Facades Of Residential Buildings Research Articles

An energetic analysis of a multifunctional façade system for energy efficient retrofitting of residential buildings in cold climates of Finland and Russia

Retrofitting of external walls and building facades of residential buildings is often considered as the most energy efficient renovation measure. This paper presents a multifunctional energy efficient façade system for multi-family apartment building retrofitting, the “Meefs” system which is still under development in a concept phase, and analyses its energetic features based on building typologies to cold climate apartment buildings in Finland and in Russia.Both in Finland and in Russia, the majorities of the apartment building stocks were built after the II World War. Major capital repairs are needed in both building stocks in the coming years. At the same time, energy efficiency of buildings could be improved which would make them more sustainable. The apartment building stocks in both countries consist of typical buildings of this construction period. Therefore prefabricated facade products, such as the “Meefs” system, could beneficially be adapted to retrofit them. In addition, as shown in this paper, the Meefs system would provide considerable energy savings. However, adapting the system to Russian buildings would require changes to building energy systems as well.

Sustainable Energy Planning. Design Shading Devices with Integrated Photovoltaic Systems for Residential Housing Units

The study scopes to optimize the characteristics of shading devices (SDs) with integrated photovoltaic panels (PVs) that are designed for residential building facades. The SDs are located on the external part of a window facing south, in a distance from the external wall, in order that a semi - outdoor space is created. The research deals with the integration of solar technologies in buildings. Focusing on the optimization of the relationship between the energy technologies and the architectural design. Concerning the design process we took into consideration the definition of user's visual comfort and the optimization of the design process of the final product. This experiment focuses on the integration of flexible shadings in order to use the external space as a consecution of the internal space. Methodologically the parameters of the research are defined and the decision on the type of the experiment is taken according to the summer at three different weather conditions in Crete. So, the physical model type of experiment was preferred to the computer simulation model. The results are being categorized and the process is being evaluated according to the above mentioned parameters. The research seeks to highlight how experimental shading devices with integrated PVs can achieve better view for the users while performing as energy production and reduction machines. Finally as a result the daylight analysis value is compared with the human's comfort view to outside and the energy needed for the performance of the examined unit during the day. Our main goal is to optimize the comfort in combination with the energy generated and the best suited space for the everyday activities.

Ethyl silicate for surface treatment of concrete – Part II: Characteristics and performance

Abstract In this study, several aspects of the surface treatment of concrete with ethyl silicate were investigated. After the treatment, two different types of concrete (w/c 0.45 and 0.65) showed a dramatic decrease in capillary suction, chloride diffusion coefficient and carbonation depth. A penetration depth into the concrete of about 3–5 mm was assessed. Microstructural investigations showed evidence of a chemical interaction of the amorphous silica gel within the concrete forming calcium silica gel and a selective distribution of silica gel, which was mainly deposited in the small pores. In addition, the brightness and colour changes of the concrete surfaces after the treatment were analyzed quantitatively, finding limited differences, further decreasing over time. This last aspect is relevant for architectural applications of concrete, for example facades of residential buildings, where the architects may be interested in using the texture of concrete but are concerned by possible colour changes related to surface treatments application.

Limit States and Service Life of Cement Renders on Façades

The research presented in this paper is related to the durability of cement renders on facades, based on fieldwork data relative to the condition and extent of degradation of 100 facades of residential buildings in Portugal. Deterioration paths are obtained for staining, cracking, and detachment that show the loss of performance of the facade over time until a critical minimum acceptance level is reached, which is considered an estimated durability limit. These degradation patterns are analyzed individually to confirm whether any of three types of defects can effectively be considered limit states for the durability of cement renders on facades. The combined effect of all the defects that occur is also modeled as a single degradation path, and the expected service life is quantified. The results confirm that detachment constitutes a limit state of cement-rendered facades because it directly affects the physical durability of renders. Staining and cracking alone do not generally tend to signal the end of t...

Determination of Acceptable U-values for Naturally Ventilated Residential Building Façades in Singapore

U-value is an important property of façade materials which control the heat gain and loss from building façade. U-valves great impact on building energy consumption and indoor thermal comfort. Many countries have developed standards for façade U-values for residential buildings. However, these standards cannot be adopted for the Singapore context since the hot and high humidity weather conditions in Singapore differ greatly from that of temperate countries. Though Singapore has developed a set of standards for controlling the amount of heat gain through facades for air-conditioned commercial buildings, there is no provision for non airconditioned residential buildings. This paper discusses the determination of acceptable U-values for naturally ventilated residential building facades in Singapore by means of parametric computational simulations. The study takes into consideration the effects of various factors such as orientation and window size as well as the effect of shading devices.

Building design and energy end-use characteristics of high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong

Surveys have been conducted to obtain information about the building design and energy end-use characteristics of high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. The building design characteristics data obtained include the floor areas of residential flats, the ratios of the areas of bedrooms and living and dining rooms to the total flat area, the window-to-wall area ratios, the types of fenestration, and the external-shading devices in facades of residential buildings. The energy data obtained include the household energy and electricity uses, and the type and quantity of appliances used in residential units. The saturation rates of various domestic appliances and their utilisation patterns, and the annual energy use for air-conditioning and water heating in residential units in Hong Kong have been estimated based on the collected data.