1. A systematic review and evaluation of measurement instruments assessing the needs, wellbeing, and living environments of older adultsMateja Erce Paoli, Dean Lipovac, Michael David Burnard, 2025, review article Abstract: Understanding the built environment’s impact on older adults’ wellbeing necessitates the identification of high-quality measures that capture environmental properties, wellbeing, and needs. Literature searches were conducted to identify instruments that measure (a) objective environmental properties, (b) wellbeing, (c) needs, and (d) environmental perception, which were evaluated using the COSMIN checklist. Another literature search was conducted to explore which instruments are used in studies examining objective and perceived qualities of the environment in relation to wellbeing. Of the 54 instruments evaluated, most showed strong content or construct validity, but weak or unreported test-retest reliability. Structural validity and internal consistency tended to be satisfactory in instruments assessing wellbeing and the intersection of environment and wellbeing. Instruments evaluating needs and the perceived environment generally had poor results in our evaluation. Our review of studies assessing both perceived and objective built environments alongside wellbeing indicates a lack of consistent use of validated instruments for older adult populations. We have identified instruments in each category with mostly sufficient psychometric properties, while the rest require improvement, particularly in terms of structural validity and reliability. Environment evaluation instruments mainly focus on outdoor spaces, leaving indoor spaces underrepresented in literature.
Keywords: ageing, questionnaire, objective measurement, subjective evaluation, psychometric properties
Published in RUP: 03.12.2025; Views: 296; Downloads: 2
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2. Size effect on bending strength and failure modes of finger-jointed timberMohammad Derikvand, Michael David Burnard, Donya Bazyar Khoshroodi, Rok Barbič, Marko Vouk, Andreja Kutnar, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Finger-jointed timber boards for cross-laminated timber production are typically assigned the same characteristic bending strength (fm,j,k) if produced from the same strength class, regardless of differences in their cross-sectional dimensions. To validate the relevance of this approach, this study investigated the effects of cross-sectional dimensions on the bending performance of finger-jointed timber produced from spruce (strength class: C24). A large industrial dataset of 1100 specimens, with seven thicknesses (ranging 20 to 40 mm) and variable widths, were statistically analyzed. The bending tests were performed with a constant span-to-depth ratio (l/h = 18), meaning thinner specimens had a shorter test span. Bending strength was modeled with Bayesian multilevel linear model, and the proportions of three quality-control failure modes (joint interface failure, joint base failure, and outside-joint failure) were analyzed with a zero-one-inflated Dirichlet regression. Based on the results, all groups with n ≥ 100 exceeded the declared fm,j,k of 27.6 MPa, with characteristic strengths of 43.7 MPa (+58.3 %), 40.0 MPa (+45.0 %), and 38.3 MPa (+38.8 %) for the 20-, 30-, and 40-mm thickness groups, respectively. Thinner specimens demonstrated higher bending strength with convincing evidence (pairwise contrasts PD = 100 % with 95 % HDPIs entirely below zero), while width had no credible effect (PD < 95 %). Dirichlet regression revealed shifts in failure mode proportions with varying strength. Higher bending strengths were associated with a higher proportion of joint interface failure. Outside‑joint failure was observed with a higher proportion in lower-strength and thicker specimens. Overall, assigning uniform fm,j,k to various cross-sectional dimensions proved to give adequate safety margins. Beyond the uniform fm,j,k, however, statistical evidence of a size effect on both bending strength and failure modes was observed. The magnitude of the observed size effect reflects the combined influence of increasing thickness and test span under the current quality control bending test regime, which means a coupled change in stressed volume and geometry rather than a pure cross-section scaling effect. These findings are relevant to flatwise four-point bending tests on finger-jointed boards from industrial production made with visually graded C24 spruce with thickness ranging 20 to 40 mm.
Keywords: wood, finger joint, strength
Published in RUP: 18.11.2025; Views: 352; Downloads: 5
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3. Linking older adults’ psychosocial well-being with objective and perceived environments in SloveniaMateja Erce Paoli, Michael David Burnard, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Background: Europe’s aging population faces resource loss, loneliness, and social isolation, making psychosocial well-being a priority. A well-designed environment can help compensate for lost resources, while poor design may harm health, highlighting environmental quality as key to successful aging. Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the link between psychosocial well-being, and the built environment. Method: Participants from three retirement homes in Slovenia filled in the World Health Organization Wellbeing Index, the Brief Sense of Community, the Lubben Social Network Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the short version of the Social Production Function Instrument with the assistance of a researcher. Additionally, the built environ- ment was objectively assessed using the EVOLVE tool and subjectively assessed by participants using a custom scale. Structural equation modeling was used to examine paths between the environ- ment and wellbeing. Results: The findings showed a statistically significant indirect effect of well-being on the perceived environment, while no indirect effects were found between the objective and per- ceived environment or well-being. However, specific objectively measured environmental factors, such as acceptability, features for sensory and dementia support, and perceived accessibility and aesthetic environmental attributes significantly affect well-being. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need to prioritize well-being in urban planning for aging populations. Beyond basic needs like safety, high- level needs like aesthetics, sensory support, and accessibility should be emphasized. Enhancing well- being through these factors may be effective when designing or modifying physical environments. Accessible, sensory-friendly, and dementia-supportive designs can further support healthy aging.
Keywords: needs, retirement homes, successful aging, environmental quality, structural equation modelling
Published in RUP: 22.07.2025; Views: 710; Downloads: 8
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7. Comparing the environmental impacts of wooden buildings in Spain, Slovenia, and GermanyAlberto Quintana-Gallardo, Oihana Gordobil, Erwin Andreas Meissner Schau, Eva Prelovšek Niemelä, Michael David Burnard, 2021, original scientific article Keywords: regenerative sustainability, wood frame construction, energy simulation, life cycle assessment
Published in RUP: 24.11.2021; Views: 3401; Downloads: 32
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9. Correction: Alao et al. Impact of Alkali and Silane Treatment on Hemp/PLA Composites' Performance: From Micro to Macro Scale. Polymers 2021, 13, 851Percy Festus Alao, Laetitia Sarah Jennifer Marrot, Michael David Burnard, Gregor Lavrič, Mart Saarna, Jaan Kers, 2021, other scientific articles Keywords: hemp fibers, polylactic acid, biocomposite materials, mechanical properties, surface treatments
Published in RUP: 18.10.2021; Views: 3915; Downloads: 38
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10. User needs and perspectives on technologies or healthy ageingMateja Erce Paoli, Rok Ovsenik, Dean Lipovac, Michael David Burnard, 2021, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: older adults, building solutions, technology acceptance, well-being, independence
Published in RUP: 24.06.2021; Views: 2837; Downloads: 62
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