In this review article, we aim to depict how healthcare facilities may look in the near future from an architectural design point of view. For this purpose, we review newly introduced technology and medical advances in the field of healthcare, such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotic surgery, 3D printing, and information technology (IT), and suggest how those advances may affect the architectural design of future healthcare facilities. In future hospitals, less space will be required; there will be no need for waiting areas. Most care will be given far from the hospital. Every human might have a computer chip attached to his body, with all his medical data ready and monitored by AI. In the future, all processes may be done by robots and AI, from reception to detection (radiology, scans, etc.). Nearly all surgery will be done by robots, so the architectural design of operation departments will need to be changed accordingly. AI is faster and better in disease detection than man; thus, there will be no need for laboratories or detection departments as we know them now. 3D printers are able to print almost everything from medical equipment to parts of the human body; thus, space will be needed for scanning and 3D printing in future hospitals. 3D printers might change the pharmaceutical industries, and drugs will be produced for any human individually.

A new method for seismic retrofitting concrete structures is proposed using an X-shaped precast prestressed concrete brace. This PPC brace is made of four precast concrete parts and middle section that are assembled and added to the existing frame. This method has the following benefits: there is no need to work with wet concrete in site or anchor and bolt to the existing frame, which may lead to a fast and economic retrofitting method. The X-shaped concrete brace was made in half size and its efficiency is confirmed. That X-shaped precast prestressed concrete brace was simulated and evaluated by computerized analysis using ABAQUS FEA modeling by authors of this paper earlier, and the proposed brace showed proper results in reducing lateral drifts and that method is considered as a proper method for seismic retrofitting. Here we are suggesting a different setup for the brace, which may lead to faster and more economic strengthening of RC structures. The new setup is omitting the middle section and suggests the brace to be used as a single diagonal. A model of this proposed method is simulated in ABAQUS FEA and the results show it is proper in reducing lateral displacements.

No abstract