Building Research Establishment Research Articles

Selection of the Most Appropriate Sustainable Buildings Assessment Categories and Criteria for Developing Countries: Case of Ethiopia

Sustainable buildings can save 36% of total energy use, 65% of electricity consumption, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, 30% of raw materials use, 30% of waste output, and 12% of potable water consumption. Several sustainable building assessment tools were used by both developed and developing countries. However, Ethiopia’s buildings were not critically assessed and evaluated from a sustainability point of view because there was no such type of study conducted so far. This paper aims to explore the most significant and widely used tools as well as the basis for other sustainable building assessment tools, such as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE), Sustainable Building Tool (SBTool), Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (CEPAS), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB), and Green Mark and Green Star. The methodology employed is the selection of the 10 most commonly and widely utilized sustainable building assessment tools (SBATs) from the 57 SBATs based on desk review and document analysis. The results of the study identified that all 10 SBATs have their own assessment categories and criteria based on many factors, such as climatic conditions and availability of resources, plus methods employing demographic dynamics and legal aspects of the sector for assessing the sustainable/green buildings. It distinguishes the most commonly and repeatedly used assessment categories and criteria and uses a consensus-based approach with experts in the building sectors, a four-quadrant model, and a circular and helical flow model, to develop a new sustainable building assessment tool suitable for Ethiopia.

Sustainability Assessment of Buildings Indicators

The building sector is responsible for a high environmental impact, namely during construction, maintenance, demolition, and lifetime. It is then urgent to develop tools for guiding all stockholders to make buildings more sustainable. In order to make the sustainability assessment of a building, it is necessary to make a survey of the most appropriate parameters for this analysis and organize them hierarchically. The first sustainability certification rating tools were developed in the 90′s of the last century, namely Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM), which allow for the quantitative sustainability assessment of different types of buildings. After the first developments, many authors joined in the endeavor of producing easier-to-use and more accurate sustainability assessment systems using sustainability indicators and their respective weights. This work provides a rational pathway throughout the relevant literature on sustainability indicators, comparing indicators proposed by different authors and different sustainability certification systems.

Study on Certification Criteria of Building Energy and Environmental Performance in the Context of Achieving Climate Neutrality

Increased greenhouse gas emissions have led to a global warming threat. As a result, countries have tended to focus their decision-making attention on energy-saving strategies. Specifically, the concept of green building has been developed for the construction sector. It aims to create energy-efficient structural activities (new constructions, repairs, or renovated constructions) that will be carried out in line with the determined criteria. With the concept of green building and the need to establish criteria and standards to ensure energy efficiency, green building certification systems have come to the fore. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certification systems have been developed. This article investigates the achievements of the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category of LEED-certified projects in Türkiye and Europe. A comparison study of countries was carried out, based on the fourth version of the LEED BD+C framework that was developed for new green building projects. The study’s primary goal is to show the linear correlation between market value and IEQ. It was revealed that the gross domestic product does not affect IEQ applications. Although Türkiye was ranked first in applying for IEQ credits, its economic development level is lower than that of other European countries.

Projektowanie zrównoważone w aspekcie zastosowania materiałów proekologicznych

The paper presents the problem of sustainable design in terms of multi-criteria evaluation methods focusing on the selection and use of building materials in the design. Based on the guidelines and procedures of such assessment methods as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), and others, environmentally friendly building materials were selected for the design of specific building structures was made. For the construction of low-rise single-family homes, products made from waste were used. For the construction of a multipurpose, highrise building, the material chosen was cross-laminated timber (CLT), which is characterized by good environmental performance. The design of a multipurpose urban complex used environmentally friendly concrete, the manufacturing process of which has a dramatically reduced carbon footprint. An analysis of the properties of the building materials, their selection in terms of sustainability, and their use in designs provide tangible benefits in terms of the quality of formation of the built environment.

КВИНТЭССЕНЦИЯ ТОТАЛЬНОГО ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЯ В ДИЗАЙНЕ

