Energy statistics for single-family houses, apartment buildings and non-residential premises in 2012; Energistatistik foer smaahus, flerbostadshus och lokaler 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-07-01

This report presents a summary of energy use and heating method in Swedish buildings (2012). The report covers basically three surveys - energy use in houses, in apartment buildings and premises. These three studies are first published separately. The results are then processed further, with the aim to provide a comprehensive picture of energy use in permanently occupied dwellings (houses and apartments) and commercial buildings (excluding industrial premises). This report presents the results of these operations.

Interactive Configuration of High Performance Renovation of Apartment Buildings by the use of CSP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vareilles, E.; Thuesen, Christian; Falcon, M.

2013-01-01

of mid-rise (up to seven stories) apartment buildings. The renovation is based on external rectangular panels, always comprising insulation and cladding, and sometimes including, in addition, doors, windows or solar modules. The panels can be fixed directly onto the walls or onto a metal structure around...

Primary energy implications of different design strategies for an apartment building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tettey, Uniben Yao Ayikoe; Dodoo, Ambrose; Gustavsson, Leif

2016-01-01

In this study, we explored the effects of different design strategies on final and primary energy use for production and operation of a newly constructed apartment building. We analysed alternatives of the building “As built” as well as to energy efficiency levels of the Swedish building code and passive house criteria. Our approach is based on achieving improved versions of the building alternatives from combination of design strategies giving the lowest space heating and cooling demand and primary energy use, respectively. We found that the combination of design strategies resulting in the improved building alternatives varies depending on the approach. The improved building alternatives gave up to 19–34% reduction in operation primary energy use compared to the initial alternatives. The share of production primary energy use of the improved building alternatives was 39–54% of the total primary energy use for production, space heating, space cooling and ventilation over 50-year lifespan, compared to 31–42% for the initial alternatives. This study emphasises the importance of incorporating appropriate design strategies to reduce primary energy use for building operation and suggests that combining such strategies with careful choice of building frame materials could result in significant primary energy savings in the built environment. - Highlights: • Primary energy implications of different design strategies were analysed. • The improved building alternatives had 19–34% lower operation primary energy use. • The improved building alternatives had higher production primary energy use. • Still, the improved building alternatives had lower overall primary energy use. • Design strategies should be combined with careful building frame material choice.

Study on the Development of an Optimal Heat Supply Control Algorithm for Group Energy Apartment Buildings According to the Variation of Outdoor Air Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Kurl Kwak

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we have developed an optimal heat supply algorithm which minimizes the heat loss through the distribution pipe line in a group energy apartment. Heating load variation of a group energy apartment building according to the outdoor air temperature was predicted by a correlation obtained from calorimetry measurements of all households in the apartment building. Supply water temperature and mass flow rate were simultaneously controlled to minimize the heat loss rate through the distribution pipe line. A group heating apartment building located in Hwaseong city, Korea, which has 1473 households, was selected as the object building to test the present heat supply algorithm. Compared to the original heat supply system, the present system adopting the proposed control algorithm reduced the heat loss rate by 10.4%.

First experiences with apartment buildings built in monolithic construction to Passivhaus standard; Erste Erfahrungen mit Mehrfamilien-Passivhaeusern in monolithischer Bauweise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Messari-Becker, Lamia; Bollinger, Klaus; Grohmann, Manfred [Bollinger + Grohmann Ingenieure GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2011-02-15

For the first time, apartment buildings are being built in monolithic construction that meet the most exacting requirements regarding energy efficiency and sustainability. These buildings are under construction in the northern district of Kalbach Sued in Frankfurt (Main) by ABG Frankfurt Holding. The architectural design was produced by Scheffler and Partners, the Frankfurt structural engineers Bollinger + Grohmann undertook the structural design including building physics and energy related aspects, and Baumgartner Engineers took charge of M and E design. These apartment buildings are the first monolithically constructed apartment buildings built to Passivhaus standard. They therefore represent a milestone in single-skin monolithic construction in connection with an exacting energy standard. The challenge for architects and engineers was to consider a range of different aspects and accommodate them in the design. In addition to given parameters such as the urban development plan, client requirements such as the number of apartments, aspects of family living and barrier-free standards, the briefing called for the highest construction standard in terms of efficient use of resources in the widest sense. This meant that the emphasis was not only on energy efficiency. Cost efficiency throughout the entire lifecycle of the building was equally as important in order to ensure long term economic sustainability for users and owners. The experience gained on this project will also provide answers to important questions regarding research and development in sustainable building, which is not in any conflict with the creativity and diversity of our architectural culture. (Copyright copyright 2011 Ernst and Sohn Verlag fuer Architektur und technische Wissenschaften GmbH and Co. KG, Berlin)

Energy retrofitting of a typical old Danish multi-family building to a “nearly-zero” energy building based on experiences from a test apartment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morelli, Martin; Rønby, Leif; Mikkelsen, Svend Erik

2012-01-01

The purpose of the research described in this paper was to demonstrate that an old Danish multi-family building built in 1896 could be retrofitted to a “nearly-zero” energy building. Three types of retrofit measures were implemented in a “test” apartment to obtain practical experiences. The first...

Renewable-based heat supply of multi-apartment buildings with varied heat demands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truong, Nguyen Le; Dodoo, Ambrose; Gustavsson, Leif

2015-01-01

This study investigates the cost and primary energy use to heat an existing multi-apartment building in Sweden, before and after deep energy efficiency renovation, with different types of renewable-based systems. District heating systems of different scales as well as local heat production based on bioelectric boilers, ground-source bioelectric heat pumps and wood pellet boilers with or without solar heating are considered. The annual energy demand of the building, calculated hour by hour, with and without energy efficiency improvements, are matched against the renewable-based heat supply options by techno-economic modeling to minimize cost for each considered heat supply option. The results show that the availability of heating technologies at the building site and the scale of the building's heat demand influence the cost and the primary energy efficiency of the heating options. District heat from large-scale systems is cost efficient for the building without energy-efficiency improvement, whereas electric heat pumps and wood pellet boilers are more cost efficient when implementing energy-efficiency improvement. However, the cost difference is small between these alternatives and sensitive to the size of building. Large-scale district heating with cogeneration of power is most primary energy efficient while heat pumps and medium-scale district heating are nearly as efficient. - Highlights: • Heating technologies influence costs and primary energy use of a building. • Large-scale district heating with cogeneration of power is primary energy efficient. • Large-scale district heating is cost efficient for buildings with large heat demand. • Heat pumps and pellet boilers are cost competitive in energy-efficient buildings.

The analysis of the hot water consumption and energy performance before and after renovation in multi-apartment buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Tumanova, K.; Borodinecs, A.; Geikins, A.

2017-10-01

The article presents the results of hot water supply system analysis. Taking into account that the current consumption of hot water differs from normative values, real measured data of hot water consumption in multi-apartment buildings from year 2013 until year 2015 have been analyzed. Also, the thermal energy consumption for hot water preparation has been analyzed. Based on aggregated data and taking into account the fact that renovated systems of hot water supply in existing multi-apartment buildings have same pipelines’ diameters, it was analyzed how these systems are economically and energy efficient. For the study, residential buildings in Riga, which have different architectural and engineering solutions for hot water supply systems, were selected. The study was based on thermal energy consumption measurements, which were taken at the individual heating system’s manifolds. This study was done in order to develop database on hot water consumption in civil buildings and define difference in key performance criteria in unclassified buildings. Obtained results allows to reach European Regional Development Fund project “NEARLY ZERO ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR UNCLASSIFIED BUILDINGS” Nr. 1.1.1.116A048 main targets.

The influence of multifamily apartment building occupants on energy and water consumption - the preliminary results of monitoring and survey campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Bandurski, Karol; Hamerla, Miłosz; Szulc, Jowita; Koczyk, Halina

2017-11-01

Occupants' attitudes and behavior have a significant influence on energy and water consumption in buildings. To provide more robust solutions, energy efficient applications should consider occupant-building interaction. However, there is a question to be answered: which aspects of lodging and occupant behavior cause the most substantial increase in consumption of these mediums. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the influence of household characteristics and occupants' behavior on level and variability in utilities consumption. The study uses the results of a measuring campaign and the questionnaire. The measuring campaign was carried out to monitor the consumption of energy used for space heating and domestic hot water, as well as electricity, gas and water. The questionnaire specifically focused on household characteristics and occupants' behavior. The research was carried out in four apartment buildings, all consisting of more than 100 apartments. Data from approximately 100 households was gathered and analyzed; the survey's respond rate was almost 50%. A quantitative analysis of the results confirms the assumption that both household characteristics and occupants' behavior (e.g. the use of heating control) are important factors for utilities consumption. Further work with the obtained data is planned in terms of including of greater number of apartments, assessment of ventilation effectiveness, as well as analysis of heat transfer between the apartments.

Study of Customer Satisfaction with Living Conditions in New Apartment Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lepkova Natalija

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article aims to analyze the Lithuanian housing market and to look into the satisfaction of people with living conditions in new apartment buildings on this market. The article presents the concept of customer satisfaction in construction and the criteria that define the quality of dwellings; the benefits, consequences, merits and demerits of the assessment of customer satisfaction are also named. A survey of customer satisfaction helped to evaluate the quality of dwellings according to their technical and functional parameters, as well as the degree of cooperation between customers and contractors/builders. The customer satisfaction index (CSI and the degree of loyalty were calculated, and then a customer satisfaction matrix was built up.

The influence of multifamily apartment building occupants on energy and water consumption – the preliminary results of monitoring and survey campaign

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bandurski Karol

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Occupants’ attitudes and behavior have a significant influence on energy and water consumption in buildings. To provide more robust solutions, energy efficient applications should consider occupant-building interaction. However, there is a question to be answered: which aspects of lodging and occupant behavior cause the most substantial increase in consumption of these mediums. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the influence of household characteristics and occupants’ behavior on level and variability in utilities consumption. The study uses the results of a measuring campaign and the questionnaire. The measuring campaign was carried out to monitor the consumption of energy used for space heating and domestic hot water, as well as electricity, gas and water. The questionnaire specifically focused on household characteristics and occupants’ behavior. The research was carried out in four apartment buildings, all consisting of more than 100 apartments. Data from approximately 100 households was gathered and analyzed; the survey’s respond rate was almost 50%. A quantitative analysis of the results confirms the assumption that both household characteristics and occupants’ behavior (e.g. the use of heating control are important factors for utilities consumption. Further work with the obtained data is planned in terms of including of greater number of apartments, assessment of ventilation effectiveness, as well as analysis of heat transfer between the apartments.

THE INFLUENCE OF AN APARTMENT POSITIONING ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela PRADA

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This work is part of the highly topical subject of global warming and energy conservation. The article contains parametric studies of energy consumption and CO² emissions for an apartment located in a block of flats, depending on its location. It was studied the energy consumption of an apartment having different cardinal orientations in the same building and of an apartment with the same position inside the building but located in different climatic zones. The case studies show the difference between the energy consumption of an apartment depending on its position, thus resulting in a few general directions for their heat insulation, so that the specific energy consumption of the apartment is below 100 kWh/m² year.

The feasibility of using photovoltaic panels to illuminate the entryway to an apartment building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumarokova Liudmila

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article considers the possibility of using an LED lighting system with a power source from solar modules in the climatic conditions of Siberia. The technical possibility of implementing an autonomous house lighting system is shown for example in the lighting of a residential five-story building located in Tomsk. The choice and justification of the neces-sary electrical equipment for solar panels was made. Calculations have been made for the energy consumption of the existing lighting system and a system with LED light sources from photovoltaic panels. The payback period of the project is determined. On the example of an autonomous sys-tem of interior lighting of an apartment building, conclusions were made about the feasibility and efficiency of using photovoltaic panels in the cli-matic conditions of Tomsk region.

Prelimanary Investigation on The Factors That Influencing The Maintenance Cost of Apartment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salleh Nor Aini

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Housing is a basic need for all. The increasing numbers of population and income had increase in housing demand. Thus, it has led to the construction of apartments to meet the needs of people and to reduce the use of land to build residential buildings. From year to year, maintenance costs of the building are increased. To ensure the maintenance cost for apartment residence maintenance can be reduced, it is important to determine the factor that influence the maintenance cost of the apartment. This paper is to investigate and identify the factors contributing the increase of maintenance costs. The first objective of this study is to determine the factors that affect the cost of maintaining the apartment and meanwhile the second objective is to rank the factors that influence the maintenance cost of the apartment at Johor Baharu Tengah. To achieve the objectives of the study, the questionnaires were distributed to the parties involved in the management of building. Results of this study concluded that there are five factors that influence maintenance cost are the expectations of tenants, building age, building material, failure to execute maintenance at the right time and budget constraints.

Indoor Environmental Quality Benefits of Apartment Energy Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Adamkiewicz, Gary [Harvard School of Public Health, Boston MA (United States); Delp, William W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hotchi, Toshifumi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Russell, Marion [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Spears, Michael [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Vermeer, Kimberly [Urban Habitate Initiatives Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-06-01

Sixteen apartments serving low-income populations in three buildings were retrofit with the goal of simultaneously reducing energy consumption and improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Retrofit measures varied among apartments and included, among others, envelope sealing, installation of continuous mechanical ventilation systems, upgrading bathroom fans and range hoods, attic insulation, replacement of heating and cooling systems, and adding wall-mounted particle air cleaners. IEQ parameters were measured, generally for two one-week periods before and after the retrofits. The measurements indicate an overall improvement in IEQ conditions after the retrofits. Comfort conditions, bathroom humidity, and concentrations of carbon dioxide, acetaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, and particles generally improved. Formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide levels decreased in the building with the highest concentrations, were unchanged in a second building, and increased in a third building. IEQ parameters other than particles improved more in apartments with continuous mechanical ventilation systems installed. In general, but not consistently, larger percent increases in air exchange rates were associated with larger percent decreases in indoor levels of the pollutants that primarily come from indoor sources.

Eurotheum Frankfurt/Main. New office and apartment building for cosmopolites; Eurotheum Frankfurt/Main. Buero- und Wohnhochhaus fuer Kosmopoliten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pielke, O.E.

2000-07-01

The Eurotheum in Frankfurt is Germany's first and only high-rise building which houses both offices and private apartments. [German] Das Eurotheum stellt im Spannungsfeld der Frankfurter Buerohochhaeuser ein voellig neues Konzept dar: Es ist das erste und bisher einzige Hochhaus in Deutschland, in dem die Funktionen 'Arbeiten' und 'Wohnen' in einem Hochhaus verbunden werden. (orig.)

Systems for apartment buildings heat pumps. Final report; System foer fastighetsvaermepumpar. Slutrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aakervall, Daniel (WSP Environmental, Stockholm (Sweden)); Rogstam, Joergen; Grotherus, Maarten (Sveriges Energi- och Kylcentrum, Katrineholm (Sweden))

2009-05-15

A fast growing segment of the heat pump business is the apartment building applications. Historically the experience base related to such installations is limited. However, this application is more complex than the much more widely spread domestic applications. The core idea of the project was to generate and collect information to avoid mistakes and to encourage the heat pump technology. By interviewing the 'market' and compiling the information good recommendations has been achieved. It is of great importance to convey the best available recommendations to the installers on the market to avoid pit holes and highlight the opportunities for installers and end consumers. A website has been design and built, www.sfvp.se, which contains useful tools for installers and potential system customers. A number of calculation tools to estimate heat requirement, cost of different heating systems, primary energy need, LCC, etc. are all available. The core of the site is the database containing heat pump installations with related data of importance. The data available is such key data as performance figures, cost of installation, etc. Today 104 system installations are collected in the database and these are marked in a colour coding to indicate the quality of the input data. Installations verified with measurement are given higher significance. It has been an unexpected challenge to find documented systems, so one of the conclusions of the project is that there is a great need for further measurement on the field. More information should be directed to the customers to request such equipment when systems are installed. The database enables statistical analysis of the key figures and it can be seen that the average seasonal COP is 3.2 and there are small differences between exhaust air and ground source heat pumps. It should be emphasised that the number of installations do not give statistical confidence for all kinds of analysis yet. Field measurements in apartment

Implementation of life cycle costing for a commercial building: case of a residential apartment at Yogyakarta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaming Peter F

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of a design process is very important in controlling the initial costs and future costs in possession of an investment project such as commercial building. Therefore, it should be wise to perform a life cycle cost analysis to determine the cost of any category contained in future cost of the building. The analysis also provide information to see how much the total cost incurred by a development project from initial to the future cost by implementing BS ISO 15686 part 5: 2008, regarding life cycle costing. The purpose of this study is to identify the cost proportion and make long-term plans of a commercial building in term of its life cycle costing from a case of a residential apartment in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Results of the study show that there are three groups that make up the life cycle cost: the cost of development of the building, the operating costs, and the cost of maintenance and replacement. For a long-term plan the life cycle cost for 25 years the percentage obtained as follows, initial development cost of 42%, operational costs 39%, maintenance and replacement costs 19%. The results would also make comparison with other existing commercial buildings.

Life cycle primary energy use and carbon emission of an eight-storey wood-framed apartment building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustavsson, Leif; Joelsson, Anna; Sathre, Roger [Ecotechnology, Department of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Mid Sweden University, 83125 Oestersund (Sweden)

2010-02-15

In this study the life cycle primary energy use and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emission of an eight-storey wood-framed apartment building are analyzed. All life cycle phases are included, including acquisition and processing of materials, on-site construction, building operation, demolition and materials disposal. The calculated primary energy use includes the entire energy system chains, and carbon flows are tracked including fossil fuel emissions, process emissions, carbon stocks in building materials, and avoided fossil emissions due to biofuel substitution. The results show that building operation uses the largest share of life cycle energy use, becoming increasingly dominant as the life span of the building increases. The type of heating system strongly influences the primary energy use and CO{sub 2} emission; a biomass-based system with cogeneration of district heat and electricity achieves low primary energy use and very low CO{sub 2} emissions. Using biomass residues from the wood products chain to substitute for fossil fuels significantly reduces net CO{sub 2} emission. Excluding household tap water and electricity, a negative life cycle net CO{sub 2} emission can be achieved due to the wood-based construction materials and biomass-based energy supply system. This study shows the importance of using a life cycle perspective when evaluating primary energy and climatic impacts of buildings. (author)

Energy Impacts of Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality Retrofits of Apartments in California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Norris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-11-01

Monthly gas and electricity use data from a set of 13 study apartments and 20 control apartments from three apartment buildings (B1 B3) in California were analyzed. The study apartments were retrofit with simultaneous energy savings and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) improvements as the goal. The control apartments were not retrofit. Pre-retrofit modeling indicated annual energy savings of 21percent, 17percent, and 27percent for the study apartments in B1-B3, respectively. Based on a comparison of changes in energy use of study apartments to energy use changes of control apartments, total measured savings of gas energy plus site electrical energy were 28percent in B1, 5percent in B2, and 3percent in B3. Given the small number of study apartments and the substantial changes in energy use within control apartments, the project yielded no conclusive evidence of energy savings. Apartment energy use increased with number of occupants and with floor area; however, the association with occupancy was most evident. Climate differences did not appear to be the major driver for the variability in energy use among apartments. Changes in occupant behaviors affecting energy use may have overwhelmed and obscured the energy savings in this small number of buildings. Much larger prior studies employing similar retrofits indicate that the retrofits usually do save energy.

Risk Factors of Building Apartments for University Talent through the Agent Construction Mode in China: Interrelationship and Prioritization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengrong Liu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Apartments for university talent (AUT, are apartments provided to staff at non-market price, in order to attract outstanding scholars from around the world to work in universities and improve educational quality. This has been a critical issue in achieving social sustainability in China during rapid urbanization and industrialization. The agent construction mode has been adopted to build AUT because universities usually lack relevant management experience. The agent construction mode is a type of turnkey engineer construction based on the principal-agent model, project bidding mode, engineering contracting projects, and project supervision system. Risk factors are important considerations for both universities and agent construction companies. Although some studies have investigated the risk factors, only a few studies have identified the hierarchical structure of relevant risk factors. Therefore, the interrelationship and prioritization of the risk factors remain unknown, and this situation presents a barrier to better risk management. This paper investigates the interrelationship of risk factors with interpretative structural modeling (ISM. In addition, fuzzy MICMAC (matric d’impacts croises-multiplication appliqué a un classemen analysis was conducted to prioritize the risk factors. The findings provide useful references for better risk management of building AUT through the agent construction mode. Although this study focuses on China, the analytical process can also be generalized to other research topics and other countries.

Predictors of summertime heat index levels in New York City apartments.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, A; Kinney, P; Shaman, J

2017-07-01

During heat waves, fatal overexposure to heat most often occurs at home. It is not known how factors such as building size, floor level, and different types of air conditioning (AC) contribute to excess indoor heat. We monitored indoor temperature and humidity in 36 apartments in New York City during summers 2014 and 2015 and used these values to calculate the indoor heat index (HI). We investigated the role of AC type and building-level factors on indoor HI using multilevel regression models. Thirty-four of 36 homes had AC. Central and ductless AC types were associated with the coolest indoor conditions; homes with window and portable AC were significantly warmer. Apartments on the top floor of a building were significantly hotter during heat advisory periods than other apartments regardless of the presence of AC. High indoor HI levels persisted in some homes for approximately 1 day following the end of the two heat advisory periods. We provide concrete evidence of higher heat levels in top floor apartments and in homes with certain types of AC. High heat levels that persist indoors after outdoor heat has subsided may present an underappreciated public health risk. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thermal Performance Analysis of Solar Collectors Installed for Combisystem in the Apartment Building

Science.gov (United States)

Žandeckis, A.; Timma, L.; Blumberga, D.; Rochas, C.; Rošā, M.

2012-01-01

The paper focuses on the application of wood pellet and solar combisystem for space heating and hot water preparation at apartment buildings under the climate of Northern Europe. A pilot project has been implemented in the city of Sigulda (N 57° 09.410 E 024° 52.194), Latvia. The system was designed and optimised using TRNSYS - a dynamic simulation tool. The pilot project was continuously monitored. To the analysis the heat transfer fluid flow rate and the influence of the inlet temperature on the performance of solar collectors were subjected. The thermal performance of a solar collector loop was studied using a direct method. A multiple regression analysis was carried out using STATGRAPHICS Centurion 16.1.15 with the aim to identify the operational and weather parameters of the system which cause the strongest influence on the collector's performance. The parameters to be used for the system's optimisation have been evaluated.

Newporter Apartments. Deep Energy Retrofit Short Term Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon, Andrew [BA-PIRC, Cocoa, FL (United States); Howard, Luke [BA-PIRC, Cocoa, FL (United States); Kunkle, Rick [BA-PIRC, Cocoa, FL (United States); Lubliner, Michael [BA-PIRC, Cocoa, FL (United States); Auer, Dan [BA-PIRC, Cocoa, FL (United States); Clegg, Zach [BA-PIRC, Cocoa, FL (United States)

2012-12-01

This project demonstrates a path to meet the goal of the Building America program to reduce home energy use by 30% in multi-family buildings. The project demonstrates cost-effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort. The project focuses on a typical 1960’s vintage low-rise multi-family apartment community (120 units in three buildings).

Newporter Apartments: Deep Energy Retrofit Short-Term Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon, A.; Howard, L.; Kunkle, R.; Lubliner, M.; Auer, D.; Clegg, Z.

2012-12-01

This project demonstrates a path to meet the goal of the Building America program to reduce home energy use by 30% in multi-family buildings. The project demonstrates cost effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort. The project focuses on a typical 1960's vintage low-rise multi-family apartment community (120 units in three buildings).

Protocol for maximizing energy savings and indoor environmental quality improvements when retrofitting apartments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Delp, William W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Vermeer, Kimberly [Urban Habitat Initiatives Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Adamkiewicz, Gary [Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (United States); Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-06-01

The current focus on building energy retrofit provides an opportunity to simultaneously improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Toward this end, we developed a protocol for selecting packages of retrofits that both save energy and improve IEQ in apartments. The protocol specifies the methodology for selecting retrofits from a candidate list while addressing expected energy savings, IEQ impacts, and costs in an integrated manner. Interviews, inspections and measurements are specified to collect the needed input information. The protocol was applied to 17 apartments in three buildings in two different climates within California. Diagnostic measurements and surveys conducted before and after retrofit implementation indicate enhanced apartment performance.

Thermal comfort and market niches for apartment buildings: impact of the current Thermal Regulation in the private real estate market in Santiago de Chile

OpenAIRE

Encinas Pino, Felipe; De Herde, André; Aguirre Núñez, Carlos; Marmolejo Duarte, Carlos

2009-01-01

Almost a decade has passed since Chile begins to implement a Thermal Regulation for dwellings, which established a minimum requirement for each building component, according to different climatic zones. This article proposes a series of dynamic simulations, in order to assess the thermal comfort (during winter and summer) of apartments in Santiago de Chile for lower and upper middle class. Some building typologies were defined by means of the two stage clustering methodology. These were built...

Does apartment's distance to an in-built transformer room predict magnetic field exposure levels?

Science.gov (United States)

Huss, Anke; Goris, Kelly; Vermeulen, Roel; Kromhout, Hans

2013-01-01

It has been shown that magnetic field exposure in apartments located directly on top or adjacent to transformer rooms is higher compared with exposure in apartments located further away from the transformer rooms. It is unclear whether this also translates into exposure contrast among individuals living in these apartments. We performed spot measurements of magnetic fields in 35 apartments in 14 apartment buildings with an in-built transformer and additionally performed 24-h personal measurements in a subsample of 24 individuals. Apartments placed directly on top of or adjacent to a transformer room had on average exposures of 0.42 μT, apartments on the second floor on top of a transformer room, or sharing a corner or edge with the transformer room had 0.11 μT, and apartments located further away from the transformer room had levels of 0.06 μT. Personal exposure levels were approximately a factor 2 lower compared with apartment averages, but still showed exposure contrasts, but only for those individuals who live in the apartments directly on top or adjacent to a transformer room compared with those living further away, with 0.23 versus 0.06 μT for personal exposure when indoors, respectively. A classification of individuals into 'high' and 'low' exposed based on the location of their apartment within a building with an in-built transformer is possible and could be applied in future epidemiological studies.

Disposal of Kitchen Waste from High Rise Apartment

Science.gov (United States)

Ori, Kirki; Bharti, Ajay; Kumar, Sunil

2017-09-01

The high rise building has numbers of floor and rooms having variety of users or tenants for residential purposes. The huge quantities of heterogenous mixtures of domestic food waste are generated from every floor of the high rise residential buildings. Disposal of wet and biodegradable domestic kitchen waste from high rise buildings are more expensive in regards of collection and vertical transportation. This work is intended to address the technique to dispose of the wet organic food waste from the high rise buildings or multistory building at generation point with the advantage of gravity and vermicomposting technique. This innovative effort for collection and disposal of wet organic solid waste from high rise apartment is more economical and hygienic in comparison with present system of disposal.

Energy efficiency façade design in high-rise apartment buildings using the calculation of solar heat transfer through windows with shading devices

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, P. T. H.

2018-04-01

The architectural design orientation at the first design stage plays a key role and has a great impact on the energy consumption of a building throughout its life-cycle. To provide designers with a simple and useful tool in quantitatively determining and simply optimizing the energy efficiency of a building at the very first stage of conceptual design, a factor namely building envelope energy efficiency (Khqnl ) should be investigated and proposed. Heat transfer through windows and other glazed areas of mezzanine floors accounts for 86% of overall thermal transfer through building envelope, so the factor Khqnl of high-rise buildings largely depends on shading solutions. The author has established tables and charts to make reference to the values of Khqnl factor in certain high-rise apartment buildings in Hanoi calculated with a software program subject to various inputs including: types and sizes of shading devices, building orientations and at different points of time to be respectively analyzed. It is possible and easier for architects to refer to these tables and charts in façade design for a higher level of energy efficiency.

Apartment building built to passive-house standard with solar balanced ventilation system; Mehrfamilien-Passivhaus mit solarem Luftsystem. Lueftung/Luftheizung/WRG/Solarfassade an der Rychenbergstrasse, Winterthur - Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guetermann, A.

2002-04-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) deals with an apartment building in Winterthur, Switzerland, built to passive-house standards and equipped with a solar balanced ventilation system. The building and its convective solar facade are described, as are the fan-assisted, balanced ventilation systems used. The operation of the systems in winter, during transitional periods and in summer is discussed. Domestic hot water preparation is looked at. The energy balance of the building is examined, as is the economic viability of the energy systems. The building, its energy installations and the measurement concept used are considered in detail. Finally, the findings of the study are summarised and commented on.

The occurrence of legionalla in hot water distribution systems of some Finnish apartment and office buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacheus, O M; Kuittinen, M H; Martikainen, P J [National Public Health Institute, Dept. Environ. Hyg. and Toxicol., Kuopio (FI)

1991-01-01

A project concerning the effect of water temperature and water quality on the microbiology of hot water distribution systems in Finnish apartment and office buildings was started in 1989. Here we report preliminary results on the occurrence of legionella. Samples were taken from showerpipes and from hot water mains before and after calorifiers of 17 buildings. Water temperature in the showerpipes ranged from 39 to 55 deg. C. Water temperature before calorifiers ranged from 40 to 52 deg. C and after them from 39 to 59 deg. C. Water temperature did not explain well the occurrence of legionalla. Legionalla pneumophila was isolated from six systems. The isolates were serogroups 1, 5 and 6. Legionella concentrations in positive samples ranged from 100 to 350 000 CFU/l. Highest concentrations of legionalla were obtained from showerpipes and hot water mains before calorifiers. Four legionella positive distribution systems were decontaminated by raising the water temperature to 60-70 deg. C and cleaning taps and showerheads, and flushing them twice a day. The numbers of legionellas in the hot water mains fell below detection limit (50 CFU/l) and their numbers also decreased in showerpipes. Decontamination failed in some parts of the distribution systems where water temperature remained below 60 deg. C. (author) 26 refs.

Building America Case Study: Retrofitting Garden-Style Apartments, Brooklyn, New York

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H. Nolen, S. Maxwell, R. Neri, J. Grab

2016-12-01

This research effort sought to achieve a solution package that yields energy savings greater than 30 percent over the pre-existing conditions in a minimally intrusive multifamily retrofit project. The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) partnered with L+M Development Partners, Inc. on a Mitchell-Lama Housing Program project, Marcus Garvey Village, in Brooklyn, NY (Climate Zone 4A). The Mitchell-Lama Housing Program is a form of housing subsidy in the state of New York that provides affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families. Marcus Garvey Village was founded in 1975 and contains 625 residential units (ranging from studios to 5-bedroom units) in thirty-two 4-story garden-style apartment structures built with concrete and faced in light brown brick. The single largest challenge for implementation of energy conservation measures at Marcus Garvey was working within occupied spaces. Measures are being implemented in phases to minimize disruption. As of August 2015, the retrofit work is over 50 percent complete. The wall insulation, sealing of the through wall AC vent, and installation of new oil-filled electric baseboards with advanced controls are conducted at one time, limiting disruption to the living room space. In a similar fashion, the kitchen work is done, then the bathroom. The final selection of energy conservation measures is projected to save 26.5 percent in source energy with a cost just under $3.7 million and utility bill savings of nearly $480,000 (of an average $1.8 million annual utility cost for the development).

Energy efficient ventilation based on demand humidity control. Demonstration project with 49 apartments in Soenderborg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-09-01

The aim of the project is to demonstrate how the overall energy consumption in apartment buildings can be reduced through a combination of: 1) Energy efficient ventilation based on demand humidity control; 2) Energy efficient design of the building shell including passive solar and seasonally flexible sunspaces; 3) Use of low temperature heating system. The 3 blocks in the project, each with 16 apartments, are furnished with 3 different ventilation systems: 1) Standard exhaust system according to building codes; 2) Ventilation system with humidity control. Each room is furnished with an air inlet valve controlled by a processor, which monitors the humidity; 3) Standard ventilation system with heat recovery. (au)

Specifics of Building Envelope Air Leakage Problems and Airtightness Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borodinecs Anatolijs

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In addition to transmission heat loses the infiltration of outdoor air can cause significant heat losses. The external building envelope should be airtight in order to prevent uncontrolled cold air infiltration. The article analysis modern building materials and structures influence on airtightness. The practical measurements of renovated buildings’ airtightness are presented and compared to non-renovated buildings. In addition paper presents data on airtightness measurements of whole multi apartment building and single apartment in analyzed building taking inco accout properties of building materials. The airtightness of single apartment was evaluated with support pressure in neighbor apartments. The results show that the airtightness measurements of multi apartment building can be evaluated by measuring single apartment on last floor with support pressure in neighbor apartments. The practical measurement of renovated buildings had shown the air leakage rate q50 of typical Latvian construction after renovation is between 2.5 and 2.9 m3/(m2·h. Since the building envelope has to minimize the heat loses (transmission and infiltration and ventilation system either mechanical or natural has to provide necessary air exchange, the building envelope airtightness shouldn’t be dependent on type of ventilation systems.

Changes in Sunlight and Outdoor Thermal Environment Conditions Based on the Layout Plan of Flat Type Apartment Houses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukjin Jung

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Economic growths lead to population increases in large cities. This has brought about the growing necessity for apartment housing which has resulted in higher density populations living in high-rise apartment complexes. Therefore, the urban microclimate is aggravated due to the increasing ratio of artificial coverage and substandard daylight availability. To achieve a comfortable living environment and improve urban microclimates, a process considering the daylight availability and the outdoor thermal environment is required when designing apartment housing complexes. This study selected a total of 27 valid cases using an orthogonal array, L27(313 design of experiments (DOE. As a result of significance probability obtained in DOE analysis, the design factors that have an effect on the outdoor thermal environment and daylight availability were found to be building coverage ratio, distance between buildings, and azimuth. The rankings of the effect of design factors were shown to be in the order of azimuth > building coverage ratio > distance between buildings > floor area ratio > width/depth ratio. The surface temperature of the whole building decreased by 0.3 °C and Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT decreased by 1.1 °C as a result of applying the greenery coverage ratio to apartment complexes. Heat Island Potential (HIP also showed a decrease of 5.4 °C (at noon.

West Village Student Housing Phase I: Apartment Monitoring and Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, A.; Bell, C.; Dakin, B.; Hoeschele, M.

2014-06-01

Building America team Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) worked with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and the developer partner West Village Community Partnership (WVCP) to evaluate performance on 192 student apartments completed in September, 2011 as part of Phase I of the multi-purpose West Village project. West Village, the largest planned zero net energy community in the United States. The campus neighborhood is designed to enable faculty, staff and students to affordably live near campus, take advantage of environmentally friendly transportation options, and participate fully in campus life. The aggressive energy efficiency measures that are incorporated in the design contribute to source energy reductions of 37% over the B10 Benchmark. The energy efficiency measures that are incorporated into these apartments include increased wall & attic insulation, high performance windows, high efficiency heat pumps for heating and cooling, central heat pump water heaters (HPWHs), 100% high efficacy lighting, and ENERGY STAR major appliances. Results discuss how measured energy use compares to modeling estimates over a 10 month monitoring period and includes a cost effective evaluation.

Mine subsidence event at Washington West Apartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, D.B.; Weber, M.W.; Purdy, J.; Acker, P.

1994-01-01

A major mine subsidence event occurred in Scranton, PA in early 1993. The initial damage included breakage of gas and water lines, cracking of pavements and sidewalks, and architectural damage to the seven-story apartment building that houses about 150 elderly persons. Visible damage include a 3/4-in dilation of the expansion joint separating the building, approximately 200 interior and exterior cracks, and distress to utility lines. The Office of Surface mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) funded an integrated geotechnical and structural engineering investigation to determine the cause of the subsidence, the limits of affected areas, and the nature of damage to the building. Work included interior surveys, exterior surveys, installation of crack gages, eight subsurface borings, review of building design drawings, review of geologic and mining data, and structural analysis of the rigid steel frame building. The surveys showed the building had undergone movements consisting of a lateral translation, a longitudinal differential settlement, and a transverse differential settlement. Preliminary structural analyses showed that the differential settlements had introduced significant additional stresses in some of the building columns. This paper provides a case history of the cause and effects of the subsidence event. The techniques used to collect and analyze the data are presented along with the findings of the geotechnical and structural engineering investigations. The paper also describes emergency actions that were implemented, the remedial alternatives that were considered, and the method selected as the recommended alternative

Solar-assisted gas-energy water-heating feasibility for apartments

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, E. S.

1975-01-01

Studies of residential energy use, solar-energy technology for buildings, and the requirements for implementing technology in the housing industry led to a project to develop a solar water heater for apartments. A design study for a specific apartment was used to establish a solar water-heater cost model which is based on plumbing contractor bids and manufacturer estimates. The cost model was used to size the system to minimize the annualized cost of hot water. The annualized cost of solar-assisted gas-energy water heating is found to be less expensive than electric water heating but more expensive than gas water heating. The feasibility of a natural gas utility supplying the auxiliary fuel is evaluated. It is estimated that gas-utilizing companies will find it profitable to offer solar water heating as part of a total energy service option or on a lease basis when the price of new base-load supplies of natural gas reaches $2.50-$3.00 per million Btu.

Influence of Indoor Environment and Occupant Behaviour on Energy Consumption in Passive House Apartments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skød Søvsø, Asger; Peuhkuri, Ruut; Andersen, Rune Korsholm

2015-01-01

In 2012 Køge Boligselskab built 9 building blocks totalling 126 passive house apartments. Their monitored space heating demand (SHD) has been a lot higher than the passive house requirements. The aim of this study was to identify why, and how it relates to indoor environment and occupant behaviour...

Climate Change and Buildings Energy Efficiency - the Key Role of Residents

Science.gov (United States)

Miezis, Martins; Zvaigznitis, Kristaps; Stancioff, Nicholas; Soeftestad, Lars

2016-05-01

Eastern Europe today is confronted with an unavoidable problem - the multifamily apartment building stock is deteriorating but apartment owners do not have sufficient access to resources be they organizational, financial, technical or legal. In addition, destructive myths have grown about the Soviet era buildings despite their continued resilience or the ex- GDR experience in the 90s with the same buildings. Further, without resources, decision making in residential apartments is seen as a major obstacle and used as an explanation why renovation has not taken place in Latvia. This is important not only in the context of a potential housing crisis but also because the renovation of the apartment buildings is an effective solution to significantly reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It has a proven potential to effectively finance the long term renovation of these buildings. This paper summarizes the first findings of a comprehensive and in-depth study of apartment buildings, their owners and the processes relating to renovation, combining social and environmental engineering research methods. It seeks to understand how owners of multi-family buildings in Eastern Europe understand their buildings and then to answer two questions - how to motivate owners to renovate their homes and increase energy efficiency and what business models should be used to implement economically viable and high quality projects.

Climate Change and Buildings Energy Efficiency – the Key Role of Residents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miezis Martins

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Eastern Europe today is confronted with an unavoidable problem - the multifamily apartment building stock is deteriorating but apartment owners do not have sufficient access to resources be they organizational, financial, technical or legal. In addition, destructive myths have grown about the Soviet era buildings despite their continued resilience or the ex- GDR experience in the 90s with the same buildings. Further, without resources, decision making in residential apartments is seen as a major obstacle and used as an explanation why renovation has not taken place in Latvia. This is important not only in the context of a potential housing crisis but also because the renovation of the apartment buildings is an effective solution to significantly reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It has a proven potential to effectively finance the long term renovation of these buildings. This paper summarizes the first findings of a comprehensive and in-depth study of apartment buildings, their owners and the processes relating to renovation, combining social and environmental engineering research methods. It seeks to understand how owners of multi-family buildings in Eastern Europe understand their buildings and then to answer two questions - how to motivate owners to renovate their homes and increase energy efficiency and what business models should be used to implement economically viable and high quality projects.

Residents’ Experiences of Privacy and Comfort in Multi-Storey Apartment Dwellings in Subtropical Brisbane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosemary Kennedy

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Dwellings in multi-storey apartment buildings (MSAB are predicted to increase dramatically as a proportion of housing stock in subtropical cities over coming decades. The problem of designing comfortable and healthy high-density residential environments and minimising energy consumption must be addressed urgently in subtropical cities globally. This paper explores private residents’ experiences of privacy and comfort and their perceptions of how well their apartment dwelling modulated the external environment in subtropical conditions through analysis of 636 survey responses and 24 interviews with residents of MSAB in inner urban neighbourhoods of Brisbane, Australia. The findings show that the availability of natural ventilation and outdoor private living spaces play important roles in resident perceptions of liveability in the subtropics where the climate is conducive to year round “outdoor living”. Residents valued choice with regard to climate control methods in their apartments. They overwhelmingly preferred natural ventilation to manage thermal comfort, and turned to the air-conditioner for limited periods, particularly when external conditions were too noisy. These findings provide a unique evidence base for reducing the environmental impact of MSAB and increasing the acceptability of apartment living, through incorporating residential attributes positioned around climate-responsive architecture.

Life Cycle CO2 Assessment by Block Type Changes of Apartment Housing

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Cheonghoon Baek

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The block type and structural systems in buildings affect the amount of building materials required as well as the CO2 emissions that occur throughout the building life cycle (LCCO2. The purpose of this study was to assess the life cycle CO2 emissions when an apartment housing with ‘flat-type’ blocks (the reference case was replaced with more sustainable ‘T-type’ blocks with fewer CO2 emissions (the alternative case maintaining the same total floor area. The quantity of building materials used and building energy simulations were analyzed for each block type using building information modeling techniques, and improvements in LCCO2 emission were calculated by considering high-strength concrete alternatives. By changing the bearing wall system of the ‘flat-type’ block to the ‘column and beam’ system of the ‘T-type’ block, LCCO2 emissions of the alternative case were 4299 kg-CO2/m2, of which 26% was at the construction stage, 73% was as the operational stage and 1% was at the dismantling and disposal stage. These total LCCO2 emissions were 30% less than the reference case.

Efficacy of an Essential Oil-Based Pesticide for Controlling Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius Infestations in Apartment Buildings

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Changlu Wang

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L. and Cimex hemipterus F. are among the most difficult urban pests to manage. Many essential oil-based bed bug control products that are considered reduced risk to mammals compared to synthetic insect neurotoxins have become commercially available, but their effectiveness as a stand-alone control method is unknown. This study assessed the field efficacy of an essential oil-based bed bug control product (EcoRaider; a.i. 1% geraniol + 1% cedar oil + 2% sodium lauryl sulfate compared to a pyrethroid and neonicotinoid mixture spray (0.075% Temprid SC; a.i. beta-cyfluthrin + imidacloprid. After 12 weeks, the three treatments—EcoRaider, Temprid SC, and EcoRaider + Temprid SC caused 92.5 ± 2.7, 92.9 ± 3.0, and 91.7% ± 2.7% bed bug count reduction, respectively. No significant differences existed in the bed bug reduction among the treatments. Bed bugs were eliminated from only 22% of the treated apartments. Among those still with bed bugs, 76% of the residents did not know bed bugs were present. We documented the residents’ self-control practices and discussed the potential of using essential oil-based insecticides in bed bug management programs to minimize the health risks to building occupants and pets and to slow down the development of insecticide resistance.

Coalition Building for Health: A Community Garden Pilot Project with Apartment Dwelling Refugees.

Science.gov (United States)

Eggert, Lynne K; Blood-Siegfried, Jane; Champagne, Mary; Al-Jumaily, Maha; Biederman, Donna J

2015-01-01

Refugees often experience compromised health from both pre- and post-migration stressors. Coalition theory has helped guide the development of targeted programs to address the health care needs of vulnerable populations. Using the Community Coalition Action Theory as a framework, a coalition was formed to implement a community garden with apartment-dwelling refugees. Outcomes included successful coalition formation, a community garden, reported satisfaction from all gardeners with increased vegetable intake, access to culturally meaningful foods, and evidence of increased community engagement. The opportunity for community health nurses to convene a coalition to affect positive health for refugees is demonstrated.

Indoor Air Quality of Residential Building Before and After Renovation

Science.gov (United States)

Sánka, Imrich; Földváry, Veronika

2017-06-01

This study investigates the impact of energy renovation on the indoor air quality of an apartment building during the heating season. The study was performed in one residential building before and after its renovation. An evaluation of the indoor air quality was performed using objective measurements and a subjective survey. The concentration of CO2 was measured in the bedrooms, and a sampling of the total volatile compounds (TVOC) was performed in the living rooms of the selected apartments. Higher concentrations of CO2 and TVOC were observed in the residential building after its renovation. The concentrations of CO2, and TVOC in some of the cases exceeded the recommended maximum limits, especially after implementing energy-saving measures on the building. The average air exchange rate was visibly higher before the renovation of the building. The current study indicates that large-scale renovations may reduce the quality of an indoor environment in many apartments, especially in the winter season.

Risk aversion and willingness to pay for energy efficient systems in rental apartments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farsi, Mehdi [Centre for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zuerichbergstr. 18, Zurich 8032 (Switzerland)

2010-06-15

This paper uses a random utility model to estimate consumers' valuation of energy efficient insulation and ventilation systems in rental apartments. Given consumers' limited experience in residential buildings and the perceived uncertainty about their comfort benefits and resulting energy savings, these relatively new technologies might be undervalued by risk-averse consumers. Using the concept of certainty-equivalence, this paper proposes a model to assess the consumers' risk-aversion for adopting energy-efficient systems. These systems are treated as risky assets while conventional commodities are assumed to be risk-free. The curvature of the utility function is interpreted as a measure of aversion to perceived risks as opposed to explicit risks measured by observed variances. The proposed formulation is applicable in stated preference data with qualitative variables. The model is applied to data from a choice experiment conducted among 264 apartment tenants in Switzerland. The estimated curvatures reject the risk-neutrality hypothesis. The range of the estimated risk premiums suggests that risk considerations remain a central issue in dealing with energy efficiency in residential buildings. The analysis also indicates that assuming same risk attitudes toward new and conventional systems could bias the estimates of the willingness to pay, especially when the system is comprised of several components. (author)

Risk aversion and willingness to pay for energy efficient systems in rental apartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farsi, Mehdi

2010-01-01

This paper uses a random utility model to estimate consumers' valuation of energy efficient insulation and ventilation systems in rental apartments. Given consumers' limited experience in residential buildings and the perceived uncertainty about their comfort benefits and resulting energy savings, these relatively new technologies might be undervalued by risk-averse consumers. Using the concept of certainty-equivalence, this paper proposes a model to assess the consumers' risk-aversion for adopting energy-efficient systems. These systems are treated as risky assets while conventional commodities are assumed to be risk-free. The curvature of the utility function is interpreted as a measure of aversion to perceived risks as opposed to explicit risks measured by observed variances. The proposed formulation is applicable in stated preference data with qualitative variables. The model is applied to data from a choice experiment conducted among 264 apartment tenants in Switzerland. The estimated curvatures reject the risk-neutrality hypothesis. The range of the estimated risk premiums suggests that risk considerations remain a central issue in dealing with energy efficiency in residential buildings. The analysis also indicates that assuming same risk attitudes toward new and conventional systems could bias the estimates of the willingness to pay, especially when the system is comprised of several components.

Assessment of indoor air in Austrian apartments with and without visible mold growth

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, D.; Habib, J.; Galler, H.; Buzina, W.; Schlacher, R.; Marth, E.; Reinthaler, F. F.

Fungal spores are transported across great distances in the outdoor air and are also regularly found indoors. Building conditions and behavior-related problems in apartments may lead to massive growth of mold within a very short period of time. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the visible growth of mold indoors influences the concentration of fungal spores in the air as well as the variety of their species. Samples were collected from 66 households in Austria. For each sampling, the corresponding outdoor air was measured as reference value. The size of the visible mold growth was categorized in order to correlate the extent of mold growth with the concentration of airborne spores as well as the fungal genera. In order to determine fungal spore concentrations in the air, the one-stage MAS-100 ® air sampler was used. Malt extract agar (MEA) and dichloran glycerol agar (DG18) plates were used as culture media. The total colony forming units (CFU) per m 3 were determined. The fungi were identified from the isolated colonies. The results show that in apartments visibly affected by mold, the median values were significantly higher than those of apartments without visible mold growth. The extent of visible mold growth is significantly correlated with both concentration of fungal spores ( pPenicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. ( pPenicillium and Aspergillus in the air of apartments is recommended for assessing fungal exposure.

Contemporary facades of multistorey residential buildings in Kiev: Videoecological aspect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kozlova Nataliia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to one of the actual problems concerning the current state of the facades on apartment buildings in residential districts in Kiev - videoecology. The main purpose of the article is to determine the degree of visual aggressiveness of multistorey residential buildings in Kiev. It also investigates the problem of finding the optimal criteria for creating an ecologically healthy and friendly inhabited environment in the capital city of Ukraine. The modern visual environment in the capital is contaminated, not only because of the increasing numbers of promotional billboards, but also because of the contemporary architecture of high-rise buildings such as office buildings, apartment buildings. Their composition is usually based on a simple description of a rhythm. There are also repetitions of the end parts of buildings in “lowercase” buildings, which are high-rise buildings that alternate with nine or identical apartment groups. It creates a sense of oppressive monotony and leads to psychological and visual fatigue, especially when these repetitions are the only pattern the eye perceives. In the article a theoretical block of ecological-aesthetic criteria is defined, which must be met by the modern architecture facades of multistorey residential houses in Kiev.

