Biography: Dr. Mingzhi Wang received his PhD degree from the University of Cambridge Engineering Department, UK. He was responsible for the numerical modeling of the kinetics and microstructural development of carbonated magnesia-based cements for the British Materials for Life (M4L) project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). He then served as a post-doctorate researcher and lecturer at the Harbin Institute of Technology, School of Civil Engineering, CN. His current academic activity revolves around developing electric heating cementitious materials funded by the Heilongjiang Natural Science Foundation. In addition, he is the founder of the APMS open-source numerical project, providing computational solutions for material and environment science. Dr. Mingzhi Wang has authored 17 SCI publications covering the area of material science, chemical engineering and environmental science. Meanwhile, he has hosted two research topics while serving as editor and reviewer for several international journals covering civil engineering, mechanical engineering and medical research.

Topic: Electric-heating Cement and Concrete: A Realization of Urban Construction During Winter

Abstract: Urban planning seeks a feasible balance of natural, social and historical resources. The construction process is crucial in realizing the urban plan, and seasonal consideration is always of great necessity. In this presentation, we demonstrate a novel electric heating technique to perform winter construction using cementitious material. The aim of this study is to develop a realistic solution for winter construction in urban areas. Technically, we adopted graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) and carbon nanofiber (CNF) as conductive fillers and provided local electric power over the construction section in order to generate heat for the cement curing process. Electrifying the cement-carbon composite enabled internal heat generation for early-stage curing at low temperatures (-20 ℃). The experimental investigation was conducted with electrical resistivity measurement and backscatter electron (BSE) imaging. The numerical research was conducted with the percolation analysis and formation factor analysis. It was found that the increased content of the nano inclusions raised the fraction of connection as a result of the percolation development. The formation factor analysis indicated that a conductive network was stabilized when the content of the nano inclusion was higher than the percolation threshold (10 %wt). A comparison study between GNP composite and CNF composite shows that the specific surface area is crucial to determine the optimum carbon content. The dispersion of the CNF was evaluated with the BSE imaging process, showing that the duration of the mechanical mixing process significantly influences carbon dispersion. Consequently, it was found that the material utilization design we proposed is capable of providing a material-scale solution for sub-zero temperature construction for cold regions and winter periods in urban construction.

Biography: Dr. Fanlei Meng is now the deputy director of the Department of Architecture, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. He graduated from the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University in 2017, and from 2015 to 2016, he went to TU Delft as a visiting scholar. At present, he is an academic member of the Academic Committee of Industrial Building Heritage of the Chinese Architectural Society and the Academic member of the Whole Process Consulting Center of Beijing Urban Planning Society. His research interests include architectural design and theory, urban design and urban renewal, protection and reuse of industrial heritage, and architectural transformation. He has presided over one National Natural Science Foundation and two Beijing Social Science Foundations.

Topic: Research on the Adaptive Reuse Potential of Industrial Heritage in the View of Urban Renewal

Abstract: How to maximize the existing industrial buildings through transformation and utilization and promote the development of urban areas has become a problem that cannot be ignored. Compared with the value research in the traditional sense, the research on the reuse potential of industrial heritage is more helpful to measure the specific intervention time of industrial heritage and guide the overall strategy of transformation and reuse in urban renewal. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively sort out the existing evaluation of the adaptive reuse potential of industrial heritage at home and abroad. Through the discussion of the evaluation of the reuse potential, and in view of the problems existing in the existing research and the characteristics of the potential evaluation indicators at different levels, an evaluation indicator system is found to discuss the reuse potential of industrial heritage from the perspective of urban areas, providing new ideas for the evaluation of the reuse potential and determining the transformation time sequence, so as to better guide the problems faced by industrial heritage in urban renewal.