Search Results (12,319)

Digital tools are transforming the construction industry, reshaping how projects are designed, managed, and delivered. Building Information Modeling (BIM), a cornerstone of this transformation, requires a systemic approach because its implementation spans several organization functions, involves multiple stakeholders, and encompasses all phases of the project life cycle. While extensive literature examines BIM adoption, there is no consensus on its key enablers and barriers nor a ranking of their impact on implementation success. This study investigates the system-level critical success factors (CSFs) for BIM adoption in construction management. First, it reviews earlier literature, identifying 18 CSFs across six dimensions: change management, process efficiency, regulatory compliance, strategic alignment, technology integration, and user training and support. Next, it utilizes the AHP method to rank the CSFs based on the data collected from 31 construction professionals. Results highlight the importance of aligning BIM initiatives with organizational strategies, streamlining workflows, fostering collaboration, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. The research concludes that effective BIM implementation requires holistic strategies that emphasize leadership, scalable technology integration, comprehensive training, and adaptability. By addressing these system-level CSFs, organizations can enhance efficiency, drive innovation, and strengthen resilience in an evolving construction landscape. Full article

As an energy carrier characterized by its high energy density and eco-friendliness, hydrogen holds a pivotal position in energy transition. This paper elaborates on the scientific foundations and recent progress of photo- and electro-catalytic water splitting, including the corresponding mechanism, material design and optimization, and the economy of hydrogen production. It systematically reviews the research progress in photo(electro)catalytic materials, including oxides, sulfides, nitrides, noble metals, non-noble metal, and some novel photocatalysts and provides an in-depth analysis of strategies for optimizing these materials through material design, component adjustment, and surface modification. In particular, it is pointed out that nanostructure regulation, dimensional engineering, defect introduction, doping, alloying, and surface functionalization can remarkably improve the catalyst performance. The importance of adjusting reaction conditions, such as pH and the addition of sacrificial agents, to boost catalytic efficiency is also discussed, along with a comparison of the cost-effectiveness of different hydrogen production technologies. Despite the significant scientific advancements made in photo(electro)catalytic water splitting technology, this paper also highlights the challenges faced by this field, including the development of more efficient and stable photo(electro)catalysts, the improvement of system energy conversion efficiency, cost reduction, the promotion of technology industrialization, and addressing environmental issues. Full article

The paper describes our project to develop, verify, and deploy an All-Hazards Return of Investment (ROI) model for the U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to provide army installations with a decision support tool for evaluating strategies to make existing installation facilities more resilient. The need for increased resilience to extreme weather caused by climate change was required by U.S. code and DoD guidance, as well as an army strategic plan that stipulated an ROI model to evaluate relevant resilient strategies. During the project, the ERDC integrated the University of Arkansas designed model into a new army installation planning tool and expanded the scope to evaluate resilient options from climate to all hazards. Our methodology included research on policy, data sources, resilient options, and analytical techniques, along with stakeholder interviews and weekly meetings with installation planning tool developers. The ROI model uses standard risk analysis and engineering economics terms and analyzes potential installation hazards and resilient strategies using data in the installation planning tool. The ROI model calculates the expected net present cost without the resilient strategy, the expected net present cost with the resilient strategy, and ROI for each resilient strategy. The minimum viable product ROI model was formulated mathematically, coded in Python, verified using hazard scenarios, and provided to the ERDC for implementation. Full article

Cropland is fundamental to food security, and monitoring cropland non-agriculturalization through satellite enforcement can effectively manage and protect cropland. However, existing research primarily focuses on optical imagery, and there are problems such as low data processing efficiency and long updating cycles, which make it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale rapid monitoring. To comprehensively and accurately obtain cropland change information, this paper proposes a method based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform, combining optical imagery and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for quick and accurate detection of cropland non-agriculturalization. The method uses existing land-use/land cover (LULC) products to quickly update cropland mapping, employs change vector analysis (CVA) for detecting non-agricultural changes in cropland, and introduces vegetation indices to remove pseudo-changes. Using Shanwei City, Guangdong Province, as a case study, the results show that (1) the cropland map generated in this study aligns well with the actual distribution of cropland, achieving an accuracy of 90.8%; (2) compared to using optical imagery alone, the combined optical and SAR data improves monitoring accuracy by 22.7%, with an overall accuracy of 73.65%; (3) in the past five years, cropland changes in Shanwei followed a pattern of an initial increase followed by a decrease. The research in this paper can provide technical reference for the rapid monitoring of cropland non-agriculturalization on a large scale, so as to promote cropland protection and rational utilization of cropland. Full article

