Buildings In Thailand Research Articles

Empirical formulas and Artificial Neural Networks to estimate the fundamental periods of existing and instrumented RC buildings in Thailand

Empirical formulas and Artificial Neural Networks to estimate the fundamental periods of existing and instrumented RC buildings in Thailand

Achieving Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings through Renewable Energy Production-Storage Optimization

This research focuses on optimizing renewable energy systems to achieve Nearly Zero-Energy Building (nZEB) Level 1 status, defined as reducing energy consumption by 87.5% to 100%. The major objectives are to explore the impact factors in the optimization of energy storage systems (ESSs), solar PV and ESS capacities, as well as energy consumption patterns. This study is based on monitoring data from an office building in Thailand with a 120 kW peak load and a 40 kW average load, equipped with a 160 kW photovoltaic (PV) system and 45 kWh from ESS. This study is based on comparing a simulation of a renewable energy system, particularly from unutilized solar energy, with building load demand to optimize the best system suitability for achieving nZEB Level 1 status. The results indicate that a 200 kW PV system combined with a 275 kWh ESS and a 250 kW PV system with an ESS capacity of 175 kWh can adequately supply the required clean energy demand. These findings provide insights on optimizing factors of renewable energy systems for buildings aiming to achieve sustainability targets. This work has summarized a framework including optimization impact factors with financial aspects which can be applied to similar cases. In addition, an analysis of working-day load profiles and appliance usage patterns has been performed to provide broader consumption insights. This approach identifies trends in HVAC, lighting, and electronics consumption, enabling the optimization scheme to be adapted to buildings with varying load patterns. Additionally, this study examines the effects of building operation hours on energy consumption. By adjusting operational schedules based on these insights, different renewable energy system capacities can be re-estimated to ensure achievement of the desired nZEB Level.

Seismic Hazard Microzonation Map for the Central Plain of Thailand

A study was conducted to investigate the seismic hazard microzonation of the central plain of Thailand, which is situated in an area with a thick quaternary basin. Unconsolidated sediments can lead to amplification of earthquake ground shaking at fundamental frequency and can cause a significant increase in damage to buildings. The research yielded significant results, including the development of a fundamental frequency map through the analysis of HVSR for 149 microtremor measurement sites. Subsequently, a Vs30 map was derived utilizing HVSR inversion techniques, and a soil classification map was constructed based on the NEHRP classification. The upper central plain along the Yom River and the Nan River had a low fundamental frequency of 0.3-0.5 Hz and low Vs30, which can be classified as soil type Class E. In the southern areas of Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, and central Bangkok, an extremely low Vs30 of less than 100 m/s was observed, indicating soil class F or special soft soil. A comprehensive investigation was conducted on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis by considering the Vs30 sites condition for PGA, SA0.2s, and SA1.0s with a 2475-year return period. The northern region of the upper central plain and the western side of the central basin exhibit relatively high seismic hazards. Furthermore, the site effect significantly amplifies ground motion at the 1.0 second period, surpassing the earthquake-resistant design standard for buildings in Thailand by more than 5 times, particularly in the central region of the lower central plain.

Priority Needs for Facilities of Office Buildings in Thailand: A Copula-Based Ordinal Regression Model with Machine Learning Approach

In the rapidly evolving business landscape of Thailand, the design and facilities of office buildings play a crucial role in enhancing employee satisfaction and productivity. This study seeks to answer the question: “How can office building facilities be optimized to meet the diverse preferences of occupants in Thailand, thereby improving their satisfaction and productivity”? This study employs a copula-based ordinal regression model combined with machine learning techniques to investigate the determinants of facility preferences in office buildings in Thailand. By analyzing data from 372 office workers in Bangkok, we identify the factors influencing facility needs and preferences, and measure the correlation between these preferences. Our findings reveal that safety and security are the highest-rated amenities, indicating their importance in the workplace. The findings reveal distinct preferences across demographic groups: age negatively influences the demand for certain amenities like lounges, while higher education levels increase the preference for cafeteria services. Employees in smaller firms show a higher preference for lounges and fitness centers but lower for restaurants and cafeterias. Interestingly, the size of the enterprise does not significantly affect preferences for fundamental facilities like security and cleaning. The study also uncovers the significant role of gender and income in shaping preferences for certain facilities. These results suggest that while basic amenities are universally valued, luxury or leisure-oriented facilities are more appreciated in smaller, possibly more community-focused work environments. This study highlights the need for tailored facility management in office buildings, considering the diverse needs of different employee groups, which has significant implications for enhancing workplace satisfaction and productivity.