Building a Better Robot

Science.gov (United States)

Navah, Jan

2012-01-01

Kids love to build robots, letting their imaginations run wild with thoughts of what they might look like and what they could be programmed to do. Yet when students use cereal boxes and found objects to make robots, often the projects look too similar and tend to fall apart. This alternative allows students to "build" robots in a different way,…

A Study on the Analysis of CO2 Emissions of Apartment Housing in the Construction Process

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Jonggeon Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recent research in the construction industry has focused on the reduction of CO2 emission using quantitative assessment of building life. However, most of this research has focused on the operational stage of a building’s life cycle. Few comprehensive studies of CO2 emissions during building construction have been performed. The purpose of this study is to analyze the CO2 emissions of an apartment housing during the construction process. The quantity of CO2 emissions associated with the utilization of selected building materials and construction equipment were used to estimate the CO2 emissions related to the apartment housing life cycle. In order to set the system boundary for the construction materials, equipment, and transportation used, 13 types of construction work were identified; then the CO2 emissions produced by the identified materials were calculated for each type of construction work. The comprehensive results showed that construction work involving reinforced concrete accounted for more than 73% of the total CO2 emissions. The CO2 emissions related to reinforced concrete work was mainly due to transportation from the supplier to the construction site. Therefore, at the time that reinforced concrete is being supplied, shipping distance and fuel economy management of concrete transportation vehicles should be considered thoroughly for significant reduction of CO2 emissions.

Energy plus standard in buildings constructed by housing associations?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stutterecker, Werner; Blümel, Ernst

2012-01-01

In order to achieve national, European and international energy goals, energy efficiency strategies in the building sector have to be implemented. The passive house standard and low energy standards are already successfully established in single dwelling houses. These high performance standards are starting to penetrate into the sector of housing associations. A case study about an apartment building constructed by a housing association is presented here. It describes the monitoring concept and the results of the 1st year of monitoring. Depending on the definition of the zero energy building standard (extent of loads included in the balancing), the building could be classified as an energy plus building or as a building, which uses more energy, than is supplied by on-site generation. If the building's total energy use (including user specific loads) is defined as load, only 34.5% of these loads were provided by the net energy output of the PV system. If only the heating energy demand is defined as load, the PV system even yielded a surplus of 45.6% of the energy load. -- Highlights: ► Energy monitoring of an apartment building constructed by a housing association. ► Planned as a Passive House with a semi-central ventilation system with decentralized heat pump technology. ► Total end energy demand of the building was 43 kWh/(m² a). ► Total net energy generation by the PV system was 15 kWh/(m² a). ► Apartment no. 1: 52% of the energy demand were used for heating and ventilation.

Energy and behavioral impacts of integrative retrofits for residential buildings: What is at stake for building energy policy reforms in northern China?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Peng; Xu, Tengfang; Shen, Pengyuan

2013-01-01

Based upon the results from extensive building monitoring and surveys on occupant’s behaviors in a representative nine-story apartment building in northern China, building energy simulations were performed to evaluate the impacts of integrative retrofits implemented. Integrative retrofits required by the newer building energy standard produced significant heating-energy savings (i.e., 53%) when compared with baseline buildings commonly built in early 1980s. Taking into account district-heating-system upgrades as part of integrative retrofit measures, a representative apartment building was 66% more efficient than the baseline building. Contrary to expectation, little behavioral change was found in response to the provisions of monetary incentive, billing-method reform, or metering of heating energy use in individual apartment units. Yet this paper identified sizable energy savings potential if occupants’ behavioral changes were to actually happen. This indicates that provisions of financial incentives or individual metering were insufficient for triggering substantial behavioral changes leading toward more energy savings in the current buildings. It is recommended that innovative energy policies, technology upgrades, and education would be needed to promote behavioral changes toward additional energy savings. Finally, measures and strategies to further enhance thermal integrity criteria (e.g., insulations of roof and balcony) are recommended in China’s future building energy policy reforms. - Highlights: ► Integrative retrofits significantly reduce residential heating energy in north China. ► Energy effects of retrofits, incentive, billing and behavioral changes were studied. ► Monetary incentive, control or metering technologies did not lead to behavior change. ► Potential energy savings due to occupants’ behavioral changes are sizable. ► Thermal integrity needs to be enhanced in future building standards and policies.

West Village Student Housing Phase I: Apartment Monitoring and Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, A. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Bell, C. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Dakin, B. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States); Hoeschele, M. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), Davis, CA (United States)

2014-06-01

Building America team Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) worked with the University of California, Davis and the developer partner West Village Community Partnership (WVCP) to evaluate performance on 192 student apartments completed in September, 2011 as part of Phase I of the multi-purpose West Village project. West Village is the largest planned zero net energy community in the United States. The campus neighborhood is designed to enable faculty, staff, and students to affordably live near campus, take advantage of environmentally friendly transportation options, and participate fully in campus life. The aggressive energy efficiency measures that are incorporated in the design contribute to source energy reductions of 37% over the B10 Benchmark. These measures include increased wall and attic insulation, high performance windows, high efficiency heat pumps for heating and cooling, central heat pump water heaters (HPWHs), 100% high efficacy lighting, and ENERGY STAR major appliances. The report discusses how measured energy use compares to modeling estimates over a 10-month monitoring period and includes a cost effective evaluation.

Determining daylight and view preferences from the use of blinds in apartments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Mads Dines

2015-01-01

preferences have significant influence on the daylight level and view as well as possible impact on the building’s energy consumption. Therefore, it is important to conduct further studies in the area in order to be able to design solutions that supports the user preferences better and through that improves...... for the inhabitants’ health and well-being, as well as the energy consumption. Present research is an important contribution, because of the increased knowledge about daylights impact on health and well-being as well as daylights impact on the energy consumption in our buildings. However, it is often seen...... that curtains or blinds, often close off new apartment buildings with large glass areas in dense urban context. Such observations indicate that there can be a discrepancy between the intentions of the design team or architect and the perception of the user. The paper presents the results of observations...

Working apart together: foundations for component groupware

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Hofte, H.; ter Hofte, Gerard Henri

1998-01-01

This thesis is the culmination of five years of Working Apart Together. As a research theme, it struck me in 1993 that Working Apart Together was not only a way of working that groupware systems were designed to support, but also a principle that could be applied within the groupware systems

NEW GENERATIONS RAISED IN APARTMENT SCHOOLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faruk Salih ŞEKER

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The main objective of private preparatory schools is preparing students for higher education institutions, they dealt a severe blow to the formal educatio nal institutions. Various solutions generated to close down these schools brought many concerns led to deepening of the problem. In this study, the issue of closing private preparatory schools, which function for preparation for the university entrance ex am, down and converting them into private schools in the academic year of 2014/2015 by regulations enforced by the ministry is discussed. Obviously, this period will results in generations with obesity, physical impairment, postural disorders, respiratory system disorders, cardiovascular and circulatory disorders as well as permanent diseases. These schools are established in apartments and commercial building employed by private preparatory schools previously. It is clearly seen that these physical condi tions may cause serious problems in physical activities and sport practices. The aim of this study is discussing the predicted problems either experienced or will be faced by students since they will continue formal education at schools called “Basic High School” converted from private preparatory schools into formal educational institutions with same physical conditions but different educational programs.

Building renovation with interior insulation on solid masonry walls in Denmark - A study of the building segment and possible solutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Tommy; Bjarløv, Søren Peter; Rode, Carsten

2015-01-01

The segment size of the Danish multi-story building stock from the period 1851-1930 is established through a unique major database managed by the Danish authorities. The outcome illustrates a large segment with 219,202 apartment units distributed over 14,832 unique buildings, all sharing characte...

Extremely low frequency magnetic field measurements in buildings with transformer stations in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Röösli, Martin; Jenni, Daniela; Kheifets, Leeka; Mezei, Gabor

2011-08-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate an exposure assessment method that classifies apartments in three exposure categories of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) based on the location of the apartment relative to the transformer room. We completed measurements in 39 apartments in 18 buildings. In each room of the apartments ELF-MF was concurrently measured with 5 to 6 EMDEX II meters for 10 min. Measured arithmetic mean ELF-MF was 0.59 μT in 8 apartments that were fully adjacent to a transformer room, either directly above the transformer or touching the transformer room wall-to-wall. In apartments that only partly touched the transformer room at corners or edges, average ELF-MF level was 0.14 μT. Average exposure in the remaining apartments was 0.10 μT. Kappa coefficient for exposure classification was 0.64 (95%-CI: 0.45-0.82) if only fully adjacent apartments were considered as highly exposed (>0.4 μT). We found a distinct ELF-MF exposure gradient in buildings with transformer. Exposure classification based on the location of the apartment relative to the transformer room appears feasible. Such an approach considerably reduces effort for exposure assessment and may be used to eliminate selection bias in future epidemiologic studies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radon and the seal offered by the building shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crameri, R.; Furrer, D.; Burkart, W.

1992-01-01

Long term measurements of the radon level before and after the building shell is sealed were carried out in 25 apartment buildings and 7 houses. The average values of the most important meteorological parameters of wind speed, external temperature and barometric pressure which may influence the radon level, were absolutely comparable during the measurement periods before and after the energy renovation of the buildings. Both in houses and in apartment buildings the radon level remained practically unchanged after the building shell was sealed. The lack of any increase in the radon level after reducing the air exchange rate can be explained by virtue of the fact that the balance between the infiltration and elimination of the radon before and after the energy renovation of the buildings remained unchanged. In addition to reducing the air exchange rate, sealing the building shell therefore also results in a reduction in radon infiltration from the soil. Although it is possible in certain cases for the radon level to increase after the building shell has been sealed, a general increase in radon levels inside living areas as a result of energy renovation work can be dismissed. 2 figs., 3 tabs., 30 refs

Post Occupancy Evaluation of 23 Newly Renovated Apartments in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iqbal, Ahsan; Afshari, Alireza

2016-01-01

The present article is based on the post occupancy occupants’ perception of indoor air quality of recently renovated 23 residential apartments in Copenhagen. The apartments are equipped with novel mechanical ventilation systems. The apartments can be categorised in four, according to the design o...

The radioactivity of house-building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sos, K.

2007-01-01

The paper compares the natural radioactivity and radon emission properties of different building materials like bricks, concretes, cements, sands, limes, marmors of different origin. A description of the radioactive model of apartments is also given. (TRA)

Comfort and well-being in passive solar buildings. Results from a european Audit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bluyssen, P.M.; Cox, C.W.J.

2006-01-01

Within the European research project HOPE, 97 apartment buildings and 67 office buildings - a large part of which designed to be energy-efficient - were investigated using checklists regarding building characteristics and questionnaires addressed to the occupants regarding their perceived comfort

CHI SYMBOLISM IN ACHEBE'S THINGS FALL APART: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

the chi symbolism as exhibited in his famous work Things Fall. Apart. Things Fall Apart by Achebe gives fictionalized account of Igbo life and times which are close to the reality of our era. Philosophy ... solution which he offers to the problems of daily living in society. .... weighed on the balance of reality, they could stand for.

Integrating Green Building Criteria Into Housing Design Processes Case Study: Tropical Apartment At Kebon Melati, Jakarta

Science.gov (United States)

Farid, V. L.; Wonorahardjo, S.

2018-05-01

The implementation of Green Building criteria is relatively new in architectural practice, especially in Indonesia. Consequently, the integration of these criteria into design process has the potential to change the design process itself. The implementation of the green building criteria into the conventional design process will be discussed in this paper. The concept of this project is to design a residential unit with a natural air-conditioning system. To achieve this purpose, the Green Building criteria has been implemented since the beginning of the design process until the detailing process on the end of the project. Several studies was performed throughout the design process, such as: (1) Conceptual review, where several professionally proved theories related to Tropical Architecture and passive design are used for a reference, and (2) Computer simulations, such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel simulation, used to represent the dynamic response of the surrounding environment towards the building. Hopefully this paper may become a reference for designing a green residential building.

Teaching Ethics with Apartment Leases.

Science.gov (United States)

Pomerenke, Paula J.

1998-01-01

Describes an assignment in a corporate-communications class in which students examine the design and the language of their apartment leases. Discusses how this assignment teaches students about the Plain English laws and the need for plain English in leases and in ethics. (SR)

Dose reduction factors from a radioactive cloud for large buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grand, J. le; Roux, Y.

1986-01-01

A set of complex and accurate computer codes has been established to determine the transport of photons emitted from a radioactive cloud through various media. The geometrical and physical description of large buildings with various numbers of floors and rooms can be done by the user. The codes can calculate, in any room or apartment, the characteristics of the photon fields (photon flux, energy flux and distribution, direction distribution) and whole-body absorbed dose rates in a phantom standing or lying on the floor. The dose reduction factor is then the quotient of the mean absorbed dose rate in the apartment to the absorbed dose rate in the phantom standing on the ground outdoors. Applications to several modern multistorey buildings are presented. The results show the influence of various parameters such as density and composition of building materials, the fraction of the external building surface containing apertures and initial photon energy. (author)

Analyzing Design Heating Loads in Superinsulated Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arena, Lois [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings, Norwalk, CT (United States)

2015-06-16

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America research team Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) worked with the EcoVillage cohousing community in Ithaca, New York, on the Third Residential EcoVillage Experience neighborhood. This communityscale project consists of 40 housing units—15 apartments and 25 single-family residences. Units range in size from 450 ft2 to 1,664 ft2 and cost from $80,000 for a studio apartment to $235,000 for a three- or four-bedroom single-family home. For the research component of this project, CARB analyzed current heating system sizing methods for superinsulated homes in cold climates to determine if changes in building load calculation methodology should be recommended. Actual heating energy use was monitored and compared to results from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s Manual J8 (MJ8) and the Passive House Planning Package software. Results from that research indicate that MJ8 significantly oversizes heating systems for superinsulated homes and that thermal inertia and internal gains should be considered for more accurate load calculations.

Overheating and Daylighting; Assessment Tool in Early Design of London’s High-Rise Residential Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bachir Nebia

2017-08-01

Full Text Available High-rise residential buildings in dense cities, such as London, are a common response to housing shortage. The apartments in these buildings may experience different levels of thermal and visual comfort, depending on their orientation and floor level. This paper aims to develop simplified tools to predict internal temperatures and daylighting levels, and propose a tool to quickly assess overheating risk and daylight performance in London’s high-rise residential buildings. Single- and double-sided apartments in a high-rise building were compared, and the impact of their floor level, glazing ratio, thermal mass, ventilation strategy and orientation was investigated. Using Integrated Environmental Solutions Virtual Environment (IES VE, temperature and daylight factor results of each design variable were used to develop early design tools to predict and assess overheating risks and daylighting levels. The results indicate that apartments that are more exposed to solar radiations, through either orientation or floor level, are more susceptible to overheat in the summer while exceeding the daylighting recommendations. Different design strategies at different levels and orientations are subsequently discussed.

Basic Study on Term of Warranty Liability for Water Supply, Drainage, and Sanitation Arrangement Work Defect in Apartment Building

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Junmo; Seo, DeokSeok

2017-06-01

The defect lawsuit of the apartment which is the representative residential style of Korea continues and becomes a social problem. In the defect lawsuit, the term of warranty liability is a period that can demand the defect repair according to defect occurrence, and the exclusion period of the exercise of rights. However, the term of warranty liability stipulated in relevant laws such as Enforcement Decree of the Housing Act is being changed arbitrarily, without any established grounds. Therefore, a reasonable standard for establishing the term of warranty liability is required. In this study, the defects of water supply, drainage and sanitation arrangement work were studied. As a result of analyzing the number of defect occurrence in the apartment, it was shown that the defects in water supply, drainage and sanitation arrangement work occurred more than 80% in the 1st ∼ 2nd year after completion. However, the occurrence of defects from the 3rd year was extremely slight. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the defect occurrence continued until fairly late point of time as the end point of time of the defects was in the 7th to 9th years.

Solar heating and cooling of buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Bourke, R. D.; Davis, E. S.

1975-01-01

Solar energy has been used for space heating and water heating for many years. A less common application, although technically feasible, is solar cooling. This paper describes the techniques employed in the heating and cooling of buildings, and in water heating. The potential for solar energy to displace conventional energy sources is discussed. Water heating for new apartments appears to have some features which could make it a place to begin the resurgence of solar energy applications in the United States. A project to investigate apartment solar water heating, currently in the pilot plant construction phase, is described.

A Field Study of Wall Furnace Venting and Coincident Exhaust Fan Usage in 16 Northern California Apartments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Less, Brennan D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Delp, William W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Brooks, Andrew [Association for Energy Affordability, Emeryville, CA (United States); Cohn, Sebastian [Association for Energy Affordability, Emeryville, CA (United States); Finn, Brian [Association for Energy Affordability, Emeryville, CA (United States)

2016-09-01

To inform efforts to improve combustion appliance testing in residential energy efficiency programs, we studied the frequency of coincident fan use and depressurization-induced downdrafting and spillage from atmospherically vented (i.e., natural draft) wall furnaces in airtight apartments. Indoor environmental conditions, heating appliance operation, use of exhaust fans, and cooking with stovetop or oven were monitored for approximately three weeks each in 16 apartment units in two buildings in Northern California. Apartments also were assessed using standard combustion appliance safety test methods and enhanced protocols. Monitoring occurred in February and March of 2016, with heating demand corresponding to 7.3 ± 0.5 heating degree-days at a 65ºF reference temperature. Most of the furnaces spilled combustion products when the apartments were depressurized in the “worst-case” challenge condition of all exhaust fans operating at their highest settings and all windows closed. Many also spilled under less challenging conditions (e.g., with kitchen exhaust fan on low and bathroom fan operating). On average, bathroom exhaust fans were operated 3.9% of monitored minutes (13.5% max), and cooking (burner or kitchen fan operation) occurred 4.6% of minutes (max 13.3%). Event lengths averaged 17 minutes (max 540) and 34 minutes (max 324), respectively. Their coincident operation averaged 0.34% of minutes (max 2.0%), with average event length of 13 minutes (max 92 minutes). This suggests that the operation of apartment units at or near the currently used worst-case challenge condition is quite rare. Wall furnace burners operated an average of 2.8% of minutes (max of 8.9%), with average burner cycle length of 14 minutes (max 162). Coincident bath fan use, cooking and wall furnace operation was very rare, occurring only a handful of times across all apartments. The highest rate was 0.075% of monitored minutes in one apartment, and the longest event length was 12 minutes

Lithospheric-scale centrifuge models of pull-apart basins

Science.gov (United States)

Corti, Giacomo; Dooley, Tim P.

2015-11-01

We present here the results of the first lithospheric-scale centrifuge models of pull-apart basins. The experiments simulate relative displacement of two lithospheric blocks along two offset master faults, with the presence of a weak zone in the offset area localising deformation during strike-slip displacement. Reproducing the entire lithosphere-asthenosphere system provides boundary conditions that are more realistic than the horizontal detachment in traditional 1 g experiments and thus provide a better approximation of the dynamic evolution of natural pull-apart basins. Model results show that local extension in the pull-apart basins is accommodated through development of oblique-slip faulting at the basin margins and cross-basin faults obliquely cutting the rift depression. As observed in previous modelling studies, our centrifuge experiments suggest that the angle of offset between the master fault segments is one of the most important parameters controlling the architecture of pull-apart basins: the basins are lozenge shaped in the case of underlapping master faults, lazy-Z shaped in case of neutral offset and rhomboidal shaped for overlapping master faults. Model cross sections show significant along-strike variations in basin morphology, with transition from narrow V- and U-shaped grabens to a more symmetric, boxlike geometry passing from the basin terminations to the basin centre; a flip in the dominance of the sidewall faults from one end of the basin to the other is observed in all models. These geometries are also typical of 1 g models and characterise several pull-apart basins worldwide. Our models show that the complex faulting in the upper brittle layer corresponds at depth to strong thinning of the ductile layer in the weak zone; a rise of the base of the lithosphere occurs beneath the basin, and maximum lithospheric thinning roughly corresponds to the areas of maximum surface subsidence (i.e., the basin depocentre).

A systematic approach to assessing the state of the apartment blocks

OpenAIRE

Shpak Aleksandr S.

2015-01-01

Problems of management system of apartment houses are actualized. The SWOT-analysis of apartment houses management system using qualitative and quantitative methods is conducted. Based on the SWOT-analysis we show summarized expert evaluation and binary evaluation of apartment houses management system problems in the urban district. Also based on the SWOT-analysis results we highlight the need for model measures package ("road map") application to ensure information transparency and accountab...

RESIDENTS CLOSE THEIR MACEIO SEASHORE APARTMENT VERANDAHS: ADAPTATION TO A NEW LIFESTYLE OR NON-ADAPTATION TO THE CLIMATE?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Márcio Toledo

2010-11-01

Full Text Available : This paper aims to verify the reason why the apartments verandahs are being closed, a tendency mainly observed at beach cities, and as well the new uses for the rooms, stuffs and typologies in the closing. The methodology applied consisted in photographic surveys and questionnaire applications with residents from nine apartment buildings in the city of Maceio who made up the verandah closure, focusing the handling of door and windows and on the perception of the natural ventilation on summertime and wintertime. It was claimed that the excessive ventilation and the unwished incidence of rain as the major environmental reasons to verandahs closure. It was verified that after the closure, the residents started to utilize it more frequently, keeping the original usage or modifying it. This paper contributes to understand the residents’ reasons, perceptions and choices about the verandahs, creating the conception of new spaces that more and more focus their needs, bringing up elements of projects to architects and project designers.

Historical Consumption of Heating Natural Gas and Thermal Monitoring of a Multifamily High-Rise Building in a Temperate/Cold Climate in Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celina Filippín

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the historical consumption of natural gas in a multifamily high-rise building and the monitored winter thermal behavior of an apartment sample. The building is located in the center of Argentina (latitude: 36º27’S; longitude: 64º27’W, where the climate is a cold temperate with an absolute minimum temperature that may reach −10 °C. The building has two blocks, North and South. The building’s annual gas consumption and its variability between 1996 and 2008 are shown. The South block consumed 78% more gas, a situation expected due to lower solar resource availability and greater vulnerability regarding strong and cold SW winds. Indoor temperatures monitored during 2009 in four apartments are described. The outdoor minimum temperature reached −5 °C, with solar irradiance around 500 W/m2 at midday. Results showed that the average indoor temperatures were 20.1, 20.6, 24.0 and 22.1 °C. The highest consumption value corresponded to the apartment exposed to SW cold winds. Compared to the rest of the building, the apartment on the top floor consumes 59% more energy than the average for the gas consumed throughout the year. The authors assume that the energy potentials of intervention are different, and not necessarily all the apartments should have the same technological response.

Elevated radon and thoron concentrations from natural radioactivity in building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.; Vivyurka, A.

1980-01-01

Radon levels in excess of 20 mWL were observed in an apartment building under construction in Elliot Lake. Tracer studies showed ventilation periods as long as 29 hours since the ventilation system of the building was not yet working. It was concluded that, once the contribution from thoron daughters was taken into account, the natural radioactivity of the concrete and other building materials was sufficient to produce the observed levels of radioactivity

Experimental and numerical modelling of thermal performance of a residential building in Belgrade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vučićević Biljana

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to evaluate simulation of thermal performance of a residential 4 floors high building placed in the suburb of Belgrade (ground and 3 upper floors with it's total surface area of 1410 m2. It's supplied with liquid petroleum gas storage tank as a fuel reservoir since there is automatic gas boiler in each apartment. Measurements have been carried out in first floor apartment (68 m2 heating area in heating season period. Measured parameters are: inside and outside air temperature and U-value of apartment envelope. Weather data is obtained by using METEONORM, the software package for climatic data calculation based on last 10 years measurements. TRNSYS 16 has been used as the simulation tool. The behavior of the building in terms of heating loads for climate on a daily and monthly basis in heating season is investigated. The calculations show possibility for saving energy by optimization inside temperature during different gas boiler working regimes.

Process and a device for manufacturing a composite building panel for use in a building structure cladding system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tetu, B

1991-06-11

A process and device are disclosed for manufacturing a composite panel used for cladding a building. The panel comprises a facing layer made from a plurality of facing elements, such as brick slices, retained in a spaced-apart relationship, and magnetically attractible particulate material disposed between the facing elements to imitate mortar. A rigid backing layer is provided, spaced from the spacing layer, and the space between the facing and the backing layers is filled with an insulation/bonding layer, made of urethane foam. The device for manufacturing the panel comprises a facing element holder in the form of a structure with a plurality of recesses for receiving facing elements, also including spacers between the recesses in order to retain the facing elements in a spaced-apart relationship. Ceramic magnets are provided on the spacers for temporarily retaining the particulate material against gravity until the insulation/bonding layer is built which retains all the panel elements together. The invention enables manufacture of non-planar panels, such as those used on corners of buildings, thereby eliminating the need for a corner joint. 9 figs.

Small might be beautiful, but bigger performs better: Scale economies in “green” refurbishments of apartment housing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelsen, Claus; Rosenschon, Sebastian; Schulz, Christian

2015-01-01

The energy efficiency of the residential housing stock plays a key role in strategies to mitigate climate change and global warming. In this context, it is frequently argued that private investment and the quality of thermal upgrades are too low in the light of the challenges faced and the potential energy cost savings. While many authors address the potential barriers for investors to increase energy efficiency, studies on the capabilities of different investors to reduce energy requirements of their property are scarce. This study investigates potential advantages of housing company's size, i.e. economies of scale, economies of scope and institutional learning in thermal upgrades of residential housing. Based on unique data on energy consumption in 102,307 apartment buildings in Germany, we present new evidence for the advantages and disadvantages of a housing company's size in “green” retrofitting projects. Our estimations show, that large housing companies outperform private landlords by far in high effort refurbishment projects. In contrast, private landlords appear to have advantages in low effort, incremental refurbishment activities. We demonstrate that a substantial share of the advantages of larger firms can be associated with specialization (i.e. repeated projects). The results offer new options for policy makers to refine the support schemes toward a low carbon housing stock. - Highlights: • First study to analyze the effects of housing companies size on “green” refurbishment • Economies of scale, scope and learning all affect energy efficiency refurbishments. • Specialization on distinct refurbishments influences outcome of thermal upgrades. • Analysis based on a large and unique sample of apartment buildings in Germany

New EPC-calculation [Energy Efficiency Coefficient]. A few building engineering changes; Nieuwe EPC-bepaling. Enkele bouwtechnische wijzigingen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spiekman, M.E.; Van Dijk, H.A.L. [TNO Built Environment, Delft (Netherlands)

2012-06-15

On July 1st 2012 the existing standards for energy performance of new residential buildings (NEN 5128) and non-residential buildings (NEN 2916) are replaced by a new standard (NEN 7120) in which, next to dwellings and non-residential buildings, new and existing buildings are integrated. In this article the most important changes are described. [Dutch] Vanaf 1 juli worden de bestaande energieprestatienormen voor nieuwbouwwoningen (NEN 5128) en utiliteitsbouw (NEN 2916) vervangen door een nieuwe norm, de NEN 7120. Voorheen waren ervoor de bepaling van de energieprestatiecoefficient (EPC) voor woningen en utiliteitsbouw aparte bepalingsmethoden voorhanden. Ook waren de bepaling van de EPC voor nieuwbouw en de Energie-Index (EI) voor het energielabel voor bestaande bouw (ISSO 82, ISSO 75) in aparte documenten vastgelegd. De nieuwe norm NEN 7120 is voor al deze gebouwcategorieen te gebruiken en zal de huidige bepalingsmethoden vervangen.

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maxwell, S.; Berger, D.; Zuluaga, M.

2014-07-01

In multifamily buildings, particularly in the Northeast, exhaust ventilation strategies are the norm as a means of meeting both local exhaust and whole-unit mechanical ventilation rates. The issue of where the 'fresh' air is coming from is gaining significance as air-tightness standards for enclosures become more stringent, and the 'normal leakage paths through the building envelope' disappear. CARB researchers have found that the majority of high performance, new construction, multifamily housing in the Northeast use one of four general strategies for ventilation: continuous exhaust only with no designated supply or make-up air source, continuous exhaust with ducted make-up air to apartments, continuous exhaust with supply through a make-up air device integral to the unit HVAC, and continuous exhaust with supply through a passive inlet device, such as a trickle vent. Insufficient information is available to designers on how these various systems are best applied. Product performance data are based on laboratory tests, and the assumption is that products will perform similarly in the field. Proper application involves matching expected performance at expected building pressures, but there is no guarantee that those conditions will exist consistently in the finished building. This research effort, which included several weeks of building pressure monitoring, sought to provide field validation of system performance. The performance of four substantially different strategies for providing make-up air to apartments was evaluated.

Things Come Together with "Things Fall Apart."

Science.gov (United States)

Puhr, Kathleen M.

1987-01-01

Recommends using C. Achebe's English language novel, "Things Fall Apart," in a unit on tragedy. Provides plot summary and topics for discussion of cultural values and socialization. Notes that besides illustrating character traits, themes and plot structure of the tragic genre, the novel provides an opportunity for learning Nigerian…

Disrespect, Tension, and Togetherness--Apartness in Marriage.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblatt, Paul C.; And Others

1979-01-01

For a study of marital togetherness and apartness, the partners in 136 couples completed questionnaires. The role of disrespect, a factor serving as an abrasive in marriage, was investigated. Findings suggest that therapy for couples with a presenting problem of insufficient contact may first have to deal with abrasive factors. (Author)

Residential building energy estimation method based on the application of artificial intelligence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marshall, S.; Kajl, S.

1999-07-01

The energy requirements of a residential building five to twenty-five stories high can be measured using a newly proposed analytical method based on artificial intelligence. The method is fast and provides a wide range of results such as total energy consumption values, power surges, and heating or cooling consumption values. A series of database were created to take into account the particularities which influence the energy consumption of a building. In this study, DOE-2 software was created for use in 8 apartment models. A total of 27 neural networks were used, 3 for the estimation of energy consumption in the corridor, and 24 for inside the apartments. Three user interfaces were created to facilitate the estimation of energy consumption. These were named the Energy Estimation Assistance System (EEAS) interfaces and are only accessible using MATLAB software. The input parameters for EEAS are: climatic region, exterior wall resistance, roofing resistance, type of windows, infiltration, number of storeys, and corridor ventilation system operating schedule. By changing the parameters, the EEAS can determine annual heating, cooling and basic energy consumption levels for apartments and corridors. 2 tabs., 2 figs.

The geometry of pull-apart basins in the southern part of Sumatran strike-slip fault zone

Science.gov (United States)

Aribowo, Sonny

2018-02-01

Models of pull-apart basin geometry have been described by many previous studies in a variety tectonic setting. 2D geometry of Ranau Lake represents a pull-apart basin in the Sumatran Fault Zone. However, there are unclear geomorphic traces of two sub-parallel overlapping strike-slip faults in the boundary of the lake. Nonetheless, clear geomorphic traces that parallel to Kumering Segment of the Sumatran Fault are considered as inactive faults in the southern side of the lake. I demonstrate the angular characteristics of the Ranau Lake and Suoh complex pull-apart basins and compare with pull-apart basin examples from published studies. I use digital elevation model (DEM) image to sketch the shape of the depression of Ranau Lake and Suoh Valley and measure 2D geometry of pull-apart basins. This study shows that Ranau Lake is not a pull-apart basin, and the pull-apart basin is actually located in the eastern side of the lake. Since there is a clear connection between pull-apart basin and volcanic activity in Sumatra, I also predict that the unclear trace of the pull-apart basin near Ranau Lake may be covered by Ranau Caldera and Seminung volcanic products.

Integrating Innovation Skills in an Introductory Engineering Design-Build Course

Science.gov (United States)

Liebenberg, Leon; Mathews, Edward Henry

2012-01-01

Modern engineering curricula have started to emphasize design, mostly in the form of design-build experiences. Apart from instilling important problem-solving skills, such pedagogical frameworks address the critical social skill aspects of engineering education due to their team-based, project-based nature. However, it is required of the…

Love Will Keep Us Apart? Understanding Living Apart Together Partnerships in the Post-state-socialist Czech Republic

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Formánková, Lenka; Křížková, Alena

2015-01-01

Roč. 51, č. 6 (2015), s. 993-1022 ISSN 0038-0288 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-13766S; GA ČR GAP404/10/0021 Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : living apart together * biographical research * gender * new forms of partnership * family policy Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 0.262, year: 2015 http://sreview.soc.cas.cz/cs/issue/180-sociologicky-casopis-czech-sociological-review-6-2015/3580

Effects of types of ventilation system on indoor particle concentrations in residential buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, J S; Jee, N-Y; Jeong, J-W

2014-12-01

The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of ventilation systems on indoor particle concentrations in residential buildings. Fifteen occupied, single-family apartments were selected from three sites. The three sites have three different ventilation systems: unbalanced mechanical ventilation, balanced mechanical ventilation, and natural ventilation. Field measurements were conducted between April and June 2012, when outdoor air temperatures were comfortable. Number concentrations of particles, PM2.5 and CO2 , were continuously measured both outdoors and indoors. In the apartments with natural ventilation, I/O ratios of particle number concentrations ranged from 0.56 to 0.72 for submicron particles, and from 0.25 to 0.60 for particles larger than 1.0 μm. The daily average indoor particle concentration decreased to 50% below the outdoor level for submicron particles and 25% below the outdoor level for fine particles, when the apartments were mechanically ventilated. The two mechanical ventilation systems reduced the I/O ratios by 26% for submicron particles and 65% for fine particles compared with the natural ventilation. These results showed that mechanical ventilation can reduce exposure to outdoor particles in residential buildings. Results of this study confirm that mechanical ventilation with filtration can significantly reduce indoor particle levels compared with natural ventilation. The I/O ratios of particles substantially varied at the naturally ventilated apartments because of the influence of variable window opening conditions and unsteadiness of wind flow on the penetration of outdoor air particles. For better prediction of the exposure to outdoor particles in naturally ventilated residential buildings, it is important to understand the penetration of outdoor particles with variable window opening conditions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Numerical analysis of natural ventilation system in a studio apartment in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Kabir, K. M. Ariful; Hasan, Md. Rakibul; Khan, Md. Abdul Hakim

2017-07-01

The study of temperature and air flow for natural ventilation system has been investigated numerically. A finite element model for studio apartment was developed with the aim of achieving detail energy allocation in the real buildings during the transient process in the walls and internal air. A tool of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed to assist the process. In the tropical regions most of the energy is consumed by the heating, cooling and ventilation appliances. Therefore, the optimize ventilation system will be a suitable and valid option for the saving of energy from the household sector to increase cooling performance and ensuring thermal comfort as well. A mathematical exploration is carried out on full scale dwelling and small scale model and indication is given on the relevance of such a comparison. Calculations are carried out with household heat sources for calm and windy period, but without any human. As expected, for windy periods, the wind is the main driving force behind the internal air flow. However, in calm periods for unsteady flow the internal airflow looks like more complexes through observation.

Building America Case Study: Evaluation of Passive Vents in New-Construction Multifamily Buildings, New York, New York

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-10-15

Exhaust ventilation and corresponding outdoor air strategies are being implemented in high-performance new construction multifamily buildings to meet program or code requirements for improved indoor air quality, but a lack of clear design guidance is resulting in poor performance of these systems despite the best intentions of the programs or standards. CARB's 2014 'Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings' consistently demonstrated that commonly used outdoor air strategies are not performing as expected. Of the four strategies evaluated in 2014, the exhaust ventilation system that relied on outdoor air from a pressurized corridor was ruled out as a potential best practice due to its conflict with meeting requirements within most fire codes. Outdoor air that is ducted directly to the apartments was a strategy determined to have the highest likelihood of success, but with higher first costs and operating costs. Outdoor air through space conditioning systems was also determined to have good performance potential, with proper design and execution. The fourth strategy, passive systems, was identified as the least expensive option for providing outdoor air directly to apartments, with respect to both first costs and operating costs. However, little is known about how they actually perform in real-world conditions or how to implement them effectively. Based on the lack of data available on the performance of these low-cost systems and their frequent use in the high-performance building programs that require a provision for outdoor air, this research project sought to further evaluate the performance of passive vents.

The value of building safety: A hedonic price approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yung Yau

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Theoretical and empirical studies on how building performance is valued by the property market abound in the literature. Some of them investigate changes in property prices after building renovation, but little has been done on pricing the safety performance of buildings. This article presents a study that explores whether residential properties in safer buildings command higher market values in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a good laboratory for this study because building failures can pose a serious threat in such a densely populated high-rise environment. The study measures the safety performance of a building by the weighted number of unauthorised building works (UBWs on the external walls of the buildings. By their nature, UBWs are building works that are constructed without prior approval and consent from the government. A hedonic price model is developed to assess the market value of building safety. For the model estimation, apart from the property transaction data, the number of unauthorised appendages (i.e., UBWs attached to the building facades in each building studied is obtained through a building survey. Based on the analysis results, several hypotheses built upon the theories of self-protection and self-insurance are tested.

Development of renewable energies apart from biomass on farms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brule, K.; Pindard, A.; Jaujay, J.; Femenias, A.

2009-01-01

This paper proposes an overview and a prospective glance at the development of renewable energies in farms, apart those which are based on the production or use of biomass. Some indicators are defined (energy production and consumption). Stake holders are identified. Some retrospective major and emerging trends are discussed. The major trends are: growth and diversification of renewable energy production, calling to renewable energy production in farms. The emerging trends are: a recent increase of renewable energy production in farms apart from biomass, locally stressed land market, economic profitability of photovoltaic installations due to purchase tariffs. Some prospective issues are discussed: technical support, financial support, development of other energy sources, and tax policy on fossil energy used in agriculture. Three development hypotheses are discussed

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THE BUILDINGS REHABILITATION SOLUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

STAN IVAN F.E.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The paper includes a simplified economical and financial analysis of the buildings rehabilitation solutions, for heating and lighting. The most important economic and financial indicators analyzed and determined are: economic return on investment and payback period of investment in dynamic form, net present value, and internal rate of return economic residual value of the investment on thermal insulation, building maintenance costs, energy costs. In order to reduce the electricity consumption: the methods consisted in replacing inefficient lighting with some efficient energy and for heat consumption: the proposed solution was building rehabilitation (exterior wall insulation, floor insulation board. The analysis consists in determining the economical and financial indicators before and after the building rehabilitation. The 3 rooms apartment is located in Craiova town, (wind zone IV, 2nd floor, orientation is S.

Retrofitting Garden-Style Apartments in Brooklyn, New York

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nolen, Heather [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Maxwell, Sean [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Neri, Robin [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Grab, Joanna [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States)

2016-02-01

This research effort sought to achieve a solution package that yields energy savings greater than 30% over the pre-existing conditions in a minimally intrusive multifamily retrofit project. The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) partnered with L+M Development Partners, Inc. on a Mitchell-Lama Housing Program project, Marcus Garvey Village, in Brooklyn, NY (Climate Zone 4A). The Mitchell-Lama Housing Program is a form of housing subsidy in the state of New York that provides affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families. Marcus Garvey Village was founded in 1975 and contains 625 residential units (ranging from studios to 5-bedroom units) in thirty-two 4-story garden-style apartment structures built with concrete and faced in light brown brick. The single largest challenge for implementation of energy conservation measures at Marcus Garvey was working within occupied spaces. Measures are being implemented in phases to minimize disruption. As of August 2015, the retrofit work is over 50% complete. The wall insulation, sealing of the through wall AC vent, and installation of new oil-filled electric baseboards with advanced controls are conducted at one time, limiting disruption to the living room space. In a similar fashion, the kitchen work is done, then the bathroom. The final selection of energy conservation measures is projected to save 26.5% in source energy with a cost just under $3.7 million and utility bill savings of nearly $480,000 (of an average $1.8 million annual utility cost for the development).

Perceived health and comfort in relation to energy use and building characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roulet, C.-A.; Johner, N. [Ecole Polytechnique Federale, Lausanne (Switzerland); Foradini, F. [E4Tech S., Lausanne (Switzerland); Bluyssen, P.; Cox, C. [TNO Built Environment and Geosciences, Delft (Netherlands); Oliveira Fernandes, E. De [IDMEC-FUEP, Porto (Portugal); Mueller, B. [Technical University of Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Aizlewood, C. [Building Research Establishment, Watford (United Kingdom)

2006-09-15

Within the European research project Health Optimisation Protocol for Energy-efficient Building (HOPE), 96 apartment buildings and 64 office buildings (of which approximately 75% have been designed to be energy-efficient) were investigated. The building characteristics were assessed according to a checklist during a walk-through survey. Occupant questionnaires were used to determine satisfaction about comfort (thermal visual, acoustical and indoor air quality (IAQ)) and their health (Sick Building Syndrome and allergies). Building-averaged collected data are compared, looking for correlations between building characteristics on one hand, and perceived comfort and health on the other hand. Strong correlations are found between perceived IAQ, thermal, acoustic and lighting comfort, confirming results from other studies. Significant correlations between the perceived comfort and building related symptoms were also found, comfortable and healthier buildings being well distinct from uncomfortable ones. Differences of perceived comfort or health between low- and high-energy buildings show that it is possible to design buildings that are healthy, comfortable and energy efficient. (author)

Winter energy behaviour in multi-family block buildings in a temperate-cold climate in Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filippin, C. [CONICET - CC302, Santa Rosa, 6300 La Pampa (Argentina); Larsen, S. Flores [CONICET - CC302, Santa Rosa, 6300 La Pampa (Argentina); INENCO - Instituto de Investigaciones en Energias No Convencionales, U.N.Sa., CONICET, Avda. Bolivia 5150 - CP 4400, Salta Capital (Argentina); Mercado, V. [LAHV-Laboratorio de Ambienet Humano y Vivienda (INCIHUSA-CCT-CONICET) (Argentina)

2011-01-15

This paper analyzes the thermal and energy behaviour of apartments in three-story block buildings located along a NE-SW axis (azimuth = 120 ) in a temperate-cold climate (latitude: 36 57'; longitude: 64 27') in the city of Santa Rosa, La Pampa, central Argentina. Four apartments had been monitored during May and June 2009. Three of them are located in Block 126. Two of these apartments face South: 15 and 23 on the SE end, ground and first floor, respectively; 18 faces N on the second floor. Finally apartment, 12 is located in Block 374, on the first floor, faces N and shows a carpentry-closed balcony. The purpose of this work is - to study the evolution of the indoor temperature in each apartment; to analyze energy consumption and comfort conditions; to study energy potential and energy intervention in order to reduce energy consumption; to analyze bioclimatic alternatives feasibility and the possibility to extrapolate results to all blocks. On the basis of the analysis of natural gas historical consumption records, results showed that regarding heating energy consumption during the period May-June, Apartment 12, facing N, with its only bedroom facing NW and its carpentry-closed, transparent glass balcony, presented a mean temperature of 21.2 C, using a halogen heater for 6 h/day between 9 pm and 2 am (0.16 kWh/day/m{sup 2}). Apartment 15, on the SE end, first floor of the block consumed 22.5 kWh/day (0.43 kWh/day/m{sup 2}) (mean temperature = 22.2 C). Apartment 23, located on the second and top floor (on top of Apartment 15) with higher energy loss, consumed 28 kWh/day (0.54 kWh/day/m{sup 2}) (mean temperature 23.7 C). Apartment 18, also on the second floor and facing N, located in the centre and with its only bedroom facing SE, consumed 18.8 kWh/day (0.48 kWh/day/m{sup 2}) (mean temperature = 22.3 C). Apartment 23, with higher thermal loss through its envelope, but with heat transfer from the apartment located below, is the one that showed the highest

Technology Solutions Case Study: Evaluation of Passive Vents in New-Construction Multifamily Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

S. Puttagunta, S. Maxwell, D. Berger, and M. Zuluaga

2015-10-01

The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) conducted research to gain more insight into passive vents. Because passive vents are meant to operate in a general environment of negative apartment pressure, the research assessed whether these negative pressures prevail through a variety of environmental conditions.

Efficient modernisation of a panel building - (We reduced a panel house's heat consumption to one fourth)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zsebik, Albin; Czinege, Zoltan

2010-09-15

In an EU pilot project called 'SOLANOVA', a 42-apartment building, was renovated and converted to a low energy consumption building in Dunaujvaros, Hungary in year 2005. The energy consumption of the building in the last four heating seasons was less than a quarter of the baseline consumption before the renovation. This presentation introduces the building and its energy consumption before the renovation; shows the aim, preparation and main steps of the renovation; and takes a look at the building and its heat consumption after the renovation.

The relationship between mental health and social solidarity among apartment residents in shahrekord, iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganji, Forouzan; Nekooee, Afsaneh; Safdari, Faranak; Parvin, Neda; Shafei, Akbar; Ganji, Hanife

2012-01-01

To examine the relationship between psychological well-being and social solidarity of apartment residents in Shahrekord, Iran. A sample of 200 apartment dwellers was selected randomly. Fessler Social Solidarity Inventory and General Health Questionnaire were used to gather data. Using partial correlation test and having controlled the effect of age, sex and education, we found significant relationship between mental health and social solidarity (r = 0.47; p= 0.023). After controlling education and marital status, it was also revealed that women were in a better solidarity situation compared to men (psolidarity of apartment residents in Sharekord. Good mental health accompanied with better social solidarity.

Creating mold-free buildings: a key to avoiding health effects of indoor molds.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, Bruce M

2003-08-01

In view of the high costs of building diagnostics and repair subsequent to water damage--as well as the large medical diagnostic and healthcare costs associated with mold growth in buildings--commitment to a philosophy of proactive preventive maintenance for home, apartment, school, and commercial buildings could result in considerable cost savings and avoidance of major health problems among building occupants. The author identifies common causes of mold growth in buildings and summarizes key building design and construction principles essential for preventing mold contamination indoors. Physicians and healthcare workers must be made aware of conditions within buildings that can give rise to mold growth, and of resulting health problems. Timely advice provided to patients already sensitized by exposure to molds could save these individuals, and their families, from further exposures as a result of inadequate building maintenance or an inappropriate choice of replacement housing.

Stakeholders and Apart Hotels: Multiple Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Kyoko Wada

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Means of accommodation involve a wide range of social actors and agents, as well as different business models. Management strategies in this sector have been increasingly important for long-term sustainability and competitiveness of business organizations. This study aims to analyze the interactions between apart-hotels and their stakeholders to foster an improvement of services provided, aligning the interface of strategic management from the point of view of managers and their key stakeholders. It is an exploratory study, with qualitative chacter, along with multiple case studies of the following establishments: Travel Inn, Hotels Slaviero and Etoile george v. Brazilian enterprises, which manage lodging facilities with apart-hotel concepts, combining features that enable comparative analysis of the study. For conceptual understanding, this study was based on literature about stakeholders, taking the work of Freeman (1984 and Freeman et al (2010 as main references. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with managers of lodging facilities and their key stakeholders and through direct observation and documentation. We found that not all groups of influence are considered in the planning of service flats. However, the organizations surveyed indicated that the market has realized the importance of the groups that exert influence and are influenced by their goals, and are therefore increasingly alert for integration of such groups in their strategic planning.

Things Fall Apart Across Cultures: The Universal Significance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Things Fall Apart Across Cultures: The Universal Significance of Chinua Achebe's 1958 Reconstruction of the African Heritage. ... There may be variations here and there in different social settings, but the novel portrays people in a communal environment grappling with survival on a daily basis on planet earth.

Taking the Copenhagen Process apart

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cort, Pia

that the Copenhagen Process has legitimately extended vocational education and training policy formation to include the EU and its new institutional settings established through the Open Method of Coordination. Furthermore, vocational education and training is being reconfigured within a neoliberal Lifelong Learning......The aim of this thesis is to analyse the EU vocational education and training policy process (The Copenhagen Process) from a critical perspective based on the policy analysis methodology, “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” (WPR) developed by Professor Carol Bacchi. The main research question...... “How can the European vocational education and training policy process - the Copenhagen Process - be understood from a WPR perspective? “ is addressed in six articles which take apart the Copenhagen Process and deal with specific WPR questions and specific aspects of the Copenhagen Process...

