Building Engineering

Description

Building Engineering (BE, eISSN: 3029-2670) is a scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on building science, building engineering, and architecture. We encourage researchers to publish their innovative ideas and results on numerous elements of buildings, such as construction, plan, operation, performance, maintenance, and degradation. The scope of this journal encompasses a wide range of topics relevant to the built environment, and authors are encouraged to read the Focus and Scope of the journal.

Latest Articles

Open Access

Review

Article ID: 2100

A review on significance of thermal comfort in educational facilities
by Huda Riaz, Ahmad Riaz, Amna Iqbal, Norheen Amina, Sunera Imtiaz

Building Engineering, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/be2100

Climate change and the urgency of decarbonizing the built environment drive technological innovation in delivering thermal comfort to occupants. Studies have shown that thermal discomfort can lead to a decline in students’ cognitive function, motivation, absenteeism, and a decrease in instructors’ work performance. This article reviews significant changes, developments, and trends in thermal comfort research for educational facilities classrooms. This study summarizes research regarding the importance of environmental comfort in education facilities, different climatic regions, and various parameters that play a vital role in determining thermal comfort. The investigation of the current literature showed that researchers focused on different issues, adopting diverse models and indices to investigate thermal comfort in classrooms. Indeed, even if the environmental conditions comply with standards, in several cases, a prolonged stay indoors affects the health and productivity of students. However, it is important to focus on students’ preferences in different regions, climates, and educational stages to create healthy and human-centered buildings. It is also clear that current research trends mainly focus on cold regions of Europe, while, by educational level, secondary-stage classrooms are the least investigated; thus, further investigation is needed. Therefore, an integrated approach that considers both the positive and negative effects of indoor exposure is needed, including the individual preferences and needs of occupants in the least researched regions, such as Asia and Africa.

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Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1946

Multivariate optimization of mechanically ventilated photovoltaic double-skin façade system for the cold conditions of composite climate zone
by Sajan Preet, Sanjay Mathur, Jyotirmay Mathur, Stefan Thor Smith, Himanshu Saini

Building Engineering, Vol.3, No.2, 2025;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/be1946

Assessing the performance of a multi-storey building equipped with a mechanically ventilated photovoltaic-double skin façade (photovoltaic-DSF) system during cold weather conditions is crucial. This is because the demand for heating in buildings rises as outdoor temperatures decrease. This study formulates and verifies mathematical models to evaluate the energy performance of a building integrated with a mechanically ventilated photovoltaic-double skin façade (photovoltaic-DSF) system in Jaipur’s cold climate, which is part of India’s composite climate zone. The system was installed and observed during the winter months (December to February). The experimental design utilised a Taguchi L25 orthogonal array, considering variables such as air cavity thickness, air velocity, and photovoltaic (PV) panel transparency. Based on experimental findings, multiple linear regression analysis was used to predict three key performance metrics: The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), photovoltaic panel electrical output, and indoor daylight illuminance, all as influenced by the design parameters. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the statistical significance of these relationships, and the model demonstrated a strong correlation with field measurements (R² > 0.90), validating the accuracy of the developed mathematical correlations. The analysis reveals that a photovoltaic DSF system integrated into a multi-storey building, featuring a photovoltaic panel with 50% transparency, an air velocity of 5 m/s, and a 50 mm air cavity, achieves maximum energy performance under cold climate conditions in a composite climate. These insights can help in designing energy-efficient photovoltaic-DSF systems specifically optimised for winter conditions in composite climate zones.

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Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2207

CFD-based comparative simulation analysis of flow field under different natural ventilation boundary conditions in the room
by Yuanyuan Fu, Bin Zhao

Building Engineering, Vol., No., 2025;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/be2207

In order to achieve reasonable indoor layout design, reduce building energy consumption and better meet human body thermal comfort requirements, flow fields under different natural ventilation conditions are compared based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in this paper. Firstly, a theoretical model of the indoor flow field under six different ventilation conditions is constructed, and boundary conditions, wall functions and meshing structure are confirmed. Simulation analysis is carried out for six different working conditions. Through comparative analysis, it is concluded the window opening location should be located in the center, and the direct airflow through the convection field is evenly distributed, and the direct airflow is conducive to the improvement of indoor cleanliness. In addition, when organizing natural ventilation, the window orientation is inclined to the dominant wind direction in summer by about 45° angles, it can improve the ventilation effect. And by analyzing temperature contours, 45° angles can better meet people’s needs about temperature: 18 ℃–26 ℃. When temperature contours’ temperature is above people’s comfortable temperature in specific rooms or places, mechanical ventilation and evaporative cooling can be combined. Research results can not only significantly improve the quality of living and working environments, but also help promote the development of green buildings and achieve energy-saving and emission reduction goals.