The Effect of Light Shelf and Translucent Ceiling on Daylighting Performance in Office Building in Thailand

Daylight control strategies were a challenge for a high-rise building in terms of savingenergy consumption. Light shelf was one of the daylight control systems which was usuallyhorizontal or inclined surfaces, placed on the inner and/or the outer side of windows toreflect sunlight to ceiling and distribute the light deeper into the room. This study aimedto investigate the performance of daylight control strategies in office rooms using alight-self with translucent ceiling. The light shelf, which is typically horizontal or inclined,was placed on the inner or outer side of windows to reflect sunlight and distribute itdeeper into the room. The study investigated the effect of type of daylight techniqueswhich are a combination of different light shelves and translucent ceiling on daylightingperformance. The illuminance level in an office room was calculated using DIALux 4.13 andwas performed for working hours in Bangkok, Thailand. The simulation was performedunder clear sky conditions and using real climatic data from four orientations. Fivetypes of daylight techniques, including the existing room, were investigated in terms ofilluminance level and uniformity of daylight in the office room. The CIBSE (2015) and IESNA(2011) standards indicate that offices room should have uniformity of at least 0.8 andan illuminance level of 500 lux. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine thebest combination of light shelves and translucent ceilings for achieving illuminance anduniformity standards. The results showed that the external light shelf with a translucentceiling and static louver at 90o (option 4) was the best solution for office rooms, providingaverage illuminance level 776 lux (above the standard) and uniformity 0.4 (nearly thestandard). This conclusion suggests that a light-shelf with a translucent ceiling guidesdaylight deep into the room but less uniformity.

Challenges in implementing building information modelling for facility management in government buildings in Thailand

PurposeEffective facility management (FM) can reduce environmental effects on buildings throughout their life cycle. This study aims to investigate the challenges in implementing building information modelling (BIM) for FM in government buildings in Thailand.Design/methodology/approachEight government-building facility experts were interviewed using an in-depth interview method to identify FM challenges. The collected qualitative data were analysed via thematic analysis to ensure data saturation. The final questionnaire was designed with 45 FM problems, classified into management, technical and human resource problems, to collect quantitative data from 54 government FM officers. The data were used to prioritise the severity and frequency of the FM problems using the severity index (SI) and relative importance index (RII).FindingsManagement problems have the highest impact, with an average SI of 0.285, followed by human resource (average SI = 0.266) and technical (average SI = 0.264) problems.Originality/valueThis study identifies the government-building FM problems in Thailand that are critical to the development of a BIM execution plan (BEP) guideline. The findings can facilitate strategy development for government-building operations and management in line with the public procurement and supply administration of Thailand. These findings can serve as a guideline to inform the development of a BIM Roadmap for integration into the national digital roadmap and the Thailand 4.0 policy to mitigate construction-related environmental and climate issues.

