Chapter 2 - Adaptation measures and their performance

Abstract

Adaptation measures such as awnings, louvers, directional reflective materials, mist sprays, and evaporative materials have been developed with the expectation that they will serve as effective solutions to outdoor human thermal environments that are under the influence of urban heat island. Based on several examples of the effects of adaptation measures obtained by demonstrative experiments, it can be seen shielding of solar radiation to pedestrians is a more effective method of lowering mean radiant temperature (MRT) and standard effective temperature (SET∗), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The influences of solar transmittance, solar absorptance, and evaporation rate of adaptation measures on MRT are evaluated by the simple heat budget model. If a shielding device that reflects a large amount of solar radiation and facilitates high levels of evaporation is developed, MRT and SET∗, PET will both decrease. And, the evaluation results of the influence on human's physiological and psychological thermal environment were explained based on measured data. Then, examples of adaptation measures at construction site were also described with reference to specific data.