Journal of Science and Technology in Civil Engineering (JSTCE) - HUCE

2025-09-26T01:54:31+00:00

Cluster analysis of consumer characteristics influencing willingness to pay for green buildings and associated energy-efficient purchases in Taiwan

2025-09-26T08:03:12+00:00

Given the built environment’s central role in driving sustainability, understanding consumer cluster characteristics that shape willingness to pay (WTP) for environmentally friendly built environment technologies is essential for informing effective urban sustainability strategies. This study applies principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the sociodemographic, psychographic and cognitive characteristics of different consumer clusters in Taiwan, and their influence on WTP for green buildings and associated energy-efficient purchases. Data from a comprehensive survey examining variables such as age, gender, income, education, household composition, and environmental knowledge and attitudes were analyzed. Principal component analysis was applied to reduce data dimensionality, followed by k-means clustering to identify distinct consumer clusters. Four clusters with unique characteristics were observed. The cluster with the lowest WTP was composed of low-income, less-educated individuals with low environmental knowledge and the oldest average age. The cluster exhibiting the highest WTP mostly consisted of highly educated, high-income females with high environmental awareness and attitude. The second-ranking WTP was observed in a cluster primarily composed of moderately educated individuals with moderate incomes, high environmental awareness and attitude scores, and living in households with very few or no children or seniors. A family-oriented cluster was also identified, characterized by moderate income, moderate education levels, and large households including children and seniors, ranking third in WTP. Recognizing these distinct cluster characteristics allows for the development of targeted interventions that address specific barriers and motivators within each consumer cluster, thus facilitating the adoption and integration of energy-efficient and sustainable built environment technologies in Taiwan.

Shear performance of prestressed hollow-core slabs strengthened with CFRP: Finite element modeling and parametric insights

2025-09-26T08:04:17+00:00

This study investigates the shear performance of prestressed hollow-core (HC) slabs strengthened with externally bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets using finite element modeling (FEM). Three-dimensional FEM models, developed in Abaqus and validated against experimental data, accurately replicate the web-shear failure mode and shear capacity of five full-scale HC slabs under shear-dominated loading, with deviations of less than 5%. A comprehensive parametric study examines the influence of CFRP configuration (bonded length and number of layers), concrete compressive strength, prestressing level, and slab geometry (depth and void shape). The results confirm that CFRP strengthening significantly enhances shear capacity, with optimal performance achieved using two to three layers at a bonded length of 450 mm. Higher concrete strength further amplifies the effectiveness of CFRP, while increased prestressing levels tend to reduce shear capacity due to additional stresses in the web region. Slabs with greater depths and non-circular voids exhibit more pronounced improvements, especially when full-height CFRP strengthening is applied. Comparisons with ACI 318-19 and ACI 440.1R-15 reveal notable discrepancies, emphasizing the limitations of current design provisions and the need for refined analytical approaches. The findings offer practical insights into the design and strengthening of HC slabs and contribute to the development of more accurate and reliable design guidelines.

Numerical investigation on local buckling capacity of cold-formed steel compression members made of advanced high strength steels at elevated temperatures

2025-09-26T08:06:28+00:00

In recent years, the application of advanced high strength steels for fabricating cold-formed steel (CFS) members has been increasingly focused. The knowledge of the load-bearing capacity of CFS members made of these materials at elevated temperatures (in fire conditions) is limited. This research study focuses on the compression capacity of short CFS lipped channel members made of MS1200 martensitic advanced high strength steel sheets (with a nominal yield strength of 1200 MPa) and failing by local buckling at elevated temperatures. Firstly, finite element (FE) models of these CFS members were developed. These FE models were then used to conduct a parametric study, in which the effects of increasing temperatures on the capacity reduction of short CFS lipped channel members made of MS1200 steel sheets were focused. The difference between the capacity reductions due to elevated temperatures of CFS lipped channel members made of G550 high strength steel sheets (with a nominal yield strength of 550 MPa) and MS1200 steel sheets was also discussed. Finally, the direct strength method (DSM) based design rules for CFS compression members at elevated temperatures in the current CFS design standard in Australia and New Zealand (AS/NZS 4600) were assessed using the obtained FE analysis results.

Numerical investigation of the axial compressive capacity of reinforced concrete-filled doubleskin steel tubular short columns

2025-09-25T10:53:16+00:00

This study presents a numerical investigation into the axial compressive behavior of reinforced concrete-filled double-skin steel tubular (R-CFDST) columns. A finite element model (FEM) for R-CFDST columns was developed based on validated FE models of both reinforced concrete-filled steel tubular (R-CFST) columns and circular concrete-filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns. Using the proposed FE model, a comprehensive parametric study was conducted to evaluate the effects of longitudinal reinforcement ratio, geometric dimensions, and material properties on the ultimate axial strength of R-CFDST columns. The results show that increasing the longitudinal reinforcement ratio from 0% to 2.93% enhances the column’s ultimate capacity by up to 17.91%, underscoring the critical role of rebar in enhancing column performance. Furthermore, existing design equations for predicting the ultimate strength of R-CFST and CFDST columns were reviewed and adapted for application to R-CFDST columns. The accuracy of these modified equations was validated against the FE results, and the most accurate formulation was recommended for the compressive design of R-CFDST columns under uniaxial loading.

