Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Svetlana Tam, Jenna Wong
Summary: This study focuses on quantifying the impact of green roofs on seismic responses and identifies key trends and sensitivities in response by conducting nonlinear time history analyses using a suite of ground motions. The results can help us better understand the relationship between buildings and the environment.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
V Pons, T. M. Muthanna, E. Sivertsen, J-L Bertrand-Krajewski
Summary: This study aims to realign the green infrastructure design strategies with principles for robust decision making, through the example of green roofs design with the variational method and exemplified using the Norwegian context of the 3-step approach (3SA) to stormwater management. The innovative framework based on downscaling of rainfall timeseries provides more informed and reliable results, allowing for solutions to be embedded within the urban water system by facilitating the link between the steps of the 3SA. Such a framework was found to be applicable in the Norwegian context.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenxi Liao, Jennifer Drake, Sean C. Thomas
Summary: The study found that granulated biochar greatly enhances plant growth and physiological status, while improving water retention capacity of the substrate. However, conventional biochar suppresses plant growth. Granulated biochar at intermediate particle sizes best enhances plant performance.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Didem Gurdur Broo, Miguel Bravo-Haro, Jennifer Schooling
Summary: This article emphasizes the urgency of improving the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of infrastructure systems, and explores the role of digital twins in achieving this goal.
AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingyuan Yuan, Bing Wu, Xiaoguang Liu, Ming Lu
Summary: Constructing a green infrastructural network is crucial for improving urban ecological resilience and supporting sustainable urban development. However, research on the boundary green infrastructure (BGI) connecting natural and artificial spaces is limited. In this study, a method for identifying BGI and analyzing its landscape pattern characteristics is proposed, using 15 European cities as case studies.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Alessandro Cardoni, Simone Lucco Borlera, Francesco Malandrino, Gian Paolo Cimellaro
Summary: This paper presents a methodology for modeling and quantifying the seismic vulnerability and resilience of wireless telecommunication networks. A case study of a virtual European city is conducted, taking into account the interdependence with the built environment, and three vulnerability indexes are calculated.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Eva Fernandez-Pablos, Amparo Verdu-Vazquez, Oscar Lopez-Zaldivar, Rafael Lozano-Diez
Summary: The future planning and management of cities should focus on creating green infrastructure, improving urban biodiversity, urban forests, and the value of natural areas in urban environments. The COVID19 crisis has emphasized the need for harmony between city dwellers and nature. Developing environmental quality standards to assess green infrastructures as a whole is crucial for sustainable urban development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongqing Liu, Haiwei Yin, Fanhua Kong, Ariane Middel, Xiandi Zheng, Jing Huang, Tao Sun, Ding Wang, Itamar M. Lensky
Summary: The study demonstrates the importance of vegetation in protecting and maintaining the substrate of green roofs (GR), which helps to sustain their ecosystem services and improve their sustainability. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to maintaining vegetation cover and regularly maintaining GR to ensure that ecological and economic benefits are not reduced.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fatemeh Rahmani, Mark Alan Robinson, M. R. Barzegaran
Summary: The project successfully improved solar power efficiency, reduced roof temperature, and increased output power by installing a cool-roof solar photovoltaic system on the roof.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL POWER & ENERGY SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael A. Bollman, Grace E. DeSantis, Ronald S. Waschmann, Paul M. Mayer
Summary: This study suggests that adding shade structures to green roofs can effectively reduce daytime temperatures of the green roof media, increase nighttime temperatures, and benefit building energy efficiency. The shade structures increase media moisture, promoting plant growth and partially compensating for increased daytime evaporation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Reepal Shah, Yushiou Tsai, Dimitrios Stampoulis, Hamidreza Ghasemi Damavandi, John Sabo
Summary: This paper discusses the idea of replacing ageing built infrastructure with natural infrastructure to mitigate flood risks. Through modeling, it is found that a distributed portfolio of smaller wetlands performs better in flood mitigation compared to a single flood control reservoir, and creating multiple wetlands prioritized based on storage can further increase flood mitigation. Additionally, it is found that a portfolio of wetlands equivalent to the size of the largest flood control reservoir can provide additional flood control storage, enhancing the overall resilience of the basin.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zaloa Azkorra-Larrinaga, Naiara Romero-Anton, Koldobika Martin-Escudero, Gontzal Lopez-Ruiz
Summary: Green roofs are artificial ecosystems that provide a nature-based solution to environmental problems and offer many benefits in terms of heat and water conservation as well as energy costs. This study proposes the design of an environmentally sustainable green roof using composted food waste from a building's canteen. The results show that a sustainable green roof has a positive effect on energy savings in summer, especially when water is present on the roof.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sepideh Motamedpooya, Mojtaba Ashour, Amir Mahdiyar, Elmira Jamei
Summary: This study aims to identify and analyze the factors hindering the adoption of Intensive Green Roofs (IGRs) in Tehran, and their relationships. Through a systematic literature review and a fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making approach, seven novel barriers were discovered, with the category of 'cultural and climatic settings' being the most influential.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Amir Ghahremani Baghmisheh, Mojtaba Mahsuli
Summary: This paper proposes probabilistic damage and collapse models for reinforced concrete poles in electric power distribution networks under earthquake excitations. The results of static pull tests poorly represent the seismic collapse pattern of the pole, and the most vulnerable segment is found to be the first 0.5 m above the ground.
SOIL DYNAMICS AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ana A. Calvino, Julia Tavella, Hernan M. Beccacece, Elizabet L. Estallo, Diego Fabian, Maria Laura Moreno, Adriana Salvo, Maria Silvina Fenoglio
Summary: Green roofs, as key elements of urban green infrastructure, provide habitat for arthropods and offer various environmental benefits. However, the plant selection for green roofs in South American cities is largely based on technology from the northern hemisphere, lacking local experiences. This study evaluated the use of native and exotic plant species for green roofs and found that native plants showed better performance and attracted more beneficial arthropods than exotic plants when no management was conducted. Increasing flower availability in native plants promoted interactions with pollinators and natural enemies.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)