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Sustainability
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Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment
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Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2022) | Viewed by 19249

Special Issue Editors

Dr. João Almeida

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Itecons–Institute for Research and Technological Development for Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability, 3030-289 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: eco-friendly building materials; sustainable construction; life cycle assessment; environmental chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nuno Simões

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: energy performance of buildings; materials characterisation; heat and mass transfer problems; passive solutions; laboratory techniques for thermal characterisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Julieta António

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: building acoustics; sustainable building materials; materials characterization; numerical simulation of wave propagation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

This Special Issue is related to the first International Conference on Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability (CEES 20201) which is taking place in Coimbra, Portugal, from 12 to 15 October 2021, and is being organized by Itecons, University of Coimbra (UC) in collaboration with Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon (IST).

Globally, we are faced with resource scarcity, climate change, and increased urbanization. More than ever, there is a need to increase the sustainability of the built environment and construction activities. Increased population and urbanization have undoubtedly led to negative effects on the environment and contributed greatly to climate change. From resourcing and construction to the use of infrastructure and disposal of waste, the built environment is responsible for major impacts on the environment. In this context, environmental engineering and management activities are crucial for assessing and minimizing these impacts, as well as for enabling climate change adaptation. Along with the protection of the environment, economic viability and social equity are commonly referred to as the two other pillars of sustainability. Hence, the social aspects of buildings and urban development must not be neglected when striving towards a more sustainable built environment.

In this Special Issue, we are looking for high-quality original research articles related to the following topics:

  • Natural hazards mitigation;
  • Resilience and adaptation to climate changes;
  • Environmental risk management;
  • CO2 capturing and management;
  • Water efficiency and management;
  • Waste recovery and management;
  • Circular economy;
  • Eco-design;
  • Green roofs and living facades;
  • Adaptive building skins;
  • Green infrastructures;
  • Life cycle assessment;
  • Environmental labels and declarations;
  • Environmental assessment of buildings;
  • Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources;
  • Urban planning;
  • Applied social sciences in housing and inclusive design;
  • Environmental noise;
  • Urban metabolism;
  • Smart cities;
  • Other topics related to sustainability and to socio-economic challenges involved in creating a more sustainable built environment.

Dr. João Almeida
Prof. Dr. Nuno Simões
Prof. Dr. Julieta António
Guest Editors

Conference Information

Guest Editors will hold a meeting online on 12–15 October 2021, Coimbra, Portugal, on the topic of this Special Issue “Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment”. Please see details:
International Conference on Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability
Welcome more researchers to join us!