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects have a growing relevance in the corporate world where the objective for sustainability becomes an essential point. The supply chain (SC) is a buyer’s responsibility and accounts for a large part of their ESG footprint. Since ESG performance extends to SC, poor ESG practices in the SC can negatively affect the sustainability of the Anchor Company (AC). Therefore, AC, the buyer, needs to go through a complex, expensive, and time-consuming process to assess their SC. The objective of this work is to develop an ESG assessment model for companies to receive a quantitative score of their footprint by considering both their operations and the SC. The model is verified by considering different scenarios that are designed by testing two different cases with different interactions between two ACs and two SCs with different ESG maturity levels. Results show that the SC has a significant impact on the final ESG score of the AC, highlighting the need for considering the SC to evolve in ESG aspects. In all tested cases, the SC accounted for more than 50% of the final consolidated ESG score. Despite differing ESG maturity levels, two ACs received the same consolidated score due to the influence of their SC scores. Results emphasize that achieving a strong consolidated ESG score is important, and advanced corporate sustainability is not possible without integrating the SC into the strategy. The novel methodology proposed contributes to sustainability, expanding the scope of ESG assessments to include SC and developing a standardized and adaptable model with practical applications. Full article

Whole-organ decellularization generates scaffolds containing native extracellular matrix (ECM) components with preserved tissue microarchitecture, providing a promising advancement in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Decellularization retains the ECM integrity which is important for supporting cell attachment, growth, differentiation, and biological function. Although there are consensus guidelines to standardize decellularization processes and ECM characterization, no specific criteria or standards regarding matrix sterility and biosafety have been established so far. This regulatory gap in safety, sterilization, and regulation criteria has hampered the clinical translation of decellularized scaffolds. In this review, we identify essential criteria for the safe clinical use of decellularized products from both human and animal sources. These include the decellularization efficacy, levels of chemical residue, preservation of ECM composition and physical characteristics, and criteria for the aseptic processing of decellularization to assure sterility. Furthermore, we explore key considerations for advancing decellularized scaffolds into clinical practice, focusing on regulatory frameworks and safety requirements. Addressing these challenges is crucial for minimizing risks of adverse reactions or infection transmission, thereby accelerating the adoption of tissue-engineered products. This review aims to provide a foundation for establishing robust guidelines, supporting the safe and effective integration of decellularized scaffolds into regenerative medicine applications. Full article

Net primary productivity (NPP) is a core ecological indicator within terrestrial ecosystems, representing the potential of vegetation growth to offset anthropogenic carbon emissions. Thus, assessing NPP in a given region is crucial for promoting regional ecological restoration and sustainable development. This study utilized the CASA model and GEE to calculate the annual average NPP in Shandong Province (2001–2020). Through trend analysis, Moran’s Index, and PLS−SEM, the spatiotemporal evolution and driving factors of NPP were explored. The results show that: (1) From 2001 to 2020, NPP in Shandong showed an overall increasing trend, rising from 254.96 to 322.49 g C·m⁻²/year. This shift was accompanied by a gradual eastward movement of the NPP centroid, indicating significant spatial changes in vegetation productivity. (2) Regionally, 47.9% of Shandong experienced significant NPP improvement, 27.6% saw slight improvement, and 20.1% exhibited slight degradation, highlighting notable spatial heterogeneity. (3) Driver analysis showed that climatic factors positively influenced NPP across all four periods (2005, 2010, 2015, 2020), with the strongest impact in 2015 (coefficient = 0.643). Topographic factors such as elevation and slope also had positive effects, peaking at 0.304 in 2015. In contrast, human activities, especially GDP and nighttime light intensity, negatively impacted NPP, with the strongest negative effect in 2010 (coefficient = −0.567). These findings provide valuable scientific evidence for ecosystem management in Shandong Province and offer key insights for ecological restoration and sustainable development strategies at the national level. Full article

