Abstract:
The interplay between building’s energy efficiency and hazard performance has the potential to transform how we design and assess building structures. From one perspective, energy-saving materials and green building practices may adversely impact a building’s hazard resistance; meanwhile, poor hazard performance may contribute to greater environmental impacts and economic costs over the building’s lifespan. Yet, current building practices follow a top-down approach where the primary focus of structural design and material selection are not tied in with other aspects of building performance such as energy efficiency. The presentation provides a synopsis of three main projects: (1) functional building materials for energy-efficient buildings; (2) bio-inspired design and multi-physics optimization for building components; and lastly (3) a life-cycle cost (energy)-driven optimization tool is introduced to evaluate building design options under various climate zones and hazard conditions.

Bio:
Hongyu Zhou is an Assistant Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). Dr. Zhou received his PhD in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University in 2013 and bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tongji University in 2010. His research interests include materials and designs for energy-efficient buildings, integrated design, hazard mitigation, and cyber-physical systems. His research is currently funded by NSF, DOE Building Technology Office, and Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). Dr. Zhou is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and American Concrete Institute (ACI). He has an active role in several technical committees. He is a founding member and the Vice Chair of the ASCE SEI Committee on Bioinspired Structures, and Co-Chair of the Advanced Structures and Materials Committee of ASCE Aerospace Division (ASD). He is also a voting member of ACI Committee 122 – Energy Efficiency and 213 – Lightweight Concrete.