Building Regulations Research Articles

KEY BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION OF GREEN BUILDING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

This study sought to investigate the main barriers to the adoption of green building, with a view to identifying incentives to enhance the implementation thereof in South Africa. A qualitative approach was adopted using semi-structured interviews with purposively selected knowledgeable construction industry stakeholders in the city of Bloemfontein, South Africa. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The main barriers identified included; high cost of green building materials, limited knowledge, low demand, lack of green technology and techniques, lengthy process, poor government support, lack of building codes and regulations, lack of awareness and of green material availability. The incentives to encourage adoption included; economic incentives, affordable green building materials, government support, increased awareness and promotion of green building benefits, more financing options, awards and recognition, better accreditation bodies and increased training programs. Despite numerous benefits of green building in literature, there is limited adoption in practice especially in less developed countries. The study provides useful insights into the key constraints of green building adoption, which are useful to construction industry stakeholders in developing policies, strategies and incentives to promote to achieve sustainable practices.

GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATION OF SELF-BUILT HOUSING SETTLEMENTS NEAR THE SHORES

The lake soils that were occupied by constructions cause serious geotechnical problems, but even more so they are linked to the self-construction, self-planning, and self-management of housing and its influence on poorly designed and poorly located support elements on the shores of the lake, in the city, from Puno, Peru. The objective was to determine which factors cause damage to the structures of a self-built house. Technical inspections were carried out on randomly selected homes with moderate and severe construction deficiencies, as well as characterization and dynamic light penetration tests in compliance with the technical standard E.050 and E.060 of the National Building Regulations of Peru. The results reveal that 60% of the interviewees were unaware of the studies and designs that should be carried out; In addition, it indicates that the houses present negative symptoms such as fissures and cracks in different parts of the houses analyzed, linked to settlement, humidity, and salinity, with consequences in the weakening of the foundations of the houses. It is concluded that there was negligence by the owners in the design and construction of the foundations of their houses, without technical direction and professional supervision with uncontrolled fillings and unreliable construction procedures, it is advisable to go to specialists to avoid future problems in interaction soil-structure

Improving sustainability of affordable housing using innovative technologies: Case study of SIAH-Livable

Rapid urbanization presents a major challenge in achieving affordable and sustainable housing. In the face of the problem, rapid urbanisation represents, there is room for innovation. Advancements in sustainable design methods, new materials, and innovative building technologies offer potential solutions for developing sustainable, innovative, and affordable housing (SIAH). This study investigates various sustainable design techniques, materials, and technologies suitable for designing SIAH in the South African climate in concordance with local building codes and regulations. The study compares the building performance of SIAH-Livable, as assessed by energy embodied, energy demand, and water usage, with that of conventional low-cost housing using the EDGE Buildings App. The results validate that SIAH-Livable building performance is significantly less water and energy, reducing consumption by 55.17% and 21.06%, respectively. Additionally, SIAH-Livable exhibits a noTable 66.9% reduction in embodied energy levels while remaining within the construction cost range defined by the South African government for low-cost housing. Furthermore, the analysis confirms that appropriate design techniques, new materials, and technologies not only enhance the sustainability of the house but also improve its affordability by reducing lifecycle costs. The study concludes that sustainable design techniques, including passive design, the use of recycled and local materials, and socio-technical innovations, are effective means of enhancing the sustainability and affordability of housing, contributing to the development of SIAH. Importantly, this research establishes the association between sustainability and affordability in South African housing design, offering insights that can be adapted and applied to other African countries.

Architectural Layout for a Three-Story Dormitory Integrating a Rainwater Harvesting Infrastructure

Residing within a college dormitory entails convenient strolls to classes, easy access to friends just down the corridor, and an immersion in the vibrant campus social milieu. The paper emphasizes the efficacy of the building's structural design in terms of robustness and durability, as well as how the building's aesthetics can hold a competitive edge on a global scale, all while adhering to the safety standards outlined in the building regulations of the Philippines. The design of the dormitory, complete with a rainwater harvesting system, encompasses various stages. These include the collection of data to establish the project's foundation, the creation of an architectural design to conceptualize the project, structural design and analysis to ascertain the building's strength and load-bearing capacity, electrical design to outline lighting and power plans, plumbing design to organize water distribution and determine suitable pipe sizes, a comprehensive work program detailing construction timelines and schedules, and cost estimates to gauge labor, equipment, and material expenses. The project's design, validated through tools like structural design software, adhered to the Philippines' National Building Code and National Structural Code, meeting all requirements without encountering failure or errors. The building's prerequisites underwent meticulous evaluation and verification. Consequently, it is implied that the project holds practical value and is both feasible and worthwhile.

