ChartStory: Automated Partitioning, Layout, and Captioning of Charts into Comic-Style Narratives

Visual data storytelling is gaining importance as a means of presenting data-driven information or analysis results, especially to the general public. This has resulted in design principles being proposed for data-driven storytelling, and new authoring tools being created to aid such storytelling. However, data analysts typically lack...

Barriers for Homeowners in Decisions to Undertake Government-Led Energy Efficiency Renovation Projects in Northern China

The Chinese government has taken actions to promote energy efficiency through the renovation of residential buildings in the Northern Heating Region. Homeowners have been encouraged to undertake government-led energy efficiency renovation; however, their decisions to undertake the renovation are affected by several barriers. The lack of...

Homeowners’ Participation in Energy Efficient Renovation Projects in China’s Northern Heating Region

In China’s government-led energy efficient renovation of residential buildings, homeowners’ participation refers to their involvement and engagement throughout the process. Lacking homeowners’ participation has brought difficulties in the execution and financing of the projects. This paper explores the current situation of homeowners’...

Dual-action self-healing protective coatings with photothermal responsive corrosion inhibitor nanocontainers

This work introduces a novel nanocomposite coating with dual-action self-healing corrosion protection activated by the photothermal response of plasmonic titanium nitride nanoparticles (TiN NPs). TiN@mesoporous SiO₂ core–shell nanocontainers were developed as reservoirs for benzotriazole (BTA) corrosion inhibitors and incorporated...

Long-term deterioration of lubricant-infused nanoporous anodic aluminium oxide surface immersed in NaCl solution

This study investigated the deterioration of a lubricant-infused anodic aluminium oxide surface in a 1 M NaCl solution for ∼200 days. Direct observation by cryo-SEM and quantitative analyses by UV spectroscopy and EIS revealed that the long-term deterioration of the lubricant-infused surface was divided into two stages: the surface-adhered...

Numerical Modelling of the Effect of Filler/Matrix Interfacial Strength on the Fracture of Cementitious Composites

The interface between filler and hydration products can have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the cement paste system. With different adhesion properties between filler and hydration products, the effect of microstructural features (size, shape, surface roughness), particle distribution and area fraction of filler on the...

New Development of China’s National Evaluation Standard for Green Building (ESGB-2014)

In 2006, China published the first National Evaluation Standard for Green Building (ESGB), which soon became the most widely spread evaluation system in the country. With the fast growth of urbanization, ESGB 2006 version no longer meets the current needs and requires an update. Based on the implementation outcomes of ESGB 2006 and expert...