Building Codes and standards

Tracing the origins of the Southern African building regulations, with specific reference to the period between 1650 and circa 1740 Peer reviewed This paper uses contemporary definitions of building regulations and building standards to establish the first performance standard (and the source of building regulations) for Southern Africa. Specific focus is given to the period

The usage of adobe material in construction in nowadays has been limited. The
material has been proven to be sustainable construction materials in terms of
economy, structural strength and thermal comfort. In Nigeria, the usage of adobe
material is very dominant especially in areas where there is shortage of
constructional materials and limited access to the modern building techniques and
materials. However, the locally available material had suffered a great deal of
misusage in terms of construction know-how and standardization of buildings
guides/codes. Absence of adobe building standard had contributed to this problem
across the country. This research uses Turkish adobe building standards to compare
among other countries. Turkey happened to be having a more comprehensive
standard which was used in comparison with existing adobe buildings specifications
in Northern Nigeria. The area of focus for the comparison is the CI/SfB Construction
Indexing Manual; structure and sub structure category of buildings elements. At the
end of the research, several problems were identified which they were the most
challenging factors hindering the sustainability of adobe building in Northern
Nigeria. Therefore, recommendations of building dimensions and techniques were
outlined especially in regards to foundation and wall which were identified to be the
weak link of adobe buildings in Northern Nigeria.

Keywords: Adobe Material, Turkish Standard, Northern Nigeria, Turkey.

Building codes are rarely acknowledged for their impact on building design, but Chicago’s 1951 code opened up new directions for building cladding, interiors, and servicing.  Its influence on other city governments, who saw the building boom that Chicago enjoyed after its code’s passage, was profound, and its reliance on performance standards rather than proscriptive details allowed designers to more fully exploit the advances in glass and aluminum technology that emerged from wartime production.  Performance-based codes also created an industry out of the testing business; Underwriters Laboratories, based in Chicago, grew from a small facility on Ohio Street to a sprawling campus in the northwest suburbs.  This paper will examine the genesis and impact of the 1951 Code, showing how commercial and political interests were written into its provisions, how performance standards enabled new constructive types, and how Chicago served as a model for other American cities grappling with the disconnect between prewar codes and postwar technologies during the economic boom of the 1950s.

An important part of improving the quality of the travel experience of disabled persons to the ancient Egyptian temples of Luxor is removing the physical barriers that impact upon access.
This proposal is aimed at informing the Ministry of Antiquities of the difficulties faced by visitors with physical disabilities and to provide workable solutions to enable these disabled persons to experience the magnificent historical sites of Luxor.

Over the past decade Child Friendly City(CFC) initiative has been developed throughout the world to make the cities more livable and friendly to its children and also to the future child to come. To ensure such objective Convention on the rights of the child (CRC), formulated in 1990 by UNICEF, provides a common framework for action regarding children in the cities or urban context. This paper tries to interpret some selected articles of CRC in terms of physical environment.
Children from middle and upper middle income group, living primarily in the recently grown apartment complexes are deprived of quality contact with nature, safe mobility, autonomy and their capacityto exploretheirsurrounding.Itisanironythatthepoorerchildrencanenjoythese benefits more than the well of though they ‘enjoy in an unhealthy and unsafe environment’(Marco corsi,2002). This study deals mainly with the middle and upper-midle income group children(aged between 2-11 years) and their surrounding physical environment in Dhanmondi Residential Area, thefirstplannedresidentialareain Dhaka.
Dhanmondi Residential Area was developed as a low density(almost 10 person per acre) high income residential area during 1950s. During the last three decade the area experienced a rapid change in density, land use, building types, traffic pattern etc. Such phenomena had their major repercussions on children.
By environment behavior studies this thesis tries to understand the issue of child friendliness in terms of physical environment based on some selected CRC guidelines. By studying the open space structure of Dhanmondi R/A area, some actionable ideas and respective alternative patterns are suggested.Aspartoftheanalysis, visualsurvey ofthestudyarea,questionnairesurveyinaselected sample area, configurational analysis with ‘space syntax’ and building typology-study based on present by law are performed. At the end, a redesign alternative pattern is proposed for the area to create locality or sense of place. Along with other supportive suggestions this exercise ends with designing a micro scale outdoor green open space (at Road 10a) adjacent to dwelling plots to give a visual imagery of physical environment that is actionable in this area.
Key words:
Child friendly City, Urban living environment, Post development change pattern, Open space structure,SpaceSyntax, Buildingtypology,Alternativepattern

