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A high demand of high-rise buildings in the construction industry is due to rapid urbanisation to cater for increasing population in the cities. Application of glass as a façade material becomes a trend in high-rise buildings construction due to its lightness that reduces the buildings’ dead load and at the same time increases the number of floors. However, this has become an issue as it contributes to the increase of urban heat island phenomena, global warming and causes thermal discomfort in tropical climate if it is not designed properly. This paper reviews the effects of building shape with different geometric factors (i.e. building orientation and window-to-wall ratio) on thermal comfort and energy performances in glass façade high-rise buildings, as well as discusses the solution or optimum range of the factors. The review provides an information about the most influential shape factors on buildings that a designer considers at the early design stage to optimise thermal comfort and reduce the building energy consumption.

Malaysia known as one of global leaders in production and export of palm oil. This huge production of palm oil has produced high waste product which might cause to environmental pollution. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of oil palm shell (OPS) as aggregate replacement in concrete and at the same time help to reduce the environmental pollution. The workability, density, and strength performances of concrete incorporated with 80% of OPS as coarse aggregate replacement were being investigated. Through the experimental test has shown that the OPS have high potential to be used as aggregate replacement in concrete. Furthermore, the experimental test results exhibited the advantage of OPS in reducing the density of concrete within 1800kg/m3 to 2000 kg/m3. However, the compressive strength of concrete containing OPS was decreased up to 35% from normal concrete strength. Thus, by introducing steel fibres into the OPS concrete has help in improving the concrete strength. Hence the additional of steel fibre into concrete has shown good potential in improving the lightweight concrete since it shows lower in density and 35% higher than minimum lightweight concrete strength as stated by ASTM C330-89.