Guest Editors
Haitao Li, Professor, Nanjing Forestry University, China.
Professor Haitao Li, Joint Training PhD by Tongji University and the University of Western Australia, is the Vice Dean of College of Civil Engineering in Nanjing Forestry University. He has published more than 100 papers and authorized more than 80 patents. He has won 8 scientific award ranked top 1 and worked as project leaders for ISO standard, CECS and so on. He has written 3 books and worked as INBAR Construction Task Force Key Expert, ISO TC165 timber structure committee, the International Scientific Committee on the Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage (ISCARSAH) and so on. He is also one of the co-founding members of the International Research Centre for Bio-composite Building Materials and Structures, which was established in 2018 and is located in Nanjing Forestry University. He also played a leading role in launching the ACEM conference (Advances in Civil Engineering Materials) and World Symposium on Bio-composite Materials and Structures (SBMS). He also works as the editor or reviewer for more than 20 SCI journals.
Mahmud Ashraf, Professor, Deakin University, Australia.
Mahmud Ashraf is the Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering discipline within the School of Engineering in Deakin University, Australia. He always embraces new concepts and materials in structural applications and is an advocate of hybrid structures to minimise environmental impact due to construction. His PhD research at Imperial College London (UK) was one of the first contributions towards development of a strain based design technique, which is currently known as the Continuous Strength Method. Over the years, Mahmud investigated various aspects of geopolymer concrete, innovative composite materials and 3D printed metallic structures. In recent times, he has been contributing heavily to structural applications of renewable materials including timber and bamboo for a sustainable future. With significant industry support, he is currently leading the Engineered Timber Structures Research Group in Deakin University and is also one of the research theme leaders in 3DEC (Deakin Digital Design and Engineering Centre). Mahmud is an academic adviser to WoodSolutions and is a task force member of INBAR (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan).
Rodolfo Lorenzo, University College London, UK.
Dr Rodolfo Lorenzo joined UCL in 2012 with over 7-years previous design experience in the UK specialist structural engineering consultancies Ramboll UK and Flint and Neill Ltd (now COWI UK). Dr Lorenzo was the Principal Investigator of the EPSRC-funded project BIM Bamboo (Grant Ref EP/M017702/1) focused on the development of the basic research and proof-of-concept processes to generate the digital databases of individual bamboo poles to support a new design and fabrication framework based on the principles of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the use of modern technologies. Dr Lorenzo was also the Principal Investigator of an EPSRC Global Challenges Research Fund Institutional Sponsorship Award 2016 - University College London (Grant Ref EP/P510890/1). This grant funded a field trip to China in the summer of 2016 to carry out the first trial implementation of the processes of the BIM Bamboo project in the facilities of a bamboo distributor in Jiangxi province. Finally, Dr Lorenzo has been a Member of the Task Force on Bamboo Construction of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) since January 2015.
Edwin Zea, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
Dr. Edwin Zea is Senior Assistant at the Chair for Sustainable Construction ETH Zürich. He holds a MSc degree in Urban environmental Management from Wageningen University in The Netherlands and PhD from the ETH Zürich in Switzerland. His work focuses on the sustainability assessment of construction materials and buildings. He makes special emphasis on the assessment of post-disaster reconstruction and social housing projects in a wide variety of geographical context. His work has been published in many renowned scientific journals of his field of research and presented in several International conferences. Currently, his research aims to bridge the gap between innovation and development from research institutions and their application on the construction industry. He also advises several projects and programs in Africa and Latin America in subjects of Environmental Assessment, Carbon Crediting and circular economy measures on the built environment.
Summary
With the quick development of economic, the mineral resources become fewer and fewer and the living environment for our globe becomes worse and worse. Now more and more people are paying attention to the natural green materials such as timber, bamboo, straw and other biomass materials. These renewable materials could be developed into many kinds of products which could be used in our everyday life. One of the main ways is construction materials which could offer good living conditions for our human being compared with other materials from minerals. Making full use of these kinds of materials is a sustainable way to develop our globe.
This Special Issue is mainly about the green materials and structures, such as timber, bamboo, straw and other biomass materials and structures and so on.
Papers about the test methods, properties and structural applications for sustainable materials and structures both from macroscopic and microcosmic are welcome.
Keywords
Strain; Stress; Strength; Modulus; Deflection; Stiffness; Ductility; Tensile;Compression; Shear; Bending; Bricks; Beam; Column; Joint; Frame; Bamboo; Wood; Timber; CLT; Straw; Bio-Composite Materials and Structures
Published Papers