Large-scale Public Buildings Research Articles

Optimal load distribution control for airport terminal chiller units based on deep reinforcement learning

The building sector consumes substantial energy, with HVAC systems accounting for nearly half of the total energy use. Optimizing chiller unit operations is crucial for reducing energy consumption. This research introduces a novel model-free control method for optimizing central chiller load distribution using deep reinforcement learning (DRL). The aim is to address the challenges posed by the high-dimensional complexity and parameter tuning in traditional meta-heuristic algorithms. The proposed method leverages deep neural networks combined with reinforcement learning to optimize chiller control based on real-world data. Case studies conducted in a large airport terminal demonstrate that this approach achieves a 7.71 % energy savings, closely matching the performance of model-based control methods with only a 0.26 % difference. The results indicate that the DRL method not only outperforms traditional expert control systems but also offers a feasible alternative for optimal control in complex, variable environments with limited data. This study contributes to the field by filling a research gap in applying DRL for optimal chiller load (OCL) control and demonstrates its potential for large-scale public building applications. The novelty of this research lies in its model-free approach, which provides a robust solution for energy optimization in dynamic and uncertain environments.

Delivering holistic energy-saving operation for heterogeneous all-parallel chiller plant systems through two-stage optimization assisted by input convex neural networks

With the rapid growth of building cooling demand and energy consumption, the potential for energy-saving operations gave rise to the popularity of implementing heterogeneous all-parallel chiller plant systems in large-scale public buildings. Meanwhile, heterogeneity, multi-dimensionality, and tight coupling interactions considerably complicate the holistically optimal operation of the system. Although artificial neural networks (ANN) have achieved great success in complex system identification, the endogenous non-convexity of classical feedforward neural networks (FNN), which are widely applied in model-based optimization for chiller plant operation, makes conventional optimizers prone to falling into local optima, forcing previous methodologies to sacrifice model precision for computational tractability. In this study, a special type of ANN named input convex neural network (ICNN) was leveraged to identify five individual convex models for energy-consuming units in the chiller plant system, providing convex input-output mappings while preserving high-resolution representations. Then, a two-stage optimizer with a sequential integration of a global searcher and a local optimizer was developed to effectively solve the holistic energy-saving problem by optimizing ten decision variables including chilled water supply temperature, partial load ratio of chillers, speed ratios of pumps and cooling tower fans, cooling water flow rate of cooling towers, and on/off states of devices. Finally, the methodology was deployed to a case study using on-site operation data and was compared with conventional candidates. Average holistic energy-saving ratios of 13.37% and 9.14% were achieved with average runtimes of 1.12 s and 1.07 s by the proposed optimizer in the high-load and light-load scenarios, respectively, showcasing more advantageous in resolving the operation optimization of complicated chiller plant systems.

Shaking table test on progressive collapse of the double-layer cylindrical reticulated shell with infilled wall

Double-layer cylindrical reticulated shell has made rapid development in recent decades in China, which is widely used in the large-scale public buildings such as gymnasiums, airplane terminal, Shopping mall, etc. Stability and progressive collapse mechanism have been attracting a lot of attention because the large span space structure is largely affected by the geometry nonlinear, which makes it sensitive to the local damages. The infilled wall has a greater impact on the stiffness of the lower supporting structure due to sparse column grid. However, the influence of infilled walls on the collapse mechanism of large-span spatial structures is very complex due to the coupling of upper and lower structures. Therefore, the effects of infilled walls on double-layer cylindrical reticulated shell was investigated by a series of progressive collapse tests with shaking table. In order to evaluate the seismic performance and the capacity of resisting progressive collapse, the structural dynamic characteristics and response laws were obtained under different ground motions and input principal directions. The results indicated that the existence of infilled wall made the coupling between the lower supporting structure and the upper roof structure more complicated. The infilled walls influenced the structural damage evolution and development, mitigated the damage from the earthquake and changed the progressive collapse pattern, which made the catenary collapse mechanism occur when the structure collapsed. Although the further quantitative study is still needed, this paper provides lots of useful test data and conclusions, which gives references to the infilled wall design and seismic performance evaluation for double-layer cylindrical reticulated shell.

