Wood material has acquired great importance due to its short supply and increasing environmental awareness amongst users and manufacturers. However, its use as an engineering material requires consistent research developments in order to provide accurate responses to industrial processing problems. Research Developments in Wood Engineering and Technology examines the latest research advances and technological developments for wood material as an engineering product and the innovation it provides for environmentally-friendly materials. This reference source is essential for academics, engineers, students, and professionals involved in the multidisciplinary fields of wood science, mechanical, industrial, and manufacturing engineering.

These proceedings of the EPS 2018: 5th International Conference on Geofoam Blocks in Construction Applications, held in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus on May 9 to 11, 2018, present a collection of contributions on the state-of-the-art of research and applications relating to geofoam. Geofoam researchers, consultants, molders, contractors and practitioners from all around the globe discuss the recent developments and future trends of expanded polystyrene (EPS)-block geofoam technology and its construction applications. EPS'18 contributes to the development of geofoam applications, following on from successful conferences in Oslo (1985), Tokyo (1996), Salt Lake City (2001) and Oslo (2011). The book discusses topics including, but not limited to, current use of geofoam, design specifications, applications, new concepts, material properties, modeling and specific topics in geofoam blocks in construction applications.

This book is a plea for a sympathetic approach to the conservation and repair of traditional stone buildings. These beautiful buildings are in danger of disappearing from the landscape because they are not yet properly understood. Here is a book about saving them by applying traditional techniques in a sympathetic manner, using materials and methods that are in harmony with their nature. Patrick McAfee, a stone-mason, conservation consultant and author of the bestselling Irish Stone Walls, shows how traditional stone buildings were originally constructed; he outlines the traditional techniques, tells how the stone was worked and details the proper methods of repair and maintenance. As well as dealing with stone, the book also covers lime mortars and other traditional finishes. Includes a survey of stone buildings world-wide. Much of the information is practical, hands-on, and intended for the enthusiastic householder as well as the more experienced builder, with step-by-step instructions from an acknowledged expert.

This book presents a selection of the best papers from the HEaRT 2015 conference, held in Lisbon, Portugal, which provided a valuable forum for engineers and architects, researchers and educators to exchange views and findings concerning the technological history, construction features and seismic behavior of historical timber-framed walls in the Mediterranean countries. The topics covered are wide ranging and include historical aspects and examples of the use of timber-framed construction systems in response to earthquakes, such as the gaiola system in Portugal and the Bourbon system in southern Italy; interpretation of the response of timber-framed walls to seismic actions based on calculations and experimental tests; assessment of the effectiveness of repair and strengthening techniques, e.g., using aramid fiber wires or sheets; and modelling analyses. In addition, on the basis of case studies, a methodology is presented that is applicable to diagnosis, strengthening and improvement of seismic performance and is compatible with modern theoretical principles and conservation criteria. It is hoped that, by contributing to the knowledge of this construction technique, the book will help to promote conservation of this important component of Europe's architectural heritage.

Discusses the Bureau of Reclamation's methodology for concrete repair. Addresses the more common causes of damage to concrete. Identifies the methods and materials most successful in repairing concrete damage.

This book gathers the peer-reviewed contributions presented at two parallel, closely interconnected events on advanced construction materials and processes, namely the 2nd International RILEM Conference on Rheology and Processing of Construction Materials (RheoCon2) and the 9th International RILEM Symposium on Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC9), held in Dresden, Germany on 8-11 September 2019. The papers discuss various aspects of research on the development, testing, and applications of cement-based and other building materials together with their specific rheological properties. Furthermore, the papers cover the latest findings in the fast-growing field of self-compacting concrete, addressing topics including components' properties and characterization; chemical admixtures, effect of binders (incl. geopolymers, calcined clay, etc.) and mixture design; laboratory and in-situ rheological testing; constitutive models and flow modelling; numerical simulations; mixing, processing and casting processes; and additive manufacturing / 3D-printing. Also presenting case studies, the book is of interest to researchers, graduate students, and industry specialists, such as material suppliers, consultants and construction experts.

