Brick Tiles Research Articles

Performance assessment of hemispherical solar distillers integrated with the red bricks filled with cement as natural thermal storage materials

AbstractThis manuscript aims to augment the production rate of drink water from the hemispherical solar distillers using red bricks filled with cement as natural low‐cost reasonable storage materials. To obtain the optimal height and optimal gap distance of the red brick tiles filled with cement that achieves the highest productivity of hemispherical distillers. Three different heights of the red brick (1, 2, and 3 cm) with two different gap distances of (4 and 6 cm) were experimentally studied. Therefore, three hemispherical distillers were constructed and operated under the same climate conditions. The first is the traditional hemispherical solar distiller (THSD) which represents the reference distiller. The second is a hemispherical distiller with red brick tiles filled with cement set at a gap distance of 6 cm. The third is a hemispherical distiller with red brick tiles filled with cement set at a gap distance of 4 cm. The results presented that, the utilization of red brick tiles filled with cement with a height of 2 cm and a gap distance of 4 cm represents a good choice that achieves the highest performance of hemispherical distillers. The results showed that the utilization of red bricks filled with cement will be improved the accumulative yield from 4.3 L/m2/day (THSD) to 6.55 L/m2/day with an improvement of 52.3%. Also, using the red bricks filled with cement improved the thermal and exergy efficiencies by 51.24% and 435.5%, respectively compared to THSD.

Inserting and Combining. Stucco and Brick Tiles from the Ghaznavid Royal Palace (11th–12th c.) in Ghazni

Abstract Numerous isolated tiles in brick and stucco emerged from the excavation of the Ghaznavid royal palace in Ghazni (11th–12th century). The finding in situ of edgewise laid bricks’ panels with inserted stucco tiles allows inferring that they adorned the upper section of the antechambers opening onto the palace central courtyard. How brick tiles were combined with them is still to be explained. This preliminary note offers a typological classification of tiles presenting the variety of sizes and morphologies as well as of the decorative patterns. The combination of baked brick and stucco is largely attested since the late 10th century in the architectural decoration throughout the Iranian area. Nishapur and Lashkari Bazar represent inescapable sites for comparison.

WOMEN'S ROLE IN THE PRODUCTION AND SALE OF ALCOHOL IN HAN CHINA AS REFLECTED IN TOMB ART FROM SICHUAN

AbstractPictorial brick tiles and stone carvings from the Eastern Han period show women engaged in the production of alcohol, and early histories and literary sources provide an insight into women's role in brewing, drinking, and selling alcohol in shops and in the market. Preparation of alcohol for ritual ceremonies, banquets, and daily consumption is listed among the many household duties for which women were responsible. It was women's work (nüshi 女事), as was the production of textiles, which assigned women with an economic role but also gave them a moral identity in the social sphere. However, women's mastery of brewing—mentioned but rarely elaborated—upon, did not connote feminine virtues in the same way as weaving. Through a close examination of artistic representations that show women engaged in the making of alcohol on the estate and in a workshop setting in the southwest (present-day Sichuan province), this article aims to examine the role women played in alcohol production and their contribution to the economy of both their household and the region in early Imperial China.

Erosive wear of different facade finishing materials

Manmade objects such as buildings, statues and other materials made from cement, brick and stone are subject to mechanical weathering. Windblown sand wears down sharp edges, causing loss of style, features and details. Heat and cold cause expansion cracks that permit water to enter, freeze and or expand, causing more damage.The aggressive environment of the North West coast of Egypt, including sea storms, streams sand to impingement the facades of the summer houses and causes severe staining, peeling and damage to the paints and finishes of the exterior. High maintenance cost of such houses may eventually discourage owners to maintain the style and the architectural integrity of the compounds and villages. Architectural designs utilizing appropriate building and finishing materials which resist the wear and erosion, caused by high speed sand and salt laden air carrying sand particles and sea water droplets, are of vital importance to reduce maintenance cost.This paper investigates the wear rates and erosion mechanism for different finishing materials such as plastic paints (Complico), artificial stone tiles, Pharos stones, Calcium Carbonate natural stones, and fired brick tiles. Tests showed considerable wear rates when the facades are oriented about 60 degrees from the local wind directions. The results indicate a superior performance for the fired brick tiles. Other materials may be used on facades with somewhat different orientations ranging between 45 and 70 degrees from the wind direction.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA)