Study on prestress distribution and structural performance of heptagonal six-five-strut alternated cable dome with inner hole

The cable dome structure is a highly efficient prestressed space structure with reasonable force, attractive shape, and large spanning capacity. It is increasingly widely used in stadiums, exhibition halls, terminals, and other large-scale public buildings and the roof structure of various transport hub projects. To solve the problem of weak overall structural stability of the traditional cable dome structure, a new type of prestressed space structure is proposed - heptagonal six-five-strut alternated cable dome with an inner hole. The composition of the structural system was given and a theoretical study of the distribution of structural prestress was carried out; based on the symmetry and periodicity conditions, the initial prestress distribution of the structure was accurately calculated using the node balance method, and the formulae for the geometric parameters of the structural cable-strut were derived; the numerical model was established by using the finite element software ANSYS 2022 R1, and the force characteristics of the structure under full-span uniform load, half span uniform live load, wind load, and temperature were studied. The effects of structural prestress, overall shape, and support stiffness, totaling three categories and six parameters, on the structural mechanical performance of the internal force of the member, node displacement, and support reaction force were analysed in detail and the sensitivity of the parameters is assessed quantitatively, accordingly, the values of the main design parameters such as thick-span ratio are given as suggestions. The analysis results show that the new structural system has a high load-carrying capacity and deformation resistance, and its proposal provides a new scheme and new ideas for the selection and design of the cable dome.

Generating trajectory data without behavior modeling: An online virtual reality method in wayfinding performance evaluation for buildings

Wayfinding performance is one of the key issues in pre- or post-occupancy evaluation for large-scale public buildings and such evaluation typically revolves around participants’ wayfinding trajectories. Traditional evaluation methods, including laboratory virtual reality (VR) experiments and computer simulations, have their respective advantages in accuracy or cost-efficiency. However, they either suffer from high costs and low efficiency or sacrifice the diversity of behavioral data for higher efficiency and lower costs. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method named “sampling as simulation” (SaS) via an online VR wayfinding experiment. This method allows for the rapid collection of behavioral data at a lower cost to generate highly accurate wayfinding trajectory data for evaluation purposes. It utilizes a model-image integrated approach to create realistic online virtual environments and employs a spatiotemporal replay algorithm to generate a crowd of true-trajectory-driven avatars, significantly enhancing the immersion and realism of the online virtual scenes. This method was demonstrated and validated with a wayfinding performance post-occupancy evaluation (POE) project at the International Departure of Satellite Terminal One (S1) in Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). In this example, a total of 13,712 original trajectories were collected within a 72-h time window, serving as the original dataset for evaluation. Based on this dataset, the study effectively simulated wayfinding behavior in three different scenarios and evaluated wayfinding performance. Compared to existing methods, the SaS method not only improves data collection efficiency and reduces costs but also maintains the diversity of behavior by generating transformed trajectories directly from human data without behavior modeling.

Effects of thermal-acoustic interaction on airport terminal's indoor thermal comfort: A case study in cold region of China

Airport terminals are typical large-scale public buildings. Improving the indoor environment of the terminal plays an important role in increasing users' comfort status. In this study, we chose Xianyang Airport Terminal 3 and conducted field tests and questionnaire surveys to obtain indoor environmental parameters and subjective perceptual evaluations. By comparing the correlations between the two aspects, we made analyses about the interaction effects of thermal-acoustic environments on people's indoor thermal comfort. The results show that there are significant correlations between TSV and the temperature, SSV and the sound level. The neutral temperatures of MB and CB are 19 °C and 21 °C, respectively. TCV are mostly above 0, but when the temperature reaches a certain state, it would decrease rapidly. Most of the participants hasn't showed strong feelings of comfort or discomfort, which revealed a relatively high tolerance and adaptation to the indoor environment. As the summer is hot and humid, setting the indoor temperature at 24 °C would be a balance between cost and comfort. The overall sound level is loud, which decreased the TCV to a certain extent while the tendency of how thermal comfort changes remains the same. According to different characteristics of the space, various passive and active approaches were suggested to improve the thermal and acoustic environment. This study partly agrees with the previous studies and we hope to provide reference for the optimization of summer indoor environment in large-scale public buildings in similar climate and location.

