Abstract
The complicated nature of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) (thermal, visual, acoustic comfort, etc.) dictates a multi-fold approach for desirable IEQ levels to be achieved. The improvement of building shells’ thermal performance, imposed by the constantly revised buildings’ energy performance regulations, does not necessarily guarantee the upgrade of all IEQ-related aspects, such as the construction’s acoustic quality, as most of the commonly used insulation materials are characterized by their low acoustic performance properties. From this perspective the SUstainable PReconstructed Innovative Module (SU.PR.I.M.) research project investigates a new, innovative preconstructed building module with advanced characteristics, which can, among other features, provide a high quality of acoustic performance in the indoor space. The module consists of two reinforced concrete vertical panels, between which the load bearing steel profiles are positioned. In the cavity and at the exterior surface of the panel there is a layer of thermal insulation. For the scope of the analysis, different external finishing surfaces are considered, including cladding with slate and brick, and different cavity insulation materials are examined. The addition of Phase Change Materials (PCM) in different mix proportions in the interior concrete panel is also examined. For the calculation of the sound insulation performance of the building module the INSUL 9.0 software is used. The results were validated through an experimental measurement in the laboratory in order to test the consistency of the values obtained. The results indicate that the examined preconstructed module can cover the sound insulation national regulation’s performance limits, but the implementation of such panels in building constructions should be carefully considered in case of lower frequency noise environments.
Highlights
The building sector is a major contributor to the human-induced environmental degradation [1,2,3,4,5]
Given the perplex nature of the building itself and the three main pillars of sustainability, the assessment and improvement of the buildings’ environmental performance cannot but be implemented via a holistic approach. It is the energy efficiency of buildings, and parameters related to every aspect of their construction, operation and end-of life (environmental impacts, materials used, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), location, waste, water use, etc.) that must be taken into consideration for a truly sustainable result to be achieved
The sound reduction index of a module with the same properties and dimensions was calculated with the help of the INSUL software in order to test the compliance of the results
Summary
The building sector is a major contributor to the human-induced environmental degradation [1,2,3,4,5]. Given the perplex nature of the building itself (multi-fold requirements to meet, different materials and components of varying life durations, function under dynamically changing conditions) and the (at-least) three main pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic and social axes), the assessment and improvement of the buildings’ environmental performance cannot but be implemented via a holistic approach. It is the energy efficiency of buildings, and parameters related to every aspect of their construction, operation and end-of life (environmental impacts, materials used, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), location, waste, water use, etc.) that must be taken into consideration for a truly sustainable result to be achieved. The sound insulation capacity of the building elements that enclose spaces with specific indoor noise level requirements is a feature of great significance
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