Lightweight aggregate is the generic name of a group of aggregates having a relative density lower than normal aggregates (natural sand, gravel, and crushed stone), sometimes is referred to as low density aggregate. Depending on the source and the method of production, lightweight aggregates exhibit considerable differences in particle shape, texture and properties. Lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) is among the common lightweight materials that have been applied successfully in civil engineering works. Many studies have been conducted to investigate the performances of LECA used in structural and geotechnical applications. They are favourable materials used in projects where weight is an issue because the materials can help reduce dead loads and lateral forces by more than half in installations over structures and those with soft soils. LECA is an eco-friendly nature-based waste product that combines the same benefits as brick tiles. LECA is indestructible, non-combustible, and impervious to attack by dry-rot, wet-rot and insects. This paper focused on the properties of LECA aggregates supplied by LEXCA Sdn. Bhd. through laboratory tests in accordance to the standard specifications. The properties of several LECA produced from different country and production plants are also reviewed for comparative purpose. In addition, the material properties evaluated from previously conducted research also was discussed. It was found that, even though LECA was produced from the same raw materials, it has certain range of property values. The properties of LECA shows their suitability and potential for replacing natural aggregates in many civil engineering works. It is hoped that, the properties presented in this paper could help others who conduct study especially numerical analysis using LECA as geotechnical materials.

Investigation on the effect of innovative cool tiles on local indoor thermal conditions: Finite element modeling and continuous monitoring

The achievement of building indoor thermal comfort conditions with the minimum energy need represents a challenge for both designers and researchers. To this aim, the development of passive strategies, e.g. cool roofs, for reducing the thermal gain entering building envelopes has spread in the scientific community. In this view, Computational Fluid Dynamic method is applied in this research in order to quantify the effect of a cool roof solution within the indoor environment of the thermal zone adjacent to the roof, by analyzing the attic local conditions. The case study is represented by an attic room of a continuously monitored residential building located in central Italy. A two-dimensional finite element analysis is carried out to investigate the indoor air temperature and air velocity field inside the attic. The available experimental data are used for validation. Therefore, the thermal profiles generated by (i) the roof with traditional brown-colored brick tiles and (ii) the same roof with innovative cool clay tiles are investigated. The final purpose is to compare the indoor thermal comfort conditions generated within the vertical cross section of the attic, in order to study the cool roof effect at different height of occupants' body. The main results show up to 2.79 K and 1.54 K air temperature difference between the cool and traditional roof configurations, in summer and winter conditions, respectively. A thermal stratification is detected during summer inside the attic, leading to strongly non homogeneous comfort conditions, particularly marked in the “hot” tiles scenario, demonstrating the usefulness of this contribution.

The influence of surface finishes on the energy demand of HVAC systems for existing buildings

In historical centres, the buildings are characterized by pitched roofs, sometimes not insulated, with low thermal inertia and coated in brick tiles with low solar reflection factor. So, the attics show high energy costs for heating and cooling.This paper analyses the energy saving obtainable by applying innovative surface finishes on interior and exterior surfaces of opaque envelope components of existing buildings. This simple and inexpensive retrofit action determines energy cost reductions for heating and cooling, but also benefits regarding indoor thermal comfort and useful life of buildings, because condensation problems and thermal shock are reduced; moreover, it preserves the architectural and chromatic characteristics of the building envelope.The analysis is performed by means of a building energy simulation code, considering typical HVAC systems for various Italian and European cities. A technical-economic and environmental investigation is also performed.Thermal energy needs of buildings for summer cooling can be reduced up to 60% by applying “cool paints” on the external surface of walls and roof, while internal low infrared emissivity coatings can reduce winter thermal requirements up to 12.5%.Significant primary energy savings for heating and cooling and reductions of greenhouse gas emissions (up to 60%) can be obtained, as well as a payback value of few years in most cases.

Summer and Winter Effect of Innovative Cool Roof Tiles on the Dynamic Thermal Behavior of Buildings

Cool roofs represent an acknowledged passive cooling technique to reduce building energy consumption for cooling and to mitigate urban heat island effects. This paper concerns the evaluation of the dynamic effect of new cool roof clay tiles on building thermal performance in summer and winter conditions. To this end, these properties have been analyzed on traditional roof brick tiles through an indoor and outdoor two-year long continuous monitoring campaign set up in a residential building located in central Italy. The analysis and the cooperation with industrial companies producing brick tiles and reflective coatings allowed the production of a new tile with notable “cool roof” properties through the traditional industrial manufacturing path of such tiles. Notable results show that during summer the high reflection tiles are able to decrease the average external roof surface temperature by more than 10 °C and the indoor operative temperature by more than 3 °C. During winter the average external surface temperature is lower with high reflection tiles by about 1 °C. Singular optic-thermal phenomena are registered while evaluating the dynamics of the cool roof effect. Interesting findings show how the sloped cool roof application could suggest further considerations about the dynamic effect of cool roofs.

