Integrating Universal Design Standards and Building Information Modeling at the Conceptual Design Stage of Buildings

A projection of the Canadian population shows that in 2024 one in five Canadians will be over 65 years old. This shift forces designers to consider the entire lifetime of occupants during the design of new buildings. Universal Design (UD), which is a design that accommodates all people to the greatest extent possible and aging in place design that is deeply rooted in the principles of UD, aim to house people irrespective of their age, ability, and chronic health conditions. Building Information Modeling (BIM) significantly helps advance the development of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry in a more collaborative and automated way. Integrating BIM and UD allows designers to incorporate UD standards easily and efficiently at the conceptual design stage of buildings by using the functionalities and capabilities of BIM tools. Therefore, this study presents the development of an automated computer model to facilitate the adoption of UD standards and processes. The novelty highlighted in this model resides in the creation of an automated method that employs a newly created plug-in and databases to assist designers to incorporate UD standards at the conceptual stage in a timely and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the study introduces the methodology consisting of collecting, categorizing, and storing data from various universal design and accessible design guidelines in the developed databases and developing new plug-ins in BIM tool to link the developed databases in order to automate the process of retrieving necessary information and components to help designers and owners select optimal design alternatives based on their predefined criteria.

Certificateless universal designated verifier signature schemes

Universal designated verifier signature schemes allows a signature holder to designate the signature to a desire designated verifier, in such a way that only designated verifier can verify this signature, but is unable to convince anyone else of this fact. The previous constructions of universal designated verifier signature rely on the underlying public key infrastructure, that needs both signers and verifiers to verify the authenticity of the public keys, and hence, the certificates are required. This article presents the first model and construction of the certificateless universal designated verifier signature scheme, in which the certificates are not needed. The proposed scheme satisfies all the requirements of the universal designated verifier signature in the certificateless system. Security proofs are provided for the scheme based on the random oracle model, assuming that the Bilinear diffie-hellman （BDH） problem is hard to solve.

Universal Designated Multi Verifier Signature Scheme without Random Oracles

In this paper, we re-formalize the security notions of universal designated multi verifier signature （UDMVS） schemes. Then the first UDMVS scheme is presented in the standard model （i.e. without random oracles） based on Waters＇ signature scheme. In this setting, a signature holder can to designate the signature to multi verifiers. Moreover, the security of our proposed scheme is based on the Gap Bilinear Difffie-Hellman assumption.

Structural optimum design of bistable cylindrical shell for broadband energy harvesting application

The shallow cylindrical structure is suitable to develop broadband vibration energy harvesters due to the property of the inherent mechanical bistability. In this letter, the optimum design of the bistable cylindrical shell for broadband energy harvesting application is investigated from the structural point of view. The output power is evaluated by the concept of the harvestable power, which balances the frequency of snap through and the referred output energy associated with each snap through. The non- dimensional harvestable power is analytically expressed as the function of the non-dimensional curvature parameter and one constructed parameter. The universal dependence of the optimal curvature parameter and the associated optimal harvestable power on the constructed parameter is derived, which can be well aooroximated by the linear relation in double logarithmic coordinate.

Italian Case: The Role of Learning Processes in University Inclusion

This proposal is focused on the first outputs of the doctoral thesis“Universitabile”based,specifically,on the relationship between educational inclusion(Ainscow&Miles,2009)and ICT(Information and Communications Technology).Starting from a review of the literature on the role of universities as places of inclusion and confrontation with diversity(Bolt&Penketh,2016;Moriña&Gavira,2015),the proposal analyses the inclusion strategies by three main universities in Rome:La Sapienza,Tor Vergata and Roma Tre through a mixed method approach.We will show the answers to interviews administered to operators of dedicated services.In this context,ICT,during the Covid-19 emergency,acted as a facilitator allowing people with disabilities to benefit from distance learning,but also as a barrier,since the evidence shows that technology,if conceived as a facilitator but designed only on the basis of the characteristics of able-bodied users,can represent an obstacle factor.In this sense,as found by Tsatsou(2020),the inclusion of people with disabilities can be facilitated by the use of digital technologies.This view is also found in Valentini(2008),who emphasises how the use of digital technologies is a prerequisite for the development of concrete solutions.To conclude,it would be appropriate to rethink technology on the basis of Universal Design,i.e.“an approach to the design of technologies that pays more attention to the concept of universal usability:buildings and tools should be conceived,designed and constructed in a way to be usable by all”(Fiocco&Martinati,2002,p.232).

Universal usability evaluation by using an integrated fuzzy multi criteria decision making approach

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated fuzzy approach to determine important universal usability problems(UUPs)by providing experts who behave like real users and to establish a work plan to correct the most important ones.Design/methodology/approach–In this study,a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach with three stages is proposed for the evaluation of universal usability.At the first stage,UUPs are identified by performing modified heuristic evaluation,and severity rating of each problem is determined by experts.At the second stage,critical problems are specified by applying the fuzzy Delphi considering these severity ratings.At the third stage,Fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory approach is applied to prioritize critical problems as sub and main criteria.An illustrative example related to emergency service is performed to apply the proposed approach.Findings–Results showed that the elevator button design,the elevator emergency button design and the position of the floor signboard are the first three problems that should be primarily improved as sub-criteria.In terms of maincriteria,equitableuse,simpleand intuitiveuse,andperceptible informationare the first three main criteria that should be improve in emergency service.Originality/value–This study is original in terms of methodology and providing a new perspective for building design evaluation.The results can help the designers to see the UUPs in buildings,to focus the most important UUPs and to establish improvement ranking.These advantages provide time and cost-effective design improvement actions.