Facade Orientation Research Articles

THE ANALYSIS OF NEEDS FOR HEATING AND COOLING ENERGY IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING WITH BIG GLAZING FACADES

The article discusses the influence of big glazing facades on the needs for heating and cooling energy. Three ways of modelling the needs for energy were chosen. The influence of the orientation of the glazing facade and different heat – optical features of glazing on energy needs was established. The paper analyzed the influence of the measures of passive energy saving on the needs for heating and cooling. A comparison of calculation results applying two methods suggesting the needs for cooling energy was made and energy costs of actual and normal heating were examined.

An integrated approach to assess the origins of black films on a granite monument

In the present study, samples arising from the scaling of a Portuguese granite building were examined in an attempt to understand the mechanisms of surface blackening and detachment. The building, the Third Order of St. Francis Church, is located in the city centre of Porto which is an area characterised by moderate motor traffic. The Mediterranean climate and the facade orientation favoured the proliferation of microorganisms on the Third Order of St. Francis Church, in Porto. The scientific approach carried out in the South facade revealed that these coloured layers are essentially of biological origin. Subsequent chemical analysis confirmed microscope observations and pointed out to the presence of organic matter synthesised by cyanobacteria, algae and lichens. Numerous biological marker compounds indicated a significant presence of biogenically derived material, suggesting that biological activity was playing a major role in the development of coloured layers and in the detachment processes in this historic building.

Line source and site characterizations for defining the sound transmission loss of building facades

An analytical model is presented for defining the sound transmission loss of building facades exposed to noise from line sources. The model describes the non-diffuse sound field incident upon the facade in terms of both source and site parameters. The effects of facade orientation relative to the line source and the sound propagation with distance are introduced as a single term in the definition of the facade sound transmission loss. This term defines a mean angle of incidence for the exterior sound field that is equivalent to a point source location relative to a point on the facade. Numerical results are presented illustrating the magnitudes of these effects and it is shown that alternative methods for conducting field measurements of building facade sound transmission loss may be related by using this model.