Australian Building Research Articles

Assessing the prospective environmental impacts and circularity potentials of building stocks: An open‐source model from Austria (PULSE‐AT)

AbstractBuilding stock models can provide information on the current and future environmental impacts of buildings. Therefore, these models are useful tools for identifying trajectories that are compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. However, the models often lack detail, which can lead to underestimations of the actual impacts of national building stocks, resulting in misinformed decision‐making. This study presents the steps needed to create an archetype‐based bottom‐up building stock model that uses Python and Brightway2. Prospective environmental assessments, including circularity assessments, can be performed by combining life cycle assessment (LCA) with material flow analysis (MFA). An important facet of this model is that it supports the development of a practical and easily reproducible method for the high‐precision modeling of a building stock. This model is open source, is readily adaptable to other countries, and does not require programming knowledge. This combined LCA‐MFA method can be used to assess the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Austrian building stock in five future scenarios involving sufficiency, energy, material, and design‐related measures. The results show different reduction potentials for embodied and operational GHG emissions depending on the set of measures taken. In all scenarios, mineral and synthetic materials contribute the most to embodied GHG emissions. Finally, the issue of validating building stock models is addressed, and numerous cross‐evaluations are proposed to ensure the reliability of results.

Resonant frequencies of multi-layer building constructions: Estimation by measurement of acceleration amplitudes

The Austrian building regulation requirements for impact sound insulation are based on the weighted standardized impact sound pressure level as single-number specification. In recent years, it has become apparent that not only the single-number specification, but the extended frequency range and frequency characteristics of impact sound insulation of constructions can have noticeable influence on the perceived acoustic performance of a construction. Therefore, the Austrian Classification Standard ÖNORM B 8115-5: 2021-04 includes extended requirements on impact sound insulation. It provides two ways for verification of the sound insulation classes A to C. One way is the verification via the resonance frequency of multi-layer constructions. However, there exist as yet no standardized measurement methods for the estimation of the resonance frequency of multi-layer building constructions. In response, in course of this study a new measurement method for the estimation of the resonance frequencies of multi-layer constructions was developed. For this development acceleration measurements were carried out on both surfaces of particularly double-layer building constructions, that were excited with a rubber hammer. From these measurement results, in conjunction with an analytical model, it was possible to derive a measurement method for estimating the resonant frequency via the frequency characteristics of the acceleration amplitudes.

Impact of variable electricity price on heat pump operated buildings

Background Residential buildings with heat pumps show promising possibilities for demand-side management. The operation optimization of such heating systems can lead to cost reduction and, at the same time, change electricity consumption patterns, which is especially prevalent in the case of a variable price signal. In this work, we deal with the following question: How does the volatility of a variable retail electricity price change the energy consumption of buildings with a smart energy management system? Methods In this context, we take Austria as an example and aggregate the findings of individual households to the national stock of single-family houses. This is done by simulating and optimzing heating operation in single representative buildings. The aggregation is done based on national building information statistics. Results This part of the Austrian building stock could shift 19.7 GWh of electricity per year through thermal inertia using a real-time electricity price from 2021. We show the future potential under the assumption of three electricity price trends for 2030, representing different decarbonisation ambition levels. The trends show that higher decarbonisation levels which lead to higher electricity prices increase the incentive to shift electric loads. Conclusions Real time pricing turns out to be an effective incentive for buildings to shift electric loads by pre-heating the building mass. However, cost savings for individuals are relatively low which is why additional monetary incentives are needed to tap into that potential. Increased daily peak-to-peak demand from these buildings has to put into perspective to the overall grid load.

Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis of Mid-Rise Mass Timber vs. Concrete Buildings in Australia

Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis of Mid-Rise Mass Timber vs. Concrete Buildings in Australia

Towards net-zero embodied carbon: Investigating the potential for ambitious embodied carbon reductions in Australian office buildings

Embodied carbon is recognised as a major contributor to building-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In response, ambitious targets have been posed to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment, including the aspiration of ‘net-zero embodied carbon’. This research uses a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to explore the magnitude of embodied carbon reductions viable within a multi-storey office building in Australia. It compares a typical building with more ambitious design scenarios to determine if net-zero embodied carbon is feasible in the current context and how design, material and methological decisions impact this. The results show that upfront embodied carbon reductions of 17–45% are achieveable with ambitious design and material changes, including a full timber structure, hybrid timber-aluminium façade, reduced columns grids, straw insulation, and more. However, the magnitude of reductions is highly influenced by material data sources and methodology. Net-zero embodied carbon was achievable when considering biogenic emissions stored in timber and other biomaterials, although only temporarily, for a period of up to 19 years. In response, we propose a new term ‘temporal net-zero embodied carbon’ to identify the point in time during a building's life cycle when it can no longer be considered a temporary carbon sink. The paper concludes by highlighting the opportunties and challenges temporal net-zero embodied carbon presents in terms of transparency and reliability of metrics, the need for consistent approaches to measurement and benchmarking, and the challenges of achieving large-scale embodied carbon reductions in the office sector.

