Heriot-Watt University’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction: Research Bulletin April 2021

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Research HEC RatingBulletin 2020 No.3 April 2021

Performance and Productivity

Research Bulletin No.3-April 2021

EDINBURGH DUBAI MALAYSIA

Sustainability Wellbeing

SHAPING TOMORROW TOGETHER

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Table of contents 2 Editorial

About us

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Dr. Mustafa Batikha

Topic of Focus.

Building Gender Diversity in the Built Environment Dr. Anas Bataw

5 Ductile Concrete: Recent Developments and its potential in Precast Construction Dr Benny Suryanto, Prof. Priyo Suprobo, Dr Asdam Tambusay and Warren Don

7 Cross Sector Digital Twins Elena Mate Mugica and Gary Furphy

11 How CAFM can save businesses time and money?

Dr. Anas Bataw

14 Implementation of the 3D Concrete Printing in Construction Mai Megahed and Prof. Adil K. Tamimi

15 Commentary on “Qualitative Study of Sustainability Policies and Guidelines in the Built Environment” Dr Cheng Siew Goh

20 The Role of Facilities Management in Green Retrofit of Existing Buildings in the United Arab Emirates Vinay Tilani, Dr. Karima Hamani and Dr. Mahmoud Mawed

23 Comment: Symbiotic relationship between FM and energy management Matthew Smith

26 Numerical modeling on aerosol trajectory study in hospital space for an effective contaminant control Amanda Balogun and Dr. Jun Han

29 A Review of Dubai Road Safety Culture: Realities & Challenges Dr. Noor Zainab Habib, Prof. Guy Walker and Shahid Tanvir

32 Offshore Geotechnical Construction Aspect for Pearl Jumeirah Island in Dubai, UAE Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie and Mohamed Abdalla

36 Physical & virtual worlds: substituting spaces and experience at a time of crisis Alida Bata

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News and Events

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

About Us Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) Heriot-Watt University’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) is committed to advancing industry-led innovations in construction that will revolutionise the way we develop, manage and operate smarter cities.CESC partners with like-minded organisations and government entities to lead the transformation of the Built Environment and development of next generation professionals for the benefit of the economy. CESC is a global hub for disruptive thinking, a platform for collaborative research and a model for solutions development and stakeholder engagement. More details about CESC can be found in the following link: https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai/research/centre-excellence-smart-construction.htm

CESC non-executive board

CESC Industy Partners

CESC’s non-executive board, chaired by His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, brings together a group of expert opinions and leading voices across academia, industry and government.

Profiles of each CESC board member can be found using the following link: https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai/research/cesc/non-executive-board.htm

CESC leadership team Dr Anas Bataw, CESC Director Professor Ammar Kaka, Provost and Vice Principal, Heriot-Watt University Dubai Dr Olisanwendu Ogwuda, CESC Manager Dr Roger Griffiths, Business Development Executive

CESC committee (Heriot-Watt) Dr. Hassam Chaudhry, Director of Studies Representative Linsey Thomson, Academic Lead for Student Engagement Matthew Smith, EGIS Representative Dr. Mustafa Batikha, Academic Lead for Publications Dr. Karima Hamani, Academic Lead for Knowledge Exchange Dr. Yasemin Nielsen, EngD Representative Dr. Taha Elhag. Academic Lead for Proposals Charlotte Turner, Marketing and Communications Bill Martin, Research Enterprize Developemnt

How to become a CESC partner Would your organisation like to become an esteemed industry partner of CESC? We work with our partners with the shared goal of transforming the future of construction by driving research and innovation in the sector.

Sharing information, skills and knowledge is key to advancing industry adoption of innovative solutions. Collaboration between industry and academia offer the opportunity to shape the challenges facing the Built Environment and preparing the next generation of construction professionals with the skills and knowledge to make a step change.

For more information about partnership benefits and working collaboratively with the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction please contact r.griffiths@hw.ac.uk

Contact Us E-mail: cescdubai@hw.ac.uk Social Media:

Bulletin Editor & Contact Dr Mustafa Batikha E-mail: m.batikha@hw.ac.uk

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About Us

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Editorial Dr Mustafa Batikha Associate Director of Research School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University-Dubai Campus Dubai, UAE m.batikha@hw.ac.uk

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s part of Heriot-Watt’s ongoing commitment to equality and gender diversity in all life sectors, we are pleased in this third issue of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) research bulletin to include a special ‘Topic of Focus’ article written by Anas Bataw, CESC Director.

This interesting article focuses on the presence of women in the Built Environment where Bataw explores the lack of women globally in engineering disciplines generally and the construction sector in specific. He also highlights the ongoing challenges faced by women and how industry, government and academia can work together holistically to drive change.

This article is a message for all three sectors to sit together for building a more balanced -gender workforce.

Also, in this third issue, more new authors share their valuable experience and research papers which focus on the three CESC themes: Performance and Productivity, Sustainability and Wellbeing.

Performance and Productivity Under this theme, Benny Suryanto and his Co-authors highlight a unique type of concrete called Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC), or damage-tolerant/ductile concrete. This interesting paper presents a collaborative project between Heriot-Watt University and Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology in Indonesia to show the high potential benefits of ECC, which offers high tensile strain, limitation of cracking, and less reinforcement congestion. Therefore, the application of ECC in Gulf Countries and the UAE is essential because of the number of high-rise structures exposed to frequent very high winds, which will be problematic for these buildings in the long term.

In the fourth paper, Mai Megahed and Adil K. Tamimi discuss 3D Concrete Printing in construction. Their paper reviews several projects that have used 3DCP technology effectively. The paper explores many challenges facing this newborn digitalised construction method and brings suggested solutions. Finally, the paper presents a recent study funded by the American University of Sharjah to show the effect of surrounding temperature on printed samples’ mechanical properties.

Sustainability In the first paper under this theme, Cheng Siew Goh evaluates the sustainability policies and guidelines by involving twenty-eight construction professionals in in-depth interviews. The paper is valuable in exploring the available policies and certifications in the sustainability assessment of buildings. However, Goh concludes a lack of enforceability of the sustainability policies in the built environment.

The second paper is by Vinay Tilani and his co-authors. The article emphasizes the vital role of Facility Management (FM) professionals to promote green retrofit in the UAE for existing buildings rather than the demolition and construction of a new facility to minimize cost. The paper includes examples which show the significance of FM in reducing the carbon footprint of existing buildings which leads to sustainable cities.

In the third paper, Matthew Smith, Associate Head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) at Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, reiterates the FM’s necessary role to ensure the quality of life for the buildings’ residents and stop the energy leaks. Smith assures the usefulness of Automation and IoT systems in the FM process to monitor the equipment and turn it off when it is not used. The paper is sending a message to all FM stockholders to contribute toward common sustainability goals by using new software systems and technology to help during times of uncertainty such as COVID-19, besides low cost, operational efficiency, and waste reduction.

The second paper is by Elena Mate Mugica and Gary Furphy from Jacobs.

The article introduces and explores the definitions of the digital twin in the market and its multi definitions. The authors highlight the pioneering achievement of Jacobs in this field due to over 20 years of experience.

As an example, the paper points out the efficiency of utilizing digital twin in construction to help in workforce planning, logistics, measuring progress and reporting on health and safety.

In the third article, CESC Director, Anas Bataw, asks for more implementation of Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) in the Facility Managers works for efficient data use. Bataw explains the benefits of CAFM utilisation on reducing the cost and managing space to meet the health and safety requirements, particularly post -pandemic.

To conclude, Bataw highlights the benefits which can be achieved if the CAFM is integrated with BIM. Editorial

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Wellbeing Under this theme, our readers will enjoy a paper by Amanda Balogun and Jun Han. They discuss the efficiency of the ventilation systems in hospitals where air terminals’ position plays an important role in contaminant distribution. A good mechanical air system has the potential to reduce the risk of virus transmission, such as COVID 19. The article explores experimental research undertaken at Heriot-Watt University and funded by Scottish Research Council to test contaminant distribution in mechanical-ventilated spaces. Three cases were studied in this research, and the best for reducing contaminant exposure was recommended.

Noor Zainab Habib and her Co-authors review a study conducted at HeriotWatt University about Dubai road safety from the perspective of drivers’ behaviour. The article highlights alarming facts such as, UAE recording 8 million motorists being fined for speeding in 2019, and approximately 55,000 drivers ignoring red traffic lights. The study highlights the positive correlation between socio-cultural, economic factors and driver behaviour.

In the third article, Marwan Alzaylaie and Mohamed Abdalla talk about their work experience in Pearl Jumeirah by Meraas in Dubai. A detailed description of the implemented offshore/marine geotechnical works was recorded in this paper with the aim of enhancing the strength and stiffness properties of the sand and silty seabed materials. The second part of the paper focuses on the importance of Health and Safety regulations being followed on the site to ensure workflow with minimal injuries.

The final article under this theme is by Alida Bata, who takes our readers on a deep journey into the current virtual world we live in and the influence this world has on our perception. Drawing on Alida’s experience as an architect, the article provides a comparison between the previous physical world to the mandatory virtual world we found ourselves in due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “A bed became a workspace, and a dining table became a school” Alida stated. Moreover, in this virtual world, we start entering other physical spaces and host others in ours. It is an interesting article on how architecture attempts to touch our world from home.

Acknowledgements The Editor would like to sincerely value Charlotte Turner, Monika Toth, Ashik Salim, and Alicia Gabriel for their continuous help in producing and designing the CESC research bulletin.

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Editorial

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Topic of Focus Building Gender Diversity in the Built Environment Anas Bataw Director, Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) Heriot-Watt University Dubai, UAE a.bataw@hw.ac.uk

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ender diversity has always been an important topic in the built environment. Female students and employees are underrepresented in STEM-related fields in general, but global female enrollment is particularly low in certain fields. For example, a UNESCO study found that female participation in engineering, manufacturing, and construction courses is only 8 per cent. As a revenue generator, with a spending of over USD 11 trillion per year, the construction industry contributes to 13 per cent of global GDP. In the UAE, the industry represents 14.5 per cent of the GDP. The built environment has always been viewed as an industry primarily dominated by men. In a country like the United States, with construction being the third highest contributor to the country’s GDP, only 10.9 per cent of females work in the sector. It is clear that women in construction are an extreme rarity.

Numerous factors potentially contribute to the gender gap, including unconscious gender bias, pay gap, lack of interest stemming from the fact that it is so heavily male-oriented, inadequate training, and overall perception. While it is safe to say that in the 21st century, most construction company job advertisements are not degrading to women, most can be heavily targeted towards men, which results in fewer female applicants.

the industry. Women should be compensated on the same level as their male counterparts. The industry and government must come together to establish rules that address this issue and rectify the pay gap.

Agile Working Agile working initiatives, including the adoption of technology, can significantly benefit women (and men) who may need flexible working schedules. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need for agile working conditions to the fore. From flexible timings to technologies that can support working from home, including project management tools that help remote collaboration, the construction industry will need to keep pace with the change and adapt to different working requirements to promote and achieve gender balance.

Driving Change There should be a triple helix approach between government, industry and academia as the responsibility sits with all three sectors. From government and organisations to the role of education in building a more balanced construction workforce, we need to constantly raise conversations around the importance of female representation.

At Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC), as one of our key themes for 2021, we are working towards advancing the dialogue by bringing together representatives from the public, private and education sectors to contribute to more gender diversity. CESC recently hosted a virtual event that brought together women and men in the built environment to discuss opportunities for women in construction. The collective leadership of governments, industry, academia, and civil society will remain instrumental in steering and positively contributing to encouraging more women to be part of the industry

Education and Encouragement from a Young Age Young females are not often encouraged to enter the construction world. The construction industry fails to build curiosity among women to have a career in the sector. The advertisements and job descriptions are so male-focused that females are put off by the lack of acceptance and flexibility. Colleges, apprenticeship providers, and even construction companies must connect with schools to actively encourage girls and demonstrate it is not just for boys. Involving students at a young age can positively shape the future of the construction industry.

Equalising Pay Pay gap is an ongoing conversation across industries globally. According to BoldData, the construction industry has only 1.4 per cent female CEOs worldwide. This can be attributed to the major pay gap bias that is observed in Building Gender Diversity in the Built Environment

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Performance and Productivity

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Ductile Concrete: Recent Developments and its potential in Precast Construction Dr Benny Suryanto Associate Professor School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, United Kingdom B.Suryanto@hw.ac.uk

Prof. Priyo Suprobo Professor of Structural Engineering Department of Civil Engineering Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology Surabaya, Indonesia Priyo@ce.its.ac.id

Dr Asdam Tambusay Assistant Professor Department of Civil Engineering Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology Surabaya, Indonesia Asdam@its.ac.id

Warren Don MEng Structural Engineering School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, United Kingdom Wd12@hw.ac.uk

An overview of the UK–Indonesia international collaborative program to accelerate the deployment of advancements in concrete technology for precast construction is presented. Particular attention is given to the mix development of damage-tolerant concrete, developments in practical and virtual test platforms, large-scale fabrication and testing, automated damage assessment, and advanced computer simulations using nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis. It is shown that there is a potential for the implementation of technological advancements in precast construction, and for more widespread collaboration between academic and industrial ties in the UK, Indonesia, and the Middle East region, respectively.

Keywords: Ductile concrete; virtual testing; FE analysis, precast.

1. Introduction

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n reinforced concrete structures, the occurrence of cracking can have a detrimental effect on the overall functionality of the structure [1].

Various measures have been implemented to control cracking, ranging from altering the concrete mix composition to providing sufficient steel reinforcement detailing. Due to the brittle nature of concrete, however, extensive damage (i.e., flaking and spalling of concrete cover or even crushing of concrete in the core regions) can occur during an extreme seismic event. As a result, a loss of functionality of the structure will ensue due to the repair and replacement work required. Unfortunately, most of the current design code specifications focus primarily on ensuring structural integrity, with minimal considerations placed on the resilience of the structure in such events.

In reinforced concrete frame structures, beam-column joints have been considered one of the most critical structural components. In structures located in highly seismic areas, large amounts of transverse reinforcement are needed to provide adequate strength and confinement to the joint regions. However, this requirement often leads to reinforcement congestion and hence adds to difficulties in the construction process. Moreover, studies have shown that even in a joint with a dense arrangement of reinforcement, shear cracking can still develop under large deformation [2], and this may trigger local failure or even the progressive collapse of the whole structure.

Considering this issue, the reader’s attention is directed towards implementing

a special type of concrete known as Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) [3]. This concrete has been specifically designed to exhibit a high tensile strain capacity and multiple micro-cracks (see Figure 1) [4,5]. Owing to this sought-after feature in tension, this type of concrete is often referred to as damage-tolerant/ductile concrete and has been adopted in various applications where the limitation of cracking is of primary importance [6,7].

Fig. 1 Schematic comparison of ECC and concrete In this article, an overview of the UK–Indonesia joint project to highlight the potential benefits of ECC in precast construction is presented. Focus is placed on recent developments in the two countries, with respect to mix developments [8], practical and virtual test methods [9], large-scale material processing and fabrication, full-scale structural (reversed cyclic) tests, and advanced computer simulations.

Ductile Concrete

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2. Materials The materials used in the experimental procedure are displayed in Figure 2(a). These comprise primarily Portland cement, with a larger proportion of fly-ash as the binder, fine aggregates, and polymeric fibres at a dosage of 2% by volume [10, 11]. These raw materials are readily available throughout the UK and Indonesia, similarly to the Gulf region including the UAE. Substitution of these materials with local (alternative) materials is possible but would require adjustments to the material composition. It is worth noting that it is possible to produce this special type of concrete by adopting readily available, industry-standard equipment. Figure 2(b) displays an example of an industrystandard pan mixer, which can be typically found in concrete test laboratories and/or batching plants globally. In the project, this equipment was used to produce several batches of ECC (150 litres each), and no difficulties were encountered.

Fig. 3 (a) Schematic of test configuration developed at the Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember; and (b) the first generation of virtual test platform developed at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh (https://ecccalculator.netlify.app/) [9].

Fig. 2 (a) Example of mix composition in the UK; and (b) large-scale processing of ECC using industry standard equipment

3. Recent Developments in Material and Virtual Testing 3.1 Material and Virtual Testing To promote the widespread use and understanding of ECC, a practical testing method must be developed. Ideally, this testing procedure should not require special experimental apparatus and should take advantage of the basic laboratory equipment available in public and private laboratory testing facilities. Simplicity and accuracy are key so that the method can be adopted for frequent experimental testing.

Figure 3(a) displays the test configuration, implementing the four-point bending test, which was developed recently at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology. By adopting the peak load and the corresponding deflection from this type of test, it is possible to obtain the tensile properties of ECC through a series of intermediate calculations. A user-friendly virtual platform utilising the Hypertext Markup Language/JavaScript (see Figure 3(b)) has recently been developed to further simplify this process and make this development available to testing laboratories globally. The prototype of this virtual page can be accessed freely at https://ecccalculator.netlify.app/.