Automatic building code check using building information modelling is an emerging field of study. BIM has progressive implications in the building design and construction industry. Building design and construction industry is in the process of accommodating BIM technologies. Limited and controlled building design and construction projects proved that BIM applications are capable of checking building codes automatically. Interpretation of linguistic building codes into logical verifiable digital codes remains a significant challenge in the development of automatic code checking BIM applications. Regulatory authority manages code compliance check of building design and construction. Automatic code check using building information modelling applications to achieve maximum benefit of code compliance building construction is the research interest. A hypothesis of improved BIM skills and knowledge of automatic code checking building information modelling applications to wrench maximum benefits out of code compliance check is generated to answer the research question. A cyclic process of alteration and modification to hypothesis to filter out research findings is implemented. Mixed methods of holistic and qualitative research data collection approach have been utilized. Informative data are collected from published literature on Building information applications, building design processes, code checking process and automatic code check. These collected data are synthesized and evaluated to formulate results and answers against the hypothetical answer. Suitable design stage to use automatic code check BIM applications in the design process is given investigative measures. Building design processes varies significantly at an individual level to achieve desired creative outcome. Practice of building design and construction requires moderately standard processes for collaboration and coordination between professional consultants. Desired design phase in which automatic code checking BIM applications will be used in the design cycle is synthesized out of BIM standard. The research formulates a conceptual guideline to use automatic code checking BIM applications simultaneously in the design cycle of building construction.

ABSTRACT: National sustainable development strategies are the normal mechanism for setting clear and
verifiable goals at the national policy level. These goals may comprise broad qualitative objectives, quantifiable
targets and include measurable indicators with which to judge performance (Sheate et al., 2001). These
strategies are often reflected in building codes and legislations controlling the construction markets, and hence
have a direct effect on decision making.
The aim of this work is to assess the main building code in Egypt -the Unified Building Law No.119/2008 with its
executive appendix- from the green point of view, and to review the main concepts of the public review version of
the Green Pyramid Rating System and the opportunities of enforcing it, as an approach for greening building
codes in Egypt. The method for achieving this aim will be comparative analysis of the two codes, with more
emphasis on the Unified Building Law since it is the one in effect. The study also analyses selected regulations
from the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), the first international model code that includes
sustainability measures for the entire construction project and its site from design through construction, certificate
of occupancy and beyond, and the ASHRAE Standard for the Design of High-performance Green buildings -
which is a compliance option of the IGCC- for adoption in the new building code of Egypt. Hence, the study leads
to a better understanding of the possibility of greening building codes in Egypt and a good view of its penetration
into the decision-making process.

Resumo
A tese foca a interdependência entre bairros tradicionais, tipos edificatórios e imagem da cidade, bem como a interacção entre regulamentos de construção e formas das casas. Para estudar o modo como alguns elementos da arquitectura da cidade, físicos e abstractos, e os instrumentos de ordenamento e regulação desses elementos, permeiam uns dos outros, escolheu-‐se, como caso de estudo, a cidade de Coimbra.
O clássico axioma morfotipológico, desenvolvido sobretudo no panorama italiano dos anos cinquenta e sessenta, e retomado no contexto espanhol nas décadas de oitenta e noventa, constitui o marco teórico de que se parte para a constatação empírica de uns sistemas tipológicos da arquitectura; são estes sistemas que permitem focar, com a segurança proporcionada pela análise paramétrica, uma via de estruturação da imagem da cidade.
A principal hipótese de trabalho é a da existência de um vínculo, evolutivo e dialéctico entre as casas correntes, os tipos edificatórios que lhes estão subjacentes e os planos urbanísticos e os regulamentos de edificação que estiveram vigentes em cada período. O que se tratará de investigar e precisar, é de que forma se constitui este vínculo, assim como o sentido em que evoluiu, e, por fim, os gradientes de aumento e diminuição deste vínculo ao longo de um determinado arco temporal que compreende todo o século XX, englobando diferentes etapas de crescimento e planeamento.
A abordagem urbanística, incluindo a análise de planos e regulamentos, bem como de uma alargada compilação de licenças de habitabilidade e respectivos projectos de licenciamento, confirmou, para o período estudado, uma recorrente e fértil revisitação dos tipos arquitectónicos locais.
A tese aponta para a validade de um método analítico de projecto urbano e arquitectónico assente no conceito de tipo em arquitectura, e no estudo prévio, como passo obrigatório, dos processos de formação, permanência e transformação dos tipos edificatórios e sistemas tipológicos seus derivados. Este método suporta a construção de um instrumento operativo, útil para urbanistas, arquitectos e construtores, que permita seguir com o projecto da cidade, através da preservação e revalorização dos tipos arquitectónicos locais.
Adicionalmente, este instrumento poderá informar os ulteriores instrumentos de gestão territorial, assim como os regulamentos municipais de edificação. O objectivo é o de reforçar a identidade da cidade, aprendendo das lições deixadas pela história urbana local e decalcando das suas formas urbanas características.
Palavras chave:
tipo edificatório, sistemas tipológico, imagem da cidade, regulamentos de edificação, casas correntes
IX
A.N.Martins I Tese de doutoramento em Arquitectura I UBI I 2010-‐␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣
Abstract:
This thesis focuses on the interdependence between traditional neighbourhoods, building types and the image of the city as well as on the interaction between building regulations and residential forms. The identification of a set of typological systems, based on the morpho-‐typologic axiom developed in Italy, in both Milan ␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣ brings us the possibility to structure the image of the city of Coimbra.
The methodology is based on the study of the common housing types which constitute the majority of the city buildings. By analyzing more than two hundred construction licenses in the city council archives, dated from 1940 to 2002, I have tried to understand the dialectic relation between housing types and building regulations and urban planning. This long term research covers four great periods of the modern urban legislation and corresponds to four different city plans implementations.
The central hypothesis is that of a well-‐built, long lasting and dialectic bond between those forms, regulations and plans. Complementarily, a second hypothesis stands on the specificity of the aspects of permanence and transformation of changing building types. The conclusions highlight the specific way in which this bond has been established and also in what directions it has been evolving throughout the time.
Moreover, it will show the potential of reusing design codes and guidelines to bring back the city identity form. The revisitation of classic building regulations seems to be a positive way to control urban form in the process of rehabilitation of individual and collective houses. The aim is, therefore, to preserve and recreate the city according to the local architectural types. The typological system, founded on the idea of type persistence, aspires to be part of that instrument and recharacterization process.
Keywords:
building type, typological architectural system, image of the city, building regulation, common houses.