Construction solutions for the exterior walls in the process of increasing the width of residential buildings of brownfield construction in seismic hazardousand dry hot conditions of Central Asia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Usmonov Shukhrat Zaurovich

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The main object of this study is the reconstruction, renovation and modernization of the housing built in the period 1975—1985. These buildings have low energy efficiency due to the poor thermal insulation properties of the walls. These apartments do not meet the necessary requirements for year round warmth and comfort.Reconstruction is more preferable, than new-build, because of the cost saving for the land acquisition. Reconstruction is generally 1.5 times cheaper than new-build with 25—40 % reduced cost on building materials and engineering infrastructure.Increasing the width of the apartment blocks from 12 to 15 m can save 9—10 % on the consumption of thermal energy for heating and reduce the m2 construction cost by 5.5—7.0 %. In—5-9 storey high-rise buildings the savings are 3—5 %.Therefore, the width of the apartment block should preferably be between 9—12 m but could be extended to 18 m. The depth of the apartments themselves will be 5.4 — 6.0 —7.2 or 9.0 m. During the reconstruction of 5-storey residential buildings (Building Type105 in a seismic zone, an increase in the width of the block and the lateral stiffness of the building is achieved by building a new reinforced concrete (RC frame on both sides of the building with a depth of between 2 and 6 m. This technique is especially effective in increasing the seismic resistance of the building. Self-supporting walls of cellular concrete blocks (density 600 kg/m3 and a thickness of 300 mm are constructed on the outside of the frame, taking care to avoid cold bridges.Model studies have shown that in the conditions of hot-arid climate the thickness of the air gap in a ventilated facade does not significantly change the cooling-energy consumption of the building, and heating consumption is significantly increased. The building's energy consumption is most influenced by the volume of the air in the air gap. By increasing the ventilation rate in the air gap, the energy

Tandem bike design for apartment residents as an idea to reduce air pollution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iskandriawan Bambang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Vertical housing is recently popular in urban areas since the availability of land is very limited. A strong preference for living in the city is mainly due to the home to work travel that is relatively close for those who work in the city. While residing in the vertical housing (i.e. apartment can be an advantage, several accommodation facilities are often provided at their minimum standards. As such, a special design of bicycle for apartment residents may an effective solution. Multi-function bike, ridden either by one or two riders and its aesthetic part of interior element can be an attractive offer. Identification of marketing objectives and observation of comparable products were a crucial step in the initial process of tandem bike design. The use of bicycle in urban areas can overcome a number of motorized vehicles operating wherever the using of them may create issues such as traffic jam and air pollution. This study aims to adjust the tandem bike which can be produced commercially for the apartment residents. Stated in the research problems, the design process was successfully fulfilled. Fabrication and product testing were positively completed. A concise and comfortable bike to carry from the lobby to the apartment unit, or vice versa, was successfully created.

Carbon Efficient Building Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pellervo Matilainen

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Traditionally, the Finnish legislation have focused on energy use and especially on energy used for heating space in buildings. However, in many cases this does not lead to the optimal concept in respect to minimizing green house gases. This paper studies how CO2 emission levels are affected by different measures to reduce energy use in buildings. This paper presents two real apartment buildings with different options of energy efficiency and power sources. The calculations clearly show that in the future electricity and domestic hot water use will have high importance in respect to energy efficiency, and therefore also CO2 equivalent (eq emissions. The importance increases when the energy efficiency of the building increases. There are big differences between average Finnish production and individual power plants; CO2 eq emissions might nearly double depending on the energy source and the power plant type. Both a building with an efficient district heating as a power source, and a building with ground heat in addition to nuclear power electricity as a complimentary electricity source performed very similarly to each other in respect to CO2 eq emissions. However, it is dangerous to conclude that it is not important which energy source is chosen. If hypothetically, the use of district heating would dramatically drop, the primary energy factor and CO2 eq emissions from electricity would rise, which in turn would lead to the increase of the ground heat systems emissions. A problem in the yearly calculations is that the fact that it is very important, sometimes even crucial, when energy is needed, is always excluded.

Seismic design of RC buildings theory and practice

CERN Document Server

Manohar, Sharad

2015-01-01

This book is intended to serve as a textbook for engineering courses on earthquake resistant design. The book covers important attributes for seismic design such as material properties, damping, ductility, stiffness and strength. The subject coverage commences with simple concepts and proceeds right up to nonlinear analysis and push-over method for checking building adequacy. The book also provides an insight into the design of base isolators highlighting their merits and demerits. Apart from the theoretical approach to design of multi-storey buildings, the book highlights the care required in practical design and construction of various building components. It covers modal analysis in depth including the important missing mass method of analysis and tension shift in shear walls and beams. These have important bearing on reinforcement detailing. Detailed design and construction features are covered for earthquake resistant design of reinforced concrete as well as confined and reinforced masonry structures. Th...

Building for the future: The Eurotheum at Frankfurt, Main - an office and domestic building for cosmopolites; Gebaeudetechnische Konzepte der Zukunft: Buero- und Wohnhochhaus fuer Kosmopoliten - Das Eurotheum in Frankfurt am Main

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pielke, O.E. [Brendel Ingenieure AG, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2002-09-01

The 'Eurotheum' building in Frankfurt is the first high-rise building in Germany that houses both offices and private apartments. It received the 'Immobilien Award 1999 - Cimmit' for industrial buildings by Immobilien-Zeitung and the Institute for International Research of Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft Koellmann AG. [German] Das Eurotheum im Spannungsfeld der Frankfurter Buerohochhaeuser beruht auf einem voellig neuen Konzept: Es verbindet als erstes Hochaus in Deutschland die Funktionen 'Arbeiten' und 'Wohnen'. Fuer das bislang einmalige Konzept des Frankfurter Eurotheums verlieh die Immobilien-Zeitung und das Institute for International Research der Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft Koellmann AG den Immobilien Award 1999 - Cimmit in der Kategorie Gewerbeimmobilien. (orig.)

Factors Affecting Buying Behavior of an Apartment an Empirical Investigation in Amman, Jordan

OpenAIRE

Mwfeq Haddad; Mahfuz Judeh and Shafig Haddad

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the main factors that influencing the customers' buying behavior toward apartment, and tried to identify the most influencing factors that affect buying. A convenience sample consists of 120 persons who already bought an apartment in different areas in Amman. One sample ttest, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used in testing the hypotheses. This study found that respondents would significantly adopt the main constructs when buying...

Giant Black Hole Rips Apart Star

Science.gov (United States)

2004-02-01

Thanks to two orbiting X-ray observatories, astronomers have the first strong evidence of a supermassive black hole ripping apart a star and consuming a portion of it. The event, captured by NASA's Chandra and ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray Observatories, had long been predicted by theory, but never confirmed. Astronomers believe a doomed star came too close to a giant black hole after being thrown off course by a close encounter with another star. As it neared the enormous gravity of the black hole, the star was stretched by tidal forces until it was torn apart. This discovery provides crucial information about how these black holes grow and affect surrounding stars and gas. "Stars can survive being stretched a small amount, as they are in binary star systems, but this star was stretched beyond its breaking point," said Stefanie Komossa of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Germany, leader of the international team of researchers. "This unlucky star just wandered into the wrong neighborhood." While other observations have hinted stars are destroyed by black holes (events known as "stellar tidal disruptions"), these new results are the first strong evidence. Evidence already exists for supermassive black holes in many galaxies, but looking for tidal disruptions represents a completely independent way to search for black holes. Observations like these are urgently needed to determine how quickly black holes can grow by swallowing neighboring stars. Animation of Star Ripped Apart by Giant Black Hole Star Ripped Apart by Giant Black Hole Observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton, combined with earlier images from the German Roentgen satellite, detected a powerful X-ray outburst from the center of the galaxy RX J1242-11. This outburst, one of the most extreme ever detected in a galaxy, was caused by gas from the destroyed star that was heated to millions of degrees Celsius before being swallowed by the black hole. The energy liberated in the process

Evaluation of Passive Vents in New Construction Multifamily Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maxwell, Sean [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Berger, David [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Zuluaga, Marc [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States)

2016-02-01

Exhaust ventilation and corresponding outdoor air strategies are being implemented in high-performance new construction multifamily buildings to meet program or code requirements for improved indoor air quality, but a lack of clear design guidance is resulting in poor performance of these systems despite the best intentions of the programs or standards. CARB's 2014 'Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings' consistently demonstrated that commonly used outdoor air strategies are not performing as expected. Of the four strategies evaluated in 2014, the exhaust ventilation system that relied on outdoor air from a pressurized corridor was ruled out as a potential best practice due to its conflict with meeting requirements within most fire codes. Outdoor air that is ducted directly to the apartments was a strategy determined to have the highest likelihood of success, but with higher first costs and operating costs. Outdoor air through space conditioning systems was also determined to have good performance potential, with proper design and execution. The fourth strategy, passive systems, was identified as the least expensive option for providing outdoor air directly to apartments, with respect to both first costs and operating costs. However, little is known about how they actually perform in real-world conditions or how to implement them effectively. Based on the lack of data available on the performance of these low-cost systems and their frequent use in the high-performance building programs that require a provision for outdoor air, this research project sought to further evaluate the performance of passive vents.

Neither single, nor in a couple. A study of living apart together in France

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Regnier-Loilier

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Among living arrangements, living apart together relationships arouse curiosity on the part of sociologists, demographers and even the media. From a scientific point of view, how have noncohabiting relationships evolved in recent decades? How can we recognise these relationships, and who are the populations concerned? The present study provides an overall view into noncohabiting relationships in France, shedding light on the characteristics of both the individuals concerned and their relationships. There has been no recent increase in the prevalence of this living arrangement. It competes with cohabiting relationships both among students and among people with cohabiting children. Four main groups of living apart relationships are described: "Young adults", "Out of a family", "Seniors." The reasons for living apart as well as future intentions vary considerably across these groups.

LED Lightbulbs as a Source of Electricity Saving in Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeb Akhtar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Today a number of renewable energy technologies are available for power generation, but fossil fuels are still providing a dominant share nevertheless. In order to decrease the electric bill and save our environment, energy conservation is always crucial. In this paper a very interesting idea is presented which is economically viable to reduce electricity usage in our buildings. An effort has been made to estimate the amount of energy that could be saved in the dormitory section of the IMOP building in Russia. Although there are many ways to reduce the consumption of electricity in this building but here the emphasis is on changing light bulbs inside the rooms, kitchen, toilet and bathroom of each apartment. The scope of the study is to figure out monthly electricity saving by replacing traditional light bulbs by LED light bulbs in the building under consideration. The total investment required and the payback period is also presented.

High-rise build renovation - Colouring a high-rise building's facade; Renovation des Hochhauses Schoppi Spreitenbach. Farbigkeit einer Hochhausfassade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enkerli, W.

2008-07-01

This illustrated article takes a look at the renovation of the 70-metres high, high-rise apartment building that forms an integral part of a large shopping centre in Spreitenbach, Switzerland. The buildings and their infrastructure, realised in 1970, were in need of renovation. The facade elements no longer met energy requirements and the shopping mall was to be extended to meet modern shopping needs. The article deals with the technical and aesthetic requirements placed on the facades. The colour concept for the venetian blinds integrated into the windows, which includes the use of 20 different shades of colour, is described. A total of 3,200 blinds are fitted. The removal of the old window elements and the fitting of the new facade elements is described and discussed.

Entrances and entrance halls of residential buildings in Belgrade: 1918-1941

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Putnik Vladana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Between the two world wars Belgrade saw a surge in housing construction, including many rental apartment buildings, so-called 'luxury city palaces'. In addition to richly decorated street façades in the style of academism, eclecticism and Art Deco, architects paid much attention to the design of entrances and entrance halls. The entrance frequently was the main element of the façade even in buildings in a moderate modernist style. Since this aspect of architectural design is scantily documented, this paper seeks to identify its main trends in the 1920s and 1930s and to establish a typology of entrances and entrance halls of residential buildings. It also outlines the parameters and social circumstances that played a role in giving special attention to this element of residential buildings, and examines whether Belgrade architects pursued a sort of total design inspired by European models.

Involvement of Individuals in the Development of Technical Solutions and Rules of Management for Building Renovation Projects: A Case Study of Latvia

Science.gov (United States)

Pukite, I.; Grekis, A.; Geipele, I.; Zeltins, N.

2017-08-01

In March 2016, the Latvian government approved a new support program for increasing energy efficiency in residential apartment buildings. For the support of renovation of apartment buildings in the period from 2016 to 2023, 166 470 588 EUR will be available. Different persons, such as energy auditors, designers, architects, project managers and builders, will be involved in the process of planning, development and implementation of building renovation. At the development stage of the building renovation project, special attention should be devoted to the first stage - energy audit and technical project development. The problem arises due to the fact that each of these individuals, during the development of technical building documentation, does not work as a completely unified system. The implementation of construction project planning and organisational management system is one of the most important factors to guarantee that the quality of building renovation project is ensured in accordance with the laws and regulatory standards. The paper studies mutual cooperation, professionalism and the role of information feedback of personnel involved in the planning stage of building renovation, which is an essential prerequisite for the renovation process in order to achieve high quality of work and reduce the energy performance indicator. The present research includes the analysis of different technical solutions and their impact on energy efficiency. Mutual harmonisation of technical specifications is also investigated.

Using Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" in Introductory Geography Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hathaway, James

1993-01-01

Describes use of Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart," in an introductory geography course at the secondary school or college level. Provides a summary of the book's story, which deals with the impact of colonialism and Christianity on the culture of eastern Nigeria. Includes recommended instructional strategies…

Economic Assessment and Business Models of Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems in Multiapartment Buildings: Case Studies for Austria and Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernadette Fina

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the profitability and business models of shared, nonsubsidized PV systems’ usage in multiapartment buildings in Austria in the context of legislative amendments which came into force in July 2017. In addition, it compares the Austrian results with those of Germany, where significantly higher retail electricity prices determine the profitability benchmark. To that end, a multiobjective optimization model is developed for the optimal dimensioning of PV systems and energy storage facilities in keeping with different end user objectives, ranging from minimizing annual electricity costs to maximizing self-consumption. The results show that the profitability of shared use of nonsubsidized PV systems is marginal in Austria. This means that, based on individual apartment load profiles, the profitability gap ranges between 0 and 40 euros per apartment, whereas the consideration of the building as total load leads to a small cost-saving potential of about 90 euros for the whole building in the best case and thus profitability. In contrast, significant profitability of shared PV systems in multiapartment buildings can be achieved in Germany, where the renewable energy surcharge results in high retail electricity prices. At present, different business models, accounting and billing concepts, are being tested in these countries to learn about the best-practice concepts.

Simulation of thermal indoor climate in buildings by using human Projected Area Factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Jørgen Erik

2009-01-01

Nowadays many new and old buildings in Denmark have large glass surfaces. This is a consequence of the technical development of windows with low U-values that has made it possible to build houses with windows from floor to ceiling in northern climates. On the other hand if one is sitting close to...... for dynamic building thermal analysis. The method is demonstrated in a newer apartment with windows from floor to ceiling and shows how impotent it is to include the radiant effect from the glass sur-faces and how it influences the indoor thermal climate significantly.......Nowadays many new and old buildings in Denmark have large glass surfaces. This is a consequence of the technical development of windows with low U-values that has made it possible to build houses with windows from floor to ceiling in northern climates. On the other hand if one is sitting close...

Shear-controlled evolution of the Red Sea: pull apart model

Science.gov (United States)

Makris, J.; Rihm, R.

1991-11-01

Results of seismic and other geophysical investigations suggest that strike-slip processes controlled the break-up of the Arabian plate from Africa and initiated the Red Sea Rift. Early oceanisation was facilitated by nucleation of pull apart basins and massive intrusives. The evolution of the Red Sea has gone through different stages. It was a zone of structural weakness already during the Pan-African orogeny approximately 600 Ma. A major reactivation, however, that gradually led to the present-day configuration was initiated during the late Oligocene with intense magmatic activity and the development of a continental rift. Wrench faulting played a key role in the early evolution of the Red Sea, as it shaped most of its western flank as a sharp plate boundary and resulted in the generation and rapid oceanisation of linearly arranged pull apart basins. Spatial distribution of these basins reflects the geometry of the strike-slip zone, which was controlled by pre-existing fault systems like the Najd Shear System, the Central African Fault Zone or the Onib-Hamisana and Baraka suture zones. Strike-slip motion along the latter zones of weakness influenced mainly the Egyptian and Sudanese coastal areas. Arabia was therefore separated from Africa by oceanisation in those regions, where pull apart basins developed. They were still connected in the in-between segments by stretched continental crust. With Arabia as the "moving" and Africa as the "stable" plate the eastern Red Sea flank was formed by pure shear through stretching, thinning and diffuse extension. As a consequence, the eastern and western flanks of the Red Sea are asymmetrical. The acceleration of the movement of Arabia in early/middle Miocene could no longer be accommodated by the opening in the Gulf of Suez and consequently the Dead Sea strike-slip fault developed approximately 14 Ma ago. Since plate motion was still oblique to the major structural trends, the pull apart evolution on the western flank

Traffic Noise as a Factor Influencing Apartment Prices in Large Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szczepańska Agnieszka

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Environmental factors are among the key determinants of real estate prices. They include landscape attractiveness, land relief, exposure to sunlight and proximity to natural features. In large urban centers, traffic noise emissions significantly affect decision-making on the real estate market. Weakly developed road networks and the absence of ring roads that shift road traffic outside residential districts are a widespread problem in the cities of Central-Eastern Europe. The prevention of traffic noise pollution, one of the key environmental problems in Europe, is an important goal of European Union policy. This paper analyzes the correlations between apartment prices and traffic noise levels in Olsztyn, the capital city of the Warminsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship (province in north-eastern Poland. A linear correlation analysis was performed, and the distribution of unit prices of apartments was mapped by ordinary kriging.

Predicted and actual indoor environmental quality: Verification of occupants' behaviour models in residential buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Rune Korsholm; Fabi, Valentina; Corgnati, Stefano P.

2016-01-01

with the building controls (windows, thermostats, solar shading etc.). During the last decade, studies about stochastic models of occupants' behaviour in relation to control of the indoor environment have been published. Often the overall aim of these models is to enable more reliable predictions of building...... performance using building energy performance simulations (BEPS). However, the validity of these models has only been sparsely tested. In this paper, stochastic models of occupants' behaviour from literature were tested against measurements in five apartments. In a monitoring campaign, measurements of indoor....... However, comparisons of the average stochastic predictions with the measured temperatures, relative humidity and CO2 concentrations revealed that the models did not predict the actual indoor environmental conditions well....

Analysis of impact of daylight time savings on energy use of buildings in Kuwait

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krarti, Moncef, E-mail: moncef.krarti@colorado.ed [CEAE Department, CB 428, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Hajiah, Ali [Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat (Kuwait)

2011-05-15

In this paper, a detailed simulation-based analysis is conducted to assess the impact of adopting Daylight Saving Time (DST) on the electrical energy use and peak demand in Kuwait. The analysis focused on the impact of DST in the building sector since it represents 90% of electrical energy usage of Kuwait. The simulation results indicate that the adoption of DST has mixed impacts for Kuwait. While the commercial and the governmental sectors may benefit from the DST, the private residences and apartment buildings can see both their annual energy use and peak demand increase slightly by adopting DST. The overall impact of the DST implementation is rather minimal with a slight increase energy use of about 0.07% and a slight reduction in peak demand of 0.14% or about 12 MW based on 2005 electrical peak demand for Kuwait. - Research highlights: {yields} A detailed simulation-based analysis is conducted to assess the impact of adopting Daylight Saving Time (DST) on the electrical energy use and peak demand in Kuwait. {yields} The analysis focused on the impact of DST in the building sector since it represents 90% of electrical energy usage of Kuwait. {yields} It is found that while the commercial and the governmental building sectors may benefit from DST, the private residences and apartment buildings can see both their annual energy use and peak demand increase slightly by adopting DST. {yields} Since the residential sector represents the majority of the electrical load in Kuwait, DST adoption was found to cause slight increase in annual electrical energy use by about 0.07% and a slight reduction in electrical peak electrical demand by about 0.14%.

Analysis of impact of daylight time savings on energy use of buildings in Kuwait

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krarti, Moncef; Hajiah, Ali

2011-01-01

In this paper, a detailed simulation-based analysis is conducted to assess the impact of adopting Daylight Saving Time (DST) on the electrical energy use and peak demand in Kuwait. The analysis focused on the impact of DST in the building sector since it represents 90% of electrical energy usage of Kuwait. The simulation results indicate that the adoption of DST has mixed impacts for Kuwait. While the commercial and the governmental sectors may benefit from the DST, the private residences and apartment buildings can see both their annual energy use and peak demand increase slightly by adopting DST. The overall impact of the DST implementation is rather minimal with a slight increase energy use of about 0.07% and a slight reduction in peak demand of 0.14% or about 12 MW based on 2005 electrical peak demand for Kuwait. - Research highlights: → A detailed simulation-based analysis is conducted to assess the impact of adopting Daylight Saving Time (DST) on the electrical energy use and peak demand in Kuwait. → The analysis focused on the impact of DST in the building sector since it represents 90% of electrical energy usage of Kuwait. → It is found that while the commercial and the governmental building sectors may benefit from DST, the private residences and apartment buildings can see both their annual energy use and peak demand increase slightly by adopting DST. → Since the residential sector represents the majority of the electrical load in Kuwait, DST adoption was found to cause slight increase in annual electrical energy use by about 0.07% and a slight reduction in electrical peak electrical demand by about 0.14%.

Modeling energy flexibility of low energy buildings utilizing thermal mass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foteinaki, Kyriaki; Heller, Alfred; Rode, Carsten

2016-01-01

In the future energy system a considerable increase in the penetration of renewable energy is expected, challenging the stability of the system, as both production and consumption will have fluctuating patterns. Hence, the concept of energy flexibility will be necessary in order for the consumption...... to match the production patterns, shifting demand from on-peak hours to off-peak hours. Buildings could act as flexibility suppliers to the energy system, through load shifting potential, provided that the large thermal mass of the building stock could be utilized for energy storage. In the present study...... the load shifting potential of an apartment of a low energy building in Copenhagen is assessed, utilizing the heat storage capacity of the thermal mass when the heating system is switched off for relieving the energy system. It is shown that when using a 4-hour preheating period before switching off...

Green signalling effects in the market for energy-efficient residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuerst, Franz; Oikarinen, Elias; Harjunen, Oskari

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Energy efficiency (EE) levels are hypothesised to affect house transaction prices. • We estimate a hedonic model using Energy Performance Certificates from Finland. • A price premium is found for the most energy-efficient properties. • The empirical results are suggestive of a green signalling effect. • Demand for EE high performers appears to be segmented from lower tiers. - Abstract: Empirical evidence from recent studies suggests that the price premium on energy-efficient buildings is potentially higher than the pure capitalisation of energy savings but the empirical evidence on the size of the non-savings components is scant. This study aims to fill this research gap by investigating whether the mandatory energy efficiency ratings for residential properties imply benefits that go beyond energy savings. Using a sample of several thousand apartment transactions from Helsinki, Finland, we first test if higher ratings were significantly associated with higher prices. In addition to a large number of property and neighbourhood characteristics, this dataset contains information on building-level energy usage which allows us to distinguish between the cost savings effect of energy consumption and the value of more intangible factors associated with the energy label. The hedonic model yields a statistically significant 3.3% price premium for apartments in the top three energy-efficiency categories and 1.5% when a set of detailed neighbourhood characteristics are included. When maintenance costs containing energy usage costs are added, a robust and significant price premium of 1.3% persists whereas no differentiation is found for the medium and lower rating categories. These findings may be indicative of energy-efficient buildings having signalling value – and therefore an additional incentive to invest in such buildings – for ‘green’ consumers. However, a favourable energy rating did not appear to speed up the sales process in the

Antoine's Necklace or How to Keep a Necklace from Falling Apart.

Science.gov (United States)

Brechner, Beverly L.; Mayer, John C.

1988-01-01

A construction in geometric topology is presented for an imaginary string of beads, but without the string, forming a necklace that cannot fall apart. Some well-known applications and generalizations of Antoine's Necklace are provided, with all examples subsets of Euclidean spaces. (MNS)

Estimating the Performance of Random Forest versus Multiple Regression for Predicting Prices of the Apartments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjan Čeh

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study is to analyse the predictive performance of the random forest machine learning technique in comparison to commonly used hedonic models based on multiple regression for the prediction of apartment prices. A data set that includes 7407 records of apartment transactions referring to real estate sales from 2008–2013 in the city of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was used in order to test and compare the predictive performances of both models. Apparent challenges faced during modelling included (1 the non-linear nature of the prediction assignment task; (2 input data being based on transactions occurring over a period of great price changes in Ljubljana whereby a 28% decline was noted in six consecutive testing years; and (3 the complex urban form of the case study area. Available explanatory variables, organised as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS ready dataset, including the structural and age characteristics of the apartments as well as environmental and neighbourhood information were considered in the modelling procedure. All performance measures (R2 values, sales ratios, mean average percentage error (MAPE, coefficient of dispersion (COD revealed significantly better results for predictions obtained by the random forest method, which confirms the prospective of this machine learning technique on apartment price prediction.

Together and apart: a typology of re-partnering in old age.

Science.gov (United States)

Koren, Chaya

2014-08-01

The human need for love, friendship, and physical contact, and the fear of loneliness do not diminish with age. Widowhood and late-life divorce and increased life expectancy are likely to lead to alternative relationships, such as re-partnering. The purpose of this paper is to explore interplays between emotional and physical components of re-partnering in old age. Theoretical sampling of 20 couples included men who re-partnered at the age of 65+ years and women at the age of 60+ years, following termination of lifelong marriages due to death or divorce. Living arrangements included married or unmarried cohabitation under the same roof or in separate homes. Forty semi-structured interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The couple was the unit of analysis. Interplays between physical and emotional dimensions were examined using five abductive parameters derived from data analysis resulting in a fourfold typology of emotional and physical closeness/distance in re-partnering in old age: (1) living together (physically and emotionally); (2) living apart (physically) together (emotionally); (3) living together (physically) apart (emotionally); and (4) living apart (physically and emotionally). Findings revealed types of partner relationships that are different from lifelong marriages. The typology could help professionals working with older persons regarding what to expect in re-partnering in old age and be included in developmental theories as an option in old age. A quantitative tool for research and therapy purposes, entitled The Re-partnering in Old Age Typology Scale (RPOAT Scale), based on abductive parameters, could be established for measuring re-partnering relationship quality and classifying re-partnering couples.

CO2 Emissions and Cost by Floor Types of Public Apartment Houses in South Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyoung Jae Jang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In each country in the world, there is a strong need for all industries to reduce CO2 emissions for sustainable development as a preparation for climatic change. The biggest issue in many developed countries, including the United States, is to reduce CO2 emissions for the upcoming implementation of Carbon Emissions Trading. The construction industry, in particular, which accounts for up about 30% of CO2 emissions, will need studies on the amount of CO2 emissions. The purpose of this study is to present the most environmentally friendly and economical apartment house plan types according to the increasing number of layers by evaluating the amount of CO2 emissions and economic efficiency. The results indicated that flat and Y-shaped types are more eco-friendly and economical in lower levels of less than 20 stories. However, the L-shaped type is more highly eco-friendly and economically efficient in higher levels of more than 20 stories. The results of this paper would help to make a decision on the building types and the number of stories in the early stages of construction.

Impact of Weather and Occupancy on Energy Flexibility Potential of a Low-energy Building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zilio, Emanuele; Foteinaki, Kyriaki; Gianniou, Panagiota

The introduction of renewable energy sources in the energy market leads to instability of the energy system itself; therefore, new solutions to increase its flexibility will become more common in the coming years. In this context the implementation of energy flexibility in buildings is evaluated...... solar radiation and the outdoor temperature appeared to have the larger impact on the thermal flexibility of the building. Specifically, the energy flexibility potential of the examined apartment can ensure its thermal autonomy up to 200 h in a typical sunny winter day......., using heat storage in the building mass. This study focuses on the influence of weather conditions and internal gains on the energy flexibility potential of a nearly-zero-energy building in Denmark. A specific six hours heating program is used to reach the scope. The main findings showed that the direct...

Drawing theories apart the dispersion of Feynman diagrams in postwar physics

CERN Document Server

Kaiser, David

2005-01-01

Winner of the 2007 Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society. Feynman diagrams have revolutionized nearly every aspect of theoretical physics since the middle of the twentieth century. Introduced by the American physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88) soon after World War II as a means of simplifying lengthy calculations in quantum electrodynamics, they soon gained adherents in many branches of the discipline. Yet as new physicists adopted the tiny line drawings, they also adapted the diagrams and introduced their own interpretations. Drawing Theories Apart traces how generations of young theorists learned to frame their research in terms of the diagrams—and how both the diagrams and their users were molded in the process.Drawing on rich archival materials, interviews, and more than five hundred scientific articles from the period, Drawing Theories Apart uses the Feynman diagrams as a means to explore the development of American postwar physics. By focusing on the ways young physicists learned new calcul...

Price Determinants of Affordable Apartments in Vietnam: Toward the Public–Private Partnerships for Sustainable Housing Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ducksu Seo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Since the Doi Moi policy of economic reform in 1986, Vietnam has experienced economic development and housing market growth with increasing foreign direct investment. While high-end apartment development has dominated since the emergence of the privatized housing market, more recent focus is on the affordable apartment segment with the remarkable surge of middle-income households in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC. While most previous studies have analyzed housing price determinants based on locational classification, this study is based on the affordability framework of the housing market in HCMC. It aims to investigate the price determinants of affordable and unaffordable apartment units using the hedonic regression model. The study identified common factors between the two types of apartments, such as vertical shared access and proximity to downtown, as well as unique factors for each, such as more high-rise towers, foreign development, proximity to main roads, and shopping malls only for the affordable segments. The findings have valuable implications, not only for future investors and developers in setting up successful housing development strategies, but also for the public sector in strongly encouraging public–private partnerships for sustainable housing development in Vietnam.

[Supporting the end of life in a therapeutic coordination apartment].

Science.gov (United States)

Cousineau, Jean-Luc; Thévenin, Laurent

2016-02-01

Therapeutic coordination apartments are medical-social structures which provide accommodation to desocilialized people. For the last 25 years, the association Cordia has been supporting people with debilitating chronic diseases in situations of precarity. The multi-disciplinary approach also ensures that terminally-ill residents are taken care of right up until their last moments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Maintenance of Heritage Building: A Case Study from Ipoh, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Seong Yeow

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Heritage buildings represent the tangible cultural heritage of a community. However, many of the heritage buildings have being left neglected. Ipoh as a city rich in heritage, has many dilapidated heritage buildings which are experiencing a resurging interest. However, the problems faced by many owners are the lack of technical information of such buildings, leading to premature abandonment and demolition. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to determine the types and extent of defects present in the building studied. To achieve these objectives, a case study of a century old heritage property in Ipoh, Perak was conducted. The study aims to provide reference to owners and those responsible for the conservation of heritage buildings with similar conditions to identify and prioritize critical defects in relation to the building life span to determine its condition. The findings determined the probable causes of defects such as settlement and façade cracks, which are over 30 years old, were attributed to leaking plumbing pipes, rainwater ingress and the construction of an adjacent 20 story apartment building. The major issues to address were stabilizing the foundation through cement grouting, reinforcing the existing structural systems and roof systems as well as arresting the decay of timber floor structure. In conclusion, major maintenance guidelines are need to address structural issues and weather tightness of the building envelope, especially its roof and drainage systems.

Mixed strategies for energy conservation and alternative energy utilization (solar) in buildings. Final report. Volume III. Appendixes. [10 appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1977-06-01

This appendix summarizes building characteristics used to determine heating and cooling loads for each of the five building types in each of the four regions. For the selected five buildings, the following data are attached: new and existing construction characteristics; new and existing construction thermal resistance; floor plan and elevation; people load schedule; lighting load schedule; appliance load schedule; ventilation schedule; and hot water use schedule. For the five building types (single family, apartment buildings, commercial buildings, office buildings, and schools), data are compiled in 10 appendices. These are Building Characteristics; Alternate Energy Sources and Energy Conservation Techniques Description, Costs, Fuel Price Scenarios; Life Cycle Cost Model; Simulation Models; Solar Heating/Cooling System; Condensed Weather; Single and Multi-Family Dwelling Characteristics and Energy Conservation Techniques; Mixed Strategies for Energy Conservation and Alternative Energy Utilization in Buildings. An extensive bibliography is given in the final appendix. (MCW)

Educational project on risk communication and reduction of the radon exposure in buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conrady, J.; Guhr, A.; Uhlig, R.

2009-01-01

The radon exposure in buildings is supposed to be the most important risk factor of lung cancer. In Saxony about 800 000 persons live in apartments with high radon exposure. The study discusses the effects of an educational project to communicate the facts on radon exposure in buildings and to develop risk awareness and individual initiatives to reduce the radon concentration. The project includes support and encouragement with respect of preventive and protective measures to improve the individual situation. Further items cover requirements for control and quantification of intervention impacts, development and optimization of specific strategies for a permanent risk communication in schools. Results of the pilot study are summarized.

INDUCON building concept; INDUCON-rakennuskonsepti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarja, A.; Laine, J.; Pulakka, S.; Saari, M. [VTT Building and Transport, Espoo (Finland)

2003-08-01

The new and stronger requirements: lifetime economy, functionality in use and in changes of use, technical lifetime performance, energy efficiency, healthy, safety, ecology and local culture, are serving a challenge for the building technology. Additionally the pressure towards decreasing the construction costs with the increase of productivity of the work and capital is increased. The objective of this research work has been to respond the challenges described above with creating alternative building concepts, which could allow production of individually designed apartment and office buildings, including methodology and methods to optimise the building concepts and individual buildings in relation to the lifetime quality. Building concept is a repeatable and documented way of design and construction, which can result in individual buildings with an optimised and high lifetime quality. Lifetime quality is the capability of a building to fulfil the requirements of the users, owners and society during entire design period of the building. The INDUCON building concept is focused on the following issues: Classified and optimised lifetime quality (incl. the viewpoints of functionality, performance, economy, ecology and culture), and the realisation of industrial production on an advanced level (incl. new models of building design and construction, simplification of building systems and products, decrease of the number of parts of buildings, improvement of finishing of the prefabricated components and modules, and improving the interaction and compatibility of structures and building service systems). As a result are presented: systematised and classified definitions of performance properties of buildings; corresponding specifications of building systems, modules and components; design principles, process descriptions; examples (incl. Routings of technical building services, specification and classification of the health and comfort properties of indoor air, calculations

Pemetaan batimetri sebagai informasi dasar untuk penempatan fish apartment di perairan Bangsring, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur (Bathymetry mapping as basic information for fish apartment placement in Bangsring waters, Banyuwangi, East Java

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Arif Zainul Fuad

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present research was to map the bathymetry of the Bangsring coastal area, Banyuwangi. Depth data obtained are used to consider the suitable location for fish apartment placement. The depth of the water was measured using a single beam echosounder with a frequency of 50 Hz. The data obtained by sounding process corrected by Tidal data. The tidal data measured during sampling with the observation interval of 30 minutes. The tidal correction was performed to get the depth value relative to lowest Water Surface (LWS. The results showed the depth of the Bangsring coastal area ranged from 2-49 meters. The deepest region is in the southeast of the research area. Based on the depth of the waters, the locations that can be an alternative placement of fish apartment is located by distance of 200- 250 meters in front of Bangsring coastal area with total area  approximately 30 Ha Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memetakan kedalaman perairan Bangsring, Banyuwangi. Data kedalaman yang didapat dari pemeruman selanjutnya digunakan sebagai pertimbangan untuk mencari alternatif lokasi penempatan fish apartment. Kedalaman perairan di ukur menggunakan Single Beam Echosounder dengan frekuensi 50 Hz. Pemeruman dilakukan selama 2 hari yaitu pada tanggal 17 dan 18 Maret 2016 dengan metode zig zag . Hasil pengukuran kedalaman selanjutnya di koreksi terhadap pasang surut. Pasang surut diukur selama pelaksanaan pemeruman dengan interval pengamatan 30 menit. Koreksi pasang surut dilakukan untuk mendapatkan nilai kedalaman relatif terhadap Lowest Water Surface (LWS. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan kedalaman Perairan Bangsring Berkisar antara 2-49 meter. Wilayah terdalam berada dibagian tenggara area penelitian. Berdasarkan kedalaman perairan tersebut, maka lokasi Perairan di Bangsring yang dapat dijadikan alternatif penempatan fish apartment adalah di perairan depan pantai bagian timur dengan jarak sejauh 200-250 meter dari garis pantai Bangsring dengan

State-of-the-art study on standards for the restoration of existing buildings; State of the Art Studie 'Standards fuer Sanierungen von Bestandsgebaeuden'. Vorbereitende Studie zum 'Energy and GHG Optimised Building Renovation' new annex proposal - Schlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cypra, S.

2009-07-01

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) discusses the results of a preliminary study on energy and greenhouse-gas optimised building renovation. The proposals are based on the building standards proposed under the '2000-Watt Society' and 'One-Tonne CO{sub 2} Society' proposals. Comparisons are made with Swiss official building standards as well as Swiss and international standards for zero-energy and passive housing. These standards and requirements are discussed in detail and examples of buildings built to meet them are described. Building standards based on sustainability standards are also discussed and compared. The methodology to be used with respect to single-family homes and apartment blocks is discussed. Finally, knowledge gaps are identified and appropriate literature is listed.

Energy consumption of electricity end uses in Malaysian historic buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamaruzzaman, Syahrul N.; Edwards, Rodger E.; Zawawi, Emma M.A.

2007-07-15

Malaysia has inherited hundreds of heritage buildings from the past including those from the Indian, Chinese and Colonial eras apart from the indigenous traditional buildings. These buildings have the most unique ecstatic value from the viewpoint of architecture, culture, art, etc. Malaysian economy boom in 1980s spurred the need for more buildings especially in large cities. As a result, most of the historic buildings have been converted and transformed into commercial use. As reported by METP, Malaysian buildings energy uses are reflected by the energy consumption in the industrial and commercial sectors. Most of the buildings' energy consumption is electricity, used for running and operating the plants, lighting, lifts and escalators and other equipment in the buildings. These are amongst the factors that have resulted in the high demand for electricity in Malaysia. As outlined in the eighth Malaysia Plan, Malaysia is taking steps in conserving energy and reducing energy consumption on electricity consumption in building. This paper aims to present the breakdown of the major electricity end uses characteristics of historic buildings in Malaysia. The analysis was performed on annual data, allowing comparison with published benchmarks to give an indication of efficiency. Based on data collected a 'normalisation' calculated electricity consumption was established with the intention of improving the comparison between buildings in different climatic regions or with different occupancy patterns. This is useful for identifying where the design needed further attention and helped pinpoint problem areas within a building. It is anticipated that this study would give a good indication on the electricity consumption characteristics of historic buildings in Malaysia. (Author)

ANALISIS FAKTOR KESEHATAN DAN KESELAMATAN KERJA (K3 YANG SIGNIFIKAN MEMPENGARUHI KECELAKAAN KERJA PADA PROYEK PEMBANGUNAN APARTEMENT STUDENT CASTLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saloni Waruwu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Health and Safety (K3 is an effort to create a safe working atmosphere, comfortable and achieve the goal of maximum productivity. K3 is very important to be implemented in all areas of employment without exception building projects such as apartments, hotels, malls. However, to prevent any risk of workplace accidents is not as easy as turning the palm of the hand. Occupational accidents disebab by several factors, among others, occupational safety and health training (X1, the commitment of top management (X2, work environment (X3, awareness of workers (X4, regulations and safety and health procedures (X5, availability rambu- occupational health and safety signs (X6 in the workplace, and communication workers (X7. The most significant factor affecting the accidents are the top management commitment (X2 with a value of 36.4% koefien regression and awareness of workers (X4 of 30.1%. If both of these factors add up the total is 66.5%.

Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart": Teaching through the Novel. [Lesson Plan].

Science.gov (United States)

2002

Chinua Achebe is one of Africa's best-known and most influential contemporary writers. His first novel, "Things Fall Apart," is a narrative about the European colonization of Africa told from the viewpoint of the colonized people. Published in 1958, the novel recounts the life of the warrior and village hero Okonkwo and describes the…

Unbonded prestressing tendons and their role in the construction of slender elements of buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Mieszczak, M.

2018-03-01

Steel unbonded tendons have been introduced in Europe for construction prestressing many years later than in the USA, Honkong, Singapore or Australia. In Poland, they appeared in the early 1990s. Despite their short application, in the last decade, the Institute of Materials and Building Constructions of the Cracow University of Technology in cooperation with the TCE Structural Design & Consulting company has developed and implemented several interesting and unique designs of building components, using the advantages of this type of prestressing. In the author’s work, apart from the short description of these tendons, several selected (own and foreign) projects of unique character have been presented.

Energy Saving Alignment Strategy: Achieving energy efficiency in urban buildings by matching occupant temperature preferences with a building’s indoor thermal environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Xiaoqi; Culligan, Patricia J.; Taylor, John E.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A novel strategy for energy savings in multi-family buildings is presented. • A household’s thermal preferences are matched with a unit’s thermal environment. • Potential energy savings are examined using public housing as a test case. • 2.1–42.0% primary energy savings are shown, depending on climate location. - Abstract: Existing strategies for residential energy savings through physical renovation or motivating occupant energy conservation behavior can be costly and/or have transitory effects. Focusing on multi-family dwellings, an important subset of the urban residential sector, we propose an Energy Saving Alignment Strategy (ESAS) that has advantageous cost-effectiveness and a long-lasting influence. By aligning the distribution of residents’ thermostat preferences with the indoor temperature, ESAS aims to maximize thermal comfort and, accordingly, energy savings in multi-family buildings where indoor temperatures vary between apartments as a function of apartment orientation and floor level. Using a case study of a 1084-apartment public housing complex in New York, we classify both occupants’ thermostat preferences and apartments’ operative temperatures into five groups, and optimize energy efficiency by assigning each group of occupants to the group of apartments that best aligns with their thermostat preference. We test ESAS in eight cities representing all four U.S. census regions and six climate zones. Simulation results reveal 2.1–42.0% in energy savings compared to random apartment assignments depending on geographic location, with the highest energy reductions occurring in cities with mild climates, where the range of occupant thermostat preferences coincides with the natural indoor temperature range. We conclude by providing suggested guidelines on how ESAS might work in practice, and recommendations for extending ESAS research

Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart": Oral and Literary Strategies. [Lesson Plan].

Science.gov (United States)

2002

Chinua Achebe is one of Africa's best-known contemporary writers. His first novel, "Things Fall Apart," deals with the clash of cultures and the violent transitions in life and values brought about by the onset of British colonialism in Nigeria at the end of the 19th century. Published in 1958, just before Nigerian independence, the…

Building characteristics, indoor air quality and recurrent wheezing in very young children (BAMSE).

Science.gov (United States)

Emenius, G; Svartengren, M; Korsgaard, J; Nordvall, L; Pershagen, G; Wickman, M

2004-02-01

This study was conducted to examine the impact of building characteristics and indoor air quality on recurrent wheezing in infants. We followed a birth cohort (BAMSE) comprising 4089 children, born in predefined areas of Stockholm, during their first 2 years of life. Information on exposures was obtained from parental questionnaires when the children were 2 months and on symptoms and diseases when the children were 1 and 2 years old. Children with recurrent wheezing, and two age-matched controls per case, were identified and enrolled in a nested case-control study. The homes were investigated and ventilation rate, humidity, temperature and NO2 measured. We found that living in an apartment erected after 1939, or in a private home with crawl space/concrete slab foundation were associated with an increased risk of recurrent wheezing, odds ratio (OR) 2.5 (1.3-4.8) and 2.5 (1.1-5.4), respectively. The same was true for living in homes with absolute indoor humidity >5.8 g/kg, OR 1.7 (1.0-2.9) and in homes where windowpane condensation was consistently reported over several years, OR 2.2 (1.1-4.5). However, air change rate and type of ventilation system did not seem to affect the risk. In conclusion, relatively new apartment buildings, single-family homes with crawl space/concrete slab foundation, elevated indoor humidity, and reported wintertime windowpane condensation were associated with recurrent wheezing in infants. Thus, improvements of the building quality may have potential to prevent infant wheezing.

LEVERAGING TREATMENT OF SALT ATTACK AND RISING DAMP IN HERITAGE BUILDINGS IN PENANG, MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haris Fadzilah Abdul Rahman

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Of the common building defects that occur in heritage buildings in Penang, Malaysia, salt attack and rising damp are considered the most challenging, particularly for building conservation. The problem of salt attack is closely associated with rising damp. Moisture from the rising damp makes the building’s existing salts soluble, or ground water that contains salt finds its way through the building wall. This moisture then evaporates on or just below the wall’s surface, leaving salt residue behind. High salt concentrations in masonry walls cause extensive fretting and crumbling of the lower parts of walls. These formations gradually contribute to building dilapidation and reduce the building’s aesthetic value. Sodium chloride and calcium sulphate are commonly found in masonry walls, apart from other forms of salts. The sources of these salts may be natural or manmade. This paper is based on research into the problems of salt attack and rising damp in heritage masonry buildings in Penang, Malaysia. Based on a case study of five buildings in Penang, the research findings showed that these buildings faced several common building defects, including salt attack and rising damp. Treatment guidelines for salt attack and rising damp are proposed within the Malaysian context of architectural heritage and climatic conditions.

Veskitammi kortermajad = The Veskitammi Apartment Buildings / Urmas Oja

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Oja, Urmas, 1981-2012

2004-01-01

Üks ühe trepikojaga ja kaks kolme trepikojaga kolmekordset puidust korterelamut ümber sisehoovi Laagris. Hoonete puitfassaadid on kujundatud nelja eri pikkusega ja nelja eri värvi laudadest. Projekteerija, maastikukujundus: AB Kosmos. Autorid Ott Kadarik, Villem Tomiste, Mihkel Tüür. Konstruktor: Randväli ja Karema. Projekt ja valmis 2003. Ill.: 6 korruste plaani, 5 värv. välisvaadet

Why do intimate partners live apart? Evidence on LAT relationships across Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liefbroer, A.C.; Poortman, A.R.; Seltzer, J.A.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Most research asks whether or not cohabitation has come to rival marriage. Little is known about the meaning of living apart together (LAT) relationships, and whether LAT is an alternative to marriage and cohabitation or a dating relationship. OBJECTIVE: We examine across Europe: (1) the

From Fiction to Field Notes: Observing Ibo Culture in "Things Fall Apart."

Science.gov (United States)

Schur, Joan Brodsky

1997-01-01

Demonstrates how introducing students to African literature can appeal to their imaginations and encourage them to develop their insights into African culture. Outlines the procedures in a middle school class where the students are transformed into anthropologists as they read Chinua Achebe's, "Things Fall Apart." (MJP)

Relationship between Quality of Building Maintenance Management Services for Indoor Environmental Quality and Occupant Satisfaction: Case Study of Bus Terminal Buildings in Penang

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Full Chong Choon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Maintenance is often defined as the series of activities undertaken to take care of the building structure and services to ensure the intended functions and optimal performance of a building life cycle. The management department of a building is usually responsible for the enhancement of the indoor environment quality by service delivery and for boosting occupant productivity and satisfaction. Thus, a salient point of this study is to determine the current level of the building’s maintenance management service for indoor environmental quality in Penang bus terminals, along with its occupant satisfaction with regards to the services provided in the building. The assessment of the indoor environmental quality includes the evaluation of thermal comfort, lighting condition, air quality and cleanliness. Apart from that, qualitative and quantitative methodologies were applied during the process of data collection and analysis. A questionnaire survey was distributed to 500 of the targeted population for each bus terminal, including passengers and the staff. In this study, the conclusion was drawn in which the maintenance management service level of the bus terminal was directly proportional to occupant satisfaction. However, the current quality of maintenance management services in the bus terminals are still not up to the level of the occupants’ satisfaction.

