Oriol Pons

• Professor (Associate) at Polytechnic University of Catalonia

This research paper aims to develop an approach for the digitalization of non-heritage building stock. Existing building stocks in need of rehabilitation are still not subject to optimized, massive digital surveying processes. Thus, it is difficult to assess the performance of the stock in its current state and after potential retrofitting. While m...

In the context of post-war reconstruction, this study introduces a novel assessment model tailored for the preliminary management of blast-damaged reinforced concrete buildings without structural collapse risk. The model addresses the critical challenge of prioritizing reconstruction efforts within constraints of time and resources while integratin...

European non-residential buildings constructed before building energy codes consume more energy and resources than new buildings. Existing educational buildings comprise 17% of this outdated stock. These buildings can be retrofitted to create a conducive learning environment that can improve students’ comfort. The refurbishment of facades is a comm...

This paper presents an innovative approach to improve the learning process of construction and rehabilitation of buildings. This approach aids students in understanding the materialization of construction parts by generating a user-friendly environment, which incorporates the digital resources that most current students are interested and familiari...

This research paper has defined and applied a new approach to develop and optimize augmented reality-based metaverse environments for learning construction and rehabilitation in architectural studies. This research paper is part of a broader project that aims to improve the learning process of architectural students by approaching construction and...

The use of shotcrete or sprayed mortar is a common construction alternative to retrofit unreinforced brick masonry (URM), and extensive research has already been carried out in this area. However, most studies have been conducted on lateral strength, for example, eccentric compression or seismic forces. On the other hand, there are few studies abou...

Renewable energy applications are lucrative alternatives to minimize urban environmental impacts. Solar energy, the most abundant, inexhaustible, and cleanest of all renewable sources, provides an opportunity to transform buildings from energy consumers into active energy producers. Nevertheless, photovoltaic (PV) and hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (P...

Mass housing (MH) buildings from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, after decades of continuous use and inadequate maintenance, cause several sustainability issues and need rehabilitation. Most of the current conventional rehabilitation techniques have long been criticized because they consider neither sustainability requirements nor contemporary building stand...

OPEN ACCESS https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213138822000534 Recently, intelligent façades (IFs) have become key factors to achieve sustainable development goals in the architectural sector. Research in this area is steadily growing. However, there is lack of conclusive results in available literature about IF’s sustainability...

This article presents the first results of the project Architecture 360, which focuses on learning alternatives for developing working skills in higher education courses, and specifically construction competences for architecture students. The project aims to help teachers to choose the best learning solutions for their classes from numerous altern...

As one of the main and largest components, facades make a determining contribution to the sustainability performance of the whole building. Thus, selecting the optimal wall system is a key challenge for designers, especially on multi-material facades. To meet the requirements (i.e., cost, energy performance, aesthetics, maintainability) determined...

Temporary housing units (THUs), as a solution for accommodating displaced population (DP) in the aftermath of disasters, are critical in terms of the three main sustainability pillars: economic, environmental, and social. Furthermore, the need for these units could grow due to the currently increasing social vulnerability and climate-related hazard...

Rooftop farms can improve a building's thermal and energy performance, especially for uninsulated free-running buildings. The non-refurbished educational building stock lacks indoor comfort related to temperature and high CO2 concentration; and could benefit from the thermal insulation, food security and social cohesion provided by rooftop farms. H...

At present there are numerous alternatives for practical-professional learning at the university. Choosing the best set of activities for a specific course is a crucial multi-criteria complex problem, which depends on factors related to these alternatives, the parties involved and their context. This article aims to carry out a critical review of t...

Currently, foundation piles for inhabited areas are often constructed using a continuous flight auger, which is a cost- and time- efficient technology that does not require stabilization of the borehole wall; the steel bar reinforcement is embedded after the concrete has been poured. However, this reinforcement operation can lead to severe constru...

Green roofs are environmentally-friendly architectural solutions that contribute to air quality improvement, especially in an air-polluted metropolis like Tehran, where space is scarce and expensive. At present, there are different types of green roofs available, with the intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive the most feasible for urban settleme...