Thermoeconomic analysis of duct works for air-conditioned building in Thailand

Thermoeconomic analysis of duct works for air-conditioned building in Thailand

RADON MEASUREMENT IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FROM THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF THAILAND

Indoor radon concentration plays a vital role in the total annual effective dose due to internal radiation exposure. This research investigated the radon gas found in concrete, which consists of rocks, sand, and cement. It can be found in most houses and buildings in Thailand to evaluate the possible residents’ health hazards. Radon was measured using an ionization chamber detector (ATMOS 12 DPX), and the values of the radon concentration, radon exhalation rate, and annual effective dose were calculated. This study collected concrete samples from Loei, Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani, and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces in the northeastern region of Thailand. The radon concentration in the concrete samples varied from 22.00 ± 4.00 to 110.00 ± 8.00 Bq⸱m-3, with an average of 56.77 ± 5.77 Bq⸱m-3. These values were below the guideline level of 148 Bq⸱m-3, recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The radon exhalation rate varies from 4.20 ± 0.84 to 55.07 ± 4.00 Bq⸱kg-1⸱h-1, with an average of 15.47 ± 1.68 mBq⸱kg-1⸱h-1. The annual effective dose ranges from 0.57 ± 0.10 to 2.89 ± 0.21 mSv⸱y-1, with an average of 1.47 ± 0.15 mSv⸱y-1. The International Commission recommends the dose limit of 1 mSv⸱y-1 for public exposure on Radiological Protection (ICRP).

A Study on Transparent Type Envelope Material in Terms of Overall Thermal Transfer, Energy, and Economy for an Office Building Based on the Thai Building Energy Code

Energy consumption in buildings has increased significantly as population and economic activities are concentrated in urban areas. Air conditioning accounts for a significant percentage of energy consumption in buildings, especially in tropical climates. The main area where heat can be transferred into the building is through glass windows. Thus, this study aims to evaluate feasibility in terms of overall thermal transfer value (OTTV), energy, and economics for retrofitting different glass materials in an office building in Thailand by using building energy code (BEC) software. The software uses Thailand’s building energy code as the standard to evaluate the energy performance of the case study building in comparison with different glass types used in retrofitted cases. From an economic perspective, the internal rate of return (IRR) and discounted payback periods (DPP) were used as determining indexes. The results demonstrated that retrofitted windows with the best energy-efficient glass might achieve energy performance, but installation cost can reduce economic feasibility, while the glass with the second lowest heat transfer coefficient can reduce the OTTV by 68.89% and building energy consumption by 16.87%. However, it can achieve the highest economic performance with 10.70% IRR and DPP at 11.83 years. Therefore, the balance between energy and economic factors must be considered to provide energy-efficient and investment-friendly glass materials for retrofit projects. In addition, the study focuses specifically on tropical climates. Thus, the finding may not be reflected similarly for buildings located in different regions.

Material circularity indicator for accelerating low‐carbon circular economy in Thailand's building and construction sector

AbstractThailand's steady growth of urban areas and industrial estates, the construction sector needs to adopt a low‐carbon circular economy (CE) model that emphasizes material circularity and resource efficiency. This research aims to measure the low‐carbon CE of the construction industry through significant representative products, life cycle assessment and material circularity indicator (MCI) were measured on significant representative products materials were evaluated. In the results of the study, it was found that the MCI and GHGs revealed the following results: 1 ton of construction steel products = 0.73 and 2.32 kgCO2/ton, 1 bag (50 kg) of mortar and cement products = 0.17 and 16.92 kgCO2/bag, 1 m3 of ready‐mixed concrete at compressive strength 240 kilograms per square centimeter = 0.11 and 253.63 kgCO2/m3, 1 m3 of wood and composite wood products = 0.17 and 745.84 kgCO2/bag, also 1 m2K/W (meters squared Kelvin per Watt) of glass wool insulation = 0.50 and 1.63 kgCO2/m2K/W, respectively. These values are indicated as national baselines for monitoring CE performance that contribute to the industry's long‐term viability and turn to sustainability in Thailand through the key strategic issues in Thailand's CE and low‐carbon society. The GHGs reduction of 11 million tons is expected, which can also increase the 10% of material circularity, also the estimation of the economic value, by considering the value added from material reduction and the price of carbon credit from construction and demolition waste reduction affect the Thai construction industry by approximately 67 million dollars.