This year sees an opportunity for long-needed oral health reforms. Cancer patients, in particular, stand to benefit.

The long-standing divide in Australia between medicine and dentistry has left many with inequitable access to dental care. People with oral cancer, in particular, may have few options for dental rehabilitation after cancer treatment, even with private health insurance. However, 2024 could finally see health care reforms that address these inequities, with significant momentum building in Australia. In this Perspective, we argue for a national approach to reforms that incorporate aspects of preventive health, primary health care, Medicare Benefits Schedule item review, and the value of Private Health Insurance rebates for dental care.

A Need for Sufficiency in the Built Environment: Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of the Austrian Building Stock

A Need for Sufficiency in the Built Environment: Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of the Austrian Building Stock

Monitoring and reporting of buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions: implementation in the Austrian building submission procedure

Monitoring and reporting of buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions: implementation in the Austrian building submission procedure

Flexibility Potential in the Austrian Building Sector

What would happen if 15% of the Austrian building stock in 2030 – both refurbished and newly-built – would use flexible heating/cooling systems to offer their flexibility on a market? How much annual residual loads from volatile renewable energy sources (RES) could be absorbed? Our simple agent-market model says: ~5% of RES surpluses and around 2% of RES residual loads. The cost of this operation is additional energy demand of about 30%, indicating an efficiency of approx. 70% in using these volatile supply peaks in flexible building operation. In this model, buildings are agents offering additional electricity consumption from pre-emptive HVAC operation, effectively using the building mass as storage, their energy demand is modelled in a simple thermal RC model. The grid flexibility demand is derived from future residual load scenarios and the offered flexibility depends both on signal parameters, mainly signal frequency and duration, and on key building parameters indoor temperature comfort bounds, building mass and thermal envelope quality.

Thermally Activated Building Structures as Flexibility Option for the Electricity Market

Combined with heat pumps, thermally activated building structures (TABS) can serve as a resource of flexibility for electricity markets and the grid. This paper analyses the energy-economic value resulting from utilising the flexibility enabled by thermal building inertia. The scope of the study is the Austrian building stock by the year 2040. A specific business model for using the flexibility from heat pumps in buildings is being developed in the PnP Control TABS research project. This paper also gives insights into the controller logic developed and first results from a demonstrator.

Cost Benefits of Net Zero Energy Homes in Australia

This paper presents a systematic analysis of energy savings and cost benefits associated with several options for integrating energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The primary goal of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of achieving optimal net-zero energy (NZE) designs for residential buildings in Australia. Specifically, the analysis combines a series of sensitivity analyses and multi-objective optimizations to account for a wide range of design strategies for detached homes in four cities representing different Australian climates. The results indicate that not only are NZE designs technically feasible for all the considered Australian cities, but they are also highly cost-effective. This cost-effectiveness is attributed to the lower installation costs of rooftop PV systems as well as the beneficial interactive effects of proven energy efficiency strategies. Indeed, it is found that the deployment costs of rooftop PV systems can be recovered in less than 4 years. Moreover, the addition of thermal insulation in walls and ceilings can reduce both HVAC capacities and annual energy end-use by up to 59%. Based on an optimization-based design, NZE homes in Australia can have lower construction costs and, ultimately, lower life cycle costs than dwellings built to meet current energy efficiency standards based primarily on stringent building envelope thermal performance.

Enhancing building energy efficiency through a climate adaptive design: Considering upcoming extreme climate conditions

Known as one of the significant sources of impacting building energy efficiency, climate change can drastically alter the long-term energy consumption patterns of buildings. It is widely acknowledged in the literature that designs based on conventional pathways relying solely on historical weather data disregard the effects of the changing climate and lose their intended energy performance over time. Several endeavors have been made to generate weather files capable of capturing the essence of the changing climate and carrying its variability. In line with these efforts, the synthesized weather files have emerged as a promising alternative to the commonly used morphing method for incorporating climate change variability into building energy designs. However, a comprehensive framework with a potential to accommodate this variability in this context is yet to be investigated. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to propose a novel framework that can facilitate dynamic design upgrades in response to the changing climate including the extreme climate conditions. This framework has been applied to a case study building in Australia and around 31% annual thermal load reduction, on average, has been achieved. Furthermore, the results showed that conventional design pathways are likely to leave buildings inadequately prepared against the upcoming climate conditions. Therefore, the proposed framework is capable of generating a dynamic design that not only maintains the expected energy performance by incorporating the changing climate into its structure but also draws a more realistic picture of the building energy demand pattern over time.

