Survey and numerical effect analyses of the market structure and arcade form on the indoor environment of enclosed-arcade markets during summer

Abstract

In South Korea, enclosed arcades have been applied to traditional markets in order to improve the physical environment of the markets. However, in some enclosed-arcade markets, occupants suffer from thermal discomfort during summer due to solar radiation overheating the indoor space. This discomfort level varies according to the market structure and arcade form. This paper presents the results of thermal surveys and temperature/humidity measurements carried out on four enclosed-arcade markets, each having a different market structure and arcade form. The paper then presents analyses of the thermal effect of the market structure and arcade form on the indoor climate. During the summers of 2003, 2004 and 2006, thermal surveys were conducted which polled responses from 156 market occupants while air temperatures and humidity levels were measured simultaneously. Numerical simulations were performed in order to evaluate eighteen different design approaches in relation to the enclosed-arcade market. The results from the temperature/humidity measurements revealed that the indoor temperature was affected by roof transmittance. In particular, in one of the four markets, where the roof transmittance was 0.7, the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures was recorded as +4.3 °C. The occupants complained of the thermal discomfort and that much of their goods had become spoiled and discolored by solar radiation. To solve this problem, the arcade roof was eventually covered with an opaque plastic material. The results from the numerical analyses using computer simulations revealed that the transmittance of the roof material was the primary design element that thermally affected the indoor climate, followed by the ventilation opening, the roof height, and the roof type. However, the effect of the ventilation opening on the indoor climate increased as the roof transmittance increased, which created a greater temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor climates on sunny summer days.