Energy-efficient and Sustainable Construction Technologies and Simulation Optimisation Methods

As a key part of sustainable urban development, constructing buildings and other infrastructures using sustainable technologies and materials is a key research field to minimize energy consumption and seek to combat climate change. This study introduced several feasible energy-efficient and environmental-friendly materials and methods, including roof gardening, advanced and recycled materials, green interior decoration, and simulation optimisation measures. Roof gardening is a kind of promising roof form that makes the functions of purifying air quality, energy conserving, and reshape the urban ecosystems all possible. However, the market still needs more encouragement from the government to better implementation in the city. Advanced materials and waste reuse materials are two key aspects of green building materials in energy saving and environment protection. The advanced material of photocatalytic self-cleaning glass has been fully applied; However, TiO2 self-cleaning glass and waste reuse materials such as rubber, straw, bamboo have some degrees of limitations due to economic and distribution constraints. The interior decoration combined with environmentally friendly materials is of great significance to enhance energy usage and environmental quality. Some new environmental protection inventions such as LED lights and artificial intelligence technologies are the main development direction in interior decoration in the future. Utilizing computer simulation and optimisation to minimize the building life cycle environmental impacts has also gained increasing attentions recently. Regarding design optimisation, emerging digital technologies (e.g., neural network, data-driven design and parametric 3D modelling, multi-disciplinary optimisation) are enablers for greater automation in early design exploration and should be encouraged in sustainable design optimisation.