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The Internet of Things has made the shift to the digital era possible, even though the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector has not embraced nor integrated it within the core functions compared to other sectors. The need to enhance sustainable construction with the adoption of Internet of Things in this sector cannot be overemphasized. However, the real-world applications of Internet of Things in smart buildings remain relatively unexplored in the AEC sector due to several issues related to deployment and energy-saving potentials. Given these challenges, this paper proposes to identify the present state of development and research in Internet of Things and smart buildings, identify Internet of Things clusters and applications in smart buildings.

Bibliometric analyses of papers from 2010 to 2023 using the Scopus database and scientometric evaluations using the VosViewer software were undertaken. The proper search keyword was identified by using the phrases “ Internet of Things” and “Smart Building”. A total of 1158 documents in all, written by 3540 different writers, representing 2285 different institutions from 97 different countries were looked at. A metasynthesis was conducted and a system of Internet of Things applications in a smart building is illustrated.

The development of IoT and Smart Buildings is done in two phases: initiation (2010–2012) and development phase (2013–2023). The IoT clusters comprised Internet of things, energy efficiency, intelligent buildings, smart buildings and automation; while the most commonly used applications were analysed and established. The study also determined the productive journals, documents, authors and countries.

Documents published in the Scopus database from 2010 to 2023 were considered for the bibliometric analysis. Journal articles, conference papers, reviews, books and book chapters written in English language represent the inclusion criteria, while articles in press, conference reviews, letters, editorials, undefined sources and all medical and health publications were excluded.

The results of this study will be used by construction stakeholders and policymakers to identify key themes and applications in IoT-enabled smart buildings and to guide future research in the policymaking process of asset management.

The study utilised bibliometric analysis, scientometrics and metasynthesis to investigate Internet of things applications in smart buildings. The study identified Internet of things clusters and applications for smart building design and construction.

To significantly adopt and improve indoor energy efficiency in building infrastructure in developing countries can be a challenging venture. Thus, this study aimed to assess the satisfaction of indoor environmental quality and its effect on energy use intensity and efficient among student housing.

The study is quantitative and hinged on the contrast theory. A survey of 1,078 student residents living in purpose-built student housing was contacted. Using Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Multiple Linear Regression, critical variables such as thermal comfort, visual comfort and indoor air quality and 21 indicators were assessed. Data on annual energy consumption and total square metre of the indoor area were utilised to assess energy use intensity.

The study found a direct relationship between satisfaction with indoor environmental quality and energy use intensity. The study showed that students were more satisfied with thermal comfort conditions than visual and indoor air quality. Overall, these indicators contributed to 75.9% kWh/m² minimum and 43.2% kWh/m² maximum energy use intensity in student housing in Ghana. High occupancy and small useable space in student housing resulted in high energy use intensity.

Inclusions of sustainable designs and installation of smart mechanical systems are feedback to student housing designers. Again, adaptation to retrofitting ideas can facilitate energy efficiency in the current state of student housing in Ghana.

Earlier studies have argued for and against the satisfaction of indoor environmental quality in student housing. However, these studies have neglected to examine the impact on energy use intensity. This is novel because the assessment of energy use intensity in this study has a positive influence on active design incorporation among student housing.

Green building (GB) is an important aspect of sustainable development that advocates for practices that enhance the health and well-being of the occupants and communities with minimal impact on the environment. The adoption of the GB concept is low in most developing countries. This study aimed at assessing the extent of the adoption of GB concepts in Kakamega municipality as a case study. The study sampled 64 respondents which consisted of 15 professionals in the building industry and 49 commercial and residential buildings within the municipality. The results indicated that at least 80% of the professionals were aware of GB concepts of water efficiency, energy efficiency, sustainable materials, sustainable site practices, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Water efficiency practices that were widely adopted in commercial and residential buildings were rainwater harvesting and the use of efficient plumbing fixtures. The energy-saving measures adopted were switching off appliances when not in use, use of energy-saving bulbs, and solar energy. The majority of the respondents felt that the indoor air quality was fair. Resource reuse was not widely adopted which could be attributed to a lack of policy or legislation. Low impact development (LID) design of vegetated storm conveyance and rain gardens (bioretention and porous/permeable pavements) was adopted in 42.9% of the buildings. Research into the use of sustainable materials is recommended for wider application as a GB concept. The study recommends the promotion of GB through incentives to enable wider adoption among the owners and developers. Furthermore, GB legislation and certification programs need to be adopted in Kenya. This study was largely based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria and thus further studies are required on other assessment tools and methods.