Evaluating Reduction in Thermal Energy Consumption across Renovated Buildings in Latvia and Lithuania

Currently, the optimization of thermal energy consumption in buildings is considered a suitable alternative in the construction of new buildings, as a result of which the overall energy efficiency of the building increases. Thus, this study examined the efficiency and efficacy of different building renovation packages conducted across several buildings in Latvia and in Lithuania (across a larger building stock). In the first section of this study, 13 multi-apartment residential houses with 3 building renovation packages have been investigated in the city of Daugavpils, Latvia, in order to determine the actual reduction in heat energy consumption across each of the renovation implementation packages. The study findings indicate that changes in Latvian building regulations regarding insulation thickness did not significantly impact thermal energy consumption in fully renovated buildings. However, the combination of facade renovations, upgraded heating systems, and improved ventilation systems resulted in substantial energy savings, with an average reduction of 50.59% in thermal energy consumption for space heating across the reviewed multi-apartment residential building stock. In the following section of this study, the impact of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) on building energy efficiency in Lithuania has been examined. The results show that over a 10-year period in the 2000s, Lithuanian building stock experienced a 20% increase in energy efficiency, followed by an additional 6.3% increase between 2010 and 2016. The mandatory requirement for renovated buildings to achieve a minimum energy efficiency class has resulted in significant reductions in energy consumption for heating purposes. The findings underscore the effectiveness of building renovation packages and the EPBD regulations in enhancing energy efficiency and promoting sustainable building practices. The importance of heat metering, consideration of indoor air temperature, and the need to address indoor air quality during renovations were also highlighted.

Optimal Neural Network PID Approach for Building Thermal Management

The process of thermal control and regulation in buildings is considered complex. Its complexity lies in the various internal and external physical phenomena impacting its control, and also in the increasingly important requirements of occupant comfort, energy optimization and efficiency, and optimization of measuring and monitoring equipment. Recently, the establishment of technical rules for optimal building thermal control has gained interest in academia and industry. These rules have focused mainly on three aspects: the use of renewable energy, optimal management, and the use of equipment and materials allowing the optimization of energy. However, optimal control has not been addressed enough. In this article, we present a PID controller based on a Neural Network approach for thermal building management and control. The proposed approach is based on two processes: an optimal identification process dedicated to the thermal building behavior prediction impacted by variable and invariable elements, measured and unmeasured factors, and a control process to ensure the desired performance with optimal energy control. The results obtained show the advantages of the adopted system in terms of energy optimization, with an important energy gain of 8% to 11%, along with better regulation and control performance, and in terms of occupant comfort with minimal temperature variations.

From product to service – strategies for upscaling smart home performance monitoring

ABSTRACT Smart home technologies provide an opportunity to address the housing design or retrofit-performance gap and to improve the building regulations. It is currently used to manage comfort, security, and resource efficiency but, adoption remains piecemeal, and disparate. This study aims to explore how householder perceptions of housing quality, and the cost–benefit of improvements informs the adoption of smart technologies. Further, it bridges the theory-to-practice gap by proposing the product-as-service domains that can be deployed for the upscaled implementation of smart home performance monitoring. The survey method returned 972 nationally representative responses. Factor analysis was then used to establish the housing quality priorities, and home improvement drivers that combine to inform the adoption of smart home performance monitoring. Findings show that householders will adopt technologies in return for a ‘benefit’ if reliable smart systems and data-feedback mechanisms are packaged as: (a) commerce services to support utility efficiencies and cost savings, (b) convenience and control services to improve comfort and wellbeing, (c) information and communication services to inform behaviours and decisions, and (d) entertainment services to satisfy hedonic needs. The paper concludes with practical, scalable implementation strategies for smart home performance monitoring. Thus bridging the gap between theory and practice.