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable built environment
  • sustainable construction
  • buildings and environment
  • energy efficiency and conservation
  • water efficiency and conservation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2918 KiB  
Article
Parametric Approach to Simplified Life Cycle Assessment of Social Housing Projects
by Eleni Eleftheriou, Luis Felipe Lopez Muñoz, Guillaume Habert and Edwin Zea Escamilla
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7409; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127409 - 17 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2918
Abstract
The provision of sustainable housing solutions is one of the main challenges in emerging economy countries. Furthermore, it is clear that a sustainable solution should be based on renewable bio-based materials. Scientific and practical evidence clearly suggests that the use of bamboo in [...] Read more.
The provision of sustainable housing solutions is one of the main challenges in emerging economy countries. Furthermore, it is clear that a sustainable solution should be based on renewable bio-based materials. Scientific and practical evidence clearly suggests that the use of bamboo in the provision of housing solutions provides communities with both environmental and socio-economic benefits via this strategy. One barrier to the promotion of this type of solution is the lack of knowledge on structural design and environmental performance. Moreover, access to assessment tools and methodologies is limited. The use of simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has exhibited great potential to increase accessibility, but the generation of life cycle inventory data remains a major issue. In this paper, we describe the development of a methodological approach to use parametric design to generate the data required to carry out simplified LCA of social housing solutions. Moreover, we present a case study assessing a housing unit using cement bamboo frame technology developed by the Base Bahay Foundation in the Philippines. The main parameters for the LCA of the buildings were identified through sensitivity analysis. Moreover, they show that parametric design is a valid approach to overcome the challenges of data generation at early stages of design. The proposed approach would enable users without civil and/or engineering background to carry out simplified LCA calculations. Thus, through methodological approaches, it is possible to reduce significantly the complexity associated with LCA and open new avenues for it application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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15 pages, 7794 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Cyclic Healing Potential of Bacteria-Based Self-Healing Cementitious Composites
by Ismael Justo-Reinoso, Bianca J. Reeksting, Andrew Heath, Susanne Gebhard and Kevin Paine
Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6845; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116845 - 3 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2232
Abstract
At present, little evidence exists regarding the capability of bacteria-based self-healing (BBSH) cementitious materials to successfully re-heal previously healed cracks. This paper investigates the repeatability of the self-healing of BBSH mortars when the initially healed crack is reopened at a later age (20 [...] Read more.
At present, little evidence exists regarding the capability of bacteria-based self-healing (BBSH) cementitious materials to successfully re-heal previously healed cracks. This paper investigates the repeatability of the self-healing of BBSH mortars when the initially healed crack is reopened at a later age (20 months) and the potential of encapsulated bacterial spores to heal a new crack generated at 22 months after casting. The results show that BBSH cement mortar cracks that were successfully healed at an early age were not able to successfully re-heal when cracks were reformed in the same location 20 months later, even when exposed to favourable conditions (i.e., high humidity, temperature, calcium source, and nutrients) to promote their re-healing. Therefore, it is likely that not enough bacterial spores were available within the initially healed crack to successfully start a new self-healing cycle. However, when entirely new cracks were intentionally generated at a different position in 22-month-old mortars, these new cracks were able to achieve an average healing ratio and water tightness of 93.3% and 90.8%, respectively, thus demonstrating that the encapsulated bacterial spores remained viable inside the cementitious matrix. The results reported in this paper provide important insights into the appropriate design of practical self-healing concrete and, for the first time, show limitations of the ability of BBSH concrete to re-heal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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15 pages, 4619 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Cements Containing Sugarcane Bagasse Ash and Limestone: Effects on Compressive Strength and Acid Attack of Mortar
by Andréia Arenari de Siqueira and Guilherme Chagas Cordeiro
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095683 - 8 May 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2503
Abstract
Sustainable cements are an important alternative to reduce the environmental impact of the cement industry by lowering the clinker-to-cement ratio with supplementary cementitious materials. In this respect, the present study aimed to evaluate the influence of partial clinker replacement by sugarcane bagasse ash [...] Read more.
Sustainable cements are an important alternative to reduce the environmental impact of the cement industry by lowering the clinker-to-cement ratio with supplementary cementitious materials. In this respect, the present study aimed to evaluate the influence of partial clinker replacement by sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) and limestone filler (LF) on the mechanical and durability performance of mortars. Four blended Portland cements were produced with binary and ternary mixes of clinker, SCBA, and LF. An ordinary cement was also produced for comparison purposes. All five cements were characterized and applied in mortars in order to assess compressive strength and water absorption. Next, 28-day specimens were immersed in a sulfuric acid solution for 56 days to investigate deterioration using mass loss, length variation, water absorption, and compressive strength tests. In general, the combination of SCBA and LF produced more sustainable cements with suitable properties, as SCBA improved the mechanical behavior, while LF improved the durability performance of mortars. In this context, ternary mixes with 14% SCBA and 14% LF are indicated for mechanical uses, while 7% SCBA and 14% LF are recommended for durability purposes, as both maintained the respective properties of the reference cement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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22 pages, 27140 KiB  
Article
Mapping the Potential of High-Reflective Roof Coverings in Residential Buildings in Italy
by Francesco Baldi, Enrico Genova, Alessandra Gugliandolo and Maria-Anna Segreto
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4969; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094969 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1747
Abstract
The current warming trend of the earth’s climate is making it increasingly necessary to focus on solutions to improve indoor comfort while reducing energy demand for buildings during the hot season. The use of high-reflective products on the building envelope, and particularly on [...] Read more.