Recently, a new round of transformation has been taking place in design thinking, which consists of considering a design object as a single whole with nature. Nature is considered from the point of view of a formative source, the resource of which can be used in the design and construction of environmental objects in order to create new bioforms, eco-materials and structures to reduce energy consumption while maintaining comfort. The push for sustainable design has intensified with the launch of the Building Research Institute’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). It introduces the first green building rating system. In addition, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has formulated new criteria aimed at improving the environmental performance of buildings through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In Russia, the existing “Green” standards create practices for solving broader problems of sustainable development, such as zero-energy construction concepts, living, regenerative and restorative construction concepts that improve the natural environment or simulate natural processes. This will initiate the search for new design strategies using the tools of immersive design concepts for the development of socially-oriented projects aimed at supporting the global trend of total environmental design. The article analyzes the artificial and natural elements of the exposition complexes from the perspective of ecological design. In Russia, the existing “Green” standards create practices for solving broader problems of sustainable development, such as zero-energy construction concepts, living, regenerative and restorative construction concepts that improve the natural environment or simulate natural processes. This will initiate the search for new design strategies using the tools of immersive design concepts for the development of socially-oriented projects aimed at supporting the global trend of total environmental design. The article analyzes the artificial and natural elements of the exposition complexes from the perspective of ecological design. Examples of the organization of sensory, interactive exhibition and development spaces are given. The role of ecological design in modern information and educational culture is revealed. The article discusses the principles of integration of the virtual environment with the information space, describes the structure and technology of obtaining information, structuring and compiling databases, coordinating, interacting and managing design forms and objects.

Evaluation of the self-healing capacity of concrete with low-cost macro-capsules

This study focuses on the evaluation of the efficiency of a low-cost macrocapsule, using commercially available pharmaceutical capsules with specific modifications, for self-healing concrete. The macrocapsules were developed by the Belgian Building Research Institute in a previous study. The healing agent is a resin based on alkyd-urethane, a low-cost commercial product, which was selected for its compatibility with concrete and shell, and also for the following reasons: resin release, adhesion to concrete, and reduction in capillary water absorption. After their manufacturing, the macrocapsules were carefully integrated within the concrete mix at 5 volume-%, and cubes and slabs for compressive and impact tests were cast. Small beams 160 x 40 x 40 mm3 containing each three capsules (placed 15 mm above the bottom surface) were tested for flexural strength and capillary water absorption. The effect of self-healing was evaluated by sorptivity test for two different crack mouth opening displacements of 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm. In both cases, the cracks were partially or completely healed, and the mechanical properties of the macrocapsule specimens were quite the same as the reference specimens. This demonstrates that the modified low-cost macrocapsules are sufficient to heal large cracks without losing the concrete mechanical properties.

Review of Wind Resistant Design for Tiled Roofs and Publication of New CFD Guidebook for Urban Wind Environment: Japan Country Report 2021

This paper introduces recent activities related to the structural and environmental engineering in Japan. Part 1 in this paper illustrates outline of recent research and standardization related to ensuring wind resistant performance of tiled roofs. We introduce the results of damage survey on tiled roofs caused by Typhoon Faxai in 2019, which was conducted by National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management and Building Research Institute in collaboration with clay roof tile industry organization. Then, the outline of the wind load calculation method stipulated in the Building Standards Law and the amended Notification for roof tiles is illustrated. In addition, “Guideline for Standard Structural Design/Construction for Tiled Roof” was revised in July 2021 as a supplement to the law. The outline of monotonous pull-up test and the standard specifications, both of which are newly added to the revised version of the Guideline, are also introduced. These activities are aimed to reduce structural vulnerability of tiled roofs, based on the lessons learned from the damage caused by the typhoon. In Part 2, we introduce activities to promote the appropriate use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in wind environment prediction. A working group within the Architectural Institute of Japan compiled a new CFD guidebook and guidelines for urban wind environment prediction, mainly aiming to include the application of large-eddy simulation to pedestrian-level wind problems or dispersion problems relating to concentration and temperature in cities. Reflecting the latest domestic and international research trends and the WG’s validation works, achievements of their activities were published as “Guidebook for CFD Predictions of Urban Wind Environment” (2020, in Japanese), papers in international journals, and an extended experimental database for verification and validation of analysis codes.

Toxic mould, cold and health

Practice NursingVol. 33, No. 12 EditorialToxic mould, cold and healthKelly NickallsKelly NickallsEditorSearch for more papers by this authorKelly NickallsPublished Online:2 Dec 2022https://doi.org/10.12968/pnur.2022.33.12.485AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Building Research Establishment. The cost of poor housing in England. 2021. https://files.bregroup.com/research/BRE_Report_the_cost_of_poor_housing_2021.pdf (accessed 22 November 2022) Google ScholarNHS. Can damp and mould affect my health? 2022. https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/can-damp-and-mould-affect-my-health/ (accessed 22 November 2022) Google ScholarWearn R, Smith C. Energy bills: Patients prescribed heating as part of health trial. 2022. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63707689 (accessed 22 November 2022) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 December 2022Volume 33Issue 12ISSN (print): 0964-9271ISSN (online): 2052-2940 Metrics History Published online 2 December 2022 Published in print 2 December 2022 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Low-Carbon Retrofitting Path of Existing Public Buildings: A Comparative Study Based on Green Building Rating Systems