The construction industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, driven by the extensive use of conventional concrete in building activities. This study evaluates the environmental impacts of various concrete types, including innovative alternatives, using a computational life cycle assessment (LCA) model tailored to the Australian context. Key stages considered include raw material extraction, production, transportation, and end-of-life recycling. Results demonstrate that replacing 40% of cement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash reduces global warming potential (GWP) by up to 25% compared to conventional concrete. Furthermore, carbonation curing technology shows a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions during the production phase, underscoring its potential to significantly enhance sustainability in construction. High-strength concrete poses significant ecological challenges; however, incorporating SCMs such as fly ash, blast-furnace slag, and silica fume effectively mitigates these impacts. Recycling 60% of concrete demolition waste further decreases environmental impacts by over 20%, aligning with circular economy principles and supporting resource recovery. The findings provide actionable insights for engineers, architects, and policymakers, facilitating the design of sustainable concrete solutions that balance structural performance with reduced ecological footprints. Future research should explore dynamic modelling and broader socio-economic factors to refine sustainable practices. This study underscores the critical importance of adopting innovative materials and recycling practices to minimise the environmental impact of construction activities globally. Full article

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is gaining acceptance as a strategic manufacturing technique for allowing new product development. Due to ongoing process improvement, design for AM (DFAM) has become a major issue in harnessing AM’s production and development possibilities to achieve design freedom. The classical design process model does not encompass all the knowledge available to take advantage of design freedom. Therefore, a conceptual and in-depth analysis of design alternatives is necessary to determine the manufacturing process. As a result, this research proposed a design process model for a DFAM to attain design freedom with a unique approach and resource selection steps for fused deposition modeling (FDM) that uses an information model based on evolving knowledge and addressing the challenges. The proposed design process model uses an event knowledge graph (EKG) to outline the product manufacturability from the perspective of DFAM limitations. Event-based knowledge representation provides causality information for knowledge-based reasoning in causality analysis tasks. A relationship-aware mechanism is then used to express events on the graph that are directed from entities to occurrences to efficiently extract the most relevant details. Thus, this implements a step-by-step approach to process and resource specifications during the design stage. Consequently, it offers a comprehensive learning approach for establishing and modeling intrinsic relationships to attain flexibility and design freedom. The efficacy and feasibility of the proposed approach are verified by using an application case study of an intake system based on the airflow sensing rate and controls how much air is fed into the engine. Full article

Plastics are indispensable to modern life, but their widespread use has created an environmental crisis due to inefficient waste management. Mixed plastic waste, comprising diverse polymers, presents significant recycling challenges due to the high costs of sorting and processing, leading to ecosystem accumulation and harmful by-product generation. This study addresses this issue by engineering a synthetic bacterial consortium (SBC) designed to degrade mixed plastic monomers. The consortium pairs Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, which uses ethylene glycol (EG), a monomer derived from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as a carbon source, with Pseudomonas putida KT2440, which metabolizes hexamethylenediamine (HD), a monomer from nylon-6,6, as a nitrogen source. Adaptive evolution of the SBC revealed a novel metabolic interaction where P. putida developed the ability to degrade both EG and HD, while E. coli played a critical role in degrading glycolate, mitigating its by-product toxicity. The evolved cross-feeding pattern enhanced biomass production, metabolic efficiency, and community stability compared to monocultures. The consortium’s performance was validated through flux balance analysis (FBA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and growth assays. These findings highlight the potential of cross-feeding SBCs in addressing complex plastic waste, offering a promising avenue for sustainable bioremediation and advancing future polymer degradation strategies. Full article

Cemented carbides, renowned for their exceptional strength, hardness, elastic modulus, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and chemical stability, have long been indispensable tooling materials in metal cutting, oil drilling, and engineering excavation. The advent of additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as “3D printing”, has sparked considerable interest in the processing of cemented carbides. Among the various AM techniques, Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Selective Electron Beam Melting (SEBM), and Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing (BJAM) have garnered frequent attention. Despite the great application potential of AM, no single AM technique has been universally adopted for the large-scale production of cemented carbides yet. The SLM and SEBM processes confront substantial challenges, such as a non-uniform sintering temperature field, which often result in uneven sintering and frequent post-solidification cracking. SLS notably struggles with achieving a high relative density of carbides. While BJAM yields WC-Co samples with a lower incidence of cracking, it is not without flaws, including abnormal WC grain growth, coarse WC clustering, Co-rich pool formation, and porosity. Three-dimensional gel-printing, though possessing certain advantages from its sintering performance, falls short in dimensional and geometric precision control, as well as fabrication efficiency. Cemented carbides produced via AM processes have yet to match the quality of their traditionally prepared counterparts. To date, the specific densification and microstructure evolution mechanisms during the AM process, and their interrelationship with the feedstock carbide material design, printing/sintering process, and resulting mechanical behavior, have not been thoroughly investigated. This gap in our knowledge impedes the rapid advancement of AM for carbide processing. This article offers a succinct overview of additive manufacturing of cemented carbides, complemented by an analysis of the current research landscape. It highlights the benefits and inherent challenges of these techniques, aiming to provide clarity on the present state of the AM processing of cemented carbides and to offer insights into potential future research directions and technological advancements. Full article