THE VALUE OF A NEIGHBOUR’S VIEW

The recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Paola v Jeeva NO (2004 1 SA 396 (SCA)) has caused quite a stir in the property industry. The court ruled that in terms of section 7(1)(b)(ii)(aa)(ccc) of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977 a local authority cannot approve a building plan if the proposed building would obstruct the view from an adjoining property to such an extent that the obstruction would in fact derogate from the market value of the latter property. Some property practitioners have interpreted the judgment to mean that a municipality is now prohibited from approving the building plan relating to the construction of any building if the proposed development would impair the view from an adjoining property. Many believe that“the logical conclusion of the … decision is that he who first develops his property may be able to prevent his neighbours from developing their properties in similar fashion, to any extent that it detracts from his view”.Based on this interpretation of the judgment, owners of vacant land in coastal resorts whose view is currently obstructed by an existing building may rightfully fear that they will be forced to live with this given the position that they cannot build a double storey to obtain some view if by doing so they would, in turn, obstruct the view from an adjoining property. In fact, this belief has prompted some estate agents to advise sellers of vacant land that since they cannot erect a building obstructing their neighbour‟s view, the value of their properties has been diminished substantially, hence they should lower their asking price. Against this background it is perhaps not surprising that it has been suggested that the judgment “cannot be a correct interpretation of the relevant section” and that the Supreme Court of Appeal “needs to reconsider its broad-brush approach to the meaning of value … and in any event that the legislature needs to amend the section to ensure that it is interpreted sensibly”.The purpose of this note is to place the Supreme Court of Appeal's judgment in proper perspective. It is submitted that the decision is perfectly correct and, properly interpreted, does not support any of the aforesaid contentions.

Fire disaster management in South Africa: Look at statistics and impacts.

The existence of wildfires has been present since before humans, eventually, humans learned to control it. Today, fire is used for light, warmth, hunting, gathering, agriculture, energy, and so on. Fire has led to the evolution of flora and fauna of the world and the development of human society. Fire is both a natural and manmade disaster that causes a significant threat to life, property in residential, urban, rural areas, as well as industrial areas and the environment. Im-pacts of fire can be social, economic, and environmental, such as demolishing wildlife habitat, watershed and water supply damages, damage to property such as public recreation facilities, trails, campgrounds, and signs that affect tourists, destruction of timber, degraded air quality, and smoke-related illnesses. Fires when not controlled become disasters that should be addressed. This is done through disaster management, which can be summarized through the disaster management cycle that includes mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Disaster management of fire should be carried out in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, the Fire Brigade Service Act, the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, and the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act. Fire in South Africa is a usual occurrence. The National Disaster Management Center recorded that in 2016/17, over 17,000 fires occurred, de-stroying almost 5,900 dwellings, resulting in the death of 142 people. Fires greatly affect informal settlements as well as other hazards that are poorly built and overcrowded, therefore are vulnerable.

PERENCANAAN STRUKTUR BAJA PADA BANGUNAN RUMAH SAKIT IBU DAN ANAK DI KABUPATEN TEGAL

This thesis is planned in accordance with the regulations that apply to buildings including the Building and Structural Design Grading Regulations (SNI – 1727 -2013) Development Planning Guidelines for Houses and Buildings (PPPURG 1987) Procedures for Planning Steel Structures for Buildings (SNI-03) 1729-2015) Procedures for Planning Earthquake Resistance for Buildings (SNI 03 – 1726 – 2012) Procedures for calculating concrete structures for buildings (SNI 03-2847-2013). In this planning data analysis uses manual calculations assisted by excel and SAP 2000 v.14 programs and steel design calculations using the LRFD method. This plan uses a concrete roof plate with a thickness of 10 cm and a floor plate with a thickness of 12 cm. Calculation of columns and beams using SAP 2000 v.14 obtained column dimensions K1 = 350x350 K2 = 300x300 K3 = 250x250 and for BI = 350x175 and B2 = 300x150. In this plan, the foundation used is a mini pile foundation with a circular shape with a diameter of 40 cm, a depth of subgrade 7.2 m with a pile length of 6 m.Keywords: building regulations, SAP 2000 v.14

