Modern Building Design Research Articles

The systematic identification and organization of the context of energy-relevant human interaction with buildings—a pilot study in Germany

Thermal building simulations serve to optimize the energy consumption of a building during its design phase. Because modern building design offers occupants increasing opportunities to interact with the building in order to adjust internal conditions according to their individual needs, the prediction of these interactions needs to be included in optimization calculations. The way to an adequate consideration of human interaction in building simulations requires that two questions be addressed: First, which contextual factors are impactful to this process, and how are they related to each other? Second, which methods are best suited to predicting energy-relevant interaction based on the knowledge of these contextual factors? This article addresses the first question through the development of a data acquisition and analysis method. The technique is based on “protocol analysis,” which is a method originally developed to generate knowledge about the cognitive processes of humans during task implementation. The proposed method is applied in a pilot-study, which produced valuable, qualitative insights into the nature of the interaction and its relation to context. The results serve to address the second question in that they point to psychological theories that may prove significant for the future conceptualization of a cognitive theory of energy-relevant interaction.

Energy assessment and optimization of perforated metal sheet double skin façades through Design Builder; A case study in Spain

Double-skin perforated sheet façades, are enclosures composed of a perforated metallic sheet, air chamber and glass, is showing an increasing tendency in modern building design. In a previous research, their thermal behavior was addressed, taking into account several physical parameters such as, perforation rates, colors and materials, as well as the influence of wind penetration through a Matlab® model, validated through a fully experimental test campaign, monitoring metallic sheets during 1 year, for different configurations, within a range of 0–35% (perforation rates), black-white (colors) and galvanized steel-aluminum (materials). Here, following this research, first of all, the behavior of such configurations is also fully addressed, through a complete Energyplus® model (design builder), which was validated through the abovementioned Matlab® model and experimental outputs. The relevant contribution shows a new parametric energy assessment taking into account additional variables such as the air-gap and location (according to the different climate zones defined for Spain). Finally, the influence of different enclosures on the cooling, heating and lighting loads (energy consumptions) of the building as a whole was obtained, demonstrating the suitability of the previously optimized configurations in terms of relative energy savings. This leads to set up a new methodology aiming to the optimization of design sustainability based on minimum energy consumption.

Influence of Building Envelope Thermal Mass on Heating Design Temperature

The stability of indoor air parameters is a very important factor, essential for such institutions as museums, schools and hospitals. Nowadays the use of renewable energy for space heating became one of the top priorities in modern building design. The active and passive solar energy as well as heat pumps are widely used nowadays. However, such technologies have a limitation in cold climates and often are not able to cover maximal heating loads.This paper is devoted to analysis of influence of building envelope's properties and outdoor air parameters on indoor air thermodynamic parameters stability in winter time. It presents analysis of thermal mass impact on building energy performance and indoor air parameter stability in cold climate. The results show that the thermal mass of building envelope is able to cover extreme winter temperatures as well as in case of emergency heat supply break.

A performance based approach to defining and calculating adequate firefighting water using s.8.5 of the design guide BS PD 7974:5:2014 (fire service intervention)