The current warming trend of the earth’s climate is making it increasingly necessary to focus on solutions to improve indoor comfort while reducing energy demand for buildings during the hot season. The use of high-reflective products on the building envelope, and particularly on the roof, has been suggested as a potential solution. The overall impact of using high-reflective products on roofs largely depends on the local climatic conditions and on the characteristics of the building, making it difficult to determine whether the use of these products is beneficial without the use of detailed modelling approaches. In this context, this study aims to propose a method to provide indications for designers and policymakers to make early decisions on the potential benefits of the use of high-reflective products on residential buildings, based on simple and readily-available climatic data of the location. The approach, based on the use of state-of-the-art simulation software, allows researchers to obtain a multi-linear regression of the effect of high-reflective products on roofs as a function of the heating degree days and of the local value of the climate vector. The approach is applied to the case of the Italian territory, where a block-of-flats is selected as the reference building, with features common to a significant part of the national residential stock. The proposed approach allows for the provision of a quantitative estimate of the expected impact of high-reflective roof coverings on the energy performance of residential buildings in all Italian municipalities. The analysis shows that high-reflective products on roofs are likely to reduce the building annual energy demand for heating and cooling in 9% to 25% of Italian municipalities, depending on the building energy renovation state. The proposed approach, whose results are expressed also by means of thematic maps, can be replicated to other geographic areas and can be extended to different energy saving technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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12 pages, 3447 KiB  
Article
Properties of Cold-Bonded and Sintered Aggregate Using Washing Aggregate Sludge and Their Incorporation in Concrete: A Promising Material
by Hakan Özkan, Nihat Kabay and Nausad Miyan
Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4205; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074205 - 1 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2387
Abstract
The aggregate makes up about 65–75% of the total volume of concrete and the use of artificial aggregates manufactured from waste and by-product materials, as an alternative to natural aggregate, has attracted considerable research interest. Washing aggregate sludge (WAS) is obtained as a [...] Read more.
The aggregate makes up about 65–75% of the total volume of concrete and the use of artificial aggregates manufactured from waste and by-product materials, as an alternative to natural aggregate, has attracted considerable research interest. Washing aggregate sludge (WAS) is obtained as a waste during the process of washing the aggregates, which is disposed or used as landfill. The utilization of WAS as a major component to manufacture artificial aggregates remains unexplored. Therefore, the focus has been directed towards the production of cold-bonded and sintered aggregates using WAS and their incorporation in concrete. The fresh pellets were manufactured using WAS, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and kept in the laboratory conditions at 20 ± 2 °C and 95 ± 5% relative humidity to obtain cold-bonded aggregates, whereas WAS and GGBFS were utilized to manufacture sintered aggregate by heating the fresh pellets up to 1150 °C. The manufactured aggregate properties were characterized through physical, mechanical, chemical, and microstructural analysis. Concrete specimens were also produced by introducing the artificial aggregates in replacement with the coarse aggregate. The results showed that the concrete containing artificial aggregates can be produced with lower oven-dry density and comparable mechanical properties to efficiently utilize WAS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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9 pages, 1318 KiB  
Article
Influence of Supplementary Cementitious Materials on Fresh Properties of 3D Printable Materials
by João Teixeira, Cecília Ogliari Schaefer, Lino Maia, Bárbara Rangel, Rui Neto and Jorge Lino Alves
Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3970; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073970 - 28 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
The development of printers and materials for 3D Printing Construction during the last two decades has allowed the construction of increasingly complex projects. Some of them have broken construction speed records due to the simplification of the construction process, particularly in non-standard geometries. [...] Read more.
The development of printers and materials for 3D Printing Construction during the last two decades has allowed the construction of increasingly complex projects. Some of them have broken construction speed records due to the simplification of the construction process, particularly in non-standard geometries. However, for performance and security reasons the materials used had considerable amounts of Portland cement (PC), a constituent that increases the cost and environmental impact of 3D Printable Materials (3DPM). Supplementary Cement Materials (SCM), such as fly ash, silica fume and metakaolin, have been considered a good solution to partially replace PC. This work aims to study the inclusion of limestone filler, fly ash and metakaolin as SCM in 3DPM. Firstly, a brief literature review was made to understand how these SCM can improve the materials’ 3DP capacity, and which methods are used to evaluate them. Based on the literature review, a laboratory methodology is proposed to assess 3DP properties, where tests such as slump and flow table are suggested. The influence of each SCM is evaluated by performing all tests on mortars with different dosages of each SCM. Finally, a mechanical extruder is used to extrude the developed mortars, which allowed us to compare the results of slump and flow table tests with the quality of extruded samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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22 pages, 1220 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Incentive Policy of China’s Prefabricated Residential Buildings Based on Evolutionary Game Theory
by Qiyun Huang, Junwu Wang, Mengwei Ye, Shiman Zhao and Xiang Si
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031926 - 8 Feb 2022
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3697
Abstract
With prefabricated construction method deemed as an effective way to improve the environmental performance and sustainable development of the building industry, it is inevitably adopted in the scaled residence in the process of residential industrialization. However, the development of prefabricated residential buildings is [...] Read more.
With prefabricated construction method deemed as an effective way to improve the environmental performance and sustainable development of the building industry, it is inevitably adopted in the scaled residence in the process of residential industrialization. However, the development of prefabricated residential buildings is still immature under the current market economy system, because the stakeholders involved in the process are not yet able to form a good cooperation mechanism and they are more inclined to keep their own interests. As a result, the market share of prefabricated residential buildings is relatively low. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the stakeholders involved. By analyzing their costs and benefits, the reasons that really impede the population of prefabricated residential buildings can be found. In this paper, incremental cost allocation coefficient is introduced, the incremental cost difference under different assembly rates is considered, and the allocation ratio of the incremental cost input of the prefabricated building is analyzed based on game theory. The evolutionary game theory for government and real estate companies is established under the condition of bounded rationality with consumer participation. Then the effectiveness of the game theory is verified using empirical analysis, so as to provide reference for the authorities to promote the large-scale development of prefabricated residential buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Increasing the Sustainability of the Built Environment)
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