Understanding electricity use behaviour is considered one of the strategies to achieve sustained electricity management in buildings. The lack of understanding of occupants’ electricity use behaviour has been found to cause various environmental and ecological issues. This paper aims to investigate the factors influencing occupants’ inefficient use of electricity in buildings becomes a vital area of study to achieve maximum benefit in the area of electricity management.

The study adopted a quantitative survey and questionnaire as instruments for gathering relevant information from end-users in the study area, and the data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The major factors influencing the electricity use behaviour of students in the study area were attributed to their level of awareness, personal beliefs and attitude towards electricity, managerial influences and economic factors.

The threats to the environment and ecology necessitate immediate attention to the elements that impact students’ electricity use habits. This research explains the key elements that might impact students’ electricity consumption habits in buildings. Understanding these key characteristics will provide policymakers with vital knowledge of its prevalence.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of bacterial exopolysaccharides (Eps) in reactive black 5 (RB5) textile dye wastewater bioremediation.

The Eps were produced by bacteria isolated from cotton gin trash soils collected from different cotton-growing regions in Kenya for comparison purposes. A broth medium reconstituted using molasses was assessed for its capacity to produce the Eps. RB5 textile dye wastewater was optimized for dye removal under different temperatures, times and molasses concentrations. Dye removal was studied by Lovibond-Day Light Comparator, UV–Vis spectrophotometer and FTIR.

It was found that cotton gin trash soils contained Eps-producing bacteria. Three of the Eps studied were found to have the capacity to remove at least 80% of the dye from the wastewater.

This research did not assess the efficacy of the RB5 dye removal from the wastewater by mixtures of the Eps.

Bioremediation of textile dye wastewater with Eps produced by bacteria cultured from cotton gin trash soil is significant because it will offer an effective and cleaner alternative to the chemical coagulants.

Alternative treatment of textile wastewater with the Eps would result in safer water being released into the water bodies as opposed to the chemically treated wastewater that contains remnant chemicals.

Research on the use of Eps produced by bacteria isolated from cotton gin trash soils for removal of RB5 dye from textile wastewater has not been done before.

One of the most neglected sources of energy loss is streetlights that generate too much light in areas where it is not required. Energy waste has enormous economic and environmental effects. In addition, due to the conventional manual nature of operation, streetlights are frequently seen being turned ‘ON’ during the day and ‘OFF’ in the evening, which is regrettable even in the twenty-first century. These issues require automated streetlight control in order to be resolved. This study aims to develop a novel streetlight controlling method by combining a smart transport monitoring system powered by computer vision technology with a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera that allows the light-emitting diode (LED) streetlight to automatically light up with the appropriate brightness by detecting the presence of pedestrians or vehicles and dimming the streetlight in their absence using semantic image segmentation from the CCTV video streaming. Consequently, our model distinguishes daylight and nighttime, which made it feasible to automate the process of turning the streetlight ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ to save energy consumption costs. According to the aforementioned approach, geo-location sensor data could be utilised to make more informed streetlight management decisions. To complete the tasks, we consider training the U-net model with ResNet-34 as its backbone. Validity of the models is guaranteed with the use of assessment matrices. The suggested concept is straightforward, economical, energy-efficient, long-lasting and more resilient than conventional alternatives.

This study investigates the barriers and drivers of using green methods and technologies (GMTs) in supportive educational buildings (SEBs) in South Africa, and assesses their impact on the circular economy (CE) in achieving net-zero carbon goals. While there has been extensive literature on green building technologies, there is limited research on the barriers and drivers of using GMT in SEBs, as well as their impact on the circular economy (CE) in achieving net-zero carbon goals.

This study adopts an interpretivist approach with an ontological basis, using an overarching case study of a SEB at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Semistructured interviews were conducted with executive UCT management, and a field survey of a UCT supportive education building was performed.