Retracted: Design and Implementation of Large-Scale Public Building Energy Consumption Monitoring Platform Based on BP Neural Network

Retracted: Design and Implementation of Large-Scale Public Building Energy Consumption Monitoring Platform Based on BP Neural Network

Landscape values of large-scale civic infrastructure from visitors’ spatial perception: a content analysis

Many studies have investigated the improvement and evaluation of urban landscape development. However, only a few have discussed how to implement and align landscape values embedded in large-scale civic infrastructures, including bridges, railways, and public buildings. Taking the case of four typical large-scale civic structures, including three bridge sites and a dam project, this study explores how the landscape values embedded in these kinds of structures, whether in urban or suburban areas, are perceived by external visitors with different cultural backgrounds. Content analysis combining a quantitative approach with online user-generated reviews of on-site visits is applied and implemented. The interrelated effect of different spatial characteristics on the landscape values in those civic infrastructures is examined. The findings provide insights into efficient strategies to exploit various kinds of civic structures, especially as a promising tourism attraction for domestic and foreign markets, to achieve a more sustainable vision of public spaces in urban or broader contexts.

Energy and cost savings through heat trading between two massive prosumers using solar and ground energy systems connected to district heating networks

Prosumers of renewable energy have recently emerged worldwide. In Korea, massive prosumers with large-scale renewable energy systems are emerging because of the obligation policy imposed on large-scale public buildings. However, heat trading between prosumers has not yet been established in the country or worldwide. In this study, the heat trading between two massive prosumers using solar and ground energy systems was investigated using TRNSYS simulation, in which two large-scale public buildings in Korea were assumed to trade the heat produced from renewable energy systems at a reasonable price. Based on the simulation results for 20 years, the two prosumers can increase their share of renewable energy provision by 8.7% and 1.2%, respectively, through heat trading compared to those without heat trading. In addition, heat trading can reduce the total cost for prosumers by up to 4.3%. Moreover, increasing the size of the solar collector and ground-source heat pump can effectively increase the share of the renewable energy provision and total cost reduction owing to active heat trading. However, because of the different supply and demand characteristics of the two prosumers, the heat sales cost between them should be reasonably determined to guarantee the benefits of heat trading for both prosumers.

Research on Multiple Energy-Saving Strategies for Existing Coach Stations: A Case of the Xi’an Area, China

In the context of China’s dual-carbon goals, energy efficiency in public buildings has become a focal point of public concern. As large-scale public transportation buildings, the indoor thermal comfort and the current state of energy consumption of coach stations are increasingly being emphasized. This research used existing coach stations in the Xi’an region as the object; through on-site investigations and field tests of indoor thermal environments in winter and summer seasons, it was found that the coach stations had energy waste and high energy consumption; the enclosure structures had poor thermal performance; and the stations lacked effective energy-saving measures. Energy-saving transformation strategies were proposed from two aspects: enclosure structures and renewable energy utilization. Using DeST-C for energy consumption, the external walls, roofs, insulation materials, and glass materials were simulated, and nine different combinations of energy-saving schemes were simulated using orthogonal experiments. The optimal scheme was selected based on the comprehensive energy-saving rate and economic analysis results, which included using 80 mm XPS external insulation for the external walls, low-e hollow glass for the windows (low transmittance type), and an 80 mm PUR board for the roof insulation. The energy-saving rate of this scheme was 26.84%. The use of rooftop solar photovoltaic power generation and fresh air heat recovery devices can effectively reduce building energy consumption, and the investment payback period is less than 5 years. The research applications have practical significance for improving the indoor environment of existing coach stations and saving energy consumption.

