Damage to School Buildings During the 2015 Nepal Earthquake and Reconstruction Strategy

The 2015 Nepal Earthquake (Mw7.8) affected more than 9,000 schools in the country. Damage distribution in the 14 most-affected administrative districts shows that the construction practices were an important determent for the level of damage extended. Use of improper construction materials, lack of construction supervision, and non-compliance with the existing building codes during design and construction probably contributed to the severe damage of most of the school buildings. Preliminary damage assessment results show that in the most-affected districts, about 86% schools were affected by the earthquake and about one million students were out of their schools for a long time. The damage survey data indicate that about 30% classrooms collapsed, about 13% classrooms sustained major damage, and about 17% classrooms sustained minor damage within the 14 districts. Such evidence of loss and damage in the earthquake disasters provides an opportunity to learn lessons for the future preparedness and to encounter the disaster challenges. Based on the damage analysis data and experience of reconstruction process after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, this paper highlights the steps to be considered during reconstruction strategy planning for school buildings after an earthquake disaster.

Guidance to assess ventilation performance of a classroom based on CO2 monitoring

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the ventilation of school buildings has attracted considerable attention from the general public and researchers. However, guidance to assess the ventilation performance in classrooms, especially during a pandemic, is still lacking. Therefore, aiming to fill this gap, this study conducted a full-scale laboratory study to monitor the CO2 concentrations at 18 locations in a classroom setting under four different ventilation regimes. Additionally, a field study was carried out in two Dutch secondary schools to monitor the CO2 concentrations in the real classrooms with different ventilation regimes. Both the laboratory and field study findings showed that CO2 concentrations varied a lot between different locations in the same room, especially under natural ventilation conditions. The outcome demonstrates the need of monitoring the CO2 concentration at more than one location in a classroom. Moreover, the monitored CO2 concentration patterns for different ventilation regimes were used to determine the most representative location for CO2 monitoring in classrooms. For naturally ventilated classrooms, the location on the wall opposite to windows and the location on the front wall (nearby the teacher) were recommended. For mechanically ventilated classrooms, one measurement location seemed enough because CO2 was well-mixed under this ventilation regime.

Multi-Criteria Decision Making Optimisation Framework for Positive Energy Blocks for Cities

The Positive Energy Block (PEBlock) is a new paradigm towards low-carbon cities. However, there is a paucity of literature about methods and tools to develop PEBlocks in practice. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision making optimisation framework for PEBlocks for cities. It explores PEBlock scenarios based on adaptable criteria and actions applied to a block composed of three school buildings, where only one acts as a positive node of the future energy network. Findings point out the flexibility of PEBlock scenarios; firstly, selecting a list of 21 potential positive energy scenarios among 300 possible combinations concerning the block analysed, secondly, individuating the optimal solution and finally, comparing it with others based on the weight assigned to the criteria. This study contributes to understanding the emerging properties concerning PEBlocks, discussing their features and stressing main peculiarities compared to other models (e.g., positive energy districts). It also emphasises the PEBlock as a feasible and reliable energy infrastructure to support new urban organisations (e.g., self-organised energy communities), drawing future developments and implications. Limitations associated with this study are also stressed in the conclusion.

Methodology to evaluate school buildings. Educational applications

In this work, an innovative methodology to assess the security, habitability and functionality requirements of school buildings have been designed. The objectives are two: to design an evaluative methodology to assess technically the satisfaction of the basic requirements: safety, habitability and functionality that exist in public school buildings, and apply the methodology developed in university teaching so that students of the disciplines related to construction are able to justify, based on the regulations, their project decisions and intervention. The methodology is developed in the subject Applied Construction of the Master in Architecture of the Rey Juan Carlos University. The main result is that, from the detection of a real problem, such as the state of conservation of school buildings, we can developed an educational practice that helps Master students to ensure that their projects comply with current regulations. One of the most relevant conclusions is that the teaching applications of a real research, offer a provided value at academic level and a realistic view of the current constructions. Furthermore, stress the importance of both planning in accordance with the regulations and ensuring the conservation of the buildings

The Effect of Building Closures due to COVID 19 on the Perceptions and Practices of School Counselors

With school buildings shuttering due to COVID-19, school counselors’ work needed to shift to virtual environments. The shift in operations led us to wonder about school counselors’ perceptions and practices in these new and unfamiliar conditions. In our mixed-methods cross-sectional study, we gathered quantitative and qualitative data from 89 school counselors. Our findings include evidence of the counselors feeling disconnected from their students, lack of technology and student access, privacy issues, limited preparation to counsel in virtual environments, and work and life balance. We follow our results with a discussion, related implications, and directions for future research.

Addressing Our Nation’s Toxic School Infrastructure in the Wake of COVID-19

The commentary argues that we need to address the wide variance in school building quality under and after COVID-19. Evidence suggests that historical underinvestment in school facility capital and maintenance has created unhealthy school buildings across the nation. Federal funding and research is necessary to ensure that schools are healthy places for educators, families, and youth even after the pandemic ends.