Browsing by Author "Carpio, Manuel"
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- ItemAssessment of the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the microwave heating self-healing technique(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2022) Nalbandian, Kevork Micael; Carpio, Manuel; Gonzalez, AlvaroPavements are the major load-carrying Civil Engineering structures in roads, runways, parking lots, and driveways; hence, they are fundamental for regional or national development. However, the pavement life cycle has significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. The asphalt pavement microwave heating self-healing technique (MWHSHT) is a relatively new alternative to traditional pavement maintenance techniques. Research has mainly focused on its technical feasibility with little attention to its effect on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. This work assesses the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the MWHSHT through an environmental and socio-economic impact analysis for various scenarios. Results show that pavement maintenance alternatives that include MWHSHT show reductions in energy consumption, feedstock energy, materials consumption, and economic indicators compared to full traditional maintenance during the asphalt pavement life cycle, thus increasing pavement sustainability. In addition, the inclusion of the MWHSHT has potential social benefits for stakeholders. Overall, including the MWHSHT for maintaining asphalt pavements has the potential to improve the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability in comparison to using only traditional asphalt pavement maintenance.
- ItemCirculation and distribution of suspended mesozooplankton carcasses in a mid-latitude estuary(ELSEVIER, 2022) Garcia Ruiz, Andres; Carpio, Manuel; Giesecke, Ricardo; Bermudez, Maria; Diez Minguito, ManuelThe coast of southern Chile, located between 37 degrees and 41 degrees S, has many estuaries, which, together with their wetlands, still comprise a region with high biological richness and a high ecosystem value. The Valdivia River Estuary (VRE) stands out due to its relative size and commercial importance. This study analyses time series of environmental forcings and idealized model output to identify estuarine regimes and the subtidal circulation, and its influence on the distribution of Suspended Meso-Zooplankton Carcasses (SMZC), which may affect the local labile organic carbon input. Field campaigns were conducted in 2014 and 2015, and time series of metocean forcings span from 2012 to 2018. The characteristic regimes of the estuary that control the seasonal suspended particulate matter distribution were identified as Normal, Extreme, Exceptional Rainy, and Exceptional Dry. When mapped on the Geyer & MacCready circulation-stratification diagram, they coincide with partially-mixed, strongly-stratified, salt-wedge, and well-mixed water column structures, respectively. The idealized numerical model allows determining the subtidal circulation patterns induced by the along-channel density gradient, river discharge, and wind. The equilibrium SMZC distribution within the VRE during Normal and Exceptional Dry regimes was determined from the modeled circulation patterns. Model results indicated that, during the austral autumn (April 2014; Normal regime), the SMZC distribution shows a maximum concentration as low as 128 individuals per m(3) located near the head of the estuary. This suggests low residence times of suspended carcasses within the estuary. During the austral summer (January 2015; Exceptional Dry regime), the SMZC distribution exhibits its maximum value near the mouth, exceeding 15,000 ind. m(-3). These results suggest a massive carcass-derived carbon export towards the estuary mouth during dry seasons. Remarkably, the cross-section where maximum SMZC was predicted during this regime matches the area where large beds of Tagelus dombeii have been reported. Overall, this study highlights the importance of circulationstratification relationships on the control of SMZC trapping mechanisms and on the identification of hotspots of benthic biomass in mid-latitude estuaries. Other estuaries with similar relationships and regimes might experience similar shifts in suspended meso-zooplankton distribution patterns in response to seasonal changes in forcings.
