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This paper aims to determine and evaluate the calibration curve for low-cost electronic sensors in soils from a reclaimed and degraded area in the Brazilian semiarid region.

The probes were made, programmed and inserted in soil previously conditioned in polyethylene cylinders. The sets “cylinder + probe + soil” were subjected to saturation for a period of 24 h and, subsequently, gravitational drainage at room temperature and daily weighings were performed. When the set reached constant weight, the samples were taken to dry in an oven at 105°C to determine the dry mass and later, determine the gravimetric moisture and convert it into volumetric. The volumetric moistures obtained were related to measured frequency variations and the adjustments were analyzed by regression, which was subjected to analysis of variance (p = 0.05), and related by a third-degree polynomial equation whose quality of the fit was verified with coefficient of determination (R²).

The obtained moistures were related to the estimated moistures and evaluated by the root-mean-square error and straight 1:1. The results demonstrate that the sensors are not accurate for moistures in saturation, but representative and statistically acceptable results for moistures up to field capacity.

This paper has not been published before in its current, or similar form.

At present, piezoelectric impedance technology has been used in the study of wood damage monitoring. However, little effort has been made in the research on the application of piezoelectric impedance system to monitor the change of wood moisture content (MC). The monitoring method of wood MC is used by piezoelectric impedance technique in this study.

One piezoceramic transducer is bonded to the surface of wood specimens. The MC of the wood specimens increases gradually from 0% to 60% with 10% increments; the mechanical impedance of the wood specimen will change, and the change in the mechanical impedance of the structure is reflected by monitoring the change in the electrical impedance of lead zirconate titanate. Therefore, this paper investigates the relationship between wood MC change and piezoelectric impedance change to verify the feasibility of the piezoelectric impedance method for monitoring wood MC change.

The experiment verified that the real part of impedance of the wood increased with the increase of wood MC. Besides, the damage index root mean square deviation is introduced to quantify the damage degree of wood under different MC. At the same time, the feasibility and validity of this experiment were verified from the side by finite element simulation. Finally, MC monitoring by piezoelectric impedance technique is feasible.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to apply piezoelectric ceramics to the monitoring of wood MC, which provides a theoretical basis for the follow-up study of a wide range of wood components and even wood structure MC changes.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study carried out to identify and analyse which potential subject areas may have impact on developments in the field of building maintenance (BM). That is, it is intended to contribute to the integration of new approaches so that building maintenance management (BMM) becomes as automated, digital and intelligent or smartness as possible in the near future.

The research approach has resulted in a theory that is essentially based on a qualitative design. The route followed was a literature review, involving the collection, analysis and interpretation of carefully selected information, mostly from recently published records. The data assembled and the empirical experience itself made it possible to present a comprehensive viewpoint and some future outlooks.

Five thematic areas considered as potentially impactful for BM developments have been highlighted, analysed and generically labelled as thematic base words, which are monitoring, automation, digitalisation, intelligence and smart. It is believed that these may be aspects that will lay the groundwork for a much more advanced and integrated agenda, featured by a high-tech vision.

This is thought to be a different way of looking at the problem, as it addresses five current issues together. Trendy technological aspects are quite innovative and advantageous for BMM, providing opportunities not yet widely explored and boosting the paradigm shift.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of osmo-convective dehydration using two drying temperatures (50 and 60°C) on the physico-chemical properties, shelf life and sensory acceptability of jackfruit berries.

Four treatments were used as follows: T1 – Jackfruit berries dried in an oven at 50°C; T2 – Jackfruit berries dried in an oven at 60°C; T3 – Jackfruit berries pre-treated with an osmotic-sucrose solution (60 Brix concentration) and oven-dried at 50°C and T4 – Jackfruit berries pretreated with osmotic solution (60 Brix concentration) and oven-dried at 60°C. Berries' shelf life was monitored by moisture analysis, water activity (Wa) and microbiological analysis. The influence of treatments on physico-chemical properties and sensory quality was also investigated.

Osmo-convective dehydration at 50 and 60 C significantly (p = 0.001) reduced moisture content and Wa. All treatments increased the shelf life of jackfruit berries within 30 days of storage. Regarding sensory analysis, the T3 treatment was significantly (p = 0.001) the most preferred by the tasters.

In general, the results indicated that osmo-convective dehydration at 50 C has great potential to be a maid in the processing of minimally processed jackfruit berries, as, in addition to providing the product with high stability, it was the one with the greatest acceptability by the tasters.

The use of renewable energy has become necessary because of the harmful effects of current energy sources on the environment, limited availability and financial crisis. Transparent solar panels have emerged as a promising technology for integrating renewable energy generation into building structures. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façades in Sri Lanka.

The research apprehended a qualitative approach, including two expert interview rounds adhering to the Delphi technique with 17 and 15 experts each per round. Manual content analysis was incorporated to analyse the collected data.