Prescriptive Building Regulations, Safety Objectives, and Residual Risk in Germany

AbstractIn Germany, building codes relating to fire safety are mainly prescriptive nature. Therefore, fire safety engineering is based on a combination of expert judgment and reverse engineering of prescriptive rules. This necessitates to connect the given objectives with the detailed prescriptive rules—if not already described within the law or bylaw. This paper proposes a table relating the fire safety objectives of European building regulations and their German counterpart with the prescriptive model building code in Germany. In addition, a risk curve for prenormative work is also given. This represents the prescriptive regulations concerning in terms of fatalities of a level acceptable to society and emphasizes the lower degree of acceptance of multiple fatalities occurring in a single incident. This residual risk limit represents the opinion of German firefighting associations. Data taken from the London area supports the suggested slope rate, as the level of safety in Britain is similar to that in Germany. The table of prescriptive building regulations and their corresponding objectives aids everyday planning decisions in the context of determining adequate compensation without missing out any essential aspects, such as firefighting and firefighter safety. The proposed table forms the basis of the current discussion of a European model performance-based model building code (PBC) within the European Committee for Standardization CEN. Moreover, the risk curve is the first to be discussed in Germany that takes into consideration the societal aspect. It forms an appropriate basis for performing fire safety risk calculations based on fault tree analysis or Bayes nets. The CEN working group for fire safety engineering discusses both aspects of the current development of a European, performance-based fire safety code. It is presented here for the first time.

A Comparative Study of Building Regulations and Fire Protection Methods on Thatched Rooves in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan

A Comparative Study of Building Regulations and Fire Protection Methods on Thatched Rooves in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan

Research trends in phase change materials (PCM) for high-performance sustainable construction

In the face of escalating environmental perils driven by climate change and global warming, there is an urgent call for innovative and sustainable energy solutions, especially within the construction sector, which is a major consumer of energy and emitter of greenhouse gases. Among various energy-efficient interventions, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) have emerged as a promising technology for passive thermal regulation in buildings. This review paper delves into recent advancements in integrating PCMs within building envelopes, which serve to store thermal energy, thus reducing temperature fluctuations and enhancing indoor comfort levels. The study also underscores the increasing global demand for energy storage systems in pursuit of a low-carbon economy and how PCMs can address this imperative. A special focus is given to applications of PCMs in diverse climatic zones, and the paper offers insights into the thermo-physical properties that make them amenable for building integration. Furthermore, the paper reveals that paraffin wax is the most extensively used PCM and discusses the relevance of selecting PCMs based on their melting points, which is pivotal for optimizing heat transfer efficiency. This study also highlights the need for extensive real-world, full-scale evaluations of PCMs, and the importance of scrutinizing their impact on the mechanical properties of building materials. The lifecycle and cost analyses of PCM integration, which are often overlooked, are identified as crucial areas for further research. Through a comprehensive review of global applications and experimental findings, this paper accentuates the potential of PCMs in revolutionizing building energy efficiency, cooling-heating systems, and integration in concrete, mortar, walls, and solar energy applications while also calling for continued research into performance enhancement and understanding potential drawbacks. This underscores the pivotal role of PCMs in steering the construction industry towards sustainability and energy conservation.

Reducing heat gain in buildings by artificially lowering the outside air temperature through evaporative cooling

Introduction. Systems for microclimate regulation in buildings consume a large amount of natural energy resources. Statistics show that 40 % of energy is used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. This problem is directly related to the heating and cooling load of the building, i.e. it depends on the thermal engineering characteristics of building envelopes and the thermal protection of the building.
 
 Materials and methods. To reduce the consumption of energy resources, the most common method is the thermal insulation of enclosing structures, increasing the thermal resistance of enclosing structures, which is a complicated thermal engineering problem. An alternative new method of reducing heat gain into buildings through evaporative cooling of outside air which leads to reduction of cooling load of building and subsequently influences the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is considered. For this purpose, a spray irrigation system is installed on the southern wall of the building to lower the conditional boundary layer temperature which is formed as a result of solar radiation.
 