Evaluating the potential of improving residential water balance at building scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Agudelo-Vera, Claudia M; Keesman, Karel J; Mels, Adriaan R; Rijnaarts, Huub H M

2013-12-15

Earlier results indicated that, for an average household, self-sufficiency in water supply can be achieved by following the Urban harvest Approach (UHA), in a combination of demand minimization, cascading and multi-sourcing. To achieve these results, it was assumed that all available local resources can be harvested. In reality, however, temporal, spatial and location-bound factors pose limitations to this harvest and, thus, to self-sufficiency. This article investigates potential spatial and temporal limitations to harvest local water resources at building level for the Netherlands, with a focus on indoor demand. Two building types were studied, a free standing house (one four-people household) and a mid-rise apartment flat (28 two-person households). To be able to model yearly water balances, daily patterns considering household occupancy and presence of water using appliances were defined per building type. Three strategies were defined. The strategies include demand minimization, light grey water (LGW) recycling, and rainwater harvesting (multi-sourcing). Recycling and multi-sourcing cater for toilet flushing and laundry machine. Results showed that water saving devices may reduce 30% of the conventional demand. Recycling of LGW can supply 100% of second quality water (DQ2) which represents 36% of the conventional demand or up to 20% of the minimized demand. Rainwater harvesting may supply approximately 80% of the minimized demand in case of the apartment flat and 60% in case of the free standing house. To harvest these potentials, different system specifications, related to the household type, are required. Two constraints to recycle and multi-source were identified, namely i) limitations in the grey water production and available rainfall; and ii) the potential to harvest water as determined by the temporal pattern in water availability, water use, and storage and treatment capacities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of building professionals on sustainable development: A comparative study between Hong Kong and Shenyang

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lo, S.M.; Zhao, C.M.; Cheng, W.Y. [Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

2006-07-01

It is logical to believe that the building professionals (architect, structural engineers, building services engineers, etc.) are the relevant persons that may influence the decision-making process on a real estate development process. Accordingly, the attitudes and perception of building professionals should have a significant influence on sustainable development. This article describes a survey concerning the perceptions of different building professionals, which include architects, construction engineers and building services engineers, on the environment, resource sustainability, and green consumerism in two major cities in China: Hong Kong and Shenyang. It is recognized that energy is central to sustainable development and in 2006/2007, the United Nation Commission on Sustainable Development will focus on energy issue. The discussion in this article will concentrate on the building professionals' perception on energy related issues. Nevertheless, the findings in respect of their awareness of the environment, resources sustainability and other related issues are also summarized. At global level, apart from the need to preserve historical buildings, the professionals in Shenyang feel that 'exhaustion of natural resources' is of major concern and energy preservation is significant. However, the Hong Kong professionals do not consider energy resource sustainability is of urgency. (author)

Airborne Particulate Matter in Two Multi-Family Green Buildings: Concentrations and Effect of Ventilation and Occupant Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Patton, Allison P; Calderon, Leonardo; Xiong, Youyou; Wang, Zuocheng; Senick, Jennifer; Sorensen Allacci, MaryAnn; Plotnik, Deborah; Wener, Richard; Andrews, Clinton J; Krogmann, Uta; Mainelis, Gediminas

2016-01-20

There are limited data on air quality parameters, including airborne particulate matter (PM) in residential green buildings, which are increasing in prevalence. Exposure to PM is associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, and since Americans spend almost 90% of their time indoors, residential exposures may substantially contribute to overall airborne PM exposure. Our objectives were to: (1) measure various PM fractions longitudinally in apartments in multi-family green buildings with natural (Building E) and mechanical (Building L) ventilation; (2) compare indoor and outdoor PM mass concentrations and their ratios (I/O) in these buildings, taking into account the effects of occupant behavior; and (3) evaluate the effect of green building designs and operations on indoor PM. We evaluated effects of ventilation, occupant behaviors, and overall building design on PM mass concentrations and I/O. Median PMTOTAL was higher in Building E (56 µg/m³) than in Building L (37 µg/m³); I/O was higher in Building E (1.3-2.0) than in Building L (0.5-0.8) for all particle size fractions. Our data show that the building design and occupant behaviors that either produce or dilute indoor PM (e.g., ventilation systems, combustion sources, and window operation) are important factors affecting residents' exposure to PM in residential green buildings.

Indoor air quality in the Swedish housing stock and its dependence on building characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langer, Sarka; Bekö, Gabriel

2013-01-01

.47h-1). The majority of houses (80%) did not comply with the building code that requires 0.5 air changes per hour. The median concentrations in single-family houses and apartments were 6.0 and 10μg/m3, respectively, for NO2, 22 and 13μg/m3 for formaldehyde, and 236 and 143μg/m3 for TVOC. All......Data from a recent Swedish survey on the status of the housing stock and indoor air quality were placed in the public domain by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning in 2011. The available parameters included the year of construction, dwelling location, type of ventilation...

Review of low-energy construction, air tightness, ventilation strategies and indoor radon: results from Finnish houses and apartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arvela, H.; Holmgren, O.; Reisbacka, H.; Vinha, J.

2014-01-01

Low-energy and passive house construction practices are characterised by increased insulation, high air tightness of the building shell and controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. As a result of the interaction of mechanical ventilation and high air tightness, the pressure difference in a building can be markedly enhanced. This may lead to elevated indoor radon levels. Minor leakages in the foundation can affect the radon concentration, even in the case where such leaks do not markedly reduce the total air tightness. The potential for high pressures to affect indoor radon concentrations markedly increases when the air tightness ACH 50 , i.e. the air change per hour induced by a pressure difference of 50 Pa, is -1 . Pressure differences in Finnish low-rise residential houses having mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation with heat recovery (MSEV) are typically 2-3 Pa, clearly lower than the values of 5-9 Pa in houses with only mechanical exhaust ventilation (MEV). In MSEV houses, radon concentrations are typically 30 % lower than in MEV houses. In new MSEV houses with an ACH50 of 0.6 h -1 , the limit for passive construction, the analytical estimates predict an increase of 100 % in the radon concentration compared with older houses with an ACH50 of 4.0 h -1 . This poses a challenge for efficient radon prevention in new construction. Radon concentrations are typically 30 % lower in houses with two storeys compared with only one storey. The introduction of an MSEV ventilation strategy in typically very airtight apartments has markedly reduced pressure differences and radon concentrations. (authors)

Effectiveness of duct sealing and duct insulation in multi-family buildings. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karins, N.H.; Tuluca, A.; Modera, M.

1997-07-01

This research investigated the cost-effectiveness of sealing and insulating the accessible portions of duct systems exposed to unconditioned areas in multifamily housing. Airflow and temperature measurements were performed in 25 apartments served by 10 systems a 9 multi-family properties. The measurements were performed before and after each retrofit, and included apartment airflow (supply and return), duct system temperatures, system fan flow and duct leakage area. The costs for each retrofit were recorded. The data were analyzed and used to develop a prototypical multifamily house. This prototype was used in energy simulations (DOE-2.1E) and air infiltration simulations (COMIS 2.1). The simulations were performed for two climates: New York City and Albany. In each climate, one simulation was performed assuming the basement was tight, and another assuming the basement was leaky. Simulation results and average retrofit costs were used to calculate cost-effectiveness. The results of the analysis indicate that sealing leaks of the accessible ductwork is cost-effective under all conditions simulated (simple payback was between 3 and 4 years). Insulating the accessible ductwork, however, is only cost-effective for buildings with leaky basement, in both climates (simple paybacks were less than 5 years). The simple payback period for insulating the ducts in buildings with tight basements was greater than 10 years, the threshold of cost-effectiveness for this research. 13 refs., 5 figs., 27 tabs.

Controlling indoor climate. Passive cooling of residential buildings in hot-humid climates in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhiwu, Wang

1996-10-01

Overheating is a paramount problem in residential buildings in hot and humid climates in China during summer. This study aims to deal with the overheating problem and the problem of poor air quality in dwellings. The main objective is to improve indoor thermal conditions by passive cooling approaches, climatisation techniques in buildings without auxiliary cooling from air conditioning equipment. This thesis focuses on the study of cross-ventilation in apartments, which is one of the most effective ways of natural cooling in a hot humid climate, but is also one of the least understood parts in controlling indoor climate. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique is used, which is a new approach, since cross-ventilation studies have been conventionally made by wind tunnel tests. The validations of the CFD technique are examined by a comparison between wind tunnel tests and computer simulations. The factors influencing indoor air movement are investigated for a single room. Cross-ventilation in two apartments is studied, and the air change efficiency in a Chinese kitchen is calculated with CFD techniques. The thermal performance of ventilated roofs, a simple and widely used type of roof in the region, is specially addressed by means of a full-scale measurement, wind tunnel tests and computer simulations. An integrated study of passive cooling approaches and factors affecting indoor thermal comfort is carried out through a case study in a southern Chinese city, Guangzhou. This thesis demonstrates that passive cooling measure have a high potential in significantly improving indoor thermal conditions during summer. This study also gives discussions and conclusions on the evaluation of indoor thermal environment; effects influencing cross-ventilation in apartments; design guidelines for ventilated roofs and an integrated study of passive cooling. 111 refs, 83 figs, 65 tabs

Indoor environmental quality in French dwellings and building characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, Sarka; Ramalho, Olivier; Derbez, Mickaël; Ribéron, Jacques; Kirchner, Severine; Mandin, Corinne

2016-03-01

A national survey on indoor environmental quality covering 567 residences in mainland France was performed during 2003-2005. The measured parameters were temperature, relative humidity, CO2, and the indoor air pollutants: fourteen individual volatile organic compounds (VOC), four aldehydes and particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5. The measured indoor concentrations were analyzed for correlations with the building characteristics: type of dwelling, period of construction, dwelling location, type of ventilation system, building material, attached garage and retrofitting. The median night time air exchange rate (AER) for all dwellings was 0.44 h-1. The night time AER was higher in apartments (median = 0.49 h-1) than in single-family houses (median = 0.41 h-1). Concentration of formaldehyde was approximately 30% higher in dwellings built after 1990 compared with older ones; it was higher in dwellings with mechanical ventilation and in concrete buildings. The VOC concentrations depended on the building characteristics to various extents. The sampling season influenced the majority of the indoor climate parameters and the concentrations of the air pollutants to a higher degree than the building characteristics. Multivariate linear regression models revealed that the indoor-outdoor difference in specific humidity, a proxy for number of occupants and their indoor activities, remained a significant predictor for most gaseous and particulate air pollutants. The other strong predictors were outdoor concentration, smoking, attached garage and AER (in descending order).

The Association Between Apartment Layout and Depressive Symptomology among Hispanic/Latino Residents in Low-Income Housing: the AHOME Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Earle C; Bafna, Sonit; Machry, Herminia

2018-02-01

In this study of low-income Hispanic/Latino adults living in 291 individual apartments in the Bronx, New York, the apartment layout was significantly associated with the odds of depressive symptomology. Women living in apartments in which the most central rooms were the living, dining, or kitchen (i.e., rooms commonly used for communal activities) were less likely to have depressive symptomology (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.22-0.86) than women in apartments where the central rooms were lobbies or corridors, adjusting for demographics, health conditions, and housing and neighborhood characteristics. No statistically significant association was observed in men. We present the logic underlying the use of layout variables in this study and discuss the implications it may have for understanding the role of the home environment on psychological distress among inhabitants. The results of this study show how space syntax analysis can be used to better understanding disparities in the risk of depression and offer an additional opportunity for public health stakeholders to identify those most at risk for depression.

Alternative methods for evaluation of airtightness of the building envelope; Alternativa metoder foer utvaerdering av byggnadsskalets lufttaethet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikander, Eva; Wahlgren, Paula

2008-07-01

Airtightness plays an important role when constructing energy efficient, sustainable and healthy buildings. In order to obtain airtight buildings, the airtightness needs to be evaluated during the construction phase. This enables improvements of the airtightness in an easy and cost-efficient way. During the construction phase, it is difficult to quantify the airtightness. However, detecting and sealing air leakages are good measures to improve the airtightness of the building. Several methods to detect air leakages are presented. A methodology to search for air leakages in buildings during construction has been developed, together with contractors and experts, and the methodology has been used at two building sites. The quantifiable airtightness of a building is determined by measuring the airflow that enters or exits the building at a certain pressure difference over the building envelope. In some cases it is not possible to measure air tightness according to standard. Therefore, a number of alternative methods have been evaluated. These methods include: extrapolation of measured data to a range used in standard measurements, using a buildings ventilation system fans to create a pressure difference over the building envelope, measuring the airtightness of a smaller part of the building (apartment, fire compartment or component) and tracer gas measurements

Changes in Sunlight and Outdoor Thermal Environment Conditions Based on the Layout Plan of Flat Type Apartment Houses

OpenAIRE

Jung, Sukjin; Yoon, Seonghwan

2015-01-01

Economic growths lead to population increases in large cities. This has brought about the growing necessity for apartment housing which has resulted in higher density populations living in high-rise apartment complexes. Therefore, the urban microclimate is aggravated due to the increasing ratio of artificial coverage and substandard daylight availability. To achieve a comfortable living environment and improve urban microclimates, a process considering the daylight availability and the outdo...

Rational designing of the internal water supply system in reconstructed residential buildings of mass standard series

OpenAIRE

Orlov Evgeny

2018-01-01

The issues of water supply system reconstruction in mass series buildings are reviewed with consideration of water- and resource saving. Principal points for location of plumbing cells in apartments, arrangement of water devices and wastewater receivers, selection of pipelines for reconstructed water line are described. Comparative analysis of design variants of inner water line before and following reconstruction are given. It was found that applying the developed system design approaches th...

Plano de negócio: apartHotel Ílhavo

OpenAIRE

Alpoim, Ivan D`Avila

2013-01-01

Mestrado em Gestão/ Classificação: L83 – Tourism; M10 - General O Plano de Negócios “ApartHotel Ílhavo” analisado nesta tese consiste na segunda fase de construção do “Hotel de Ílhavo”, com recurso a fundos do QREN disponibilizados pelo Turismo de Portugal. O projeto implica a construção de um aparthotel com 20 apartamentos turísticos nas instalações do hotel, procurando obter elevadas taxas de ocupação fora da época estival e ainda durante a semana, pelo que se pretende atingir um clie...

Strike-slip pull-apart process and emplacement of Xiangshan uranium-producing volcanic basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Aijin; Guo Lingzhi; Shu Liangshu

2001-01-01

Xiangshan volcanic basin is one of the famous uranium-producing volcanic basins in China. Emplacement mechanism of Xiangshan uranium-producing volcanic basin is discussed on the basis of the latest research achievements of deep geology in Xiangshan area and the theory of continental dynamics. The study shows that volcanic activity in Xiangshan volcanic basin may be divided into two cycles, and its emplacement is controlled by strike-ship pull-apart process originated from the deep regional faults. Volcanic apparatus in the first cycle was emplaced in EW-trending structure activated by clockwise strike-slipping of NE-trending deep fault, forming the EW-trending fissure-type volcanic effusion belt. Volcanic apparatus in the second cycle was emplaced at junction points of SN-trending pull-apart structure activated by sinistral strike-slipping of NE-trending deep faults and EW-trending basement faults causing the center-type volcanic magma effusion and extrusion. Moreover, the formation mechanism of large-rich uranium deposits is discussed as well

Building Energy Assessment and Computer Simulation Applied to Social Housing in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Aranda

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The actual energy consumption and simulated energy performance of a building usually differ. This gap widens in social housing, owing to the characteristics of these buildings and the consumption patterns of economically vulnerable households affected by energy poverty. The aim of this work is to characterise the energy poverty of the households that are representative of those residing in social housing, specifically in blocks of apartments in Southern Europe. The main variables that affect energy consumption and costs are analysed, and the models developed for software energy-performance simulations (which are applied to predict energy consumption in social housing are validated against actual energy-consumption values. The results demonstrate that this type of household usually lives in surroundings at a temperature below the average thermal comfort level. We have taken into account that a standard thermal comfort level may lead to significant differences between computer-aided energy building simulation and actual consumption data (which are 40–140% lower than simulated consumption. This fact is of integral importance, as we use computer simulation to predict building energy performance in social housing.

Knowledge inventory for resource efficiency measures in existing buildings; Kunskapsinventering avseende resurseffektiviserande aatgaerder inom befintlig bebyggelse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarnehammar, Anna; Kildsgaard, Ivana; Prejer, Erik

2011-07-01

The report summarizes the state of knowledge for various renovation measures of apartment buildings built between 1941-1980. The renovation potential is estimated to give half the energy use for heating and hot water. This efficiency improvement is considered possible, but not likely. There are many case studies of individual projects with theoretical calculations of renovation potential for different measures. There are relatively many general studies of the housing stock in general where the potential for various measures have been calculated for the whole of Sweden, but few studies of actual projects completed. Binding minimum requirements related to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) for buildings for renovation has been introduced in several other countries in the EU which is also found to contribute to more energy-efficient measures introduced in major renovation projects. The key measures that we have found is the introduction of FTX system, renovation of the building envelope as well as individual metering and billing of heating and hot water.

Airborne Particulate Matter in Two Multi-Family Green Buildings: Concentrations and Effect of Ventilation and Occupant Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allison P. Patton

2016-01-01

Full Text Available There are limited data on air quality parameters, including airborne particulate matter (PM in residential green buildings, which are increasing in prevalence. Exposure to PM is associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, and since Americans spend almost 90% of their time indoors, residential exposures may substantially contribute to overall airborne PM exposure. Our objectives were to: (1 measure various PM fractions longitudinally in apartments in multi-family green buildings with natural (Building E and mechanical (Building L ventilation; (2 compare indoor and outdoor PM mass concentrations and their ratios (I/O in these buildings, taking into account the effects of occupant behavior; and (3 evaluate the effect of green building designs and operations on indoor PM. We evaluated effects of ventilation, occupant behaviors, and overall building design on PM mass concentrations and I/O. Median PMTOTAL was higher in Building E (56 µg/m3 than in Building L (37 µg/m3; I/O was higher in Building E (1.3–2.0 than in Building L (0.5–0.8 for all particle size fractions. Our data show that the building design and occupant behaviors that either produce or dilute indoor PM (e.g., ventilation systems, combustion sources, and window operation are important factors affecting residents’ exposure to PM in residential green buildings.

InGaN micro-LED-pillar as the building block for high brightness emitters

KAUST Repository

Shen, Chao; Cha, Dong Kyu; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.; Yang, Yang

2013-01-01

In summary, we confirmed the improved electrical and optical characteristics, with reduced efficiency droop in InGaN μLED-pillars when these devices were scaled down in size. We demonstrated that strain relief contributed to further improvement in EQE characteristics in small InGaN μLED-pillars (D < 50 μm), apart from the current spreading effect. The μLED-pillar can be deployed as the building block for large effective-area, high brightness emitter. © 2013 IEEE.

Ecological reconstruction of older buildings. Munich, Pariser Str. 10. Oekologische Sanierung. Beispiel: Muenchen, Pariser Str. 10

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalo, R.

1990-04-01

In response to an initiative of the Ernst Friedrich Schumacher Gesellschaft fuer politische Oekologie e.V., the Muenchener Gesellschaft fuer Stadterneuerung GmbH (MGS) carried out a model project for an ecological reconstruction of an older building. Apart from the energy conservation effect, practical experience was to be gained on the ecological and energy efficient application of different measures. The project is to serve as a model for future sanitation projects. (orig./KW).

Energy monitoring and the 'energy passport' for buildings - Preliminary study; Energie-Monitoring Gebaeude und Gebaeude-Energiepass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumgartner, A.; Menti, U.-P. [Amstein and Walthert AG, Zuerich (Switzerland); Sigg, R.; Besser, U. [Intep Integrale Planung GmbH, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2004-07-01

This preliminary study for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) examines the situation in Switzerland with regard to the creation of an energy-consumption rating system for buildings. Present and future developments in Europe in this area are examined. This preliminary study provides the basis for a main study in that it defines the main questions to be looked at. Present-day data collection on the energy consumption of buildings is looked at critically. The authors suggest the integration of an energy-consumption data bank in the existing building and apartment register. The situation in Europe, where specific ideas on the introduction of national 'energy passports' for buildings are being looked at, is considered. The work that will have to be done in Switzerland in this area is reviewed, and the essential prerequisites for the implementation of such an energy-monitoring system are discussed.

"Living Apart Together": Relationships in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Strohm

2009-08-01

Full Text Available We use two surveys to describe the demographic and attitudinal correlates of being in "Living Apart Together" (LAT, cohabiting, and marital relationships for heterosexuals, lesbians, and gay men. About one third of U.S. adults not married or cohabiting are in LAT relationships - these individuals would be classified as "single" in conventional studies that focus on residential unions. Gay men are somewhat more likely than heterosexual men to be in LAT relationships. For heterosexuals and lesbians, LAT relationships are more common among younger people. Heterosexuals in LAT unions are less likely to expect to marry their partners, but more likely to say that couples should be emotionally dependent than are cohabiters. Regardless of sexual orientation, people in LAT relationships perceive similar amounts of emotional support from partners, but less instrumental support than cohabiters perceive.

Dynamic simulation of space heating systems with radiators controlled by TRVs in buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Baoping; Fu, Lin; Di, Hongfa [Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2008-07-01

The objective of this paper is to develop a model for simulating the thermal and hydraulic behavior of space heating systems with radiators controlled by thermostat valves (TRVs) in multi-family buildings. This is done by treating the building and the heating system as a complete entity. Sub-models for rooms, radiators, TRVs, and the hydraulic network are derived. Then the suggested sub-models are combined to form an integrated model by considering interactions between them. The proposed model takes into account the heat transfer between neighboring rooms, the transport delay in the radiator, the self-adjusting function of the TRV, and the consumer's regulation behavior, as well as the hydraulic interactions between consumers. To test the model, two space heating systems in Beijing and Tianjin were investigated, and the model was validated under three operation modes. There was good agreement between the measured and simulated values for room temperature, return water temperature, and flow rate. A modeling analysis case was given based on an existing building and heating system. It was found that when the set value of the TRVs were kept on 2-3, about 12.4% reduction of heat consumption could be gained, compared with the situation in which the TRVs were kept fully open. The water flow rate was an important index that truly reflected the heat load change. It was also noted that if the flow rate or supply water temperature changed much during the transport delay time in the radiator, ignoring the transport delay would introduce an obvious deviation of the simulation results. Additionally, when an apartment stopped using the heating system during a heating season, the heat consumption of its neighboring apartments would be increased about 6-14%. (author)

Understanding the nature of science and scientific progress: A theory-building approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Chuy

2010-11-01

Full Text Available In 1993 Carey and Smith conjectured that the most promising way to boost students’ understanding of the nature of science is a “theory-building approach to teaching about inquiry.” The research reported here tested this conjecture by comparing results from two Grade 4 classrooms that differed in their emphasis on and technological support for creating and improving theories. One class followed a Knowledge Building approach and used Knowledge Forum®, which together emphasize theory improvement and sustained creative work with ideas. The other class followed an inquiry approach mediated through collaborative project-based activities. Apart from this, the two classes were demographically similar and both fell within the broad category of constructivist, inquiry-based approaches and employed a range of modes and media for investigative research and reports. An augmented version of Carey and Smith’s Nature of Science Interview showed that the Knowledge Building approach resulted in deeper understanding of the nature of theoretical progress, the connections between theories and facts, and the role of ideas in scientific inquiry.

Development and Realisation of the Concept House ‘Delft’ Prototype : An Example of a Collaborative Concept Development for Energy Positive Apartments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eekhout, A.J.C.M.; Van Timmeren, A.

2016-01-01

The Delft Prototype is a single apartment from a not yet realized Concept House Urban Villa, which consists of 16 apartments on 4 floors. Both the urban villa and the prototype demonstrate the characteristics of high level industrial production with an extremely low ecological footprint, as well as

Symptoms and perceived indoor air quality among occupants of houses and apartments with different ventilation systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruotsalainen, R.; Roennberg, R.; Majanen, A.; Seppaenen, O. (Laboratory of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning, Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo (Finland)); Jaakkola, J.J.K. (Laboratory of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning, Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo (Finland) Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki (Finland))

1991-01-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of symptoms and the perception of poor indoor air quality among the occupants of houses and apartments with different ventilation systems. The study population consisted of the 473 occupants of 242 dwellings in the Helsinki metropolitan area who responded to a self-administered questionnaire (response rate 93.1%) after a two-week period of indoor air quality measurements. The symptoms of interest were those often related to poor indoor air quality including dryness or itching of the skin; dryness, irritation or itching of the eyes; nasal congestion (''blocked nose''); nasal dryness; nasal discharge (''runny nose''); sneezing; cough; breathlessness; headache or migraine; and lethargy, weakness or nausea. Perception of coldness; warmness; draught; dryness; stuffiness; and sufficiency of air exchange was also requested. The age-standardized period prevalences of the symptoms and complaints were systematically more common among the occupants of the apartments than those of the houses. The occupants of the houses with natural ventilation seemed to have more symptoms and complaints than those with balanced ventilation. However, in the apartments with blanced ventilation the occupants reported, in general, more symptoms and complaints than those with natural ventilation. (au) (9 refs.).

Things fall apart: biological species form unconnected parsimony networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Michael W; Sunday, Jennifer

2007-10-22

The generality of operational species definitions is limited by problematic definitions of between-species divergence. A recent phylogenetic species concept based on a simple objective measure of statistically significant genetic differentiation uses between-species application of statistical parsimony networks that are typically used for population genetic analysis within species. Here we review recent phylogeographic studies and reanalyse several mtDNA barcoding studies using this method. We found that (i) alignments of DNA sequences typically fall apart into a separate subnetwork for each Linnean species (but with a higher rate of true positives for mtDNA data) and (ii) DNA sequences from single species typically stick together in a single haplotype network. Departures from these patterns are usually consistent with hybridization or cryptic species diversity.

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maxwell, S. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Berger, D. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Zuluaga, M. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

2014-07-01

In multifamily buildings, particularly in the Northeast, exhaust ventilation strategies are the norm as a means of meeting both local exhaust and whole-unit mechanical ventilation rates. The issue of where the "fresh" air is coming from is gaining significance as air-tightness standards for enclosures become more stringent. CARB researchers have found that most new high performance, multifamily housing in the Northeast use one of four strategies for ventilation: continuous exhaust only with no designated supply or make-up air source, continuous exhaust with ducted make-up air to apartments, continuous exhaust with supply through a make-up air device integral to the unit HVAC, and continuous exhaust with supply through a passive inlet device, such as a trickle vent. Insufficient information is available to designers on how these various systems are best applied. Product performance data are based on laboratory tests, but there is no guarantee that those conditions will exist consistently in the finished building. In this research project, CARB evaluated the four ventilation strategies in the field to validate system performance.

Photorealistic lighting and rendering of a small apartment interior : a case study with 3DS Max and V-Ray

OpenAIRE

Kämä, Antti

2016-01-01

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the process of creating photorealistic lighting for a small apartment interior and the process of rendering that interior. Both nighttime and daytime lighting was created for the 3D interior scene modeled beforehand. The 3D interior scene was comprised the walls, windows and the largest furniture of the apartment excluding the bathroom. The theoretical section of the thesis focuses on different settings and features which in combination influence...

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor air originating from sealants in contaminated and uncontaminated apartments within the same housing estate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Marie; Meyer, Harald William; Ebbehøj, Niels Erik

2012-01-01

. The PCB(tot) levels in the air of the contaminated section were 168-3843 ng m(-3) (mean: 1030 ng m(-3)), while the mean levels in the reference apartments were 6.03 ng m(-3). The sum of the 24 measured PCB congeners in sealants from the contaminated section was 187-221680 mg kg(-1). Principal component......Twenty-four congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in 83 air samples and 20 elastic sealants samples of apartments with PCB-containing sealants. In addition, PCBs were measured in 21 air samples from reference apartments located in an uncontaminated section of the same estate...... analysis revealed four groups among the sealant samples with different congener compositions, only two of which were clearly similar to known PCB mixtures, while two were not. Significant correlations and intercorrelations were observed between the lower chlorinated congeners in air and sealant, e...

Community Living for Adults in North Dakota: A Case Study of an Apartment Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Racino, Julie Ann

This report describes a 1988 site visit to Pride Industries, a private, nonprofit agency which operates an apartment program for individuals with developmental disabilities in Bismarck, North Dakota, through a contract with a regional office of North Dakota's Department of Developmental Disabilities. Pride Industries supports 34 people living in…

Design and Build: Views from some Major Public Clients in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albert P C Chan

2001-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the views of clients in public sector on design and build(D&B procurement method. Specifically, their reasons of adopting D&B and refusing to adopt it were explored. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with ten senior staff from four major public organisations in Hong Kong. The findings indicate that public clients held different views on D&B methods based on different grounds. Apart from functional requirements such as project completion time, cost certainty, etc., internal resources and political force would also influence client's adoption of D&B method in the public sector.

20 CFR 404.349 - When is a child living apart from me in my care?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) The child is living apart because of school but spends at least 30 days vacation with you each year... is not in your care if— (1) The child is in active military service; (2) The child is living with his...

Profiles of five promising industries and apartment dwellings for solar systems trials planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1891-12-01

The objective of this study was to identify suitable types of large-scale applications for solar water-heating systems. The factors considered in industrial applications were the amount, type, and cost of energy used for heating water to temperatures <50/sup 0/C. It was found that five industries account for almost one-half of the industrial low-temperautre water-heating requirements. Since oil is the primary source of this energy in Eastern Canada and is soon to be the most costly conventional energy source, large businesses located in Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces were found to be the most promising establishments for solar applications. The report recommends contacting owners in all five industrial sectors to determine their attitudes to solar systems trials and to gather site-specific data. At the same time, the report indicates that apartments, especially those in Eastern Canada, may be more suitable than businesses for large-scale solar water heating. Low-rise apartments use approximately 17 PJ of oil energy for domestic hot water compared to the 11 PJ used by all five industrial subsectors for low-temperature water heating. 4 refs., 5 figs., 100 tabs.

On the Issue of Obligatory Hazard Activity Liability Insurance of Lifts Operation in Apartment Houses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Storozhuk D. A.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the problems of legislation application of Obligatory Hazard Activity Liability Insurance, civic responsibility of the owner of the dangerous object for doing harm as a result of damage caused by lift operation in apartment houses

Degraded areas of organised multi-apartment building between 1945 and 1965 in Slovenia – methodology of evaluation and rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeja Zupančič Strojan

2002-01-01

Full Text Available “Degraded” housing areas represent a 9% share of urbanised surfaces of thirty-five in planning terms recently researched Slovenian towns. Above all social housing estates built between 1945 and 1965 present issues since they are isolated, poorly maintained, and cannot reach modern standards. The research contemplates the redirecting of the present abstract planning rationales to the real architectural, user level. Further intentions of the research are to consolidate ideas about the urgency of renewal as the only possible method of solving problems of a certain pattern of building, to determine criteria and measures for renewal and to determine rational or real directions for concrete contributions for the improvement of the standard of living, in short, to a new shift in living culture discussed settlement pattern.

Role of Colonial Subjects in Making Themselves Inferior in Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghi, Zahra

2014-01-01

Chinua Achebe in his novel "Things Fall Apart" gives us a unique picture of life in Africa before the arrival of Christianity and colonization and the era afterwards. He shows how African people lost their traditional culture and values, replacing them with foreign beliefs. In this article, the way black people lived before the arrival…

Modernism in Belgrade: Classification of Modernist Housing Buildings 1919-1980

Science.gov (United States)

Dragutinovic, Anica; Pottgiesser, Uta; De Vos, Els; Melenhorst, Michel

2017-10-01

Yugoslavian Modernist Architecture, although part of a larger cultural phenomenon, received hardly any international attention, since there are only a few internationally published studies about it. Nevertheless, Modernist Architecture of the Inter-war Yugoslavia (Kingdom of Yugoslavia), and specially Modernist Architecture of the Post-war Yugoslavia (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the “reign” of Tito), represents the most important architectural heritage of the 20th century in former Yugoslavian countries. Belgrade, as the capital city of both newly founded Yugoslavia(s), experienced an immediate economic, political and cultural expansion after the both wars, as well as a large population increase. The construction of sufficient and appropriate new housing was a major undertaking in both periods (1919-1940 and 1948-1980), however conceived and realized with deeply diverging views. The transition from villas and modest apartment buildings, as main housing typologies in the Inter-war period, to the mass housing of the Post-war period, was not only a result of the different socio-political context of the two Yugoslavia(s), but also the country’s industrialization, modernization and technological development. Through the classification of Modernist housing buildings in Belgrade, this paper will investigate on relations between the transformations of the main housing typologies executed under different socio-political contexts on the one side, and development of building technologies, construction systems and materials applied on those buildings on the other side. The paper wants to shed light on the Yugoslavian Modernist Architecture in order to increase the international awareness on its architectural and heritage values. The aim is an integrated re-evaluation of the buildings, presentation of their current condition and potentials for future (re)use with a specific focus on building envelopes and construction.

Radon concentration variations between and within buildings of a research institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antignani, S.; Bochicchio, F.; Ampollini, M.; Venoso, G.; Bruni, B.; Innamorati, S.; Malaguti, L.; Stefano, A.

2009-01-01

Radon concentration in indoor air has been measured in many countries in a large number of buildings - mainly in houses but also in apartments and workplaces - mostly as a result of the application of radon policies and regulation requirements. However, few systematic analyses are available on radon concentration variations within buildings and between close buildings, especially as regards workplaces; such variations can have a significant impact on indoor radon exposure evaluation, and ultimately on the assessment of the dose from radon received by workers. Therefore, a project was started in 2006 aimed to study the spatial variation of radon concentration among and within about 40 buildings of the Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS), a research institute of public health located in Rome over a small area of less than 1 km 2 . Nuclear track detectors (CR-39) were used to measure radon concentration for two consecutive six-month periods, in more than 700 rooms of the surveyed buildings. The paper describes the project in detail and preliminary results regarding 558 rooms in 29 buildings. Coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated as a measure of relative variation of radon concentration between buildings, between floors, and between rooms on the same floor. The CV between buildings resulted quite high (88%), a lower CV (42%) was found for variation between floors, whereas room-to-room CV on the same floor ranged from 25% at first floor level to 48% at basement level. Floor mean ratios, with ground floor as the reference level, were calculated for each building in order to study the correlation between radon concentration and floor levels. Although no clear trend was observed, the average basement/ground floor ratio of radon concentrations resulted about 2.0, whereas the average sixth floor/ground floor ratio of radon concentrations was 0.5. Some discussion on the potential impact of the results of this study on policies and radon regulations are also included in

Radon concentrations in different types of dwellings in Israel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epstein, L.; Koch, J.; Riemer, T.; Haquin, G.; Orion, I.

2014-01-01

The average radon concentration in Israeli dwellings was assessed by combining the results of a 2006 radon survey in single family houses with the results of a 2011 radon survey in apartments of multi-storey buildings. Both surveys were based on long-term measurements using CR-39 detectors. The survey in multi-storey buildings was intended to assess the influence of recent practices in the local building industry on the radon concentrations. These practices include the use of building materials with higher concentrations of the natural radionuclides in the last 20 y than before, as well as the improvement in sealing techniques over that period. Another practice in place since the early 1990's is the building of a shielded area in every apartment that is known as an RSS (residential secure space). The RSS is a room built from massive concrete walls, floor and ceiling that can be hermetically sealed and is intended to protect its residents from a missile attack. The influence of the above-mentioned features on radon concentrations was estimated by dividing the participating apartments into two groups: apartments in buildings >20 y, built using building materials with low concentrations of the natural radionuclides, regular sealing and without an RSS and apartments in buildings newer than 10 y, built using building materials with higher concentrations of the natural radionuclides, improved sealing and including an RSS. It was found that the average radon concentration in apartments in new buildings was significantly higher than in old buildings and the average radon concentration in single-family houses was significantly higher than in apartments in multi-storey buildings. Doses due to indoor radon were estimated on the basis of the updated information included in the 2009 International Commission on Radiological Protection statement on radon. (authors)

Efficiency Analysis of Independent and Centralized Heating Systems for Residential Buildings in Northern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Rinaldi

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The primary energy consumption in residential buildings is determined by the envelope thermal characteristics, air change, outside climatic data, users’ behaviour and the adopted heating system and its control. The new Italian regulations strongly suggest the installation of centralized boilers in renovated buildings with more than four apartments. This work aims to investigate the differences in primary energy consumption and efficiency among several independent and centralized heating systems installed in Northern Italy. The analysis is carried out through the following approach: firstly building heating loads are evaluated using the software TRNSYS® and, then, heating system performances are estimated through a simplified model based on the European Standard EN 15316. Several heating systems have been analyzed, evaluating: independent and centralized configurations, condensing and traditional boilers, radiator and radiant floor emitters and solar plant integration. The heating systems are applied to four buildings dating back to 2010, 2006, 1960s and 1930s. All the combinations of heating systems and buildings are analyzed in detail, evaluating efficiency and primary energy consumption. In most of the cases the choice between centralized and independent heating systems has minor effects on primary energy consumption, less than 3%: the introduction of condensing technology and the integration with solar heating plant can reduce energy consumption by 11% and 29%, respectively.

Forensic entomology of high-rise buildings in Malaysia: Three case reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Syamsa, R A; Omar, B; Zuha, R M; Faridah, M N; Swarhib, M S; Hidayatulfathi, O; Shahrom, A W

2015-06-01

The distributions of flies are not only confined to ground level but can also be at higher altitudes. Here, we report three forensic cases involving dipterans in high-rise buildings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Case 1 involved a corpse of adult female found at the top floor of a fifteen-story apartment. Case 2 dealt with a body of a 75-year-old female discovered in a bedroom on the eleventh floor of an eighteen-story building, while Case 3 was a 52-year-old male found in his fifth floor shop house. Interestingly, entomological analysis revealed that all corpses were infested with similar Dipterans: Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae) and sarcophagid (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). The first two species were commonly associated with corpses found indoors at ground level. We noted the additional occurrence of blowflies Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Chrysomya rufifacies Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae in Case 2 and Case 3, respectively. Findings from this study are significant as they demonstrate that certain groups of fly can locate dead bodies even in high-rise buildings. Forensic entomofauna research on corpses found at high elevation is scarce and our study has highlighted the peculiarity of the fly species involved in Malaysia.

Marginal Productivity Gained Through Prefabrication: Case Studies of Building Projects in Auckland

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Wajiha Shahzad

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Several studies have documented benefits of prefabrication system (prefab compared to the traditional building system (TBS. However, the documented benefits have been anecdotal or fragmented with reports of isolated case study projects. Few studies have looked at the objectively quantified benefits from statistical significance point of view and across building types in New Zealand. This study contributes to filling this knowledge gap by analyzing cost and time-savings, and productivity improvement achievable by the use of prefab in place of the TBS. Records of completion times and final contract values of 66 building projects implemented using prefab in Auckland were collected. The building types included commercial, houses, apartments, educational, and community buildings. The project details included final contract sums, completion dates, gross floor areas, and number of floors. Based on these details, the equivalent completion times and the final cost estimates for similar buildings implemented using the TBS were obtained from the Rawlinsons construction data handbook and feedback from some designers and contractors. Marginal productivity outcome for each building project was computed as the product of the cost and time-savings achieved using the prefab. Results showed that the use of prefab in place of TBS resulted in 34% and 19% average reductions in the completion times and costs, respectively. This also translated to overall 7% average improvement in the productivity outcomes in the building projects. Univariate ANOVA-based hypothesis test results showed that ‘building type’ had no significant effects on the cost and productivity improvement outcomes, but had significant effect on the time savings analyzed in the case study projects. The greatest productivity gain of 11% was achieved in house projects. These evidence-based results could guide optimized use of prefab for specific building application. The hypothesis-testing outcome

‘Bowling apart?’ : Vier vragen over Nederlandse sportclubs en omgang tussen arm en rijk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen, Ruud van der; Ruiter, Stijn; Ultee, Wout

2005-01-01

‘Bowling apart?’ Four questions on poor-rich contact in Dutch sports clubs This article tests Bourdieu’s and Putnam’s competing views on sports clubs as class mixers, using crosssectional Dutch survey data for the early 1980s and late 1990s. We calculate popularity and representativity indices.

Vertical distribution of Aedes mosquitoes in multiple storey buildings in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, K W; Chen, C D; Lee, H L; Izzul, A A; Asri-Isa, M; Zulfadli, M; Sofian-Azirun, M

2013-03-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the vertical distribution and abundance of Aedes mosquitoes in multiple storey buildings in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ovitrap surveillance was conducted for 4 continuous weeks in multiple storey buildings in 4 residential areas located in Selangor [Kg. Baiduri (KB)] and Kuala Lumpur [Student Hostel of University of Malaya (UM), Kg. Kerinchi (KK) and Hang Tuah (HT)]. The results implied that Aedes mosquitoes could be found from ground floor to highest floor of multiple storey buildings and data from different elevation did not show significant difference. Ovitrap index for UM, KB, HT and KK ranged from 0 - 29.17%, 0 - 55.56%, 8.33 - 83.33% and 0 - 91.17% respectively. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were found breeding in HT, KK and KB; while only Ae. albopictus was obtained from UM. The results indicate that the invasion of Aedes mosquitoes in high-rise apartments could facilitate the transmission of dengue virus and new approaches to vector control in this type of residential area should be developed.

Determination of Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency Measures in Buildings with the Aid of Multiple Indices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theodoros Zachariadis

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Energy refurbishments of buildings can substantially contribute to economy-wide energy efficiency improvements, leading to decarbonisation and additional sustainability benefits. Prioritising the most economically promising investments is not straightforward because apart from cost-effectiveness calculations, several real-world constraints have to be taken into account. This paper describes an approach to assess the economically viable energy efficiency potential in the building sector of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, with a combination of detailed engineering modelling, cost-effectiveness calculations and real-world considerations of budgetary, technical, behavioural and market constraints. We examine diverse cost-effectiveness indices and come up with a proposal for prioritising specific energy investments such as the installation of heat pumps, insulation of roofs, and replacement of lighting and electronic equipment—without however ignoring other measures that may be economically less favourable but can realistically be implemented in a limited number of buildings. Finally we address the governance of energy efficiency policies, focusing on weaknesses of the current regulatory environment in Cyprus, which can be generalised for many other countries facing similar dilemmas.

Reunifying versus Living Apart Together Across Borders: A Comparative Analysis of Sub-Saharan Migration to Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beauchemin, C.; Nappa, J.; Schoumaker, B.; Baizan, P.; González-Ferrer, A.; Caarls, K.; Mazzucato, V.

2015-01-01

This article studies the process of reunification in Europe among “living apart together across borders” (LATAB) couples of African origin (DR Congo, Ghana, and Senegal). Couple reunion is conceived as a multilevel process, wherein state selection (through immigration policies in destination

Willingness to pay for energy-saving measures in residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banfi, Silvia; Farsi, Mehdi; Jakob, Martin; Filippini, Massimo

2008-01-01

This paper uses a choice experiment to evaluate the consumers' willingness to pay for energy-saving measures in Switzerland's residential buildings. These measures include air renewal (ventilation) systems and insulation of windows and facades. Two groups of respondents consisting respectively of 163 apartment tenants and 142 house owners were asked to choose between their housing status quo and each one of the several hypothetical situations with different attributes and prices. The estimation method is based on a fixed-effects logit model. The results suggest that the benefits of the energy-saving attributes are significantly valued by the consumers. These benefits include both individual energy savings and environmental benefits as well as comfort benefits namely, thermal comfort, air quality and noise protection. (author)

Method for achieving hydraulic balance in typical Chinese building heating systems by managing differential pressure and flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Lipeng; Xia, Jianjun; Thorsen, Jan Eric

2017-01-01

to a lack of pressure and flow control. This study investigated using pre-set radiator valves combined with differential pressure (DP) controllers to achieve hydraulic balance in building distribution systems, and consequently save energy and reduce the emissions. We considered a multi-storey building......Hydraulic unbalance is a common problem in Chinese district heating (DH) systems. Hydraulic unbalance has resulted in poor flow distribution among heating branches and overheating of apartments. Studies show that nearly 30% of the total heat supply is being wasted in Chinese DH systems due...... modelled in the IDA-ICE software, along with a self-developed mathematical hydraulic model to simulate its heat performance and hydraulic performance with various control scenarios. In contrast to the situation with no pressure or flow control, this solution achieves the required flow distribution...

The Cultural Impact upon Human Struggle for Social Existence in Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"

Science.gov (United States)

El-Dessouky, Mohamed Fawzy

2010-01-01

This paper aims at introducing an insight into the nature of cultural conflict as depicted in Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart." This study shows how the African black culture represented by Ibo tribe comes into disagreement with the white one imposed by the British imperialism. The greatness of Achebe lies in the vivid description of…

The age demographics of academic librarians a profession apart

CERN Document Server

Wilder, Stanley

2000-01-01

The Age Demographics of Academic Librarians: A Profession Apart discusses the current demographics of librarianship in North America and examines how a huge retiree rate will affect the profession. With the average age of librarians increasing dramatically since 1990, this book examines the changes that will have to take place in your library, such as recruiting, training, and working with a smaller staff. The Age Demographics of Academic Librarians provides you with insights on how to make your library's transition easier when several of your colleagues leave your library. Valuable and intelligent, The Age Demographics of Academic Librarians discusses trends through easy-to-read charts, tables, and comprehensive data analysis. Exploring possible reasons for the anomalies of this trend, this book explores several surprising facts, such as: 16 percent of the 1995 American Research Libraries population of librarians will retire by the year 2000, another 16 percent between 2000 and 2005, 24 percent between 2005 ...

North Village Ground Source Heat Pump Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Redderson, Jeff

2015-08-03

This project demonstrated the feasibility of converting from a traditional direct exchange system to a ground source heat pump system on a large scale, multiple building apartment complex on a university campus. A total of ten apartment buildings were converted using vertical well fields and a ground source loop that connected the 24 apartments in each building into a common system. The system has yielded significant operational savings in both energy and maintenance and transformed the living environments of these residential buildings for our students.

A Real-Time Energy Consumption Simulation and Comparison of Buildings in Different Construction Years in the Olympic Central Area in Beijing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Xu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Energy consumed the in urban sector accounts for a large proportion of total world delivered energy consumption. Residential building energy consumption is an important part of urban energy consumption. However, there are few studies focused on this issue and that have simulated the energy consumption of residential buildings using questionnaire data. In this research, an eQUEST study was conducted for different residential buildings in the Olympic Central Area in Beijing. Real-time meteorological observation data and an actual energy consumption schedule generated by questionnaire data were used to improve the eQUEST model in the absence of actual energy consumption data. The simulated total energy consumption of residential buildings in the case area in 2015 is 21,262.28 tce, and the average annual energy consumption per unit area is 20.09 kgce/(m2·a. Space heating accounted for 45% of the total energy consumption as the highest proportion, and the second highest was household appliances, which accounted for 20%. The results showed that old residential buildings, multi-storey buildings and large-sized apartment buildings consume more energy. The internal units, building height, per capita construction area, the number of occupants and length of power use had significant impact on residential energy consumption. The result of this study will provide practical reference for energy saving reconstruction of residential buildings in Beijing.

Modeling gamma radiation dose in dwellings due to building materials.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Peter; van Dijk, Willem

2008-01-01

A model is presented that calculates the absorbed dose rate in air of gamma radiation emitted by building materials in a rectangular body construction. The basis for these calculations is formed by a fixed set of specific absorbed dose rates (the dose rate per Bq kg(-1) 238U, 232Th, and 40K), as determined for a standard geometry with the dimensions 4 x 5 x 2.8 m3. Using the computer codes Marmer and MicroShield, correction factors are assessed that quantify the influence of several room and material related parameters on the specific absorbed dose rates. The investigated parameters are the position in the construction; the thickness, density, and dimensions of the construction parts; the contribution from the outer leave; the presence of doors and windows; the attenuation by internal partition walls; the contribution from building materials present in adjacent rooms; and the effect of non-equilibrium due to 222Rn exhalation. To verify the precision, the proposed method is applied to three Dutch reference dwellings, i.e., a row house, a coupled house, and a gallery apartment. The averaged difference with MCNP calculations is found to be 4%.

Monitoring airborne biotic contaminants in the indoor environment of pig and poultry confinement buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Pei-Ying; Li, Xiangzhen; Yang, Xufei; Shinkai, Takumi; Zhang, Yuanhui; Wang, Xinlei; Mackie, Roderick I

2012-06-01

Given the growing concerns over human and animal health issues related to confined animal feeding operations, an in-depth examination is required to monitor for airborne bacteria and associated antibiotic resistance genes. Our 16S rRNA-based pyrosequencing revealed that the airborne microbial community skewed towards a higher abundance of Firmicutes (> 59.2%) and Bacteroidetes (4.2-31.4%) within the confinement buildings, while the office environment was predominated by Proteobacteria (55.2%). Furthermore, bioaerosols in the confinement buildings were sporadically associated with genera of potential pathogens, and these genera were more frequently observed in the bioaerosols of pig and layer hen confinement than the turkey confinement buildings and office environment. High abundances of tetracycline resistance genes (9.55 × 10(2) to 1.69 × 10(6) copies ng(-1) DNA) were also detected in the bioaerosols sampled from confinement buildings. Bacterial lineages present in the poultry bioaerosols clustered apart from those present in the pig bioaerosols and among the different phases of pig production, suggesting that different livestock as well as production phase were associated with a distinct airborne microbial community. By understanding the diversity of biotic contaminants associated with the different confinement buildings, this study facilitates the implementation of better management strategies to minimize potential health impacts on both livestock and humans working in this environment. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Usage of NASA's Near Real-Time Solar and Meteorological Data for Monitoring Building Energy Systems Using RETScreen International's Performance Analysis Module

Science.gov (United States)

Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.; Charles, Robert W.; Chandler, William S.; Hoell, James M.; Westberg, David; Zhang, Taiping; Ziegler, Urban; Leng, Gregory J.; Meloche, Nathalie; Bourque, Kevin

2012-01-01

This paper describes building energy system production and usage monitoring using examples from the new RETScreen Performance Analysis Module, called RETScreen Plus. The module uses daily meteorological (i.e., temperature, humidity, wind and solar, etc.) over a period of time to derive a building system function that is used to monitor building performance. The new module can also be used to target building systems with enhanced technologies. If daily ambient meteorological and solar information are not available, these are obtained over the internet from NASA's near-term data products that provide global meteorological and solar information within 3-6 days of real-time. The accuracy of the NASA data are shown to be excellent for this purpose enabling RETScreen Plus to easily detect changes in the system function and efficiency. This is shown by several examples, one of which is a new building at the NASA Langley Research Center that uses solar panels to provide electrical energy for building energy and excess energy for other uses. The system shows steady performance within the uncertainties of the input data. The other example involves assessing the reduction in energy usage by an apartment building in Sweden before and after an energy efficiency upgrade. In this case, savings up to 16% are shown.