This paper explores the international regulations regarding the seismic instrumentation of buildings and the application of a processing system for seismic signals registered in buildings instrumented under the Peruvian seismic instrumentation regulations. The revised regulations pertain to Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, Turkey, the United States and the Philippines. This compilation is presented in informative tables with the main provisions of each instrumentation chapter. Likewise, a comparison is included between the stipulations of one of the regulations studied versus the provisions suggested by the main international guidelines for seismic monitoring of buildings. Finally, regulatory aspects were suggested to include in the Peruvian seismic instrumentation chapter proposed based on the information studied. On the other hand, the basic concepts of seismic signals and their processing are reviewed. Then, the concepts and technical specifications of seismic stations and accelerometers are presented. Then, the study of the numerical methods used to calculate the dynamic response of one degree of freedom models and the construction of response spectra of displacement, velocity and acceleration is carried out. Finally, a LabVIEW program is developed for the construction of response spectra and the creation of automatic reports with the information obtained from the seismic event recorded in an instrumented building. 

Este trabajo explora la normativa internacional referida a la instrumentación sísmica de edificios y la aplicación de un sistema de procesamiento de señales sísmicas registradas en edificios instrumentados bajo la normativa de instrumentación sísmica peruana. Las normativas revisadas pertenecen a Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, Turquía, Estados Unidos y Filipinas. Esta recopilación se presenta en cuadros informativos con las principales disposiciones de cada capítulo de instrumentación. Asimismo, se incluye una comparación entre las estipulaciones de una de las normativas estudiadas versus las disposiciones sugeridas por las principales guías internacionales de monitoreo sísmico de edificaciones. Finalmente, se sugieren aspectos normativos a incluir en el capítulo de instrumentación sísmica peruana propuestos en base a la información estudiada. Por otra parte, se revisan los conceptos básicos de señales sísmicas y su procesamiento. Luego, se presentan los conceptos y especificaciones técnicas de estaciones sísmicas y acelerómetros. Después, se realiza el estudio de los métodos numéricos usados para el cálculo de la respuesta dinámica de modelos de un grado de libertad y la construcción de espectros de respuesta de desplazamiento, velocidad y aceleración. Finalmente, se desarrolla un programa en LabVIEW para la construcción de espectros de respuesta y la creación de reportes automáticos con la información obtenida del evento sísmico registrado en una edificación instrumentada.

The housing construction industry in Saudi Arabia has been booming rapidly in the past two decades. This boom has faced multiple downfalls in relation to government regulations and building codes. Another dilemma facing the boom of the housing construction industry is applying sustainable methods to the housing construction in accordance with building codes and regulations. This paper sheds some light on the current role of the Saudi government and the role of the Saudi Building Code (SBC) in the housing construction industry. The methodology utilised in this paper was a Delphi survey that was distributed to twenty-five key stakeholders in the housing construction industry in Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that there is a lack of integration between the Saudi Building Code and the current construction methods used in the current construction industry. Some factors and elements are recommended to be incorporated into the Saudi Building Code and to be adopted as regulations in the Saudi housing construction industry.