 Results. The suggested method passively reduces the boundary layer temperature, which tends to the temperature of the wet-bulb thermometer, as a result, the heat influx into the building is reduced, which leads to a lower cooling load and increases the energy efficiency of the system.
 
 Conclusions. Green architecture and zero-energy building design are relevant and important at the present time. World statistics show that 14 % of all potable water is used in buildings, in order to use potable water economically the proposed system installs a rainwater accumulation tank for outdoor irrigation. A comparative analysis showed that by cooling evaporation and artificially lowering the outside air temperature, the cooling load of the building is reduced by 20 %, which results in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Automated algorithm for drawing up a milling cartogram

Background: The milling cartogram is a technical task for the driver of a road milling cutter.
 Aim: Automation the process of drawing up a milling cartogram.
 Materials and methods: The algorithm for finding the best option is based on the generalized reduced gradient method. MS Excel is used as a software package. The sources of restrictions are the requirements of regulatory documents for the quality of milling operations.
 Results: The compiled model considers the conditions for ensuring surface drainage, as well as the restrictions provided for by the building regulations. The discrepancy between the actual cutting depth and the preferred one is accepted as the objective function. The analysis of the results of the solution is carried out and a comparison of manual and automated calculations is given.
 Conclusion: The use of the algorithm described in the article makes it possible to reduce the labor costs for drawing up a cartogram by half. Similarly, the degree of deviation of the specified cutting depth from the target is reduced, which leads to a decrease in the amount of overspending of materials during further work.

The Representation of the Traditional Residential in Jambi Malay Islamic Culture

This study examines the relationship between architecture, conservation and tourism in representing a cultural character. This study specifically assesses building regulations which are the product of the Government's collaborative strategy between tourism planning and cultural conservation. The study of research directives focuses on approaches to tourism planning and regulation in maintaining cultural representation. The study uses the Jambi case study, evaluates legally binding guidelines in maintaining traditional architecture and investigates how local values are resistant to vernacular identities. This study shows that in Jambi there is a transformation towards the commercialization of local cultural products as a potential tourist attraction and the effect of modernity.TRANSLATE with x EnglishArabicHebrewPolishBulgarianHindiPortugueseCatalanHmong DawRomanianChinese SimplifiedHungarianRussianChinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovakCzechItalianSlovenianDanishJapaneseSpanishDutchKlingonSwedishEnglishKoreanThaiEstonianLatvianTurkishFinnishLithuanianUkrainianFrenchMalayUrduGermanMalteseVietnameseGreekNorwegianWelshHaitian CreolePersian // TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster PortalBack//

Exploration of a Web-based accessibility tool for public facilities

PurposeThis study aims to explore how an accessibility database (AD) has been developed and implemented as a tool for facility managers to evaluate and increase the accessibility of public facilities.Design/methodology/approachEight participants were strategically sampled for semi-structured interviews, and documents on the AD were gathered. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used for a directed content analysis of the data. The CFIR domains used for the analysis were: intervention characteristics, outer setting, inner setting, characteristics of individuals and process.FindingsThe development and implementation of the AD demonstrated the complexity in assessing and planning for increased accessibility. The communication and iterative processes within the inner as well as with the outer setting was an important part of the development and implementation, as well as anchoring each step locally, regionally and nationally, within public authorities and disability organizations.Practical implicationsThe assessments of environmental barriers and the results reported in the AD can serve as a guide for identification of accessibility issues. However, singular identified barriers were reported as a fragmentation of the building regulations, and thereby when retrofitting is carried out, experts who have the competence to suggest solutions based on the entirety need to be involved to reach the goals of increased accessibility and countering of exclusion and discrimination.Originality/valueBy structuring the implementation process by means of the CFIR, facilitators and barriers of using an AD as a basis for retrofitting were revealed. The practical challenges outlined in assessing and increasing accessibility can guide facility managers when considering actions to increase accessibility.