El terreno y el estudio geotécnico contiene las informaciones necesarias para interpretar los estudios geotécnicos y utilizarlos en los proyectos de arquitectura. Comienza exponiendo las propiedades de las rocas y los suelos al objeto de identificar, caracterizar y evaluar sus características resistentes, que ejemplifica con los suelos de Barcelona...

Hoy en día, es creciente la importancia que debe darse a la consideración de aspectos de sostenibilidad en el desarrollo de proyectos de infraestructuras. Las distintas características de estos proyectos pueden influenciar el impacto final que tienen en la sostenibilidad global de la infraestructura. En concreto, la elección del material de constru...

In regard to increasing reports toward severe comfort problems and high energy consumption by educational buildings in many countries, a sustainable refurbishment for these edifices is urgently required. Using Intelligent Façade Layers as a protective cover with a variety of possible energy sources would be an innovative rehabilitation alternative,...

Considering the serious challenges our planet is facing, the building environment and construction sector must minimize their high negative impacts and maximize their contribution to sustainability. Many alternatives could promote this change, but to effectively optimize our architecture, we must take the step of quantifying and qualifying the sust...

One of the main challenges in assisting displaced persons who have lost their homes as a result of a natural hazard is the provision of adequate post-disaster accommodations, such as temporary housing. Although the need for temporary housing has increased around the world in recent years, it has been criticized on economic, environmental, and socia...

This article presents a pioneering experimental campaign on waste materials that rigorously tests numerous specimens to study their degradation behavior and the unreported mechanical properties of aged samples. The novel results of these tests, along with the mechanical properties and fire properties which new waste samples obtained from a previous...

Rooftop-farming technologies can transform unexploited roofs into agricultural areas; and though studies have quantified the sustainability of diverse rooftop-farm systems, researchers lack a direct comparison between these farms using a unified sustainability index. Therefore the proposed bottom-up model aims to quantify the sustainability of roof...

Sprayed mortar or shotcrete is a construction technology that could enhance existing masonry buildings’ resilience by reinforcing low-safety load-bearing walls. Many factors affect the resistance of shotcrete-reinforced structures. One of the most important is the bond strength at the interface between the shotcrete and the reinforced wall. Accordi...

An important amount of human household waste can be reused, as it is presently done all over the world in numerous social initiatives such as “Do It Yourself” proposals. Some waste containers have sufficiently good mechanical properties that make these containers promising candidates as some architectural elements. For example, this waste can becom...

The first, and probably the most determining, decision that engineering teams need to make when facing the structural design of any infrastructure is the choice of both an appropriate material and the suitable structural typology for its components. Each component is required to satisfy technical and functional aspects imposed by standards and stak...

This conference paper is not available yet. This research paper is part of a research project to which the attached also belongs as well as the following publication: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/10/2917

La edificación es uno de los sectores con mayor consumo energético mundial, representando aproximadamente un tercio del consumo global de energía. El análisis del inventario edilicio de una ciudad requiere la aplicación de técnicas estadísticas para agrupar edificios con características homogéneas creando así tipologías arquitectónicas. En temas de...

Fiber-reinforced concrete has been used in structures without any additional reinforcement when the design is determined by transient load stages (precast segments for tunnels), in elements with favorable boundary conditions, and in structures subjected to low load levels (pavements or pipes). Recently, the material has been used as the primary rei...

Today, food security has a critical place in the government agendas of developing countries. In Latin American case, urban contexts have been subject to radical transformations in the last decades, most apparently through the expansion of social housing, which may limit or condition access to food for the neediest population. Nowadays, in Latin Ame...

While the majority of the recent studies report on sustainability assessment of buildings as a whole, research on the sustainable performance of building independent elements (e.g., envelope and façades) is scarce. Façades, as the first line of defense against the undesirable external impact, may contribute to the building sustainability by reducin...

Abstract Environmental protection has been considered one of the eight main points of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and one of the three pillars of sustainable development. Numerous reports and studies have demonstrated the significant negative impacts of air pollution on social, economic, and environmental issues. The United Nations in a...

At present, university professors lack the tools to know which is the most sustainable activity and/or strategy that should be incorporated into large-group theoretical classes in order to improve our students’ learning process whilst taking each scenario into account. These scenarios have different order thinking levels, numbers of students, avail...