In the world of continuous globalization, technical standards and industry norms play a crucial role in transnational economic development. For the past few decades, increased digitalization and emergence of new technologies gave due prominence to ICT standards: our future is closely linked to the Internet of Things and 5G technologies that are expected to penetrate an enormous range of economic sectors and by this means affect our quotidian life. At the same time, the introduction of these new technologies is accompanied by concerns such as privacy and security. Especially the latter has been recently subjected to a wider political debate, which was largely fueled by national security concerns voiced by Western governments regarding the involvement of China-based companies, Huawei and ZTE, in standardization of 5G technologies. In this context, the paper discusses whether the current regulatory landscape can address the variety of concerns raised in relation to the development of ICT standards through the well-established procedural principles for standard-setting, such as openness, transparency and consensus, and whether these principles ensure that ICT standardization, while delivering cutting-edge technological solutions, remains balanced and inclusive.

Until recently, Brazil had several standards for structural masonry, one for each different type of masonry (concrete blocks, clay blocks, or clay brick). Recently, those standards were unified into a single text. The new text bundled together specifications for design, quality control and construction, and testing procedures. Published in August 2020, ABNT NBR 16868-2 Structural Masonry-Construction Execution and Quality Control, the topic of this article, provides the requirements for sampling and testing, and the conditions of acceptance of structural masonry components and elements in Brazil. Considering structural masonry local reality, especially its extensive use in the construction of buildings, from one-story to multiple story buildings, the Standard requirements are unique. This paper will show through example the requirements for the materials characterization prior to the beginning of construction and the quality control specifications during construction, considering a typical Brazilian building according to the new standard. Among the innovations in the new standard, it has been noticed that the requirements differ depending on the degree of complexity of the project. In addition, several less known aspects are presented, considering the great boldness of the current Brazilian structural masonry, especially when it comes to the construction of tall buildings.

Integral to the reproductive processes of the biota of several forest, shrub, and grassland biome-types, wildfire ignites some 3,400,000km2 of Earth’s vegetated surface annually. Though a highly complex phenomena coupled with not one, but several Earth systems, human actions are both directly and indirectly changing wildfire frequencies, intensities, severities, and behaviours, and to the detriment of both environment and society. Nowhere is this felt more so than the wildland urban interface, which home to roughly 1/3 of the nation’s populous and 40% of its housing stock, is the fastest-growing land-use type in the conterminous United States. A place where fire-averse architectures meet increasingly fire-prone lands, loss of lives, properties, and livelihoods to a series of wildfire complexes of proportions unprecedented in living memory have rendered there an urgent need to reconsider the challenge of living with wildfire as a vital landscape process. The product of a transdisciplinary study which converged state-of-the-knowledge from fields as diverse as the fire, ecological, and wider Earth sciences; information, communication, computing, and related technologies, both digital and biological; evolutionary, smart and living materials, architectures, and urban systems; philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and policymaking, this thesis presents a new wildland urban interface paradigm modelled on the biochemistries, behaviours, and systems of fire-adapted flora and the fire regimes they form. Migrating biomimetics from the level of species to systems, relying not on generic notions of nature and its workings, nor assumptions more generally, but on rigorous interrogation of the interplay between biotic and abiotic processes from the molecular to landscape to planetary scale, and across both human and geological timescales, several original theoretical and technical architectural and urban concepts are discussed, together with their possible applications and implications both within and beyond the wildland urban interface. Integrating insights from local and global indigenous and ancient fire cultures, the findings conclude that not merely is a reconciliation of human and non-human systems at the interface of fire-prone wild and urban lands possible, but therein resides potent ecological, social, and technical potentialities that merit further research in the years ahead.

Chapter Overview: Concluding the five-part case studies series, the proposed WUI building codes, collectively known as the Panarchic Codex, represent the convergence of insights from multiple fields of interrogation, of which the foci has been the fire regimes and the behaviours and ecologies thereof, as documented both within parts I – IV, and throughout the wider body of the thesis. These codes are intended as a point of departure that will inform yet further research into the potentialities of aligning anthropogenic architectural and urban systems to the functioning of the ever-evolving landscapes, and ultimately, Earth Systems to which they are integral. Their name a nod to the Codex Atlanticus, conceptually, the codes constitute three architectural ‘Pyro Moirai’ [fire fates], wherein, from the outset, materially, structurally, and informatically, the lifecycle of a building is synced with its pyro-environment.

Though an integral part of this thesis, the codex has been designed to work as a stand- alone tool for use in architecture and planning workshops that will be attended by researchers and practitioners alike. Therefore, though paradigmatically it is a thing apart from the Californian Fires Codes of present, its format and section headers have been informed by the structure thereof. Further ways in which the codex will be utilised to continue the research initiated within the study programme include that of a thought-provocation piece within presentations, podcasts, and other on and offline media, discussions, and debates.