Psychosocial Hazards in the Northern Territory Building and Construction Industry: A Profile of Job Demands and Job Resources in a Jurisdiction and Industry with High Rates of Suicide.

The work environment for building workers in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) is characterised by concerningly high rates of distress and suicide at both a jurisdictional and an industry level. Work-related psychosocial hazards are known antecedents of work-related distress and suicide, and more research is required to understand how these hazards impact workers in this unique building context. This paper examines the unique work environment in the NT building industry by comparing psychosocial hazards in the NT with those in the broader Australian building and construction industry. When comparing 330 NT self-report survey responses about psychosocial hazards in the workplace to 773 broader Australian building industry responses, supervisor task conflict for NT workers was more concerning, at 10.9% higher than the broader Australian cohort. Within the NT sample, comparisons between fly-in and fly-out/drive-in and drive-out (FIFO/DIDO) workers and non-FIFO/DIDO workers were also performed to determine specific local psychosocial hazards. When comparing FIFO/DIDO workers' responses to their NT peers, role overload and supervisor task conflict were significantly higher, and co-worker and supervisor support were lower. In FIFO/DIDO environments, praise and recognition, procedural justice, and change consultation were at concerningly lower averages than the broader NT building and construction industry. These results suggest that the NT building and construction industry, and particularly FIFO/DIDO operations, require greater resourcing, investment, and focus on workplace mental health initiatives to improve the work environment and wellbeing of this workforce and mitigate hazards that can lead to distress and the high rates of occupational suicide found in this jurisdiction and industry.

Supervisor relationships, peer support and mental health stressors in the Australian building and construction industry

Mates in Construction (MATES) is a multi-faceted strategy developed in Australia to address suicide prevention in the workplace. MATES operationalized a workplace mental health framework consisting of five domains in 2019 in a move toward a broader systems-based approach to workplace mental health in the building and construction work environment. Using job demands-resources (JD-R) theory and a revised version of the People at Work Survey (PAW-Con), the objective of this study is to explore workplace mental health trends within the Australian building and construction industry with the aim of identifying areas of improvement required to mitigate psychosocial hazards at work. A quantitative method of analysis of reported job demands and resources of 1158 construction workers was used to establish correlation and means scores within the building and construction work environment. Industry means scores enabled comparison with existing safe valid mean scores utilizing established JD-R measurements. Data was collected from construction industry workers over a twelve-month period with the findings highlighting concerns related to supervisor conflict, peer support and job control as psychosocial hazards requiring industry wide improvement. Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) and Drive-In Drive-Out (DIDO) work environments demonstrated different hazards in procedural justice, role ambiguity and role conflict. This study demonstrates workplace mental health issues that require attention. Targeted training of supervisors and implementation of workplace plans to address areas of identified concern will reduce rates of mental distress, harm and suicide in a high-risk industry.

Enablers for accelerating biophilic design adoption in Australian buildings

Integrating biophilic design elements, such as green roofs and walls, has been proven to enhance the well-being of building occupants while boosting cities' ecological resilience. While many developed countries have acknowledged these benefits and are incorporating biophilic design principles into their new and refurbished buildings, Australia needs to catch up. This study aims to identify strategies to promote the integration of biophilic design in Australian buildings. To achieve this goal, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 architects and building sustainability consultants. The data was analysed using both manual and natural language processing techniques. The study uncovered nine strategies to accelerate the adoption of biophilic design, including making biophilic design a foundational subject in architectural and building sustainability education, enhancing building codes and regulations to mandate minimum biophilic features, demonstrating the business benefits of biophilic design to clients, embedding biophilic design as a core value in design organisations, and disseminating research and information on the cost-effective implementation of local vegetation for biophilic design. The study proposes a comprehensive framework for integrating nature into buildings, highlighting macro and micro enablers and their interactions. The findings offer practical strategies for stakeholders, including governments, design organisations, and professionals, to promote the adoption of biophilic design in Australia. Additionally, the study identifies opportunities to improve building design education and rating schemes to encourage the adoption of biophilic design.