An experimental study of thermal performance of the radiant ceiling cooling in office building in Thailand

An experimental study of thermal performance of the radiant ceiling cooling in office building in Thailand

A Study of Strategic Planning of MICE Tourism in Khon Kaen based on SWOT Analysis

The Division of Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) is increasing around the world, especially in Khon Kaen. It is featured as the high consumption, high profit, little seasonal difference and strong industry relevance, so it plays an increasingly important role in the economic development. The city could hold the MICE tourism to improve the visibility and reputation effectively and there is a large room for revenue growth from the business, exhibition, incentive tourism of the foreign visitors and local large-scale team building in Thailand. The local area and region are investigated for the impact of Khon Kaen on the MICE tourism. Most tourists are concentrated in urban areas and such tourism is mainly applied to the exhibition groups, enterprise groups and institutions. However, the local MICE convention and exhibition faces the opportunity and challenge, so the sufficient preparation shall be carried out. In this paper, the authors take the MICE tourism of Khon Kaen as the research objective and the SWOT is selected to judge the management of the local MICE tourism for analysis. The authors will define the development trend and scale based on the basic characteristics of the strategic planning, and detemine the area to be studied, to highlight the strength of MICE

Electricity Consumption in Higher Education Buildings in Thailand during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education institutions to switch to online learning for most of 2020 and 2021 for the safety of their students and staff, which significantly impacted campus resource consumption. This study aims to analyze the changes in electricity consumption in higher education buildings based on comparisons of three academic years to understand more about the energy implications of the post-COVID-19 era. The electricity data were collected from 181 samples of the electricity meter records at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. When compared to the typical academic year in 2018, the results indicate that electricity consumption in 2019 and 2020 decreased by 20.92% and 35.50%, respectively. The academic and the library-type buildings marked the biggest change in electricity reduction. The smallest change was found in the research type as its essential work remained on campus. Only electricity consumption in the residence type increased due to the long periods of online learning policies. Finally, the findings suggest that teaching and learning activities have a strong influence on electricity consumption in higher education buildings. The facilities and learning methods related to these activities should be carefully discussed as elements of an effective strategy to manage electricity demands at the university level.

Policy investigation and evaluation of electricity utilization comparison between public and private office buildings in Thailand

Policy investigation and evaluation of electricity utilization comparison between public and private office buildings in Thailand

A Comparative Study of TVOC and HCHO Emissions From Various Multilayer Built-in Furniture Components Based on ISO 16000-9:2006 Emission Test Chamber Methods

Multilayer materials of built-in furniture components emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the indoor environment. Although many green building rating systems have set criteria for indoor environments, typical buildings in Thailand have not implemented these requirements, especially for local furniture. This study aimed to identify the magnitude of VOC emissions and the relationships between these VOC emissions and inner structures, finishing techniques used for built-in components, and the cost of interior built-in furniture built by local contractors. A total of 33 specimens of built-in components normally found in Thailand were prepared and wrapped in plastic before being transported to the test facility. The total volatile organic compound (TVOC) and formaldehyde (HCHO) emission rates were measured using emission test chambers, as per the ISO 16000-9 standard, with a size of 0.21 m³, at a temperature of 23 °C, a relative humidity of 45%, an air exchange rate of 0.5 ACH, and a loading factor of 0.42 m²m-³. The measurements were conducted 3 days and 28 days after the specimens were unwrapped. It was found that specimens finished with coating techniques had the highest TVOC and HCHO emission rates, while those with single-layer materials that used covering techniques had the lowest TVOC and HCHO emission rates. The covering techniques were found to be cheaper but less durable than coating techniques. All specimens exhibited high emission concentrations in the chambers (i.e., more than the standard limit) even after 28 days. This should help raise awareness of the importance of selecting built-in furniture based on finishing techniques that make use of low-VOC materials, which are available on the market and provide better indoor air quality.

