Determination of optimum life span of container houses by using Neuro-Fuzzy methods

Abstract

Life span is one of the most effective parameter in Life Cycle Assessment of building analysis. The purpose of the study is to display the life span and consumed energy relation with different usage areas of a typical post-disaster container house via Neuro-Fuzzy approach. The proposed Fuzzy model in the study motivated on the construction phase of the containers to estimate total energy use for different life span years. Life span years are chosen between 5 and 40 years. By using Life Cycle Energy Assessment (LCEA) analysis, it is found that energy values are decreasing with the increase in life span of the container house models. The most drastic reduction in energy values has been observed in the first years with respect to the usage areas. Besides the analytical LCEA analysis, an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) modeling approach is used to predict the life span of the container houses. The results of the ANFIS modeling approach have shown promising results. The optimum life span for the CH models has been calculated to be around 16 years. There is a remarkable increase in EE values of the CH having a gross area bigger than 26 m2. It is shown that the Neuro-Fuzzy application is a very viable tool for accurate life span predictions in Life Cycle Assessment studies.