Dynamic risk assessment of emergency evacuation in large public buildings: A case study

Large-scale public buildings are characterized by huge internal space, a large number of people, long evacuation paths, along with many internal risk factors and uncertain or unpredictable emergency events. If the condition of risk factors in large buildings could be monitored in real-time, to achieve dynamic assessment and prediction of personnel evacuation risk factors, it can provide early warning, give auxiliary support for emergency decision-making, and improve the risk management and control capability of large public buildings. For the importance of improving risk prediction and evaluation capability in practice, this paper proposes a dynamic risk assessment method that integrates dynamic object detection and risk assessment base on DNN (Deep Neural Network). A real-time detection method based on YOLO (You Only Look Once) algorithm is proposed to extract the risk factors about human factors, which have very important influence in the evacuation processes. Combining building structural features with these dynamic human factors as the input parameters, DNN is finally used as the risk assessment model and to realize the real-time evaluation of evacuation risk level.

An interactive design framework for large-scale public buildings based on comfort and carbon abatement

Large-scale public buildings usually use active means to improve indoor thermal comfort, such as cooling and heating by centralized air conditioning, which can increase building carbon emissions. It is urgent to balance the comfort and carbon abatement. Passive means have the potential to reduce building carbon emissions, such as the atrium. However, the effect of atrium on comfort and carbon abatement is influenced by outdoor environment, which is ignored in the traditional research. Therefore, this paper proposes an interactive design framework for outdoor environmental paving (O-EP) and indoor ventilated atrium skylight orientation (I-VA). Taking a large-scale public building in Xinghua city as an example, three common outdoor pavement forms (hard paving, shrub greenery, water bodies) and five building atrium skylight orientations (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°) are selected. Carbon abatement rate and adaptive predicted mean vote (aPMV) are used as evaluation indicators for carbon abatement and comfort respectively. The couple of O-EP and I-VA on building carbon abatement and comfort is obtained by analysis of correlation and ANOVA. Numerical simulations are validated by experimental data. The results show that (1) different combinations vary significantly, annual carbon abatement rates and comfort are 17.5% and 15% higher for the combination of water bodies of O-EP and 135° of I-VA than for the worst; (2) correlation analysis shows that carbon abatement rate is correlated with O-EP at the 0.01 level and not with I-VA; (3) in the warmer seasons, comfort is correlated with O-EP at the 0.01 level and not with I-VA; in the cooler seasons, comfort is correlated with I-VA at the 0.01 level and not with O-EP. This study can provide an important reference for design strategies for low carbon development and green buildings.

Influence analysis of space configuration on cooling load of a large semi-closed atrium in hot and humid region

Atriums commonly appeared in large-scale public buildings to build up a pleasant and natural indoor environment. However, an overheated indoor environment and a large cooling load often occurred in a semi-closed atrium in hot and humid regions. This study extended the Block model considering the incident solar radiation distribution and air infiltration to predict the indoor temperature stratification, and further validated by on-site measurement with root mean squared errors less than 1.0 °C. The influencing factors on cooling load, i.e., the transmittivity and absorptivity of the roof, the area of top openings, the section aspect ratio and the top-bottom area ratio of the atrium, were analyzed by simulation. According to the simulated annual cooling load of a large semi-closed atrium, the roof transmittivity imposed the greatest influence on the cooling load. The annual cooling load was reduced by 41.6% with roof transmissivity decreased from 50% to 30%. The annual cooling load was slightly reduced by 7.3% with the roof absorptivity decreased from 10% to 1%. Furthermore, the design strategies including optical properties of the roof, dynamic regulation of the opening size and an adaptive atrium shape were proposed to improve the indoor thermal environment of the large semi-closed atriums in hot and humid regions with less energy consumption.