With building integrated photovoltaic in a daylight optimized passive house to energy autonomy; Mit gebaeudeintegrierter PV im tageslichtoptimierten Passivhaus zur bilanziellen Energieautarkie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miloni, R.P. [Miloni Lichtplanung und Architektur, Hausen (Switzerland)

2008-07-01

With the introduction of a cost recovering energy feeding law, new possibilities open up for the building integration of photovoltaics and for the solar power generation at the ''Point of sale ''. Still, the appropriate Swiss market is marginal. Not all legal, technical and financial hurdles are removed. Here the photovoltaics with its building integration is in touch with an emotional factor of revaluation: An integration of photovoltaics adresses the building owner beyond their technical-economic value at a culturally abstract level - a wing of a butterfly oscillating in the sunlight also touches on a completely different level. Exactly the same the integration of photovoltaics makes the building to a unique piece of jewellery. In the pioneer phase of the photovoltaics market, architectonically successful integrations of photovoltaics succeeded in a break-through of the solar power generation. Photovoltaics at building coverings is more than a ''fashion '': it becomes a lever arm, with which the solarization of our society transports significant values. Apart from rational-technical considerations this effect has to be used to favour a broad application of photovoltaics with the building integration more purposefully.

Study on the optimum PCM melting temperature for energy savings in residential buildings worldwide

Science.gov (United States)

Saffari, M.; de Gracia, A.; Fernández, C.; Zsembinszki, G.; Cabeza, L. F.

2017-10-01

To maintain comfort conditions in residential buildings along a full year period, the use of active systems is generally required to either supply heating or cooling. The heating and cooling demands strongly depend on the climatic conditions, type of building and occupants’ behaviour. The overall annual energy consumption of the building can be reduced by the use of renewable energy sources and/or passive systems. The use of phase change materials (PCM) as passive systems in buildings enhances the thermal mass of the envelope, and reduces the indoor temperature fluctuations. As a consequence, the overall energy consumption of the building is generally lower as compared to the case when no PCM systems are used. The selection of the PCM melting temperature is a key issue to reduce the energy consumption of the buildings. The main focus of this study is to determine the optimum PCM melting temperature for passive heating and cooling according to different weather conditions. To achieve that, numerical simulations were carried out using EnergyPlus v8.4 coupled with GenOpt® v3.1.1 (a generic optimization software). A multi-family residential apartment was selected from ASHRAE Standard 90.1- 2013 prototype building model, and different climate conditions were considered to determine the optimum melting temperature (in the range from 20ºC to 26ºC) of the PCM contained in gypsum panels. The results confirm that the optimum melting temperature of the PCM strongly depends on the climatic conditions. In general, in cooling dominant climates the optimum PCM temperature is around 26ºC, while in heating dominant climates it is around 20ºC. Furthermore, the results show that an adequate selection of the PCM as passive system in building envelope can provide important energy savings for both heating dominant and cooling dominant regions.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF MASONRY BUILDINGS IN AUSTRALIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Page

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Masonry is a construction material which is widely used in Australia in a number of forms (fired clay, concrete, calcium silicate, natural stone, autoclaved aerated concrete and in a wide range of both loadbearing and non-loadbearing applications. As such, it serves as the primary structural element in structures such as 3-4 story “walk up” apartment buildings or low rise commercial structures, or as a veneer or infill in housing or high rise framed construction. Despite its current widespread use, for masonry to remain a viable construction material in the future, design and construction practices need to be flexible, able to adapt to change and be receptive to innovation. This applies not only to advances in materials technology and the development of new products and building systems, but also an effective response to changes in the regulatory framework which have an increasing emphasis on thermal and acoustic performance, seismic resistance and sustainable practices. In this context, an overview of the Australian past, present and possible future masonry scene is given.

Challenges in Delivering Green Building Projects: Unearthing the Transaction Costs (TCs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Queena K. Qian

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Delivering green building (GB projects involve some activities that are atypical in comparison with conventional buildings. Such new activities are characterized by uncertainty, and they incur hidden costs that have not been expected nor are they readily appreciated among the stakeholders. This paper develops a typology and chronology to examine the new activities that are associated with transaction costs (TCs in the real estate development process (REDP of green building. Through in-depth interviews with representatives from the major developers in Hong Kong who have experiences in GB practice, this study aims to unearth TCs involved at the critical stages of the REDP. Apart from reconfirming the early project planning stage as the most critical in the consideration of TCs, the study results also identified “extra legal liability risk of the GB product” as the major concern for any GB developer in Hong Kong. The key additional activities that bring significant TCs in developing GB are identified and compared to their traditional counterparts. In turn, project managers not only have to pursue overall cost management whilst winning more business, but they also have to pay particular attention to sustainability in order to minimize hidden societal costs. The study also provides a reference for governments and professionals that will aid in forming policy as well as advance the practice of the GB market by optimizing the societal costs.

A Study on the “Things” in Chinua Achebe’sThings Fall Apart

OpenAIRE

Erdağ, Burcu

2015-01-01

This study examines the reasons of the fall of the Umuofia tribe and the main character, Okonkwo. There are certain events, both internally and externally, caused things to fall apart. This study divides these “things” into two main subtitles: “Okonkwo’s dreams that fall apart” and “The tribal system that falls apart”. These subtitles include main influences of the changes that occur in the book. The first chapter includes the events such as Ikemefuna’s death, Nwoye’s conversion, Okokwo’s des...

[Evolution of food supply (apart from school catering) between 2004/2005 and 2009/2010 in middle- and high-schools of Aquitaine, France].

Science.gov (United States)

Langevin, C; Carriere, C; Delmas, C; Péchaud, M; Barberger-Gateau, P; Maurice, S; Thibault, H

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of food supply (apart from school catering) between school years 2004/2005 and 2009/2010, in middle- and high-schools from the Aquitaine region (southwest France), in order to evaluate the impact of actions conducted within the framework and the program Nutrition, Prevention and Health of children and adolescents in Aquitaine (southwest France). Two surveys were carried out among all middle- and high-schools of the Aquitaine region in 2004/2005 (n=536) and 2009/2010 (n=539) within the framework of a regional multidisciplinary public health program "Nutrition, prevention and health of children and teenagers in Aquitaine". For both 2004/2005 and 2009/2010, data were collected using the same questionnaire and dealt with school characteristics and modalities of food supply (apart from school catering). Response rate was 84.1% in 2004/2005 and 79.6% in 2009/2010. The proportion of schools offering food to pupils (apart from school catering) significantly decreased in 5 years (from 80.1% to 50.1%, Pcatering) has also been improved: less sweet and fat food, more bread and fruits. This study shows an overall improvement of food supply apart from school catering (food sale, free food and vending machines) in middle- and high-schools from the Aquitaine region (southwest France) between 2004/2005 and 2009/2010. This improvement is related to the proportion of schools offering food (quantitative improvement), as well as to the composition of food supply (qualitative improvement). These results show an improvement of food supply (apart from school catering), suggesting that actions implemented in the framework of the program "Nutrition, prevention and health of children and adolescents in Aquitaine" may have led to these improvements. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Indoor thermal environment, air exchange rates, and carbon dioxide concentrations before and after energy retro fits in Finnish and Lithuanian multi-family buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Leivo, Virpi; Prasauskas, Tadas; Du, Liuliu; Turunen, Mari; Kiviste, Mihkel; Aaltonen, Anu; Martuzevicius, Dainius; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Ulla

2018-04-15

Impacts of energy retrofits on indoor thermal environment, i.e. temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), as well as ventilation rates and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations, were assessed in 46 Finnish and 20 Lithuanian multi-family buildings, including 39 retrofitted case buildings in Finland and 15 in Lithuania (the remaining buildings were control buildings with no retrofits). In the Finnish buildings, high indoor T along with low RH levels was commonly observed both before and after the retrofits. Ventilation rates (l/s per person) were higher after the retrofits in buildings with mechanical exhaust ventilation than the corresponding values before the retrofits. Measured CO 2 levels were low in vast majority of buildings. In Lithuania, average indoor T levels were low before the retrofits and there was a significant increase in the average T after the retrofits. In addition, average ventilation rate was lower and CO 2 levels were higher after the retrofits in the case buildings (N=15), both in apartments with natural and mixed ventilation. Based on the results, assessment of thermal conditions and ventilation rates after energy retrofits is crucial for optimal indoor environmental quality and energy use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preventing Dampness Related Health Risks at the Design Stage of Buildings in Mediterranean Climates: A Cyprus Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ugochukwu Kenechi Elinwa

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Dampness is a major building challenge that poses a health risk by aiding the growth of mold and other related microorganisms in very humid areas. Thus, the correction of these post-effects results in high maintenance costs via energy consumption, due to the prolonged heating of damp rooms and post-treatment, especially during the winter. A survey of 2000 valid respondents living in apartment-style buildings was conducted and analyzed using SPSS software. In this study, the AutoDesk Computational Fluid Dynamics (ACFD software was used to perform a simulation for building materials analysis, to evaluate them for suitability in high humidity areas and to select the best building orientation for adequate and natural ventilation. The analysis aimed to observe the indoor air conditions due to environmental air flow conditions. The relationships of the airflow conditions to the material properties were measured. The methodology involves a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis to determine the level and nature of the dampness sources. The Design-Expert Statistical-Software 10 confirmed the simulation results. The simulation revealed a lower percentage of relative humidity and temperature in Adobe walls than in brick walls.

When work keeps us apart: a thematic analysis of the experience of business travellers

OpenAIRE

Nicholas, H; McDowall, A

2012-01-01

Whilst business travel is deemed important for organizational success and economic outcomes, little is known about the actual process of business travelling from the perspective of individuals who undertake such travel on a regular basis. Thus the current qualitative study examined how business travellers (three women and eight men) attempt to find a balance between work and family, by focusing on how time together and time apart are experienced. The results can be interpreted and framed with...

PM1 and PM2.5 ionic composition and VOCs measurements in two typical apartments in Athens, Greece: investigation of smoking contribution to indoor air concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraga, Dikaia E; Maggos, Thomas; Helmis, Constantinos G; Michopoulos, John; Bartzis, John G; Vasilakos, Christos

2010-08-01

During the last decades, the air quality of the city of Athens has been quite aggravated. Scientific interest has been focused on health effects caused by both outdoor and indoor air pollution. The purpose of this study was the presentation of results from air quality measurements in two similar typical Athenian apartments in the same suburban area. In addition, smoking contribution is investigated, as it is the main factor which differentiates the two apartments. The results showed that it is the outdoor environment that mainly contributes to the air quality of the non-smokers' house. In the second apartment, PM2.5, PM1, and benzene concentrations were found significantly higher due to smoking activity. In contrast, no clear difference in particulate matter ionic composition between the two areas was observed, although in the smoker's house, ion concentrations were found elevated. This observation amplifies the assumption that in the smoker's apartment, significant outdoor sources' contribution cannot be excluded.

Indoor Noise Loading in Residential Prefabricated Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Michal; Juhásová Šenitková, Ingrid

2017-10-01

Quality on indoor environment is among others also defined by an acoustic comfort and noise emissions. The indoor noise loading in the residential prefabricated buildings is specific problem related to structural design of these buildings. Problems with noise level of sanitary systems are mostly associated with hydraulic shock such as water distribution and sewage drainage. Another very common cause of excessive noise is also flushing the toilet or water fall on enamelled steel (bath or shower). This paper aims to analyse the acoustic properties in the residential prefabricated buildings. Sanitary core of the assessed apartment is in original condition without any alterations. The sanitary core is based on a formica (high-pressure laminate). The study discusses the maximum sound levels in the three assessed rooms for the three different noise sources. The values of maximum noise level are measured for the corridor, bedroom and living room. Sources of noise are common activities relating to the operation of sanitary core - the toilet flush in the toilet, falling water from the shower in the bathroom and the water falling on the bottom of the kitchen sink in the kitchen. Other sources of noise are eliminated or minimized during the experiment. The digital sound level meter Testo 815 is used for measurements. The measured values of maximum sound level LA,max [dB] are adjusted by the correction coefficient. The obtained values are compared with the hygienic limits for day and night period. Night hygienic limit (30 dB) is exceeded in all the rooms for all noise sources. This limit is exceeded from 17 to 73%. The values in the bedroom and the living room meet the daily hygienic limit (40 dB). The daily limit is exceeded only in the corridor. The highest values of noise are identified for the toilet flushing.

Hydronic Heating Retrofits for Low-Rise Multifamily Buildings: Boiler Control Replacement and Monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, J.; Henderson, H.; Varshney, K.

2014-09-01

The ARIES Collaborative, a U.S. Department of Energy Building America research team, partnered with NeighborWorks America affiliate Homeowners' Rehab Inc. (HRI) of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to study improvements to the central hydronic heating system in one of the nonprofit's housing developments. The heating controls in the three-building, 42-unit Columbia Cambridge Alliance for Spanish Tenants housing development were upgraded. Fuel use in the development was excessive compared to similar properties. A poorly insulated thermal envelope contributed to high energy bills, but adding wall insulation was not cost-effective or practical. The more cost-effective option was improving heating system efficiency. Efficient operation of the heating system faced several obstacles, including inflexible boiler controls and failed thermostatic radiator valves. Boiler controls were replaced with systems that offer temperature setbacks and one that controls heat based on apartment temperature in addition to outdoor temperature. Utility bill analysis shows that post-retrofit weather-normalized heating energy use was reduced by 10%-31% (average of 19%). Indoor temperature cutoff reduced boiler runtime (and therefore heating fuel consumption) by 28% in the one building in which it was implemented. Nearly all savings were obtained during night which had a lower indoor temperature cut off (68 degrees F) than day (73 degrees F). This implies that the outdoor reset curve was appropriately adjusted for this building for daytime operation. Nighttime setback of heating system supply water temperature had no discernable impact on boiler runtime or gas bills.

Thermal surface analysis on high-rise building façades with neo-minimalist and modern style in Penang, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Arab, Yasser; Hassan, Ahmad Sanusi; Qanaa, Bushra

2017-10-01

This research analyzed the façade thermal performance of high-rise buildings with modern and neo-minimalist architectural style. Four high-rise apartment buildings in Penang Island are selected as case studies for this research. The modern architectural style, which was popular during the 1970s to 1990s, nearly disregarded the cultural identity of the country and used the basic geometric shapes in the design. Conversely, the neo-minimalist style is the popular style from the 2010s up to the present. This style is a result of the "less is more" concept, which means using minimal applications to obtain an efficient design. The four selected case studies are as follows: Halaman Kristal 2 and Mutiara Idaman 1 with modern architectural style and Light Linear and Baystar apartments with neo-minimalist style. The research uses Fluke Ti20 thermal imager to capture thermal images of the west façade of the selected case studies on an hourly basis from 12:00 to 6:00 P.M. on March 15, 2017. Results confirm that the neo-minimalist façade elements, such as balconies and recessed walls, as well as other shading elements, are effective in improving the performance of façade shading. Notably, façade shading causes low surface temperature and provides cool indoor atmosphere during the day when the temperature is extremely high outside. Accordingly, this distinct feature partly explains the current popularity of the neo-minimalist architectural style.

Research Equity: A Capacity Building Workshop of Research Methodology for Medical Health Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashok Kumar Bhardwaj

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Research is a cornerstone for knowledge generation, which in turns requires capacity building for its tools and techniques. Despite having a vast infrastructure in India the research in medical science has been carried out in limited and focused institutions. In order to build the capacity in carrying out research activities a five-day planning workshop was conducted at state run medical college. Total 22 medical faculty members participated in the workshop with average public health experience of 12 years (range: 5–25 years. The knowledge was assessed objectively by multiple-choice questionnaire. The mean score increased from 6.7 to 7.9 from pre- to posttest. About seventy-percent participants showed improvement, whereas 21.0% showed deterioration in the knowledge and the rest showed the same score. Apart from knowledge skills also showed improvement as total 12 research projects were generated and eight were approved for funding by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR, New Delhi. It can be concluded that a supportive environment for research can be built with the technical assistance.

CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN CITY AT THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDINGS OF THE FIRST MASSIVE SERIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RAZUMOVA O. V.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Summary. The concept of sustainable development is a combination of three components: social, economic and environmental, which are directly related to the development of cities. The economic and demographic crisis has a considerable impact not only on the social sphere, but also on urban planning. The complex approach to restoration and improvement of housing stock is considered, the concept of reconstruction of particular buildings is provided. This approach reflects most fully the purpose of renovating of the particular structure or their groups as a solution to the issue of the complex problem of improving the urban environment. An innovative project for the reconstruction of the buildings of the first mass series with the modification of the space planning solutions of the apartments was proposed, using modern technical and environmental requirements and preserving the housing stock. Purpose of research. The use of innovative approaches in the design of comfortable standard housing and the choice of the technical solutions to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, reduce energy costs for solving economic and social problems in the reconstruction of the five-story building of the 50-60's.

Planning solutions of sanitary facilities in modern residential buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlov Evgeniy Vladimirovich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the article the short historical review on the design of sanitary rooms and their configurations is given. The main errors of the recent years, which led to the decrease in accommodation convenience because of the wrong approach from both the architect and engineers, are given. It is possible to use a small useful area for sanitary facilities, but it is connected with the lack of possibility of connecting washing and dishwashers. The author considers the options of engineering equipment placement in sanitary rooms taking into account the convenience of use, safety, and also resource-saving aspect. Various solutions on the organization of heating and ventilation are provided. The possible technical solutions allowing solving a flooding problem of the first floors in elite housing estates in case of accident are offered with the help of full waterproofing of sanitary rooms, and also the whole area of the apartment. The main attention was focused on the improvements of sanitary rooms for one-room and two-room apartments, which are the most demanded in the modern market of real estate. Layout solutions of the reduced bathrooms on the placement of the necessary equipment with choice justification are provided. The attention is paid to the layout solution for modern kitchens on order to increase their comfort by the use of special two-section sinks, and also a grinder of food waste in order to allow to lower the load of the systems of rubbish disposal of a building, by dumping the crushed garbage in an internal sewer network. Various options of evolutionary development of sanitary rooms for increasing the comfort degree are given. First of all, the development should happen in the direction of not only sanitation and hygiene, but also of the maintenance of the physical health of the people living in the building. It can be carried out by increase in a useful area of sanitary rooms, installation of exercise machines, medical bathtubs and a Jacuzzi

Analysis of Circular Development and Investment Possibilities (Transport, Energy and Building Related to International Sports Event Planning

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Horváth Bálint

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the possibilities of various development areas (transport, energy, building to make the cost-efficient realisation of high-profile investments, and organising and holding international sports events possible. Using a case study, the paper introduces development routes based on the evaluation of environmental and economic perspectives. The current research introduces the investment characteristics based on the development of the Hungarian building, energy and transport sectors for the 2017-2030 period. The main criterion is the integration of ‘circular economy’. For sectors which operate with high material and energy consumption, the consideration of circular economy principles may prove to be important for sustainable development. Through planning highvolume sports and worldwide events, the usual development strategy for traffic systems focuses on public transport and rentable vehicles (f. e. electric scooter, or bicycle which can decrease CO2 emissions via modern technological solutions. Regarding the buildings, sports arenas and related facilities, besides the existing low-carbon solutions, the functions of buildings must be expanded and their usage prolonged. The management of waste left after the life cycle is expended has to be pre-planned. These are the options for making the sector’s GHG emissions decrease apart from circular tenders, which can be further combined with SMART energetic solutions.

Why do intimate partners live apart? Evidence on LAT relationships across Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aart C. Liefbroer

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Most research asks whether or not cohabitation has come to rival marriage. Little is known about the meaning of living apart together (LAT relationships, and whether LAT is an alternative to marriage and cohabitation or a dating relationship. Objective: We examine across Europe: (1 the prevalence of LAT, (2 the reasons for LAT, and (3 the correlates of (a LAT relationships vis-à-vis being single, married, or cohabiting, and (b different types of LAT union. Methods: Using Generations and Gender Survey data from ten Western and Eastern European countries, we present descriptive statistics about LATs and estimate multinominal logistic regression models to assess the correlates of being in different types of LAT unions. Results: LAT relationships are uncommon, but they are more common in Western than Eastern Europe. Most people in LAT unions intend to live together but are apart for practical reasons. LAT is more common among young people, those enrolled in higher education, people with liberal attitudes, highly educated people, and those who have previously cohabited or been married. Older people and divorced or widowed persons are more likely to choose LAT to maintain independence. Surprisingly, attitudinal and educational differences are more pronounced in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe. Conclusions: A tentative conclusion is that LAT is more often a stage in the union formation process than an alternative to marriage and cohabitation. Yet some groups do view LAT as substituting for marriage and cohabitation, and these groups differ between East and West. In Eastern Europe a cultural, highly educated elite seems to be the first to resist traditional marriage norms and embrace LAT (and cohabitation as alternative living arrangements, whereas this is less the case in Western Europe. In Western Europe, LAT unions are mainly an alternative for persons who have been married before or had children in a prior relationship.

Role of Colonial Subjects in Making Themselves Inferior in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Sadeghi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Chinua Achebe in his novel Things Fall Apart gives us a unique picture of life in Africa before the arrival of Christianity and colonization and the era afterwards. He shows how African people lost their traditional culture and values, replacing them with foreign beliefs. In this article, the way black people lived before the arrival of white people, how they encountered and reacted to white colonizers, in addition to how they converted to Christianity and subsequently to White culture, as portrayed in this novel, will be analyzed. The purpose of this study is to trace the roots of this rapid pace of colonialism back to when colonial subjects lost their original culture to the new-coming people and to what extent those colonized people were affectively actualizing their inferiority and subordination to the white society. Frantz Fanon’s theories on the relation between language and culture or language and civilization, as well as his discussion of White notion of Blacks and Blacks’ conception of themselves are discussed and analyzed in Achebe’s masterpiece Things Fall Apart to prove that black people attempted to make up for their deep feeling of incompleteness by imitating white people and forming a white personality in a black statue as a result of their own conscious volition.

Conway Street Apartments: A Multifamily Deep Energy Retrofit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aldrich, R.; Williamson, J.

2014-11-01

While single-family, detached homes account for 63% of households (EIA 2009); multi-family homes account for a very large portion of that remaining housing stock, and this fraction is growing. Through recent research efforts, CARB has been evaluating strategies and technologies that can make dramatic improvements in energy performance in multi-family buildings.

Holistic Energy Renovation of Pre- and Postwar Apartment Blocks in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Marlene Stenberg Hagen; Rode, Carsten; Bjarløv, Søren Peter

of today. This paper presents the Danish research project Holistic Energy Renovation, which aims at performing a holistic energy renovation of two case buildings. As part of the project nine parameters for a holistic renovation have been defined, a method for developing and assessing a holistic building...... of the assessment method and an evaluation of how the holistic perspective has influenced the project process and product development....

Fiscal 1976 Sunshine Project result report (Drawings). R and D on solar cooling/heating and hot water supply system (R and D on the system for apartment houses); 1976 nendo taiyo reidanbo oyobi kyuto system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho zumenshu. Shugo jutakuyo system no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1977-03-01

Working design was made on an apartment house for R and D on solar cooling/heating and hot water supply system, and its drawings were prepared. The design was made on the experimental medium-rise square pyramid apartment house (3- storied, 28 dwelling units, RC structure, 1,566.63m{sup 2} in building area, 2,309.05m{sup 2} in total floor area). The house was equipped with normal high-voltage receiving panel, indoor cubicle of 300kVA, common antenna TV, telephone piping, door chime, direct water supply system with individual meters, LPG gas piping with individual meters, central hot water supply system with individual meters, and central cooling/heating system with individual fan coil units. The exterior of the house was finished with asphalt-waterproofing normal concrete-finished roofs of 1/50 in gradient, epoxy system resin-coated exposed concrete exterior walls, Al sash slide pair-glass window and alumite-finished Al door openings, and foamed polystyrene insulation plates (60mm, 50mm and 50mm thick for roofs, floors and walls, respectively). (NEDO)

Factors influencing indoor air quality in an urban high rise apartment building (retitled as "Air Pollution and air exchange in an urban high rise apartment building")

Science.gov (United States)

The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EP...

Cognition through montage and mechanisms of individual memory in Bogusław Bachorczyk's art on the example of the artist's apartment-studio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antos, Janusz

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The present text discusses Bogusław Bachorczyk's apartment-studio in Krakow. The decorations he has been making there since 2003 have transformed into a kind of work-in-progress. These decorations, just like Bachorczyk's art, are related to the issues of memory and identity. In 2013 he started the transformation of his apartment by "lacing up the wall" with polychrome in the library room, later to embrace also other rooms. He installed into existing polychromes new elements according to the rule of montage, which has recently constituted the basic strategy of his work.

Quantifying fine particle emission events from time-resolved measurements: Method description and application to 18 California low-income apartments.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, W R; Logue, J M; Wu, X; Klepeis, N E; Fisk, W J; Noris, F; Singer, B C

2018-01-01

PM 2.5 exposure is associated with significant health risk. Exposures in homes derive from both outdoor and indoor sources, with emissions occurring primarily in discrete events. Data on emission event magnitudes and schedules are needed to support simulation-based studies of exposures and mitigations. This study applied an identification and characterization algorithm to quantify time-resolved PM 2.5 emission events from data collected during 224 days of monitoring in 18 California apartments with low-income residents. We identified and characterized 836 distinct events with median and mean values of 12 and 30 mg emitted mass, 16 and 23 minutes emission duration, 37 and 103 mg/h emission rates, and pseudo-first-order decay rates of 1.3 and 2.0/h. Mean event-averaged concentrations calculated using the determined event characteristics agreed to within 6% of measured values for 14 of the apartments. There were variations in event schedules and emitted mass across homes, with few events overnight and most emissions occurring during late afternoons and evenings. Event characteristics were similar during weekdays and weekends. Emitted mass was positively correlated with number of residents (Spearman coefficient, ρ=.10), bedrooms (ρ=.08), house volume (ρ=.29), and indoor-outdoor CO 2 difference (ρ=.27). The event schedules can be used in probabilistic modeling of PM 2.5 in low-income apartments. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seismic soil structure interaction analysis for asymmetrical buildings supported on piled raft for the 2015 Nepal earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Badry, Pallavi; Satyam, Neelima

2017-01-01

Seismic damage surveys and analyses conducted on modes of failure of structures during past earthquakes observed that the asymmetrical buildings show the most vulnerable effect throughout the course of failures (Wegner et al., 2009). Thus, all asymmetrical buildings significantly fails during the shaking events and it is really needed to focus on the accurate analysis of the building, including all possible accuracy in the analysis. Apart from superstructure geometry, the soil behavior during earthquake shaking plays a pivotal role in the building collapse (Chopra, 2012). Fixed base analysis where the soil is considered to be infinitely rigid cannot simulate the actual scenario of wave propagation during earthquakes and wave transfer mechanism in the superstructure (Wolf, 1985). This can be well explained in the soil structure interaction analysis, where the ground movement and structural movement can be considered with the equal rigor. In the present study the object oriented program has been developed in C++ to model the SSI system using the finite element methodology. In this attempt the seismic soil structure interaction analysis has been carried out for T, L and C types piled raft supported buildings in the recent 25th April 2015 Nepal earthquake (M = 7.8). The soil properties have been considered with the appropriate soil data from the Katmandu valley region. The effect of asymmetry of the building on the responses of the superstructure is compared with the author's research work. It has been studied/observed that the shape or geometry of the superstructure governs the response of the superstructure subjected to the same earthquake load.

Successful building and sanitation - Energy-saving potentials in house and apartments - Bad Homburg vor der Hoehe. 2. ed.; Erfolgreich sanieren - Energiesparpotentiale in Haus und Wohnung - Bad Homburg vor der Hoehe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

Climate protection and high energy costs require a reduction of the energy consumption in new buildings and in existing buildings. In 1995, the city Bad Homburg v.d. Hoehe (Federal Republic of Germany) let draw up an energy concept in order to uncover the potentials to effective climate protection. The brochure under consideration is addressed to house owners which would like to reorganize their buildings professionally and energy-saving and to receive a ''first aid'' with this brochure. This brochure consists of the following contributions: (a) Energy-saving construction and reorganization - an investment into the future; (b) Measures of reorganization and saving potentials; (c) Renewable energies in the house; (d) Electricity: The energy in the background; (e) Financial incentives in the overview. (orig./GL)

An evaluation model for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) acceptance in residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, A.C.K.; Mui, K.W.; Wong, L.T.; Law, L.Y.

2009-01-01

The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in residential buildings is examined from the prospect of an occupant's acceptance in four aspects: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, noise level and illumination level. Based on the evaluations by 125 occupants living in 32 typical residential apartments in Hong Kong, this study proposes empirical expressions to approximate the overall IEQ acceptance with respect to four contributors, namely operative temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, equivalent noise level and illumination level, via a multivariate logistic regression model. A range of IEQ acceptances for regular residential conditions is determined and the dependence of the predicted overall IEQ acceptance on the variations of the contributors is discussed. The proposed overall IEQ acceptance can be used as a quantitative assessment criterion for similar residential environments where an occupant's evaluation is expected. (author)

A multi-objective optimization model for energy-efficiency building envelope retrofitting plan with rooftop PV system installation and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Yuling; Xia, Xiaohua

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A multi-objective optimization model for building envelope retrofit is presented. • Facility performance degradation and maintenance is built into the model. • A rooftop PV system is introduced to produce electricity. • Economic factors including net present value and payback period are considered. - Abstract: Retrofitting existing buildings with energy-efficient facilities is an effective method to improve their energy efficiency, especially for old buildings. A multi-objective optimization model for building envelope retrofitting is presented. Envelope components including windows, external walls and roofs are considered to be retrofitted. Installation of a rooftop solar panel system is also taken into consideration in this study. Rooftop solar panels are modeled with their degradation and a maintenance scheme is studied for sustainability of energy and its long-term effect on the retrofitting plan. The purpose is to make the best use of financial investment to maximize energy savings and economic benefits. In particular, net present value, the payback period and energy savings are taken as the main performance indicators of the retrofitting plan. The multi-objective optimization problem is formulated as a non-linear integer programming problem and solved by a weighted sum method. Results of applying the designed retrofitting plan to a 50-year-old building consisting of 66 apartments demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Multi-family Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Apartments and condos that have earned the label will have WaterSense labeled toilets, faucets, and showerheads that have been independently certified to be high-performing and water-efficient, saving 20 percent more water than standard models.

Hydrotalcite catalysis for the synthesis of new chiral building blocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodilla, Jesus M; Neves, Patricia P; Pombal, Sofia; Rives, Vicente; Trujillano, Raquel; Díez, David

2016-01-01

The use of hydrotalcites for the synthesis of two chiral building blocks in a simple way is described as a new and green methodology. The synthesis of these compounds implies a regioselective Baeyer-Villiger reaction in a very selective way with ulterior opening and lactonisation. This methodology should be considered green for the use of hydrogen peroxide as the only oxidant and hydrotalcites as the catalyst, and because no residues are produced apart from water. The procedure is very adequate for using in gram scale, in order to increase the value of the obtained compounds. The conditions are excellent and can be applied for nonstable compounds, as they are very mild. The synthesised compounds are magnific starting materials for the synthesis of biologically active or natural compounds. The use of a cheap, commercial and chiral compound as carvone disposable in both enantiomeric forms adds an extra value to this methodology.

Keeping it together and falling apart: Women's dynamic experience of birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Priscilla J; Foster, Jennifer Whitman; Yount, Kathryn M; Jennings, Bonnie Mowinski

2018-03-01

To explore the complexity of women's birth experiences in the context in which they occur and to describe how these influence women's well-being in labor. Qualitative method with a phenomenological approach, following the analysis principles of van Manen. Eight women from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in Atlanta, Georgia, United States with a recent, healthy birth were interviewed twice about their experience of the labor journey. The first interview was 3-12 weeks post-partum, with the second interview at 10-22 weeks post-partum. The phenomenon of childbirth was a dynamic fluctuating between keeping it together and falling apart. The changes in emotion were created by a sensitive feedback loop between the woman and her environment, the physical space, and interactions with humans present. Four characteristics supported and created this phenomenon: confidence, comfort, agency and connection. Confidence was believing in one's physical ability to birth the baby while at the same time, having the emotional resources to cope with the experience. Comfort was essential to manage pain and difficult emotions. The presence of comfort changed the meaning and experience of pain and increased relaxation. Agency was overtly supported in labor, but compromised by hospital routine and unresponsive caregiver practices, and was diminished by women's vulnerability in labor. When agency was compromised, falling apart increased, and there was a move towards intense negative emotion. In labor, women wanted an authentic human connection, being known as a person. This connection was a mechanism to support the other characteristics of comfort, confidence, and agency. Clinicians need to accommodate the complex, dynamic fluctuations of emotion during birth addressing both the physical and non-physical aspects of the person. Birth care practices and childbirth research need to account for the complexity of birth as a holistic experience, specifically regarding the emotional

Particulate Matter Mass Concentration in Residential Prefabricated Buildings Related to Temperature and Moisture

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Michal; Juhásová Šenitková, Ingrid

2017-10-01

Building environmental audit and the assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ) in typical residential buildings is necessary process to ensure users’ health and well-being. The paper deals with the concentrations on indoor dust particles (PM10) in the context of hygrothermal microclimate in indoor environment. The indoor temperature, relative humidity and air movement are basic significant factors determining the PM10 concentration [μg/m3]. The experimental measurements in this contribution represent the impact of indoor physical parameters on the concentration of particulate matter mass concentration. The occurrence of dust particles is typical for the almost two-thirds of interiors of the buildings. Other parameters indoor environment, such as air change rate, volume of the room, roughness and porosity of the building material surfaces, static electricity, light ions and others, were set constant and they are not taken into account in this study. The mass concentration of PM10 is measured during summer season in apartment of residential prefabricated building. The values of global temperature [°C] and relative humidity of indoor air [%] are also monitored. The quantity of particulate mass matter is determined gravimetrically by weighing according to CSN EN 12 341 (2014). The obtained results show that the temperature difference of the internal environment does not have a significant effect on the concentration PM10. Vice versa, the difference of relative humidity exhibits a difference of the concentration of dust particles. Higher levels of indoor particulates are observed for low values of relative humidity. The decreasing of relative air humidity about 10% caused 10µg/m3 of PM10 concentration increasing. The hygienic limit value of PM10 concentration is not exceeded at any point of experimental measurement.

Indoor transformer stations and ELF magnetic field exposure: use of transformer structural characteristics to improve exposure assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Okokon, Enembe Oku; Roivainen, Päivi; Kheifets, Leeka; Mezei, Gabor; Juutilainen, Jukka

2014-01-01

Previous studies have shown that populations of multiapartment buildings with indoor transformer stations may serve as a basis for improved epidemiological studies on the relationship between childhood leukaemia and extremely-low-frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MFs). This study investigated whether classification based on structural characteristics of the transformer stations would improve ELF MF exposure assessment. The data included MF measurements in apartments directly above transformer stations ("exposed" apartments) in 30 buildings in Finland, and reference apartments in the same buildings. Transformer structural characteristics (type and location of low-voltage conductors) were used to classify exposed apartments into high-exposure (HE) and intermediate-exposure (IE) categories. An exposure gradient was observed: both the time-average MF and time above a threshold (0.4 μT) were highest in the HE apartments and lowest in the reference apartments, showing a statistically significant trend. The differences between HE and IE apartments, however, were not statistically significant. A simulation exercise showed that the three-category classification did not perform better than a two-category classification (exposed and reference apartments) in detecting the existence of an increased risk. However, data on the structural characteristics of transformers is potentially useful for evaluating exposure-response relationship.

Development of building envelope structures; Udvikling af klimaskaermskonstruktioner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monefeldt Tommerup, H. [Danmarks Tekniske Univ., Lyngby (Denmark); Munch-Andersen, J. [Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut, Hoersholm (Denmark); Kjaer Esbensen, P. [Danmarks Tekniske Univ., Lyngby (Denmark)

2000-08-01

The present report concludes the work concerning the development of building envelope constructions, which can form the basis of new buildings with considerably less heat demand than in the present building regulations. It has been made probable that it is technically possible to build exterior walls with less heat loss than those just complying with the requirements of the current building regulations with no considerable added use of material apart from insulation. In their structure many of the shown constructions resemble types that are used today, while others presuppose that one part of the wall is attached to the other part or possibly to the rafters. Calculations concerning the importance of heat capacity for a 100 m{sup 2} single-family house have been made which confirm that by using heavy rather than light envelope constructions the reduction of the heating requirements is relatively small. Therefore optimisation of the insulation level can be carried out separately on the building components. A method has been developed for the evaluation of the optimum insulation level for the individual building components of the building envelope based on life cycle cost analysis. The method is based on making up the changes in the operational energy costs/ heating-costs and the cost of construction due to a change in the insulation thickness over a 30-year period. The life span of the primary parts of the building envelope is estimated at 100 years. It is assumed that the gross energy consumption that covers the heating requirements and the heat loss (determined by a simple calculation of degree days) changes concurrently with the change in the insulation thickness, which has been proved to be a reasonable approximation. The life cycle cost analysis has been carried out for a test-house of about 100 m{sup 2} and with two different energy price scenarios: 0.60 dkk/kWh (including taxes and VAT) which roughly corresponds to the present energy price level, and 1.20 dkk

Oviposition and vertical dispersal of Aedes mosquitoes in multiple storey buildings in Colombo district, Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayathilake, T A Hasini D G; Wickramasinghe, Mervyn B; de Silva, B G D Nissanka K

2015-09-01

The Colombo City in Sri Lanka is experiencing tremendous development and construction of multiple storey buildings and high rise apartments. The change in housing types and microhabitats might have altered the flight and breeding behaviour of Aedes mosquito population. This study was carried out to determine the vertical dispersal and abundance of Aedes mosquitoes in multiple storey buildings in the Colombo district, with respect to abiotic factors such as rainfall, humidity and wind speed. Hence, this study is of paramount importance, particularly for planning and implementation of control measures against Aedes mosquitoes. An ovitrap based study was carried out at four selected multiple storey buildings in four residential areas located in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from August to December 2013. Results were analyzed using four indices; ovitrap index, mean number of larvae, mean number of eggs and mean number of larvae per ovipaddle. The results implied that Aedes mosquitoes could be found in different elevations from ground floor to the highest floor (130 ft). There was a significant difference between height and ovitrap index (pAedes mosquitoes (pAedes mosquitoes are able to breed at any level of the buildings and not restricted by their height. The indices (mean number of larvae, mean number of eggs) representing the vertical dispersal with respect to abundance seemed to be statistically non-significant (p>0.05) with height which indicates high abundance of Aedes mosquitoes at higher floors. Abiotic factors also seemed to cause significant effect to the vertical dispersal of Aedes mosquitoes in high rise buildings.

Korterelamu : Aleksandri 35, Tartu = Apartment building : Aleksandri 35, Tartu / Margit Mutso

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mutso, Margit, 1966-

2009-01-01

Karlova linnaosas asuva korterelamu arhitektuursest lahendusest, žürii hinnang kultuurkapitali aastapreemiale esitatud elamule. Arhitektid Maarja Kask, Ralf Lõoke, Karli Luik ja Kristiina Arusoo (Salto AB)

Korterelamud Supilinnas = Apartment buildings in Supilinn / Kaido Kepp ; intervjueerinud Margit Mutso

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kepp, Kaido

2012-01-01

Tartus Meloni t. 28, Oa t. 31 ja 33 asuvate korterelamute arhitektuursest lahendusest. Kergplokkidest elamud on kaetud laudvoodriga, fassaadi keskmine osa on kaetud dekooriga. Arhitektid Kaido Kepp ja Erik Mutso (Arhitektuuriklubi)

Breaching of strike-slip faults and flooding of pull-apart basins to form the southern Gulf of California seaway from 8 to 6 Ma

Science.gov (United States)

Umhoefer, P. J.; Skinner, L. A.; Oskin, M. E.; Dorsey, R. J.; Bennett, S. E. K.; Darin, M. H.

2017-12-01

Studies from multiple disciplines delineate the development of the oblique-divergent Pacific - North America plate boundary in the southern Gulf of California. Integration of onshore data from the Loreto - Santa Rosalia margin with offshore data from the Pescadero, Farallon, and Guaymas basins provides a detailed geologic history. Our GIS-based paleotectonic maps of the plate boundary from 9 to 6 Ma show that evolution of pull-apart basins led to the episodic northwestward encroachment of the Gulf of California seaway. Because adjacent pull-apart basins commonly have highlands between them, juxtaposition of adjacent basin lows during translation and pull apart lengthening played a critical role in seaway flooding. Microfossils and volcanic units date the earliest marine deposits at 9(?) - 8 Ma at the mouth of the Gulf. By ca. 8 Ma, the seaway had flooded north to the Pescadero basin, while the Loreto fault and the related fault-termination basin was proposed to have formed along strike at the plate margin. East of Loreto basin, a short topographic barrier between the Pescadero and Farallon pull-apart basins suggests that the Farallon basin was either a terrestrial basin, or if breaching occurred, it may contain 8 Ma salt or marine deposits. This early southern seaway formed along a series of pull-apart basins within a narrow belt of transtension structurally similar to the modern Walker Lane in NV and CA. At ca. 7 Ma, a series of marine incursions breached a 75-100 km long transtensional fault barrier between the Farallon and Guaymas basins offshore Bahía Concepción. Repeated breaching events and the isolation of the Guaymas basin in a subtropical setting formed a 2 km-thick salt deposit imaged in offshore seismic data, and thin evaporite deposits in the onshore Santa Rosalia basin. Lengthening of the Guaymas, Yaqui, and Tiburon basins caused breaches of the intervening Guaymas and Tiburón transforms by 6.5-6.3 Ma, forming a permanent 1500 km-long marine seaway

Reunifying Versus Living Apart Together Across Borders: A Comparative Analysis of sub-Saharan Migration to Europe

OpenAIRE

Beauchemin, Cris; Nappa Usatu, Jocelyn; Schoumaker, Bruno; Baizan Munoz, Pau; Gonzalez-Ferrer, Amparo; Mazzucato, Valentina

2014-01-01

This article studies the process of reunification in Europe among “living apart together across borders” (LATAB) couples of African origin (DR Congo, Ghana, and Senegal). Couple reunion is conceived as a multilevel process, wherein state selection (through immigration policies in destination countries) interacts with self-selection (at the couple level), under influence of the social context at origin. Based on event history analyses of the MAFE project, empirical results show that LATAB is a...

Building

OpenAIRE

Seavy, Ryan

2014-01-01

Building for concrete is temporary. The building of wood and steel stands against the concrete to give form and then gives way, leaving a trace of its existence behind. Concrete is not a building material. One does not build with concrete. One builds for concrete. MARCH

Radiofrequency radiation from nearby base stations gives high levels in an apartment in Stockholm, Sweden: A case report

Science.gov (United States)

Hardell, Lennart; Carlberg, Michael; Hedendahl, Lena K.

2018-01-01

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation was classified in 2011 as a possible human carcinogen, Group 2B, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation. Evidence of the risk of cancer risk has since strengthened. Exposure is changing due to the rapid development of technology resulting in increased ambient radiation. RF radiation of sufficient intensity heats tissues, but the energy is insufficient to cause ionization, hence it is called non-ionizing radiation. These non-thermal exposure levels have resulted in biological effects in humans, animals and cells, including an increased cancer risk. In the present study, the levels of RF radiation were measured in an apartment close to two groups of mobile phone base stations on the roof. A total of 74,531 measurements were made corresponding to ~83 h of recording. The total mean RF radiation level was 3,811 µW/m2 (range 15.2–112,318 µW/m2) for the measurement of the whole apartment, including balconies. Particularly high levels were measured on three balconies and 3 of 4 bedrooms. The total mean RF radiation level decreased by 98% when the measured down-links from the base stations for 2, 3 and 4 G were disregarded. The results are discussed in relation to the detrimental health effects of non-thermal RF radiation. Due to the current high RF radiation, the apartment is not suitable for long-term living, particularly for children who may be more sensitive than adults. For a definitive conclusion regarding the effect of RF radiation from nearby base stations, one option would be to turn them off and repeat the measurements. However, the simplest and safest solution would be to turn them off and dismantle them. PMID:29725476

Radiofrequency radiation from nearby base stations gives high levels in an apartment in Stockholm, Sweden: A case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardell, Lennart; Carlberg, Michael; Hedendahl, Lena K

2018-05-01

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation was classified in 2011 as a possible human carcinogen, Group 2B, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation. Evidence of the risk of cancer risk has since strengthened. Exposure is changing due to the rapid development of technology resulting in increased ambient radiation. RF radiation of sufficient intensity heats tissues, but the energy is insufficient to cause ionization, hence it is called non-ionizing radiation. These non-thermal exposure levels have resulted in biological effects in humans, animals and cells, including an increased cancer risk. In the present study, the levels of RF radiation were measured in an apartment close to two groups of mobile phone base stations on the roof. A total of 74,531 measurements were made corresponding to ~83 h of recording. The total mean RF radiation level was 3,811 µW/m 2 (range 15.2-112,318 µW/m 2 ) for the measurement of the whole apartment, including balconies. Particularly high levels were measured on three balconies and 3 of 4 bedrooms. The total mean RF radiation level decreased by 98% when the measured down-links from the base stations for 2, 3 and 4 G were disregarded. The results are discussed in relation to the detrimental health effects of non-thermal RF radiation. Due to the current high RF radiation, the apartment is not suitable for long-term living, particularly for children who may be more sensitive than adults. For a definitive conclusion regarding the effect of RF radiation from nearby base stations, one option would be to turn them off and repeat the measurements. However, the simplest and safest solution would be to turn them off and dismantle them.

Analysis of a natural exhaust fan in a building of houses through thermal simulations and CFD; Analisis de un sistema de ventilacion natural en un edificio de viviendas a traves de simulaciones termicas y CFD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bueno, B.; Cejudo, J.; Carrillo, A.

2008-07-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) application to building energy simulation (STE) allows better modelling of indoor air performance and therefore it can be used to optimize the design of natural ventilation systems. In this paper, a natural ventilation system based on thermal chimney applied to a residential building is analyzed. Energy Plus simulations are applied to an apartment and results are coupled to CFD simulations to determine ventilation rates and study convection in the space. CFD simulations are also applied to evaluate indoor air distribution and study how ventilation rate is affected by the pressure drop at ventilation grilles. (Author)

Radioactive air emissions notice of construction for Canister Storage Building (revised sealing configuration for spent nuclear fuel) - Project W-379

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamberg, L.D.

1998-01-01

The purpose of this Notice of Construction (NOC) is to provide a rewritten NOC for obtaining regulatory approval for changes to the previous Canister Storage Building (CSB) NOCs (WDOH, 1996 and EPA, 1996) as were approved by the Washington State Department of Health (WDOH, 1996a) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 1996a). These changes are because of a revised sealing configuration of the multi-canister overpacks (MCOS) that are used to store the SNF. A flow schematic of the SNF Project is provided in Figure 1-1. A separate notification of startup will be provided apart from this NOC

Real-Time Recognition Non-Intrusive Electrical Appliance Monitoring Algorithm for a Residential Building Energy Management System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kofi Afrifa Agyeman

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The concern of energy price hikes and the impact of climate change because of energy generation and usage forms the basis for residential building energy conservation. Existing energy meters do not provide much information about the energy usage of the individual appliance apart from its power rating. The detection of the appliance energy usage will not only help in energy conservation, but also facilitate the demand response (DR market participation as well as being one way of building energy conservation. However, energy usage by individual appliance is quite difficult to estimate. This paper proposes a novel approach: an unsupervised disaggregation method, which is a variant of the hidden Markov model (HMM, to detect an appliance and its operation state based on practicable measurable parameters from the household energy meter. Performing experiments in a practical environment validates our proposed method. Our results show that our model can provide appliance detection and power usage information in a non-intrusive manner, which is ideal for enabling power conservation efforts and participation in the demand response market.