A recent study helps city planners find the greenest and most effective way of producing renewable energy, crops and water on rooftops. The researchers developed a method for analysing the performance and environmental impacts of different combinations of rooftop rainwater-harvesting-, energy- and food systems. It could aid efforts to promote urban...

In the aftermath of disasters, temporary housing (TH) needs to be provided for displaced people to mitigate human suffering. In the numerous cases in which a chosen TH strategy is unsuitable for the case-specific local conditions, the TH’s negative impacts tend to intensify, especially when decision-makers have to change their initial plan. The uns...

Environmental protection has been considered one of the eight main points of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and one of the three pillars of sustainable development. Numerous reports and studies have demonstrated the significant negative impacts of air pollution on social, economic, and environmental issues. Nowadays, air pollution in urban...

Increasing population of urban areas by 2050, especially in areas highly prone to natural hazards, could potentially threaten vulnerable cities in the face of future disaster events. Alternative temporary housing (TH) needs to be assessed as an important element of local resiliency. In this regard, there are some interrelated factors that can have...

After natural disasters, displaced people (DP) require important numbers of housing units, which have to be erected quickly due to emergency pressures. These tight timeframes can cause the multiplication of the environmental construction impacts. These negative impacts worsen the already high energy consumption and pollution caused by the building...

Cities are rapidly growing and need to look for ways to optimize resource consumption. Metropolises are especially vulnerable in three main systems, often referred to as the FEW (i.e., food, energy, and water) nexus. In this context, urban rooftops are underutilized areas that might be used for the production of these resources. We developed the Ro...

Seminar on post-disaster architecture

Part of the large amounts of waste generated by human activities could have a second use while solving social problems. In this sense, the authors are carrying out a research project involving the participative development of innovative solar control devices integrated into school architecture using household waste. In general, the objectives of th...

Gran parte de la docencia presencial universitaria sigue impartiéndose en clases teóricas con grupos numerosos de alumnos. Este texto presenta un proyecto docente específico para estas clases y su primera aplicación a la asignatura de construcción de tercer curso de la Escuela de Arquitectura de Barcelona ETSAB. En este caso había una problemática...

This research paper presents part of a research project that develops the participative design of innovative solar control devices integrated in school architecture using low-cost tensed structures, composed of reused household waste and renewable energy systems. In consequence, these devices are designed to be built during workshops about waste ma...

Food security in cities is an increasing concern due to the impact of climate change and the concentration of world population in cities. Urban agriculture (UA) aims at enhancing food production in urban areas, providing potential environmental advantages by reducing food transport, packaging and waste generation. Among UA alternatives, rooftop gre...

In the aftermath of natural disasters, decision-makers often clash when tackling the challenge of choosing suitable temporary housing unit (THU) site locations. Site location considerably impacts temporary housing (TH) delivery time and the displaced population's (DP's) satisfaction. At the same time, selecting a suitable site is important to help...

Wind farms are both a renewable energy production alternative and a profitable economic enterprise. At the same time these groups of wind towers can be a social-friendly solution if they solve challenging demands from the society such as integration in landscape, aesthetics, low noise nuisances... This paper presents part of a complete research pr...

Environmental and sustainability assessment tools have an important role in moving towards a better world, bringing knowledge and raising awareness. In the architecture and civil engineering sector, these assessment tools help in moving forward to constructions that have less economic, environmental and social impacts. At present, there are numerou...

Many people lose their homes around the world every year because of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the displaced people (DP) have to move to temporary housing (TH) and do not have the ability to choose the settlement dimensions, distributions, neighborhood, or other characte...

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the major challenge most cities and societies face, regardless of their diverse level of prosperity, is to provide temporary housing (TH) for the displaced population (DP). However, the features of TH, which have been applied in previous recovery programs, greatly varied from case to case. This situation demo...

This paper focuses on the sustainability analysis of different constituent materials for sewerage pipes by using a specific multi - criteria decision making (MCDM) method based on the value analysis and the multi-attribute utility theory. The scientific added value of this research consists of developing a method that minimizes the subjectivity inv...

Temporary housing units (THUs) have been used for displaced population (DP) in the aftermath of natural disasters to serve as an alternative residence while the permanent housing process is completed. A THU is often provided as a prefabricated system, which has been criticized due to the economic, environmental, and social aspects of THUs. However,...