3.2 Results of Material Testing An example of an ECC plate specimen tested recently in the Concrete and Building Materials Laboratory at the Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember is displayed in Figure 4, following the schematic diagram in Figure 3(a).

With reference to Figure 4, it is immediately evident that the ECC plate exhibits significant deflection without fracturing, signifying the highly ductile behaviour of the material. Moreover, implemented across the entire front surface is the strain field of the specimen, obtained using a non-contact measurement procedure (i.e., digital image correlation [8, 12]). The presence of localised strains is clear (indicated by multiple cyan and red colours), which represents fine micro-cracks which are barely visible to the naked eye. It is worth noting that the development of these cracks could be tracked throughout the loading test, therefore providing a full and accurate insight into the extent of crack propagation, and hence structural damage under loading. This method of damage assessment could also be applied to ordinary reinforced concrete.

Fig. 4 Example of an ECC plate tested to failure in four-point bending. The lines represent fine micro cracks which are barely visible to the naked eye, obtained using the technique in [9].

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4. Potential Applications of ECC Beam-Column Joints in Precast Construction 4.1 Fabrication of Large-Scale Specimens An example of an on-going fabrication of full-scale beam-column joint precast elements utilising ECC is presented in Figure 5. In this specimen, the amount of shear links in the joint regions has been significantly reduced to simplify the construction process. This is not the case in the reference specimen, however, comprising reinforced concrete with a dense reinforcement configuration, which was adopted in accordance with the requirements in ACI 318M-19 [13].

Fig. 5. Fabrication of large-scale ECC beam-column joint specimen at a ready-mix concrete batch facility.

4.2 Experimental Evidence Figure 6 presents the strain developments in the joint region of reinforced concrete and ECC beam-column connections, which were tested recently at the Structures Laboratory of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The two specimens had the same dimensions, but different reinforcement detailing.

In the reinforced concrete specimen, the shear links in the joint region were designed following the seismic code requirements [13], whereas the shear link spacing in the ECC specimen (within the plastic hinge regions in the beam, in the joint, and also in the column) were made three times larger.

extremely dangerous, as it can lead to a sudden, catastrophic failure. It is also evident from the figure that under this large lateral drift, the joint core region in the ECC specimen is still protected, although a certain degree of damage within the plastic hinge region in the beam is observed. The nature of the damage is, however, much less catastrophic, and not to the extent that would affect structural integrity. This highlights the potential of this damagetolerant concrete in applications where cracking is of primary importance (i.e., structures subjected to repetitive extreme loads such as high winds and earthquakes).

4.3 Advanced Computer Simulation The full response of reinforced concrete and ECC can be simulated on a computer using the nonlinear finite element software package ATENA–GiD [14-16]. The software features allow users to simulate the processes of concrete cracking and crushing under complex loading conditions. Moreover, within the software, an integrated real-time display of results during analysis allows for immediate visualisation of features such as crack propagation and other pertinent data, which are not available in many other software packages.

Figure 7 displays the 3D models for both the concrete and ECC exterior beam-column joints, implementing the parameters proposed recently by the authors [15]. In this figure, the undamaged parts are displayed in blue, whereas the damaged parts are displayed in other colours and represent areas of high strain values. The representation of crack development can also be obtained, as indicated by the black lines, which resemble the actual crack patterns observed in the experiments. These simulations are relatively straightforward to perform and could provide engineers with a powerful tool for assessing the detailed behaviour of structural elements, or a whole structure in detail. The use of this tool could also be of practical significance for the assessment of structural elements with unusual/inadequate detailing, identification of areas which are prone to damage, and assessment of the influence of material deterioration (i.e., concrete cracking and/or corrosion).

Work is now continuing in this respect.

Fig. 7 ATENA outputs showing its capability of capturing the crack pattern and strain conditions, in addition to other pertinent details such as stresses in the concrete and steel reinforcement.

Fig. 6 Strain fields on reinforced concrete (left) and ECC (right) exterior beam-column joints at 4% lateral drift ratio.

From Figure 6, it is evident that when subjected to 4% lateral drift, the reinforced concrete joint, despite having a dense reinforcement layout, suffered from a brittle, X-shaped shear cracking and this type of failure is

5. Conclusion Recent developments of ductile concrete (popularly known as ECC) and its potential in precast construction are presented. More specifically, this article provides a summary of key findings from the UK-Indonesia collaborative project in relation to the availability of constituent materials, large-scale mixing and fabrication, and practical/virtual testing platform.

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Furthermore, the experimental evidence from recent beam-column joint testing is provided to demonstrate the potential of ECC to minimise the extent of damage and maintain structural integrity under extreme loading conditions. Moreover, the application of a computer programme incorporating nonlinear FE analysis is also demonstrated to showcase the usefulness and value of nonlinear analyses in providing detailed structural behaviours, using the built-in graphical post-processing facilities. This can be particularly useful for the analysis of structural elements containing unusual bar detailing or other elements made of new types of concrete where the design code is still not available.

There remains a potential for the implementation of ductile concrete within the precast concrete industry throughout the Middle East. As opposed to extreme seismic activity, these regions are exposed to frequent bouts of very high winds. Paired with a large number of high-rise structures, this combination could be problematic to key structural elements in the long term, thus highlighting the potential benefits of incorporating damagetolerant concrete in such applications.

Acknowledgements This work was supported by an Institutional Link Grant, ID 414707757, under the Newton Fund Institutional Links Grant and the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia partnership. The grant is funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy and the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Ristekdikti Grant No. 3/AMD/E1/KP.PTNBH/2020) and delivered by the British Council. The Authors also thank PT Wijaya Karya Beton Tbk. for providing access to their mixing and casting facilities.

References [1]

[2]

Chan C-M., Mickleborough N.C., Ning F., 2000. Analysis of Cracking Effects on Tall Reinforced Concrete Buildings, Journal of Structural Engineering, 126(9), 995-1003. https://doi. org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2000)126:9(995) Kusuhara F., Shiohara H., 2008. Test of R/C Beam-Column Joint with Variant Boundary Conditions and Irregular Details on Anchorage Beam Bars, International Proceeding of 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Beijing China.

[3]

Li V.C., 2008. Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC)– Material, Structural, and Durability Performance, Concrete Construction Engineering Handbook, Nawy E.G. (ed), CRC Press, 24-1-24-46.

[4]

Li V.C., Wang S., Wu C., 2001. Tensile Strain-Hardening Behaviour of Polyvinyl Alcohol Engineered Cementitious Composite (PVAECC), ACI Materials Journal, 98(6), 483-492.

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[5]

Suryanto B., Wilson S.A., McCarter W.J., Chrisp T.M., 2016.

Self-healing Performance of Engineered Cementitious Composites under Natural Environmental Exposure, Advances in Cement Research, 28(1), 211-220. https://doi.org/10.1680/ jadcr.15.00022

[6]

Fukuyama H., 2006. Application of High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites for Damage Mitigation of Building Structures, Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology, 4(1), 35-44.

[7]

Lepech M.D., Li V.C., 2009. Application of ECC for Bridge Deck Link Slabs, Materials and Structures, 42, 1185-1195.

[8]

Tambusay A., Suryanto B., Suprobo P., 2020. Digital Image Correlation for Cement-based Materials and Structural Concrete Testing, Civil Engineering Dimension, 22(1), 6-12. https://doi. org/10.9744/ced.22.1.6-12

[9]

Suryanto B., Suryanto J.K., 2020. A Virtual Platform to Determine the Tensile Properties of Engineered Cementitious Composite, Civil Engineering Dimension, 22(2), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.9744/ ced.22.2.58-66

[10] Suryanto B., Saraireh D., Tambusay, A., 2020. Temperature Dependence and Activation Energy of Electrical Conduction in an Engineered Cementitious Composite, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 930, 012053. https://doi. org/10.1088/1757-899X/930/1/012053 [11] Saraireh D., Suryanto B., Tambusay A., 2020. Effect of Microcracking on the Electrical and Self-sensing Properties of an Engineered Cementitious Composite under Tensile Straining, IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 930, 012054. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/930/1/012054 [12] Suryanto B., Tambusay A., Suprobo P., 2017. Crack Mapping on Shear-critical Reinforced Concrete Beams using an Open Source Digital Image Correlation Software, Civil Engineering Dimension, 19(2), 93-98. https://doi.org/10.9744/ced.19.2.93-98 [13] ACI 318M-19, 2019. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, USA. [14] Cervenka V., Jendele L., Cervenka. J., 2018. ATENA Program Documentation – Part 1: Theory, Cervenka Consulting, Prague, December 3, 2018.

[15] Tambusay A., Suryanto B., Suprobo P., 2020. Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beam-Column Joints under Reversed Cyclic Loading, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 930, 012055. https://doi. org/10.1088/1757-899X/930/1/012055 [16] Don W., Chong K., Aitken M., Tambusay A., Suryanto B., Suprobo P., 2020. Influence of Link Spacing on Concrete Shear Capacity: Experimental Investigations and Finite Element Studies, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 930, 012052. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/930/1/012052

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Cross Sector Digital Twins Elena Mate Mugica Smart Cities Specialist People & Places Solutions Jacobs Dubai, United Arab Emirates elena.matemugica@jacobs.com

Gary Furphy Digital Engineering Regional Manager People & Places Solutions Jacobs Dubai, United Arab Emirates gary.furphy@jacobs.com

This article aims to introduce the digital twin and explore the multiple definitions available in the literature for this expression. Also, the applications of digital twins in planning and construction are discussed through Jacobs’s long experience in the investment and innovation in the digital twin.

Keywords: Digital Twin; Digital Transformation; Smart Cities.

1. Introduction

C

ities around the world face major global challenges that are new and difficult to resolve. These challenges are driven by dynamic trends and changes to the climate, economy, and technology, which has a profound impact on people and the built and natural environment’s resilience.

This changes the question of how governments need to seek solutions for the city.

that definition is coming from. While technology companies like IBM emphasize decision-making, consultancy firms seem to focus more on business performance.

Table 1 Sample of Digital Twin definitions

Smart cities around the world have embraced digitalization across all aspects of water management. Data analytics tools and software, along with advanced sensors, are engaged to convert unintelligent infrastructure into smart, integrated, and sustainable infrastructure while delivering tangible economic benefits. Environment and asset management are integrating to form a systems-thinking approach. Digital Twins are trying to tackle a lot of these challenges. But we need to ensure that cross-market companies and solution providers deliver mature digital twins, transfer lessons learned, and establish a strong basis for both the late bloomers (such as building and infrastructure) and other everchanging sectors.

2. Definition of Digital Twin With the talk around Industry 4.0 at its peak and the many terms that are coming associated with it, one of the most repeated terms is Digital Twin.

However, there are several understandings in the existing literature, uses and applications, and a lack of one standardized definition. This has seen the use of the term ‘Digital Twin’ freely without a deep understanding of the same resulting in companies calling every digital solution available a Digital Twin [1].

There is no unified standard or framework applicable to all uses and markets.

While there might be an ISO standard for digital twins, this only covers one market – manufacturing and industrial projects [2]. This poses the question should there be one standard per focus area, or will we be able to establish a common understanding applicable to all?

2.1 Multiple definitions of Digital Twin Table 1. shows a small sample of the multitude of definitions available in the literature, showing how the concept has slight variations depending on the background. While there are some common features, the emphasis and the expected outcome of the same varies depending on the background of where

2.2 Applications of Digital Twin The concept of a digital twin in buildings and infrastructure is relatively new, and a run to define what the term means has been very active. To fully Cross Sector Digital Twins

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understand what a digital twin is, three definitions need to become very clearly defined, as these are often used under the term ‘digital twin’ but actually represent; Digital Replica: A model representing the physical system Digital Twin: A Digital Replica with autonomous information exchange to/

from physical system Federated Digital Twins: A collection of individual Digital Twins

connected together by a single access point With its application and implementation during design and construction, keeping the objectives and goal of what needs to be achieved at the operational stage. In the early stages, we will build a digital replica for the production of assets that are physical copies of the digital models, and during operations and maintenance, for the exploitation of the resulting asset information models. A federation of digital twins is the ultimate goal to obtain a holistic view, make correlations and enable decisions for entire buildings, developments, or cities.

Three applications of digital twin have been observed: Layout – a multi-dimensional representation of the assets (3D plus costs,

schedule, etc.); Process – a “flight simulator” for facilities and infrastructure; and Data-Driven – includes large quantities of data with analytics to improve

system understanding and predict performance.

2.3 Digital Twin in Jacobs Today, Jacobs is a unique company with capabilities across digital services such as digital twin, intelligent asset management, drones, and laser scanning along with in-depth domain knowledge in areas like smart cities to respond to these needs. Jacobs provides versatile support for the water industry, from water supplies to treatment, conveyance, wastewater treatment, reuse, and return to the natural environment.

Fig. 1 Relationship Between Physical Asset and Digital Twin.

Due to the varied nature of the verticals Jacobs serves, the solutions that we would deliver to a client would be highly dependent on the business need for the twin.

The complexity and use case(s) of the digital twin may require vastly different input and expertise from Jacobs.

3. Types of Digital Twin 3.1 Digital Twin for utilities Digital twin solutions allow utilities to replicate real-world scenarios related to systems, equipment, or the overall utility infrastructure through the creation of a digital replica of their assets based on design and process details merged with historical data.

Jacobs’ performance in digital twin development and commitment to innovation is exemplified by the remarkable Replica™ Digital Twin Solution Platform. Jacobs has been working on and refining this solution for the past 20 years that enables the testing of multiple scenarios, optimization of processes, and enables predictive maintenance, thereby reducing downtime and the need for various pilot tests.

Digital twins can be created for both greenfield and existing facilities and applied throughout the lifecycle of the asset as shown in Figure 2. Replica™ acts as a reliable tool that simulates whole-system conditions before they arise, contributing to a reduction in energy and chemical use and improved water quality [8].

A digital twin is a connected digital representation of a physical system that unites real-time data, simulation, analytics, and visualization to support both human and autonomous decision-making.

The physical system is the real-world element(s) on which the digital twin is based. The physical system represents an asset, system, or process at any stage of their lifecycle and varies widely across use cases. A digital twin must accurately represent the physical twin as it is in the physical world, including graphical and non-graphical information, considering every variable that might influence the expected outcomes. The key to achieving all the expected benefits is the connection between both systems. Both elements need to exchange data with each other in real-time, as presented in Figure 1.

Fundamentally, a digital twin is developed with the purpose of intelligently connecting complex information to offer insights into the physical system in a risk-free environment. A digital twin effectively communicates and visualizes these insights to provide better-informed decisions which support positive interventions and thereby produce valuable outcomes.

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Cross Sector Digital Twins

Fig. 2 Replica Asset Lifecycle

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

3.2 Digital Twin in Planning This space is where the convergence between GIS and BIM becomes stronger and stronger. Utilizing various geospatial tools as part of a Common Data Environment (CDE) to enable a geodesign approach creates a federated model of the development. A digitally integrated approach where data is stored in a collection of related and integrated databases, all with similar elements to provide the ability to link all the information available from multiple disciplines together, enabling improved decision making.

It is important to keep in mind that the interchange of real-time data and its connection with the physical system is a critical component of the digital twin.

Therefore, a simple geodatabase or 3D model of the development would not achieve the benefits expected from a digital twin. For Jacobs, this enables an outcomes-based approach to designing, measuring and monitoring the programme throughout its lifecycle. Creating a federated model, inputting real-time information from multiple disciplines, such as transport planning, housing, architecture, environment, allows users to interrogate the model with ‘what-if’ scenarios 3.3 Digital Twin in Construction In an ideal situation, you would bring the digital twin of the asset created at the design stage into construction, and ultimately, into operations with a strong asset information strategy developed with every stage of the asset lifecycle in mind. However, it is frequently the case that the entity in charge of producing the masterplan, design, construction and operating them is not always the same, which can cause information fragmentation. Even when a construction digital twin is created it is often static and does not reflect the active construction site. During construction, it is crucial to have solutions that enable us to link the Project Information Model incorporating BIM, Asset Information and Construction Information with real-time information as well as integrating information from the Owner, Designer, Project Management Consultant(s), Contractor, Suppliers, Stakeholders, Authorities, along with siloed design and construction tools to a federated digital twin platform.

[5]

Batty, Michael., 2018. Digital Twins, Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 2018, Vol. 45(5), https://doi. org/10.1177/2399808318796416

[6]

Bentley Systems, Digital Twins: The Path to Maturity, 2020.

[7]

Centre for Digital Built Britain, The Gemini Principles, 2018.

[8]

Parrot, Aaron; Warshaw Lane, Industry 4.0 and the digital twin Manufacturing: meets its match. Deloitte University press

[9]

Mae Armstrong, Maggie, IBM Cheat sheet: What is Digital Twin?

[Online] https://www.ibm.com/blogs/internet-of-things/iot-cheatsheet-digital-twin/ [Accessed 09/March/2021]

[10] Evans, Simons et. Al. Digital twins for the built environment An introduction to the opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks.

The Institution of engineering and Technology (EIT) and Atkins, 2019.