Existing building carbon emissions contribute to global climate change significantly. Various Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) have considered low-carbon requirements to regulate the emissions. Low-carbon retrofitting is an important way to reduce existing building CO2 emissions. However, low-carbon retrofitting of existing public buildings is not sufficient and systematic, and there is a lack of research on low-carbon retrofitting from the perspective of GBRS. The purpose of this study is to propose a carbon emission control framework for existing public buildings based on GBRS analysis and guide the low-carbon retrofitting. This study makes comparisons among the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Green Mark (GM), and Assessment Standard for Green Retrofitting of Existing Buildings (ASGREB). A low-carbon retrofit pathway for existing public buildings is proposed from the GBRS research for the first time, encompassing six aspects: materials, energy, management, innovation, site, and water, involving 15 measures. Among them, measures on energy and materials are the main considerations, with weights of 18.3% and 17.7%, respectively. Six recommendations for implementation pathways are also given. Furthermore, the necessary measures, the importance of local context and quantification, priorities of materials, and energy scopes are defined.

Towards Promotion of Road Safety: Crash Diagnosis for the Odumasi-Oterkpolu Road, Ghana

Crashes in road curves contribute significantly to road traffic fatalities in developing countries. The crash risks increase when there are multiple vertical and horizontal curves on the road section. In this study, we diagnose the crash-contributing factors along the crash-prone and curvy Odumasi-Oterkpolu road in Ghana and propose countermeasures. Spot speed counts were done using radar guns in addition to manual traffic counts, field inspections, and victim self-reports. Secondary police crash data (from 2015 to 2019) were collected from the Building and Road Research Institute of Ghana. Multiple regression and descriptive analyses were computed to identify crash-contributing factors. Vehicle brake failure and driver inattention were identified as the main driving errors that contribute to crashes in the road curves. Notably, the majority of crashes involved movements in left-turning lanes, in other words towards drivers’ left sides. Speed, traffic volume, and the volume of motorcycles and medium trucks had the strongest association with fatalities. Overall, the road lacks street lights, guardrails, road signs, road markings, posted speed limits, and durable pavement. This is the first empirical investigation of the studied road; therefore, the findings and proposed countermeasures will help to improve road design and safety measures.

Building penetration loss measurements and modelling in the 900 and 2100 MHz band for smart meter installation

One of the most significant applications of Internet of Things are smart meters with wireless capabilities. Smart gas and electricity meters can capture half-hourly pricing and consumption data and send automated meter readings to your energy provider, in contrast to regular meters that can only register a running total of energy used. However, the legacy regular meters were not installed with wireless connectivity in mind and are usually found in hard-to-reach places for wireless radio coverage. To understand these scenarios, this paper provides signal strength measurements conducted at the Building Research Establishment determining building penetration losses in both 900 and 2,100 MHz band. We then present a building penetration loss model using these measurements that is practical and cost effective when compared to traditional statistical propagation loss models.

Developing a Green Building Assessment Tool for Ethiopia

Sustainable/green building rating systems are utilized by both developed and developing countries based on their local context. This paper aims to develop an assessment tool that considers the triple bottom line sustainability of buildings. In Ethiopia, buildings of various types and purposes are constructed at an alarming rate with inadequate resources and wasteful uses, so this tool is in urgent need. Developing such a tool is highly appreciated due to the diversified and complicated ecological and socio-economic issues in the building construction sector. This research has developed new green building assessment categories and criteria depending upon consensus reached with 93 experienced experts working on the construction sectors. This research reviewed a total of 10 widely and repeatedly used tools that were critically studied, for instance, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen, Sustainable Building Tool, and so on. The Analytic Hierarchy Process technique was applied for weighting and prioritizing after selecting these assessment categories and criteria. The outcomes of the research with the relative priority values were materials and resources (18.66%), sustainable sites and ecology (16.92%), energy efficiency (16.78%), indoor environmental quality (12.60%), economic aspects (10.41%), management (10.30%), water efficiency (8.06%) and location and transportation (6.27%). Thus the proposed sustainable building assessment tool that best suits Ethiopian settings was developed.

