomaterials possess drastically different properties than those of their bulk counterparts mainly because of their high surface-to-mass ratios and high surface energies/reactivity. For instance, carbon nanotubes have been shown to possess impressive mechanical strength, stiffness, and electrical conductivity superior to that of bulk carbon. Whilst nanotechnology has become deeply rooted in electrical, chemical, and materials engineering disciplines, its proliferation into civil engineering did not begin until fairly recently. This book covers that proliferation and the main challenges associated with the integration of nanomaterials and nano-scale design principles into civil and structural engineering.

This book describes the signal, image and video processing methods and techniques for fire detection and provides a thorough and practical overview of this important subject, as a number of new methods are emerging. This book will serve as a reference for signal processing and computer vision, focusing on fire detection and methods for volume sensors. Applications covered in this book can easily be adapted to other domains, such as multi-modal object recognition in other safety and security problems, with scientific importance for fire detection, as well as video surveillance. Coverage includes: Camera Based Techniques Multi-modal/Multi-sensor fire analysis Pyro-electric Infrared Sensors for Flame Detection Large scale fire experiments Wildfire detection from moving aerial platforms

Since 1930 more than 100,000 new chemical compounds have been developed and insufficient information exists on the health assessment of 95 percent of these chemicals in which a relevant percentage are used in construction products. For instance Portland cement concrete, the most used material on the Planet (10.000 million tons/year that in the next 40 years will increase around 100 %) currently used in around 15% of total concrete production contains chemicals used to modify their properties, either in the fresh or hardened state. Biopolymers are materials that are developed from natural resources. They reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. There is a worldwide demand to replace petroleum-based materials with renewable resources. Currently bio-admixtures represent just a small fraction of the chemical admixtures market (around 20%) but with environmental awareness for constituents in construction materials generally growing (the Construction Products Regulation is being enforced in Europe since 2013), the trend towards bio-admixtures is expected to continue. This book provides an updated state-of-the-art review on biopolymers and their influence and use as admixtures in the development of eco-efficient construction materials.

Steel Corrosion Induced Concrete Cracking presents the latest advances in the origin, mechanism and development of corrosion-induced cracking in concrete. It investigates topics including expansion coefficient and elastic modulus of steel corrosion, rust layer and rust distribution, spatial distribution of corrosion products, the shape of corrosion-induced cracks and so on. This book concludes by proposing an improved corrosion-induced cracking model, which considers the phenomena of the simultaneous occurrence of corrosion layer accumulation and corrosion filling in concrete. This book will be a valuable reference book for researchers and graduate students in the field of concrete durability and concrete structure, and industry engineers who are concerned with the deterioration mechanisms and the life cycle of reinforced concrete structures.

LEED v4 Practices, Certification, and Accreditation Handbook, Second Edition, provides users with a practical user-friendly roadmap that presents the guidelines for selecting the LEED v4 rating system to better fit a particular project (e.g. LEED for Building Design and Construction, LEED for Operations and Maintenance, LEED for Interior Design and Construction, LEED for Building Design and Construction, or LEED for Neighborhood Development). In addition, this comprehensive handbook carefully explains the modifications in the credentialing process, including the new 3-Tier system requiring applicants to first take the LEED (TM) Green Associate exam, followed by the LEED (TM) Professional Accreditation exam.

Advanced District Heating and Cooling (DHC) Systems presents the latest information on the topic, providing valuable information on the distribution of centrally generated heat or cold energy to buildings, usually in the form of space heating, cooling, and hot water. As DHC systems are more efficient and less polluting than individual domestic or commercial heating and cooling systems, the book provides an introduction to DHC, including its potential contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, then reviews thermal energy generation for DHC, including fossil fuel-based technologies, those based on renewables, and surplus heat valorization. Final sections address methods to improve the efficiency of DHC.

Cement production is known to be a polluting and energy-intensive industry. Cement plants account for 5 percent of global emissions of carbon dioxide and one of the main causes of global warming. However, cement it is literally the glue of progress. Designing Green Cement Plants provides the tools and techniques for designing new large cement plants that would promote sustainable growth, preserve natural resources to the maximum possible extent and make least possible additions to the Greenhouse Gases that cause global warming. Brief and but authoritative, this title embraces new technologies and methods such as Carbon Capture and Sequestration, as well as methods for harnessing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The author also discusses the efficient use of energy and materials through the use recycling. In addition, this book also examines thepossibilities of developing green cement substitutes such as Calera, Caliix, Novacem, Aether and Geopolymer cements.

Fabric Structures in Architecture covers the varying ways textiles and their properties are used in building construction, with particular focus given to tensile structures. The text begins with the fundamental principles of textiles, including the origins of fabric architecture, then progressing to a discussion of the modern textiles of today. It covers relevant textile materials and their properties, including coatings and membranes. In addition, a range of design considerations are discussed, with detailed information on installation and failure modes. A series of case studies from around the world accompany the discussion, illustrating the applications of textiles in architecture.

Formed of papers originating from the 9th International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering, this book highlights research and industrial developments in the theoretical and practical aspects of safety and security engineering. Safety and Security Engineering, due to its special nature, is an interdisciplinary area of research and application that brings together, in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering from the traditional to the most technologically advanced. This volume covers topics such as crisis management, security engineering, natural disasters and emergencies, terrorism, IT security, man-made hazards, risk management, control, protection and mitigation issues. The meeting aims to attract papers in all related fields, in addition to those listed under the Conference Topics, as well as case studies describing practical experiences. Due to the multitude and variety of topics included, the list is only indicative of the themes of the expected papers. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts in all areas of Safety and Security, with particular attention to integrated and interdisciplinary aspects. Specific themes include: Critical infrastructure; Cyber security/E security; Disaster and emergency management; Earthquakes and natural hazards; Human factors and risk perception; Modelling and experiments; Risk analysis and assessment; Safety engineering; Risk reduction in transport system in emergency conditions.

Concrete is the second most used building material in the world after water. The problem is that over time the material becomes weaker. As a response, researchers and designers are developing self-sensing concrete which not only increases longevity but also the strength of the material. Self-Sensing Concrete in Smart Structures provides researchers and designers with a guide to the composition, sensing mechanism, measurement, and sensing properties of self-healing concrete along with their structural applications