[11] Jacobs, Replica Dynamic Simulation Software Overview Factsheet [12] Jacobs ion platform https://www.jacobs.com/ion [accessed 05/ March/2021]

This has the potential to unlock efficiency gains not presently possible by breaking down the barriers between information silos that exist on construction projects and even simulate the entire to optimize and prevent waste and lost time due to delays, material acceptance, site conditions, coordination, and handover. Open architecture solutions, such as Jacobs Ion Platform,[10] enable us to connect the existing data with real-time information that will be used as an aid in workforce planning, logistics, measuring progress, report on health and safety, or even to develop new use cases such as tracking covid-19 contact at the worksite in the event of a positive case.

References [1]

Marina Villanueva, Wake Up Digital Twins Are Unicorns!, 2020.

[Online].Available https://medium.com/@marina.villanueva/ wake-up-digital-twins-are-unicorns-9b67805d1cf0; [Accessed 07-March-2021].

[2]

ISO/DIS 23247-1 Automation systems and integration — Digital Twin framework for manufacturing — Part 1: Overview and general principles

Cross Sector Digital Twins

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

How CAFM can save businesses time and money?

Dr Anas Bataw Associate Professor Director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) Heriot-Watt University Dubai, UAE a.bataw@hw.ac.uk

This article was published online on Facility Management Middle East on March 14th 2021. https://www.fm-middleeast.com/people/78044-how-cafm-can-save-businesses-time-and-money Computer-Aided Facility Management or CAFM is a growing technology in the facility management and operations sector to digitise the assets and streamline essential tasks through the use of real-time data and automated processes. For any business serious about efficiency and productivity, CAFM is absolutely necessary. Today, the load on facility managers is ever-increasing and has moved beyond just the traditional requirements of buildings and assets management.

Some other services which may be required of them are property management, asset tracking, maintenance planning, users’ interface, space management and more. Facility Managers can no longer rely purely on static information and Excel spreadsheets to deliver advanced facilities management solutions, and this has naturally resulted in the evolution of CAFM systems.Thanks to the several benefits it can offer, CAFM has over the years, become more a necessity than a tech luxury. In fact, studies show that in 2019, the global CAFM market was valued at $830m and it is expected to reach over $1.4bn by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 8.24% during 2020-2026.Dr Anas Bataw, director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, discusses the several benefits that businesses can reap through the deployment of CAFM.

Driving down costs

A

ll businesses look to bring costs down in order to maximise productivity and that is exactly what CAFM does. The comprehensive reporting capability in various CAFM systems available today allow Facility Managers to use data for efficient and informed decision making, which can result in resources being used more productively. For example – CAFM could potentially track spaces in offices that require a great deal of lighting and recommend use of energy-saving light bulbs and double-glazing on windows for these areas. While such a solution may require some initial investment, it is an investment that pays back over time on a company’s energy bill. Studies by EPA state that approximately 35% of a building’s energy costs are spent on lighting alone, and CAFM could help you reduce these costs.

Predictive maintenance is another area where CAFM can help businesses cut costs. It is a well-known fact that reactive maintenance always cost far more than taking a preventive or predictive maintenance approach. This could be because replacing a broken part could be more expensive than undertaking maintenance or a damaged piece of equipment could compromise efficiency or worse - employee safety. In fact, according to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, predictive maintenance can generate substantial savings by reducing overall maintenance costs by 18 to 25%. A sophisticated CAFM system will be capable of pulling together a central database, which can then be used to schedule maintenance tasks going forward.

Optimised Space Management Many functions of CAFM systems are designed to help with various aspects of space management. For example – analysis of how various assets are placed in a facility, workforce management or allocating a space for a particular use. Post-pandemic, space management has become even more critical.

Businesses may have fewer employees than before, working from home has become the norm, social distancing requirements could mean the same space will now be used differently where health and safety requirements have taken

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How CAFM can save businesses time and money

centre stage. Unutilised space often does nothing beyond costing money to maintain. CAFM can determine better ways to allocate space and make the workplace a safer and more manageable place for everyone and most importantly, ensure no money is wasted on vacant locations.

Integration with BIM Apart from the traditional benefits of CAFM, in recent times we are seeing a trend of integrating Building Information Modelling/ Management (BIM) with CAFM. Linking the two greatly increases operational efficiency, reduces costs and generates even more useful, and standardised data. In other words, BIM and CAFM together are even more powerful than just CAFM by itself. The first advantage of this integration is a smooth handover between different teams, where traditionally building design and construction is followed by the handover from contractors to subcontractors to owners and finally the occupants and facility managers. This process can be made much smoother by integrating BIM and CAFM to ensure maximum utilisation of space and assets at each stage. It also allows Facility Managers to access extensive information with BIM – this usually contain comprehensive database with objects, graphics, and linked processes to govern the management from the initial to the final stage without any discrepancy. Which will also result in minimising the use of papers and manual handling of information during handover stages and throughout the maintenance and operations of assets, ultimately improve sustainability in Facility Management and operations.

In this regard, Heriot-Watt University’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) is committed to advancing industry-led innovations in construction by partnering with like-minded organisations and government entities. It also aims to provide a creative environment for collaboration between multidisciplinary researchers, industry and government to solve challenges faced by the construction sector. Many of the solutions emerging from these partnerships help businesses in the region find solutions to a broad spectrum of issues, including optimising and automating daily property operations.

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Implementation of the 3D Concrete Printing in Construction Prof. Adil K. Tamimi Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering American University of Sharjah Sharjah, UAE atamimi@aus.edu

Mai Megahed Senior Lab Teaching Engineer Construction Engineering Department American University of Cairo Cairo, Egypt Mai.megahed@aucegypt.edu

3D-Printing in Construction presents the industrial evolution of the new era. In truth, involving 3D-Printing in construction gives hope to eradicate the construction wastes, accident rates on site, and expedite project timeframe which would consequently lead to overall cost reduction. Therefore, even if the argument arises that 3D-Construction Printers are quite expensive due to their scarcity in the market and because of the newness of the technique, the rapidness of execution made possible through 3D-Printing technology defeats the aforementioned argument where the overall costs and timeline of the construction projects are reduced extensively. Turning the dream of involving 3D-Printing technique in mega-scale construction projects, the most famous construction material, Concrete, needs to be examined before, during and after being 3D-Printed. A thorough assessment of Concrete properties in both fresh and hardened states is required. In fact, the feasibility of 3D-Printing Concrete depends on a number of research questions concerned with the method of printing, and the required mechanical properties to ensure that the printed structure can withstand its own self-weight and that it won’t collapse before hardening to reach its final desired shape due to cold joints formed with layer deposition technique. Therefore, this review paper will look into the challenges faced with optimization of the 3D-Printable Concrete mix design and the results attained in the recently completed lab experiment.

Keywords: 3D-Printing, Concrete, fresh and hardened state, cold joints, layer deposition.

1. Introduction

T

he first 3D-Printer was initially introduced in 1983 by Chuck Hull.

The technique of 3D-Printing is still considered novel. The term “Additive Manufacturing” is usually used interchangeably with 3D-Printing. The 3D-printing technique is believed to drive construction into automation through utilizing 3D-Digital models, reducing human intervention and eventually cutting down on supply-chain processes in the construction industry. 3D-printing turned the construction industry from “subtractive Manufacturing” to “Additive Manufacturing”. Pegna holds the first success to adapt the concept of Additive Manufacturing in construction through making structures with sand and using cement as an adhesive material afterward [1,2].

The construction industry is considered mega-scale, one of the approaches followed is 3D-Printing small-scale models for testing before 3D-printing largescale buildings. 3D Concrete printing was initialized by Dr Berokh Khoshnevis when he introduced Contour Crafting (CC), which served as the starting point of 3D Concrete Printing. The methodologies used for 3D-Concrete Printing are: Single Deposition Nozzle Concrete printer which is similar to Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) mainly used with polymer and metals; Contour Crafting (CC) which depends on extrusion method and Powder deposition where the ink is deposited on a powder bed. 3D-Concrete Printing involved the printing of components such as formworks, walls, etc. [1,2].

3D-Printed structures were initialized in 2014, by the Chinese Winsun company, which first claimed to have built 10 houses having a typical size of 195 m2. However, the company applied the extrusion method to print the house components separately offsite then transported and assembled on site.

In 2015, the company claimed to have built the tallest 3D-Printed 5-storey building of around 1,100 m2 and a stand-alone villa with its interior fittings.

Nevertheless, the company printed the walls and other components off-site

and then transported them to the site to be assembled [3].The Chinese Huashang company claimed to have built a two-storey villa fully onsite, including the steel reinforcement, plumbing pipes which were first erected along with the building frame, then followed by pouring ordinary class C30 Concrete [4]. The Huashang company’s achievement helped overcome the challenge of steel reinforcement in a way that allowed pouring concrete to encase the reinforcement bars using the forked-like nozzle possessed by the giant 3D-Printer used. The University Federico II of Naples constructed a 3 m long reinforced concrete beam using a 4 m high BIGDELTA WASP Printer [5]. The WASP Printer applications extended to include the ease of composing pillars and the possibility of producing concrete elements that can be assembled with steel bars. Moreover, a 3 m tall cave was constructed in Thailand via the collaboration between Super machine studio and the Siam Cement Group (SCG) using the 4 m high WASP Printer, through printing the components off-site, which were later transported and assembled on-site [6].

Apis Core company claimed to have built the first one-storey house in Russia, 38 m2 using a mobile 3D Concrete Printer fully onsite in December 2016 in around 24 hours only [7]. Another example of 3D-Printed buildings is the famous 3D Printed office for the National Committee of UAE, based in Dubai, serving as the Dubai Futures Foundation’s headquarters. This eminent office was 3D-Printed in China in parts, then shipped to Dubai and assembled there onsite. The total reduction in construction waste ranged from 30 to 60% and in labor costs, it ranged from 50 to 80% [8].

2. Challenges of 3D-Printing in Construction 3D-Printing being a form of additive manufacturing. It involves creating physical objects through material deposition in layers based on a digital model. The requirements of 3D-printing include software, hardware and materials.

Implementation of the 3D Concrete Printing in Construction

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

The “super-size printer” used with 3D-printing of Concrete allows for the use of a thicker concrete paste than regular cast-in-situ Concrete made up of special Concrete and composite mixture [9]. Many challenges are associated with 3D-Printing of Concrete. The brittle nature of Concrete and its weakness in Tension has led to the significance of the use of reinforcement bars.

The implementation of Steel Rebars within 3D-Printed Concrete remains an obstacle with the available printers. Thus, alternatives to steel rebar reinforcement have been studied. Self-reinforced cementitious pastes are considered for 3D-Printing technology in an attempt to reach the desired material properties at fresh and hardened states. The workability nature of the concrete used determines its extrudability, printability, interlayer bonding and segregation. The balance between extrudability value and the avoidance of segregation is required for successful 3D-Printing of Concrete. The printed material should be extrudable before layer deposition, buildable at the time of deposition, and rapidly harden after deposition to allow for proper layer adhesion and ensure the printed structure can carry its own self-weight [10].

The major challenge faced with fiber-reinforced cementitious composites is the extrusion nozzle diameter. It was found that a nozzle diameter of around 2 mm, relatively smaller than the short fiber length of 3- 6 mm, would be more suitable for highly aligned fibers in the cementitious mix. Moreover, the optimum percentage of fiber by volume up to 1.5% exhibited the best results with the extrusion nozzle without resulting in its blockage. Carbon-fibers proved to have the greatest enhancement to the cementitious composite’s flexural strength in the 3D-Printing technique [15,16].

The printed object needs to maintain its shape under the hydrostatic pressure it undergoes due to layer deposition. One of the obstacles associated with 3D-Printing is related to the cold-joints, which have a greater probability of occurrence with 3D-Printing than in traditional construction methods. The formation of cold-joints is related to the layer deposition’s sensitivity and layer adhesion that need to take place to form a homogeneous shape. The hydrostatic pressure increases with the increased height of the printed build.

The increased hydrostatic pressure imposes buckling failure of the structure [11]. Thus, printing tall buildings is still a challenge. This issue was addressed with two approaches: adding accelerators to help harden the lower levels so they can stably carry the increasing load and adjust the height. The different concrete extrusion processes involve fine and coarse filaments. The fine filaments lead to better printing resolution, greater complexity of designs, and higher resolution levels. Coarser-filaments lead to greater production levels and allows the use of coarser-grained concrete, reduced need for cement and less shrinkage [12].

A recent study funded by the American University of Sharjah has been conducted by Al-Tamimi and Alchaar [18] to compare the results of flexural, compressive and Bond Shear strengths of Ultra-high modulus Polyethylene fiber-reinforced 3D-Concrete Printed mix design in two different weathercontrolled Scenarios; scenario 1 placed in ambient and scenario 2 placed in hot weather conditions, versus control cast-in-place specimens. The study concluded that the printed specimen’s compressive strength dropped by around 48% in scenario 1 and further dropped down by around 56% in scenario 2 compared to the control molded specimens. The mode of failure in flexure witnessed and reported by the study was tensile failure mode and no layer separation was observed. Moreover, the study concluded that the tested bond shear strength was better when the time between layer depositions was lower. The study was performed for three different time intervals (t) between printed layers: 30 s, 2.5 h, and 4 h. However, the study also concluded that scenario 2 faced more reductions in bond shear strength because of moisture loss due to the hot weather. Figure 1 and Table 1 further elaborate on the results of the study.

The inter-layer adhesion is one of the main parameters of the success of 3D-Printed concrete structures. However, a standard approach has yet to be developed to measure inter-layers’ strength in 3D-Printed Concrete. The free-formwork nature of 3D-printed structure makes it more exposed to external environmental conditions, affecting its durability [17].

3. Recent Study

One of the possible materials suggested for 3D-Concrete printing is Sulphur Concrete. This composite comprises sulphur, coarse aggregates, and fine aggregates all together heated to beyond the melting point of sulphur, then left to cool. The resulting mix reaches the desired strength without prolonged curing time like normal concrete. 3D-concrete printing is based on a digital model converted into STL File format from a 3D-AutoCad File. The saved data is then processed to decompose the model into slices, resulting in a set of 2D contour lines which are later processed to generate command lines helping to position printing head or laser beams [13].

The challenge remains with high-rise buildings, high level of layer adhesion and rigidity to avoid failure. The high viscosity values and low yield stress of concrete result in better workability and higher plasticity. The need to replace reinforcement Rebars in reinforced concrete has led researchers to focus on adding fibers to the printable cementitious paste and testing their material properties. It was found that the fibers added improved the flexural strength of the cementitious mix while not highly affecting the compressive strength.

However, upon adding nano-clay into the fiber-reinforced cementitious composites, the hardening time was reduced and flowability decreased.

Replacing silica sand with micro silica and ground silica was found to have increased the hardening rate while maintaining the initial desired flowability [14]. The use of short carbon, glass and basalt-fiber to reinforce printable cementitious composites has been studied in an attempt to achieve high flexural strength without the need for steel Rebar reinforcement [15,16].

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Implementation of the 3D Concrete Printing in Construction

Fig. 1 Typical fractured interface of printed specimens.

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

[4]

C. Scott, Chinese construction company 3D prints an entire two-story house on-sitein 45 days. On-line: ,https://3dprint. com/138664/huashang-tengda-3d-printhouse/.,(accessed 18.10.20).

[5]

WASP, Concrete beam created with 3D printing. On-line:http:// www.wasproject.it/w/en/concrete-beam-created-with-3dprinting/., (accessed 18.10.20).

[6]

Alec, Thai cement maker SCG develops an elegant 3m-tall 3D printed ‘pavilion’home, 21st C. Cave. On-line: http://www.3ders. org/articles/20160427-thaicement-maker-scg-develops-anelegant-3m-tall-3d-printed-pavilion-home-21st-ccave.html., (accessed 18.10.20).

[7]

Apis Core, The first on-site house has been printed in Russia. Online: http://apis-cor.com/en/about/news/first-house., (accessed 18.10.20).

[8]

C. Holt, L. Edwards, L. Keyte, F. Moghaddam, and B. Townsend, “Chapter 17 - Construction 3D Printing,” in 3D Concrete Printing Technology, J. G. Sanjayan, A. Nazari, and B. Nematollahi Eds.: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2019, pp. 349-370.

[9]

R. A. Buswell, W. R. Leal de Silva, S. Z. Jones, and J. Dirrenberger, “3D printing using concrete extrusion: A roadmap for research,” Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 112, pp.

37-49, 2018/10/01/ 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cemconres.2018.05.006.

[10]

R. Duballet, O. Baverel, and J. Dirrenberger, “Classification of building systems for concrete 3D printing,” Automation in Construction, vol. 83, pp. 247-258, 2017/11/01/ 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2017.08.018.

[11]

I. Hager, A. Golonka, and R. Putanowicz, “3D Printing of Buildings and Building Components as the Future of Sustainable Construction?,” Procedia Engineering, vol. 151, pp. 292299, 2016/01/01/ 2016, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. proeng.2016.07.357.