The determination of firefighting water requirements in large, tall and complex buildings in the UK has largely been based on data retrieved from studies into full-scale test fires, combined with some real fire research undertaken by the Fire Research Station (FRS) from 1955–1970. This scientific research effectively formed the basis for the design and configuration of rising fire mains (stand-pipes) in tall buildings, as well as water storage provisions for town centre and infrastructure planning. The resulting guidance is also applied to individually isolated buildings that are distanced from the nearest available water supply. However, it is suggested the UK has since fallen behind many international standards and codes, where firefighting water provisions are more reflective of modern building design as movable fire loads, compartment dimensions and window (ventilation) sizes have increased over the years.There have been recent calls in both the UK and USA for the development of a performance based method of calculating firefighting water requirements for design purposes, based on the quantity of water actually being used effectively by firefighters. The recent publication of BS PD 7974:5:2014 (7974) meets this need in calculating ‘adequate’ and effective firefighting water (s.8.5). The research by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) provides a framework upon which the ‘7974’ water strategy evolved and is based on an analysis of 5401 building fires that occurred in the UK from 2009 to 2012, where active firefighting was undertaken across a broad range of occupancies. When used in design, any recommended deviations from the prescriptive codes may achieve some cost/benefit advantages, whilst at the same time providing an improved firefighting water flow density (L/min/m2). It is also worth noting that UK prescriptive building codes do not differentiate between the volume of firefighting water storage required for residential or commercial buildings. Furthermore, reductions in compartment size and fire load, or enhancements to passive/active fire protection, may mean even less storage water is required when using the 7974 strategy compared to current code compliance.The GCU research clearly established that the severity of building fires is dependent on the size of compartment in which the fire originates; the containment of fire spread through the provisions of adequate passive or active fire protection; the fire load density and the potential for a fire to reach a fuel controlled burning regime at peak heat release for the compartment at Qmax. It is further demonstrated that the quantity of firefighting water that may be deemed as ‘adequate’ can be presented on a gradient (Fig. 13), ranging from the lesser amount (L/min) required in residential buildings (low-flow), upwards through offices or commercial mixed use buildings (mid-flow), to industrial and storage facilities (high-flow). This finding is not reflected in current codes. In using the ‘7974’ methodology to calculate adequate firefighting water, simple equations are utilised in this paper for both sprinkler protected and non-sprinklered occupancies. The method can be also be used where either dry or wet rising fire mains (standpipes) are required.In referring to past fire case histories it is then demonstrated that fires can travel across large floor plates, with great speed. A spread rate of >20m2/min may see a fire develop with such velocity and power that any fire service intervention can become compromised from the outset, unless adequate firefighting water provisions are available and effective fire protection measures are in place.

Renewable energy technologies and practices: Prospective for building integration in cold climates (Kazakhstan)

Renewable energy generation and its integration with the built environment are becoming one of the main concerns of the global construction industry. It is believed that this solution is essential in addressing the growing challenges of global energy scarcity and the consequences of greenhouse gas effect. Buildings are the major end-users of energy worldwide; therefore, any measures implemented by the industry to generate and apply renewable energy should lead to the target cuts in CO2 emissions. Kazakhstan, as a member of the international community, is not an exception. Rapid economic growth and associated booms in the construction industry have caused a sharp increase in energy usage, simultaneously causing a significant negative impact on the environment. The government is seeking ways of learning and transferring international knowledge and experience in this field to cope with the above mentioned challenges. Thus, this work outlines and discusses modern building design strategies and measures and the use of renewable technologies, with specific focus on countries with cold climates. It also attempts to develop up-to-date expertise on renewable energy integration into contemporary buildings. Among others, these include the use of alternative and low impact, renewable energy forms such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy. A case study was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that renewable energy technologies, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in particular, can be a sensible and practical solution to reduce the building sector's energy use from the grid and subsequently diminish carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, the paper has attempted to estimate energy usage of a building model with and without installation of a PV system and makes a basic economic calculation based on approximate market prices for installation and maintenance. This has allowed an estimation of estimating the approximate payback periods and make conclusions on the rational of integration of this solar energy technology in Kazakhstan (for cold, as well as, warm temperatures). Findings have shown that with present underdeveloped PV market and prohibitively expensive initial cost, the payback period is far more than it is in developed countries. A number of recommendations have been made to the government of Kazakhstan to make this technology more applicable and financially viable.

A Strategy on Ecological Design of High-Rise Building under Cold Climate Conditions in Lanzhou City

It is an inevitable choice that intensive development of cities is popular in Chinese urbanization procession, so ecological design of building is trend in modern high-rise building design. This article is concerned with analyzing characteristics and environment of the high-rise building in Lanzhou , understanding ecological design of high-rise building environment problems in Lanzhou, and puts forward a strategy on ecological design of high-rise building under cold climate conditions in Lanzhou.

Quantifying Changes in Structural Design Needed to Account for Aftershock Hazard

AbstractAftershocks have the potential to cause severe damage to buildings and threaten life following a major earthquake. However, their effect on seismic hazards is not explicitly accounted for in modern building design codes, nor in emerging methodologies such as performance-based seismic design. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology that can quantify the changes that would be needed in the structural design of a building to account for aftershock (AS) hazards and illustrate it using a basic nonlinear model of a building. In other words, what changes to a structural design would be needed such that the building has the same collapse probability for the combined mainshock and aftershock (MS + AS) hazard as the collapse probability for the original building, subjected to the mainshock (MS) only? The total collapse probability is computed using a combination of seismic fragility results convolved with the two types of hazard curves, namely, a typical hazard curve and an AS hazard curve....

