Caracterización de los depósitos miocenos de la isla de Nueva Tabarca (Alicante) y su empleo como material de construcción en el patrimonio local

El presente trabajo muestra la caracterización en detalle de la secuencia estratigráfica de los depósitos miocenos de la isla de Nueva Tabarca, el empleo de estos materiales en el patrimonio arquitectónico de la isla y su comportamiento frente la degradación. En la serie miocena, a grandes rasgos, se definen tres tramos. El tramo inferior, rico en clastos dolomíticos, muestra una alternancia de arenitas y calcarenitas. El tramo intermedio corresponde a una sucesión de niveles de calcirruditas con laminación cruzada cuya parte superior está representada por un nivel de grandes bioclastos, rodolitos y arenitas de grano fino. El comienzo del último tramo está marcado por la presencia de varias superficies arenosas más litificadas sobre las que se sitúa un banco de arenitas de grano fino y laminación paralela. Si bien las canteras extraían sillares de todas estas litofacies, existe una mayor extracción de los últimos niveles de la serie. Estas rocas presentan una durabilidad moderada-baja, degradándose fácilmente mediante arenización, escamación y/o alveolización.

Estudio de propiedades físicas de las rocas

El objetivo de este taller es mostrar a los alumnos mediante experiencias de laboratorio sencillas y de bajo coste algunas metodologías de estudio de las propiedades físicas de las rocas como material de construcción. Las propiedades físicas de las rocas determinan su uso y comportamiento tanto como materiales de construcción como soportes de obra civil. La determinación de las propiedades físicas complementan el estudio mineralógico y textural (petrográfico) de los materiales pétreos y naturales. Las propiedades petrofísicas más importantes que se abordan en este taller son el sistema poroso (porosidad); transporte de fluidos (permeabilidad, capilaridad); propiedades mecánicas (estáticas y dinámicas); la durabilidad de las rocas frente a las sales, hielo, ataque ácido, etc.

The influence of rock fabric in the durability of two sandstones used in the Andalusian Architectural Heritage (Montoro and Ronda, Spain)

Natural stone has been a popular and reliable building material throughout history appearing in many historic monuments and in more recent buildings. Research into the intrinsic properties of specific stones is important because it gives us a greater understanding of the factors that limit and act on them. This can help prevent serious problems from occurring in our buildings bringing both esthetic benefits and financial savings. To this end, the main objective of this research has been to study the influence of the fabric and the mineral composition of two types of sandstone on their durability. The first is a red continental sandstone from the Buntsandstein Age called “Molinaza Roja”, which is quarried in Montoro (Cordoba). The second is quarried in Ronda (Malaga) and is sold under the trade name of “Arenisca Ronda”. It is a light pink-whitish calcarenite deposited during the Late Tortonian to Late Messinian. We characterized their petrological and petrophysical properties by studying their rock fabrics, porous systems and mechanical properties. In order to obtain a complete vision of the behavior of their rock fabrics, we also carried out two decay tests, the salt crystallization and the freeze–thaw tests. We then measured the effects on the textures of the altered samples during and after the decay tests and we evaluated the changes in the porous system. By comparing the results between intact and altered samples, we found that Arenisca Ronda is less durable because it has a high quantity of expandable clays (smectites) and a high percentage of pores in the 0.1–1 μm range, in which the pressure produced by salt crystallization is strongest. In Molinaza Roja the decay agents caused significant sanding due to loss of cohesion between the clasts, especially during the salt crystallization test. In both stones, the anisotropies (oriented textures) have an important role in their hydric and dynamic behavior and also affect their mechanical properties (especially in the compression resistance). No changes in color were detected.