[12]

C. Holt, L. Edwards, L. Keyte, F. Moghaddam, and B. Townsend, “Chapter 17 - Construction 3D Printing,” in 3D Concrete Printing Technology, J. G. Sanjayan, A. Nazari, and B. Nematollahi Eds.: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2019, pp. 349-370.

[13]

A. Paolini, S. Kollmannsberger, and E. Rank, “Additive manufacturing in construction: A review on processes, applications, and digital planning methods,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 30, p. 100894, 2019/12/01/ 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2019.100894.

Table 1 Summary of compression, flexural and bond tests results

References [1]

B. Khoshnevis, A. Carlson, N. Leach, M. Thanavelu, Contour crafting simulation plan for lunar settlement infrastructure buildup, Earth and Space 2012@ Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments, ASCE, Pasadena, CA, 2012, pp. 1458-1467.

[2]

J. G. Sanjayan and B. Nematollahi, “Chapter 1 - 3D Concrete Printing for Construction Applications,” in 3D Concrete Printing Technology, J. G. Sanjayan, A. Nazari, and B. Nematollahi Eds.: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2019, pp. 1-11.

[3]

L. Wang, Chinese company assembles 10 3D-printed concrete houses in a day forless than $5,000 each. On-line:http://inhabitat. com/chinese-company-assemblesten-3d-printed-concretehouses-in-one-day-for-less-than-5000-each/., (accessed 18.10.20).

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References [14] A. Perrot, 3D printing of concrete : state of the art and challenges of the digital construction revolution, London, UK Hoboken, NJ, USA: ISTE Ltd. ;John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2019.

Available:https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/ choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=5750619[Online].

Available:http://www.vlebooks.com/vleweb/product/ openreader?id=none&isbn=9781119610663[Online].

Available:http://www.vlebooks.com/vleweb/product/ openreader?id=none&isbn=9781119610786[Online].

Available:https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119610755[Online].

Available:https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail. action?docID=5750619.

[15]

M. Sakin and Y. C. Kiroglu, “3D Printing of Buildings: Construction of the Sustainable Houses of the Future by BIM,” Energy Procedia, vol. 134, pp. 702-711, 2017/10/01/ 2017, doi: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.562.

[16] J. Zhang, J. Wang, S. Dong, X. Yu, and B. Han, “A review of the current progress and application of 3D printed concrete,” Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol.125,p.105533,2019/10/01/2019,doi:https://doi. org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2019.105533.

[17]

V. N. Nerella, S. Hempel, and V. Mechtcherine, “Effects of layer-interface properties on mechanical performance of concrete elements produced by extrusion-based 3D-printing,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 205, pp. 586-601, 2019/04/30/ 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.01.235.

[18]

A. S. AlChaar, and A. K. Al-Tamimi, “ Challenges of 3D-Printing in Construction” Construction and Building Materials, vol.266, Part A, 120991, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. conbuildmat.2020.120991.

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Sustainability

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Commentary on “Qualitative Study of Sustainability Policies and Guidelines in the Built Environment” Dr Cheng Siew Goh Assistant Professor School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University Putrajaya, Malaysia c.goh@hw.ac.uk Since the launch of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations in January 2016, sustainability has been included in the agenda of the built environment. The implementation of sustainability in construction is, to a significant extent, influenced by international and national policies as well as regulatory frameworks. There are not many studies examining the roles of sustainability-related policies for supporting the development of sustainability at the organizational and project levels in the built environment. A paper titled “Qualitative Study of Sustainability Policies and Guidelines in the Built Environment” which was published in the Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction aims to fill this gap. This paper evaluates the use of sustainability policies and guidelines by conducting in-depth interviews with twenty-eight construction professionals. The paper found that construction ISO standards and regional green building assessment certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) are often adopted as a strategic framework for sustainable practices in construction. The paper identified a gap in enforceability and recommended a proactive uptake of sustainability policies to address the multiplicity of often complex sustainability issues within the built environment sector.

Keywords: Sustainbility Policies; Built Environment; Qualitative Study.

1. Introduction

T

he built environment has been greatly recognized for making widespread impacts on the environment, society, and economy.

2. Literature review 2.1 Institutional and Organizational Policy Framework

As described by Mistry [1], the building and construction sector consumes approximately 3 billion tons of natural materials across the world every year and generates about 30% of the solid waste stream in most of the world’s developing countries. The built environment also accounts for around 40% of global energy consumption, 30% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, nearly 12% water consumption, and almost 40% of waste [2].

Notwithstanding that, the construction sector also substantially impacts the economy by generating nearly 3%–15% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) across both developed and developing countries. Undoubtedly, the built environment has a critical role in the global efforts for meeting sustainability goals. A slightly improved performance within the built environment could make considerable progress towards delivering sustainability goals, considering her widespread impacts on the economy, society, and environment.

This paper first examined the literature of sustainability-related policies and frameworks in the built environment. It identified that there are two mainstreams of sustainability-related approaches adopted within the built environment: (1) institutional strategies and policies and (2) project delivery frameworks.

The uptake of sustainability practice is, however, not satisfactory and not aligned with the expectation. Lack of legislative intervention is found to be a key factor for the slow uptake of sustainability in the built environment.

Goh [3] found that government policies and regulatory frameworks influence the uptake of sustainability in construction. Chang et al. [4] concurred that government policies’ mandate introduces regulatory pressures on stakeholders to adopt sustainable construction practices.

Formulating organizational-level sustainability strategies and reporting is essential to develop the collective vision and values, thus building a consensus within an organisation for all sustainability moves. The paper identifies several organizational policy frameworks and standards, including ISO standards, Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Indexes, and in-house sustainability policies. Construction organizations are found to employ either these institutional policies or strategies as a main instrument in shaping their sustainability efforts.

There are however not many studies evaluating the adoption of sustainability policies and guidelines at both organisation and project levels. The paper titled “Qualitative Study of Sustainability Policies and Guidelines in the Built Environment” aims to explore the use of such policies in transitioning to a sustainable built environment.

The ISO established a wide range of standards and guidelines to support the shift toward sustainable development. These include ISO/Guide 82:2014, ISO 26000, ISO 20400, and ISO 20121 [5]. However, ISO 14000 and ISO 26000 garner more widespread support from construction organizations in

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Legislation and government policies is a key driving factor of organizational commitment towards sustainable development. The legislation policies are essential to align sustainability efforts in construction businesses with national and regional goals. Construction businesses need to take into account the overarching objectives in government policies and regulatory frameworks and translate them into sustainability goals at the organizational level for implementation.

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their pursuit of sustainability.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is considered one of the most widely used sustainability reporting standards globally [6]. Construction enterprises employ the GRI to present their governance model of sustainability and to communicate sustainability performance. Meanwhile, leading construction firms also use global and regional sustainability indexes to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development. The indexes serve as a benchmark of company performance in the aspects of environment, society, and economy.

2.2 Project Delivery Frameworks and Guidelines Organizations in construction are often project-based, where the project dimension is emphasized in business structure. It is therefore important to examine the application of sustainable development in the built environment at the project level. There is a proliferation of standards, ratings, and certifications in the marketplace to assist construction stakeholders in delivering a sustainable built environment at the project level. The paper highlighted some green building certification systems that are widely adopted in the construction industry and they included Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the United Kingdom, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the United States, the Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Plus in Hong Kong, and Three Stars in China.

BREEAM was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1990 as the first environmental building performance measurement tool [7]. BREEAM can be regarded as a significant cornerstone in the development of sustainability in the built environment. LEED, founded in 1994 by ASTM and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) [8], is one of the most widely used green building certifications worldwide. BEAM Plus, which was developed in 1996 based on BREEAM, is a green building rating system in Hong Kong by adopting local climate and industry needs. Meanwhile, Three Star is a China-based certification which the national government introduced. Three Stars is established as a national standard and became an integral part of China’s supporting policies [9].

3. Research Method The paper employed in-depth semi-structured interviews in the study. The interviews involved twenty-eight construction professionals from various backgrounds, including engineering, architecture, facilities management, real estate, surveying, and construction law. All respondents held either an executive or managerial position in their organization.

4. Results Results from the paper show that sustainability reporting, in-house sustainable strategies, and sustainable building certification are commonly employed by construction firms in their initiatives toward sustainable development. Most leading construction companies develop a sustainability strategy and policy to provide leadership in engaging stakeholders in sustainability. Sustainabilityrelated visions, missions, and values are embedded in organisation strategies to guide sustainability implementation. In the study, respondents described that the formal establishment of sustainability policy and guidance in their organization helps align company businesses and operations with sustainable targets.

ISO 14001, in their sustainability practice. Interviewees revealed that ISO 14001 had been used extensively in the implementation of their sustainability practices.

Sustainable building certification systems are also found to play an important role in guiding construction stakeholders in the transition of a sustainable built environment. The result revealed that sustainable building assessment tools such as LEED and BEAM Plus are good tools for implementing sustainable construction practice. These building rating tools are of value, particularly for stakeholders who lack subject knowledge in sustainable construction practice.

This study’s findings suggest that institutional policies and project frameworks have improved stakeholder awareness and understanding of sustainable building practice, complemented by the adoption of sustainable building certification tools. These tools help project clients and stakeholders— particularly those who have limited technical knowledge of sustainable construction practice— to calibrate sustainable performance effectively.

5. Conclusions This paper shows the extent to which sustainability-related policies and guidance are adopted in construction organisations for a transition to a sustainable built environment. It sheds light on how sustainability policies and/ or frameworks assist in delivering sustainability goals at the corporate and project levels, thereby removing the barriers hindering the transition to a sustainable built environment. Despite sustainability policies and frameworks in place, the paper found a lack of enforceability of these policies and frameworks in the built environment. This calls for more concrete plans of action for more effective delivery of sustainable development goals within the construction and building sector.

The paper contributes to the body of knowledge of sustainability policies and frameworks. It also offers new insights into the expectations construction stakeholders have of the role of sustainable policies and strategies toward sustainable development, hence accelerating the transition to a sustainable built environment.

Acknowledgements The author would like to give acknowledgments to the research participants who may contribute, directly or indirectly, to the study.

References [1]

Mistry, V. 2007. Briefing: BREEAM—Making what is important measurable.” Proc. Inst. Civil. Eng. Eng., 160 (1), 11–14. https:// doi.org/10.1680/ensu.2007.160.1.11.

[2]

GABC (Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction). 2016.

Towards zero-emission efficient and resilient buildings. Global Status Rep. Paris: GABC

In addition to organization sustainability policies, the study also found that construction businesses widely employ international standards, particularly Qualitative Study of Sustainability Policies and Guidelines in the Built Environment

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[3]

Goh, C. S. 2014. Development of a capability maturity model for sustainable construction. Accessed February 25, 2020. http:// hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/209479

[4]

Chang, R. D., V. Soebarto, Z. Y. Zhao, and G. Zillante. 2016.

Facilitating the transition to sustainable construction: China’s policies. J. Cleaner Prod. 131 (Sep), 534–544. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.147

[5]

ISO. 2019. Sustainability standards from ISO. Accessed August 4, 2019. https://iso26000.info/related-standards/.

[6]

Talbot, J., and T. Venkataraman. 2011. Integration of sustainability principles into project baselines using a comprehensive indicator set. Int. Bus. Econ. Res. J. 10 (9), 29–40.

[7]

Larsson, N. 1998. Research information: Green building challenge ‘98—International strategic considerations. Buil. Res. Inf. 26 (2), 118–121.

[8]

Kibert, C. J. 2008. Sustainable construction: Green building design and delivery. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

[9]

Chang, R. D., V. Soebarto, Z. Y. Zhao, and G. Zillante. 2016.

Facilitating the transition to sustainable construction: China’s policies. J. Cleaner Prod. 131 (Sep), 534–544. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.147.

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The Role of Facilities Management in Green Retrofit of Existing Buildings in the United Arab Emirates Vinay Tilani Facilities Manager Idama Facilities Management Ejadah Asset Management Group Dubai, U.A.E Vinay.tilani@idama.ae

Dr Karima Hamani Assistant Professor School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University Dubai, U.A.E Karima.hamani@hw.ac.uk

Dr Mahmoud Mawed General Manager Waste Management MBM-Dallah Waste Management Abu Dhabi, U.A.E M.Mawed@hw.ac.uk Green retrofitting is acknowledged as an essential strategy towards achieving long-term sustainability in the built environment. To implement this strategy successfully, the role of facilities managers cannot be ignored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate present practices that are utilized in managing the existing facilities, to highlight the elements that govern the process of green retrofitting, and to discuss the efforts and contribution of facilities managers in enhancing the environmental performance of the existing facilities stock in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). This study suggests that an adequate level of awareness of green retrofit benefits amongst owners and decision-makers is mostly dependent on FM professionals, who must establish effective communication channels with senior management. FM professionals in the UAE are well equipped and competent in greening existing buildings and can simultaneously lead a building to the path of achieving green building certification. This paper emphasizes the essential role of FM professionals in promoting green retrofit in the UAE. Keywords: Green retrofit, facilities management, LEED, operational stage, sustainability.

1. Introduction

F

or some time, there has been considerable concern about the rising population that led to the “boom to bust” infrastructure developments in the UAE. When new sustainable developments are providing numerous benefits, the existing building stock cannot be overlooked. An existing building stock can account for up to 45% of electricity consumption during the operational phase compared to 5% of the electricity that it would have potentially consumed during the construction phase [1].

Refers to Figure 1, residential and commercial building segments expended 32% and 36% respectively from the total electricity generated in 2013.

From statistics released by the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency, the emirate accounted for an electricity consumption per capita of 20.39MWh/year, equivalent to seven times the global average of 2.89MWh/year back in 2011 [2].

Facilities Management (FM) is a discipline that encompasses both the strategic and tactical operations of a building with its objectives to support the organization’s core business [4]. Based on technical competencies, FM can enhance sustainability performance and decrease environmental impacts brought about by existing buildings through a process known as ‘green retrofitting’. This process involves identifying opportunities to leverage an existing building’s sustainability and provide benefits at a minimal cost rather than the demolition and construction of a new facility [5].

2. Role of facilities management in green retrofitting

Fig.1 End-user electricity consumed (GWh) across all U.A.E. utility authorities [3]

The role of facilities management in green retrofitting is fundamental since approximately 80 to 90% of environmental impacts are associated with existing buildings’ operations [6]. Lighting, for instance, is one area where FM can demonstrate a reduction in carbon footprint and electricity consumption.

Refers to a case study of the Dubai Chamber headquarters (DCHQ), the FM team installed CFL and LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lamps to achieve savings of 100,000kWh/year. Besides lighting, good FM practices’ implementation Sustainable foundation systems of high-rise buildings

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implementation reduced the cooling demand to have only five chillers out of eight chillers operate during the peak summers [7]. The upgrade of existing faucets and other plumbing fixtures can offer considerable savings [2]. The FM team of “Archcorp architectural engineering”, Dubai, witnessed an 89% decrease in water consumption by installing low-flow mixers having flow rates of 1.58 GPM against the standard 2.5GPM. Annual consumption was reduced from 102,623 I.G. to 8,663.23 I.G. [8]. Yet another crucial role of FM in a retrofit is seen in the procurement of materials. The FM professionals adopt a whole lifecycle methodology for choosing materials that carry low-embodied energies and can be recycled to decrease building carbon emissions [9].

Table 2 Responses collected from the interviewees

3. Research method and results Preliminary research led to the formation of the literature review of a green retrofit. Since this study focuses on understanding both the current status of green retrofit in existing buildings and facilities managers’ role in its execution, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The information obtained from the literature review and the interviews’ responses were then validated against an actual case study. The interviewees are local FM professionals having experience in green building practices, with their work experience given in Table 1.

Table 1 Interviewees Details

Table 3 LEED scorecard of the subject case facility

Based on the outcome of the interviews, the data obtained provided an indepth understanding of the perception of green retrofitting of existing facilities in the built environment of the UAE. Table 2 shows the interview questions and corresponding answers.

The case study project is owned by a subsidiary of a UAE-based private developer and has acquired a LEED Existing Building (EB) O&M “Silver” certification after achieving credits under seven categories such as “Sustainable Sites”, “Energy and Atmosphere”, “Water efficiency”, “Materials and Resources”, “Indoor Environmental Quality” and “Innovation in Operations” and “Regional priority”.

Table 3 shows the LEED EB O&M criteria and overall influence of FM on achieving the required credits. A discussion is then provided combining both the interview and case study findings.

Under ‘Sustainable Sites’, the FM team installed low-VOC green mats and installed reflective shades in the external parking spaces to decrease the ‘urban heat island effect’. The employees were encouraged to use public transportation. A 23% decrease was achieved in the conventional usage of vehicles.

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Sustainable foundation systems of high-rise buildings

Under ‘Water Efficiency’, water aerators’ installation and efficient plumbing fixtures reduced water flowrates by 20 million gallons a year, equivalent to a 40% reduction against the previous year.

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Under ‘Energy and Atmosphere’, the implementation of good FM practices, recommissioning and recalibration of existing BMS and MEP equipment, and installing energy-efficient LED lights helped reduce 30% of electricity consumption.