- ItemEstimating Functional and Physical Service Life of Timber Buildings Concerning Thermal Performance Simulations(MDPI, 2022) Prieto, Andres J.; Silva, Ana; Tori, Felipe; Carpio, ManuelCurrently, the cities in southern region of Chile present extremely high levels of atmospheric pollution. One of the main reasons for that is the adoption of inadequate thermal envelopes, which are not adapted to the buildings' climatic and environmental surrounding conditions. Usually, the existing buildings do not have any type of thermal insulation, which causes excessive heating of spaces, in a region where the main source of heat is firewood. Thus, there is a need to intervene, improving the thermal energy performance of timber buildings, but will it be possible to make technically informed decisions that consider buildings' service life? In this study, 72 buildings in the cities of Valdivia and Niebla (South Chile) have been analysed based on in-situ visual inspections. Concerning the novelty of the study, two methodologies have been used to define the end of their physical and functional service life, establishing a hierarchical scale concerning the priority of intervention in timber buildings. After that, three different thermal energy insulation performance scenarios have been modelled in terms of evaluating current conditions, basic thermal rehabilitation, or deep thermal rehabilitation. A more effective and profound intervention in terms of thermal performance leads to better habitability conditions for the buildings' occupants in the context of South Chile, increasing their comfort between 36% to 46% of the year, when compared with current conditions. This kind of innovative analyses are extremely significant for the implementation of preventive maintenance programs focused not only on the restoration of the physical or functional service life of building stocks, but also considering their thermal energy performance in order to improve the habitability of the buildings for their occupants, and reducing both atmospheric pollutants and firewood consumption in the South of the country.
- ItemEXPERT PANEL ON IN-SITU VISUAL INSPECTIONS FOR MASONRY CHURCHES MAINTENANCE STAGE(VILNIUS GEDIMINAS TECH UNIV, 2021) Carpio, Manuel; Ortega, Jesus; Prieto, Andres J.The incorporation of protocols in heritage building preservation is important for the definition of preventive conservation actions. Such integration is needed to avoid restoration actions and to promote preventive maintenance instead of corrective maintenance actions. This paper presents the application of an innovative digital management system using artificial intelligence that can quantify the suitability of a sample. This kind of application can support the maintenance management of buildings and minimise human error in data collection. The fuzzy system showed slight differences between the members of the expert panel during the in-situ visual inspection. These results indicate that, despite differences between various experts' evaluation of a building, the proposed digital method helps minimise the uncertainty in the results. The paper highlights input variables, which present high dispersion (load state modification, fire and occupancy), and input parameters, which present low dispersion (preservation, roof design and overloads). Fuzzy systems can adequately manage the uncertainties associated with different experts' assessment of sample that present constructive homogeneity. This study can give advantages to stakeholders during the inspection, diagnosis and evaluation stages in the improvement of mitigation policies focused on preventive maintenance programs dedicated to the resilience of heritage buildings, specifically churches emplaced in Chile.
- ItemExpert Panel, Preventive Maintenance of Heritage Buildings and Fuzzy Logic System: An Application in Valdivia, Chile(MDPI, 2021) Carpio, Manuel; Prieto, Andres J.The maintenance of buildings is a highly complex decision process, which is generally due to professional experts having to consider several arduous evaluations, especially regarding uncertainty related to why, when and how to intervene. This study concerns the analysis of the uncertainty associated with professional experts' surveys during the decision-making process during building maintenance. For this purpose, a case study of a timber-structure building was examined. An expert panel of 66 professionals with expertise in construction engineering carried out a systematic and automated evaluation. This kind of digital method is capable of managing the uncertainty associated with the evaluation processes by different specialists. Experts can evaluate various nuances and approximations in the model's input parameters. The fuzzy model helps to harmonize the results since minor variations in the evaluation of the input parameters do not generate a large dispersion over the model's output variable. The novelty of this study concerns the application of a digital methodology based on a fuzzy logic model to assist a professional expert panel in different areas-architecture, engineering and construction. This study is oriented through an artificial intelligence based method applied by specialists to set intervention priorities, support maintenance management of the examined building and minimise human error during data collection and uncertainty related to making decisions. The lessons learned from the results obtained in this study promote the use of this kind of digital tool to manage the uncertainty associated with in-situ visual inspections.
- ItemHow do urban heat islands affect the thermo-energy performance of buildings?(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2022) Lopez-Guerrero, Rafael E.; Verichev, Konstantin; Moncada-Morales, Guillermo A.; Carpio, ManuelCities occupy 3% of the surface of the planet, but account for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of carbon emissions. Likewise, buildings consume 35% of the energy and emit 38% of global greenhouse gases. Cities can aggravate such problems further by generating the phenomenon of urban heat islands (UHI). Few studies have evaluated the state of the art in UHIs' influence on buildings' energy performance, so the present research aims to analyze the main studies evaluating the thermo-energy behavior of buildings subjected to UHI. This was done with a systematic literature review and a scientific mapping of the publications present in Web of Science until 2021. 100 articles were selected for analysis in this review. The results point to an important evolution in the study of parameters affecting urban buildings' performance, in addition to the analysis of different urban land uses as a strategy to sectorize UHI. Such scientific evolution is analyzed and discussed in four-time segments. Fragmentation on building cooling loads and the energy penalty index derived from UHI are discussed, resulting in an average cooling penalty of 6.63 kWh/m2/y/degrees C and 3.81 kWh/m2/y/degrees C, for residential and office use respectively. This study presents limitations and proposes applications for the use of this index, as well as prospects for future studies and main research gaps in the area.