Complexity Reduction for the Architecture Design of Large-Scale Public Buildings Based on Seismic Structure Simulation Technology

In order to improve the seismic effect of large-scale public building architecture design, this paper studies the large-scale public building architecture design with the support of seismic structure simulation technology and improves the large-scale public building architecture design effect through simulation research. Furthermore, on the basis of the construction of the seismic performance evaluation system and the determination of the index weight, this paper assigns the index data to the sample table of the seismic performance checklist and establishes the seismic performance evaluation model based on the gray fixed-weight clustering method. Furthermore, using the seismic structure modeling technique described in this study, this paper assesses the seismic performance of public buildings. Finally, through experimental research, this paper verifies that the design method of large-scale public building architecture based on seismic structure simulation technology has certain practical effects.

Feasibility evaluation of pre-pressed spring devices for vertical isolation of single-layer spherical lattice shell structures

Single-layer spherical lattice shells are typical spatial structures for large-scale landmarks and public buildings. If such buildings are located in strong-earthquake zones, their seismic resilience must be considered. Long-span spatial structures are highly sensitive to multi-component ground motions, and vertical ground shakings lead to strong structural vibrations. Although a few vertical isolators with invariant stiffness have been developed, they are generally too stiff to effectively isolate vertical seismic shakings. In this paper, a nonlinear vertical isolator using pre-pressed and restrained helical springs called pre-pressed spring device (PSD) is proposed. The main advantages of the PSD are that it not only provides a high first stiffness and large bearing force to support the weight of the isolated object but also possesses sufficiently low stiffness to isolate vertical ground motions. In a vertical isolation system, PSDs are employed as basic load-carrying elements, and viscous dampers can be introduced into the system to function as additional energy dissipation devices. The configuration, working principle, and mechanical model of the newly developed PSD are described and explained in detail. Cyclic loading experiments were performed on a prototype PSD to investigate its actual force–displacement relationship. The experimental results showed that the PSD specimen exhibited multilinear elastic behaviors with clear first and isolation stiffness properties. A novel numerical model of the PSD was constructed, and the accuracy of the model was validated by comparing the simulation and experimental results. Subsequently, PSD-damper assemblies and friction pendulum bearings (FPBs) were used to form three-dimensional (3D) isolation bearings for a single-layer spherical lattice shell with surrounding columns. The seismic responses of the controlled structure were evaluated using nonlinear time-history analysis. The numerical results revealed that the PSDs achieved effective static-load support and vertical isolation, and that the entire 3D isolation bearings significantly improved the seismic behavior of the lattice shell structures in all three directions.

Evacuation Optimization Strategy for Large-Scale Public Building Considering Plane Partition and Multi-Floor Layout.

Large-scale public buildings (e.g., stadiums and comprehensive hospitals) in modern cities provide places for various social activities. However, all of these public places encounter the scenario of large passenger flow and crowd gathering, which is highly likely to induce serious safety problems, such as stampedes. Previous studies have shown that efficient evacuation is an important way to ensure the safety of dense crowds in public places. This study aims to explore the optimization methods to improve the evacuation efficiency of public buildings. Two strategies considering plane partition and multi-floor layout are proposed for plane evacuation and vertical evacuation, respectively. Simulation scenarios and models of large stadiums and high-rise hospitals are established to verify the strategies. The results show that plane partition could effectively shorten the total evacuation time, which is due to the optimization of the initial exit choice of individuals and the avoidance of regional congestion in some evacuation channels or exits. Multi-floor layout optimization is an effective management method to arrange the different features of different floors, which could improve the evacuation efficiency for the whole multi-floor building. This study is helpful for building designers and managers to improve the building space layout design and the daily safety management mode.