4. Discussion and conclusions Looking at the interview findings, a combination of good FM practices and application of low-cost sustainability initiatives were seen as crucial responsibilities of FM in uplifting the sustainability quo of existing buildings.

In terms of barriers to a full-fledged green retrofit, the facilities manager expressed conflicting viewpoints between the FM department and building owner on long-term cost and energy savings. The private building owners hold a short-sighted view of a facility, and low capital costs are hence a favourable option. A further challenge is seen where end-users pay consumption bills, thus diminishing landlords’ motivation for intensive metering and energy reduction. This is cognate with the case study findings wherein sustainability initiatives were limited to the common areas.

Talking about drivers in the case study, factors such as ‘corporate social responsibility’, ‘corporate image’, ‘existing IEQ’ and ‘operational costs’, all led to the retrofit’s initiation. The drivers suggested by the interviewees are along the same line. The acquisition of the LEED certification was mainly a result of the FM team’s processes and initiatives. However, given a fine line between sustainable FM practices and low-cost retrofit initiatives as seen in the case study, it is difficult to comment on which of the enhancements are attributed to a low-cost retrofit initiative or is part of just good FM practice.

This is because FM practices and its functional outputs meet the majority of the criteria of a green building rating system.

[2]

Assaf, S. and Nour, M. (2015) ‘Potential of energy and water efficiency improvement in Abu Dhabi’s building sector – Analysis of Estidama pearl rating system’, Renewable Energy, 82, 100107.

[3]

Dubey, K. and Krarti, M. (2017) Economic and Environmental Benefits of Improving UAE Building Stock Energy Efficiency.

[4]

Barrett, P. and Baldry, D. (2003) Facilities Management: Towards Best Practice. Wiley.

[5]

Dong, B., Kennedy, C. and Pressnail, K. (2005) ‘Comparing life cycle implications of building retrofit and replacement options’, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 32(6), 1051-1063.

[6]

Rybkowski, Z., Shepley, M., Bryant, J., Skelhorn, C., Amato, A. and Kalantari, S. (2017) ‘Facility management in Qatar: current state, perceptions and recommendations’, Facilities, 35(5/6), pp.

335-355.

[7]

Madani, E. M. A. (2012) Greening existing buildings in the United Arab Emirates, unpublished thesis, The British University in Dubai.

[8]

Alkhateeb, E. and Hijleh, B. A. (2017) ‘Potential of Upgrading Federal Buildings in the United Arab Emirates to Reduce Energy Demand’, Procedia Engineering,180(Supplement C), 61-70.

[9]

Cabeza, L. F., Rincón, L., Vilariño, V., Pérez, G. and Castell, A. (2014) ‘Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) of buildings and the building sector: A review’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 29, 394-416.

This study provided insight into existing practices and the contribution of FM toward a green retrofit project. Through consideration of the case study and interview, the current practices toward enhancing sustainability in the existing buildings have been seen to have gained minimum-to moderate momentum. Where government-mandated compliance for green retrofit in existing buildings is yet to be seen, “reducing operational expenses”, “enhancing brand image”, achieving a green building certification, fulfilling “corporate social responsibility” and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry were seen as the key drivers that have encouraged building owners to earn benefits of green retrofits in existing private buildings. The competency and experience of facilities managers in applying good FM practice for the overall O&M of assets and implementing low-to-negligible sustainability initiatives positively influence buildings’ existing performance standards. FM professionals are well equipped and competent in greening existing buildings and can simultaneously lead a building to the path of acquiring a green building certification.

As limitations of this research, it should be pointed out that interviews were limited to FM professionals in the private sector. Besides, the results from one case study addressed in this paper should be considered cautiously.

References [1]

Elmualim, A., Shockley, D., Valle, R., Ludlow, G. and Shah, S. (2010) ‘Barriers and commitment of facilities management profession to the sustainability agenda’, Building and Environment, 45(1), pp. 58-64.

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Symbiotic relationship between FM and energy management Matthew Smith Associate Head of School (Dubai) School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University Dubai, UAE matthew.smith@hw.ac.uk

This article was published online on Facility Management Middle East on February 11th 2021 https://www.fm-middleeast.com/people/77828-comment-symbiotic-relationship-between-fm-and-energy-management Matthew Smith, associate head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University Dubai discusses how the FM industry can contribute to a greener tomorrow by playing a key role in energy management.

Introduction

I

n recent years, sustainability has slowly but steadily reshaped the way commercial and institutional buildings are constructed and operated. It is no longer an issue for tomorrow, but a major consideration for today.

As FMs pave the way back into safe workspaces, it is extremely important that the FM professionals of today remember their role and impact on energy management while also being guided by the principles of sustainability.

Understanding the relationship of FM with energy management According to the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), buildings (and construction) are responsible for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world, of which operational emissions (energy used to heat, cool and light buildings) are responsible for 28%. As facilities management is a vital link in the energy consumption chain, the FM industry is, naturally, one of the largest stakeholders that have a direct and indirect influence on the energy management of buildings. This is corroborated by WorldGBC in a major report that proved FM professionals possess a wealth of data that can be used to help them integrate more green design features in their buildings and facilities so that the occupants can lead healthier and more productive lives.

Sustainability is now an essential part of the facilities management discipline, incorporating not just the lifecycle of the building, but the quality of life of its inhabitants. However, sustainable FM goes beyond managing the tangible services, such as cooling, ventilation and lighting. Offering more sustainable ways of working can significantly lower costs, enhance workplace productivity, and help create an organisation with long-term value.

Incorporating FMs at the start of a project In Dubai, the Green Building Regulations and Specifications (GBRS) is promoting the integration of sustainable principles into various phases of construction and encouraging more investment in green building projects

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across the emirate. Leading developers in Dubai have already begun to take a more rigorous approach on improving the energy performance of their buildings through energy benchmarking of their properties, identifying best practices and developing strategies to increase the efficiency of the built environment. Integrating FM expertise during the design phase can lessen the environmental impact of buildings through reduced energy consumption, efficient utilisation of resources, and lowered life cycle cost -- resulting in a more sustainable facility in the post occupancy stage.

Active energy management FM’s sustainability initiatives are usually centred on hard measures such as lighting retrofits, glass and insulation upgrades, or enhanced HVAC systems.

Although such initiatives do play some role towards sustainability, the impact is mostly marginal. Legacy solutions are often faced with information silos, as well as cost, time and labour-intensive models. Hence, the solution lies in active energy management with the help of smart technologies such as IoT that can consolidate critical information in real-time which in turn can help FMs gain actionable insights needed for anticipating, troubleshooting and managing issues.

Automation and IoT systems offer a great opportunity for FMs to lessen the capacity for waste, removing the need for office employees to turn off obsolete equipment. This could involve activating in-built ‘sleep’ settings, which turn off electronics after a period of inactivity, or lighting which is controlled by motion capture technology. Additionally, solar monitors fitted on windows can track levels of natural light and disable unnecessary electronic fixtures, while sensors fitted to windows can be programmed to pause air conditioning when opened in order to avoid wasteful energy consumption. Besides the advantage of energy efficiency, active energy management ensures accuracy in billing and a lower overall cost of energy.

Retro-commissioning existing buildings FMs can play a significant role even in retrofitting older, existing buildings with energy efficient measures. FMs are often expected to participate in several stages of the retrofitting process, which includes determining retrofit

Comment: Symbiotic relationship between FM and energy management

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

opportunities via onsite audits, liaising with procurement on equipment standards and specs, the retrofitting itself, management and maintenance.

To begin with, FMs can audit an existing building which helps determine what systems might be leaking energy, or what assets adding the most to the environmental burden. It is then easier to monitor energy consumption across seasons, usage, and occupancy situations. Using data from the audit, the next step is to fix energy leaks, investing in repairs and substitutions, and focusing on assets that will make these facilities more environmentally neutral.

Involving stakeholders Integrating sustainability into daily building operations needs buy-in from all stakeholders which leaves a huge impact on enabling continuous sustainability. An enterprise wide platform with AI and IoT capabilities can boost stakeholder engagement by utilising technology that enables sharing of relevant data, metrics and progress assessed against established targets, as well as keep all stakeholders informed and motivated to contribute toward common sustainability goals. Incorporating sustainability in buildings is no longer just a regulatory obligation, but has now become key to being considered as progressive, modern and environmentally responsible.

Covid-19 has undoubtedly accelerated cost-leadership to the top of the business agenda once again, and for many facility managers, improving energy management can realise substantial cost and energy savings in the immediate future. While it is natural to assume tight budgets during times of uncertainty, the installation of new software systems and technology, in addition to simple lighting and cooling features can be incredibly effective to enable waste reduction, improve operational efficiency and drive substantial cost-savings. By strengthening their sustainability agenda businesses can pass on these cost savings into other areas such as research and development, employee engagement, talent development and recruitment.

Comment: Symbiotic relationship between FM and energy management

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Wellbeing

Research Bulletin No.2 No.3 December April2020 2021

Numerical modeling on aerosol trajectory study in hospital space for an effective contaminant control Amanda Balogun UG Student Architectural engineering School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure, and Society Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus Dubai, U.A.E afb1@hw.ac.uk

Dr. Jun Han Assistant Professor Architectural engineering School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure, and Society Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus Dubai, U.A.E J.han@hw.ac.uk

Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by large droplets of patients in hospitals centres poses a risk to medical professionals and other hospital visitors. Effective air diffusion to remove or control the droplet/aerosol particles is needed to reduce aerosol transmission and infection. This study investigates air diffusion’s impact on ventilation effectiveness in a hospital space with experimental and numerical methods. Steady-state and transient simulations were performed using Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian methods to investigate four methods of ventilation designs which could be applied in hospital rooms, namely, ceiling mounted exhaust and supply air terminals (mixed ventilation) (case 1), wall-mounted supply and exhaust terminals (displacement ventilation) (case 2), under-floor distribution systems (case 3) and personal exhaust systems (case 4). The results of the simulations show similar results in the Eulerian- Eulerian solutions as well as the Eulerian-Lagrangian solutions, indicating reliability and further revealed that displacement ventilation presents the best results in terms of contaminant removal and particle exhaust times.

Keywords: Eulerian-Lagrangian; Eulerian-Eulerian; Aerosol trajectory; Environmental control.

1. Introduction

T

mechanically ventilated spaces. However, this experiment is qualitative rather than quantitative, as it monitors contaminant distribution patterns rather than the number of particles with respect to time.

This research employs experimental and numerical investigations to analyze contaminant exposure and the age of air. The results of the simulations show similar results in the Eulerian- Eulerian solutions as well as the EulerianLagrangian solutions, indicating reliability. Displacement ventilation presents the best results in terms of contaminant removal and particle exhaust times.

Its effectiveness relies on thermal plumes in the room, which varies with each hospital space and is highly dependent on the number of heat generators in space. Additionally, thermal comfort levels in this ventilation system type may be compromised by stagnant air regions due to unidirectional airflow. The combination of personal ventilation systems along with ceiling mounted mixed ventilation systems is the most preferable option in contaminant removal as well as thermal comfort and is recommended to prevent nosocomial diseases. This research further highlights challenges, recommendations, and conclusions made to ensure public health is preserved through more efficient ventilation system designs.

Tracer gas distribution cannot be used as a measure of health risk; however, it can indicate risk. To this study described above, experiments were carried out in a 48 m2 Air-Conditioned Laboratory of the Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus. Although the size was different with the hospital room simulated, research done by He and Srebric (2005) and Cherrie (1999) stated that while contaminant concentration depends on room size, contaminant distribution is not. Contaminant distribution patterns are affected by airflow patterns (ventilation system design) rather than room size and space can, therefore, be used to conduct qualitative experiments. The room operated using a mixed ventilation system where the air was introduced using 3 ceiling-mounted supply and exhaust air terminals diffusers. A room occupied by three people at the time of the data collection, a thermal manikin, a fog generator (biaerosol source) and pipe tubes were used for the experiment, as shown in Figure 1.

he healthcare-associated infection has proven to cause great harm to societies and their citizens since Health care workers and visitors meet many people daily, leaving them exposed to the risk of crosscontamination. To prevent nosocomial diseases, existing research analyses the potential that various measures such as air change rates (ACH) and airflow direction have in reducing cross-contamination. However, few studies conducted on the role that adequate ventilation rate has played, in terms of air terminal layout, in reducing airborne contaminant transfer in general wards of hospitals.

2. Methods 2.1 Experimental methods The methods adopted for the experiment were previously performed

by Berrouk et al. (2010) on the study of expiratory droplet dispersion in

Tracer gas is valid for experimental purposes and has been used widely in research. Since viruses are transported on droplets smaller than 6-10 micrometer, they have been observed to have a settling velocity of below 1m/h which can follow a person’s cough flow and ambient airflow. Larger droplets are also part of the cross-infection process. However, they settle either on surfaces close to the point of contaminant release or evaporate, decrease in size, and follow airflow as droplet nuclei.

Aerosols were generated using a fog generator A-1200 and were injected into the thermal manikin’s head using a pipe. A 50 mm hole was drilled in the manikin head to model the mouth and allow fog passage into the room. The fog’s velocity was recorded using an anemometer to be 1 m/s, and the velocity of the air was also recorded to be 3 m/s from the diffuser.

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The temperature of the manikin head was recorded to be a maximum of 47 °C after the fog temperature, and the tracer gas was a maximum of 35 °C. The rest of the body could not reach human body temperature due to difficulty in accessing uniform heating equipment such as heat pads during the event of the health crisis in the UAE. Pictures were then taken with the aid of a camera, as shown in Figure 2 and a timer to record the transient distribution pattern achieved within the space. All devices such as projectors and computers were turned off; therefore, only heat gains from lighting were measured to be 46 °C.

finished floor levels, while EA terminals are placed at a height of 2.8 m.

This system utilizes buoyancy force from heat generators such as people, electrical equipment, computers, etc., to drive out heat and contaminant from the space. Displacement ventilation was tested on the assumption that particles/contaminant diffuses slower, and exhausts faster compared to other SA and EA air terminals at other locations.

CASE 3 - representing an Under-floor air distribution system (UFAD) serving

as an alternative to overhead distribution techniques. Air is delivered through SA and EA diffusers terminals placed on a raised access floor and relies on heat and natural buoyancy to remove contaminants. The assumption for the model generation was that by considering this configuration, thermal comfort through properly mixed air and efficient contaminant containment might occur.

Figure 3 shows the ventilation design for the three different cases.

Fig. 1 Experiment set up Fig. 3 Ventilation design for three different cases

3. Results and Analysis Figure 4 compares the different cases: case 1 (MV), case 2 (DV), and case 3 (UFAD). It is evident from the respective E-E analysis of cases one, two and three that while under-floor (UFAD) distribution systems have the potential to contain contaminants for longer periods of time, it eventually becomes more distributed as the time steps increase, compared to that of Displacement Ventilation (DV), making it safe to assume that of all the cases simulated, displacement ventilation performs best to reduce contaminant exposure of occupants in the room.

Fig. 2 Thermal image of the thermal manikin 2.2 Numerical methods Three cases were analyzed for different locations of Supply and exhaust grilles, using ANSYS fluent, and are described below: CASE 1- representing ceiling-mounted mixed ventilation systems and is

considered a typical HVAC air terminal configuration for general wards in hospitals. Air is supplied in a manner such that it is transported to all parts of the room, i.e., fully mixed. To investigate how contaminant control can be achieved in mixed ventilation systems, exhaust diffusers (EA) are located directly above the patient on the assumption that EA terminals, at this position, will exhaust contaminants more efficiently and limit their spread compared to other placement positions in the room.

CASE 2- it represents displacement ventilation systems. Air is induced into

the breathing zone of the room at low velocities causing minimal induction and mixing. Displacement SA diffusers are mounted on the wall, 1m above

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Fig. 4 Comparison of different cases of UFAD, DV, & MV The E-L analysis conforms to this result, as particle trajectory of displacement ventilation stands out as the least distributed and is exhausted the fastest.

Figure 5 shows the comparison between the particle exhaust times in the three simulated cases. While particles in displacement systems are exhausted faster than that of mixed and underfloor distribution, high exhaust

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

times of some particles are also seen to occur with maximum exhaust times of 250s, leading to higher average exhaust times than the other two cases.

Acknowledgements The work described in this project was financially supported by a research funding from Scottish Research Council, Reference NO.: 729046/ Round N.2 SFC-GCRF 2019-2020.

References

Fig. 5 Comparison of different cases of UFAD, DV, & MV The comparison of each ventilation mode has been shown in Figure 6.

Despite the possibilities presented by displacement ventilation in achieving contaminant stratification and lower particle exhaust times, displacement ventilation may pose difficulties in achieving thermal comfort due to stagnated air because of directional airflow in the room. Therefore, the combination of mixed ventilation strategies and personal ventilation should be considered a supplementary precaution to prevent aerosols’ spread while achieving thermal comfort.