A square meter of contradictions (the problems of house-building in Irkutsk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lev Konstantinov

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Why there is a tendency not to build the objects, which are in great demand?Mostly people prefer not very big single- or two-room flats, having decent 50-70 square meters area. But the apartments in newly-erected buildings generally consist of four, five and more rooms and have two levels of 100, 200 and more square meters.Why the construction is so erratic? Why and what for the tight «planting» of cast-in-place wireframe high-rise buildings adjoins vast abandoned lots?Who needs absurd and uncomfortable design to dominate in the newly-built flats? Incongruous corridors through the whole flat, huge halls, staircases as big as a tennis ground, and at that much tightness, the size of lavatories that used to be in Khruschev's time, low ceilings, poor sound isolation and so on…Unfortunately, the old good formula «to find who makes a profit on it» does not work in this case. Nobody considers it profitable to let the houses be expensive, scarce and uncomfortable at the same time. None of the alignments forces the problem of dwelling regardless of the interests of the majority of citizens. And it is hardly in power of any alignment.One may suspect «them all» of collusion, but this can quickly lead to paranoia. Then follow the interviews with an interior designer, a head of a big construction company, a culture researcher, an architect and a tenant of a newly erected building.

Okonkwo’s fate and the worldview of Things Fall Apart

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Foley

2001-08-01

Full Text Available This article argues that despite the apparently exhaustive critical attention paid to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958, certain key aspects of the novel’s meaning remain unresolved. At the heart of the problem lies the question of how to interpret the reasons for Okonkwo’s downfall or fate. The article suggests that a number of different sources of explanation appear to be plausible at various levels, but it goes on to demonstrate that at least some of these putative explanations are incompatible if not mutually exclusive. The more general difficulty arising from this is that several of these explanations are underpinned by worldviews which differ from and even conflict with each other. The article intends, therefore, through an exploration of the possible reasons for Okonkwo’s demise, to consider what worldview the novel finally supports and, indeed, whether the novel’s outlook is coherent at all. The chief conclusion is that although the overall perspective of the novel is highly complex, it does not necessarily follow that the actual meaning of the novel itself is either illogical or selfcontradictory.

Remotely Telling Humans and Computers Apart: An Unsolved Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Castro, Carlos Javier; Ribagorda, Arturo

The ability to tell humans and computers apart is imperative to protect many services from misuse and abuse. For this purpose, tests called CAPTCHAs or HIPs have been designed and put into production. Recent history shows that most (if not all) can be broken given enough time and commercial interest: CAPTCHA design seems to be a much more difficult problem than previously thought. The assumption that difficult-AI problems can be easily converted into valid CAPTCHAs is misleading. There are also some extrinsic problems that do not help, especially the big number of in-house designs that are put into production without any prior public critique. In this paper we present a state-of-the-art survey of current HIPs, including proposals that are now into production. We classify them regarding their basic design ideas. We discuss current attacks as well as future attack paths, and we also present common errors in design, and how many implementation flaws can transform a not necessarily bad idea into a weak CAPTCHA. We present examples of these flaws, using specific well-known CAPTCHAs. In a more theoretical way, we discuss the threat model: confronted risks and countermeasures. Finally, we introduce and discuss some desirable properties that new HIPs should have, concluding with some proposals for future work, including methodologies for design, implementation and security assessment.

Giant black hole rips star apart

Science.gov (United States)

2004-02-01

Astronomers believe that a doomed star came too close to a giant black hole after a close encounter with another star threw it off course. As it neared the enormous gravity of the black hole, the star was stretched by tidal forces until it was torn apart. This discovery provides crucial information on how these black holes grow and affect the surrounding stars and gas. "Stars can survive being stretched a small amount, as they are in binary star systems, but this star was stretched beyond its breaking point," said Dr Stefanie Komossa of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Germany, who led the international team of researchers. "This unlucky star just wandered into the wrong neighbourhood." While other observations have hinted that stars are destroyed by black holes (events known as ‘stellar tidal disruptions’), these new results are the first strong evidence. Observations with XMM-Newton and Chandra, combined with earlier images from the German Roentgensatellite (ROSAT), detected a powerful X-ray outburst from the centre of the galaxy RXJ1242-11. This outburst, one of the most extreme ever detected in a galaxy, was caused by gas from the destroyed star that was heated to millions of degrees before being swallowed by the black hole. The energy liberated in this process is equivalent to that of a supernova. "Now, with all of the data in hand, we have the smoking gun proof that this spectacular event has occurred," said co-author Prof. Guenther Hasinger, also of MPE. The black hole in the centre of RX J1242-11 is estimated to have a mass about 100 million times that of the Sun. By contrast, the destroyed star probably had a mass about equal to that of the Sun, making it a lopsided battle of gravity. "This is the ultimate ‘David versus Goliath’ battle, but here David loses," said Hasinger. The astronomers estimated that about one hundredth of the mass of the star was ultimately consumed, or accreted, by the black hole. This small

Building Better Buildings: Sustainable Building Activities in California Higher Education Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sowell, Arnold; Eichel, Amanda; Alevantis, Leon; Lovegreen, Maureen

2003-01-01

This article outlines the activities and recommendations of California's sustainable building task force, discusses sustainable building activities in California's higher education systems, and highlights key issues that California is grappling with in its implementation of sustainable building practices. (EV)

Impacts on the environment and landscape of new energy productions on farm parcels and buildings, Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pointereau, Ph.; Bochu, J.L.; Couturier, Ch.; Coulon, F.; Arnal, A.; Giorgis, S.

2009-01-01

This study aims at identifying positive and negative impacts of new energy productions implemented in farms on the environment (water, soil, biodiversity, space occupancy) and on landscapes, and at proposing techniques and regulations to strengthen positive consequences and to limit possible problems created by these energy productions. The considered productions are: trees apart from forest (hedges and copses), new farm energetic crops (Miscanthus for example), solar equipment (photovoltaic mounted on buildings or on ground, solar hot water and solar dryers), biogas production equipment, hydraulic micro-plants. The authors addressed the following environmental impacts: water (in quantity and quality), soils (quality, erosion risks), biodiversity, space occupancy (with respect to other activities), and landscape

Apar-T: code, validation, and physical interpretation of particle-in-cell results

Science.gov (United States)

Melzani, Mickaël; Winisdoerffer, Christophe; Walder, Rolf; Folini, Doris; Favre, Jean M.; Krastanov, Stefan; Messmer, Peter

2013-10-01

We present the parallel particle-in-cell (PIC) code Apar-T and, more importantly, address the fundamental question of the relations between the PIC model, the Vlasov-Maxwell theory, and real plasmas. First, we present four validation tests: spectra from simulations of thermal plasmas, linear growth rates of the relativistic tearing instability and of the filamentation instability, and nonlinear filamentation merging phase. For the filamentation instability we show that the effective growth rates measured on the total energy can differ by more than 50% from the linear cold predictions and from the fastest modes of the simulation. We link these discrepancies to the superparticle number per cell and to the level of field fluctuations. Second, we detail a new method for initial loading of Maxwell-Jüttner particle distributions with relativistic bulk velocity and relativistic temperature, and explain why the traditional method with individual particle boosting fails. The formulation of the relativistic Harris equilibrium is generalized to arbitrary temperature and mass ratios. Both are required for the tearing instability setup. Third, we turn to the key point of this paper and scrutinize the question of what description of (weakly coupled) physical plasmas is obtained by PIC models. These models rely on two building blocks: coarse-graining, i.e., grouping of the order of p ~ 1010 real particles into a single computer superparticle, and field storage on a grid with its subsequent finite superparticle size. We introduce the notion of coarse-graining dependent quantities, i.e., quantities depending on p. They derive from the PIC plasma parameter ΛPIC, which we show to behave as ΛPIC ∝ 1/p. We explore two important implications. One is that PIC collision- and fluctuation-induced thermalization times are expected to scale with the number of superparticles per grid cell, and thus to be a factor p ~ 1010 smaller than in real plasmas, a fact that we confirm with

Una aproximación semiótica a la anomalía enunciativa "aparte" en el drama

OpenAIRE

Matamala Elorz, Roberto

2007-01-01

El presente artículo resume el estudio semiótico del aparte teatral en el texto dramático. Comienza por exponer brevemente metodología e hipótesis para luego extraer del corpus una taxonomía, de la cual puede obtenerse el paradigma y desde aquí el sintagma de la anomalía enunciativa, que precede a la presentación de las conclusiones con que finaliza el trabajo.

A-Part Gel, an adhesion prophylaxis for abdominal surgery: a randomized controlled phase I-II safety study [NCT00646412].

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Reinhold; Baumann, Petra; Schmoor, Claudia; Odermatt, Erich K; Wente, Moritz N; Jauch, Karl-Walter

2015-01-01

Intra-abdominal surgical intervention can cause the development of intra-peritoneal adhesions. To reduce this problem, different agents have been tested to minimize abdominal adhesions; however, the optimal adhesion prophylaxis has not been found so far. Therefore, the A-Part(®) Gel was developed as a barrier to diminish postsurgical adhesions; the aim of this randomized controlled study was a first evaluation of its safety and efficacy. In this prospective, controlled, randomized, patient-blinded, monocenter phase I-II study, 62 patients received either the hydrogel A-Part-Gel(®) as an anti-adhesive barrier or were untreated after primary elective median laparotomy. Primary endpoint was the occurrence of peritonitis and/or wound healing impairment 28 ± 10 days postoperatively. As secondary endpoints anastomotic leakage until 28 days after surgery, adverse events and adhesions were assessed until 3 months postoperatively. A lower rate of wound healing impairment and/or peritonitis was observed in the A-Part Gel(®) group compared to the control group: (6.5 vs. 13.8 %). The difference between the two groups was -7.3%, 90 % confidence interval [-20.1, 5.4 %]. Both treatment groups showed similar frequency of anastomotic leakage but incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events were slightly lower in the A-Part Gel(®) group compared to the control. Adhesion rates were comparable in both groups. A-Part Gel(®) is safe as an adhesion prophylaxis after abdominal wall surgery but no reduction of postoperative peritoneal adhesion could be found in comparison to the control group. This may at least in part be due to the small sample size as well as to the incomplete coverage of the incision due to the used application. NCT00646412.

Building performance simulation for sustainable buildings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hensen, J.L.M.

2010-01-01

This paper aims to provide a general view of the background and current state of building performance simulation, which has the potential to deliver, directly or indirectly, substantial benefits to building stakeholders and to the environment. However the building simulation community faces many

Building America Case Study: Rehabilitation of USDA Multifamily Homes, Georgia (Climate Zones 2-4)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2016-04-01

Rea Ventures Group, LLC, (Rea Ventures) partnered with Southface Energy Institute (Southface) on the rehabilitation of 418 low-income rental multifamily apartments located at 14 different properties in Georgia (Climate Zones 2-4). These 22-year old, individually-metered units were arranged in rowhouse or townhouse style units. Rehabilitation plans were developed using a process prescribed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program, who partially funded the building upgrades. The USDA is responsible for building, upgrading, and subsidizing housing in rural areas nationwide. In 2012, over $100 million was allocated in grants and loans. Due to the unique financing mechanism as well as long-term ownership requirements, property owners are especially motivated to invest in upgrades that will increase durability and tenant retention. These buildings represent a large stock of rural affordable housing that have the potential for significant energy and cost savings for property owners and tenants. Southface analyzed the energy upgrade potential of one stereotypical property in the Rea Ventures portfolio. This study will provide insight into the most cost-effective, implementable energy efficiency and durability upgrades for this age multifamily housing, having an enormous impact not only on the portfolio of Rea Ventures but on the vast USDA and larger Federal portfolio. Additionally, Southface will identify gaps in the current capital needs assessment process, examine available audit and simulation tools and protocols, and evaluate additional auditor training or certification needs.

Turist Motivasyonunda Mahalli Kültür ve Etkisi ve Apart Ziyaretlerinde Turist Memnuniyeti

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen Quang VINH

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Bu çalışma, apart turizm hizmet sektöründe stratejik pazarlama kararının tesis edilmesi anlayışını sağlamak için turizm planlamacılarına ve turizmcilere yardım etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ampirik analiz için Duonglam Eski Köyü’nün apart hizmetinden faydalanmış 150 uluslararası ziyaretçinin oluşturduğu datalar kullanılmıştır. Turist motivasyonu ve nihai varış noktası sadakatindeki memnuniyet arasındaki hipotezleri test etmek amacıyla regresyon yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Bu çalışma Duonglam köyündeki iklim şartları, nihai varış noktasına ulaşım kolaylığı, konaklama kalitesi, doğal güzellikler ve hijyen şartlarının turist memnuniyeti üzerinde önemli etkileri olduğu sonucunu çıkarmıştır. Diğer taraftan da bu sonuçlar Duonglam Eski Köyü’nün kültürel aktiviteleri ve turizm hizmet sektörü hakkında olumsuz bir kanıyı temsil etmektedir. Ayrıca çalışmada, araştırmanın sınırı ve turizm sektörü çalışanları için elde edilen bulguların sonuçları tartışılmıştır.

Correcting the Eyesight: Cosmopolitanism in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asım AYDIN

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Correcting the Eyesight: Cosmopolitanism in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Abstract  The evolutionary process of separatist efforts such as colonialism, imperialism, globalization, neo-colonialism or any nationalism are outdated because global resources are becoming scarce every day, so such terms as human solidarity, Cosmopolitanism, and co-existence will have to endure in order to make use of the resources in the most optimum way. Mankind will have to understand that global sameness has to prevail despite long years of hostility, violence and bloodshed. In line with such an understanding, cosmopolitanism, as a term refers to world citizenship and 'a tolerance for things and people who are different’ and 'morality which is not rooted locally, but globally.’ Chinua Achebe tries to change the African images created by the writers depending on Eurocentric and Afrocentric perspectives. He handles the same periphery from an unusual viewpoint that is because he utilizes a different approach in representing Africa and composes counter discourses in response to colonial, imperial and racial discourses presented in colonial contexts.

Building a capacity building manual

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Clinton, DD

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Organizations 2010 Building a capacity building manual Daniel D. Clinton, Jr., P.E., F.NSPE Chair, WFEO Capacity Building Committee Dr Andrew Cleland, FIPENZ, Chief Executive, IPENZ, NZ Eng David Botha, FSAICE, Executive Director, SAICE, SA Dawit... 2010 Tertiary level University curricula Coaches and mentors Facilities EXCeeD Remuneration of Academics Experiential training Outreach to Students Students chapters Young members forum World Federation of Engineering Organizations 2010 Post...

The Heating Curve Adjustment Method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kornaat, W.; Peitsman, H.C.

1995-01-01

In apartment buildings with a collective heating system usually a weather compensator is used for controlling the heat delivery to the various apartments. With this weather compensator the supply water temperature to the apartments is regulated depending on the outside air temperature. With

Bellanca building, Yellowknife : building envelope retrofit project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajewski, G. [A.D. Williams Engineering Inc., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2008-07-01

The Bellanca building is a ten-story, commercial office building, located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The owner was concerned about annual fuel consumption, relative to other buildings of similar size. Tenants reported cold drafts and some ice build-up had been reported in the past, on the exterior of the cladding. In addition, some water penetration had occurred during rainfall. This presentation provided background information on the Bellanca building and discussed a building envelope retrofit project. A.D. Williams was hired in late 2006 in order to provide an opinion on the present condition of the building envelope. This presentation described the site investigation and presented an interior and exterior review of the building. It also presented a thermographic survey in order to map thermal anomalies and establish trends. Following acceptance of the report on findings, one of five options was selected for further development. This included removal of existing cladding, exterior gypsum wallboard, fiberglass insulation and application of BASF Walltite CT foam, sheathing, rigid insulation, drainage plane and new cladding. The preliminary design was then presented. This paper also described the tender and award of the contract; construction phase; and substantial completion of the project. tabs, figs.

Smart buildings: Energy efficient conditioning of building occupants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeiler, W.; Houten, van M.A.; Boxem, G.; Vehler, R.; Verhoeven, M.; Fremouw, M.

2009-01-01

To further optimize energy performance of buildings, intelligent building control offers new possibilities. Intelligent Software Agents (ISA) can be implemented at different levels of building automation. Individual agents for individual climate control for each user of the building in combination

The Tragedy of Your Upstairs Neighbors: Is the Airbnb Negative Externality Internalized?

OpenAIRE

Horton, John J.

2015-01-01

A commonly expressed concern about the rise of the peer-to-peer rental market Airbnb is that hosts---those renting out their properties---impose costs on their unwitting neighbors. I consider the question of whether apartment building owners will, in a competitive rental market, set a building-specific Airbnb hosting policy that is socially efficient. I find that if tenants can sort across apartments based on the owners policy then the equilibrium fraction of buildings allowing Airbnb listing...

Settlement mechanism of the backfilled ground around nuclear power plant buildings. Part 2. A series of centrifuge tests and a numerical simulation by using FEM about a typical test result

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawai, Tadashi; Ishimaru, Makoto

2009-01-01

During the Niigataken Chuetsu-oki earthquake, rather large settlements of the backfill ground around the rigid and stable buildings were observed. In this study, five cases of centrifuge tests with shaking events were conducted to reproduce the similar type of the settlements in order to examine the mechanism of the settlements. The results from those tests showed that the ground was settled by the negative dilatancy of sandy soils anywhere in the model ground and the additional settlements were suddenly caused when the backfill ground was apart from the rigid wall modeling the rigid and stable buildings, namely a sliding failure in an active state was occurred in the backfill ground near the structure. It was confirmed that these settlements were able to be estimated by a simple method proposed in this report, in which only the differences between the self-weight of the sliding block and the soil strength calculated at the initial stress conditions were considered as the driving forces of the sliding failure, and then the accelerations calculated from the forces being divided by the mass of the sliding block were simply integrated two times with respected to the time when the ground was apart from the structure. Further, a numerical simulation by using FEM about a typical test result was conducted, and these settlements were well simulated. (author)

Living in 'Sunny Woods'; Wohnen in Sunny Woods - Zuerich Hoengg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naef, R.; Widmer, P.

2003-07-01

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at the results of a study made on the energy-efficiency of an apartment house with six maisonette apartments built on a south-facing slope in Zurich, Switzerland. The report describes the construction and the building services installations of this zero-energy building which features buried conduits for air-preheating, individual solar-thermal and photovoltaic installations and air/water heat pumps. The performance of these installations is commented on and differences in performance between individual apartments are examined. The architectural design of the building, which won both Swiss and European solar prizes, is described and commented on. The monitoring systems employed and the results obtained for the various components of the building technical services including vacuum solar collectors and thin-film photovoltaics are presented and commented on.

Hierarchical Genetic Analysis of German Cockroach (Blattella germanica) Populations from within Buildings to across Continents

Science.gov (United States)

Vargo, Edward L.; Crissman, Jonathan R.; Booth, Warren; Santangelo, Richard G.; Mukha, Dmitry V.; Schal, Coby

2014-01-01

Understanding the population structure of species that disperse primarily by human transport is essential to predicting and controlling human-mediated spread of invasive species. The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is a widespread urban invader that can actively disperse within buildings but is spread solely by human-mediated dispersal over longer distances; however, its population structure is poorly understood. Using microsatellite markers we investigated population structure at several spatial scales, from populations within single apartment buildings to populations from several cities across the U.S. and Eurasia. Both traditional measures of genetic differentiation and Bayesian clustering methods revealed increasing levels of genetic differentiation at greater geographic scales. Our results are consistent with active dispersal of cockroaches largely limited to movement within a building. Their low levels of genetic differentiation, yet limited active spread between buildings, suggests a greater likelihood of human-mediated dispersal at more local scales (within a city) than at larger spatial scales (within and between continents). About half the populations from across the U.S. clustered together with other U.S. populations, and isolation by distance was evident across the U.S. Levels of genetic differentiation among Eurasian cities were greater than those in the U.S. and greater than those between the U.S. and Eurasia, but no clear pattern of structure at the continent level was detected. MtDNA sequence variation was low and failed to reveal any geographical structure. The weak genetic structure detected here is likely due to a combination of historical admixture among populations and periodic population bottlenecks and founder events, but more extensive studies are needed to determine whether signatures of global movement may be present in this species. PMID:25020136

78 FR 58346 - National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-23

..., 102 E. Liberty St., Savannah, 13000826 ILLINOIS Cook County Curtiss--Wright Aeronautical University... MISSOURI Jackson County Plaza House Apartments, (Working-Class and Middle-Income Apartment Buildings in...

Danish building typologies and building stock analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wittchen, Kim Bjarne; Kragh, Jesper

energy savings in residential buildings. The intension with this analysis was to investigate the possible energy reduction in Denmark if the same approach had been taken for the entire Danish building stock. The report concludes that the ZeroHome initiative clearly results in energy savings, but far from...... enough to meet the government’s plan to make Danish buildings free from use of fossil fuels by 2035. This will probably require around 50 % energy savings in the Danish building stock as a whole. However, the project has proven that dedicated engagement of locals can speed up market penetration...... for energy savings in the existing Building stock....

Mauritius green building handbook, vol 1: Building envelope

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Wyk, Llewellyn V

2010-08-01

Full Text Available of the load- and non-load-bearing walls, including all doors and windows. Walls A wall is a continuous, usually vertical structure that is thin relative to its length and height (Emmitt & Gorse, 2005). Apart from functioning as structural elements... of thermal insulation, the greater the effect of thermal bridging (Emmitt & Gorse, 2005). Areas where thermal bridging typically occurs is through single pane glazing, metal door and window frames, solid masonry sections (window and door heads and sills...

Domestic Hot Water Production with Ground Source Heat Pump in Apartment Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jukka Yrjölä

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Producing domestic hot water (DHW with a ground source heat pump (GSHP is challenging due to the high temperature (HT of DHW. There are many studies proving the better performance of cascade heat pumps compared to single-stage heat pumps when the difference between the condensing and the evaporation temperature is large. In this system approach study, different GSHP arrangements are described and computationally compared. A two-stage heat pump arrangement is introduced in which water tanks of the heating system are utilized for warming up the DHW in two stages. It is shown that the electricity consumption with this two-stage system is approximately 31% less than with the single-stage heat pump and 12% less than with the cascade system. Further, both low temperature (LT and HT heat pumps can run alone, which is not common in cascade or other two-stage heat pumps. This is advantageous because the high loads of the space heating and DHW production are not simultaneous. Proper insulation of the DHW and recirculation pipe network is essential, and drying towel rails or other heating coils should be avoided when aiming for a high efficiency. The refrigerants in the calculations are R407C for the LT heat pump and R134a for the HT heat pump. Investment costs are excluded from calculations.

Prediction of indoor concentration of 0.5-4 µm particles of outdoor origin in an uninhabited apartment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schneider, T.; Jensen, K.A.; Clausen, P.A.

2004-01-01

Indoor and outdoor particle size distributions, indoor-outdoor pressure difference, indoor air-exchange rate, and meteorological conditions were measured at an uninhabited apartment located in a busy street in Copenhagen during 1-month long fall, winter and spring campaigns. Particle penetration...... was estimated from concentration rebound measurements following HEPA filtering of the indoor air by fitting a simple deterministic model. The model included measured air exchange rates and published surface deposition loss rates. This model was then used to predict indoor particle concentration. The model...

Building GSM network in extreme conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Mikulec, M.; Voznak, M.; Fajkus, M.; Partila, P.; Tovarek, J.; Chmelikova, Z.

2015-05-01

The paper is focused on the building ad-hoc GSM network based on open source software and low-cost hardware. The created Base Transmission Station can be deployed and put into operation in a few minutes in a required area to ensure private communication between connected GSM mobile terminals. The convergence between BTS station and the other networks is possible through IP network. The paper tries to define connection parameters to provide sufficient quality of voice service between the GSM network and IP Multimedia Subsystem. The paper brings practical results of voice call quality measurement between users inside BTS station mobile network and users inside IP Multimedia Subsystem network. The calls are simulated by low-cost embedded solution for speech quality measurement in GSM network. This tool is under development of our laboratory and allows automatic speech quality measurement of any GSM or UMTS mobile network. The Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality method is used to get final comparable results. The communication between BTS station and connected networks has to be secured against the interception from the third party. The influence of the securing method for quality of service is presented in detail. Paper, apart from the quality of service measurement section, describes technical requirements for successful interconnection between BTS and IMS networks. The authentication, authorization and accounting methods in roaming between BTS and IMS system are presented too.

Compliance with building energy regulations for new-build dwellings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Wei; Garmston, Helen

2012-01-01

Despite increasingly stringent building energy regulations worldwide, non-compliance exists in practice. This paper examines the profile of compliance with building energy regulations for new-build dwellings. In total 404 new-build dwellings completed in the UK from 2006 to 2009 were investigated. Only a third of these dwellings were evidenced as being compliant with Building Regulations Part L (England and Wales). Such low compliance casts a serious concern over the achievability of the UK Government's target for all new-build homes to be ‘zero carbon’ from 2016. Clearly evidenced was a lack of knowledge of Part L and its compliance requirements among the supply and building control sides of new-build dwellings. The results also indicate that the compliance profile was influenced by factors including Standard Assessment Procedure (UK Government's methodology for energy efficiency) calculation submissions, learning and experience of builders and building controls with Part L, use of Part L1A checklist, the introduction of energy performance certificate (EPC), build method, dwelling type, and project size. Better compliance was associated with flats over houses and timber frame over masonry. The use of EPC and Part L1A checklist should be encouraged. Key to addressing the lack of compliance with building energy regulations is training. -- Highlights: ► There exists a lack of compliance, worldwide, with building energy regulations. ► The implementation of England and Wales building energy regulations is problematic. ► Training, learning and experience of builders and building control are critical. ► Energy performance certificate and Part L 2006 checklist helped achieve compliance. ► Flats achieved better compliance over houses; and timber frame over masonry.

Solar energy in buildings solved by building information modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Chudikova, B.; Faltejsek, M.

2018-03-01

Building lead us to use renewable energy sources for all types of buildings. The use of solar energy is the alternatives that can be applied in a good ratio of space, price, and resultant benefits. Building Information Modelling is a modern and effective way of dealing with buildings with regard to all aspects of the life cycle. The basis is careful planning and simulation in the pre-investment phase, where it is possible to determine the effective result and influence the lifetime of the building and the cost of its operation. By simulating, analysing and insert a building model into its future environment where climate conditions and surrounding buildings play a role, it is possible to predict the usability of the solar energy and establish an ideal model. Solar systems also very affect the internal layout of buildings. Pre-investment phase analysis, with a view to future aspects, will ensure that the resulting building will be both low-energy and environmentally friendly.

Building 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Den Ouden, C.; Steemers, T.C.

1992-01-01

This is the first volume of Building 2000, a pilot project of the Commission's R and D-programme 'Solar Energy Applications to Buildings' with the purpose of encouraging the adoption of solar architecture in large buildings. In this first rich illustrated volume the results of the design studies illustrating passive solar architecture in buildings in the European Community are presented in particular for the building categories as mentioned in the subtitle. In a second volume, a similar series of studies is presented for the building categories: office buildings, public buildings and hotels and holiday complexes. Several Design Support Workshops were organized during the Building 2000 programme during which Building 2000 design teams could directly exchange ideas with the various design advice experts represented at these workshops. In the second part of the Building 2000 final report a summary of a selection of many reports is presented (15 papers), as produced by Design Support experts. Most of the design support activities resulted in changes of the various designs, as have been reported by the design teams in the brochures presented in the first part of this book. It is to be expected that design aids and simulation tools for passive solar options, daylighting concepts, comfort criteria etc., will be utilized more frequently in the future. This will result in a better exchange of information between the actual design practitioners and the European R and D community. This technology transfer will result in buildings with a higher quality with respect to energy and environmental issues

Building 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Den Ouden, C [EGM Engineering BV, Dordrecht (Netherlands); Steemers, T C [Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium)

1992-01-01

This is the first volume of Building 2000, a pilot project of the Commission's R and D-programme 'Solar Energy Applications to Buildings' with the purpose of encouraging the adoption of solar architecture in large buildings. In this first rich illustrated volume the results of the design studies illustrating passive solar architecture in buildings in the European Community are presented in particular for the building categories as mentioned in the subtitle. In a second volume, a similar series of studies is presented for the building categories: office buildings, public buildings and hotels and holiday complexes. Several Design Support Workshops were organized during the Building 2000 programme during which Building 2000 design teams could directly exchange ideas with the various design advice experts represented at these workshops. In the second part of the Building 2000 final report a summary of a selection of many reports is presented (15 papers), as produced by Design Support experts. Most of the design support activities resulted in changes of the various designs, as have been reported by the design teams in the brochures presented in the first part of this book. It is to be expected that design aids and simulation tools for passive solar options, daylighting concepts, comfort criteria etc., will be utilized more frequently in the future. This will result in a better exchange of information between the actual design practitioners and the European R and D community. This technology transfer will result in buildings with a higher quality with respect to energy and environmental issues.

The sick-building syndrome; Das Sick-Building-Syndrom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henne, A.; Neumann, H.F.; Winneke, G.

1992-12-31

The sick-building syndrome is characterized by the presence of general, non-specific symptoms (e.g., headache, tiredness, respiratory problems, eye trouble, vertigo, nausea, unspecific hypersensitivity) in association with a particular indoor ambience. It is clearly distinguishable from `building-related illness`, referring to a well-defined clinical syndrome due to staying in a building and for which a cause can, in general, be established. Disorders in the case of the sick-building syndrome are manifold and confirmed objectifiable results are hardly available so far. Yet there are some organ-related methods for the confirmation of findings concerning, for instance, the eyes, the skin and the area of the nose. The causes of the incidence of sick-building syndrome are more or less unclear. It is a multifactorial phenomenon involving physical, biological, chemical, individual-specific and psychological factors. Buildings where sick-building syndrome occurs typically exhibit certain properties. The European Community has already made proposals for the investigation of incriminated buildings. A systematic survey by questionnaire together with individual interviews plays an import part towards clarifying the syndrome. (orig./UWA) [Deutsch] Das Sick-Building-Syndrom beschreibt das Vorhandensein von allgemeinen, nicht spezifischen Symptomen (z.B. Kopfschmerzen, Muedigkeit, Atembeschwerden, Augenreizungen, Schwindelgefuehl, Uebelkeit, unspezifische Ueberempfindlichkeit), assoziiert mit einer besonderen Innenraumumgebung. Deutlich hiervon abzugrenzen ist die ``Building related illness``, bei der ein klinisch definiertes Krankheitsbild vorliegt, das durch den Aufenthalt im Gebaeude verursacht wird und fuer das im allgemeinen eine Ursache ermittelt werden kann. Das Beschwerdebild beim Sick-Building-Syndrom ist vielfaeltig, und gesicherte, objektivierbare Befunde liegen hierzu bisher kaum vor. Dennoch gibt es einige organbezogenen Methoden zur Befundabsicherung, z.B. fuer das

Energy Efficiency, Building Productivity and the Commercial Buildings Market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, D.W.

2002-05-16

The energy-efficiency gap literature suggests that building buyers are often short-sighted in their failure to apply life-cycle costing principles to energy efficient building technologies, with the result that under investment in these advanced technology occurs. This study examines the reasons this behavior may occur, by analyzing the pressures that market forces place on purchasers of buildings. Our basic conclusion is that the fundamental manner in which the buildings sector does business creates pressures to reduce initial capital outlays and to hedge against a variety of risks, including the ability of building owners to capture benefits from energy efficiency. Starting from the position that building buyers' willingness to pay drives choices over building attributes, we examine basic market principles, the structure of the buildings market, including the role of lenders, and policies that promote penetration of energy efficient technologies. We conclude that greater attention to buyers, and to the incentives and constraints they face, would promote a better understanding of building investment choices and contribute to better policies to promote the penetration of these technologies into markets.

Irregular Shaped Building Design Optimization with Building Information Modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Xia Sheng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This research is to recognise the function of Building Information Modelling (BIM in design optimization for irregular shaped buildings. The study focuses on a conceptual irregular shaped “twisted” building design similar to some existing sculpture-like architectures. Form and function are the two most important aspects of new buildings, which are becoming more sophisticated as parts of equally sophisticated “systems” that we are living in. Nowadays, it is common to have irregular shaped or sculpture-like buildings which are very different when compared to regular buildings. Construction industry stakeholders are facing stiff challenges in many aspects such as buildability, cost effectiveness, delivery time and facility management when dealing with irregular shaped building projects. Building Information Modelling (BIM is being utilized to enable architects, engineers and constructors to gain improved visualization for irregular shaped buildings; this has a purpose of identifying critical issues before initiating physical construction work. In this study, three variations of design options differing in rotating angle: 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees are created to conduct quantifiable comparisons. Discussions are focused on three major aspects including structural planning, usable building space, and structural constructability. This research concludes that Building Information Modelling is instrumental in facilitating design optimization for irregular shaped building. In the process of comparing different design variations, instead of just giving “yes or no” type of response, stakeholders can now easily visualize, evaluate and decide to achieve the right balance based on their own criteria. Therefore, construction project stakeholders are empowered with superior evaluation and decision making capability.

Validation and utilization of a TFE3 break-apart FISH assay for Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma and alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, Dinesh; Roy, Somak; Quiroga-Garza, Gabriela; Cieply, Kathleen; Mahaffey, Alyssa L; Bastacky, Sheldon; Dhir, Rajiv; Parwani, Anil V

2015-09-29

Xp11.2 or TFE3 translocation renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) are characterized by chromosome translocations involving the Xp11.2 breakpoint resulting in transcription factor TFE3 gene fusions. The most common translocations documented in TFE3 RCCs are t(X;1) (p11.2;q21) and t(X;17) (p11.2;q25) which leads to fusion of TFE3 gene on Xp11.2 with PRCC or ASPL respectively. TFE3 immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been inconsistent over time due to background staining problems in part related to fixation issues. Karyotyping to detect TFE3 gene rearrangement requires typically unavailable fresh tissue. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is generally very challenging due to degradation of RNA in archival material. The study objective was to develop and validate a TFE3 break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay to confirm Xp11 translocation RCCs and ASPS. Representative sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were selected in 40 possible cases. Approximately 60 tumor cells were analyzed in the targeted region. The validation of TFE3 FISH was done with 11 negative and two positive cases. Cut off for a positive result was validated as >7.15 % positive nuclei with any pattern of break-apart signals. FISH evaluation was done blinded of the immunohistochemical or karyotype data. Three out of forty cases were positive for the TFE3 break-apart signals by FISH. The negative cases were reported as clear cell RCC with papillary features (10), clear cell RCC with sarcomatoid areas (2), Papillary RCC with clear cell areas (9), Chromophobe RCC (2), RCC, unclassified type (3) and renal medullary carcinoma (1). 3 of the negative cases were consultation cases for renal tumor with unknown histology. Seven negative cases were soft tissue tumor suspicious for ASPS. Our study validates the utility of TFE3 break-apart FISH on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections for diagnosis and confirmation of

[Behavior of immatures Aedes aegypti in the coast State of São Paulo, Brazil].

Science.gov (United States)

Glasser, Carmen Moreno; Arduino, Marylene de Brito; Barbosa, Gerson Laurindo; Ciaravolo, Ricardo Mario de Carvalho; Domingos, Maria de Fátima; Oliveira, Cleide Dantas; Pereira, Marisa; Silva, Marcos; Trevisan, Alexandra Myuki Yoshioka

2011-01-01

In a region of high dengue incidence, on the coast of the State of São Paulo, 9 areas were selected to evaluate the behavior of immature Aedes aegypti. The 9 areas were grouped into 4 strata according to soil use and occupation. Larvae and pupas were collected in a sample of approximately 500 buildings in each area. Although tires and canvas presented the highest positive rates for Aedes aegypti, drains and other containers fixed to the buildings were highly predominant among positive containers; 32 to 76% of the positive containers in the 4 study strata. Public areas of apartment buildings and large non-residential premises presented the highest positive rates for Aedes Aegypti, while apartments presented the lowest. Infestation levels were greater in residential areas with predominance of apartment buildings, where 76% of the breeding sites detected were containers fixed to the buildings. This knowledge is an important tool in the control strategy, since it reinforces the need for special attention regarding certain types of buildings and the adjustment of technical norms for pluvial water drains and improvement of building maintenance. Moreover, systematic observations are required to follow-up the occupancy dynamic of different buildings and containers by Aedes aegypti and the incorporation of this knowledge in the control of vectors in the region.

Commercial effectiveness assessment of implementation the energy efficiency raising of the building project due to introduction of automatic heat consumption control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zvonareva Yu.N.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction of the automated metering stations and regulation (AUU located directly in the heated building besides creation of comfortable conditions indoors leads to decrease in consumption of thermal energy. The annual expected effect of realization of the offered actions (installation of metering stations and automatic control can make up to 22% consumed and that isn–t less important, the paid thermal energy. In general, efficiency of implementation of the project on introduction of AUU can be characterized by considerable decrease in heat consumption of the building and, respectively, reduction of a payment for the consumed energy resources. In this paper we evaluated the effectiveness of implementation of increase of energy efficiency of the building investment project (hereinafter SP. We calculated the ratio of expenses and the results considered actions for inhabitants of an apartment house located in Kazan after installation of a weather-dependent regulation. As a result of calculation of the imitating model created on the basis of basic data and the investment project plan the main results of determination of economic efficiency of the Project have been received. For the analysis and increase of reliability of a settlement assessment of efficiency of the investment project calculations at different options of a set of basic data are executed.

The Igbo People of Nigeria as Seen Through "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. An Instructional Unit for Tenth Grade English.

Science.gov (United States)

Talley, Odessa B.

This teaching guide is intended to aid tenth grade English classroom teachers as they develop and implement educational programs on the Igbo-speaking people of Nigeria. The source material for this unit is "Things Fall Apart," by Chinua Achebe. The guide is a product of an interdisciplinary summer workshop for teachers on development of…

Development of energy-efficient comfortable ventilation systems with air quality guided volume flow control and continuous monitoring of the window opening status. Part 1. Use of the LuQaS triple sensor for air quality guided volume flow control of mechanical ventilation systems in domestic buildings. Research project; Entwicklung energieeffizienter Komfortlueftungsanlagen mit luftqualitaetsgefuehrter Volumenstromregelung und kontinuierlicher Erfassung des Fensteroeffnungszustandes. Teilbericht 1. Einsatz des LuQaS-Triple-Sensors zur luftqualitaetsgefuehrten Volumenstromregelung von mechanischen Lueftungsanlagen in Wohngebaeuden. Forschungsprojekt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grossklos, Marc; Ebel, Witta; Knissel, Jens

2011-05-15

The report presents the preparatory work on the research project of the above title. The first chapter presents a status report on air quality monitoring inside rooms and evaluates the projects so far in which the LuQaS air quality sensor was used. The second chapter is a documentation of preliminary measurements using the LuQaS sensor in two passive residential buildings and several individual measurements for sensor calibration. It was found that in apartments with mechanical ventilation, the sensor reflects the user activities; further, the measured values indicate signal changes also in the off-air of the building, so that control via central sensors in the ventilation and off-air systems appears feasible. The third chapter discusses control strategies for air quality control. Apart from a discussion of control unit types, operating regimes, methods to determine rated values, and additional control functions, the effects of threshold value control with different threshold limit values and volume flow changes on the air quality of a model building was simulated. The results prove the expectation that the air quality inside a building will be influenced positively by air quality control. Theoretical investigations of the DrD method will be presented in another part-report of the project.

Danish building typologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wittchen, Kim Bjarne; Kragh, Jesper

The objective of TABULA is to develop a harmonised building typology for European countries. Each national building typology will consist of a set of residential model buildings with characteristic energy-related properties (element areas of the thermal building envelope, U-values, supply system...... efficiencies). The model buildings will each represent a specific construction period of the country in question and a specific building size. Furthermore the number of buildings, flats and the overall floor areas will be given, which are represented by the different building types of the national typologies....

BREEAM [Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method] BRE [Building Research Establishment] assessment method for buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, R.

1994-01-01

Buildings account for a large share of environmental impacts in their construction, use, and demolition. In western Europe, buildings account for ca 50% of primary energy use (hence CO 2 output), far outweighing the contribution of the transport and industrial sectors. Other impacts from building energy use include the use of chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons for cooling. In the United Kingdom, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) has developed a certificate system for environmental labelling of buildings so that the performance of the building against a set of defined environmental criteria can be made visible to clients. This system thus rewards positive actions to improve the environmental performance of buildings and assists in marketing to an environmentally aware clientele. Issues included in assessments for awarding the certificate are addressed under three main headings: global issues and use of resources, local issues, and indoor issues. Global issues include ozone depletion and CO 2 emissions; local issues include public health and water conservation; and indoor issues include air quality and lighting. 8 refs., 1 tab

Building 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Den Ouden, C.; Steemers, T.C.

1992-01-01

This is the second volume of Building 2000, a pilot project of the Commission's R and D-programme 'Solar Energy Applications to Buildings' with the purpose of encouraging the adoption of solar architecture in large buildings. In this second rich illustrated volume the results of the design studies illustrating passive solar architecture in buildings in the European Community are presented in particular for the building categories as mentioned in the subtitle. In the first volume, a similar series of studies is presented for the building categories: schools, laboratories and universities, and sports and educational centres. Several Design Support Workshops were organized during the Building 2000 programme during which Building 2000 design teams could directly exchange ideas with the various design advice experts represented at these workshops. In the second part of the Building 2000 final report a summary of a selection of many reports is presented (11 papers), as produced by Design Support experts. Most of the design support activities resulted in changes of the various designs, as have been reported by the design teams in the brochures presented in the first part of this book. It is to be expected that design aids and simulation tools for passive solar options, daylighting concepts, comfort criteria etc., will be utilized more frequently in the future. This will result in a better exchange of information between the actual design practitioners and the European R and D community. This technology transfer will result in buildings with a higher quality with respect to energy and environmental issues

Building 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Den Ouden, C [EGM Engineering BV, Dordrecht (Netherlands); Steemers, T C [Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium)

1992-01-01

This is the second volume of Building 2000, a pilot project of the Commission's R and D-programme 'Solar Energy Applications to Buildings' with the purpose of encouraging the adoption of solar architecture in large buildings. In this second rich illustrated volume the results of the design studies illustrating passive solar architecture in buildings in the European Community are presented in particular for the building categories as mentioned in the subtitle. In the first volume, a similar series of studies is presented for the building categories: schools, laboratories and universities, and sports and educational centres. Several Design Support Workshops were organized during the Building 2000 programme during which Building 2000 design teams could directly exchange ideas with the various design advice experts represented at these workshops. In the second part of the Building 2000 final report a summary of a selection of many reports is presented (11 papers), as produced by Design Support experts. Most of the design support activities resulted in changes of the various designs, as have been reported by the design teams in the brochures presented in the first part of this book. It is to be expected that design aids and simulation tools for passive solar options, daylighting concepts, comfort criteria etc., will be utilized more frequently in the future. This will result in a better exchange of information between the actual design practitioners and the European R and D community. This technology transfer will result in buildings with a higher quality with respect to energy and environmental issues.

Building Collections: Science Fiction

Science.gov (United States)

Krapp, JoAnn Vergona

2005-01-01

Fantasy and science fiction are two genres that are products of imagination. Both present alternate worlds governed by their own laws and values, but it is the plausibility of events in each world that sets the two apart. In fantasy, events happen by magic or inexplicable means. In science fiction, events could happen based on advanced…

Indoor air quality in mechanically ventilated residential dwellings/low-rise buildings: A review of existing information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aganovic, Amar; Hamon, Mathieu; Kolarik, Jakub

Mechanical ventilation has become a mandatory requirement in multiple European standards addressing indoor air quality (IAQ) and ventilation in residential dwellings (single family houses and low-rise apartment buildings). This article presents the state of the art study through a review...... of the existing literature, to establish a link between ventilation rate and key indoor air pollutants. Design characteristics of a mechanical ventilation system such as supply/exhaustairflow, system and design of supply and exhaust outlets were considered. The performance of various ventilation solutionswas......-house ventilation rate was reported below 0.5h-1 or 14 l/s·person in bedrooms, the concentrations of the pollutants elevated above minimum threshold limits (CO2>1350 ppm; TVOC >3000 μg/m3) defined by the standard. Insufficient or non-existent supply of air was related to significantly higher pollutant...

Perancangan Kursi Makan Lipat Pada Ruang Makan Apartemen Minimalis

OpenAIRE

Elsa, Meykel Ardy Samuel

2017-01-01

Apartment is a type of resident space, that only takes a small space from the building itself. Living in an apartment is the most favorable lifestyle and is currently on demand by the modern society, in addition to maximizing the use of reducing land as well as the use of facilities that can be obtained from apartment occupancy. The Square Apartment is the apartment that will become my design site because of its close distance to Petra Christian University and high number of students who choo...

Building founding method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tateno, Seiya; Hirako, Shizuka.

1996-01-01

The lower portion of a reactor building is buried at a level of a base rock. In the step of building construction, the base rock around the building is dug of keeping a construction space. The base rock present between the digging line and the building is replaced with an artificial base rock comprising aggregates and cement having a building constraining force substantially equal with that of the lower supporting base rock to obtain constraining force for the side portion of the building. The building itself is made of concrete steels. As the material for replacing the base rock between the digging line and the building, non-reinforced concrete having no steels may provide sufficient function. The burying depth is determined so as to align the surface of the base rock with the level of the base floor of the building. With such procedures, since it is not necessary to increase the area of the lower portion of the building, the amount of the materials for the building can be reduced. In addition, the earthquakes stability can be ensured without changing the shape of the building. (I.N.)

Integrating Responsive Building Elements in Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haase, Matthias; Amato, Alex; Heiselberg, Per

2006-01-01

energy strategies to develop guidelines and procedures for estimation of environmental performance of responsive building elements and integrated building concepts This paper introduces the ideas of this collaborative work and discusses its usefulness for Hong Kong and China. Special focus was put...

Global building physics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten

2013-01-01

High ambitions are set for the building physics performance of buildings today. No single technology can achieve fulfilment of these ambitions alone. Integrated, multi-facetted solutions and optimization are necessary. A holistic, or ‘global’, technological perspective is needed, which includes all...... aspects of the building as defined in building engineering. We live in an international society and building solutions are developed across country borders. Building physics is a global theme. The International Association of Building Physics has global appeal. This brief article reports the keynote...

Global Building Physics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten

2012-01-01

High ambitions are set for the building physics performance of buildings today. No single technology can achieve fulfilment of these ambitions alone. Integrated, multi-facetted solutions and optimization are necessary. A holistic, or “global”, technological perspective is needed, which includes all...... aspects of the building as defined in building engineering. We live in an international society and building solutions are developed across country borders. Building physics is a global theme. The International Association of Building Physics has global appeal. The keynote lecture and this brief paper...

Significance of Building Maintenance Management on Life-Span of Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Azree Othuman Mydin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The attentions and skills of maintenance are required for the construction of buildings in this twenty-first century. Because much architectural education is still focused on the one-of-a-kind assignment, encouraging the notion of personal fulfillment through leaving a mark for off-springs and obtaining a design award by means of concept drawings. Due to the reason that many building designers (architects, engineers, technicians are not encompassed in the subsequent maintenance of the building, they just regard it as other specialists’ responsibilities. In all likelihood, the building user-to-be has no formal role: the building contractors just fulfill their accountabilities to complete the building in compliance with the contract documents, not to care occupier’s needs and wants. This paper will focus on the important of building maintenance management on the life-span of buildings.

Building Languages

Science.gov (United States)

... Glossary Contact Information Information For… Media Policy Makers Building Languages Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Communicating ... any speech and only very loud sounds. Close × “Building Blocks” “Building Blocks” refers to the different skills ...