Integral to the reproductive processes of the biota of several forest, shrub, and grassland biome-types, wildfire ignites some 3,400,000km2 of Earth’s vegetated surface annually. Though a highly complex phenomena coupled with not one, but several Earth systems, human actions are both directly and indirectly changing wildfire frequencies, intensities, severities, and behaviours, and to the detriment of both environment and society. Nowhere is this felt more so than the wildland urban interface, which home to roughly 1/3 of the nation’s populous and 40% of its housing stock, is the fastest-growing land-use type in the conterminous United States. A place where fire-averse architectures meet increasingly fire-prone lands, loss of lives, properties, and livelihoods to a series of wildfire complexes of proportions unprecedented in living memory have rendered there an urgent need to reconsider the challenge of living with wildfire as a vital landscape process. The product of a transdisciplinary study which converged state-of-the-knowledge from fields as diverse as the fire, ecological, and wider Earth sciences; information, communication, computing, and related technologies, both digital and biological; evolutionary, smart and living materials, architectures, and urban systems; philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and policymaking, this thesis presents a new wildland urban interface paradigm modelled on the biochemistries, behaviours, and systems of fire-adapted flora and the fire regimes they form. Migrating biomimetics from the level of species to systems, relying not on generic notions of nature and its workings, nor assumptions more generally, but on rigorous interrogation of the interplay between biotic and abiotic processes from the molecular to landscape to planetary scale, and across both human and geological timescales, several original theoretical and technical architectural and urban concepts are discussed, together with their possible applications and implications both within and beyond the wildland urban interface. Integrating insights from local and global indigenous and ancient fire cultures, the findings conclude that not merely is a reconciliation of human and non-human systems at the interface of fire-prone wild and urban lands possible, but therein resides potent ecological, social, and technical potentialities that merit further research in the years ahead.

Chapter Overview: Having discussed the underlying paradigmatic principles of a tri-part pangenical approach to architecture and urban design in the wildland urban interface of the western U.S., this chapter explores the codification potentialities, both present and possible future, through discussion, scenarios, and speculations.

Projects in the construction industry involve multidisciplinary collaboration between the disciplines of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), and others. Conventionally, the collaboration between these disciplines relied on the recurrent exchange of relevant drawings and documents. Building information modeling (BIM) as a model-based process has given AEC professionals the tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure. Yet the AEC industry has been reluctant in fully adopting the BIM as a single standard. This study explores and identifies the bottlenecks in adopting BIM as a single product lifecycle standard in the construction industry and advise on educating new engineers to become the generation to use a virtual collaborative working space covering the entire building lifecycle. Two conducted surveys targeting the AEC academia and industry revealed the needs for multilevel cross-disciplinary interactive collaborative BIM process modeling, and skilled workforce to increase the graduates’ marketability and BIM adaptability. It is concluded that the new age collaborative culture requires new generation of AEC players that are enabled to work on a shared virtual product model supported by proactive BIM skills learned through undergraduate programs.

Ever wondered why we keep ACs at 24°C or lower during summers
and monsoons when we do not switch on ACs till the temperature rises
above mid-30°C at the beginning of the hot season? Do you know how
much (and what percentage of) electricity is consumed by ACs? Can
you guess how much electricity will be needed to provide the level of
cooling enjoyed by a rich American—Indian—to all? Any idea if modern
buildings (and city layouts) make it easier to deal with a climate-stressed world? Are you aware that the government differentiates
between thermal comfort in air conditioned and naturally ventilated
buildings, measuring the former in terms of 'psychology' and the latter
in terms of ‘physiology’, perpetuating the mind–body division between
classes? Do you know that the peak electricity consumption is big cities
(like Delhi) is shifting from mid-afternoon (the hottest period when most
people are in offices) to midnight? Can you fathom the ramifications of
the answers to these questions?
In this exhaustive report, the first of its kind in the world, Centre for
Science and Environment presents before you the Shakespearean
tragicomedy of thermal comfort and our response(s) to it.

Find the 'Conclusions' chapter in eBook format in the 'All' section above.