An Assessment on Glare from Daylight through Various Designs of Shading Devices in Hot Humid Climate, Case Study in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Glare is one of the main problems that cause daylight to be visually undesirable in a hot humid country such as Malaysia. However, the design of modern buildings in Malaysia applies large glass windows and some partially covered with various design of shading devices, which are merely for aesthetic reason. Having sun shading devices have not solved the glare problems instead create either dark interiors or force for interior blinds and use of electrical lighting. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the glare performance under daylight through most common types of shading devices used in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The four most common shading devices are: vertical, horizontal, egg-crate and geometrical pattern. The experiment covers the luminance, illuminance level and subjective responses of the occupants. The result indicates that under the vertical shading devices has spotted the highest glare values, in contrast subjective response indicate that the vertical shading devices provide most comfortable environment.

A QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF THEORETICAL RENEWABLE ENERGY POTENTIAL OF THE BUILDING SITE

Modern building design process is becoming more complex. Local conditions and future constructions are computer-simulated. The aim of this simulation is to evaluate theoretical RE potential for the successful and efficient exploitation of the new building. As usual, in the simulation process of local conditions, the assessment of the renewable energy potential is one of the key elements. This article presents and analyses the idea of the quantitative evaluation of renewable energy (RE) theoretical potential of the building site and the approach on how to prepare initial data file for further process of site energy development concept creation. The study describes a building site that is undergoing the RE evaluation in terms of thermodynamic and descriptive statistics characteristics. The applicability of the offered approach was verified in the case study. The specified evaluation of the combined energy fluctuation throughout the year provides new and potentially crucial information about the issues of the RE hybrid energy transformation systems’ modelling and about the efficient use of resources to ensure the same level of energy services.

공동주택에 적용 가능한 한옥 평면기술에 관한 연구

본 논문은 공동주택에 적용 가능한 한옥 평면기술에 관한 연구로서, 기존의 장식적인 요소로서의 한옥 특성들을 구조적인 측면으로 분석하여 규칙을 제안하고 이를 공동주택의 평면에 적용하는 방안을 제안하였다. 기존 지붕선이 미적으 로 분석되었다면 이를 하지, 동지의 남중고도를 반영한 실내 일사깊이를 계산하여 지붕처마를 해석하였으며, 대청마루와 쪽 마루, 툇마루의 각 방에 대한 비율을 현대 공동주택의 평면비율과 비교하였으며, 전통 기둥의 안쏠림과 귓기둥 솟음을 안정감 과 착시효과 개선 방안이 아닌 구조적으로 분석하여 이를 지붕구조하중과 연관하였다. 본 연구를 통해서 공동주택에 적용 가능한 평면을 제시하였으며, 기존의 평면이 가지고 있는 단점들을 극복하여, 도시미관상의 효과와 더불어 각 세대의 채광,환 기,통풍을 개선하고 한옥의 안마당 요소를 접목하여 보다 진화된 평면을 제안하였다.

A parametric analysis of periodic and coupled heat and mass diffusion in desiccant wheels

Solid sorbents are frequently adopted for gas component separation in the chemical industry. Over the last decades, solid sorbents have also been applied for the benefit of indoor air quality and humidity control in modern building design. Adsorptive rotors have been designed for the removal of water vapor, CO and VOCs from indoor environments. Although the adsorption of water vapor by a specific adsorbent (particularly silica-gel) has been extensively studied, a non-dimensional parametric analysis of humidity adsorption on a nonspecific hygroscopic material appears to be an original contribution to the literature. Accordingly, a mathematical model using non-dimensional parameters is built from energy and mass balances applied to elementary control volumes. The periodic nature of the cyclic adsorption/desorption processes requires an iterative solution, which is carried out by comparing temperature and mass distributions at the onset to the distributions by the end of the cycle.