It’s time to build: A small area estimation methodology for time-to-event data

There is an ever-present demand for statistical agencies to improve the timeliness, granularity and cost-efficiency of their official statistics. Our methodology for small area estimation using time-to-event data addresses these demands, as it utilises existing data sources to produce timely estimates at finer levels of geography. We illustrate this methodology with our application to the Australian Building Activity Survey, which has been successfully repurposed to obtain small area estimates of newly completed dwellings with associated uncertainty estimates. The methodology is widely applicable, and we discuss further subject areas where it can be introduced to improve value for users of official statistics.

Indoor environment quality effects on occupant satisfaction and energy consumption: Empirical evidence from subtropical offices

This study examines the impact of indoor environment quality (IEQ) on occupant satisfaction and energy consumption in Australia’s subtropical office buildings. First, Kano’s model was applied to 201 office occupants' satisfaction surveys to understand the influence of each IEQ parameter on overall occupant satisfaction. Then, a quantitative relationship between monitored IEQ parameters and energy consumption in three office buildings was developed during summer, winter and transitional months. Using Kano’s model, IEQ parameters were classified into Basic Factors, Performance Factors, and Bonus Factors based on their impact on occupants’ overall satisfaction. Basic Factors include ‘acoustic environment’, ‘lighting environment’, ‘level of privacy’, and’office cleanliness’, which were deemed a prerequisite for occupant satisfaction. As Performance Factors, ‘thermal environment’, ‘indoor air quality’, ‘furnishing’, ‘available space’ and ‘personal control’ had proportional relationships with overall satisfaction. The only identified Bonus Factor positively impacting overall occupant satisfaction was ‘View from the windows’. In subtropical climates, the relationship between IEQ parameters and energy consumption reveals that artificial lighting is the most energy-intensive IEQ parameter. The findings also suggest that Australian building experts may have over-emphasised the role that achieving thermal comfort plays in the energy consumption of office buildings in Australia’s temperate climates.

Exploring the Impact of Social Identity on the Bullying of Construction Industry Apprentices.

There is a lack of literature specifically examining the workplace bullying of apprentices and trainees in traditional, male-dominated sectors such as the Australian building and construction industry. Using social identity theory (SIT), the aim of this study was to gather the attitudes, thoughts, and feelings of construction industry leaders to better understand how social identification (i.e., group membership) impacts bullying on targets and perpetrators and the willingness to report bullying to targets and bystanders. One-on-one, semi-structured interviews using a purposive sample of eight leaders from construction and blue-collar industries. Qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were identified: difficulties for apprentices transitioning into industry, the need for continued improvement in industry culture, reluctance to report bullying, and rethinking apprenticeships to empower. Each theme provides insight into the psychosocial phenomenon of the bullying of trade apprentices and suggests that an apprentice's level of social identification with work groups shapes how bullying is identified, interpreted, and prevented. Findings from this study will be important for tailoring evidence-based interventions, human resource policies, and initiatives for education and awareness training. Themes also highlight systemic inadequacies impacting apprentices' mental health and skill development, with implications for the future sustainability of apprenticeship training agreements.

Embodied Carbon in Australian Residential Houses: A Preliminary Study

Embodied carbon is a buzzword in the construction industry. Australia is committed to achieving Net Zero 2050 targets, and minimizing embodied carbon (EC) is inevitable. Owing to the population growth, there will be a significant demand for residential construction. Therefore, the material consumption in residential construction should be evaluated and proper strategies should be in place to minimize EC. The aim of this research is to undertake a preliminary study of EC in the Australian residential sector, with an emphasis on new residential home construction. This research presents a preliminary study on EC in residential buildings in Australia. Three case study residential buildings were used in this study. All three case studies are single -story residential units, with a gross floor area between 200 and 240 m2. One Click LCA software was used to calculate the EC. The EC of three case study residential homes is between 193 and 233 kgCO2e/m2. Based on the findings of this study, ‘other structures and materials’ contribute to a large amount of EC in residential construction. Concrete and aluminum are considered significant contributors to EC. Therefore, it is vital to either introduce low-EC material to replace aluminum windows or introduce various design options to minimize the use of aluminum in windows. There are various sustainable concretes available with low EC. It is essential to explore these low-EC concretes in residential homes as well. This research identifies the importance of adopting strategies to reduce the carbon impact from other sources, including concrete. It is also essential to consider the EC through transportation related to construction and promote locally sourced building materials in residential construction. Therefore, the results of this research indicate the necessity of reducing raw material consumption in Australian residential construction by implementing approaches such as a circular economy in order to circulate building materials throughout the construction supply chain and reduce raw material extraction.

Modelling the effect of passive cooling measures on future energy needs for the Austrian building stock

Modelling the effect of passive cooling measures on future energy needs for the Austrian building stock