A multi-criteria decision-making system based on the MIVES method is presented as a model for assessing the global sustainability index scores of existing wind-turbine support systems. This model is specifically designed to discriminate between tower systems in order to minimize the subjectivity of the decision and, thus, facilitate the task of dec...

This article presents a Project for Teaching Innovation (PTI) for the improvement of teaching practices in the Construction 1 course at the Architecture School of Barcelona (ETSAB). Since the 1980s this course has successfully made use of Problem-Basic Learning (PBL); however over the last ten years, various learning problems have arisen and become...

This article presents a Project for Teaching Innovation (PTI) for the improvement of teaching practices in the Construction 1 course at the Architecture School of Barcelona (ETSAB). Since the 1980s this course has successfully made use of Problem-Basic Learning (PBL); however over the last ten years, various learning problems have arisen and become...

Participatory evaluation of aspiring sustainable schools and their pedagogical potential has recently come into focus. A few authors have made a significant start in examining schools as both environmentally and socially sustainable environments, which might simultaneously represent the ‘third teacher’. However, discussion around this idea is new i...

Ancient civilizations had agriculture production in their metropolis but modern urban planning separated agriculture from cities, such as Chandigarh by Le Corbusier. At present, FAO estimates that urban agriculture produces food for a quarter of world’s population, reducing food transport, package and waste impact among others and improving food sa...

This research study aims to design, apply and optimize a new mechanism that improves curved façades design and construction processes. In this sense, this investigation has the objective of designing an optimization algorithm that: a) is capable of optimizing complex geometric curtain wall paneling so that resulting panels are standardized; b) has...

Aquest manual esta dedicat a l’estudi geotècnic, o sigui a la informació quantificada de les característiques del terreny necessària per al projecte dels fonaments i dels murs de contenció. La primera part tracta de la classificació, formació, identificació i característiques del sòl com a material de fonamentació, conjuntament amb els valors més r...

This chapter aims to determine the sustainability of prefabricated buildings by studying the economic, environmental and social impact of the methods of prefabrication used in their construction. A preliminary study of prefabricated architecture is followed by an assessment of the sustainability of the main technologies used to prefabricate 161 rec...

Phase change materials are capable of storing and releasing energy in the form of heat in determined temperature ranges, so to increase a building’s thermal inertia, stabilize its indoor temperatures and reduce its energetic demand. Therefore, if we used these materials we could have more energetically efficient buildings. Nevertheless, are these m...

Many architectural firms and precast companies find it difficult to design and produce complex-shaped surfaces. Most Spanish architects use 2D-based drawing information systems, which are inappropriate for irregular building skins, instead of using 3D or 6D software tools based on Building Information Modeling (BIM). Although there are software too...

This research paper presents a general model for integral sustainability analysis of columns. This assessment tool has been obtained by using MIVES, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model which considers the sustainability main plans (economic, environmental and social) and incorporates a value function concept in order to homogenize the ind...

This paper shows a study to find out which technology proves to be the most sustainable to use to build schools in a place where an important shortage of this type of buildings exists. This study searches for the architectural technology which has the least economic, environmental and social impact to solve the need for the urgent construction of h...

More than 200 public schools in Spain have been built using industrialized methods of construction since the start of the 21st century. In Spain, precast concrete room modules, hollow-core slabs, and facade panels have been used to build 18,000 m2 of school buildings from 2003 to 2006. The method's structure uses precast concrete room modules and h...

Building school centers using industrialized technologies has been a common practice in Catalonia, Spain, since 2002. Over 200 public educational edifices have been assembled using these technologies, in order to provide the required number of schools in due time. These schools serve as examples of modern educational architecture and their building...

Postprint (published version)

Since 2000 hundreds of school centers have been constructed in Catalonia using industrialized technologies. These centers are modern, useful, educational edifices built using advantageous prefabricated technologies that improve the building process and reduce the environmental impact of the building. This article analyses whether these technologies...

Postprint (published version)

Postprint (published version)

Planas Ark presenta este manual, a partir de su experiencia y potencial como empresa de prefabricados, donde aporta al autor de la obra un asesoramiento y apoyo técnico en el diseño. Postprint (published version)