This seminar series is organised by the Smart and Sustainable Built Environment Working Group (W116) of the CIB. Seminars introduce research in the design and capacity of the built environment to withstand and lower climate change-related hazards.
Seminars consist of short presentations, panel discussions and questions. They are hosted by the CIB who publicise the seminars through Eventbrite. W116 schedules the seminars and presenters. If you have questions or would like to suggest a seminar, please contact: Dr Jeremy Gibberd. Register today here
Learning from floods – How a community develops future resilience
Abstract
Settlements close to rivers, the sea, and hills are among those most vulnerable to floods. The hilly terrain region experiences higher rainfall than the lowlands due to the orographic effect. As a result, excessive rains feeding major rivers cause a rapid rise in water level resulting in frequent breaks of the riverbanks. The flood hence covers the inhabited lowlands with water and silt, causing loss of lives and properties. The affected communities need practical coping alternatives to deal with the intensity and the increasing exposure to floods. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6) identify the sustainable management of water and sanitation as one of their key objectives. This study identifies resilience in practice focusing on how communities create resilience and develop sustainable river catchment management. A qualitative method was used, involving observations, interviews, and community surveys with one of the most flood-prone populations, the New Zealand Northland community. A desktop study containing government publications and flood records compliments the thematic analysis result and strengthens the discussions. Social connections, participation in self-protection training, and maintaining the catchment were among the main findings of the study. This study recommends for community-led response plans integrated with infrastructure improvements and collaboration with councils to reduce the risk of future floods.
Presenters
Widi Auliagisni BSc(Arch)., MCons(CPM). Widi Auliagisni is a PhD student at the School of Built Environment, Massey University. She grew up in Indonesia, where she found a passion for architecture and disaster management. Her research in PhD focused on natural hazards, community resilience, and sustainability. She works closely with communities at risk in the Northland to find the best approach to reducing flood risk and enhancing resilience toward recurring floods. She is part of the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges group and a member of CIB.
Damages on Industrial buildings Caused by forest fires and Their repair: the portuguese case
Abstract
Forest fires have affected the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) in the last years with greater violence, causing damage to houses, industrial and commercial buildings. Businesses face the same fire hazard as houses but with a much greater potential due to labour interruption, job losses, and tax revenue impacts.
In Canada, forest fires affected oilsand camps in 2011 and 2016, disrupting oil and gas production and damages of billions of Canadian Dollars. Camp Fire in 2018, the most destructive forest fire to date in the United States, destroyed houses, commercial buildings and other structures. In Portugal, the 2017 Large Forest Fires caused damage to almost 600 industrial buildings in the WUI and 275 million euros in losses. Assessing post-fire damage provides valuable information for future planning, fire risk mitigation, and improving fire resilience in the built environment. Considering WUI fires’ economic and social impact in industrial areas is essential to better understand this particular situation.
In this sense, following the forest fires of 2017 in Portugal, field research work was conducted to assess the type of damages endured by industrial buildings and to know which construction systems were employed in their repair. The assessment considered the type of structure, materials used in facades and roofs, type of openings, ground waterproofing of uncovered areas, and material storage usage. There was also a verification of the fire reaction characteristics of the materials used in the rehabilitation, in order to understand if the repaired or rebuilt buildings became less or more prone to forest fires in the WUI.
Presenter
Rúben F. R. Lopes Rúben F. R. Lopes is a Research Fellow in Project InduForestFire – Interdisciplinary Methodologies for Protecting Industrial Zones Against Forest Fires at Itecons and PhD Student in Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Holds a BSc in Civil Engineering a MSc in Urban Fire Safety. His research interests are the Structural Behaviour of Buildings under Fire Situation (Composite steel- concrete, Reinforced Concrete, Cold Formed Steel and Structural Masonry). Member of CIB W014 – Fire Safety Commission and ECR Network. Rúben is also a Volunteer Firefighter in Vila Nova de Poiares Volunteer Firefighter Corps since 2012.
Durability of high reflective materials designed for building envelopes – Current research in brazil
Abstract
Lack of vegetation, high emission of greenhouse gases, and the use of low reflective building materials, such as asphalt and concrete, increase the temperature of the cities and lead to the formation of Urban Heat Islands (UHI). As an alternative to mitigate the UHI effect, materials known as “cool surfaces” are a suitable passive technology for reducing heat transmittance into buildings and diminishing the electricity demand for cooling. However, due to aging, the performance of cool surfaces becomes less effective, with decreasing solar reflectance generated by dust accumulation and microbial growth. However, there is little literature on the subject and the data usually present a local perspective on durability which makes it harder to compare with other cases. This research conducted a systematic review of works approaching the natural aging of highly reflective materials to identify the main factors that influence the albedo durability of cool surfaces. The main factors found were macroclimate, microclimate, the tilt of exposure, materials characteristics, and substrate. The data analyses conducted in this research highlight the importance of having a general perspective when studying reflectance durability, since agents that don’t seem relevant when evaluating a local case can be important when comparing the general figure. The inspection promoted by this study might help future research to better analyze their results and connect the diffuse knowledge in the current state of the art.
Presenters
Researcher Lucas de Lima Lucas Nascimento de Lima is a Master’s student at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo. For 4 years conducted research on the durability of building envelope materials (paints, fiber cement, concrete tiles, cement pastes) focusing on solar reflectance. Is a member of the Brazilian Consortium of Cool Surfaces, and has 3 indexed articles on the subject. Currently is conducting his Master’s research at the National Institute on Advanced Eco-Efficient Cement-Based Technologies and working on a project between Saint-Gobain and the University of São Paulo, for the study of biodeterioration of façades.
Heat stress adaptation in informal built environments
Abstract
The effect of climate change is experienced globally, with adverse impacts increasingly noted in urban environments. Concurrently we are noting a rapid increase in global urbanisation, with informal development being one of the primary forms of urban development in the Southern African region. This leaves Southern African cities particularly vulnerable to climate change related impacts as these informal communities have limited to no climate change adaptation measures in place. Within this context the Build Environment and Public Health nexus project was undertaken in Tshwane, South Africa, specifically considering the impact of informal built environments on residents’ wellbeing. Based on current empirical data, the study undertook a digital simulation study of selected informal dwellings, assessing the efficacy of cool roof technologies and added roof insulation as climate change adaptation measures. The simulation study considered these adaptation strategies under current and future 2100 climate change-affected conditions. While cool roof technologies are often earmarked for application in extremely hot climates coupled with high thermal mass buildings, the findings reveal that this is an effective heat amerlioration technology for temperate climates using light-weight steel structures. On the other hand, the simulation studies also reveal that future climate conditions will bring about significant thermal regime shifts limiting the long-term success of the technology. This highlights the need for holistic multilevel climate change adaptation strategies and also undertaking long-term assessments when considering implementing specific climate change response strategies.
Presenters
Dr Jan Hugo Jan Hugo is a registered architect and lecturer in the Architecture Department at the University of Pretoria. He completed his PhD focusing on the climate change adaptation potential of building-integrated agriculture. His current research focus is on the role of the built environment in developing climate change resilient cities with specific focus on heat adaptation in formal and informal environments. Jan Hugo currently coordinates the Professional Honours Architecture programme at UP and participates in the Regenerative and Resilient cities research group.