[1]

Berrouk, A., Lai, A., Cheung, A. and Wong, S., 2010. Experimental measurements and large eddy simulation of expiratory droplet dispersion in a mechanically ventilated enclosure with thermal effects. Building and Environment, 45(2), pp.371-379.

[2]

Cherrie, J., 1999. The Effect of Room Size and General Ventilation on the Relationship between Near and Far-Field Concentrations.

Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 14(8), pp.539546.

[3]

He, G., Yang, X. and Srebric, J., 2005. Removal of contaminants released from room surfaces by displacement and mixing ventilation: modeling and validation. Indoor Air, 15(5), pp.367-380.

Fig. 6 Eulerian-Lagrangian Particle Trajectory for three different ventilation modes: a) case 1, b) case 2, c) case 3

4. Conclusion This research examines contaminant concentration and dispersion in a scaled general warded room through transient as well as steady numerical simulations and experimental investigation. The numerical simulations were conducted with the k-\v ɛ turbulence model. The E-L and E-E particle tracking methods were also adopted and expressed respectively as volume fractions, particle trajectories, and particle exhaust time. Both steady-state and transient simulations were performed to effectively understand and visualize airflow in the hospital room for mixed, underfloor and displacement air distribution systems. The results of this research demonstrated that the position of air terminals play an important role in contaminant distribution and has the potential to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission.

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A Review of Dubai Road Safety Culture: Realities & Challenges Dr Noor Zainab Habib Assistant Professor School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure, and Society Heriot-Watt University- Dubai Campus Dubai, U.A.E n.habib@hw.ac.uk

Prof. Guy Walker Leader of Pioneering Education School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Heriot-Watt University-Edinburgh Campus Edinburgh, Scotland g.h.walker@hw.ac.uk

Shahid Tanvir Senior Technology Expert, M.Sc. Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai Dubai, U.A.E Shahid.tanvir@rta.ae

Dubai is well known for its best road infrastructure in the world. Despite high-quality roads, grade-separated intersections and well-designed traffic signals, the city experiences a high road fatality rate in comparison to developed countries’ cities. Improving road safety is a major challenge for authorities due to the extremely diverse socio-cultural background of Dubai’s population. Road traffic injury is the leading cause of death among children and other vulnerable road users in the UAE. An extensive literature review indicates that driver behavior is influenced by demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological factors, among others act as a precursor to major motor vehicle crashes. Driver behavior is the major contributory factor in traffic crashes in the UAE. The influence of socioeconomic factors and safety culture on Dubai driver behavior has not been explored yet. One of the uniqueness of Dubai’s commercial drivers is they are all migrant workers (mostly from Asian, African, and other developing countries). This uniqueness needs to explore in relationship between socio-cultural, economic, and religious factors and its impact on road safety by studying the behavior of professional drivers in the fast-growing city of Dubai. This paper will present a review about Dubai road safety issues and problem revealed by a research study conducted to understand the impact of the socio-economic factor on professional driver behavior. The findings show a positive correlation between socio-cultural, economic factors and aberrant driver behavior but fatalism associated with religion needs further research.

Keywords: Socio-cultural economic factors; Religious beliefs; Traffic safety culture; Dubai road safety; Human factors.

1. Introduction

D

ubai has a population of 3 million, with 200 nationalities, 1.7 million registered vehicles and 2.3 million driving license holders.

The city also attracts approximately 15 million tourists annually.

The city’s diverse population, including Emiratis, expatriates, and tourists, defines Dubai’s vibrant cultural fabric. There is a common understanding among researchers working on road safety that driver’s behavior is the most significant contributory factor in traffic crashes worldwide. Dubai being a dynamic business and tourist hub, expanded its economic development thanks to its government strategies allowing foreigners to invest in Freehold properties and set up businesses in the Free zones. This has created a huge inflow of investment from foreign private investors, regional players, and local private investors, giving rise to a construction boom in this city. The vast expansion of the city demands a well-planned road infrastructure for safe mobility. Dubai roads and transport authority (RTA) plays a vital role in this development to meet the demands of expanding the city by providing urban mobility for the successful execution of Dubai’s Economic Development Plan and future growth aspirations. With RTA robust policies and strict supervision, Dubai’s quality of road infrastructure is considered a top class and Dubai ranks number one in the world ahead of most of the developed countries in the western world [1]. Besides, Dubai’s most advanced public mass transit network provides excellent connectivity and reliable transport within the

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A Review of Dubai Road Safety Culture: Realities & Challenges

Central Business Districts (CBD). However, the public transport coverage outside CBD is limited. The longer commuting time by bus, traffic congestions during peak hours, especially in the city’s crowded areas, increase travel time. Traveling longer distances to reach a nearby metro station takes more time than using private vehicles due to first and last-mile connectivity issues.

These issues leave no choice for commuters living on the city’s outskirts to depend upon private vehicles. The extremely hot weather conditions of UAE for about six months in a year to some extent also discourage people from using public transport. Easy car financing through banks, low gasoline price makes the cost of owning a private car cheaper than the cost of other public transport. Other than toll (SALIK) for the use of major segments of popular highways, there are no additional charges subjected to the road users.

Besides, there is no policy in place to control rapid motorization. Therefore, the majority of residents who can afford a car depend heavily upon private vehicles as the preferred mode of transport. With this rapid increase in the number of private cars, Dubai’s road safety culture becomes a challenge.

Among many challenges, the biggest obstacle to road safety is road users from across the globe and have extremely diverse socio-cultural and economic backgrounds. In addition, these drivers bring their unique driving experiences, risky behaviors and styles, psychosocial and psychological factors, their personal attitudes, attributions, and risk perception. According to a recent report [2] during 2017, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded 7.7 million speed violations and 525 road fatalities. Strict law enforcement

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

in 2019 reduces the number of road fatalities to 448 while more than 8.0 million motorists were fined for over speeding and about 55,000 were caught trying to jump red lights [3]. Even with strict traffic regulation enforcement, education and awareness campaigns, traffic accidents remain a determinant factor resulting in huge economic losses and a heavy burden on the justice system and public health providers.

2. Literature Review 2.1 UAE Road safety Road traffic injuries and fatalities are a major public health problem in Gulf countries [4]. The pedestrians, youth, and children are the vulnerable road users at the highest risk. According to Roadway, Transportation and Traffic Safety Research Centre (UAE), the country suffers from about 10,000 annual road crashes causing an estimated loss of AED 20 Billion to the economy (considering loss of human lives, property, and productivity) [5]. An estimated 45% of all accidents are caused by young drivers [6] in the UAE. The use of mobile phone while driving and poor seat belt adoption are considered as an issue on UAE roads [7]. Another common cause is jaywalking near shops, metro stations and bus stops. Drivers continue to drive over the pedestrian crossing on a two-lane street, while the pedestrian starts walking from the other end of the 2nd lane [8]. The road safety research showed that it has a strong relationship between human factors and road crashes as driver behavioral error appears to be the leading cause of traffic accidents [9].

Improving road safety culture needs improvement in three main elements of transportation system namely road, vehicle, and road user [10]. According to World Health Organization (2013), around 1.3 million people die worldwide in traffic accidents annually and up to 50 million people suffer from nonfatal injuries [11]. The importance of road safety can be understood from the perspective of the United Nations, who launched Decade of Action 20112020 including road safety as an objective of sustainable development goals focusing on saving 5 million lives through improved road safety. According to UN, 2015[11], “Road traffic injuries are among the three-leading cause of death for people between 5 and 44 years of age, killing more people each year than malaria”. It was predicted that it will become the 5th leading cause of death in the world. Several international research studies also conclude that human factors are the major cause of road traffic accidents leading to injuries and fatalities. According to the United States National highway traffic and safety administration (NHTSA) [14], the significant cause of 93% of car crashes in the US are human error.

2.2 Socioeconomic factors and driver’s behavior Driving is considered as a social activity which involves the interaction of a driver, both physically and mentally, with other road users (motor vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists) where the road is a shared source and humans behind the wheels are unsafe, and sometimes indulge in risky driving behavior while sharing the road with other road users [14]. Driver’s behavior can be well understood considering cognitive factors (perception, cognition, emotion, and social judgment) while practicing safe driving practices. [15,16,17]. A study on Dubai’s road safety culture also indicates that besides physical, mental, and economic factors, socio-cultural and religious beliefs have shown a positive correlation between unusual driver behavior and fatalism [8]. It was also revealed that such unusual behavior of driver might take many forms and shapes, due to various factors and the actual reasons which generally varies from country to country or even from city to city [18]. A prominent reason for professional drivers found more prone to traffic violations and mistakes compared to other drivers are long working shift hours, stress, tiredness, and financial instability [8]. The majority of professional drivers in Dubai are

hired from overseas and experience immense socio-cultural / economic uncertainties related to job relocation, they suffer from financial debts carried over from country of origin during migration to UAE [8]. A study by Hassan et al. [19] also highlighted that driver behavior is a major contributing factor affecting UAE traffic safety. Incidents’ threat to UAE road safety needs urgent attention. Road accidents and injuries due to human behavior in UAE must be critically analyzed for governmental intervention [20, 21,22,23].

2.3 Psychological factors and driver behavior Driver behavior and road safety research is a cross-disciplinary field which typically includes engineers (civil, traffic, transport & safety), psychologists (cognitive psychology, applied social psychology), human factor researchers and economists. Traffic psychology relates to the study of a road user’s behavior and related psychological processes. It focuses on uncovering key factors required to understand a driver’s behavior-accident relationship to develop appropriate road safety interventions [24]. Driving tasks namely, involve three operations: vehicle control, maneuvering and trip planning.

From the perspective of human factor researchers and psychologist social interactions are complex, thus it influences human driving behavior [24].

A study conducted on driver behavior brings the perspective of the drivercar relationship and highlights that the process is very social in nature and the recent introduction of new technologies have transformed cars into an extension of offices or homes; [18] these yearly upgrades in technological advancements in the automobiles have turned them into a multitasking space and has highly contributed to an increased risk of distracted driving.

In fact, driving itself is a behavioral task requiring full attention, the inclusion of social activity like that of using of cell phone while driving turns it into a social interaction increases the risk [25]. According to Piff, [26] people belonging to higher socioeconomic status have a higher sense of entitlement and egotistic behavior. Another key factor reflected in Dubai’s professional driver’s behavior is that they suffer from financial debts carried over from their country of origin during migration to UAE. In many instances, people who experienced socio-economic class differences while growing up and failed to complete basic education due to family obligations and face financial instability is also attributed as a key factor in risky driving behavior, especially in cases of individuals with higher stress such that of a single breadwinner of joint families providing economic support to a large family [27].

3. Research Study Findings This section will present a summary of findings from a study [8] done at Heriot-Watt University. This study was conducted to understand the impact of professional driver behavior on Dubai road safety considering socioeconomic, cultural, and religious factors. The study utilizes a qualitative method including in-depth interviews with Dubai professional drivers (Taxis, Buses, Motorbikes, Vans, and Trucks) of diverse backgrounds. The key findings of the study [8] are listed below.

1. Multicultural and diversified population of drivers in the city may negatively affect a driver’s behavior especially for taxi drivers who have more direct interaction with the customers.

2. Work and time pressure are the leading cause of risky driver behavior for both professional and nonprofessionals’ drivers.

3. Taxi drivers are more prone to risky driving behavior due to work and time pressure. They need to meet their financial commitments and social responsibilities based on increased earnings linked to performance commission.

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4. Fatigue is found as a common factor among taxi drivers, truck drivers and some school bus drivers. On average, taxi drivers drive at least 70-80hrs per week in comparison to other professional drivers who drive between 4560hrs per week.

[8]

Tanvir S., Habib N.Z., Walker G.H. (2019) A Qualitative Investigation of Professional Driver Behavior Due to SocioEconomic, Cultural, Religious Factors and Its Impact on Dubai Road Safety. In: Stanton N. (eds) Advances in Human Aspects of Transportation. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 786. Springer, Cham. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-319-93885-1_70

[9]

The relative frequency of unsafe driving acts in serious traffic crashes,https://one.nhtsagov/people/injury/research/udashortrpt/ summary.html

[10]

Tazul Islam, M., Thue, L. and Grekul, J., 2017. Understanding traffic safety culture: Implications for increasing traffic safety.

Transportation Research Record, 2635(1), pp.79-89

[11]

WHO (2013) Global Status Report on Road Safety: Supporting a decade of action. Available from: http://www.who.int/gho/ road_safety/mortality/en/

[12]

Jackish J, Sethi D, Mitis M, Szymañski T, Arra I. European facts and the Global status report on road safety 2015. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2015 (http://www.euro.who. int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/293082/ European-facts-GlobalStatus-Report-road-safety-en.pdf?ua=1, accessed 31 August 2017).

[13]

Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. New York: United Nations; 2015 (A/ RES/70/1; https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/ documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20 Development%20web. pdf, accessed 29 August 2017

[14]

NHTSA. (1997) The relative frequency of unsafe driving acts in serious traffic crashes. Available from: https://one.nhtsa.gov/ people/injury/research/udashortrpt/summary.html [Accessed March 2018

[15]

Mather, R. (2009) Social Cognitive Human Factors of Automobile Driving. Road Traffic: Safety, Modeling, and Impacts. 385401.Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Available from: www. socialautomaticity.net/images/Mather_2009_.pdf. [Accessed March 2018]

[16]

Oppenheim, I., Shinar, D. (2011) Human Factors and Ergonomics.

Handbook of Traffic Psychology. Elsevier Inc.

[17]

Conkle, A., West, C. (2008) Psychology on the Road. Available from:https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/ psychologyon-the-road. [Accessed January 2018].

[18]

Podjed, D., Babic, S. (2015) Crossroads of Anger: Tensions and Conflicts in Traffic. Journal of European Ethnology Special Issue: Rage, Anger and other Don’ts

[19]

Hassan M. N., Hawas Y. E., Maraqaa M. A. (2012) A holistic approach for assessing traffic safety in the United Arab Emirates.

Accident Analysis and Prevention, 45, 554– 564

5. Use of mobile phone while driving was found as a major cause of distraction.

4. Conclusion Dubai’s unique traffic culture is different from other countries in the world because of its diversified population, which is reflected by frequent road users. The research study shared in this paper only covers professional drivers since they play a key role in creating Dubai’s unique traffic culture as frequent road users. It is also revealed that each driver’s personal life experience varies based on socio-cultural, economic, and religious faith. The major cause of traffic accidents is due to lack of focus, multitasking, long working hours, and distractions. The use of smartphones while driving was highlighted as a major safety risk. An interesting finding revealed by this study is that Dubai drivers considered their driving skills and safety practices as “superior” compared to other drivers. Further research is required to overcome the current research limitations due to self-reported response bias.

Acknowledgements Authors acknowledge Heriot-Watt University for financial support for this study through James Watt Scholarship.

References [1]

WEF. (2017) The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017.

Available online http://reports.weforum.org/pdf/gci-2016 2017scorecard/WEF_GCI_2016_2017_Scorecard_EOSQ057.pdf

[2]

KhaleejTimes,2017,https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/ general/speeding-killed-230-in-uae-last-year-total-fatalities525(accessed: April 2018)

[3]

NationalNewsUAE,2019,https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/ transport/uae-road-deaths-lowest-in-almost-a-decade-as-drivershit-with-8-million-fines-1.1045642(accessed: March 2021)

[4]

Rohrer, M. (2016) Road traffic accidents as public health challenge in the gulf cooperation council (GCC) region. Public Health Open J. 1(3): e6-e7. doi: 10.17140/PHOJ-1-e004. [1,4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

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Janahi, S. (2011) Road crashes and injuries cost UAE Dh20b yearly.Availablefrom:https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/ roadcrashes-and-injuries-cost-uae-dh20b-yearly-1.740654 UAE Road Safety. (2018). Road Safety Initiatives in UAE. Available from: https://www.government.ae/en/information-andservices/ justice-safety-and-the-law/road-safety. [Accessed July 2018 Bendak, S., & Al-Saleh, K. (2013). Seat belt utilisation and awareness in UAE. International Journal of Injury Control and SafetyPromotion,20, 342348doi:10.1080/17457300.2012.745575 A Review of Dubai Road Safety Culture: Realities & Challenges

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

[20]

Almatawah J. (2014) Towards Improving Crash Data Management System in Gulf Countries. Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications www.ijera.com ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 9 (Version 5), pp.35-40

[21]

Bener A., Abu-Zidan F., Bensiali A., Al-Mulla A., Jadaan K. (2003) Strategy to improve road safety in developing countries. Saudi Med J, Vol. 24 (6): 603-608

[22]

Asim M., ElMenyar A., AlThani H., Abdelrahman H., Zarour A., Latifi R. (2014) Blunt Traumatic Injury in the Arab Middle Eastern Populations. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock 7.2.

88–96. PMC

[23]

Sadig M. E., Grivna M. (2016) 368 Trends of road traffic crashes in the UAE: strategies for control and prevention. Injury Prevention 22: A135

[24]

Rothengatter T. (1997) Psychological Aspects of Road User Behavior, Applied Psychology. An International Review 46(3), 223234

[25]

Mather R. (2009) Social Cognitive Human Factors of Automobile Driving. Road Traffic: Safety, Modeling, and Impacts 385401 Nova Science Publishers, Inc Available from: www. socialautomaticity.net/images/Mather_2009_.pdf [Accessed 10th March 2018].