Regarding operation and maintenance, the study emphasizes the importance of regular inspection, cleaning and repair of transparent solar panels to ensure optimal performance and longevity. These activities contribute to maximizing energy generation and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the building. The benefits of implementing transparent solar panels on building façades are manifold. They include renewable energy generation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy efficiency and enhanced architectural aesthetics. Furthermore, the research findings underscore the potential of transparent solar panels to contribute to Sri Lanka’s sustainable development goals and address the country’s increasing energy demand. However, the study also identifies challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation.

This study contributes to understanding the feasibility of transparent solar panels for high-rise building façades in Sri Lanka. The research findings offer valuable insights into the operation and maintenance aspects, benefits, challenges and strategies for implementing transparent solar panels effectively. This knowledge can guide policymakers, architects and developers in making informed decisions regarding the integration of transparent solar panels, thereby promoting sustainable and energy-efficient building practices in Sri Lanka.

Millions of properties have suspended timber ground floors globally, with around ten million in the UK alone. However, it is unknown what the floor void conditions are, nor the effect of insulating such floors. Upgrading floors changes the void conditions, which might increase or decrease moisture build-up and mould and fungal growth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the current global evidence and present the results of in situ monitoring of 15 UK floor voids.

An extensive literature review on the moisture behaviour in both uninsulated and insulated suspended timber crawl spaces is supplemented with primary data of a monitoring campaign during different periods between 2012 and 2015. Air temperature and relative humidity sensors were placed in different floor void locations. Where possible, crawl spaces were visually inspected.

Comparison of void conditions to mould growth thresholds highlights that a large number of monitored floor voids might exceed the critical ranges for mould growth, leading to potential occupant health impacts if mould spores transfer into living spaces above. A direct comparison could not be made between insulated and uninsulated floors in the sample due to non-random sampling and because the insulated floors included historically damp floors. The study also highlighted that long-term monitoring over all seasons and high-resolution monitoring and inspection are required; conditions in one location are not representative of conditions in other locations.

This study presents the largest UK sample of monitored floors, evaluated using a review of current evidence and comparison with literature thresholds.

This paper discusses the concept of “monitoring” moisture content (MC) as a surveying aid in connection with appraisal of buildings and when assessing the drying out of buildings, for example, after flooding damage. It also presents the findings of testing of various instruments to record the drying out of brick, timber and cement screed specimens. Conclusions are drawn on the most appropriate methods for the surveyor to use when monitoring the MC of construction materials.

This chapter presents the Smart Irrigation system using the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT Technology is a network of physical objects that are connected with sensors, software, etc. This chapter concludes the project based on the agriculture field that automates the irrigation process and on the agriculture field that automates the irrigation process and solves the challenge of water consumption in those areas. We have developed the system using different sensors like (1) Soil Moisture sensor, which measures the moisture present in the soil, (2) Humidity and Temperature Sensor (DHT11), which traces the temperature change. All these sensors are connected to the Node MCU ESP8266 microcontroller, which is also a Wi-Fi module. It uploads the data to the cloud and displays it in the form of readings detected by the Blynk Application. This sensor's reading values control the pump for emergency purposes, such as stopping the pump for irrigation. Thus, this project can automate the irrigation process by analyzing soil moisture and climatic conditions, covering essential aspects like less labor, power consumption, reliability, and cost.

The purpose of this work is to make an IoT-based low-cost and power-efficient portable system to control irrigation using a threshold value algorithm and to measure soil-irrigation-related parameters such as soil moisture, soil temperature, humidity and air temperature.

This paper presents a threshold value algorithm to optimize power consumption and to control irrigation process.

The system uses ESP-12F 8266 as the main microcontroller unit to monitor and control irrigation system. The system also consists of an actuator system that triggers automatically based on a threshold value algorithm. An open-source cloud platform is used to monitor and store all the data for future perspective. To make the system run for a long time without any human intervention, a solar panel is used as an alternate source of energy for charging the 12V lithium-ion battery. The battery takes 2.64 h for full charging considering peak intensity of sunlight. A capacitive moisture sensor is included using less expensive 555 timer and calibrated to measure water content in the soil. The 555 timer is used in astable mode of configuration to generate a signal of 572 KHz. The calibrated sensor data when compared with a standard SEN0193 moisture sensor shows an error of 3.4%. The prototype model is made to optimize the power consumption. This can be achieved by utilizing sleep mode of ESP-12F 8266. The total cost involved to make the system is 3900.55 Indian rupees and around US$54.90.

The device is tested in a flower garden during winter season of Nagaland, India, for 75 days to collect all the data and to automate the irrigation process.

The proposed threshold value algorithm optimizes the power consumption of the device, and wastage of water is reduced up to 60% as compared to the traditional method of irrigation.