Acoustic modeling of sequential spaces: A parametric study

Sound field modeling of sequential spaces is required for large-scale public buildings. A finite element model comprising five successive rooms was used for a parametric study considering, contextual factors (opening dimension and position, number of rooms), acoustic (absorption coefficient and distribution) and source factors (directional radiation from the opening and an additional source), with the following results: (i) In rooms with high absorption, the average sound pressure level (SPL) of the rooms is higher, and the level difference between rooms is smaller with larger opening dimensions. The opening position has a significant impact only for rooms with low absorption. (ii) The level differences between rooms are larger for oblique than horizontal radiation, especially for rooms close to the source. With an additional source (e.g., a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system or human speech) in a room, the level in that room will be maintained or reduced by approximately ∼10 dB with increasing opening dimensions for high or low room absorption, respectively, whereas the levels in other rooms increase for high room absorption. (iii) Changes to low absorption coefficients have more significant effects. For a given absorption amount, the difference in average SPL in a room between uniform and nonuniform absorption distribution are greater with smaller opening dimensions. (iv) The effect on the average SPL in the first receiving room, caused by adding more sequential rooms is less when the absorption in those rooms is high (e.g., an absorption coefficient of 0.5), and the maximum difference with different absorption coefficients is ∼6 dB, depending on the number of rooms.

Research on energy-saving design strategies of libraries in severe cold regions: Taking a university in Xinjiang as an example

Energy conservation, emission reduction, green and low-carbon, and environmental protection have become contemporary hot topics. Taking a green and sustainable development path is an important measure to realize a resource-saving and environment-friendly society. As a large-scale public building, the library wastes a lot of energy and resources due to the unreasonable planning, design, operation and management of the library. Therefore, the green energy-saving design of the library is of great significance to the times. This article adopts a combination of theory and practice analysis method, through systematic combining and summarization of related documents, thinking about library buildings, and combining local special climatic conditions, explores the energy-saving design strategy of libraries in severe cold areas, with a view to more The researchers and practitioners of the company provide references for the future energy-saving design and practical innovation of library buildings.

Ecological design ideas of large-scale public buildings: review of Russian Botanical Garden greenhouses ecological design

With the rapid development of cities around the world, the concept of ecological design of large-scale public buildings has gradually come to the attention of the public. One of the main problems is the possibility of maintaining a balance between urban development, nature and man, which creates conditions for improving the environment and improving the quality of life of the population. An ecologically comfortable environment is considered today as one of the main prerequisites for the development of a particular territory. This article first gives a brief overview of scientific sources on the design of public buildings in botanical gardens, then discusses the principles of environmental design of large-scale public buildings and, finally, review the ideas of environmental design of greenhouse buildings in Russian botanical gardens from two aspects of form and content. The relevance of the work is ensured by the fact that botanical gardens occupy an important place in any city and it is necessary to understand how to update the garden space, how to respond to the new requirements of society and by what means to attract more visitors. Based on the analysis of various examples, the author notes the existing problems of construction of large-scale public buildings of eco-friendly design in Russian botanical gardens, and also comes to the conclusion that the landscape architecture of Western Europe and the experience of Western engineers in eco-friendly construction has a great influence on the image of modern Russian botanical gardens.

Design and Implementation of Large-Scale Public Building Energy Consumption Monitoring Platform Based on BP Neural Network

With the rapid development of network technology, people are increasingly dependent on the internet. When BP neural network (BNN) performs simulation calculation, it has the advantages of fast training speed, high accuracy, and strong robustness and is widely used in large-scale public (LSP) building energy consumption (BEC) monitoring platforms (LPB). Therefore, the purpose of this paper to study the energy consumption monitoring platform of large public (LP) buildings is to better monitor the energy consumption of public buildings, so as to supplement or remedy at any time. This article mainly uses the data analysis method and the experimental method to carry on the relevant research and the system test to the BNN. The experimental results show that the monitoring system (MS) platform designed in this paper has real-time performance, and its time consumption is between 2 s and 3 s, and the data accords with theory and reality.