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR BUILDINGS RECONSTRUCTION OF HISTORICAL BUILDING OF ODESSA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

POSTERNAK I. М.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Formulation of the problem. As one of perspective forms of integration various complexes act in town-planning structure. In the course of formation of plans of social and economic development of large cities even more often there is a situation when for increase of efficiency of used resources concentration of efforts is necessary not simply, but also new progressive forms of the organization of building manufacture. Purpose. To offer the organizational structure using in practice the saved up scientific and technical potential for reconstruction of buildings of historical building of Odessa 1820 … 1920 years under standards power efficiency and to execute researches engineering architectonics residential buildings of historical building of a city of Odessa. Conclusion. It is offered to create in the city of Odessa "the Corporate scientific and technical complex town-planning power reconstruction "CSTC T-PPR", as innovative organizational structure which uses in practice the saved up scientific and technical potential for reconstruction of buildings of historical building of Odessa under standards power efficiency. It is considered engineering architectonics residential buildings of historical building of a city of Odessa, in particular, not looking on diverse buildings of inhabited appointment of Odessa, for them there are defining factors on which probably to make their grouping and at the same time to allocate the general lines inherent to a housing estate as a whole. It is resulted a general characteristic and classification of residential buildings of historical building of a city of Odessa ХІХ … beginnings ХХ centuries It is allocated and expanded classification of such buildings of inhabited appointment by duration of residing at them.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS HISTORICAL BUILDING OF ODESSA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

POSTERNAK I. М.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Summary. Raising of problem. As one of perspective forms of integration various complexes act in town- planning structure. In the course of formation of plans of social and economic development of large cities even more often there is a situation when for increase of efficiency of used resources concentration of efforts is necessary not simply, but also new progressive forms of the organization of building manufacture. Purpose. To offer the organizational structure using in practice the saved up scientific and technical potential for reconstruction of buildings of historical building of Odessa 1820 … 1920 years under standards power efficiency and to execute researches engineering architectonics residential buildings of historical building of a city of Odessa. Conclusion. It is offered to create in the city of Odessa "the Corporate scientific and technical complex town-planning power reconstruction "CSTC T-PPR", as innovative organizational structure which uses in practice the saved up scientific and technical potential for reconstruction of buildings of historical building of Odessa under standards power efficiency. It is considered engineering architectonics residential buildings of historical building of a city of Odessa, in particular, not looking on diverse buildings of inhabited appointment of Odessa, for them there are defining factors on which probably to make their grouping and at the same time to allocate the general lines inherent to a housing estate as a whole. It is resulted a general characteristic and classification of residential buildings of historical building of a city of Odessa ХІХ beginnings ХХ centuries It is allocated and expanded classification of such buildings of inhabited appointment by duration of residing at them.

Reactor building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebata, Sakae.

1990-01-01

At least one valve rack is disposed in a reactor building, on which pipeways to a main closure valve, valves and bypasses of turbines are placed and contained. The valve rack is fixed to the main body of the building or to a base mat. Since the reactor building is designed as class A earthquake-proofness and for maintaining the S 1 function, the valve rack can be fixed to the building main body or to the base mat. With such a constitution, the portions for maintaining the S 1 function are concentrated to the reactor building. As a result, the dispersion of structures of earthquake-proof portion corresponding to the reference earthquake vibration S 1 can be prevented. Accordingly, the conditions for the earthquake-proof design of the turbine building and the turbine/electric generator supporting rack are defined as only the class B earthquake-proof design conditions. In view of the above, the amount of building materials can be saved and the time for construction can be shortened. (I.S.)

Building integrated photovoltaics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ritzen, M.J.; Vroon, Z.A.E.P.; Geurts, C.P.W.; Reinders, Angèle; Verlinden, Pierre; Sark, Wilfried; Freundlich, Alexandre

2017-01-01

Photovoltaic (PV) installations can be realized in different situations and on different scales, such as at a building level. PV installations at the building level can either be added to the building envelope, which is called building added PV (BAPV), or they can be integrated into the building

Better Buildings Neighborhood Program: BetterBuildings Lowell Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heslin, Thomas

2014-01-31

The City of Lowell set four goals at the beginning of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program: 1. Improve the Downtown Historic Park District’s Carbon Footprint 2. Develop a sustainable and replicable model for energy efficiency in historic buildings 3. Create and retain jobs 4. Promote multi-stakeholder partnerships The City of Lowell, MA was awarded $5 million in May 2010 to conduct energy efficiency retrofits within the downtown National Historical Park (NHP). The City’s target was to complete retrofits in 200,000 square feet of commercial space and create 280 jobs, while adhering to the strict historical preservation regulations that govern the NHP. The development of a model for energy efficiency in historic buildings was successfully accomplished. BetterBuildings Lowell’s success in energy efficiency in historic buildings was due to the simplicity of the program. We relied strongly on the replacement of antiquated HVAC systems and air sealing and a handful of talented energy auditors and contractors. BetterBuildings Lowell was unique for the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program because it was the only program that focused solely on commercial properties. BetterBuildings Lowell did target multi-family properties, which were reported as commercial, but the majority of the building types and uses were commercial. Property types targeted were restaurants, office buildings, museums, sections of larger buildings, mixed use buildings, and multifamily buildings. This unique fabric of building type and use allows for a deeper understanding to how different properties use energy. Because of the National Historical Park designation of downtown Lowell, being able to implement energy efficiency projects within a highly regulated historical district also provided valuable research and precedent proving energy efficiency projects can be successfully completed in historical districts and historical buildings. Our program was very successful in working with the local

Building Maintenance in Old Buildings Conservation Approach: An Overview of Related Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brit Kayan

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Building maintenance in conservation of old buildings is one of the approaches applied within the built environment of Malaysia. For instance, it is realised that these old buildings contribute an important significance to our nation's priceless heritage and unique historical development. However, most of these buildings' maintenance is influenced by related problems that affect the overall building conservation approach. Therefore, these old buildings face problems which greatly affect their overall condition and performance: building structure; building appearance and aesthetic; building materials and building character. In most critical situations, there is a greater possibility that we could lose the cultural significance and heritage values of these old buildings through ignoring the related problems. This paper tries to identify the related problems, reveal the findings and discuss suitable approaches to conserving these old buildings.

Courthouse Prototype Building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malhotra, Mini [ORNL; New, Joshua Ryan [ORNL; Im, Piljae [ORNL

2018-02-01

As part of DOE's support of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and IECC, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) apply a suite of prototype buildings covering 80% of the commercial building floor area in the U.S. for new construction. Efforts have started on expanding the prototype building suite to cover 90% of the commercial building floor area in the U.S., by developing prototype models for additional building types including place of worship, public order and safety, public assembly. Courthouse is courthouse is a sub-category under the “Public Order and Safety" building type category; other sub-categories include police station, fire station, and jail, reformatory or penitentiary.ORNL used building design guides, databases, and documented courthouse projects, supplemented by personal communication with courthouse facility planning and design experts, to systematically conduct research on the courthouse building and system characteristics. This report documents the research conducted for the courthouse building type and proposes building and system characteristics for developing a prototype building energy model to be included in the Commercial Building Prototype Model suite. According to the 2012 CBECS, courthouses occupy a total of 436 million sqft of floor space or 0.5% of the total floor space in all commercial buildings in the US, next to fast food (0.35%), grocery store or food market (0.88%), and restaurant or cafeteria (1.2%) building types currently included in the Commercial Prototype Building Model suite. Considering aggregated average, courthouse falls among the larger with a mean floor area of 69,400 sqft smaller fuel consumption intensity building types and an average of 94.7 kBtu/sqft compared to 77.8 kBtu/sqft for office and 80 kBtu/sqft for all commercial buildings.Courthouses range in size from 1000 sqft to over a million square foot building gross square feet and 1 courtroom to over 100 courtrooms. Small courthouses

ImBuild: Impact of building energy efficiency programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, M.J.; Hostick, D.J.; Belzer, D.B.

1998-04-01

As part of measuring the impact of government programs on improving the energy efficiency of the Nation`s building stock, the Department of Energy Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) is interested in assessing the economic impacts of its portfolio of programs, specifically the potential impact on national employment and income. The special-purpose version of the IMPLAN model used in this study is called ImBuild. In comparison with simple economic multiplier approaches, such as Department of Commerce RIMS 2 system, ImBuild allows for more complete and automated analysis of the economic impacts of energy efficiency investments in buildings. ImBuild is also easier to use than existing macroeconomic simulation models. The authors conducted an analysis of three sample BTS energy programs: the residential generator-absorber heat exchange gas heat pump (GAX heat pump), the low power sulfur lamp (LPSL) in residential and commercial applications, and the Building America program. The GAX heat pump would address the market for the high-efficiency residential combined heating and cooling systems. The LPSL would replace some highly efficient fluorescent commercial lighting. Building America seeks to improve the energy efficiency of new factory-built, modular, manufactured, and small-volume, site-built homes through use of systems engineering concepts and early incorporation of new products and processes, and by increasing the demand for more energy-efficient homes. The authors analyze a scenario for market penetration of each of these technologies devised for BTS programs reported in the BTS GPRA Metrics Estimates, FY99 Budget Request, December 19, 1997. 46 figs., 4 tabs.

Environmental effect of structural solutions and building materials to a building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haapio, Appu; Viitaniemi, Pertti

2008-01-01

The field of building environmental assessment tools has become a popular research area over the past decade. However, how the service life of a building affects the results of the environmental assessment of a building has not been emphasised previously. The aim of this study is to analyse how different structural solutions and building materials affect the results of the environmental assessment of a whole building over the building's life cycle. Furthermore, how the length of the building's service life affects the results is analysed. The environmental assessments of 78 single-family houses were calculated for this study. The buildings have different wall insulations, claddings, window frames, and roof materials, and the length of the service life varies from 60 years up to 160 years. The current situation and the future of the environmental assessment of buildings are discussed. In addition, topics for further research are suggested; for example, how workmanship affects the service life and the environmental impact of a building should be studied

Solar building

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Luxin

2014-01-01

In my thesis I describe the utilization of solar energy and solar energy with building integration. In introduction it is also mentioned how the solar building works, trying to make more people understand and accept the solar building. The thesis introduces different types of solar heat collectors. I compared the difference two operation modes of solar water heating system and created examples of solar water system selection. I also introduced other solar building applications. It is conv...

Building envelope

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gibberd, Jeremy T

2009-01-01

Full Text Available for use in the building. This is done through photovoltaic and solar water heating panels and wind turbines. Ideally these are integrated in the design of the building envelope to improve the aesthetic quality of the building and minimise material... are naturally ventilated. Renewable energy The building envelope includes renewable energy generation such as photovoltaics, wind turbines and solar water heaters and 10% of the building’s energy requirements are generated from these sources. Views All...

Challenges in Commercial Buildings | Buildings | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

systems Assessing the energy and economic impacts of various technologies, giving priority to those that standardized language for commercial building energy audit data that can be used by software developers to exchange data between audit tools, and can be required by building owners and audit program managers to

Building energy analysis tool

Science.gov (United States)

Brackney, Larry; Parker, Andrew; Long, Nicholas; Metzger, Ian; Dean, Jesse; Lisell, Lars

2016-04-12

A building energy analysis system includes a building component library configured to store a plurality of building components, a modeling tool configured to access the building component library and create a building model of a building under analysis using building spatial data and using selected building components of the plurality of building components stored in the building component library, a building analysis engine configured to operate the building model and generate a baseline energy model of the building under analysis and further configured to apply one or more energy conservation measures to the baseline energy model in order to generate one or more corresponding optimized energy models, and a recommendation tool configured to assess the one or more optimized energy models against the baseline energy model and generate recommendations for substitute building components or modifications.

Domestic hot water use study, multi-family building energy monitoring and analysis for DHW system sizing criteria development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldner, F.S.

1993-01-01

Thirty New York City multifamily building combined steam heating and domestic hot water (DHW) plants were instrumented for monitoring (mostly hourly) apartment, outdoor, boiler and DHW temperatures and burner on-off times. In nine of these buildings, which had been upgraded, additional data collected were: stack temperature, DHW flow in 15-minute increments, oil ampersand boiler make-up water flows, and DHW temperature before and after the mixing (tempering) valve and on the circulating return line. The project's objectives are to develop comprehensive operating data on combined DHW and heating systems to be used in system design and specifications and for improving operating procedures. DHW requirements in multi-family buildings are currently calculated on the basis of questionable standards. These new, more precise DHW flow data result in a better basis for sizing than existed heretofore. There is a critical need for improved specifications and performance in newly constructed and renovated buildings. Better system choices among various instantaneous generation and storage scenarios will result in savings derived from smaller initial equipment investments as well as more energy efficient operations. The data being generated define figures for DHW energy use so that more reliable and accurate predictions of savings can be calculated. This paper presents DHW demand patterns, seasonal variations, weekday vs. weekend consumption, consumption vs. occupancy levels, coincidence of 15- and 60-minute demand periods, and average vs. peak demand levels. This project is sponsored by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The results of this research are being reviewed for inclusion in a revision of DHW guidelines for the next edition of the ASHRAE Handbook

Examination of Parameters Affecting the House Prices by Multiple Regression Analysis and its Contributions to Earthquake-Based Urban Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Denli, H. H.; Durmus, B.

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors which may affect the apartment prices with multiple linear regression analysis models and visualize the results by value maps. The study is focused on a county of Istanbul - Turkey. Totally 390 apartments around the county Umraniye are evaluated due to their physical and locational conditions. The identification of factors affecting the price of apartments in the county with a population of approximately 600k is expected to provide a significant contribution to the apartment market.Physical factors are selected as the age, number of rooms, size, floor numbers of the building and the floor that the apartment is positioned in. Positional factors are selected as the distances to the nearest hospital, school, park and police station. Totally ten physical and locational parameters are examined by regression analysis.After the regression analysis has been performed, value maps are composed from the parameters age, price and price per square meters. The most significant of the composed maps is the price per square meters map. Results show that the location of the apartment has the most influence to the square meter price information of the apartment. A different practice is developed from the composed maps by searching the ability of using price per square meters map in urban transformation practices. By marking the buildings older than 15 years in the price per square meters map, a different and new interpretation has been made to determine the buildings, to which should be given priority during an urban transformation in the county.This county is very close to the North Anatolian Fault zone and is under the threat of earthquakes. By marking the apartments older than 15 years on the price per square meters map, both older and expensive square meters apartments list can be gathered. By the help of this list, the priority could be given to the selected higher valued old apartments to support the economy of the country

Sustainable Building Operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jesper Ole

2009-01-01

of sustainable building operation and a survey amongst building administrators from the private and the social housing sector. Our results show that there are many good examples on sustainable building operation in Danish housing estates, where local building managers, residents etc. have gained impressive......Energy-savings in the existing building stock have becomes a main goal in national and international policies. Often focus is on building-renovations, whereas the potential of sustainable building operation to a large extent has been neglected. Nevertheless, international research as well...... as practical experiences from Danish housing estates indicates that there are large potentials for energy savings by focusing on the operation of the buildings. We suggest that in order to achieve sustainability in the existing housing, renovation and operations should be seen as integrated parts...

Sick building syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tjandra Y. Aditama

2002-06-01

Full Text Available Sick building syndrome describes a number of mostly unspesific complaints of some occupants of the building. The exact pathophysiological mechanism remains elusive. It is a multi factorial event which may include physical, chemical, biological as well as psycological factors. In many cases it is due to insufficient maintenance of the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning system in the building. Sign and symptoms can be uncomfortable and even disabling, which may include mucus membrane irritation, neurotoxic symptoms, asthma like symptoms, skin complaints, gastrointestinal symptoms and other related symptoms. There are various investigation methods to diagnose sick building syndrome, and on site assessment of the building is extremely useful. Prevention through a proactive air quality monitoring program is far more desirable than dealing with an actual sick building. Indoor air and the sick building symdrome serves as a paradigm of modern occupational and environmental medicine. (Med J Indones 2002; 11:124-31Keywords: indoor air pollution, sick building syndrome, building related illness

Applied building physics

CERN Document Server

Hens, Hugo S L C

2012-01-01

The energy crises of the 1970s, persisting moisture problems, complaints about sick buildings, thermal, visual and olfactory discomfort, and the move towards more sustainability in building construction have pushed Building Physics to the forefront of building innovation. The societal pressure to diminish energy consumption in buildings without impairing usability acted as a trigger to activate the whole notion of performance based design and construction. As with all engineering sciences, Building Physics is oriented towards application, which is why, after a first book on fundamentals this s

Assessment Framework of Building Facade in Optimizing Indoor Thermal Comfort of Green Building Index (GBI Certified Office Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Tharim Asniza Hamimi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available During the past decade, the construction industry has seen a new trend in the development of “green” or “sustainable” construction concept around the world with vast support from prominent organization, together with the introduction of sustainable building codes. The establishment of green building certification systems worldwide is seen as one of the most efforts in the emerging green building movement. In order to support the development of the “green” and “sustainable” concept in Malaysia, Green Building Index (GBI was launched by the government on 21 May 2009 that created to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness of environmental issues. However, the construction industry seems to have focused only on findings the “right mechanism” for an environmentally sustainable “final result” in order for the building to be certified as green with the lacking of continuous assessment on the building performance after the certifications. This study is purposely conducted to investigate the performance of various rated Green Building Index (GBI Non-Residential New Construction office buildings and the influence on Indoor Thermal Comfort (ITC of the selected buildings. The aim is to develop an assessment framework for optimum green building architectural façade to be used for office buildings in Malaysia as well as to analyse the occupants’ perception, satisfaction and performance in the selected Green Building Index (GBI rated office indoor environment. This research is still in its infancy; therefore the paper is focused on research aims, research scope and methodology, and expected deliverables for the proposed research.

Building Performance Simulation for Sustainable Energy Use in Buildings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hensen, J.L.M.

2010-01-01

This paper aims to provide a general view of the background and current state of building performance simulation, which has the potential to deliver, directly or indirectly, substantial benefits to building stakeholders and to the environment. However the building simulation community faces many

Building performance simulation for sustainable building design and operation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hensen, J.L.M.

2011-01-01

This paper aims to provide a general view of the background and current state of building performance simulation, which has the potential to deliver, directly or indirectly, substantial benefits to building stakeholders and to the environment. However the building simulation community faces many

Radiant floor cooling coupled with dehumidification systems in residential buildings: A simulation-based analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarrella, Angelo; De Carli, Michele; Peretti, Clara

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The floor radiant cooling in a typical apartment is analyzed. • Dehumidification devices, fan-coil and mechanical ventilation are compared. • The results are analyzed in terms of both thermal comfort and energy consumption. • The energy consumption of the dehumidifiers is higher than that of other systems. • The mechanical ventilation decreases the moisture level better than other systems. - Abstract: The development of radiant cooling has stimulated an interest in new systems based on coupling ventilation with radiant cooling. However, radiant cooling systems may cause condensation to form on an active surface under warm and humid conditions during the cooling season. This phenomenon occurs when surface temperature falls below dew point. To prevent condensation, air humidity needs to be reduced with a dehumidification device or a mechanical ventilation system. There are two main options to achieve this. The first is to use dehumidification devices that reduce humidity, but are not coupled with ventilation, i.e. devices that handle room air and leave air change to infiltrations. The second is to combine a mechanical ventilation system with dehumidifying finned coils. This study analyzes the floor radiant cooling of a typical residential apartment within a multi-storey building in three Italian climate zones by means of a detailed simulation tool. Five systems were compared in terms of both indoor thermal comfort and energy consumption: radiant cooling without dehumidification; radiant cooling with a soft dehumidification device; radiant cooling with a dehumidification device which also supplies sensible cooling; radiant cooling coupled with fan coils; and radiant cooling with a mechanical ventilation system which dehumidifies and cools

49 CFR 41.110 - New DOT owned buildings and additions to buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false New DOT owned buildings and additions to buildings....110 New DOT owned buildings and additions to buildings. (a) DOT Operating Administrations responsible for the design and construction of new DOT Federally owned buildings will ensure that each building is...

Virtual building environments (VBE) - Applying information modeling to buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazjanac, Vladimir

2004-06-21

A Virtual Building Environment (VBE) is a ''place'' where building industry project staffs can get help in creating Building Information Models (BIM) and in the use of virtual buildings. It consists of a group of industry software that is operated by industry experts who are also experts in the use of that software. The purpose of a VBE is to facilitate expert use of appropriate software applications in conjunction with each other to efficiently support multidisciplinary work. This paper defines BIM and virtual buildings, and describes VBE objectives, set-up and characteristics of operation. It informs about the VBE Initiative and the benefits from a couple of early VBE projects.

Stand Together or Apart: A Thematic Unit for "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier and "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

Science.gov (United States)

Yinger, Lisa

This thematic unit is all about what a classic novel about race relations in the 1930s American South, "To Kill a Mockingbird," and a frequently banned contemporary teen story about a candy sale, "The Chocolate War," have in common. The unit considers what people have in common, what it means to stand apart, and what…

2 Obras de A. Lamela: Edificios Sol y La Caleta en Palma de Mallorca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lamela, A.

1967-11-01

Full Text Available 2 Buildings designed by A. Lamela Sol Building This is a commercial and apartments block, and has a basement, ground floor, and ten stories above it. On each of the top ten stories there are twelve apartments. The design of this building is highly influenced by the gardening that surrounds it. La Caleta Building This is another commercial and apartments building, consisting of a lower block, part of which is covered with a terrace, gardens and a swimming pool, and a higher block. The apartments are all similarly designed, and only vary in the number of bedrooms. The design is especially «clean», simple and up to date.Edificio SOL - Proyectado en 1960, Terminado en 1983 Destinado a edificio de apartamentos y comercial, consta de: planta de sótano, baja, primera y nueve plantas tipo. Los apartamentos están localizados en la primera planta y las plantas tipo, en número de doce por planta. En el desarrollo de este proyecto, la jardinería ha jugado un papel muy importante. Edificio La Caleta - Proyectado en 1961.Terminado en 1964. Este edificio de apartamentos y locales comerciales, consta: de un volumen «inferior» cubierto por una terraza ajardinada con piscina, y de un bloque «superior» Los programas de cada uno de los apartamentos son similares, variando únicamente el número de sus dormitorios. El conjunto construido se distingue por su arquitectura limpia, simple y actual.

Resolutions of Cn/Zn orbifolds, their U(1) bundles, and applications to string model building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nibbelink, Stefan Groot; Trapletti, Michele; Walter, Martin G.A.

2007-01-01

We describe blowups of C n /Z n orbifolds as complex line bundles over CP n-1 . We construct some gauge bundles on these resolutions. Apart from the standard embedding, we describe U(1) bundles and an SU(n-1) bundle. Both blowups and their gauge bundles are given explicitly. We investigate ten dimensional SO(32) super Yang-Mills theory coupled to supergravity on these backgrounds. The integrated Bianchi identity implies that there are only a finite number of U(1) bundle models. We describe how the orbifold gauge shift vector can be read off from the gauge background. In this way we can assert that in the blow down limit these models correspond to heterotic C 2 /Z 2 and C 3 /Z 3 orbifold models. (Only the Z 3 model with unbroken gauge group SO(32) cannot be reconstructed in blowup without torsion.) This is confirmed by computing the charged chiral spectra on the resolutions. The construction of these blowup models implies that the mismatch between type-I and heterotic models on T 6 /Z 3 does not signal a complication of S-duality, but rather a problem of type-I model building itself: The standard type-I orbifold model building only allows for a single model on this orbifold, while the blowup models give five different models in blow down

Ecological urban renewal in Vesterbro, Copenhagen - 3 buildings with low-energy and solar energy in practice[Denmark]; Byoekologisk byfornyelse paa Vesterbro - 3 ejendomme med lavenergi- og solenergianvendelse i praksis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vejsig Pedersen, P.

2000-03-01

The report is the final report on a demonstration project backed by the Danish Energy Agency concerning solar energy/low energy solutions in relation to ecological urban renewal in Hedebygade, Vesterbro. The report describes developing work relating to solar cells, ventilation with counter current heat recover and total economic and ecological urban optimization, and innovating initiatives relating to 3 buildings with a total of 62 apartments and a business property. The annual energy consumption for heating and hot water can be reduced by a combination of the following means: Use of super low-energy windows; New ventilation solutions with counter current heat recovery and air heating; Use of facade insulation, solar walls and building integrated solar cells; New types of low temperature installations e.g. centrally placed radiators and use of hot water heat exchangers; Improved light conditions by use of glassed rooms. (EHS)

OpenBAN: An Open Building ANalytics Middleware for Smart Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pandarasamy Arjunan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Towards the realization of smart building applications, buildings are increasingly instrumented with diverse sensors and actuators. These sensors generate large volumes of data which can be analyzed for optimizing building operations. Many building energy management tasks such as energy forecasting, disaggregation, among others require complex analytics leveraging collected sensor data. While several standalone and cloud-based systems for archiving, sharing and visualizing sensor data have emerged, their support for analyzing sensor data streams is primitive and limited to rule-based actions based on thresholds and simple aggregation functions. We develop OpenBAN, an open source sensor data analytics middleware for buildings, to make analytics an integral component of modern smart building applications. OpenBAN provides a framework of extensible sensor data processing elements for identifying various building context, which different applications can leverage. We validate the capabilities of OpenBAN by developing three representative real-world applications which are deployed in our test-bed buildings: (i household energy disaggregation, (ii detection of sprinkler usage from water meter data, and (iii electricity demand forecasting. We also provide a preliminary system performance of OpenBAN when deployed in the cloud and locally.

Bore pile foundation tall buildings closed in the heritage building

Science.gov (United States)

Triastuti, Nusa Setiani

2017-11-01

Bore pile foundation for high building surroundings heritage building should be not damage. Construction proses must good, no necking, no mixed deep water, no sliding soil, nonporous concrete. Objective the execution of bore pile so that heritage buildings and neighboring buildings that are old do not experience cracks, damage and tilting. The survey methodology was observe the process of the implementation of the dominant silt, clay soil, in addition a limited space and to analyze the results of loading tests, investigations of soil and daily reports. Construction process determines the success of the structure bore pile in high building structure bearing, without damaging a heritage building. Attainment the hard soil depth, density concrete, observable clean reinforcement in the implementation. Monitoring the implementation of, among others, the face of the ground water little reduce in the area and outside the footprint of the building, no impact of vibration drilling equipment, watching the mud content on the water coming out at the time of drilling, concrete volume was monitored each 2 m bore depth of pile, The result researched heritage building was not damage. The test results bore pile axial, lateral analyzed the results have the appropriate force design required.

Pagari 1 kortermaja = Apartment building at Pagari 1 / Reio Raudsepp ; kommenteerinud Reet Roos

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Raudsepp, Reio

2015-01-01

Pagari 1 kortermaja (Tallinn, vanalinn) renoveerimisest. Hoone arhitekt Hans Schmidt, valmimisaasta 1911. Renoveerimise autorid Reio Raudsepp, Rasmus Tamme, Jaanus Saarepera; projekteerija ARS Projekt

Kortermajad Pelgurannas = Apartment buildings in Pelgurand / Velle Kadalipp, Kalle Vellevoog ; intervjueerinud Margit Mutso

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kadalipp, Velle, 1963-

2012-01-01

Tallinnas Helme t. 14 ja 16 asuvate korterelamute arhitektuursest lahendusest. Isikupära annab betoonelementidest kortermajadele hoonekõrgune betoongraafika sissekäigu kõrval. Arhitektid Velle Kadalipp ja Kalle Vellevoog (AB JVR), kaasa töötas Andrus Andrejev

Retrofitting Listed Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Torben Valdbjørn

2011-01-01

The paper presents a case study where the energy demand for a listed building constructed in 1900 is reduced. Many older buildings are listed and have restrictions that include the entire building or that include only its exterior. For the building presented, only its exterior facade is listed. T...

Multidisciplinary Energy Assessment of Tertiary Buildings: Automated Geomatic Inspection, Building Information Modeling Reconstruction and Building Performance Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faustino Patiño-Cambeiro

2017-07-01

Full Text Available There is an urgent need for energy efficiency in buildings within the European framework, considering its environmental implications, and Europe’s energy dependence. Furthermore, the need for enhancing and increasing productivity in the building industry turns new technologies and building energy performance simulation environments into extremely interesting solutions towards rigorous analysis and decision making in renovation within acceptable risk levels. The present work describes a multidisciplinary approach for the estimation of the energy performance of an educational building. The research involved data acquisition with advanced geomatic tools, the development of an optimized building information model, and energy assessment in Building Performance Simulation (BPS software. Interoperability issues were observed in the different steps of the process. The inspection and diagnostic phases were conducted in a timely, accurate manner thanks to automated data acquisition and subsequent analysis using Building Information Modeling based tools (BIM-based tools. Energy simulation was performed using Design Builder, and the results obtained were compared with those yielded by the official software tool established by Spanish regulations for energy certification. The discrepancies between the results of both programs have proven that the official software program is conservative in this sense. This may cause the depreciation of the assessed buildings.

Impact of Urban Heat Island under the Hanoi Master Plan 2030 on Cooling Loads in Residential Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tran Hoang Hai Nam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to evaluate the influence of urban heat island (UHI under the Hanoi Master Plan 2030 on the energy consumption for space cooling in residential buildings. The weather conditions under the current and future status (master plan condition simulated in the previous study (Trihamdani et al., 2014 were used and cooling loads in all the residential buildings in Hanoi over the hottest month were estimated under the simulated current and future conditions by using the building simulation program, TRNSYS (v17. Three most typical housing types in the city were selected for the simulation. The cooling loads of respective housing types were obtained in each of the districts in Hanoi. The results show that the total cooling loads over June 2010 is approximately 683 Terajoule (TJ under the current status, but it is predicted to increase to 903 TJ under the master plan condition. The increment is largely due to the increase in number of households (203 TJ or 92%, but partially due to the increase in urban temperature, i.e. UHI effect (17 TJ or 8%. The increments in new built-up areas were found to be larger than those in existing built-up areas. The cooling load in apartment is approximately half of that in detached house, which is approximately half of that in row house. Moreover, it was seen that although sensible cooling loads increased with the increase in outdoor temperature, the latent cooling loads decreased due to the decrease in absolute humidity and the increase in air temperature.

Team Building e a enfermagem Team Building e enfermería Team Building and nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipa Homem

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Num ambiente de insatisfação crescente e de imprevisibilidade como é o da enfermagem, cada vez mais é fundamental motivar as equipas, conferindo-lhes competências pessoais, relacionais, comunicacionais e, acima de tudo, fomentar o trabalho em equipa e consequentemente a produtividade. O Team Building, surge assim como uma estratégia eficaz para obter resultados positivos. Por ser uma estratégia ainda pouco utilizada em Portugal, decidimos realizar este artigo teórico sobre o assunto e refletir sobre a sua pertinência e potencialidades nas equipas de enfermagem, tendo definido como objetivos: aprofundar conhecimentos sobre Team Building, contextualizar o Team Building no âmbito das teorias organizacionais, descrever diferentes modelos de Team Building e refletir sobre a utilidade do Team Building na qualidade da prestação de cuidados de enfermagem. Deste modo, foram pesquisados artigos na plataforma eletrónica de bases de dados EBSCO, assim como consultada literatura relacionada com a psicologia organizacional. Com a presente pesquisa conclui-se que esta estratégia de dinamização de equipas é útil no âmbito da enfermagem, podendo melhorar a comunicação e relações interpessoais, identificar pontos fortes e fracos das equipas, proporcionar maior satisfação no trabalho e, deste modo, aumentar a qualidade dos cuidados de saúde prestados.En un ambiente de creciente descontento y de imprevisibilidad como el de la enfermería, es cada vez más primordial motivar a los equipos, dándoles competencias personales, relacionales, y, sobre todo, fomentar el trabajo en equipo y consecuentemente la productividad. El Team Building surge así como una estrategia eficaz para lograr resultados positivos. Al ser una estrategia aún poco utilizada en Portugal, se decidió realizar este artículo teórico sobre el asunto y reflexionar sobre la pertinencia y el potencial de los equipos de enfermería, para lo que se definieron los objetivos

Control characteristics and heating performance analysis of automatic thermostatic valves for radiant slab heating system in residential apartments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, Byung-Cheon [Department of Building Equipment System Engineering, Kyungwon University, Seongnam City (Korea); Song, Jae-Yeob [Graduate School, Building Equipment System Engineering, Kyungwon University, Seongnam City (Korea)

2010-04-15

Computer simulations and experiments are carried out to research the control characteristics and heating performances for a radiant slab heating system with automatic thermostatic valves in residential apartments. An electrical equivalent R-C circuit is applied to analyze the unsteady heat transfer in the house. In addition, the radiant heat transfer between slabs, ceilings and walls in the room is evaluated by enclosure analysis method. Results of heating performance and control characteristics were determined from control methods such as automatic thermostatic valves, room air temperature-sensing method, water-temperature-sensing method, proportional control method, and On-Off control method. (author)

Building America Case Study: Multifamily Central Heat Pump Water Heaters, Davis, California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. Hoeschele, E. Weitzel

2017-03-01

Although heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) have gained significant attention in recent years as a high efficiency electric water heating solution for single family homes, central HPWHs for commercial or multi-family applications are not as well documented in terms of measured performance and cost effectiveness. To evaluate this technology, the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation team monitored the performance of a 10.5 ton central HPWH installed on a student apartment building at the West Village Zero Net Energy Community in Davis, California. Monitoring data collected over a 16-month period were then used to validate a TRNSYS simulation model. The TRNSYS model was then used to project performance in different climates using local electric rates. Results of the study indicate that after some initial commissioning issues, the HPWH operated reliably with an annual average efficiency of 2.12 (Coefficient of Performance). The observed efficiency was lower than the unit's rated efficiency, primarily due to the fact that the system rarely operated under steady-state conditions. Changes in the system configuration, storage tank sizing, and control settings would likely improve the observed field efficiency. Modeling results suggest significant energy savings relative to electric storage water heating systems (typical annual efficiencies around 0.90) providing for typical simple paybacks of six to ten years without any incentives. The economics versus gas water heating are currently much more challenging given the current low natural gas prices in much of the country. Increased market size for this technology would benefit cost effectiveness and spur greater technology innovation.

Building America Case Study: Multifamily Central Heat Pump Water Heaters, Davis, California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-03-08

Although heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) have gained significant attention in recent years as a high efficiency electric water heating solution for single family homes, central HPWHs for commercial or multi-family applications are not as well documented in terms of measured performance and cost effectiveness. To evaluate this technology, the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation team monitored the performance of a 10.5 ton central HPWH installed on a student apartment building at the West Village Zero Net Energy Community in Davis, California. Monitoring data collected over a 16-month period were then used to validate a TRNSYS simulation model. The TRNSYS model was then used to project performance in different climates using local electric rates. Results of the study indicate that after some initial commissioning issues, the HPWH operated reliably with an annual average efficiency of 2.12 (Coefficient of Performance). The observed efficiency was lower than the unit's rated efficiency, primarily due to the fact that the system rarely operated under steady-state conditions. Changes in the system configuration, storage tank sizing, and control settings would likely improve the observed field efficiency. Modeling results suggest significant energy savings relative to electric storage water heating systems (typical annual efficiencies around 0.90) providing for typical simple paybacks of six to ten years without any incentives. The economics versus gas water heating are currently much more challenging given the current low natural gas prices in much of the country. Increased market size for this technology would benefit cost effectiveness and spur greater technology innovation.

Understanding strain transfer and basin evolution complexities in the Salton pull-apart basin near the Southern San Andreas Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Kell, A. M.; Sahakian, V. J.; Kent, G. M.; Driscoll, N. W.; Harding, A. J.; Baskin, R. L.; Barth, M.; Hole, J. A.; Stock, J. M.; Fuis, G. S.

2015-12-01

Active source seismic data in the Salton Sea provide insight into the complexity of the pull-apart system development. Seismic reflection data combined with tomographic cross sections give constraints on the timing of basin development and strain partitioning between the two dominant dextral faults in the region; the Imperial fault to the southwest and the Southern San Andreas fault (SSAF) to the northeast. Deformation associated with this step-over appears young, having formed in the last 20-40 k.a. The complexity seen in the Salton Sea is similar to that seen in pull-apart basins worldwide. In the southern basin of the Salton Sea, a zone of transpression is noted near the southern termination of the San Andreas fault, though this stress regime quickly transitions to a region of transtension in the northern reaches of the sea. The evolution seen in the basin architecture is likely related to a transition of the SSAF dying to the north, and giving way to youthful segments of the Brawley seismic zone and Imperial fault. Stratigraphic signatures seen in seismic cross-sections also reveal a long-term component of slip to the southwest on a fault 1-2 km west of the northeastern Salton Sea shoreline. Numerous lines of evidence, including seismic reflection data, high-resolution bathymetry within the Salton Sea, and folding patterns in the Borrego Formation to the east of the sea support an assertion of a previously unmapped fault, the Salton Trough fault (STF), parallel to the SAF and just offshore within the Salton Sea. Seismic observations are seen consistently within two datasets of varying vertical resolutions, up to depths of 4-5 km, suggesting that this fault strand is much longer-lived than the evolution seen in the southern sub-basin. The existence of the STF unifies discrepancies between the onshore seismic studies and data collected within the sea. The STF likely serves as the current bounding fault to the active pull-apart system, as it aligns with the "rung

Building Process and Architectural Planning Characteristics of Daehan Hospital Main Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geauchul LEE

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the introduction process of Daehan Hospital from Japan as the modern medical facility in Korea, and the architectural planning characteristics as a medical facility through the detailed building process of Daehan Hospital main building. The most noticeable characteristic of Daehan Hospital is that it was designed and constructed not by Korean engineers but by Japanese engineers. Therefore, Daehan Hospital was influenced by Japanese early modern medical facility, and Japanese engineers modeled Daehan Hospital main building on Tokyo Medical School main building which was constructed in 1876 as the first national medical school and hospital. The architectural type of Tokyo Medical School main building was a typical school architecture in early Japanese modern period which had a middle corridor and a pseudo Western-style tower, but Tokyo Medical School main building became the model of a medical facility as the symbol of the medical department in Tokyo Imperial University. This was the introduction and transplantation process of Japanese modern ‘model’ like as other modern systems and technologies during the Korean modern transition period. However, unlike Tokyo Medical School main building, Daehan Hospital main building was constructed not as a wooden building but as a masonry building. Comparing with the function of Daehan Hospital main building, its architectural form and construction costs was excessive scale, which was because Japanese Resident-General of Korea had the intention of ostentation that Japanese modernity was superior to Korean Empire.

[Building Process and Architectural Planning Characteristics of Daehan Hospital Main Building].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Geauchul

2016-04-01

This paper explores the introduction process of Daehan Hospital from Japan as the modern medical facility in Korea, and the architectural planning characteristics as a medical facility through the detailed building process of Daehan Hospital main building. The most noticeable characteristic of Daehan Hospital is that it was designed and constructed not by Korean engineers but by Japanese engineers. Therefore, Daehan Hospital was influenced by Japanese early modern medical facility, and Japanese engineers modeled Daehan Hospital main building on Tokyo Medical School main building which was constructed in 1876 as the first national medical school and hospital. The architectural type of Tokyo Medical School main building was a typical school architecture in early Japanese modern period which had a middle corridor and a pseudo Western-style tower, but Tokyo Medical School main building became the model of a medical facility as the symbol of the medical department in Tokyo Imperial University. This was the introduction and transplantation process of Japanese modern 'model' like as other modern systems and technologies during the Korean modern transition period. However, unlike Tokyo Medical School main building, Daehan Hospital main building was constructed not as a wooden building but as a masonry building. Comparing with the function of Daehan Hospital main building, its architectural form and construction costs was excessive scale, which was because Japanese Resident-General of Korea had the intention of ostentation that Japanese modernity was superior to Korean Empire.

Building control. Technical building systems: Automation and management; Building Control. Technische Gebaeudesysteme: Automation und Bewirtschaftung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kranz, H.R.; Baenninger, M.; Bieler, P.; Brettschneider, J.P.; Damnig, A.; Fassbender, H.W.; Friedrichs, K.; Gauchel, J.; Hegewald, B.; Kaelin, W.; Lezius, A.; Markert, H.; Oehler, A.; Otto, J.; Puettmer, M. Jr.; Rohrbacher, H.; Schuerdt, K.; Vogt, D.; Wittling, J.

1995-12-31

Cost-optimised management and maintenance of buildings can no longer be carried out without electronic data processing. The present anthology gives a comprehensive overview of the planning and operation of building automation systems. The following topics are discussed: ecological cooling and facade concepts, facility management, jeopardy alarm technology, building automation, communication technology, open communication and networks, building system technology, norms and directives, building right and law. A special abstract has been prepared for each of the 23 chapters. (BWI). 260 figs., 161 refs. [Deutsch] Kostenoptimiertes Management, Bewirtschaftung und Instandhaltung von Gebaeuden sind ohne EDV nicht mehr denkbar. Das vorliegende Buch gibt einen umfassenden Ueberblick ueber Planung und Betrieb von Gebaeudeautomationssystemen. Es wird dabei auf folgende Themenkomplexe eingegangen: Oekologische Kuehl- und Fassadenkonzepte; Facility Management, Gefahrenmeldetechnik, Gebaeudeautomation; Kommunikationstechnik, offenen Kommunikation und Netzwerke; Gebaeudesystemtechnik und Installationsbus; Energiemanagement; Betreibererfahrungen; Normen und Richtlinien; Baurecht und Gesetz. Fuer alle 23 Einzelkapitel wurde eine gesonderte inhaltliche Erschliessung durchgefuehrt. (BWI)

Buildings from the Socialist Past as part of a City’s Brand Identity: The case of Warsaw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ochkovskaya Marina

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate those buildings left over from Warsaw’s socialist past as a part of the city’s brand visual identity including their perception by foreign tourists and local citizens. Although Lisiak (2009 examined the destruction, removal and presence of these remnants from the socialist past in Central European cities, a comparative study of the perception of these architectural sites erected in Warsaw during socialist times has not been carried out specifically so far. To fill the gap, the authors concentrated research efforts on the following buildings: Palace of Culture and Science; the SMYK Store at Bracka 15/19; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at Wspólna 30; Office Building and Atrium at Wspólna 62; and the former headquarters of the Polish Communist Party at Nowy Świat 6/12. These buildings were built after the Second World War between the late 1940s and the first half of the 1950s. With the exception of the Palace of Culture and Science - which is one of the most notable symbols of Warsaw - these architectural sites are not on a priority list of the average tourist who does little or no planning for their trip. Nevertheless, these buildings are connected to the Polish People’s Republic era and might attract different groups interested in this historical period and architecture. Apart from being potential tourist attractions, these buildings are being re-evaluated and restored to become integrated into the urban environment and more ‘comfortable’ for the local inhabitants. This paper gives some insights into the recognition and attractiveness of these architectural sites from the socialist past by those from Russia and the USA who have visited Warsaw as well as by Poles who know this city well. It is recommended that these results be taken into consideration by tourist agencies who deal with tours in Warsaw as well as institutions responsible for the city’s image. The authors express

Potential Retrofit of Existing Sultan Ismail Parliament Building, Johor to Green Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasin Mohd Norazam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of retrofitting an existing building towards green building was introduced to move towards greener development. This paper investigates the benefits of retrofitting an existing building to green building. The potential retrofit of the existing Sultan Ismail Parliament building was also determined and later the elements of the building to be retrofitted were proposed. The Sultan Ismail Parliament building is one of the newest development that serves as the Johor state administrative center under Iskandar Malaysia. Therefore, this paper focuses on whether the existing building has fulfilled all of the green building elements. A set of questionnaire was distributed to the targeted respondents who were the engineers, architects, technicians, staffs and those who were involved in the development of the Sultan Ismail Parliament building. A total of 60 respondents was involved. Based on the analyzed data, it shows that the existing building has fulfilled only one of the green building elements which is the Indoor Environmental Quality. The items that scored 3.5 and above mean index under this element include the daylight glare is not bothering, the ventilation in the building is adequate, inspections are done regularly, smoking regulation is implemented and the number of openings of windows and doors is sufficient. While it shows that other elements were only partially fulfilled. The criteria that achieved below 3.5 mean index values is considered to be the potential elements that could be used for future retrofitting initiative.

Auxiliary buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakner, I.; Lestyan, E.

1979-01-01

The nuclear power station represents a complicated and a particular industrial project. Consequently, the design of the auxiliary buildings serving the power station (offices, kitchen, refreshment room, workshops, depots, water treatment plant building, boiler houses, etc.) requires more attention than usual. This chapter gives a short survey of the auxiliary buildings already completed and discusses the problems of their design, location and structure. (author)

Building thermography as a tool in energy audits and building commissioning procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Kauppinen, Timo

2007-04-01

A Building Commissioning-project (ToVa) was launched in Finland in the year 2003. A comprehensive commissioning procedure, including the building process and operation stage was developed in the project. This procedure will confirm the precise documentation of client's goals, definition of planning goals and the performance of the building. It is rather usual, that within 1-2 years after introduction the users complain about the defects or performance malfunctions of the building. Thermography is one important manual tool in verifying the thermal performance of the building envelope. In this paper the results of one pilot building (a school) will be presented. In surveying the condition and energy efficiency of buildings, various auxiliary means are needed. We can compare the consumption data of the target building with other, same type of buildings by benchmarking. Energy audit helps to localize and determine the energy saving potential. The most general and also most effective auxiliary means in monitoring the thermal performance of building envelopes is an infrared camera. In this presentation some examples of the use of thermography in energy audits are presented.

Shaping a Favorable Environment in Line with Social Expectations on Residential Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Agnieszka Pawłowicz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The driving force behind the development of any city includes its residents. Hence, it is very important that they have the opportunity to live, work and rest in a friendly environment. The source of their well-being and positive aesthetic experience is a harmonious landscape shaped by a functional spatial arrangement of streets, shapes of buildings, as well as the accompanying nature, ensuring rational development of the city space. One of the key stages that developers and construction companies must take into consideration when planning new investments, is becoming familiar with people's expectations regarding their future place of residence. It is no secret that each square meter of building land is a potential source of profit for developers. The more apartments they build and sell, the more they earn. However, in order for apartments to be sold, they must meet the expectations of their potential buyers related not only to apartments and buildings themselves, but also to the environment surrounding them. Therefore, it is very important that residential estates be attractive and satisfy the needs of their dwellers, which substantially comes down to the comfort of living, rest and recreation within their place of residence. The primary objective behind meeting these needs is to stimulate the demand for new apartments among people, integrate the local community and increase the people' satisfaction with living in a friendly environment.

Effect of age, gender, economic group and tenure on thermal comfort: A field study in residential buildings in hot and dry climate with seasonal variations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Indraganti, Madhavi; Rao, Kavita Daryani [Architecture Department, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad (India)

2010-03-15

Energy consumption in Indian residential buildings is one of the highest and is increasing phenomenally. Indian standards specify comfort temperatures between 23 and 26 C for all types of buildings across the nation. However, thermal comfort research in India is very limited. A field study in naturally ventilated apartments was done in 2008, during the summer and monsoon seasons in Hyderabad in composite climate. This survey involved over 100 subjects, giving 3962 datasets. They were analysed under different groups: age, gender, economic group and tenure. Age, gender and tenure correlated weakly with thermal comfort. However, thermal acceptance of women, older subjects and owner-subjects was higher. Economic level of the subjects showed significant effect on the thermal sensation, preference, acceptance and neutrality. The comfort band for lowest economic group was found to be 27.3-33.1 C with the neutral temperature at 30.2 C. This is way above the standard. This finding has far reaching energy implications on building and HVAC systems design and practice. Occupants' responses for other environmental parameters often depended on their thermal sensation, often resulting in a near normal distribution. The subjects displayed acoustic and olfactory obliviousness due to habituation, resulting in higher satisfaction and acceptance. (author)

Laboratory Building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrera, Joshua M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-03-01

This report is an analysis of the means of egress and life safety requirements for the laboratory building. The building is located at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Albuquerque, NM. The report includes a prescriptive-based analysis as well as a performance-based analysis. Following the analysis are appendices which contain maps of the laboratory building used throughout the analysis. The top of all the maps is assumed to be north.

The Agost Basin (Betic Cordillera, Alicante province, Spain): a pull-apart basin involving salt tectonics

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Martín, Manuel; Estévez, Antonio; Martín-Rojas, Ivan; Guerrera, Francesco; Alcalá, Francisco J.; Serrano, Francisco; Tramontana, Mario

2018-03-01

The Agost Basin is characterized by a Miocene-Quaternary shallow marine and continental infilling controlled by the evolution of several curvilinear faults involving salt tectonics derived from Triassic rocks. From the Serravallian on, the area experienced a horizontal maximum compression with a rotation of the maximum stress axis from E-W to N-S. The resulting deformation gave rise to a strike-slip fault whose evolution is characterized progressively by three stages: (1) stepover/releasing bend with a dextral motion of blocks; (2) very close to pure horizontal compression; and (3) restraining bend with a sinistral movement of blocks. In particular, after an incipient fracturing stage, faults generated a pull-apart basin with terraced sidewall fault and graben subzones developed in the context of a dextral stepover during the lower part of late Miocene p.p. The occurrence of Triassic shales and evaporites played a fundamental role in the tectonic evolution of the study area. The salty material flowed along faults during this stage generating salt walls in root zones and salt push-up structures at the surface. During the purely compressive stage (middle part of late Miocene p.p.) the salt walls were squeezed to form extrusive mushroom-like structures. The large amount of clayish and salty material that surfaced was rapidly eroded and deposited into the basin, generating prograding fan clinoforms. The occurrence of shales and evaporites (both in the margins of the basin and in the proper infilling) favored folding of basin deposits, faulting, and the formation of rising blocks. Later, in the last stage (upper part of late Miocene p.p.), the area was affected by sinistral restraining conditions and faults must have bent to their current shape. The progressive folding of the basin and deformation of margins changed the supply points and finally caused the end of deposition and the beginning of the current erosive systems. On the basis of the interdisciplinary results

Improving building energy efficiency in India: State-level analysis of building energy efficiency policies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Sha; Tan, Qing; Evans, Meredydd; Kyle, Page; Vu, Linh; Patel, Pralit L.

