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Articles

  • Philipp Lustenberger, Fabio Asaro, Kilian Arnold, Ernesto Casartelli, Andreas Luible
    1-16

    Wind forces acting on plants can be calculated in CFD simulations using porous body elements. The simulations in this study showed close agreement with wind tunnel tests. Drag coefficients derived from wind-tunnel measurements can be used as input parameters for CFD simulations to estimate the drag forces on plants in wind flows. Two approaches for determining the porosity coefficient are presented and compared; both yield comparable results. Discrepancies occur primarily at low wind speeds in the range of 0-10 m/s, with deviations of up to 50%, due to the small absolute forces involved....

  • This paper presents the design phase of an Extended Reality (XR)-based platform aimed at optimising operation and maintenance for dynamic building envelopes. The proposed solution addresses the growing need for advanced facility management tools that support energy performance and operational efficiency throughout the building lifecycle. The platform integrates heterogeneous data sources, including Building Information Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and Digital Product Passports (DPPs), to enable real-time fault detection, remote technical assistance, and enhanced...

  • Adam Pajonk, Alessandra Luna-Navarro, Ulrich Blum, Ulrich Knaack
    39-62

    Additive Manufacturing offers significant potential in construction by directly converting digital designs into physical objects. However, this potential is constrained by the separated fabrication approach–components are printed away from their final location and later installed. Inherent to most AM processes, it disrupts automation and adds complexity to the construction process. This study demonstrates a laboratory on-substrate workflow that prints directly onto the receiving substructure. A comprehensive workflow was developed, integrating digital design, slicing, and robotic...

  • Magdalena Zabek, Nicolas Pastorelly, Sergio Velasquez, Asier Mediavilla, Vanesa Baño, Thaleia Konstantinou
    63-86

    Over 85% of Europe’s existing building stock fails to meet current energy-efficiency standards, underscoring the urgent need for large-scale retrofits. In line with EU climate objectives to accelerate the renovation wave and reduce embodied carbon emissions, façade retrofit offers significant potential to lower operational energy and resource demand, aligning with Circular Economy (CE) principles. However, the implementation of CE strategies is limited by fragmented practices, insufficiently documented product data, and the lack of standardised integration within design workflows.

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  • Multilayer air-supported membrane structures are operated mostly uncontrolled by maintaining a set pressure and the lowest possible supply-air humidity. This leads to high energy use from constantly maintaining the default pressure and the continuous drying of the supply air necessary to avoid the cushions collapsing and condensation inside the air chambers. 

    Controlling pressure and humidity interactively across all chambers of the membrane cushion will enable ETFE foil manufacturers to apply functional coatings to foils, use thin-film...

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