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Open Access

Review

Article ID: 2375

Indoor environmental quality in architecture: A Review
by Guolin Li

Building Engineering, Vol.3, No.1, 2025;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/be2375

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is vital for the well-being, health, and productivity of people in architectural spaces. As the awareness of the importance of IEQ has grown, there has been significant development and research in this field. This article aims to provide an overview of the recent trends in IEQ research in architecture. It emphasizes the significance of creating healthy and comfortable indoor spaces and highlights how IEQ can impact occupants’ well-being and productivity. The article discusses various factors that influence IEQ, such as air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, and acoustics. Additionally, it examines the advancements in design strategies and technologies aimed at improving IEQ. Finally, the article concludes by identifying future research directions and potential areas of innovation in the field of indoor environmental quality. This review highlights that indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has become a central focus in architecture, with research underscoring the significance of creating healthy and comfortable spaces for occupants. Future studies should focus on integrating smart technologies, health-centered design, addressing the impacts of climate change, and enhancing the multi-sensory experience to further improve IEQ and promote human well-being.

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Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1625

Urban formalities versus informalities: Case study of Katwe informal settlements, Kampala Uganda
by Opakrwoth Chrispus, Abdulsalam Ibrahim Shema

Building Engineering, Vol.3, No.1, 2025;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/be1625

Formal settlements refer to those settlements that comply with legal and regulatory frameworks, while informal settlements, commonly known as slums, arise without official sanction and often lack basic services and infrastructure. Informal settlements are an inherent reality that are integral parts of the urban centers in most developing nations such as the capital city of Uganda, Kampala. Currently, the city is experiencing numerous urban challenges such as inadequate housing, overcrowding, crime, and limited access to basic social services. These challenges have adverse social, economic and environmental impacts. Formal settlements typically provide basic services in proclaimed townships. By integrating formal standards into informal contexts, regeneration can conceptualize meeting formal necessities such as decent housing. This research explores the intersection of formality and informality within the urban center of Kampala, specifically in Katwe district. The research aims to explore regeneration actions in Katwe, aiming to enhance quality of living. This goal will be pursued through strategic approaches that enhances social equality and identifying social generators of activities for improved quality of life; Defining components of housing typologies for enhanced individual quality of life through self-built sustainable constructions; Establishing a unifying design focal point in the neighborhood to cultivate identity. The adopted research methodology for this exploration was developed based on a mixed-method research approach, employing procedures such as document analysis and observational study to gather necessary information from Katwe informal settlement in Kampala.

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Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2054

Analysis of skilled labor shortage in the construction industry of developing countries
by Ali Hassan, Ahmad Riaz

Building Engineering, Vol.3, No.1, 2025;

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/be2054

Labor productivity is an essential component for the effective execution of a project. This research aimed to determine the cause of the labor crisis in the construction industry of developing countries. This research focuses on numerous aspects such as the trades of shorted skilled labor, the shortage causes, the effects of the shortage of skilled labor in industry, the characteristics that skilled labor should have, and the mitigation strategies. The ﬁeld survey conducted included twelve trades, sixteen causes, nine effects, and eleven characteristics of skilled labor. The top three trades with a significant shortage are heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) installer technicians, wood carpenters, and glazier/aluminum workers. The top three causes accountable for the labor shortage are irregular and low wages, poor training, and economic change. Extension in the duration of the project and Errors during construction emerged as the top two effects caused by a shortage. The top three characteristics of skilled labor are technical competence, in-depth knowledge of handling tools and equipment, determination, and persistence. The survey concluded that offering advantageous wages and benefits, providing opportunities for advancement and professional development, and establishing a positive work environment can effectively reduce the effects of labor shortages by recruiting and retaining skilled individuals.