Investigation of Heat Impact Behavior on Exterior Wall Surface of Building Material at Urban City Area

This paper represents a comparative study aiming to investigate the heat impact on the vertical surfaces of buildings temperature based on their thermal behaviors. This study was carried out based on four building materials commonly used in Malaysia namely brick, concrete, granite and white concrete tiles. In order to investigate the thermal performance on the building materials, surface temperature sensors, data logging system as well as infrared thermography procedures were used, respectively. As the thermal impact to the materials was measured using infrared thermometric and thermographic, a field work of thermal value can be simply observed as a “seeing heat” effect. The results indicate that bricks had the capability to absorb and store heat greater than other materials during peak daytime event. The normalized (total heat/solar radiation) of brick materials was 0.093, which was the highest value compared to others. A brick material shows the highest impact of heat in 51% than white granite material and it releases a substantial amount of heat into the atmosphere through radiation and convection factors. The types of material used at exterior wall buildings have significant impact to the surrounding environment. The use of suitable materials contributes to the reduction of the air temperature due to heat transfer phenomena.

平城宮第一次大極殿院および朝堂院の設計思想について

The earthen wall with brick tiles on the Former Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound in Nara Imperial Palace has incomprehensible outlines. I found once that it was designed with three concentric circles and the eccentric circle. Besides three concentric circles and the eccentric circle are severally equivalent to Zone of Perpetual Apparition, equator, Zone of Perpetual Occultation and ecliptic. On this paper I guessed that the plan of the earthen wall is similar to the fabulous bard “Yatagarasu”, the eccentric circle become the sun which the bard lives in, and the 3:8 inclination of wall was involved in the bard’s character. The twin Imperial Halls of State Compounds in the Nara Palace were related to the configuration “Taibi-kyu”. The central Halls were designed as the five emperors’ seats and the eastern Halls were designed as twelve ministers. The number of the buildings related to the cosmos on the astronomical Chinese literature.

平城宮第一次大極殿院の設計思想

I indicated that the plan of the earthen wall with brick tiles on the Former Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound in Nara Imperial Palace was designed with three concentric circles and the eccentric circle , and this structure is similar to the astronomical chart of mural of Kitora Tomb. On this report, we can find the Chinese ancient thought that the buildings and the layout of establishment in the Palace area imitate the cosmos in the MONSEN anthology. The planners appreciate that the throne Takamikura was located at the center of the world and the throne fit on the ornament ceiling. The pair forms the turning pole Ame-no-Mihashira. On the Former Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound in Nara Imperial Palace, the number on the plan related to the calendar and the cosmos. This design show that Tennou manages the time and the cosmos in his national land same as Chinese emperor.

大極殿院の設計思想と出土遺物の解釈

In last year I guessed that the plans of the Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound were made by the bureau of astrology, calendar and divination ONMYOU-RYOU. On this paper I guessed the design concept and the thought with three enigmatic findings in the Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound. In the Fujiwara Palace, lotus pattern on the round eaves tiles compare the cosmos, and intertwining floral pattern on the flat eaves tiles express divinations outlook on the world. In Nara Palace, the ornament tile of the earthen wall with brick tiles on the former imperial Audience Hall of state compound express the brilliant sunshine, which is an auspicious sign .In Naniwa Palace, the concentric circle design on the round eaves tiles compare the cosmos just like the astronomical chat of mural of Kitora Tomb, and its reverse figure right express the secure of peace on the world. The other flat eaves tiles compare the cosmos, its figure + express the center of the eccentric circle (ecliptic). I think that the meanings of these findings are related to ONMYOU-RYOU and the ideology of the Rituryo state that conjecture was justified by this study on the findings in the Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound.

平城宮第一次大極殿前庭のデザインとその思想

The earthen wall with brick tiles on the Former Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound in Nara Imperial Palace has incomprehensible outlines. After the examination of the method of the plan, I found that the starting points and the infrection points of the earthen wall were situated at a point of intersection of three concentric circles and the eccentric circle. This structure is similar to the astronomical chart of mural of Kitora Tomb. Three concentric circles and the eccentric circle are severally equivalent to Zone of Perpetual Apparition, equator, Zone of Perpetual Occultation and ecliptic. Besides the situation of the Imperial throne, the center of the Audience Hall, the well in the front yard are respectively equivalent to the north pole, the polestar, one of constellations on the ecliptic. According to the ancient thought in China, the designer of the Former Imperial Audience Hall of State Compound had the design concept that the layout of establishment in the area indicatedimitate the cosmos.

Casa de campo en Buchs

This charming country house is situated on an ample site, of about 1,500 ms 2 of which 380 ms 2 are built up. It has a commanding view to the south. It is noteworthy in consisting of a single storey at the front, which splits up into two levels towards the rear of the house; a semibasement and a partially elevated ground floor. The building can be differentiated into three zones: living space, bedrooms and services. It has been built with highly varied materials, including carved gres, timber, brick, and ceramic tiles; such, however, that they harmonise closely with each other. The garden surrounding the house greatly enhances the attractiveness of the whole, and succeeds in strengthening the relationship between the interior and the outdoor nature: a condition that is essential in a country dwelling.