Vive La Résistance? Standard fire testing, regulation, and the performance of safety

ABSTRACT Because fire safety cannot be measured directly, building regulation uses test ratings to determine whether materials and products meet societal expectations. Fire resistance constitutes the most enduring means of gauging fire safety, providing ratings for how elements of structure perform in a standard furnace test. Although it has long been known that this test is unrepresentative of real building fires, fire resistance testing remains central to building regulation because it has proved useful. This utility stems not just from the perceived value of the test metric as a proxy for building fire safety, but also from its role as a boundary object that facilitates regulation amongst diverse practitioners. Although fire science has developed greatly since the fire resistance test standard was defined, fire scientists are no longer a relevant social group; closure around the test standard is now widely embedded in regulations and industry practice. Advances in fire science offer the prospect of first principles fire safety engineering that can enable bespoke building solutions that are more optimised than those embedded in the conservative one-size-fits-all regulations based on fire resistance, but adherence to the fire resistance approach means most practitioners lack sufficient knowledge to make safe use of new design methods. Testing orientated to fundamental understanding has been neglected, presenting an obstacle to the innovative solutions required for the built environment in the twenty-first century.

Adjustment of basement rooms of buildings for shelter for the civilian population

A feature of the russia's war against Ukraine is the huge number of casualties among the civilian population in the first months of the war.
 The insufficient number of protective structures (storages, anti-radiation shelters, dual-purpose structures), their technical condition and availability, as well as recommendations for sheltering the population in the simplest shelters – basements of residential buildings – lead to mass casualties among the civilian population.
 The definition of the term "simplest shelter" does not provide for the protection of the population from the effects of the means of destruction, but only the reduction of their effects. According to the definition of regulatory documents, only a part (more or less than half of its height) of basement and basement premises is located below the surface of the ground and, accordingly, these premises are as vulnerable as the above-ground floors.
 Normative documents on the protection of the civilian population, which became the basis of the state building regulations of Ukraine in 1997, were developed in the middle of the 20th century, and the changes that were made in 25 years did not change the parameters and equipment of protective structures.
 The main goal of the study is to development of measures that provide an opportunity to ensure full protection of the civilian population not involved in the work of critical infrastructure.
 The set goal outlined a list of research tasks, namely, reducing the number of victims among the civilian population by adapting the existing basements of multi-story buildings for shelter to protect the population from the effects of conventional means of destruction and the side effects of modern weapons of mass destruction (chemical); fragments of destroyed building structures; of an air shock wave with an estimated excess pressure of not less than ∆Pф =20 kPa (0.2 kg/cm²)
 Specialists of the "Renaissance" NGO proposed project solutions for creating shelters in the basements of existing residential buildings by strengthening the structures enclosing the basements.
 The listed measures enable the residents of houses living in cities on the territory controlled by Ukraine, but under constant rocket fire, to stay in their houses and rest at night in a protected space.

Quantitative integration of fire risk with life cycle analysis of building: The case of thermal insulation

Given the ever-growing importance of environmental sustainability, greater attention has been paid to the energy consumption of buildings. A significant share of such consumption is due to the thermal regulation of buildings’ interior spaces. Thermal insulation is highly effective in reducing these energy needs. Consequently, national policies have been introduced or revised to increase the minimum insulation requirements. Besides, a large share of thermal insulation materials is currently plastic-based. These materials were found to have increased the severity of fire consequences in a few recent major fires. Instead, inorganic fibrous insulation materials, especially those almost incombustible, have a lower impact on fire development but also lower thermal insulation performances. The optimization problem, with fire safety on one side and energy performances on the other, has been the subject of recent research. Nonetheless, due to the numerous uncertainties, such optimization is usually discussed only qualitatively. Conversely, in this work, full probabilistic methods and damage-to-impact conversion are applied to fire risk assessment and found to be a reliable strategy for a quantitative approach. Thus, a quantitative integration of fire risk-based environmental impact of thermal insulation, applied to a general case study, is presented. Damage-to-impact conversion is realized by using embodied carbon values and fire fragility functions. This application also accounts for direct greenhouse gas emissions from combustion. The final results show that fire consequences are comparable with the superior thermal performance effects in the environmental balance between plastic-based and inorganic fibrous insulation materials.