Building from building waste: The development of an instrument to determine the circularity of materials from the existing building stock in order to maximise high quality reuse

On a global level the population growth and increase of the middle class lead to a growing demand on material resources. The built environment has an enormous impact on this scarcity. In addition, a surplus of construction and demolition waste is a common problem. The construction industry claims to recycle 95% of this waste but this is in fact mainly downcycling. Towards the circular economy, the quality of reuse becomes of increasing importance. Buildings are material warehouses that can contribute to this high quality reuse. However, several aspects to achieve this are unknown and a need for more insight into the potential for high quality reuse of building materials exists. Therefore an instrument has been developed that determines the circularity of construction waste in order to maximise high quality reuse. The instrument is based on three principles: ‘product and material flows in the end of life phase’, ‘future value of secondary materials and products’ and ‘the success of repetition in a new life cycle’. These principles are further divided into a number of criteria to which values and weighting factors are assigned. A degree of circularity can then be determined as a percentage. A case study for a typical 70s building is carried out. For concrete, the circularity is increased from 25% to 50% by mapping out the potential for high quality reuse. During the development of the instrument it was clarified that some criteria are difficult to measure. Accurate and reliable data are limited and assumptions had to be made. To increase the reliability of the instrument, experts have reviewed the instrument several times. In the long-term, the instrument can be used as a tool for quantitative research to reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste and contribute to the reduction of raw material scarcity.

Sol–Gel Coordination Chemistry: Building Catalysts from the Bottom-Up

The development of synthetic routes for the tailoring of efficient silica-based heterogeneous catalysts functionalized with coordination complexes or metallic nanoparticles has become a important goal in chemistry. Most of these techniques have been based on postsynthetic treatments of preformed silicas. Nevertheless, there is an emerging approach, so-called sol–gel coordination chemistry, based on co-condensation during the sol–gel preparation of the hybrid material of the corresponding complex or nanoparticle modified with terminal trialkoxysilane groups with a silica source (such as tetraethoxysilane) and in the presence of an adequate surfactant. This method leads to the production of new mesoporous metal complex-silica materials, with the metallic functionality incorporated homogeneously into the structure of the hybrid material, improving the stability of the coordination complex (which is protected by the silica network) and reducing the leaching of the active phase. This technique also offers the actual possibility of functionalizing silica or other metal oxides for a wider range of applications, such as photonics, sensing, and biochemical functions.

Construction of Structures I in Moodle: a new teaching methodology in the Degree of Building Engineer

The subject of Construction of Structures I studies, from a constructive point of view and taking into account current legislation, reinforced concrete structures used in buildings, through the acquisition of knowledge and construction criteria required in the profession of a Technical Architect. The contents acquired in this course are essential for further professional development of technicians and are closely related to many of the subjects taught in the same or other courses of the Degree in Technical Architecture at the University of Alicante. The aim of this paper is to present, analyze and discuss the development of a new methodology proposed in the mentioned subject, as it supposed an important change in the traditional way of teaching Construction and Structures I. In order to incorporate new teaching tools in 2013-2014, the course has been implemented by using a Moodle software tool to promote blended learning with online exercises. Our Moodle community allows collaborative work within an open-source platform where teachers and students share a new and personalized learning environment. Students are easily used to the interface and the platform, value the constant connection with teachers or other fellows and completely agree with the possibility of making questions or share documents 24 hours a day. The proposed methodology consists of lectures and practical classes. In the lectures, the basics of each topic are discussed; class attendance, daily study and conducting scheduled exercises are indispensable. Practical classes allow to consolidate the knowledge gained in theory classes by solving professional exercises and actual construction problems related to structures, that shall be compulsorily delivered online. So, after the correction of the teacher and the subsequent feedback of students, practical exercises ensure lifelong learning of the student, who can download any kind of material at any time (constructive details, practical exercises and even corrected exams). Regarding the general evaluation system, goals achievement is assessed on an ongoing basis (65% of the final mark) along the course through written and graphic evidences in person and online, as well as a individual development of a workbook. In all cases, the acquisition of skills, the ability to synthesize, the capacity of logical and critical thinking are assessed. The other 35 % of the mark is evaluated by a complementary graphic exam. Participation in the computing platform is essential and the student is required to do and present, at least 90% of the practices proposed. Those who do not comply with the practices in each specific date could not be assessed continuously and may only choose the final exam. In conclusion, the subject of Construction of Structures I is essential in the development of the regulated profession of Technical Architect as they are considered, among other professional profiles, as specialists in construction of building structures. The use of a new communication platform and online teaching allows the acquisition of knowledge and constructive approaches in a continuous way, with a more direct and personal monitoring by the teacher that has been highly appreciated by almost 100% of the students. Ultimately, it is important to say that the use of Moodle in this subject is a very interesting tool, which was really well welcome by students in one of the densest and important subjects of the Degree of Technical Architecture.