At UCT, multiple GMTs have been installed across various buildings to enhance monitoring and management of water and energy consumption. Moreover, initiatives to positively influence student behavior, such as water and energy-saving campaigns around UCT premises, have been introduced. The findings further indicate that UCT has recently emphasized the implementation of GMTs, resulting in improved resource efficiency, CE practices and progress toward achieving net-zero carbon targets for supportive education buildings and the university as a whole.

This research highlights the positive impact of GMTs on a SEB’s CE and net-zero carbon operations. As a result, facility managers should consider incorporating GMTs when planning the development or refurbishment of SEBs.

This study aims to qualitatively examine the relationship between the indoor environmental quality (IEQ), lecturers’ and students’ perceived internal responses and academic performance.

To capture user experiences with the IEQ in classrooms, semi-structured interviews with 11 lecturers and three focus group discussions with 24 students were conducted, transcribed, coded and analyzed using direct content analysis.

The findings show that lecturers and students experience poor thermal, lighting, acoustic and indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions that may influence their ability to teach and learn. Maintaining acceptable thermal and IAQ conditions was difficult for lecturers, as opening windows or doors caused noise disturbances. In uncomfortable conditions, lecturers may decide to give a break earlier or shorten a lecture. When students experienced discomfort, it may affect their ability to concentrate, their emotional status and their quality of learning.

The findings originate from a relatively small sample, which might have limited the number and variety of identified associations between environment and users.

Maintaining acceptable air and thermal conditions will mitigate the need to open windows and doors. Keeping doors and windows closed will prevent noise disturbances and related distractions. This will support the quality of learning in classrooms. This study reveals the end users’ perspectives and preferences, which can inspire designers of new school buildings in higher education.

This study emphasizes the importance of creating and maintaining optimal IEQ conditions to support the quality of teaching and learning. These conditions are particularly relevant when classroom occupancy rates are high or outdoor conditions are unfavourable.

The inadequacy of regulations, the uncertainty of the quality of houses produced and the needs of users all highlight the need for a house analysis in Turkey. The goal of this study is to understand housing quality in Turkey based on the gap between expectations and existing housing stock, to identify the main housing expectations and the problematic issues in the current housing situation.

The authors designed a survey using the quality indicators of several well-known housing quality assessment tools to reveal residents' housing preferences and current housing situation in Turkey. The authors analyzed the survey results to identify the gap between housing preferences and existing conditions to reveal the housing quality of Turkish housing.

Overall results show that residents in Turkey, regardless of their demographics, want and need better houses. It was determined that physical conditions, safety, aesthetics and accessibility are the issues for which the expectations of the participants are high and the lack of which is most felt.

This paper reveals the residents' perspective on housing and their housing quality. It emphasizes the need for more research on housing quality, the need for updated regulation and necessity of a housing quality assessment tool in Turkey.

Heavy rainfall is one of the main causes of the degradation of historic rammed Earth architecture. For this reason, ensuring the conservation thereof entails understanding the factors involved in these risk situations. The purpose of this study is to research three past events in which rainfall caused damage and collapse to historic rammed Earth fortifications in Andalusia in order to analyse whether it is possible to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.

The three case studies analysed are located in the south of Spain and occurred between 2017 and 2021. The hazard presented by rainfall within this context has been obtained from Art-Risk 3.0 (Registration No. 201999906530090). The vulnerability of the structures has been assessed with the Art-Risk 1 model. To characterise the strength, duration, and intensity of precipitation events, a workflow for the statistical use of GPM and GSMaP satellite resources has been designed, validated, and tested. The strength of the winds has been evaluated from data from ground-based weather stations.

GSMaP precipitation data is very similar to data from ground-based weather stations. Regarding the three risk events analysed, although they occurred in areas with a torrential rainfall hazard, the damage was caused by non-intense rainfall that did not exceed 5 mm/hour. The continuation of the rainfall for several days and the poor state of conservation of the walls seem to be the factors that triggered the collapses that fundamentally affected the restoration mortars.

A workflow applied to vulnerability and hazard analysis is presented, which validates the large-scale use of satellite images for past and present monitoring of heritage structure risk situations due to rain.