Impact of zoning heating and air conditioning control systems in users comfort and energy efficiency in residential buildings

Nowadays, in the residential sector, a widely used Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system is the ducted direct expansion inverter system based on the on/off control of a single zone, which cannot guarantee the thermal comfort in each room of the building. As a solution, the standard EN 15,232 regulates the use of control systems including thermal zoning as a fundamental condition in the energy efficiency in buildings. The zoning system can adapt the equipment working regime to meet the thermal demand in each zone monitoring the air temperature according to users’ preferences ensuring the thermal comfort in each zone. Framed in this goal, in contrast to complex and costly control systems, this paper presents a new zoned control system based on thermostats and motorized dampers in each zone, a control board and a communication gateway which allows the communication between the unit and the control board to set operational parameters as the speed of the fan or the supply air set point temperature.The practical feasibility of this new control system is presented with a thermo-economic comparison analysis with respect the conventional in the context of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology certification scheme. The model of the zoning system together with implemented control algorithms is developed in TRNSYS17 and the case of study is a residential dwelling in three different Spanish cities. The results show how the thermal zoning control contributes to adapt the thermal energy to each zone in a more efficient way. Moreover, the regulation of the motorized dampers, fan speed and set point temperature of the unit ensures the thermal comfort in all the zones of the building guaranteeing a category B according to the standard regulations. Finally, from the point of view of energy consumption, energy savings from 21 to 42% are obtained, resulting in payback periods of the installation from 3.2 to 4.3 years.

The Comparative Analysis of the Scoring System Used in BREEAM International New Construction 2016 and the Recent Trends in Housing Sustainability-Related Literature

Paying attention to the sustainability of houses and any effort in this direction can be extremely important in achieving more sustainable societies. In this regard, sustainability assessment tools and more specifically the certificates that are used to evaluate the sustainability of urban houses can play major roles and, therefore, present points that need to be as efficient as possible. The study is an attempt at analyzing the efficiency of BREEAM (The British Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), as one of the most advanced and highest used certificates (in the world) in the housing sector, based on the results from a systematic literature review. To achieve this goal, the scoring system used in the BREEAM International New Construction 2016 is evaluated in order to see if the credits and weightings that are assigned to the assessment issues are aligned with the trends existing in the recent literature related to urban housing sustainability. The results of a previously published systematic review of 118 recent papers are used to extract the most important factors (and their importance degrees) affecting the sustainability of urban houses on a global scale. The analysis outcome shows significant differences in the prioritization of factors and the importance degree given to each factor between the BREEAM evaluation process and the literature review factors.

THE POST-OCCUPANCY DILEMMA IN GREEN-RATED BUILDINGS: A PERFORMANCE GAP ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT The traditional construction industry has a significant and far-reaching impact on the environment, economy, and society. Green-certified buildings, with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), DGNB (Deutsches Gütesiegel Nachhaltiges Bauen), or other certifications during the design stage, have great potential for increasing the effective use of resources and energy, reducing pollution, etc., and so their number has increased greatly in recent years. The post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of green buildings involves assessing whether they meet expected performance during the in-use phase and comprises four steps: (i) carrying out the research purpose/goal; (ii) determining the research objectives; (iii) conducting data collection, analysis, and visualization; and (iv) obtaining the results and drawing conclusions. However, there is a lack of reviews of POE research and analysis of reasons for actual performance gaps. In response and through a comprehensive literature review/analysis, this article summarizes the actual performance gaps of various greencertified projects, analyzes the reasons for failures, and proposes potential solutions. It is found that 74%, 12%, and 14% of the projects perform better, similar, and worse, respectively, than their non-green counterparts. Future POE green building projects can be optimized from the perspective of the building, user, and POE system. To optimize green building actual performance, it is important to ensure the sufficient education of installation and maintenance personnel and occupants’ green behavior, while interior design and decoration, the impact of user demographics, and POE performance indicators are key factors to be considered in green building design strategies and lifecycle evaluation systems.

Green Airport building certification comparison: a practical approach for Airport Management

ABSTRACT In this study, six certificates have proposed and three of them used by airport terminal building to analyze, measure, and score environmental damage were compared. Certifications handled in the study are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment for Building Environmental Efficiency), SBTool (Sustainable Building Tool), ACA (Airport Carbon Accreditation) and Green Airport and Green Company certificates. As a result, this research gathered the most widely used certificates in the literature. In addition, the Green Airport and Green Company certificate, the first green airport certificate in Turkiye, was added to the study for comparison, which has been offered just for airports. Hong Kong International Airport’s sustainability report was examined to determine how many points it would have received if it had applied for the most widely used LEED, BREEAM, and Green Airport and Green Company Certificates regarding the reported activities. The results have shown that the energy and atmosphere category is vital for all certification systems. Also, the study reveals that LEED gets 89.09 over 100 points, BREEAM 93.1 over 100 points, and Green Airport 75 over 100 points which display BREEAM to get a higher environmental response. This study aims to guide green building practices to decision-makers, which has become necessary in many countries. Employees and managers want to know the quality and quantity of sustainable tasks or planning at airports.