Implementation Feasibility of a Digital Nervous System for the Construction Industry: For Efficient and Effective Information Management across the Project Lifecycle

The construction industry has long been considered as highly fragmented and non-collaborative industry. This fragmentation sprouted from complex and unstructured traditional coordination processes and information exchanges amongst all parties involved in a construction project. This nature coupled with risk and uncertainty has pushed clients and their supply chain to search for new ways of improving their business process to deliver better quality and high performing product. This research will closely investigate the need to implement a Digital Nervous System (DNS), analogous to a biological nervous system, on the flow and management of digital information across the project lifecycle. This will be through direct examination of the key processes and information produced in a construction project and how a DNS can provide a well-integrated flow of digital information throughout the project lifecycle. This research will also investigate how a DNS can create a tight digital feedback loop that enables the organisation to sense, react and adapt to changing project conditions. A Digital Nervous System is a digital infrastructure that provides a well-integrated flow of digital information to the right part of the organisation at the right time. It provides the organisation with the relevant and up-to-date information it needs, for critical project issues, to aid in near real-time decision-making. Previous literature review and survey questionnaires were used in this research to collect and analyse data about information management problems of the industry – e.g. disruption and discontinuity of digital information flow due to interoperability issues, disintegration/fragmentation of the adopted digital solutions and paper-based transactions. Results analysis revealed efficient and effective information management requires the creation and implementation of a DNS.

Intelligent Decision-Making System Frameworks for a Digital Plan of Work: A Theoretical Investigation for the Construction Industry

The construction industry is characterised by fragmentation and suffers from lack of collaboration, often adopting adversarial working practices to achieve deliverables. For the UK Government and construction industry, BIM is a game changer aiming to rectify this fragmentation and promote collaboration. However it has become clear that there is an essential need to have better controls and definitions of both data deliverables and data classification. Traditional methods and techniques for collating and inputting data have shown to be time consuming and provide little to improve or add value to the overall task of improving deliverables. Hence arose the need in the industry to develop a Digital Plan of Work (DPoW) toolkit that would aid the decision making process, providing the required control over the project workflows and data deliverables, and enabling better collaboration through transparency of need and delivery. The specification for the existing Digital Plan of Work (DPoW) was to be, an industry standard method of describing geometric, requirements and data deliveries at key stages of the project cycle, with the addition of a structured and standardised information classification system. However surveys and interviews conducted within this research indicate that the current DPoW resembles a digitised version of the pre-existing plans of work and does not push towards the data enriched decision-making abilities that advancements in technology now offer. A Digital Framework is not simply the digitisation of current or historic standard methods and procedures, it is a new intelligent driven digital system that uses new tools, processes, procedures and work flows to eradicate waste and increase efficiency. In addition to reporting on conducted surveys above, this research paper will present a theoretical investigation into usage of Intelligent Decision Support Systems within a digital plan of work framework. Furthermore this paper will present findings on the suitability to utilise advancements in intelligent decision-making system frameworks and Artificial Intelligence for a UK BIM Framework. This should form the foundations of decision-making for projects implemented at BIM level 2. The gap identified in this paper is that the current digital toolkit does not incorporate the intelligent characteristics available in other industries through advancements in technology and collation of vast amounts of data that a digital plan of work framework could have access to and begin to develop, learn and adapt for decision-making through the live interaction of project stakeholders.