Numerical case studies of vertical wall fire protection using water spray

Studies of vertical wall fire protection are evaluated with numerical method. Typical fire cases such as heated dry wall and upward flame spread have been validated. Results predicted by simulations are found to agree with experiment results. The combustion behavior and flame development of vertical polymethylmethacrylate slabs with different water flow rates are explored and discussed. Water spray is found to be capable of strengthening the fire resistance of combustible even under high heat flux radiation. Provided result and data are expected to provide reference for fire protection methods design and development of modern buildings.

Investigating the thermal behavior of double-skin perforated sheet façades: Part A: Model characterization and validation procedure

New materials with external shading systems are mainly implemented on building façades to improve energy efficiency, but also to add a distinctive appearance. The double-skin perforated sheet-metal façade, an enclosure composed of sheet metal, air chambers and glass, is an example of this tendency in modern building design. The aim of this research is to study the thermal behavior of the façade taking into account several physical parameters such as, perforation rates, colors and materials, as well as the influence of wind penetration. The study also quantifies the improvements in terms of energy savings that different configurations of these parameters can bring to the building as a whole. First of all, a theoretical model was built in Matlab® based on an energy balance of these types of enclosure. The experimental process for validation purposes consisted of monitoring metallic sheets within a range of 0–35% (perforation rates), black-white (colors) and galvanized steel-aluminum (materials) in a large-scale test campaign. Excellent agreement was achieved between the outputs from the above-mentioned numerical model and the test campaign, sufficient for its validation. The behavior of different configurations will be described in a further paper, addressing their influence on cooling, heating and lighting loads in the building, with an Energyplus® model, which will be also validated with our theoretical model. Finally, additional parameters such as air-space width and location in the various climate zones defined for Spain will be carefully studied, for the optimization of design sustainability.

Behavior of High-Strength Friction-Grip Bolted Shear Connectors in Sustainable Composite Beams

Composite beams comprised of concrete slabs and steel beams joined by mechanical shear connectors are commonly used in modern building design. The use of innovative deconstructable high-strength friction-grip bolt (HSFGB) shear connectors and reduced-emissions precast geopolymer concrete slabs in composite beam design can greatly enhance the sustainability of building infrastructure. Hitherto, research contributions that address the behavior of composite beams with HSFGB shear connectors and precast geopolymer concrete slabs are very limited. To provide a contribution to this area of research, an effective finite element model of push-out testing is developed to investigate the ultimate strength and the load-slip characteristics of shear connection using HSFGB connectors and geopolymer concrete slabs in this proposed sustainable composite beam application. The accuracy of the proposed finite element model is validated by comparing its predictions with experimental results on push-out test specimens also reported in the paper. The effects of the change in the bolt pretension, its clearance between the hole in the steel flange, its diameter and tensile strength,and the compressive strength of the geopolymer concrete are elucidated through parametric studies. Practical design recommendations in algebraic form are proposed and verified for predicting the ultimate strengths and the load-slip relationships for composite beams with HSFGB shear connectors.

Application Research of C80 High-Performance Concrete for the Guangzhou East Tower

With the development of modern building design and construction technology, high strength concrete technology were getting more use in engineering and more requirements. The authors produced C80 HPC by using Portland cement, blast furnace slag, micro bead and Flyash as cementitious material, have prepared the concrete with grade of C80, low pumping resistance (rewinding time less than 6s), low shrink (72h early self-shrinkage value at 0.028%), high workability (slumps over 240mm and divergence over 700mm) and high durability (diffusion coefficient in concrete after 28d was 1.35×10-12 m2/s), which would match the requirements of the Guangzhou East Tower.

Climate responsive building design strategies of vernacular architecture in Nepal

Vernacular architecture is the result of hundreds of years of optimization to provide a comfortable shelter in a local climate using available materials and known construction technologies. Due to the absence of mechanical means, traditional buildings use solar passive measures to achieve thermal comfort conditions. In most developing countries it can be observed that with the modernization of the building sector this traditional knowledge of smart and climate responsive design is being lost. Instead the modern building design is dominated by universal architecture that neglects local climate conditions and traditional construction techniques and materials. This paper reviews examples of vernacular architecture and its building elements in Nepal and analyses in a qualitative manner which bioclimatic design strategies were applied.