Integral to the reproductive processes of the biota of several forest, shrub, and grassland biome-types, wildfire ignites some 3,400,000km2 of Earth’s vegetated surface annually. Though a highly complex phenomena coupled with not one, but several Earth systems, human actions are both directly and indirectly changing wildfire frequencies, intensities, severities, and behaviours, and to the detriment of both environment and society. Nowhere is this felt more so than the wildland urban interface, which home to roughly 1/3 of the nation’s populous and 40% of its housing stock, is the fastest-growing land-use type in the conterminous United States. A place where fire-averse architectures meet increasingly fire-prone lands, loss of lives, properties, and livelihoods to a series of wildfire complexes of proportions unprecedented in living memory have rendered there an urgent need to reconsider the challenge of living with wildfire as a vital landscape process. The product of a transdisciplinary study which converged state-of-the-knowledge from fields as diverse as the fire, ecological, and wider Earth sciences; information, communication, computing, and related technologies, both digital and biological; evolutionary, smart and living materials, architectures, and urban systems; philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and policymaking, this thesis presents a new wildland urban interface paradigm modelled on the biochemistries, behaviours, and systems of fire-adapted flora and the fire regimes they form. Migrating biomimetics from the level of species to systems, relying not on generic notions of nature and its workings, nor assumptions more generally, but on rigorous interrogation of the interplay between biotic and abiotic processes from the molecular to landscape to planetary scale, and across both human and geological timescales, several original theoretical and technical architectural and urban concepts are discussed, together with their possible applications and implications both within and beyond the wildland urban interface. Integrating insights from local and global indigenous and ancient fire cultures, the findings conclude that not merely is a reconciliation of human and non-human systems at the interface of fire-prone wild and urban lands possible, but therein resides potent ecological, social, and technical potentialities that merit further research in the years ahead.

The product of an extensive and systemic transdisciplinary interrogation of the interplay between abiotic, biotic, and human systems over deep time and space, Panarchistic Architecture presents a radical new perspective on the problem of living with wildfire. Containing the 'Panarchic Oath' - which invites those exploring the paradigm's potentialities to commit to its principles, this pamphlet is part of the wider suite of Panarchic Codex® materials available via www.panarchiccodex.com.

The 20 meters high seismically isolated structure located in seismic precautionary intensity of 8 degree area, which is designed in accordance with China's specification, uses Chinese code response spectrum to do elastic design for frequently occurred earthquake case, and the designed results meet the requirements of the seismic three-stage design of Chinese specification. Considering the wind resistance capability and tensile capacity of rubber isolator, the layout of 28 laminated rubber bearing isolators; 14 of which are lead rubber bearings and 14 ordinary natural rubber bearings are determined. According to the demand of Chinese seismic code, two natural seismic waves and one synthesized artificial earthquake wave (adjusted peak acceleration 200gal) with Chinese seismic response spectrum are used. After doing the elastic time history analysis for above three seismic waves, the horizontal seismic reduced factor β = 0.30, which is the ratio of the shear force of isolation structure to that of the original structure could be obtained and it means that Chinese design intensity for isolation structure could be reduced by one degree of design category for the original structure. The upper structure of isolation structure using the above obtained βwas redesigned by the elastic same analysis for the frequently occurring earthquake level. Finally for the strong earthquake level; 400 gal, the nonlinear response analysis was performed both for the original structure without seismic isolation and for the seismic isolation structure. In case of seismic structure the maximum story drift angle could be confirmed to be smaller than the seismic code limit of 1/50 to meet Chinese specifications requirements.

Building codes are not neutral documents. Traditional codes have the effect of deterring the rehabilitation of older structures. But rehabilitation-which can have many positive effects, especially on cities-should be encouraged, not deterred. One promising method of encouraging rehabilitation has been the adoption of "rehabilitation codes": building codes that establish flexible but clear requirements for renovators. After analyzing traditional building codes and three different rehabilitation codes, this Note concludes that more states should adopt mandatory rehabilitation codes.

Cellular concrete blocks are the major building materials in Kurdistan Region in Iraq. This study is carried out to check the economical and structural feasibility. The integrity of the blocks as well as its industrial production process compared with local and international standards. Recommendations for the concrete block production have been given in this paper. Samples from 10 local factories of total 60 blocks have been collected and tested at Koya University Laboratory. The carried out tests covered the dimensions, compression strength and water absorption of the samples. The results of this research study were compared with the requirements of the Iraqi and European specifications. They showed that the products of all factories do not fulfil the specified requirements. The dimensions of specimens exhibited relatively high deviations with no recommended tolerances for dimensions of the blocks. The results analysis showed that the weight of the 400x200x200mm block size was abou...