High-entropy and multicomponent alloys are believed to offer opportunities for improved properties and are currently of great interest to the research community. Studies on these materials are largely conducted on small samples, but, for many practical applications, larger-scale processing would be needed. The processing of metallic parts of high dimensionality conventionally begins with casting, but an increase in the scale of the melt increases the potential for effects dependent on segregation, diffusion and thermal transport. The objective here is to determine the effect of scale-up on the as-cast condition of an example multicomponent alloy, Cu-Zn-Mn-Ni medium-entropy (ME) brass, in a larger quantity. The ingot was produced by metallic mould casting after induction melting. The hardness, microstructures and chemical composition were assessed in the as-cast state across a section through the material. A range of hardness values were found, particularly in the vertical direction, where the upper region was found to have a hardness of 188 ± 15 HV0.5, a middle of 161 ± 11 HV0.5 and a bottom of 184 ± 16 HV0.5. These values can be correlated with the casting conditions experienced locally, but the average hardness values are close to that of the original reports of the alloy. To overcome this, it is likely that a heat treatment would need to be used for this alloy in practical production before the products could be applied for engineering uses. Full article

The study is a metallographic analysis of commercial bone plates used for stabilizing long bones. The plates examined were delivered to the hospital in different years, and the course of treatment of patients with similar goniometric and anthropometric parameters varied dramatically. To determine the characteristics of displacement of bony fragments in the area of the simulated fracture and relate it to the strength parameters of the bone plate, experimental tests were carried out on composite femurs loaded according to the biomechanical loading model at known values of forces acting on the femoral head. In order to assess the influence of material parameters of the plate on the biomechanics of the bone–bone plate system, microstructural and strength tests were performed, i.e., three-point bending tests, chemical composition and hardness assessments, as well as evaluation of the state of internal stresses in the tested materials. The research conducted allowed us to develop guidelines for companies producing bone fixations and orthopedic surgeons who use bone plates to stabilize bones after mechanical trauma, allowing the plates to be tailored to individual patient characteristics. Full article

Manufacturing supply chains are becoming increasingly complex due to geopolitical issues, globalization, and market demand uncertainties. These challenges lead to logistics disruptions, inventory shortages, and interruptions in raw materials and spare parts production, resulting in delayed delivery, reduced market share, and lower customer satisfaction. Effective supply chain management is critical for improving operational efficiency and competitiveness. This paper proposes a supply chain digital twin methodology to enhance operational efficiency through real-time monitoring, analysis, and response to disruptions. This methodology defines a supply chain digital twin system architecture and outlines the operational process of digital twin applications. It introduces two key modules: a digital twin module for prediction and monitoring and an optimization module for determining the optimal movement of products. These modules are integrated to align digital simulations with real-world supply chain operations. The proposed approach is validated through a case study of an automobile body production company’s supply chain, demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing inventory and logistics costs while providing countermeasures for abnormal situations. Full article

The aim of this work was to assess the influence of the parameters of the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process and the direction of printing of Ti-6Al-4V samples made using the laser-engineered net shaping (LENS) method on strength properties. The tests were carried out using a static testing machine and a digital image correlation system. Samples before and after the HIP process were tested. The HIP process was carried out at a temperature of 1150 °C, a heating time of 240 min and various pressure values of 500, 1000 and 1500 bar. Based on the comparative analysis of the test results, it has been shown that the ability to adjust the parameters of the HIP process has a significant impact on the final mechanical properties of the samples. Full article