Scholars widely agree that modular technologies can significantly improve environmental sustainability compared to traditional building methods. There has been considerable debate about the viability of replacing traditional cast-in-place structures with modular construction projects. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of using modular technology for construction projects in island areas. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the potential problems and suitable solutions associated with modular building project implementation. This study is accomplished through the use of qualitative and quantitative methods. It systematically examines desk research based on the wide academic literature and real case studies, collating secondary data from government files, news articles, professional blogs, and interviews. This research identifies several important barriers to the use of modular construction projects. Among the issues are the complexity of stakeholder engagement, limited practical skills and construction methodologies, and a scarcity of manufacturing capacity specialised for modular components. Fortunately, these unresolved challenges can be mitigated through fiscal incentives and governmental regulations, induction training programmes, efficient management strategies, and adaptive governance approaches. As a result, the findings support the feasibility of starting and advancing modular building initiatives in island areas. Project developers will likely be more willing to embrace and commit resources to initiate modular building projects. Additional studies can be undertaken to acquire the most recent first-hand data for detailed validation.

In this paper, a solar tracking device that can continuously track the sun by adjusting the direction and angle of the solar panel in real time is designed and fabricated to improve the power generation efficiency of the solar cell panel. The mechanical parts as well as the automatic control part of the passive sun-tracking system are described, and the efficiency enhancement with the sun-tracking solar panel is characterized in comparison with the fixed panel system. The test results show that in the spring season in Qingdao city of eastern China, the sun-tracking system can improve the solar cell power generation efficiency by 28.5%–42.9% when comparing to the direction and elevation angle fixed system in sunny days. Even in partly cloudy days, the PV power output can increased by 37% with using the passive sun-tracking system. Economic analysis results show the cost-benefit period is about 10 years, which indicates that the passive sun tracking device can substantially contribute to the solar energy harvest practices.

Local scour, a complex phenomenon in river flows around piers with movable beds, can damage bridge piers during high floods. Predicting scour depth accurately is vital for safety and economic reasons, especially for large bridges. This study using hydraulic flume laboratory experiments compared diamond, square, and elliptical pier models of different sizes under steady clear-water conditions considering different flow rates and discharge levels to identify the most efficient shape with less local scour. Local scour, a complex phenomenon in three-dimensional flow around piers in rivers with movable beds, can lead to detrimental effects on bridge piers due to high flood velocities. Accurate prediction of scour depth is crucial for economic and safety reasons, especially for large bridges with complex piers. Hydraulic engineers are keen on forecasting the equilibrium scour depth. To achieve this, laboratory testing compared diamond, square, and elliptical pier models under steady clear-water conditions to identify the most efficient pier shape with less local scour. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing pier design to enhance bridge stability and resilience against scour-induced risks. A variety of configurations, including different sizes and shapes of piers were experimented with in the flume using diamond, square, and elliptical shapes. The test results showed that the local scour depth around elliptical piers was around 29.16% less, and around diamond piers, it was approximately 16.05% less compared to the scour depth observed around square piers with the same dimensions. The researchers also observed distinct patterns of scouring around different pier shapes. Specifically, the square-shaped piers displayed the highest level of scouring depth, that is, 48 mm, followed by the diamond-shaped pier which experienced a scouring depth of 48 mm while the elliptical-shaped piers experienced the least amount of scouring depth, that is, 34 mm. The test results also demonstrated that pier size significantly influences scouring, with an increase in pier size from 3 × 3 cm2 to 5 × 5 cm2 leading to a rise in scour depth by 26.04%. Moreover, this study findings also elucidated that an increase in flow results in an increase of in scouring depth i.e., elevating the discharge from 0.0026 cumecs to 0.0029 cumecs led to a 28.13% increase in scouring depth for the identical pier size. These findings provide valuable insights into the hydraulic behavior of various pier shapes and can aid in the optimization of bridge design and hydraulic engineering practices. The investigations further revealed that local scouring is sensitive not only to pier dimensions but also to other critical parameters, including flow rate, time of exposure, and the size of a pier.