Evaluation of mode-shape linearization for HFBB analysis of real tall buildings

The high frequency base balance (HFBB) technique is a convenient and relatively fast wind tunnel testing technique for predicting wind-induced forces for tall building design. While modern tall building design has seen a number architecturally remarkable buildings constructed recently, the characteristics of those buildings are significantly different to those that were common when the HFBB technique was originally developed. In particular, the prediction of generalized forces for buildings with 3-dimensional mode shapes has a number of inherent uncertainties and challenges that need to be overcome to accurately predict building loads and responses. As an alternative to the more conventional application of general mode shape correction factors, an analysis methodology, referred to as the linear-mode-shape (LMS) method, has been recently developed to allow better estimates of the generalized forces by establishing a new set of centers at which the translational mode shapes are linear. The LMS method was initially evaluated and compared with the methods using mode shape correction factors for a rectangular building, which was wind tunnel tested in isolation in an open terrain for five incident wind angles at <TEX>$22.5^{\circ}$</TEX> increments from <TEX>$0^{\circ}$</TEX> to <TEX>$90^{\circ}$</TEX>. The results demonstrated that the LMS method provides more accurate predictions of the wind-induced loads and building responses than the application of mode shape correction factors. The LMS method was subsequently applied to a tall building project in Hong Kong. The building considered in the current study is located in a heavily developed business district and surrounded by tall buildings and mixed terrain. The HFBB results validated the versatility of the LMS method for the structural design of an actual tall building subjected to the varied wind characteristics caused by the surroundings. In comparison, the application of mode shape correction factors in the HFBB analysis did not directly take into account the influence of the site specific characteristics on the actual wind loads, hence their estimates of the building responses have a higher variability.

The context of the energy-relevant human interaction with buildings

Thermal building simulation calculations serve the aim to optimise the energy consumption of a building. Because modern building design offers increasing opportunities to the occupant to interact with the building in order to regulate the internal conditions, the prediction of this energy-relevant interaction has become progressively important. Currently, a number of stochastic prediction models exist which are based on the analysis of empirical data. However, so far, these models lack a satisfying general validity. At the same time, it is widely accepted that a consideration of context is necessary in order to properly predict human interaction. This paper will seek to transform this somewhat vague purpose into a more concrete set of requirements. It will focus on the deficits of current research in order to analyse the degree to which these requirements have been met in the past and it will proffer general proposals regarding how to overcome these deficits.

Review of Transverse Reinforcement Requirements for Precast Load-Bearing Wall Panels with Large Openings under Compression

AbstractPrecast concrete load-bearing wall panels have been used for decades with unparalleled success due to their architectural versatility, thermal insulation, ease of production and erection, and structural performance. According to the current building code, structural walls do not need transverse ties if the vertical reinforcement ratio is less than 1% or when vertical reinforcement is not required as compression reinforcement. Also, minimum reinforcement requirements do not apply to structural walls with an average effective prestress of 1,551 kPa (225 psi) or greater. Elimination of transverse ties in structural precast walls simplifies the production of the panels. The presence of large openings in precast walls is very common in the design of modern buildings. This results in a significant reduction of the panel cross section. Most designers tend to design the remaining portion of the panel cross section as a column and not a wall, which requires minimum transverse ties according to the current ...

Serviceability wind risk assessment of tall buildings including aeroelastic effects

One issue that dominates the serviceability design of many modern tall buildings is wind-induced discomfort. The assessment of discomfort risk for the buildings occupants due to the wind action is, therefore, of primary importance. It can be properly carried out only through a reliable estimation of the acceleration responses which, particularly in the across-wind direction, may be influenced by aeroelastic effects. Within this context, a wide experimental campaign was carried out in this study in order to evaluate the wind-induced loads and responses of a continuous equivalent aeroelastic model of a regular square-section tall building. Measurements of surface pressures on 126 taps, overall forces, across-wind displacements and across-wind and along-wind accelerations were simultaneously carried out. Aeroelastic effects involving the across-wind response, which largely exceeds the along-wind one, are evaluated in terms of aerodynamic damping using an experimental-numerical procedure. Across-wind aerodynamic damping is found to take positive values for the model tested having high Scruton number. A general procedure for wind risk assessment of tall buildings related to comfort, in line with the Performance-Based Design (PBD) approach and the PEER (Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research [Center]) equation, is proposed and applied to a case-study building whose aeroelastic response is known from the wind tunnel tests performed.