Mechanical Properties and Constitutive Relationship of the High-Durable Parallel Strand Bamboo

Engineered bamboo has recently received lots of attention of civil engineers and professional researchers due to its better mechanical performance than that of softwood timber.Parallel strand bamboo is one important part of engineered bamboo for its excellent durable performance compared to the laminated veneer bamboo.The required curing temperature in hot-pressing process is usually higher than 120°C to reduce the content of nutri-tional ingredients and hemy cellulose,and to avoid the decay from the environment and insects.Nonetheless,the appearance of engineered bamboo gets darker with the increase of temperature during the hot-pressing process.In order to minimize the color deepening while maintaining the durability,a high-durable parallel strand bamboo(HPSB)with relative high hot-pressing temperature(140°C)was produced and tested.The present study inves-tigates the mechanical performance through tension,compression,shear and bending tests.The experimental behavior of the specimens was identified,including the failure mode and load-displacement relationship.It was demonstrated that the HPSB material had better mechanical performance parallel to grain,making it as a considerable structural material.The average elastic modulus parallel to grain was 14.1 GPa,and the tensile and compressive strengths were 120.7 MPa and 121.0 MPa,respectively.The tension perpendicular to grain should be avoided in the practical application due to the lower strength and elastic modulus.Two stress-strain relationships of tension and compression parallel to grain,including three-linear and quadratic function models,were proposed and compared with the experimental results.The three-linear model was then applied to the finite element model.The finite element analysis using ANSYS software was conducted to validate the feasibility of the constitutive relationship.The quadratic function model showed better agreement with the experimental results,but the three-linear relationship was also precise enough to analyze the bending tests of HPSB material,whereas being less accurate to describe the elastic-plastic compression behavior.

Perception of privacy in a university building: The transparency paradox

Informal face-to-face communication and chance encounters encourage knowledge sharing.This Post-Occupancy Evaluation(POE)examines how well a new building of a Dutch University Institute(Dl)supported interaction and perceived privacy among faculty members.The study is designed as a qualitative research project with in-depth interviews among faculty members before and after relocation into the new building.The transparent and centrally organized floor plan supported face-to-face communication but generated a lack of privacy for faculty members.Not all perceived affordances of the design were planned.Lack of visual privacy and the sense of being controlled by others were related to the hierarchical position of teachers in this Higher Education Institute(HEI)between students and the dean,which caused tension and diminished their well-being.

Contemporary construction in historical sites:The missing factors

Historical sites(HSs)are akin to living entities,and their existence is perpetuated through the erection of new buildings or additions.Many HSs need sustainable development and new construction,as existing monuments fail to meet contemporary user requirements.Despite the urgent demand,many new buildings within HSs have been constructed without considering the influencing factors on contextual value,built,and natural environment.This oversight has led to irreversible damage to their historical value.Numerous studies have independently explored interventions,construction,and development within HSs.However,there is a conspicuous absence of comprehensive research that concurrently addresses these issues while preserving the intrinsic value of the HSs.This study aims to identify the variables and factors contributing to the successful design and construction of new buildings within HSs,satisfying user needs,conserving contextual values,and achieving sustainability with the natural and built environment.The research employs a mixed-method approach,gathering raw data through literature reviews,case studies,and expert interviews.The study population comprised 97 experts in architectural heritage conservation and sustainable development.Exploratory factor analysis was utilized for data analysis,leading to the identification of influential factors.The study highlights the significance of the location,function,scale,form,material,skyline,viewpoint,accessibility,reversibility,topography,sustainability,technology,structural system,lifespan,and interior design in constructing new buildings within a HS.Moreover,the design of new additions should adhere to five guiding principles:integrated design,volume design,green design,compatible design,and modern design.In this context,the new structures will fulfill user needs,preserve or enhance contextual values,and harmonize with the built and natural environment.

Buildings and terrain unified-multidimensional dual data structure for GIS

3D city models are widely used in many disciplines and applications,such as urban planning,disaster management,and environmental simulation.Usually,the terrain and embedded objects like buildings are taken into consideration.A consistent model integrating these elements is vital for GIS analysis,especially if the geometry is accompanied by the topological relations between neighboring objects.Such a model allows for more efficient and errorless analysis.The memory consumption is another crucial aspect when the wide area of a city is considered-light models are highly desirable.Three methods of the terrain representation using the geometrical-topological data structure-the dual half-edge-are proposed in this article.The integration of buildings and other structures like bridges with the terrain is also presented.