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Featured Articles

Effect of natural pozzolana, pozzolanic sand, and basalt on thermal and mechanical properties of green concrete

Green concrete, also known as sustainable concrete, is a building material that aims to reduce environmental impact by using natural, recycled, or sustainable materials in its production. One way to achieve sustainability in concrete is to replace cement with pozzolanic materials, which not only reduces the carbon footprint but also improves the performance of concrete and reduces its cost. This study aims to use natural materials that can partially or completely replace cement and conventional aggregates in concrete mixes. pozzolanic gravel (GPoz) replaced coarse aggregate, basaltic sand (SBas) and pozzolanic (SPoz) replaced fine aggregate, while ground pozzolana (PN) replaced cement. This work focuses on the experimentation and simulation of concrete mixes using the four abovementioned materials. 36 cubes were cast to conduct the thermal conductivity test by direct exposure of concrete samples, where an insulated thermal chamber was designed from thermal bricks, equipped with a heat source from the bottom and an empty space for the tested sample from the top, and then the resistance test on simple pressure was conducted for the cubic samples at the age of 28 days. Pozzolanic aggregate, when used in combination with basalt sand, showed greater thermal resistance compared to conventional concrete. Even with the replacement of 50% of the cement with ground pozzolana, we notice an increase in resistance of more than 11%, but with the replacement of basalt sand with pozzolana sand, we notice an increase in thermal resistance of more than 53%. As for the mechanical properties represented by resistance on simple pressure, we notice an acceptable decrease in resistance when replacing cement with pozzolana, with the exception of mixtures containing aggregates and pozzolana sand together, where replacing 50% of the cement with pozzolana increases the resistance on simple pressure by more than 46.4%.

Fulfilling the potentials of residential solar energy in Egypt

Energy plays a very important role in Egypt’s economic development, but the country has a gap between its produced energy and the demand of its growing population. Utilization of solar power systems in Egypt could help the country to close this gap and fulfil its national and international obligations. However, since 1980, the focus in Egypt has been on large-scale industrial solar projects. Limited attention is given to smaller systems for typical residential buildings. The aim of this research, therefore, is to highlight the potential of small residential solar systems (SRSS) in Egypt. With the huge number of residential buildings accommodating more than 115 million Egyptians, SRSS could be the unearthed gem of a sustainable source of energy in Egypt. The geographical location of Egypt and climate were used to generate solar data using the Global Solar Atlas application. The amounts of monthly and annual solar irradiations were calculated and analysed to decide the best orientation of the system (facing east, west, north, and south), identify the optimum tilt angle of the system, and determine the size of the solar panels. A case study was used to illustrate the procedures of designing SRSS for a typical residential building in Egypt. The results showed that a 26 kWp SRSS oriented facing the east with an optimum tilt angle between 15° and 30° could produce an annual total output of electricity more than the annual demand of the occupants of the studied residential building. Such a system would fit easily on the roof of the building. It was concluded that the installation of SRSS in Egypt could help the country meet the demand of its ever-increasing population if properly regulated, financed, and managed. It is recommended that Egypt develop and implement policies to make installations of SRSS an attractive choice among homeowners and investors by introducing encouraging incentives and creating a competitive market with affordable SRSS.

Fighting for collusive bidding in the construction industry: A text mining-enabled approach

Policy measures are crucial for regulating collusive bidding and are integral to effective governance. However, current research lacks a comparative exploration of strategies to combat collusive bidding through policy. Therefore, this study aims to identify more effective countermeasures by examining policy variations between regions with low and high incidences of collusive bidding. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, the study extracts key themes from these policies, while qualitative analysis highlights differences in approaches. It underscores that integrating electronic and information technology into bidding systems significantly reduces collusive practices. While increasing penalties can deter collusive bidding, achieving desired impacts requires thorough investigation and vigilant oversight. Additionally, strengthening external supervision enhances control over such activities. This study identifies critical governance strategies for addressing collusive bidding and advocates further research into more effective methods within the construction sector.