Ensuring current and future architecture is both successfully and sustainably produced is critical for cities and communities to not only survive but thrive. Additionally, improving built environment practices is necessary to protect the world as well as its various populations. Further study on the current challenges and future directions of sustainable architecture is required in order to create a stronger, healthier society. Contemporary Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities in Sustainable Architecture discusses the role of architecture and the built environment on communities, ecology, and society; relevant issues related to the production of sustainable built environments; and the socio-cultural integration aspects of innovative architectural designs in urban settings. The book also addresses heritage practices, responses to climate action, and technology applications. Covering key topics such as energy efficiency, urban green spaces, and sustainable solutions, this reference work is ideal for policymakers, architects, industry professionals, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

The preservation of heritage architecture is a cultural objective rigorously pursued by communities and nations wishing to promote their history, civilisation and aesthetic achievements. Structures built in the remote past by traditional methods have suffered the consequences of extreme loading events, such as earthquakes, over long time periods. Retrofitting is an approach based on recent technological developments and scientific knowledge, whereby modern construction methods and materials are applied to the repair and strengthening of historical structures. This book aims to inform on current retrofitting techniques, their application to various types of historical architecture and their effectiveness to fulfil their purpose. Retrofitted structural forms covered in the book vary widely from age old places of worship, such as churches, mosques and temples, as well as castles and palaces to more modern, distinguished private residences or public buildings, some of them designed by well known architects. Their methods of construction range from traditional, such as stone or brick masonry to more recent textile block systems and even reinforced concrete frameworks.Reference is made to detailed visual inspections of damaged structure providing valuable insight into possible causes of failure; such inspections are usually combined with material characterisation which is an essential input to numerical modelling for assessing the behaviour of the structure before and after retrofitting. The book describes strengthening techniques for masonry walls including re-pointing, injection grouting and the use of steel ties. The use of reinforced concrete is proposed in the form of cast-in-place walls, jackets or tie-beams; that of carbon fibre reinforced laminates for strengthening walls and slabs. Innovative use of materials, such as shape memory alloys, self-compacting concrete or thin lead layers is also suggested. Particular attention is given to methods for moderating the consequences of destructive earthquakes. Seismic energy absorbing devices and base isolation systems are two effective means of providing protection against future seismic events although their application is often met with many technical challenges in practice.Retrofitting of Heritage Structures: Design and evaluation of strengthening techniques will be of interest to members of academic institutions, government or private cultural preservation establishments and specialist consultant engineers. The book contains very practical, technical advice on many issues; this would be of considerable interest to construction companies specialising in repairs and maintenance of historical structures.

This book addresses the challenge of reforming defense and military policy-making in newly democratized nations. By tracing the development of civil-military relations in various new democracies from a comparative perspective, it links two bodies of scholarship that thus far have remained largely separate: the study of emerging (or failed) civilian control over armed forces on the one hand; and work on the roots and causes of military effectiveness to guarantee the protection and security of citizens on the other. The empirical and theoretical findings presented here will appeal to scholars of civil-military relations, democratization and security issues, as well as to defense policy-makers.

A key problem facing the construction industry is that all work is done by transient project teams, and in the past there has been no structured approach to learning from projects once they are completed. Now, though, the industry is adapting concepts of knowledge management to improve the situation.

This book brings together 13 contributors from research and industry to show how managing construction knowledge can bring real benefits to organisations and projects. It covers a wide range of issues, from basic definitions and fundamental concepts, to the role of information technology, and engendering a knowledge sharing culture. Practical examples from construction and other industry sectors are used throughout to illustrate the various dimensions of knowledge management. The challenges of implementing knowledge management are outlined and the ensuing benefits highlighted.

Featuring a detailed analysis and presentation of innovative researches, methods, algorithms and technologies that deal with integrated intelligent systems for the efficient management of energy and indoor environment in buildings, this book encompasses the regulations, directives and standards regarding the energy and the indoor environment of buildings as well as a literature review and discussion on the current state-of-the-art for buildings' energy efficiency classification. Maximizing reader insight into this topic with the aid of simulation models for buildings and energy audits at office buildings are presented including tables and figures with the detailed information regarding the parameters, inputs, outputs and the outcomes of the surveys. This book also outlines the development of a Virtual Building Dataset (VBD) of office buildings as an innovative benchmarking and classification tool. The proposed methodology overcomes the difficulties and time required for collecting the necessary massive building constructional and energy bills data by creating them virtually using efficient stochastic simulation and by taking into account all parameters that may affect the energy performance and indoor thermal comfort of office buildings. The knowledge and ideas conveyed by the book are supported with equations and algorithms and 137 colored figures and 55 tables, and features a rich bibliography, references and web sources. The book contains the basic knowledge undergraduate and especially postgraduate courses on the emergent subject of energy management and saving in buildings. The innovative aspects and guides of the book give serious opportunities to the postgraduate students in this scientific area to further develop their research skills and capabilities.