The impact of sustainability rating systems on health and safety in building projects

Sustainable construction has gained increasing popularity within the building sector with many sustainability rating systems (SRSs) available worldwide. However, most research has been focused on the environmental benefits of pursuing SRSs, with little attention paid to the health and safety (H&S) impact on construction workers. This study thus aims to investigate the impact of adopting SRSs on the H&S of construction workers in building projects. A systematic literature review was conducted, including 39 articles, to investigate the possible association between sustainability and H&S hazards. It resulted in 30 events and eight types of associated hazards, which are mostly related to the adoption of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) and Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method SRSs. The adoption of SRSs is likely to increase the exposure of workers to known H&S hazards with no new hazards introduced. In particular, ‘falling from height’ and ‘manual handling injuries’ caused by solar installation and retrieving recyclable waste, respectively, are the most representative sustainability-related hazards. While the evidence detected is mainly related to Leed, further research is needed to investigate whether findings are valid for other SRSs, such as the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method in the UK or Green Star in Australia, to address H&S concerns associated with sustainable building projects.

Risks of Implementing Sustainable Construction Practices in the Nigerian Building Industry

This study assessed the risks level associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices through a questionnaire survey distributed to 256 building professionals in Nigeria. It identified 47 risk factors with different likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of impacts. A quantitative risk analysis result based on mean value method and risk prioritisation number showed that the three top-ranked risk factors with highest likelihood of occurrence were unavailability of sustainable materials and equipment, more complex and unfamiliar construction techniques and processes, and high initial sustainable construction costs; whereas the three top-ranked risk factors with highest magnitude of impacts were high initial sustainable construction costs, poor and inefficient communication among project participants, and high cost of sustainable materials and equipment. The criticality index result identified 23 critical risk factors which mostly related to knowledge and awareness, cost, regulatory framework, building materials and socioeconomic issues. However, the Wilcoxon Signed-rank test result indicated that there is significant difference (z = -3.207, p<0.001) between the likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of impacts of the risks factors associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices in Nigeria of which the effect was moderate (r = 0.468). Furthermore, the study revealed that there is no significance difference in the risk level of the risk factors associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices based on the respondents’ roles (p>0.05). The study, therefore, recommended for training of construction practitioners in the multi-risk management approaches and increasing awareness through education on sustainable construction concept for building industry stakeholders. It further recommended for developing of new sustainable and affordable building materials through research institutes like Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) with appropriate regulatory and policy frameworks for successful sustainable building projects.

Circular concrete: validating new technologies in the lab and on-site

The growing importance of a circular economy also holds possibilities for concrete. Some of the principles of circularity, like the re-use of "waste" as secondary raw material and the optimisation of the design with regards to lifespan, environmental impact and re-use, can be applied. Several technological innovations in this domain are in an advanced stage of development. However, the transition from research to full commercial applications is held back, mostly due to the absence of documented experience and the lack of a technical framework (prescriptions). In order to accelerate the adoption of new technologies, the Belgian Building Research Institute (BBRI) started the project "Circular.Concrete". In this paper, the results are presented of validation tests regarding 1) smart crushing technology, 2) the carbonation of recycled aggregates, 3) concrete using only recycled aggregates and 4) the use of alternative binders and supplementary cementitious materials.

Measurement Campaign on 5G Indoor Millimeter Wave and Visible Light Communications Multi Component Carrier System

This paper presents the technical performance results of a measurement campaign from a 5G indoor millimeter Wave (mmWave) and Visible Light Communications (VLC) multi component carrier system, which was developed in a Horizon 2020 research project called Internet of Radio-Light (IoRL). The measurement campaign was performed in the famous Integer House laboratory at the Innovation Park in Building Research Establishment in Watford, U.K., which represents a typical European home environment. It includes four field test results: 1) VLC received signal quality measured as Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) against coverage, 2) mmWave received signal quality measured as EVM against coverage, 3) VLC location accuracy against a prescribed grid using received signal strength, 4) Comparison of measured and simulated Electromagnetic Field (EMF) strength against coverage. This measurement campaign not only tests the system concept in a realistic indoor home environment but also provides analysis of the results with practical recommendations on further technical enhancements required to improve the system performance and insights into viable commercial solutions and applications. Other environments in which this technology could be deployed were envisaged as: underground train platforms and tunnels, museums and supermarkets.