Comprehensive seismic loss model of Tehran, Iran in the case of Mosha fault seismic scenario using stochastic finite-fault method

This paper presents the results of a study caried out to assess probable seismic loss, in term of damage to the residential buildings and the number of fatalities, in the case of Mosha Fault seismic scenario in Tehran, Iran. Accordingly, seismic risk components (including seismic hazard, exposure model and fragility curves) are evaluated. The stochastic finite-fault method with dynamic corner frequency is applied for quantifying ground motion values. The results shows that PGA on the soil surface could range between 0.1 g to 0.45 g. Then, a reliable model of building exposure by analyzing census data from Tehran is compiled. This model included 19 different classes of buildings and is used to evaluate the potential damage to buildings from seismic scenario. The results indicate that the median of damage ratio from 100,000 iterations for the whole of the city is about 6% ± 1.54%. The study found that the central and eastern parts of Tehran are the most vulnerable areas, with an estimated 15,952 residents at risk of losing their lives in this scenario. This is equivalent to 0.2 percent of total population of Tehran. The finding from this study can be used by local authorities to provide appropriate emergency-response and preparedness plans in the case of Mosha Fault seismic scenario.

Digital transformation of quality management in the construction industry during the execution phase by integration of building information modeling (BIM) and cloud computing

The quality of construction projects significantly impacts social and economic development. However, low quality and project failure often result from factors such as lack of quality procedures, poor communication, task coordination, and inefficient progress monitoring. This research aims to improve the efficiency of the construction phase by creating quality control checklists for processes and enhancing quality management through a collaborative digital environment integrating building information modeling (BIM) and cloud computing. Expert constructive interviews were first conducted to define a construction process quality control procedure to be linked to the 3DBIM model and then transition to a collaborative cloud environment (Autodesk Construction Cloud). An actual instance in Latakia City (Syria) demonstrated that the proposed methodology improves the efficiency and effectiveness of quality management during the implementation phase. It does so by offering a robust database, enhancing on-site quality information extraction from BIM models using smartphones, documenting defects and entering inspection data directly into a shared digital environment, and making it easier to track corrective actions and feedback. This facilitates constant and organized access to current data, reducing errors and rework, saving money and time, and enhancing decision-making speed and effectiveness. The search recommends the necessity of strict laws to adhere to quality procedures and the importance of providing infrastructure for digital transformation in quality management.

Net zero energy analysis and energy conversion of sustainable residential building in Muscat, Oman

The building sector is the predominant consumer of primary energy globally. The building sector accounts for around 40% of global energy production.Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) are highly suggested by energy experts as an effective option to alleviate the strain on primary energy sources caused by the building sector. The disparity between energy performance predictions provided during the design phase and the actual energy performance of residential buildings is mostly attributed to a limited comprehension of the components that influence energy consumption and the constraints of whole building simulation software. The objective of this research was to perform a comparison analysis of the expected and actual energy consumption of a prototype net-zero energy house built at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat. The Hourly Analysis Programme (HAP V4.2) was utilised to forecast the energy consumption of a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) at HCT, taking into account the availability of an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) and the absence of an ERV. The newly built house underwent a one-month testing phase to fulfil many duties according to competition regulations. One of the main goals was to generate on-site energy through photovoltaic panels, producing an amount proportional to the energy consumed by the house. Upon comparing the actual energy consumption data with the simulated result, it was noticed that the actual energy demand of the house was around 20% lower than the prediction made by the simulation tool.

Architecting sustainability performances and enablers for grid-interactive efficient buildings

Today, grid-interactive efficient buildings are gaining popularity due to their potential sustainability performances through their ability to learn, adapt, and evolve at different scales to improve the quality of life of their users while optimizing resource usage and service availability. This is realized through various practices such as management and control measures enabled by smart grid technologies, interoperability, and human-cyber-physical security. However, despite their great potential, the research of those technologies still faces various challenges. These include a lack of communication and control infrastructure to address interpretability, security, cost barriers, and difficulties balancing occupant needs with grid benefits. Initially, system modelling and simulation are promising approaches to address those challenges ahead of time. It involves the consideration of complex systems made up of components from various research domains. This paper addresses the above practices, highlighting the value of integrating technology and intelligence in the planning and operation of buildings, both new and old. It provides a way to educate architects and engineers about this emerging field and demonstrates how these practices can help in creating efficient, resilient, and secure buildings that contribute to occupant comfort and decarbonization.