[26]

Piff, P. K., Stancato, D. M., Cote, S., Mendoza-Denton, R., Keltner, D. (2012) Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior. Available from: www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/ pnas.1118373109. [Accessed November 2017

[27]

Farhana J.: Pyscho-social personality features among N.W.F.P. male population. Pakistan Journal of Professional Psychology, Research and Practice. Vol. 1, No. 1, 19-24 (2006).

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Research Bulletin No.2 No.3 December April2020 2021

Offshore Geotechnical Construction Aspect for Pearl Jumeirah Island in Dubai, UAE Dr Marwan Alzaylaie Senior Manager - Geotechnical Dubai Development Authority Dubai Studio City Dubai, UAE marwan.alzaylaie@dda.gov.ae

Mohamed Abdalla Team Leader, Construction Compliance Building Department Dubai Development Authority Dubai, UAE Mohamed.Abdalla@dda.gov.ae

Pearl Jumeirah is an artificial offshore reclaimed land located in the Dubai coastline in the Arabian Gulf. It was constructed from Dubai sourced reclaimed sand and locally sourced rock works. Reclaimed sand was dredged from known borrow pits in Dubai waters. The island covers approximately 8.3 million square feet of land (fully serviced with all infrastructure requirements) consisting of more than 3.0 million square feet of residential villa plots and over 90,000 square feet of retail, community, and educational facilities. The current research presents a case study in geotechnical constructions and offshore/marine geotechnical works on this reclaimed island in terms of health and safety, the construction stages, and the offshore ground investigation results, dragging and reclamation techniques, ground improvement technologies such as Vibro compaction and surface compaction were used. The thickness of the reclamation fill varies across the site, but it is typically 10 m to 15 m and consists primarily of clean sand with lenses of silty materials. The materials below the pre-reclamation seabed comprise layers of sand and silty materials of varying thicknesses, underlain by the limestone/Calcarenite bedrock between 10m and 15m as Dubai Municipality Datum (DMD).

Keywords: Geotechnical Construction; Health and Safety; Ground Soil Improvement; Land Reclamation; offshore/marine.

1. Introduction

M

eraas Development developed the “Pearl Jumeirah” off the Dubai Coastline. The proposed development was a reclaimed island of approximately area 8,300,500 Sq.ft. Figure 1 shows the location of the pearl Jumeirah coastline.

during this project and recommendations for future construction of building foundations. The thickness of the reclamation fill varies across the site, but it is typically 10 m to 15 m and consists primarily of clean sand with lenses of silty materials. The lenses of silty materials present in only portions of the site in thicknesses, generally between 0 and 0.4 m, but up to approximately 1.5m in one isolated location. The silty material has been analyzed and described extensively in this report, and it is concluded that it has very little significance concerning future developments [1].

The sand and silty seabed materials’ strength and stiffness properties were improved during the extensive dynamic compaction campaign. Based on the test results, it was concluded that the soil materials were improved for further development. It needs to point out that the Pearl Jumeirah includes varying site conditions, particularly along the development perimeter. Therefore, the site is divided into several building zones [2].

2. Ground Condition 2.1 Pre-Reclamation Works Fig. 1 Pearl Jumeirah The Pearl Jumeirah was constructed from Dubai sourced reclaimed sand and locally sourced rockwork. Reclaimed sand was dredged from known borrow pits in Dubai waters, transported to the site, and deposited on the seabed to form the development. The sand was retained along the perimeter of the development with rockwork slopes and human-made beaches. The edge rockwork was designed to provide shoreline stability and a seaward defense to the upland areas. The reclaimed material was improved via Vibrocompaction to provide a suitable bearing surface for future development.

To improve the land’s geotechnical characteristics for future development, extensive dynamic compaction has been carried out on the reclaimed fill.

The Final Geotechnical Assessment and Design Report included detailed descriptions and evaluations of all relevant geotechnical tests carried out

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The pre-reclamation geotechnical investigation carried out on the Pearl Jumeirah project was mainly an offshore investigation and comprised in the initial phase only of drilling 6 boreholes. Upon completion of the initial phase, an additional geotechnical investigation was carried out within the Pearl Jumeirah boundaries and comprised of 9 boreholes. The prevailed general sub-surface profile is shown in Table 1.

2.2 Pre-Ground Improvements Works The final post-treatment level for Pearl Jumeirah is about 10-15 meters above sea-level and was constructed entirely of reclaimed granular fill material from the seabed. The geotechnical investigation carried out for this phase comprised drilling 18 boreholes after the reclamation works and prior to the

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improvement works. Pre-compaction cone penetration tests were carried out in each 50m x 50m square across the project site before compaction. The generalized sub-surface SPT values are presented in Table 2.

Figure 2 displays the generalized pre-reclamation sub-surface.

Table 1 Generalized Pre-reclamation Sub-surface

Fig. 2 Generalized Pre-reclamation Sub-surface 2.3 Post- Ground Improvements Works This phase of the geotechnical investigation was carried out after completing the soil improvement works for the reclaimed granular fill that was placed. The geotechnical investigation carried out for this phase comprised of 2 drilled boreholes. Also, Post-compaction zone load tests, including 3 large-scale plate load tests, were carried out using a 1.5 m x 1.5 m plate and loaded to a maximum stress of 300 kN/m2. Post-compaction cone penetration tests were carried out. These are relevant for evaluating the geotechnical properties of the compacted fill, and a minimum of two CPTUs have been carried out in each 50 m x 50 m square. The thickness of the reclamation fill is as described in Section 1. The reclaimed soil profile and SPT values are presented in Table 2. Besides, Figure 3 shows the generalized postcompaction sub-surface.

Table 2 Generalized Post-compaction Sub-surface

Fig. 3 Generalized Post-compaction Sub-surface

3. Offshore Geotechnical Construction Works The scope of offshore/marine geotechnical works included three main stages: dredging and reclamation; supply and placing of rock revetments; ground/soil improvement works and leveling/ compaction.

3.2 Dredging and Reclamation Dredging and Land reclamation (Figure 4) realized with sand from assigned borrow areas as per Client indication using Trailer Suction Hopper Dredge (TSHD), mainly in two phases: Offshore Geotechnical Construction Aspect for Pearl Jumeirah Island in Dubai, UAE

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1st phase – Free dumping/discharge on the project’s footprint for the central

portion only and Limited to the underwater levels.

The main project challenges involved significant hazards of working around equipment, marine/offshore geotechnical works, movement of land and marine equipment.

2nd phase – Hydraulic backfilling to design level after the completion of rock

revetment.

The requirements of the HSE Plan to ensure all significant hazards have been mitigated to inform all employees with responsibilities for implementing and maintaining the HSE system. The HSE Plan has been modeled on the twin requirements of OHSAS 18001and ISO 14001 standards.

4.2 Scope The scope of HSE plan to cover the followings: Ensure compliance with HSE Policy / System Ensure compliance with Client/Consultant requirements.

Fig. 4 Dredging and Land reclamation.

3.3 Ground improvement Ground improvement/densification of reclamation fill has been carried out using a suitable deep Compaction technique, such as the Vibro or Deep compaction. Then followed by the surface compaction and Leveling (Figure 5).

Ensure compliance with applicable HSE legislative requirements and appropriate codes of practices.

Dubai Municipality Code of Practice.

Customs and Free zone Corporation.

Ministry of Environment and Water.

Local Order No.61-1999 Environmental Protection Regulation Dubai Maritime City Authority.

Control the HSE risks applicable to the project.

Take positive measures to avoid pollution of air, land, and water.

Minimize disruption from our activities in the vicinity of the site; and build good relations with the public and surrounding residents.

Take positive measures to avoid incidents.

Achieve continual improvement by setting Project objectives and targets and examining.

4.3 Occupational Health and Safety Policy

Fig. 5 Surface compaction and Leveling.

3. Offshore Geotechnical Construction Works 4.1 Purpose This Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Plan for pearl Jumeirah describes the contractor’s proposed HSE Management System and applies to all offshore/marine geotechnical works in the project. It is a description of the contractor’s HSE policy, the organizational structure and responsibilities, procedures and the control measures implemented and maintained to ensure the project is executed safely and in total compliance with the HSE international codes/requirements, local HSE regulations. The project involves all marine/offshore geotechnical works such as: Dredging and reclamation of the island Ground /soil Improvement Island shore protection rock works and construction of offshore beach Pre & Post dredging /reclamation surveys

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The contractor ensured safe working conditions and practices for all persons employed on sites, including Client / Engineer / Subcontractors / Suppliers and visitors, in full compliance with contractual obligations, relevant national laws on Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) at sites, local statutory requirements, industry standards of OHSAS 18001, as applicable to its scope of work. This policy is the basis of the OHS Management System and shall provide a framework for setting Health & Safety objectives and targets.

The contractors reduced and mitigated the occupational health and safety impacts of all activities and prevent property damage, by utilizing a structured risk management approach, taking into consideration the needs of all stakeholders.

4.4 Mobilization of Equipment Mobilization of marine equipment such as dredgers, auxiliary tugs, launches, pipelines, pontoons, barges, etc., was managed safely to be towed by tugs (on a barge) or navigate under its own propulsion to the project site. Premobilization inspections of main working plants were carried out together with consultant representatives and regular Safety inspections were planned, executed, and reported.

4.5 Plant and Equipment

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All plant and equipment used on the project were pre-inspected before mobilizing to the site, where it was presented to the client of the Pearl Jumeirah project. All floating plant and equipment were inspected in compliance with a pre-mobilization and inspection procedure that consists of the following:

[2]

Impact of various assessment procedures on liquefaction potential in reclaimed soil in the Pearl Jumeirah project in Dubai M Alzaylaie, A Abdelaziz, 19th Southeast Asian Geotechnical Conference & 2nd AGSSEA Conference, Deep Excavation and Ground Improvement 31 May – 3 June 2016At: Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

[3]

Robertson, P. K. (2006). “Guide to In-Situ Testing,” Gregg Drilling &Testing, Inc.

[4]

Pearl Jumeirah Final geotechnical Assessment and design Report, January 2013, Meraas Development.

[5]

Bowles, J. E. (1996). “Foundation Analysis and Design,” McGrawHill Company, NY.

[6]

OHSAS 18001- Basis and principles of management systems for occupational health and safety.

[7]

ISO 14001 Environmental management systems - requirements with guidance for use

Tugboats, (Figure6) Speed Crew Boat Flat Top Material Barge.

Generic Vessel (Dredgers)

Fig. 6 Surface compaction and Leveling

5. Conclusion The following conclusions can be drawn: 1. The ground improvement technique used on the project were deep vibro compaction then followed by the surface compaction used for ground soil improvement. This procedure enhances the stiffness of the fill material, reduced long and short-term settlements and minimize the risk of liquation of the recently; hydraulically placed sandy materials.

2. Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Plan was executed aligned with all authority regulation and international standards.

3. The project is completed without major lost time injuries (LTI).

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Meraas Holding and Dubai Development Authority (DDA) for their support and cooperation. Special acknowledgments to Mohamed Al Bahri from DDA and Hussein Osman from the University of Sharjah (UoS).

References [1]

Pearl Jumeira project: a case study of land reclamation in Dubai, UAE M Alzaylaie, A Abdelaziz - Japanese Geotechnical Society Special Publication, 2016.

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Physical & virtual worlds: substituting spaces and experience at a time of crisis Alida Bata Assistant Professor School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure, and Society Heriot-Watt University- Dubai Campus Dubai, U.A.E a.bata@hw.ac.uk

This paper explores the dynamic of our physical and virtual worlds, through the lens of perception. As the balance between them shifts, how does our experience of space and time change? What is lost and gained in the new dynamic of sensory perceptions we employ? The paper takes phenomenological approach, concentrating on the study of experience of objects in space.

Keywords: physical space, virtual space, perception.

1. Introduction “Never let a good crisis go to waste” – Winston Churchill Today,

O

ur physical and virtual worlds are intertwined, simultaneous, and coexistent. We inhabit both daily, actively participating in social structures and exchanges, immersed in multiple realities. Catalysed by the Covid-19 crisis, the lurch into the virtual world has uniquely taken place in our home. Our physical space has transformed into a static host for our virtual activities, as we attempt to maintain productivity while unable to traverse our cities and purposefully designed places. Social infrastructure, previously overlaid and intertwined both physical and virtual, is now detached from physical infrastructure, as we organise ourselves socially through the virtual.

2. Experiencing space: from Ibn al-Haytham to Pallasmaa Understanding our experience of space requires us to explore philosophy; from phenomenology to existentialism; and science, from geometry to optics. Ibn al-Haytham’s (latinised as Alhazen) 11th-century systematic study of experience in his seminal thesis ‘Book of Optics’ (Fig. 1) lays the foundation for theories of spatial depth and embodied subjectivity. Ibn alHaytham distinguishes visual perception in two ways; as glancing, and as contemplative accompanied by prior knowledge (El-Bizri 2018). ‘He detailed the psychological workings of recognition (ma‘rifa), judging discernment (tamy¯ız ), and comparative inferential measure (qiy¯as), as they all get aided by imagination (takhayyul), memory (dhikr), and at times by prior knowledge’ (El-Bizri 2018). The complexity of experience and sense of being can be distilled for now, identified by McGilchrist; (2009 as cited in Pallasmaa 2019) ‘we have developed two independent but complimentary modes of perceiving; one mode of precise focused perception, and second of diffuse and unfocused peripheral scanning.’ This dual system of perception gives us a framework for the analysis presented herein.

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Fig. 1 The human visual system, Ibn Al-Haytham, Book of Optics (10111021).

Phenomenologically, Ibn al-Haytham states that the body contributes to visual experience when sharing a common terrain (i.e., physical presence) with that which is perceived. Delving further, some 1000 years later, Pallasmaa discusses experience as structured in space and the continuum of time, returning to the notion of embodied experience. Pallasmaa’s alarm at the Modern movement’s ‘obsession of focused vision’, the static gaze, (exacerbated by the virtual interface) is constructively countered through experience; ‘Instead of confronting a building merely as a retinal image, we confront it with all our senses at once, and we live in it as part of our existential world, not as an

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object of our gaze outside ourselves’ (Pallasmaa 2016). For example, Richard Serra’s sculptures in the Qatari desert (Fig. 2) require us to move, expose ourselves to the elements and contend visually with scale to experience the towering steel volumes. As you move around them, they shift from surface to mass, comprehendible to overpowering.

of culture, time and memory’ (2016). In the virtual world, our experience is no longer continuous, rather it is a contiguous series of fragments which start and stop as we switch between platforms and conversations. The ‘newsfeed’ mechanism embodies this – many parcels of information, experience, and knowledge neatly provided to us, one after the next. Each parcel gives an opportunity of further exploring, or staying outside and looking in. The ‘temporal depth’ and continuum referred to above, particularly that of memory, is challenged as we focus only on the present flattened temporality, switching our attention between these parcels, and abandoning our peripheral perception to attend to an overstimulated focused perception. A secondary dynamic is created by the ability to record and replay, losing immediacy and poignancy of an individual moment, while changing the notion of real-time experience.

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Fig. 2 East-West/West-East, Richard Serra, Qatar, 2015. Image: Qatar Musems ‘Physical spaces, places and environments activate our senses, feelings and imaginations and strengthen our sense of reality and self’ (Pallasmaa 2019).

Our physical spaces illuminate our senses, as we ‘grasp a unique way of being’ (Mearleau-Ponty 1964) and through this perception of the physical world in which we are encapsulated, we gain and constantly redefine and reinforce our sense of self, intrinsically linked to the notion and state of wellbeing.

3. The virtual world

Interplay of the physical and virtual

Returning to our present context, the catalysing Covid-19 crisis; the rules of physical space have been rewritten. Physical space must work much harder, boundaries are blurred, and our spaces adapt with us as we bend, twist, and liberate the notion of function. We found ourselves confined to our homes.

A bed became a workspace, a dining table became a school and so on. We reoriented and repurposed our spaces, as our homes became a casing for our virtual experiences.

The flattened, focused experience of virtual space dominates our physical environment. As we shut out our peripheral perception, any depth we perceive, for example in a video call with another person, is the depth of another physical space. We enter their physical space, and host them in ours, leading to the advent of the ‘background’, which has become a carefully curated, layered and perspective experience. As we join the physical space – in the ocular plane - of the person we are talking with, our experience traverses the virtual and translates back into a physical one. Our second system of peripheral perception is employed, albeit in a restricted and framed fashion.

The relationship between our worlds and perception of them is no longer parallel, rather becoming like Russian dolls, layers of worlds and perceptions encased in and accessible through another (Fig. 3).

The virtual world has opened our notion of experience and activity to a set of opportunities which make physical space appear cumbersome, limiting, and at a competitive disadvantage. Knowledge can be shared, and valued through any number of platforms, with multiple interactions occurring simultaneously.