Aufgabe dieser Studie ist es, Grundlagen zu erheben, um die Auswirkungen des Kompetenzüberganges (Jahreswechsel 2013/2014) zur Ausstellung von Parkausweisen zu prüfen und um Optimierungsmöglichkeiten aufzuzeigen.
Österreichweit wurden Straßenverkehrsbehörden in Gebietskörperschaften (Bezirkshauptmannschaften und Gemeinden) als auch im Zeitraum 2001 - 2014 Parkausweise ausstellende Behörden (Bezirkshauptmannschaften und Magistrate der Statutarstädte) zur Teilnahme an der Befragung und Übermittlung ihrer Daten zu historischen Parkausweis- und Behinderten-Stellplatz-Daten eingeladen. Insgesamt haben 568 Gemeinden (27,1 %) und 49 Bezirke und Statutarstädte (41,9 %) geantwortet.
Des weiteren wurden die vom Sozialministeriumservice zur Verfügung gestellten Parkausweis-Daten nach dem Kompetenzübergang (Jahreswechsel 2013/2014) untersucht und mit den Daten vor 2014 zu einer durchgängigen Datenreihe kombiniert.
Zudem wurden rund 2.000 Parkausweis-Besitzerinnen und -Besitzer zum Mitteilen ihrer subjektiven Einschätzungen und Bedürfnisse rund um Behinderten-Parkplätze eingeladen. Insgesamt wurden 810 Fragebögen rückübermittelt.
Im Untersuchungszeitraum 2001 - 2017 wuchs die Anzahl der Parkausweise stärker an (um den Faktor 7,6) als die Zahl der Behinderten-Parkplätze. So betrug für das Jahr 2017 das österreichweite Mittel bei den Behinderten-Parkplätzen 1,78 pro 1.000 Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner und bei den Parkausweisen 13,5 pro 1.000 Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner.
In den qualitativen Rückmeldungen wird von den Gebietskörperschaften ein merkbarer Anstieg des Bedarfs an Behinderten-Parkplätzen festgestellt. Die Parkausweis-Besitzerinnen/Besitzer melden zurück, dass ca. 55 % nur manchmal oder selten einen freien Behinderten-Parkplatz vorfinden. 55 % geben ebenfalls an, dass manchmal bis häufig Behinderten-Parkplätze durch Personen ohne Parkausweis benutzt werden.
Aus der Befragung der Parkausweis-Besitzerinnen und -Besitzer (zu 52,2 % männlich) zeigt sich, dass der Parkausweis hauptsächlich für den Einkauf (22,8 %) und private Erledigungen (21,6 %) gebraucht wird. 58,6 % der Befragten reicht ein Parkplatz mit normaler Breite und 70,4 % haben auch nie oder nur selten Schwierigkeiten, in das Fahrzeug wieder einzusteigen. Unabhängig von der Größe der Ortschaften werden Behinderten-Parkplätze am häufigsten (28,6 - 40,7 %) in der Ortsmitte genutzt (und vermutlich auch angefunden). 61,8 % geben an, dass es nicht genügend Behindertenparkplätze im öffentlichen Raum gibt und 30,8 % meinen, dass auch die Parkraumbewirtschaftung diese Situation nicht verbessert hat. So berichten 38,2 %, dass bei ca. jedem zweiten Mal der angepeilte Behinderten-Parkplatz bereits von einem Fahrzeug eines/-r Parkausweis-Besitzer/-in besetzt ist, bzw. berichten 27,5 % von einer Belegung durch Fahrzeuge ohne Parkausweis.
Die Autoren empfehlen, dass angesichts der Privilegien der Nutzung des Straßenraumes, die ein Parkausweis mit sich bringt, sichergestellt werden soll, dass nur jene dieses Privileg erhalten, die es tatsächlich brauchen.
Die Analyse der Zusatzeintragungen hinsichtlich Platzbedarf gestaltet sich schwierig. Zur besseren Einschätzung zur Nachfrage an Behinderten-Parkplätzen empfehlen die Autoren  die spezifischere Formulierung der verwendeten Zusatzeintragungen (v.a. Unzumutbarkeit der Benützung der öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel).
Seitens der Autoren wird die Ausgabe von fälschungssicheren Parkausweisen und Installation einer zentralen Plattform für die unmittelbare, berührungslose Kontrolle der Gültigkeit empfohlen. Darüber hinaus wird auch eine Verknüpfung mit Registern der Personenstandsbehörden empfohlen, um Fällen des Missbrauchs zu begegnen.
Die Errichtung von Behinderten-Parkplätzen an Quellen und Zielen von Wegen ist bereits im Rahmen der jeweiligen Landes-Bauordnungen geregelt. Eine Empfehlung von Behinderten-Parkplatz-Kennzahlen an die Gebietskörperschaften ist somit nicht sinnvoll, da der Straßenraum eine stadtplanerisch wertvolle Ressource darstellt, die möglichst wenig dem Abstellen von Kraftfahrzeugen gewidmet werden sollte. Gegebenenfalls sind die Bauordnungs-Regulative an geänderte Behinderten-Parkplatz-Bedürfnisse anzupassen.

