The special issue “Geoscience of the Built Environment” [1] has received diverse contributions that can be considered to be on something like the outer limits of geosciences, extending their methods and studies to what can be designated the extended anthroposphere, considering not only the human modified environment, but also the natural space that man enjoys and assumes the burden to manage. Perhaps because of the orientation of the work of the editor, most of the contributions concerned building materials in diverse perspectives: the characterization of building materials used either directly as built elements [2,3] or as elements of the preparation of manufactured building materials [4]; the implications of geologic materials to the performance of buildings—namely, regarding thermal stability [5], and the alteration [6] and preservation [7] of existing applications of natural stone. These papers reflect diverse epistemological concerns both at the level of basic conceptual research—namely, taxonomy; and applied research—durability of materials used in built works and the impacts of these natural materials on the comfort of built elements.
References
[1]
Geosciences Web Page. Special Issue “Geoscience of the Built Environment”. Available online: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences/special_issues/built_environ (accessed on 5 July 2013).
[2]
Giuffrida, A.; Ciliberto, E. Syracuse limestone: From the past a prospect for contemporary buildings. Geosciences 2013, 3, 159–175, doi:10.3390/geosciences3020159.
[3]
Navarro, R.; Pereira, D.; Gimeno, A.; Barrio, S.D. Verde Macael: A serpentinite wrongly referred to as a marble. Geosciences 2013, 3, 102–113, doi:10.3390/geosciences3010102.
[4]
Vogiatzis, D.; Kantiranis, N.; Filippidis, A.; Tzamos, E.; Sikalidis, C. Hellenic natural zeolite as a replacement of sand in mortar: Mineralogy monitoring and evaluation of its influence on mechanical properties. Geosciences 2012, 2, 298–307, doi:10.3390/geosciences2040298.
Thornbush, M.J. A site-specific index based on weathering forms visible in Central Oxford, UK. Geosciences 2012, 2, 277–297, doi:10.3390/geosciences2040277.
[7]
Stefanidou, M.; Matziaris, K.; Karagiannis, G. Hydrophobization by means of nanotechnology on Greek sandstones used as building facades. Geosciences 2013, 3, 30–45, doi:10.3390/geosciences3010030.
[8]
Lyell, C. Principles of Geology, Volume 1–3. Available online: http://www.esp.org/books/lyell/principles/facsimile/ (accessed on 5 July 2013).
[9]
Economou-Eliopoulos, M.; Megremi, I.; Atsarou, C.; Theodoratou, C.; Vasilatos, C. Spatial evolution of the chromium contamination in soils from the Assopos to Thiva Basin and C. Evia (Greece) and potential source(s): Anthropogenic versus natural processes. Geosciences 2013, 3, 140–158, doi:10.3390/geosciences3020140.
[10]
Theilen-Willige, B.; Savvaidis, P.; Tziavos, I.N.; Papadopoulou, I. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) contribution to the inventory of infrastructure susceptible to earthquake and flooding hazards in North-Eastern Greece. Geosciences 2012, 2, 203–220, doi:10.3390/geosciences2040203.
[11]
Martínez-Gra?a, A.; Goy, J.L.; Zazo, C.; Yenes, M. Engineering geology maps for planning and management of natural parks: “Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia” and “Quilamas” (Central Spanish System, Salamanca, Spain). Geosciences 2013, 3, 46–62, doi:10.3390/geosciences3010046.