We curate our experiences; we start and stop them as and when we wish.

An unrivaled ease of exchange, ability to switch between modalities of live/ work/play, and high engagement of our focused perception, enables us to productively inhabit the virtual world. We experience the virtual world in a determined, structured, and singular fashion.

Our dual system of perception is polarised most in our virtual experience.

Our interface with the virtual world - a screen, camera, and mirror image - is designed for focused perception, reduced to a single visual and audio target.

The peripheral sensory experience is at worst excluded, at best detached.

The Modern movement towards focused vision, reinforced by our virtual interface, finds itself battled by the collective need for wellbeing. As experience becomes more dematerialised, the body yearns for sensory experience of ‘the flesh of the world’. Montagu talks of the ‘painful depravation of sensory experience we have suffered in our technologized world’ (Montagu 1986 cited in Pallasmaa 2016).

Pallasmaa asserts; ‘We not only dwell in space, we also dwell in the continuum

Fig. 3 An example of traversing physical and virtual spaces, where one enters multiple parallel physical spaces (using peripheral perception) through virtual infrastructure, whilst simultaneously being engaged in their own physical space (using focused perception) when sketching. MS Teams BArch(hons) Year 4 Design Studio Charrette 2020

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Exposure and exchange on the periphery

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Our peripheral, diffuse perception is the key mechanism for gaining tacit knowledge. It is required for contextualising our exchanges and knowledge.

The shift to virtual worlds has profound impacts on ‘exchange values’ as knowledge moves through different infrastructures. On one hand, we have access to more knowledge and exchange than ever before, on the other hand, we have lost tacit, peripheral and contextualising mechanisms.

A side effect of operating predominantly within the boundaries of focused perception, and the efficiency of choice combined with instantaneity, is that we do not experience things we do not want to. Difference becomes a pronounced proxy for imperfection of the explicit, associated negatively.

The sense of identity and context that comes from the periphery in the form of implicit, un-codifiable tacit - the diffuse elements of identity are lost. The focused remains, filling the gaps of the lost implicit with its clear boundaries and definitions. The hard edges of the explicit are unforgiving, and no longer balanced by the softer, open, and emotional periphery.

[4]

McGilchrist, I. (2009). The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. New Haven/London: Yale University Press

[5]

M. Merleau-Ponty, ‘The Film and the New Psychology’, Sense and Non Sense, Evanston, IL., Northwestern University Press, 1964, p. 48.

[6]

A. Montagu, Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin, New York, Harper & Row, 1986, p. xii

[7]

RIBA General Criteria at part 1 and part 2 (2014)

Returning to the constantly redefined and reinforced sense of self through perception, it is evident that wellbeing is rightly front and centre of our concerns, as our senses yearn for embodied and existential meaning in that which escapes definition. It is, as Pallasmaa (2016) points out, the task of architecture to articulate ‘how we touch our world in our attempt to turn it into our home’.

Acknowledgements This paper is written in parallel with leading BArch Architecture (Hons) Year 4 Architectural Design Studio, 2018-2021, both in terms of; the influence of history and theory on the spatial, social, and technological aspects of architecture (GC2.2, RIBA 2014); and more recently in pedogeological terms of learning & te aching in Responsive Blended Learning mode during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Team: Assistant Professor Alida Bata, Adjunct Professor Dima Al Kawadri, and students of Year 4 2018-2021.

References [1]

Pallasmaa, Juhani (2016) ‘Matter, Hapticity and Time Material Imagination and the Voice of Matter’, Building material (Architectural Association of Ireland). Architectural Association of Ireland, (20), pp. 171–189.Juhani Pallasmaa (2016) ‘Matter, Hapticity and Time Material Imagination and the Voice of Matter’, Building material (Architectural Association of Ireland).

Architectural Association of Ireland, (20), pp. 171–189

[2]

El-Bizri, Nader (2018) ‘Arabic classical traditions in the history of the exact sciences: The case of Ibn al-Haytham’, European physical journal plus. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 133(7), pp. 1–7. doi: 10.1140/epjp/i2018-12142-7.

[3]

Pallasmaa, Juhani (2019) ‘The Atmospheric Sense: Peripheral Perception and the Experience of Space’, in Atmosphere and Aesthetics. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 121–131. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-24942-7_6.

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News and Events

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

News and Events News January 2021 – April 2021 • 5th January 2021

CESC continues to grow social media audience Summary: CESC social media channels are continuing to provide our followers with upto date news, events and comment. In the last three months CESC has launched a dedicated YouTube channel to complement their exsisting LinkedIn and Twitter platforms. The channel currently hosts all previous CESC webinars and is designed to enable our audience to keep up to date with CESC news and content.

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8b993RQa3evETaFujZHG5Q

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71811074/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/CescDubai • 10th February 2021

CESC Hosts Net-Zero Carbon Workshop Summary: Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction brought together leading experts from industry, academia, and government to discuss and debate the challenges, opportunities, technologies and policies specifically for the cement industry to support the efforts of mitigating carbon emissions in the UAE. The workshop brough together relevant stakeholders from the UAE’s cement industry value chain – who explored the technologies, systems and processes needed to achieve the ‘net zero carbon” goals by 2050.

A total of 23 participants attended the workshop, representing a myriad of stakeholders, • • • • • • •

Government entities such as Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Carbon and Dubai Municipality AEC Consultants such as Jacobs and KEO Manufacturers such as CEMEX, Master Builders and Arkan Financial institutions such as EY and HSBC Developers such as Emaar Academia such as American University of Sharjah Professional bodies such as Emirates Green Building Council and the Energy Institute

For More Information: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/centre-of-excellencein-smart-construction-cesc_netzero2050-uae-nzcactivity-6765230212738269184-2urZ

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Research Bulletin Bulletin Research No.3 April April 2021 2021 No.3

• 11th February 2021

CESC Appointments new member to Non-Executive Board Summary: Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction was delighted to welcome Tala Al Ansari as a member of its Non-Executive Board, chaired by HE Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi. Tala joins the board with a wealth of experience and is currently EXPO 2020 Director of Innovation Ecosystem & Scale2Dubai.Ms Al Ansari has a B.Sc. in Business Sciences from Zayed University and M.Sc. in International Business from Heriot-Watt University, besides many certificates in leadership.

For More Information: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ urn:li:activity:6787643496141524992

• 2nd March 2021

CESC collaborates with UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure Summary: The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure unveiled the ‘National Guide for Smart Construction’ that was developed in consultation with Heriot-Watt’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC).

The guide aims to develop the basic drivers of flexible policies, elements and targets that stimulate the development of the built environment sector, to drive innovations and best practices to meet UAE’s aspirations for the next 50 years and enhance its global leadership in Smart Construction.

Inspired by the three core themes of CESC – i.e. Performance and Productivity, Sustainability, and Wellbeing – CESC Director Dr Anas Bataw contributed his time and expertise towards the development of the guidelines. This will be followed by an implementation phase and further engagement to support the development of further standards and indices.

For More Information: https://twitter.com/CescDubai/status/1366654102143385603/ photo/2

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Published articles January 2021 – April 2021 • 6st January 2021

Second CESC bulletin published Summary: CESC published issue two of its bi-annual Research Bulletin.

The bulletin included research articles focusing on the most recent trends in the Built Environment and was structured as per CESC’s three innovation themes: Performance & Productivity, Sustainability, and Wellbeing.

Bulletin Link: https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai/research/cesc/recent-publications.htm

• 11th February 2021

Facilities Management Middle East- Comment: How FM can help achieve sustainability?

Summary: Matthew Smith, associate head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. discusses how Facility management can help achieve sustainability Full Article: https://www.fm-middleeast.com/people/76111-comment-how-fm-can-help-achieve-sustainability

• 12 th February 2021

CESC Featured in Khaleej Times Summary: Leading national UAE newspaper and digital content provider Khaleej Times published an article which focused on the newly built, world class Heriot – Watt University Dubai campus which is set to open in April 2021.

The feature also talked about Heriot – Watt University Strategy 2025 and the role the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction continues to play in achieving the strategy.

Full Article: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/supplements/heriot-watt-centreof-excellence-in-smart-construction

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• 14th March 2021

Facilities Management Middle East – CAFM Expert Opinion Summary: Dr. Anas Bataw, director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) discusses the several benefits that businesses can reap through the deployment of CAFM Full Article: https://www.fm-middleeast.com/people/78044-how-cafm-can-save-businesses-time-and-money

• 18 th March 2021

Construction Machinery Middle East – 3D Printing Summary: What are the pros and cons of 3D Concrete Printing and why is this emerging technology crucial to the construction industry?

Dr. Mustafa Batikha, Associate Director of Research Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus and Academic Lead for Publications at Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction gives his thoughts and opinions and explains how this innovative construction technology can pave the way to meet future requirements for the sector.

Full Article: https://issuu.com/cpitrade/docs/cmme_march_2021/16

• 21 st March 2021

CM Today – Dubai Urban Masterplan 2040 Summary: CESC Director, Dr. Anas Bataw shares his expert opinion on the Dubai 2040 Urban Masterplan with Community Management Today.

Full Article: https://www.cm-today.com/trends/dubai-2040-urbanmaster-plan-brings-positive-vibes-to-the-industry?utm_ source=SM&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=Article

News and Events

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

• 22nd March 2021

ME Construction News – Enhancing Technology in Construction Industry

Summary: CESC Director, Dr. Anas Bataw sheds light on the benefits of technology as a means for collaboration and transparency in the construction industry.

Full Article: https://meconstructionnews.com/46805/the-tech-to-enhance-collaboration-and-transparency-inthe-construction-industry-post-covid-19

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Research Bulletin Bulletin Research No.3 April April 2021 2021 No.3

Events January 2021 – April 2021 • 19st January 2021

CESC Webinar “Closing the Graduate Skill Gap” Moderator: Professor T. Malcolm Chrisp – Heriot – Watt University Summary: In a marketplace made primarily of an expatriate workforce, with varying levels of knowledge, education system and skills, ensuring construction employees are competent in their discipline is a growing priority for all construction organisations operating in the Middle East.

To View Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1VRzHa2W5k&t=2347s

• 23rd February 2021

CESC Webinar “Modular Construction, The Good, the Bad and The Ugly” Moderator: Yasser Baaj, Vice President DuBox Summary: The second of 2021 CESC webinar programme focused on Modular Construction.

It is widely recognised that the application of modular construction has many benefits such as speed of delivery, improved quality control, enhanced sustainability performance and improved safety.

This method of construction sounds like an ideal alternative to conventional methods considering the persisting performance and productivity issues faced by the industry.

To View Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ufjoKycrg&t=9s

• 23rd February 2021

CESC part of Innovation Arabia 14 Judging Panel Summary: As part of Innovation Month, Innovation Arabia launched a nationwide competition which gave school and university students the opportunity to present innovative ideas to a panel of experts.

CESC Director, Dr. Anas Bataw was delighted to be a part of the judging panel.

For More Information: innovationarabia.ae/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ Catalogue-2021.pdf https://www.instagram.com/tv/CL6F9xbpZ7o/

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

• 24th March 2021

Polypipe -The importance of high performing drainage systems Summary: How important are high - performing drainage systems in the built environment?

Esteemed CESC industry partner ran a webinar to discuss this importance issue and were joined by Director Dr. Anas Bataw who joined the panel and gave his expert opinion on how new technologies will shape the future of construction in the UAE and globally.

To View Webinar: https://twitter.com/PolypipeME/ status/1374279940389109762/photo/1 • 31st March 2021

CESC Webinar “Women in Middle East Construction” Moderator: Dr. Hagir Hakim, Heriot – Watt University Summary: What initiatives are in place to support and empower women in the Middle East construction industry?

As part of the ongoing CESC webinar series our esteemed industry experts and leading academics at discussed and debated the important role of women in the Middle East construction industry.

31st March 6pm - 7.30pm (GST) To View Webinar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIp3dHOzfHc&t=8s

• 5th April 2021

MEFMA Virtual Seminar Summary: CESC Director Dr. Anas Bataw joined the panel of experts at the MEFMA virtual seminar and discussed how best to embed technology into Facility and Asset Management. Other panelists included Fascinating insight on embedding technology Adrian Jarvis Ali Shabdar Riyadh Derouiche For More Information: http://mefma.org/index.php?lang=en

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News and Events

Research Research Bulletin Bulletin No.3 No.3 April April 2021 2021

• 7th April 2021

Ventures Connect Webinar Summary: CESC Director Dr Anas Bataw joined the expert panel of speakers at the Ventures Connect webinar which focused on AEC data security which was part of the Data & Collaboration Thought Leadership Series produced by OMNIX.

For More Information: https://dchub.me/autodesk-data-collaboration-seriesbrought-to-you-by-omnix/

News and Events

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

Upcoming Events • 25th May 2021

CESC Webinar 9: Green Hydrogen - Innovative Renewable Energy Solutions for Net-Zero Carbon Cities Summary: The Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction, Heriot-Watt University and the CIB TG96 along with several CIB Commissions are organizing an international conference on smart built environment at Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus. Which focuses on how best to accelerate innovation to deliver Smart Built Environment.

Please follow CESC LinkedIn page for registration details :

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71811074/ • 15th June 2021

CESC Webinar - Mental Health in Construction?

What can be done?

Summary: The World Health Organisation defines ‘mental health’ as “a state of wellbeing in which the individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and are able to make a contribution to their community.” In construction, physical health is seen as the most important thing, but mental health has been overlooked until it became the silent epidemic in the industry.

Please follow CESC LinkedIn page for registration details :

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71811074/

• 13th July 2021

CESC Webinar - How the 3M’s —Material, Machine and Money are affecting the progress of 3D printing in the construction industry?

Summary: The technology of 3D printing is gaining momentum in the construction industry due to its potential benefits such as speed, accuracy, reduction of labor costs, waste minimization and enhanced safety. However, many factors affect the level of success in 3D printing that mainly come under the 3M’s Material, Machine and Money. Join us for this one-hour webinar to hear more about how decisions about and trade-off between these factors are taking place in research and practice towards enhancing the feasibility and scalability of additive manufacturing in construction.

Please follow CESC LinkedIn page for registration details :

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News and Events

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71811074/

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

• 14th - 16th December 2021

CIB International Conference on Smart Built Environment Chair: Dr Taha Elhag (Associate Professor, Heriot-Watt University) Co-Chair: Professor Mohammed Dulaimi (Director of CIB MENA Summary: The Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction, Heriot-Watt University and the CIB TG96 along with several CIB Commissions are organizing an international conference on smart built environment at Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus. Which focuses on how best to accelerate innovation to deliver Smart Built Environment.

For more details: https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai/events/cib-internationalconference-on-smart-built.htm

Keep updated via social media

To keep up to date with all the forthcoming events follow our social media channels

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Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

CESC Partners’ News January 2021 - April 2021 • 11th Janurary 2021

Mott MacDonald certified as carbon neutral, globally Summary: Following a new contract with The Red Sea Development Company, Mott Macdonald is now in charge of developing the project’s sustainable transport plan. The contract spans the entire duration of development, from the site’s launch in 2022 to its completion almost a decade later.

For Article: Consultants to deliver transport plan for The Red Sea Project (consultancy-me.com)

• 26th Janurary 2021

ALEC wins big at big project awards 2.

Summary: ALEC walked away with four prestigious awards at January’s Big Project ME Awards 2020. The complete list of awards ALEC received are: • • • • Full Story:

Big Project ME Professional of the Year Rade Miljanovic Big Project ME Executive of the Year Sean McQue Multi-Discipline Contractor of the Year ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC Project of the Year Mobility Pavilion, EXPO 2020

ALEC Wins Big At Big Project Awards | ME Construction News - ALEC

• 9th March2021

Jacobs publishes the “Rethinking Sustainable Cities’ report Summary: Drawing on insights from digital roundtable discussions as part of Interchange, London Transport Museums thought leadership program, the report outlines recommendations for building inclusive and sustainable cities.

Full details and to download report: Fundamental focus on social inclusion vital to future of sustainable cities, says new report | Jacobs

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News and Events

Research Bulletin No.3 April 2021

• 16th March 2021

Pakistan Expo 2020 pavilion civil works completed Summary: Located in the ‘Opportunity District’ of the expo site, the pavilion has a total covered area of 35,000 sq ft. Its structural infrastructure work was handled by ASGC along with its subsidiaries - Al Shafar United which is the MEP contractor and Al Shafar Interiors its fit-out contractor - while Khatib & Alami (K&A) is the main consultant.

Full Story: Pakistan Expo 2020 pavilion civil works completed (tradearabia.com)

• 11th April 2021

Polypipe wins CIBSE 2021 Manufacturer of the Year Summary: Polypipe Middle East has been awarded the coveted Manufacturer of the Year 2021 by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

Full Story: https://www.middleeast.polypipe.com/news/winner-cibse-2021manufacturer-year

Thank you for reading.

The next Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction bulletin will be published in September 2021.

To have a research paper considered for inclusion please contact Dr. Mustafa Batikha on m.batikha@hw.ac.uk

News and Events

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