The book presents eight well-known and often used algorithms besides nine newly developed algorithms by the first author and his students in a practical implementation framework. Matlab codes and some benchmark structural optimization problems are provided. The aim is to provide an efficient context for experienced researchers or readers not familiar with theory, applications and computational developments of the considered metaheuristics. The information will also be of interest to readers interested in application of metaheuristics for hard optimization, comparing conceptually different metaheuristics and designing new metaheuristics.

This book describes efficient and safe repair operations for pipelines, and develops new methods for the detection and repair of volumetric surface defects in transmission pipelines. It also addresses the physics, mechanics, and applications of advanced materials used for composite repair of corroded pipelines. Presenting results obtained in the European Commission's INNOPIPES FRAMEWORK 7 programme, it develops long-range ultrasonic and phased array technologies for pipeline diagnostics, and explores their interactions with discontinuities and directional properties of ultrasonic antenna array. The book subsequently shares the results of non-destructive testing for different types of materials applications and advanced composite repair systems, and characterizes the mechanical properties by means of fracture methods and non-destructive techniques. In turn, the book assesses the currently available technologies for reinforcement of pipelines, drawing on the experience gai ned by project partners, and evaluates the recovery of the carrying capacity of pipeline sections with local corrosion damage by means of analytical and numerical procedures. It develops an optimization method based on the planning of experiments and surface techniques for advanced composite repair systems, before validating the numerical models developed and experimentally gauging the effectiveness of composite repair with the help of full-scale hydraulic tests.

Characteristics and Uses of Steel Slag in Building Construction focuses predominantly on the utilization of ferrous slag (blast furnace and steel slag) in building construction. This extensive literature review discusses the worldwide utilization of ferrous slag and applications in all sectors of civil engineering, including structural engineering, road construction, and hydro-technical structures. It presents cutting-edge research on the characteristics and properties of ferrous slag, and its overall impact on the environment.

This volume shines a new light on short fibre reinfoced cementitious composites and particle reinforced ceramics. It offers insight from various disciplines like civil engineering, material sciences and micro-mechanics, and collects 9 experimental, numerical and theoretical studies written by top researchers in composite concrete science. The book presents the outcome of the EUROMECH 582 colloquium "Short Fibre Reinfoced Cementitious Composites and Ceramics" held 20 - 22 March 2017, Tallinn, Estonia.

Approved Document D of the Building Regulations is concerned with the requirements with respect to toxic substances. This document is the 2013 edition, based on the original 1992 edition and incorporating amendments made in 2002, 2010 and 2013. Changes made by the 2013 Amendments * The changes, which apply only to England, were to guidance on materials and workmanship. * There were no changes to Part D of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010. Contracts and Management Publications Update Service: To ensure that you have the most up-to-date Approved Document or Amendment to an Approved Document to hand, you can now join our CAMPUS service. RIBA Bookshops will automatically send you copies of new releases as and when they are published. Visit our CAMPUS page for further details.

This book deals with the energy footprints of biorefineries and the hotel and buildings sector. It presents footprint case studies, which include background information, methodological frameworks, assessment checklists, calculation tools and techniques, applications, challenges and limitations. It also discusses the application of each indicator/framework in various industrial sectors and the associated challenges, along with outlooks for the future. Consumption and conservation of energy are key elements in any industry's sustainability strategy.

This book proposes the air insulation prediction theory and method in the subject of electrical engineering. Prediction of discharge voltage in different cases are discussed and worked out by simulation. After decades, now bottlenecks of traditional air discharge theories can be solved with this book. Engineering applications of the theory in air gap discharge voltage prediction are introduced. This book serves as reference for graduate students, scientific research personnel and engineering staff in the related fields.

Composite materials are a major growth area within advanced materials and the range of applications for such products continues to grow and increase in diversity with every new development. Composite products are highly in demand and reached sales of $21.2 billion globally in 2014. The top three market segments in 2014 were transportation, construction, pipes, and tanks. Other segments include energy, automotive, and aerospace. This state-of-the-art book has been written by high-profile authors who have extensive experience and knowledge in the field of composite materials. The chapters in this collection would be useful for a wide range of audience: undergraduate and post-graduate students students, industrial professionals, materials scientists and researchers, and composite manufacturers. This book provides the reader with a wide range of information in the interdisciplinary subject area of composite materials. The book consists of thirteen chapters. It deals with two types of nanocomposites: graphene and carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites, their manufacturing, properties and applications. It also presents fibre reinforced composites and a comprehensive review of bio-composites. Furthurmore, it has a focus on thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of advanced composite materials.