A CS-MITC3+ plate element for static analysis of HSDT-type functionally graded plates under thermo-mechanical loading

2025-09-26T09:14:30+00:00

This paper introduces the development of a 3-node triangular plate element, which utilizes C⁰-type shape functions enhanced by a cubic function at the bubble node positioned at the element’s centroid. This element is designed for the static analysis of functionally graded (FG) plates based on high-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The in-plane strains of the element are averaged over sub-triangular domains bounded by straight lines connecting the vertex nodes to the bubble node. The cell-based smoothed (CS) technique simplifies the integration of in-plane stiffness matrices by confining it to the boundaries of the sub-triangular domains. To reduce the shear-locking phenomenon caused by the thin plate’s thickness, the approach of mixed interpolation tensorial components (MITC3+) is employed to independently interpolate the transverse shear strains. Several benchmark FG plates subjected to thermo-mechanical loading are statically analyzed using the proposed element, referred to as the CS-MITC3+ plate element. The robustness of the presented element is evaluated in comparison with references.

Evaluation of the port operation conditions influencing the selection of Berth Occupancy Rates (BOR)

2025-09-25T10:53:17+00:00

This article presents a new approach to evaluate the factors that influence the selection of Berth Occupancy
Rates (BOR) using a simulation method. The berth occupancy rate is a crucial parameter used to determine the number of berths and the operational capacity of a port. Typically, studies, guidelines, and standards suggest that the berth occupancy factor should be based on the pattern of ship arrivals at the port. However, these recommendations often overlook natural conditions and port operational regulations. This paper investigates how port operation conditions (such as waves and water levels) and safety conditions (including safety protocols) affect the determination of the berth occupancy factor and provides a comprehensive analysis of these influences. The research findings are specifically applied to Lach Huyen Port in Hai Phong, offering a representative example for selecting an appropriate berth occupancy factor under varying conditions.

Free vibration of axially loaded functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite curved beams

2025-10-24T14:27:33+00:00

This study analyzes the free vibration of axially graded functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) curved beams. The theoretical framework employed is based on higher-order shear deformation theory. The governing equations are formulated using the Lagrange equation. A Ritz procedure is implemented to compute the beams’ natural frequencies and critical buckling loads under diverse boundary conditions. Several numerical examples are presented to substantiate the efficacy of the proposed theory and method. Furthermore, the study explores the influences of boundary condition, curvature, slenderness ratio, distribution pattern, and fractional volume of the reinforcing materials on the free vibration and buckling behaviors of the FG-CNTRC curved beams.

Practical formulation for estimating the compressive strength of self-compacting fly ash concrete using gene-expression programming

2025-09-25T10:53:17+00:00

This study aims to develop a gene expression programming (GEP)-based model for estimating the strength of self-compacting concrete (SCC) using fly ash (FA). The model considers the effects of six input variables, including the binder content, the FA proportion, the water/binder ratio, the fine aggregate content, the coarse aggregate content, and the superplasticizer dosage. The 28-day compressive strength of 114 concrete samples was used to generate the prediction model. The trial runs indicate that the GEP model with four genes and 120 chromosomes demonstrates strong performance, achieving a high coefficient of correlation and low errors (e.g., RMSE and MAE). The selected model is reliable, transparent, and easy to use in practice in designing the mix proportion for the SCC. The analysis of variable contributions demonstrates that the water/binder ratio and proportion of FA have the most significant influence on the strength of the SCC, while the fine aggregate content shows a comparatively minor effect. Thus, the strength of SCC could be increased significantly by reducing the water/binder ratio with a low proportion of FA content. The novel model from this study could help engineers in estimating the strength of SCC with reasonable FA content and choosing the appropriate mix proportion to achieve the design strength.

Journal of Science and Technology in Civil Engineering (JSTCE) - HUCE

Table of Contents

Cluster analysis of consumer characteristics influencing willingness to pay for green buildings and associated energy-efficient purchases in Taiwan

Shear performance of prestressed hollow-core slabs strengthened with CFRP: Finite element modeling and parametric insights

Numerical investigation on local buckling capacity of cold-formed steel compression members made of advanced high strength steels at elevated temperatures

Numerical investigation of the axial compressive capacity of reinforced concrete-filled doubleskin steel tubular short columns

A CS-MITC3+ plate element for static analysis of HSDT-type functionally graded plates under thermo-mechanical loading

Evaluation of the port operation conditions influencing the selection of Berth Occupancy Rates (BOR)

Free vibration of axially loaded functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite curved beams

Practical formulation for estimating the compressive strength of self-compacting fly ash concrete using gene-expression programming