- ItemImpact of Shape Factor on Energy Demand, CO2 Emissions and Energy Cost of Residential Buildings in Cold Oceanic Climates: Case Study of South Chile(MDPI, 2021) Carpio, Manuel; Carrasco, DavidThe increase in energy consumption that occurs in the residential sector implies a higher consumption of natural resources and, therefore, an increase in pollution and a degradation of the ecosystem. An optimal use of materials in the thermal envelope, together with efficient measures in the passive architectural design process, translate into lower energy demands in residential buildings. The objective of this study is to analyse and compare, through simulating different models, the impact of the shape factor on energy demand and CO2 emissions depending on the type of construction solution used in the envelope in a cold oceanic climate in South Chile. Five models with different geometries were considered based on their relationship between exposed surface and volume. Additionally, three construction solutions were chosen so that their thermal transmittance gradually complied with the values required by thermal regulations according to the climatic zone considered. Other parameters were equally established for all simulations so that their comparison was objective. Ninety case studies were obtained. Research has shown that an appropriate design, considering a shape factor suitable below 0.767 for the type of cold oceanic climate, implies a decrease in energy demand, which increased when considering architectural designs in the envelope with high values of thermal resistance.
- ItemInteracción a través de dispositivos móviles en grupos masivos y aprendizaje entre pares: caso de Ingeniería de Construcción(Universidad de La Laguna, Asociación Iberoamericana de Didáctica Universitaria, 2020) Carpio, ManuelConsiderando que, en una clase masiva el proceso de aprendizaje puede verse afectado negativamente por una falta de interacción fluida entre profesorado-estudiantes, es necesario el uso de tecnologías capaces de dar una rápida y efectiva retroalimentación. En el caso concreto de la asignatura de Ingeniería de Construcción, impartida en la Escuela de Ingeniería de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, los grupos son considerados masivos, con un promedio superior a 50 individuos, llegando en algunos casos a 100. Debido a esta problemática, se ha decidido plantear la siguiente iniciativa, la cual todavía no se ha aplicado en su totalidad, siendo el presente trabajo una propuesta de innovación docente. Por todo esto, el objetivo general del presente trabajo es mejorar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes a través de aplicaciones en dispositivos móviles para fomentar la interacción del profesorado con los estudiantes en grupos masivos como en la asignatura Ingeniería de Construcción.
- ItemJob satisfaction in green construction projects: antecedent roles of green work climate, pro-environmental construction practice and green human capital(EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD, 2022) Onubi, Hilary Omatule; Carpio, Manuel; Hassan, Ahmad SanusiPurposeJob satisfaction (JS) of construction workers is important in determining the level of green construction project performance. Despite the importance of construction workers' JS in actualizing green construction projects' objectives, insufficient consideration has been accorded in green construction studies. This study aims to determine the link between green human capital (GHC), pro-environmental construction practice (PCP), green work climate (GWC) and JS. Precisely, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of GWC on the GHC and PCP relationship while analysing the moderating effect of GWC on the relationship between PCP and JS.Design/methodology/approachThis research's data were collected through a survey questionnaire with 272 useable responses obtained. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used in the study's data analysis.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that GHC was positively related to PCP; GWC had a significant mediating effect on the GHC-PCP relationship; PCP had a significant positive effect on JS; and GWC had a significant moderating effect on the PCP-JS relationship with high GWC yielding the greater effect.Practical implicationsThis study gives a clearer picture of how GHC can lead to the adoption of PCP through GWC and translate to JS, thus providing stakeholders with the required information on firm-based initiatives that can promote the needed green behaviour on the construction site.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in its contribution to both theory and practice as it provides greater insight into PCP alongside its antecedents and outcomes as it relates to the JS of construction project/site managers.