Review: Bangkok Utopia: Modern Architecture and Buddhist Felicities, 1910–1973

Review: <i>Bangkok Utopia: Modern Architecture and Buddhist Felicities, 1910–1973</i>

Thailand Country Research 2021 on Wind Engineering Activities

In this paper, Thailand Country Research 2021 on Wind Engineering Activities is present. Firstly, development of DPT Standard 1311-50 for wind loading calculation and response of buildings in Thailand is present. The DPT Standard is financially supported by Department of Public Works and Town &amp; Country Planning. The new standard is more accurate than the building code No.6 because it considers the wind speed zoning, surrounding terrain, building shapes, and dynamic properties. Secondly, wind engineering activities by subcomitted on wind and earthquake effects, Engineering Institute of Thailand and subcomitted on coordinations for disasters and public safety, Council of Engineers Thailand are present. Finally, research examples of wind load studies of bridges and buildings by TU-AIT wind tunnel test are also presented. The two parallel configurations of the bridge result in vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) and significantly lower the flutter speed compared with the new bridge alone. The new bridge also results in significant reduction of the flutter speed of downstream existing bridge.

The Practice of Quality Assessment Standard Development for an Architectural Work in Thailand

This study explores the quality assessment standards of practice to develop guidelines for high-rise building and housing construction architectural work. An internal wall construction works currently unclear on quality acceptance between involved stakeholders is focused on this research. To achieve this, literature is reviewed on the construction quality assessment systems, the quality assessment guidelines, and the specifications that are currently in place. In this research, a Delphi method is employed to achieve a reliable consensus of subjective judgment and conducted on fifteen purposive experts, who are from the following organizations: Department of Public Works and Town &amp; Country Planning, The Engineering Institute of Thailand, The Association of Siamese Architects, private building developers, building construction consultants and building contractors. A semi-structured interview comprised of open-ended questions is conducted in Round 1. Questionnaires are used in Rounds 2 and 3. The findings indicate that criteria of wall inspection, standards and guidelines, measurement methods, and tools should help develop national standards of practice as a pilot guideline for the quality inspection on interior wall work of high-rise buildings in Thailand. These valuable results also lead to new product development for a measurement tool invention in the ongoing research.

Towards Developing the Renovation Design Guidelines for Aging Low-Cost Residential Buildings in Thailand: A Case Study of 5-Story Baan Eua Arthorn Condominium

Towards Developing the Renovation Design Guidelines for Aging Low-Cost Residential Buildings in Thailand: A Case Study of 5-Story Baan Eua Arthorn Condominium

Attachment and Associational Dimensions in the Architecture of Historical Building Conversion in Thailand Between 1997 and 2012

The research on The Initial Survey of Evolution of Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings in Thailand is aimed at constructing knowledge for the module named Reuse and Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings. This module is part of the curriculum of Bachelor of Architecture, which studies the role of architecture fabricated within historical buildings. In the era between 1997 and 2012 in Thailand, there was a notable transformation from conservation to contemporary conversion. A review of conservation perspectives indicates a combined multi-disciplinary cooperation between architectural design and conservation. To establish issues regarding the knowledge of conversion, a research question is raised: how do architectural elements play its role through changing of use? Aimed at understanding the complexity among conversion ideologies, issues surrounding architectural elements of historical buildings are rationally explored. Based on significant conversion projects from 1996 to 2012, architectural elements were referenced as to how concepts and objectives were associated. Qualitative research was conducted through a study of primary sources; survey and classification of representative samples, and secondary documents, records and architectural drawings. The controlling significance of the buildings led to a discussion and an analysis of the architectural designs through new additions and amendments made on the historical fabric. Included in this discussion are the principles of conversion as they relate to the architecture of historic buildings and the ideology of the modification. It is found that understanding a change to architectural elements through an ontological perspective, that of attachment and associational approaches, could clearly reveal the construction programme that felicitates the historical building for which conservation or adaptation is determined. A dialogue on relevant contexts surrounding amendments of architectural elements demonstrated that a strong emphasis towards particular objectives of use could coincidentally harm the historical building’s architectural dimension framework. This leads to the notion that architecture for adaptive reuse should include knowledge of the original construction, a balance among conditions of the existing building, its programming and further habitation.