 Abstract-A very large number of buildings in developing countries are far from complying with the standards of housing. This paper presents the subjective study of the thermal comfort of a building that does not comply with construction standards or thermal regulations, located in Madagascar. Modeling was done using the Modelica tool, especially its BuildSysPro library. In order to minimize the inaccuracies, a step of an experimental adjustment of the developed numerical model was also carried out using experimental reference data that were obtained from the temperature measurements of the studied building elements as well as the wind speed and the received solar radiation flux. It was found that despite the obvious non-compliance with building standards and thermal regulations, the building has an acceptable thermal environment vis-à-vis its occupant.

Green buildings help keep the environment sustainable
– meaning that the building does not adversely
affect the immediate surroundings, and at least
maintains the status quo, i.e. the state prior to
construction. But the definition of ‘green’ is not a
static or universal one. In general, buildings are
labelled or rated ‘green’ based on an accepted
system, evaluating ‘green-ness’ and certifying it
under different categories or levels. What is green
for one region, may not be so for another. This paper
examines the process of greening buildings in the
context of Bangladesh. As the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is
the most commonly cited and applied building
rating system in use presently in Bangladesh, whenever
the issue of greening buildings arises, the
discussion below focuses mainly on this assessment
tool, to the exclusion of others.
LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, is implemented by the United States Green
Building Council (USGBC). Though based on the
US context, this is one of the most widely used
environmental assessment tools for buildings, all
over the World. BREEAM (the Building Research
Establishment Environmental Assessment Method),
dominates environmental assessment of UK buildings.
While BREEAM is more relevant in the UK,
as it uses UK policies(BSRIA, 2009), LEED can sit
alongside as part of a global corporate policy, in the
UK building industry. The Australian building
industry relies on its own system of assessing
green-ness, the Green Star rating tool, with agreed
standards and benchmarks (GBCA, 2016).
China has also developed its own Three Star
Rating.The 3-Star program does not have the same
collaboration between green building suppliers and
industry, as the LEED system.The Three Star
program tends to focus on simpler and cheaper
solutions for energy efficiency, while LEED has a
much stronger preference for high tech solutions
and materials.
India, where much of the country has contexts similar
to Bangladesh, too, have developed the GRIHA
(Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment),
which is run alongside the LEED India system(IGBC,
2016), in an attempt to ensure sustainable green buildings.
The voluntary, consensus based, market-driven
building programmes of the IGBC rating system (also
known as LEED India), are based on the five elements
of nature (Panchabhutas), thus being an adaptation of
green rating methodsfitted to the Indian context,
blending ancient Indian architectural practices with
modern technological innovations.
It is seen therefore, that though LEED exists
side-by-side in much of the World at present, every
nation is trying to work in the local context, so as to
get a rating system that fits the immediate needs of
the locality. This is to take into account that, LEED
has not been created with the level of adaptability
that is required to fit with different legislation and
contexts, as it is fixed to ASHRAE standards and the
US way of thinking (BSRIA, 2009). Clearly, any
blind adoption of the US based LEED rating in the
Bangladesh context cannot remain unquestioned.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and as a response, public health authorities started enforcing preventive measures like self-isolation and social distancing. The enforcement of isolation has consequences that may affect the lifestyle-related behavior of the general population. Quarantine encompasses a range of strategies that can be used to detain, isolate, or conditionally release individuals or populations infected or exposed to contagious diseases and should be tailored to circumstances. Interestingly, medical students may represent an example of how the COVID-19 pandemic can form new habits and change lifestyle behaviors. We conducted a web-based survey to assess changes in lifestyle-related behavior of self-isolated medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then we analyzed the sanitary-hygienic regulations of the Russian Federation to determine the requirements for healthy buildings. Results showed that duri...

results of the AIJ team on damage evaluation of the buildings around the Bam strong motion station operated by the Building and Housing Research Center (BHRC). The seismic capacity of damaged buildings was approximately estimated. The results show that many residential houses in the investigated area were seismically vulnerable structures such as adobe and simple masonry structures. Poor construction quality was also found in some of the investigated buildings designed according to the current Iranian seismic code. Moreover, good correlation between wall area ratio and damage levels was observed. Therefore, wall area ratio may be applicable for evaluating the seismic capacity and screening retrofit candidates.

Cellular concrete blocks are the major building materials in Kurdistan Region in Iraq. This study is carried out to check the economical and structural feasibility. The integrity of the blocks as well as its industrial production process compared with local and international standards. Recommendations for the concrete block production have been given in this paper. Samples from 10 local factories of total 60 blocks have been collected and tested at Koya University Laboratory. The carried out tests covered the dimensions, compression strength and water absorption of the samples. The results of this research study were compared with the requirements of the Iraqi and European specifications. They showed that the products of all factories do not fulfil the specified requirements. The dimensions of specimens exhibited relatively high deviations with no recommended tolerances for dimensions of the blocks. The results analysis showed that the weight of the 400x200x200mm block size was abou...