2017-11-01

India is expected to add 40 billion m2 of new buildings till 2050. Buildings are responsible for one third of India’s total energy consumption today and building energy use is expected to continue growing driven by rapid income and population growth. The implementation of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is one of the measures to improve building energy efficiency. Using the Global Change Assessment Model, this study assesses growth in the buildings sector and impacts of building energy policies in Gujarat, which would help the state adopt ECBC and expand building energy efficiency programs. Without building energy policies, building energy use in Gujarat would grow by 15 times in commercial buildings and 4 times in urban residential buildings between 2010 and 2050. ECBC improves energy efficiency in commercial buildings and could reduce building electricity use in Gujarat by 20% in 2050, compared to the no policy scenario. Having energy codes for both commercial and residential buildings could result in additional 10% savings in electricity use. To achieve these intended savings, it is critical to build capacity and institution for robust code implementation.

Domestic hot water. Measurements of consumption and heat loss from circulation pipes; Varmt brugsvand. Maaling af forbrug og varmetab fra cirkulationsledninger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehm, B.; Schroeder, F.; Bergsoee, N.C.

2009-07-01

It is likely that the production and distribution of domestic hot water (DHW) in buildings will constitute a dominant share of both the present and in particular future energy design requirements. The goal of this project has been to propose more energy efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for DHW systems based on analyses of existing conditions. The possibilities include new types of circulation pipes, which have the potential of a 40 per cent reduction of heat losses. In addition to the reduction of heat losses inside the building, a low return temperature from the hot water system will have a large impact on the heat losses from the district heating network when the building is being heated by district heating. The results of this project could influence not only future buildings but also existing buildings in case of renovation of the installations. In this project measurements of water and energy consumptions have been carried out in a number of buildings, and heat losses from the production of domestic hot water and the distribution lines have been measured. In addition to the measurements, analyses and simulations have been carried out. Two models have been developed: One of an apartment room with vertical pipes passing through the room, and one of a room above a basement with horizontal heating pipes. The models make it possible to assess how much of the heat loss from the heating pipes is utilised for space heating. The following recommendations are pointed out: 1) In large buildings e.g. apartment buildings and office buildings the technical installations should be provided with meters so that it is possible to separate the energy consumption for DHW, space heating and ventilation, respectively. 2) In new buildings and in case of retrofitting existing buildings, careful planning of the placement and disposition of hot water taps compared with the location of the hot water tank or heat exchanger is recommended. Also, the necessity of a

ICT Enhanced Buildings Potentials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansson, Per

2007-01-01

component systems that are accessed and integrated in the real world of building use in different contexts. The ICT systems may be physically or virtually embedded in the building. Already in 1982 AT&T established the 'intelligent buildings', IB, concept due to marketing reasons and the Informart building...... with focus on virtual building models support, new services and user environment definitions and development, virtual spaces and augmented reality, intelligent building components, application ontologies, and ICT systems integration to illustrate ICT enhanced buildings potentials and R&D needs.  ...

BIM. Building Information Model. Special issue; BIM. Building Information Model. Themanummer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Gelder, A.L.A. [Arta and Consultancy, Lage Zwaluwe (Netherlands); Van den Eijnden, P.A.A. [Stichting Marktwerking Installatietechniek, Zoetermeer (Netherlands); Veerman, J.; Mackaij, J.; Borst, E. [Royal Haskoning DHV, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Kruijsse, P.M.D. [Wolter en Dros, Amersfoort (Netherlands); Buma, W. [Merlijn Media, Waddinxveen (Netherlands); Bomhof, F.; Willems, P.H.; Boehms, M. [TNO, Delft (Netherlands); Hofman, M.; Verkerk, M. [ISSO, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Bodeving, M. [VIAC Installatie Adviseurs, Houten (Netherlands); Van Ravenswaaij, J.; Van Hoven, H. [BAM Techniek, Bunnik (Netherlands); Boeije, I.; Schalk, E. [Stabiplan, Bodegraven (Netherlands)

2012-11-15

A series of 14 articles illustrates the various aspects of the Building Information Model (BIM). The essence of BIM is to capture information about the building process and the building product. [Dutch] In 14 artikelen worden diverse aspecten m.b.t. het Building Information Model (BIM) belicht. De essentie van BIM is het vastleggen van informatie over het bouwproces en het bouwproduct.

Feasibility study of a Thermo-Photo-Voltaic system for CHP application in residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianchi, Michele; Ferrari, Claudio; Melino, Francesco; Peretto, Antonio

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The profitability of Thermo-Photo-Voltaic generator systems for a single-family dwelling is analyzed. ► Heat and electricity load profiles depending on hour of the day are considered for an entire year. ► The effect of Thermo-Photo-Voltaic generator size is evaluated for different household utilities. ► Results allow to identify the conditions for the energetic and economic convenience of Thermo-Photo-Voltaic system. -- Abstract: The growing demand of energy coupled with an increasing attention to the environmental impact have forced, in the last decades, toward the study and the development of new strategies in order to reduce primary energy consumptions. The cogeneration (CHP) and the on-site generation (also known as distributed generation) could be the key strategy to achieve this goal; CHP systems allow to reduce the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions (in particular the greenhouse gases) compared to separate generation; moreover on-site-generation contributes to the reduction of the energy which is lost in electricity transmission, and increases the security in the energy supply. In this scenario the Thermo-Photo-Voltaic generation (TPV) is obtaining an increasing attention; TPV is a system to convert into electrical energy the radiation emitted from an artificial heat source (i.e. the combustion of fuel) by the use of photovoltaic cells. A domestic gas furnace based on this technology can provide the entire thermal need of an apartment and can also contributes to satisfy the electrical demand. The aim of this study is the understanding of the behavior of a TPV in CHP application in case of residential buildings, under both the energetic and economical point of view; in particular a parametrical analysis is developed and discussed varying the TPV electrical efficiency, the thermal request and the apartment typology.

Sustainable Buildings in Interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elle, Morten

2007-01-01

The first attempts to build sustainable buildings in Denmark were typically located on the countryside. The basic idea was to create buildings that were independent of the technical infrastructure. District heating has, however, been the dominating solution to heating in buildings in Denmark......, and the focus on sustainable building have gradually turned from special houses on the countryside to normally looking houses in the urban fabric, integrated in the technical infrastructure. Some new built urban areas in Denmark will, however, not have to be supplied with district heating – these developments...... are going to consist of passive houses. The first sustainable buildings were built by their users, and the user – building interaction still play a decisive role for the performance of the present sustainable buildings. The users have to understand how the building functions. Urban design is essential...

Investigating the Female Subaltern, Colonial Discourse and False Consciousness: A Spivakian Marxist-Postcolonialist Reading of Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" and "No Longer at Ease"

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafaee, Jalal

2016-01-01

The present research study attempts to investigate Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" and "No Longer at Ease" in terms of Gayatri Spivak Marxist-Post colonialist conceptions of subaltern, colonial discourse and false consciousness. In Postmodernist fiction, there is anxiety that historical concerns such as the scale of…

Green Buildings and Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Joseph G; MacNaughton, Piers; Laurent, Jose Guillermo Cedeno; Flanigan, Skye S; Eitland, Erika Sita; Spengler, John D

2015-09-01

Green building design is becoming broadly adopted, with one green building standard reporting over 3.5 billion square feet certified to date. By definition, green buildings focus on minimizing impacts to the environment through reductions in energy usage, water usage, and minimizing environmental disturbances from the building site. Also by definition, but perhaps less widely recognized, green buildings aim to improve human health through design of healthy indoor environments. The benefits related to reduced energy and water consumption are well-documented, but the potential human health benefits of green buildings are only recently being investigated. The objective of our review was to examine the state of evidence on green building design as it specifically relates to indoor environmental quality and human health. Overall, the initial scientific evidence indicates better indoor environmental quality in green buildings versus non-green buildings, with direct benefits to human health for occupants of those buildings. A limitation of much of the research to date is the reliance on indirect, lagging and subjective measures of health. To address this, we propose a framework for identifying direct, objective and leading "Health Performance Indicators" for use in future studies of buildings and health.

Kayenta Township Building & Safety Department, Tribal Green Building Code Summit Presentation

Science.gov (United States)

Tribal Green Building Code Summit Presentation by Kayenta Township Building & Safety Department showing how they established the building department, developed a code adoption and enforcement process, and hired staff to carry out the work.

Green buildings pay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naboni, Emanuele; Edwards, Brian

The new edition of ‘Green Buildings Pay’ authored by Brian Edwards and Emanuele Naboni explores the business and professional benefits which derive from architectural design driven by sustainability. With a new sub-title ‘Green Buildings Pay: design, productivity and ecology’ the book argues...... that environmental design has altered how we design, construct and manage buildings. The book has relevance to those who not only design and engineer buildings but to those who commission architecture and those who occupy the products of this process. Hence, the user is a key consideration. The book examines via...... a number of LEED and BREEAM cases the buildings which flow from corporate environmental responsibility. A number of office and university buildings are examined from three main perspectives- the architect, client and user. One key finding is that architectural innovation has been driven by ecological...

Refurbishment and school buildings management in a smart building environment

Science.gov (United States)

Di Giuda, Giuseppe Martino; Villa, Valentina; Tagliabue, Lavinia Chiara; Giana, Paolo Ettore; Rinaldi, Stefano; Ciribini, Angelo Luigi Camillo

2018-05-01

Building Information Modelling is a methodology, which is able to take into account many data, both geometrical and non-geometrical, in order to evaluate at the actual condition of the asset. The project has the scope of evaluating the conditions of different school buildings, in order to develop a way to choose the best-tailored management solution to the owner. A further step is the management and planning of design solutions during the life cycle customized on monitored buildings' conditions. The research work focuses on providing a support decisions concerning the gap between the present building state laws and the current state of the existing buildings. The process will be developed in an expanded BIM environment, using sensors, which will give back the state of the consistency of the actual conditions to enable the buildings to adapt themselves in the best way into their specific constraints and boundaries. The results of the study are (i) a complete workflow to make decision and the possibility to shape the decision process on an objective through a scientific approach, (ii) evaluate the current state of the asset and (iii) manage maintenance in the lifespan. Further development will take in consideration all the aspects related to management of big data environment generated by a smart buildings system.

Building America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brad Oberg

2010-12-31

IBACOS researched the constructability and viability issues of using high performance windows as one component of a larger approach to building houses that achieve the Building America 70% energy savings target.

Radon measurements indoors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joensson, G.

1983-02-01

Measurements of Radon concentrations have been made using photographic film detectors in the communities of Uppsala, Soedertaelje and Tyresoe. The result from 6700 filmexposures in both one-family and apartment houses are reported. The fraction of dwellings with radon daughter concentrations exceeding 200 Bq/m 3 is between 3 and 14 percent for one-family houses and 0 to 5 percent for apartment buildings. 8 to 68 percent of the one-family houses and 57 to 83 percent of the apartment buildings had concentrations lower than 70 Bq/m 3 . The seasonal variations were recorded in one-family houses in Uppsala. In houses with low concentrations, the winter values were higher than the summer values. For houses with high concentrations the reversed variation was recorded. (Author)

STUDY ON BUILDING A SMALL-SCALE AQUAPONIC SYSTEM AND THE OUTSET OF IT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radu Mihai Filep

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Building a small scale aquaponic system can be considered as a source of profit. On the same floor area two products could be yield: fish and plants (herbs, vegetables, salads, ornamentals. The small scale aquaponic system was built in the laboratory of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Faculty of Animal Science of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest. It has two components, namely component of aquaculture and hydroponics component. The aquaculture component is represented by a tank with a volume of 450 l and the hydroponic component that is composed of a parallelepipedic box lined with PVC foil of 0.5 mm. PVC film’s purpose is to retain water in the hydroponic component. The parallelopipedic box was made of OSB with reinforcements made of pine timber. The substrate chosen for plant growth was river gravel with dimensions between 8 and 16 mm. The surface obtained for the plant growth was 1 m2. Water recirculation was done with a pump with adjustable flow of 300 to 1000 l / h. An aerator with two diffusers was used to assure the fish respiration and the nitrification processes. Construction costs, initialization and use of such a system are small and do not require special knowledge, tools or skills. This system can be built and used in spaces where there is no possibility of using soil for plant growth (balconies, terraces, etc.. This way one can have available herbs, vegetables and fresh fish, even in an apartments building.

Radon in Estonian dwellings - Results from a National Radon Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pahapill, Lia; Rulkov, Anne; Rajamaee, Raivo [Estonian Radiation Protection Centre (Kiirguskeskus), Tallinn (Spain); Aakerblom, Gustav [Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, Stockholm (Sweden)

2003-10-01

A countrywide survey of radon concentrations in Estonian dwellings was carried out during the period 1998-2001. The survey formed a part of the cooperation program on radiation protection between the Estonian Radiation Protection (Kiirguskeskus) Centre and the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The survey included measurements in a number of dwellings representative for Estonia in detached houses and multifamily buildings (only dwellings on the bottom floor were included in the survey). Altogether, radon concentrations were measured in 515 dwellings, a number large enough to be statistically significant. All measurements were made with alphatrack film detectors of the same type that SSI uses in Sweden. The measurements were made during a 2-3 month period during the winter half-year. Two detectors were used in each dwelling. In Estonia there are 0.17 million dwellings in detached houses and 0.45 million in multi apartment buildings. Of the 1.26 million inhabitants in Estonia. 0.36 million live in detached houses and 0.90 million in multi apartment buildings. Most of the latter were built during the Soviet occupation. Of the dwellings in multifamily buildings 30 % are assumed to be situated on the first floor. The mean radon concentration in dwellings in detached hoses, according to the survey results, is 103 Bq/m{sup 3}, in dwellings on the bottom floor in multi apartment buildings it is 78 Bq/m{sup 3}. In 1% of the dwellings the radon concentration exceeded 400 Bq/m{sup 3}. The highest radon concentration found in the study was 1040 Bq/m{sup 3}. Based on the assumption that the average radon concentration in the dwellings in multi-apartment buildings that are not situated on the bottom floor is 30 Bq/m{sup 3}, and that these dwellings constitute 70% of all dwellings in multi apartment buildings, the mean radon concentration in dwellings in multi apartment buildings is calculated to be 44 Bq/m{sup 3}. The mean value for all Estonia dwellings is calculated

Radon in Estonian dwellings - Results from a National Radon Survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pahapill, Lia; Rulkov, Anne; Rajamaee, Raivo; Aakerblom, Gustav

2003-10-01

A countrywide survey of radon concentrations in Estonian dwellings was carried out during the period 1998-2001. The survey formed a part of the cooperation program on radiation protection between the Estonian Radiation Protection (Kiirguskeskus) Centre and the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The survey included measurements in a number of dwellings representative for Estonia in detached houses and multifamily buildings (only dwellings on the bottom floor were included in the survey). Altogether, radon concentrations were measured in 515 dwellings, a number large enough to be statistically significant. All measurements were made with alphatrack film detectors of the same type that SSI uses in Sweden. The measurements were made during a 2-3 month period during the winter half-year. Two detectors were used in each dwelling. In Estonia there are 0.17 million dwellings in detached houses and 0.45 million in multi apartment buildings. Of the 1.26 million inhabitants in Estonia. 0.36 million live in detached houses and 0.90 million in multi apartment buildings. Most of the latter were built during the Soviet occupation. Of the dwellings in multifamily buildings 30 % are assumed to be situated on the first floor. The mean radon concentration in dwellings in detached hoses, according to the survey results, is 103 Bq/m 3 , in dwellings on the bottom floor in multi apartment buildings it is 78 Bq/m 3 . In 1% of the dwellings the radon concentration exceeded 400 Bq/m 3 . The highest radon concentration found in the study was 1040 Bq/m 3 . Based on the assumption that the average radon concentration in the dwellings in multi-apartment buildings that are not situated on the bottom floor is 30 Bq/m 3 , and that these dwellings constitute 70% of all dwellings in multi apartment buildings, the mean radon concentration in dwellings in multi apartment buildings is calculated to be 44 Bq/m 3 . The mean value for all Estonia dwellings is calculated to be 60 Bq/m 3 . Using

The Situation with Use of Wood Constructions in Contemporary Latvian Architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antra Viluma

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Wood is a historic building material used throughout the Baltic States. Latvia’s forests cover 52% of the country and there are more than 30 producers of timber constructions materials, but during the last two decades the use wood in Latvian architecture has declined when compared to other countries in Europe. In particular – Latvian architects avoid the use of timber in public and multi-unit apartment buildings. Wood is a sustainable and technically appropriate building material for many types of buildings including complex construction, but in Latvian architecture it is used more in facades as a finishing material. This study analyses buildings built during the last few decades, conducted a number of interviews and found that the percentage of wooden buildings in the total building volume in Latvia is less than 5% in both apartment buildings and public sector buildings. Restrictive legislation and negative stereotypes were mentioned as reasons as to why architects avoid the use of wood. For the survey results seven Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art competition projects were analysed as well.

Object Based Building Extraction and Building Period Estimation from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data

Science.gov (United States)

Comert, Resul; Kaplan, Onur

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to examine whether it is possible to estimate the building periods with respect to the building heights in the urban scale seismic performance assessment studies by using the building height retrieved from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data. For this purpose, a small area, which includes eight residential reinforced concrete buildings, was selected in Eskisehir (Turkey) city center. In this paper, the possibilities of obtaining the building heights that are used in the estimation of building periods from UAV based data, have been investigated. The investigations were carried out in 3 stages; (i) Building boundary extraction with Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA), (ii) height calculation for buildings of interest from nDSM and accuracy assessment with the terrestrial survey. (iii) Estimation of building period using height information. The average difference between the periods estimated according to the heights obtained from field measurements and from the UAV data is 2.86 % and the maximum difference is 13.2 %. Results of this study have shown that the building heights retrieved from the UAV data can be used in the building period estimation in the urban scale vulnerability assessments.

Peer bullying in seniors' subsidised apartment communities in Saskatoon, Canada: participatory research.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodridge, Donna; Heal-Salahub, Jennifer; PausJenssen, Elliot; James, George; Lidington, Joan

2017-07-01

Given that 'home' is the major physical-spatial environment of many older adults and that home, social and neighbourhood environments are well-recognised to impact both the ability to age in place and quality of life in this population, a better understanding of the nature of social interactions within seniors' communal living environments is critical for health promotion. This paper describes a two-phase participatory research study examining peer bullying by older adults conducted in April and May, 2016. Responding to needs expressed by tenants, the objectives of this study were to identify the nature, prevalence and consequences of peer bullying for tenants of two low-income senior apartment communities. In collaboration with the local Older Adult Abuse Task Force, a screening survey on bullying was distributed to all tenants. Findings (n = 49) indicated that 39% of tenants had witnessed peer bullying and 29% had experienced bullying by peers. An adapted version of a youth bullying survey was administered in follow-up face-to-face interviews with 13 tenants. The most common forms of peer bullying were deliberate social exclusion and hurtful comments. The majority of respondents indicated that bullying was a problem for seniors and that bullies hurt other people. Outcomes of bullying included feelings of dejection and difficulties conducting everyday activities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Buildings Interoperability Landscape

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardin, Dave [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Stephan, Eric G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wang, Weimin [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Corbin, Charles D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Widergren, Steven E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-12-31

Through its Building Technologies Office (BTO), the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE-EERE) is sponsoring an effort to advance interoperability for the integration of intelligent buildings equipment and automation systems, understanding the importance of integration frameworks and product ecosystems to this cause. This is important to BTO’s mission to enhance energy efficiency and save energy for economic and environmental purposes. For connected buildings ecosystems of products and services from various manufacturers to flourish, the ICT aspects of the equipment need to integrate and operate simply and reliably. Within the concepts of interoperability lie the specification, development, and certification of equipment with standards-based interfaces that connect and work. Beyond this, a healthy community of stakeholders that contribute to and use interoperability work products must be developed. On May 1, 2014, the DOE convened a technical meeting to take stock of the current state of interoperability of connected equipment and systems in buildings. Several insights from that meeting helped facilitate a draft description of the landscape of interoperability for connected buildings, which focuses mainly on small and medium commercial buildings. This document revises the February 2015 landscape document to address reviewer comments, incorporate important insights from the Buildings Interoperability Vision technical meeting, and capture thoughts from that meeting about the topics to be addressed in a buildings interoperability vision. In particular, greater attention is paid to the state of information modeling in buildings and the great potential for near-term benefits in this area from progress and community alignment.

Residential and commercial buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svendsen, Svend; Furbo, S.

2012-11-15

Low-energy buildings can make a major contribution to general sustainable development by providing a solution to problems related to the use of fossil fuels. The EPBD (EU Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings) requirements that by 2020 new building shall be constructed to use nearly zero energy, and no fossil fuels, can be accomplished by combining low-energy buildings with renewable energy via low-temperature district heating in cities and suburbs, and via heat pumps for low-density settlements. Based on experience with passive houses, low-energy buildings meeting the energy performance requirements of 2020 are expected to cost only a few percent more than conventional buildings. The very large and rapid changes needed in the energy performance of buildings is a challenge for the building sector, but one that can be overcome by better methods of developing products and designing, constructing and operating buildings. Simulation-based analysis and optimisation, and considerations of durability, will be important here. Building may thus be transformed from an experience-based sector to one based on knowledge and research, with high-quality sustainable products and good business opportunities. (Author)

Use of neutron beams for fundamental research, applications and human capacity building: From national to regional perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nothnagel, S.G.

2010-01-01

The SAFARI-1 research reactor at NECSA South Africa is currently one of the best utilized research reactors in the world. Apart from being used for materials irradiation and isotope production, there is a history of innovative utilization of neutron beam line techniques, such as neutron diffraction (strain scanning, powder and single crystal), neutron radiography/tomography, prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis and small angle neutron scattering both for NECSA research programs and external users. Through these applications neutron beam line diagnostics have been shown to make important contributions to a number of key research areas in South Africa. As a result these techniques are now being viewed as 'standard and essential' for an increasing number of researchers who came to appreciate the extra dimension of knowledge provided by neutron techniques. In addition neutron beam line facilities provide excellent training platforms for human capacity building in nuc lear and material related science and technology. Because of these reasons neutron beam line facilities at research reactors offer unique opportunities to build productive cross-cutting research collaborations, at national and regional levels. Some information on the role that nuclear beams can play, in the capacities mentioned, will be shared by virtue of some examples and the national, international and regional net-working potential of research reactor based neutron facilities shall be discussed.

Building sustainability

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mass Media

2007-11-01

Full Text Available particu- lar social environment also being awarded. If a building can be used by the community after hours, it should be awarded extra points.” School sports facilities or meeting halls in corporate buildings, are some example. Multi-purpose use..., architect and senior researcher for the CSIR’s Built Environment Unit, the integra- tion of sustainability in building design cannot begin soon enough before it is too late. He says: “Unfortunately nothing is in place in South Africa. For a start...

Re-Assessing Green Building Performance: A Post Occupancy Evaluation of 22 GSA Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fowler, Kimberly M.; Rauch, Emily M.; Henderson, Jordan W.; Kora, Angela R.

2010-06-01

2nd report on the performance of GSA's sustainably designed buildings. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of measured whole building performance as it compares to GSA and industry baselines. The PNNL research team found the data analysis illuminated strengths and weaknesses of individual buildings as well as the portfolio of buildings. This section includes summary data, observations that cross multiple performance metrics, discussion of lessons learned from this research, and opportunities for future research. The summary of annual data for each of the performance metrics is provided in Table 25. The data represent 1 year of measurements and are not associated with any specific design features or strategies. Where available, multiple years of data were examined and there were minimal significant differences between the years. Individually focused post occupancy evaluation (POEs) would allow for more detailed analysis of the buildings. Examining building performance over multiple years could potentially offer a useful diagnostic tool for identifying building operations that are in need of operational changes. Investigating what the connection is between the building performance and the design intent would offer potential design guidance and possible insight into building operation strategies. The 'aggregate operating cost' metric used in this study represents the costs that were available for developing a comparative industry baseline for office buildings. The costs include water utilities, energy utilities, general maintenance, grounds maintenance, waste and recycling, and janitorial costs. Three of the buildings that cost more than the baseline in Figure 45 have higher maintenance costs than the baseline, and one has higher energy costs. Given the volume of data collected and analyzed for this study, the inevitable request is for a simple answer with respect to sustainably designed building performance. As previously stated

Guidelines for Using Building Information Modeling for Energy Analysis of Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Reeves

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Building energy modeling (BEM, a subset of building information modeling (BIM, integrates energy analysis into the design, construction, and operation and maintenance of buildings. As there are various existing BEM tools available, there is a need to evaluate the utility of these tools in various phases of the building lifecycle. The goal of this research was to develop guidelines for evaluation and selection of BEM tools to be used in particular building lifecycle phases. The objectives of this research were to: (1 Evaluate existing BEM tools; (2 Illustrate the application of the three BEM tools; (3 Re-evaluate the three BEM tools; and (4 Develop guidelines for evaluation, selection and application of BEM tools in the design, construction and operation/maintenance phases of buildings. Twelve BEM tools were initially evaluated using four criteria: interoperability, usability, available inputs, and available outputs. Each of the top three BEM tools selected based on this initial evaluation was used in a case study to simulate and evaluate energy usage, daylighting performance, and natural ventilation for two academic buildings (LEED-certified and non-LEED-certified. The results of the case study were used to re-evaluate the three BEM tools using the initial criteria with addition of the two new criteria (speed and accuracy, and to develop guidelines for evaluating and selecting BEM tools to analyze building energy performance. The major contribution of this research is the development of these guidelines that can help potential BEM users to identify the most appropriate BEM tool for application in particular building lifecycle phases.

Energy management systems in buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lush, D. M.

1979-07-01

An investigation is made of the range of possibilities available from three types of systems (automatic control devices, building envelope, and the occupants) in buildings. The following subjects are discussed: general (buildings, design and personnel); new buildings (envelope, designers, energy and load calculations, plant design, general design parameters); existing buildings (conservation measures, general energy management, air conditioned buildings, industrial buildings); man and motivation (general, energy management and documentation, maintenance, motivation); automatic energy management systems (thermostatic controls, optimized plant start up, air conditioned and industrial buildings, building automatic systems). (MCW)

Building calculations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Bjarne Christian; Hansen, Svend Ole

Textbook on design of large panel building including rules on robustness and a method for producing the Statical documentattion......Textbook on design of large panel building including rules on robustness and a method for producing the Statical documentattion...

Energy efficiency in small houses and apartment blocks; Energieffektivitet i smaahus och flerbostadshus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melin Ferdman, Ulrika

2001-05-01

The report shows examples of energy efficient small houses as a basis for estimation of the potentials for future small houses with low energy consumption. The study also describes building technology that affects the energy use in dwellings and how energy efficiency can be improved.

Buildings interoperability landscape - Draft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardin, Dave B. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Stephan, Eric G. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wang, Weimin [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Corbin, Charles D. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Widergren, Steven E. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-02-01

Buildings are an integral part of our nation’s energy economy. The advancement in information and communications technology (ICT) has revolutionized energy management in industrial facilities and large commercial buildings. As ICT costs decrease and capabilities increase, buildings automation and energy management features are transforming the small-medium commercial and residential buildings sectors. A vision of a connected world in which equipment and systems within buildings coordinate with each other to efficiently meet their owners’ and occupants’ needs, and where buildings regularly transact business with other buildings and service providers (such as gas and electric service providers) is emerging. However, while the technology to support this collaboration has been demonstrated at various degrees of maturity, the integration frameworks and ecosystems of products that support the ability to easily install, maintain, and evolve building systems and their equipment components are struggling to nurture the fledging business propositions of their proponents.

Simultaneous Imbalance Reduction and Peak Shaving using a Field Operational Virtual Power Plant with Pumps

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pruissen, O.P. van; Kok, J.K.; Eisma, A.

2015-01-01

The Dutch electricity infrastructure is challenged by the deployment of large numbers of heat pumps in newly-built domestic residences. An example is the apartment complex of Couperus in The Hague where 300 apartments are heated by individual heat pumps. This building was operated as a Virtual Power

Dutch Building Decree

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scholten, N.P.M.

2000-01-01

On the 1 October 1992 a change in the Dutch building legislation took effect: the revised Housing Act, the Building Decree and the technical documents related to this legislation came into force. This publication contains an English translation of the Building Decree. In order to give an idea of the

Improving building performance using smart building concept: Benefit cost ratio comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Berawi, Mohammed Ali; Miraj, Perdana; Sayuti, Mustika Sari; Berawi, Abdur Rohim Boy

2017-11-01

Smart building concept is an implementation of technology developed in the construction industry throughout the world. However, the implementation of this concept is still below expectations due to various obstacles such as higher initial cost than a conventional concept and existing regulation siding with the lowest cost in the tender process. This research aims to develop intelligent building concept using value engineering approach to obtain added value regarding quality, efficiency, and innovation. The research combined quantitative and qualitative approach using questionnaire survey and value engineering method to achieve the research objectives. The research output will show additional functions regarding technology innovation that may increase the value of a building. This study shows that smart building concept requires higher initial cost, but produces lower operational and maintenance costs. Furthermore, it also confirms that benefit-cost ratio on the smart building was much higher than a conventional building, that is 1.99 to 0.88.

Building Evidence for Health: Green Buildings, Current Science, and Future Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Cedeño-Laurent, J G; Williams, A; MacNaughton, P; Cao, X; Eitland, E; Spengler, J; Allen, J

2018-04-01

Civilizational challenges have questioned the status quo of energy and material consumption by humans. From the built environment perspective, a response to these challenges was the creation of green buildings. Although the revolutionary capacity of the green building movement has elevated the expectations of new commercial construction, its rate of implementation has secluded the majority of the population from its benefits. Beyond reductions in energy usage and increases in market value, the main strength of green buildings may be the procurement of healthier building environments. Further pursuing the right to healthy indoor environments could help the green building movement to attain its full potential as a transformational public health tool. On the basis of 40 years of research on indoor environmental quality, we present a summary of nine environment elements that are foundational to human health. We posit the role of green buildings as a critical research platform within a novel sustainability framework based on social-environmental capital assets.

Building valve amplifiers

CERN Document Server

Jones, Morgan

2013-01-01

Building Valve Amplifiers is a unique hands-on guide for anyone working with tube audio equipment--as an electronics hobbyist, audiophile or audio engineer. This 2nd Edition builds on the success of the first with technology and technique revisions throughout and, significantly, a major new self-build project, worked through step-by-step, which puts into practice the principles and techniques introduced throughout the book. Particular attention has been paid to answering questions commonly asked by newcomers to the world of the valve, whether audio enthusiasts tackling their first build or

U.S. Department of Energy Commercial Reference Building Models of the National Building Stock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deru, M.; Field, K.; Studer, D.; Benne, K.; Griffith, B.; Torcellini, P.; Liu, B.; Halverson, M.; Winiarski, D.; Rosenberg, M.; Yazdanian, M.; Huang, J.; Crawley, D.

2011-02-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Program has set the aggressive goal of producing marketable net-zero energy buildings by 2025. This goal will require collaboration between the DOE laboratories and the building industry. We developed standard or reference energy models for the most common commercial buildings to serve as starting points for energy efficiency research. These models represent fairly realistic buildings and typical construction practices. Fifteen commercial building types and one multifamily residential building were determined by consensus between DOE, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and represent approximately two-thirds of the commercial building stock.

Commercial Buildings Characteristics, 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-29

Commercial Buildings Characteristics 1992 presents statistics about the number, type, and size of commercial buildings in the United States as well as their energy-related characteristics. These data are collected in the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), a national survey of buildings in the commercial sector. The 1992 CBECS is the fifth in a series conducted since 1979 by the Energy Information Administration. Approximately 6,600 commercial buildings were surveyed, representing the characteristics and energy consumption of 4.8 million commercial buildings and 67.9 billion square feet of commercial floorspace nationwide. Overall, the amount of commercial floorspace in the United States increased an average of 2.4 percent annually between 1989 and 1992, while the number of commercial buildings increased an average of 2.0 percent annually.

Building performance simulation as a design tool for refurbishment of buildings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hensen, J.L.M.; Bartak, M.; Drkal, F.; Dunovska, T.; Lain, M.; Matuska, T.; Schwarzer, J.; Sourek, B.; Bednar, T.

2004-01-01

This paper attempts to outline the current state-of-the-art regarding the use of building performance simulation as a design tool for refurbishment of buildings. This is illus-trated by means of three recent studies for conversion of historical buildings (an early 20th century factory, and a water

Measurement in Sustainable Building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hale, Lara

2018-01-01

Measurement is a necessary aspect of planning and constructing buildings. However, recent attempts to integrate the social dimension of sustainable building into building design and specifications demand measurement of non-technical qualities, such as well-being. The Active House Alliance, in lieu...... and continued provision of sustainable buildings to market demand....

Strategy for introduction of rainwater management facility considering rainfall event applied on new apartment complex

Science.gov (United States)

KIM, H.; Lee, D. K.; Yoo, S.

2014-12-01

As regional torrential rains become frequent due to climate change, urban flooding happens very often. That is why it is necessary to prepare for integrated measures against a wide range of rainfall. This study proposes introduction of effective rainwater management facilities to maximize the rainwater runoff reductions and recover natural water circulation for unpredictable extreme rainfall in apartment complex scale. The study site is new apartment complex in Hanam located in east of Seoul, Korea. It has an area of 7.28ha and is analysed using the EPA-SWMM and STORM model. First, it is analyzed that green infrastructure(GI) had efficiency of flood reduction at the various rainfall events and soil characteristics, and then the most effective value of variables are derived. In case of rainfall event, Last 10 years data of 15 minutes were used for analysis. A comparison between A(686mm rainfall during 22days) and B(661mm/4days) knew that soil infiltration of A is 17.08% and B is 5.48% of the rainfall. Reduction of runoff after introduction of the GI of A is 24.76% and B is 6.56%. These results mean that GI is effective to small rainfall intensity, and artificial rainwater retarding reservoir is needed at extreme rainfall. Second, set of target year is conducted for the recovery of hydrological cycle at the predevelopment. And an amount of infiltration, evaporation, surface runoff of the target year and now is analysed on the basis of land coverage, and an arrangement of LID facilities. Third, rainwater management scenarios are established and simulated by the SWMM-LID. Rainwater management facilities include GI(green roof, porous pavement, vegetative swale, ecological pond, and raingarden), and artificial rainwater. Design scenarios are categorized five type: 1)no GI, 2)conventional GI design(current design), 3)intensive GI design, 4)GI design+rainwater retarding reservoir 5)maximized rainwater retarding reservoir. Intensive GI design is to have attribute value to

Chinua Achebe's novel Things fall apart as a response to the negative portrayal of Africans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Babnik

2009-12-01

Given that Achebe’s fi rst novel, whose publication sparked an incident at Ibadan University in 1952, was in itself an act of rebellion and a form of rejoinder to the colonial representation of Africans, it is understandable that the absence of personality, historicity, and understanding are integral to his novels. Writing an »African« novel or »anti-novel« meant transcending the »objectivity« of colonial discourse and drawing into one’s consciousness the history and culture of the Igbo people (primarily from southeast Nigeria, although the description of pre-colonial society at the moment of its fi rst contact with the white man does not imply a nostalgic return to the past, as is notable for instance in the négritude movement. Th e potency of Achebe’s novel lies in the fact that by invoking Igbo culture he has turned the colonial perception of Africans as inferior on its head, although the anti-colonial dialectics are intimately bound up with his representation of the African woman. Achebe’s women are marginalized just as in Fanon’s work – the novel Th ings Fall Apart is in some ways a response to Fanon’s theoretical work Th e Wretched of the Earth. Women in Achebe’s trilogy Th ings Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, and Arrow of God have above all a symbolic and metaphorical role, being represented as the mother of the land, whereas men are individual fi gures. Th is representation of women is linked to the fact that the fi rst two novels, which were written before the independence of Nigeria in 1960, develop the idea of the national struggle for liberation, which reaffi rms the humanity and manhood of the colonized, whereas colonialism only assigned to Africans the attributes of children or at best those of women. In Achebe’s favor, one can say that Okunkwo, as the reincarnation of the social ideal of manhood, is continually fi ghting with the basic tenet of both the preceding (i.e., his father’s and future (i.e., his son’s generation

Healthy Buildings '88

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berglund, B.; Lindvall, T.; Maansson, L.G.

1988-06-01

The Healthy Buildings '88 Conference focuses on the technical solutions and functional requirements contributing to Healthy Buildings for people to live and work in. The main object of the Conference is to give architects, consultants, real-estate owners and manufacturers of building materials recommendations on choice of materials and choice of systems and on how to combine materials and systems. The program includes overview lectures, plenary symposia with invited speakers, workshops, poster presentations and an exhibition of scientific, educational and technical material. One part of the conference is devoted to the problem of radon in residential buildings

Building perservation practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pilegaard, Marie Kirstine

, and they indicate the importance of this story to be preserved. The professionals, who cooperate on the preservation efforts for the cultural environments today, all emphasizes the communication of the story, but using different approaches towards the processes of reading, interpreting and communicating. The role...... planning? In this paper I will focus on the communication of the architects working with building preservation and planning, how they communicate the building, the interventions and the storytelling in practice. The methods used by the architects are based on a practice, where some skills are learned...... through education, such as documentation of buildings and the restoration as a way of communicating the architect's intervention on the building, meanwhile the communication of the buildings history is seen as a "natural" skill and the methods are not questioned in the practice. The storytelling has today...

Building materials. Stichwort Baustoff

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rohwer, W

1981-01-01

To handle building materials properly, one must know about their characteristics. This pocket book will be of help: structured like a glossary, it gives brief descriptions of the most common building materials. It is small and handy enough to be a constant companion to resident engineers, foremen, gangers, building tradesmen, and construction workers and an aid in their training. The following groups of building materials are discussed: Natural stone; units for brick walls, floors, and roofs; mortar and concrete (definitions, binders, aggregates, additives, admixtures, mixing water); special types of plaster and rendering; light-weight building boards and wood wool basis; multilayer light-weight building boards; gypsum plasterboards; chimney construction; sewers; thermal insulation and sound section; structural steels; plastics.

THE TRUE FACE OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA IN "THINGS FALL APART"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ecevit Bekler

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe is known to be one of the most influential African wri­ters and holds an important place in postcolonial studies. His main aim was to reconstruct the wrongly established beliefs, ideas, and thoughts of the Western world regarding Africa. To realize his aim, he made careful selections in his choice of language, which contributed greatly to sharing his observations, ideas, and beliefs with the rest of the world. He wrote his novels in English, believing that doing so would be more powerful in conveying the true face of pre-colonial Africa, rather than in Nigerian, which could not be as effective as the language of the colonizers. Achebe’s complaint was that the history of Africa had mainly been written by white men who did not belong to his continent and who would not judge life there fairly. With his novels, he changed the prejudices of those who had never been to Africa, and he managed to convert the negative ideas and feelings caused by the portrayal of his continent to positive ones. "Things Fall Apart" is a novel whose mission is to portray Africa in a very realistic and authentic environment, contrary to the one-sided point of view of the colonizers. The novel presents us, in very authentic language, with many details about the customs, rituals, daily life practices, ceremonies, beliefs, and even jokes of the African Igbos. Chinua Achebe thus realizes his aim in revealing that African tribes, although regarded as having a primitive life and being very far from civilization, in fact had their own life with traditions and a culture specific to themselves.

Environmental Evaluation of Building Materials of 5 Slovak Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Porhincak, Milan; Estokova, Adriana

2013-11-01

Building activity has recently led to the deterioration of environment and has become unsustainable. Several strategies have been introduced in order to minimize consumption of energy and resulting CO2 emissions having their origin in the operational phase. But also other stages of Life Cycle should are important to identify the overall environmental impact of construction sector. In this paper 5 similar Slovak buildings (family houses) were analyzed in terms of environmental performance of building materials used for their structures. Evaluation included the weight of used materials, embodied energy and embodied CO2 and SO2 emissions. Analysis has proven that the selection of building materials is an important factor which influences the environmental profile. Findings of the case study indicated that materials like concrete, ceramic or thermal insulation materials based on polystyrene and mineral wool are ones with the most negative environmental impact.

Vlastnictví bytu a společenství vlastníků jednotek podle stávající i nově navrhované právní úpravy

OpenAIRE

Džuganová, Jana

2013-01-01

The thesis is concerned with the institute of the flat ownership and legal regulation of apartment owner's association. With respect to the extent of aforesaid theme the thesis describes only selected problems, for example the concept and the content of the flat ownership, the concept of the residential unit, the co-ownership of common parts of the residential building, the character of apartment owner's association, its legal personality, membership in apartment owner's association and its o...

Building Momentum: National Trends and Prospects for High-Performance Green Buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

2003

This report is an outgrowth of the Green Building Roundtable of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council on April 24, 2002. The roundtable brought together diverse interests to educate members of Congress on green building trends and generated discussion about the economic…

Optimizing Energy Consumption in Building Designs Using Building Information Model (BIM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Egwunatum Samuel

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Given the ability of a Building Information Model (BIM to serve as a multi-disciplinary data repository, this paper seeks to explore and exploit the sustainability value of Building Information Modelling/models in delivering buildings that require less energy for their operation, emit less CO2 and at the same time provide a comfortable living environment for their occupants. This objective was achieved by a critical and extensive review of the literature covering: (1 building energy consumption, (2 building energy performance and analysis, and (3 building information modeling and energy assessment. The literature cited in this paper showed that linking an energy analysis tool with a BIM model helped project design teams to predict and create optimized energy consumption. To validate this finding, an in-depth analysis was carried out on a completed BIM integrated construction project using the Arboleda Project in the Dominican Republic. The findings showed that the BIM-based energy analysis helped the design team achieve the world’s first 103% positive energy building. From the research findings, the paper concludes that linking an energy analysis tool with a BIM model helps to expedite the energy analysis process, provide more detailed and accurate results as well as deliver energy-efficient buildings. The study further recommends that the adoption of a level 2 BIM and the integration of BIM in energy optimization analyse should be made compulsory for all projects irrespective of the method of procurement (government-funded or otherwise or its size.

Measures taken by the building authorities in order to reduce radiation risks in buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tell, Wilhelm

1980-01-01

The Swedish radon commission has recommended that the risk of radiation and radon emission from the ground be considered when planning for new settlements, building materials with high radioactivity not be allowed for new buildings, and existing buildings with high levels of radioactivity be traced and improved. Maps of gamma radiation from the ground are being worked out showing areas with levels higher than 30 μR/h. Within such areas buildings should be planned taking the ultimate limits for new buildings into account. Building permits are granted for construction of new structures or extensive renovations if it can be shown that radiation levels within the buildings will be within legal limits: 70 Bq/m 3 for new buildings and 200 Bq/m 3 for existing ones. The radon commission has suggested that buildings with a radon daughter concentration exceeding 400 Bq/m 3 should be found and levels reduced to 200 Bq/m 3

Building energy, building leadership : recommendations for the adoption, development, and implementation of a commercial building energy code in Manitoba

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akerstream, T. [Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Allard, K. [City of Thompson, Thompson, MB (Canada); Anderson, N.; Beacham, D. [Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Andrich, R. [The Forks North Portage Partnership, MB (Canada); Auger, A. [Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). Office of Energy Efficiency; Downs, R.G. [Shindico Realty Inc., Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Eastwood, R. [Number Ten Architectural Group, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Hewitt, C. [SMS Engineering Ltd., Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Joshi, D. [City of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Klassen, K. [Manitoba Dept. of Energy Science and Technology, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Phillips, B. [Unies Ltd., Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Wiebe, R. [Ben Wiebe Construction Ltd., Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Woelk, D. [Bockstael Construction Ltd., Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Ziemski, S. [CREIT Management LLP, Winnipeg, MB (Canada)

2006-09-15

This report presented a strategy and a set of recommendations for the adoption, development and implementation of an energy code for new commercial construction in Manitoba. The report was compiled by an advisory committee comprised of industry representatives and government agency representatives. Recommendations were divided into 4 categories: (1) advisory committee recommendations; (2) code adoption recommendations; (3) code development recommendations; and (4) code implementation recommendations. It was suggested that Manitoba should adopt an amended version of the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (1997) as a regulation under the Buildings and Mobile Homes Act. Participation in a national initiative to update the Model National Energy Code for Buildings was also advised. It was suggested that the energy code should be considered as the first step in a longer-term process towards a sustainable commercial building code. However, the code should be adopted within the context of a complete market transformation approach. Other recommendations included: the establishment of a multi-stakeholder energy code task group; the provision of information and technical resources to help build industry capacity; the establishment of a process for energy code compliance; and an ongoing review of the energy code to assess impacts and progress. Supplemental recommendations for future discussion included the need for integrated design by building design teams in Manitoba; the development of a program to provide technical assistance to building design teams; and collaboration between post-secondary institutions to develop and deliver courses on integrated building design to students and professionals. 17 refs.

Building integration of PCM for natural cooling of buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Álvarez, Servando; Cabeza, Luisa F.; Ruiz-Pardo, Alvaro; Castell, Albert; Tenorio, José Antonio

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A brief overview of PCM solutions for buildings is provided. ► Some weaknesses of existing PCM solutions for buildings were identified. ► New solutions for PCM integration in buildings are proposed. ► Proposed solutions overcome identified weaknesses of existing solutions. - Abstract: The use of night cooling ventilation in addition of phase change materials (PCMs) is a very powerful strategy for reducing the cooling demand of buildings. Nevertheless, there are inherent drawbacks in the way things have been doing so far: (a) The limited area of contact between PCM and the air; (b) the very low convective heat transfer coefficients which prevents the use of significant amounts of PCM and (c) the very low utilization factor of the cool stored due to the large phase shift between the time when cool is stored and time when it is required by the building. In this paper, we present innovative solutions using PCM to overcome the above situation. Compared with existing solutions, innovative solutions proposed, increase the contact area between PCM and air by a factor of approximately 3.6, increase the convective heat transfer coefficient significantly, and improve the utilization factor due to the inclusion of active control systems which allow the cold stored be actually used when required

Building-related symptoms and inflammatory potency of dust from office buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allermann, L; Pejtersen, J; Gunnarsen, L

2007-01-01

UNLABELLED: The aim was to investigate the association between building-related symptoms (BRS) in office buildings and the inflammatory potency of dust (PD). Furthermore, the association between dust potency and various building characteristics was investigated. Occupants of 22 office buildings...... received a retrospective questionnaire about BRS (2301 respondents). Dust was collected from groups of offices and building characteristics were recorded. The potency of a dust sample to induce interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion from the lung epithelial cell line A549 was measured as the slope of the initial...... linear part of the concentration-response curve. Symptoms of the central nervous system (CNS) were associated with the potency of surface dust (OR = 1.4). This association may be due to an association between an index of CNS symptoms and dust potency in offices of 1-6 occupants (OR = 1.5). No single...

Energy savings potential from improved building controls for the US commercial building sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, Nick; Katipamula, Srinivas; Wang, Weimin; Xie, Yulong; Zhao, Mingjie

2017-09-27

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Technologies Office (BTO) sponsored a study to determine the potential national savings achievable in the commercial building sector through widespread deployment of best practice controls, elimination of system and component faults, and use of better sensing. Detailed characterization of potential savings was one source of input to set research, development, and deployment (RD&D) goals in the field of building sensors and controls. DOE’s building energy simulation software, EnergyPlus, was employed to estimate the potential savings from 34 measures in 9 building types and across 16 climates representing almost 57% of commercial building sector energy consumption. In addition to estimating savings from individual measures, three packages of measures were created to estimate savings from the packages. These packages represented an 1) efficient building, 2) typical building, and 3) inefficient building. To scale the results from individual measures or a package to the national scale, building weights by building type and climate locations from the Energy Information Administration’s 2012 Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) were used. The results showed significant potential for energy savings across all building types and climates. The total site potential savings from individual measures by building type and climate location ranged between 0% and 25%. The total site potential savings by building type aggregated across all climates (using the CBECS building weights) for each measure varied between 0% and 16%. The total site potential savings aggregated across all building types and climates for each measure varied between 0% and 11%. Some individual measures had negative savings because correcting underlying operational problems (e.g., inadequate ventilation) resulted in increased energy consumption. When combined into packages, the overall national savings potential is estimated to be 29

Future Green Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Drysdale, David; Lund, Henrik

an energy system integration perspective, heat savings, electricity savings, and user behavioural aspects as well as energy storage and household level flexibility. Many reports on green or sustainable buildings focus only on savings levels and disregard the cost of renewable energy production. Some reports......Efficient buildings are essential for an affordable Danish energy supply in 2050. The purpose of this report is to describe the contribution and role of the building sector in a 100% renewable energy future, as well as the transitions that are necessary in the building sector to support this change....... The report builds on a literature review encompassing more than 50 reports and research papers over the last 10 years and more than a two decades knowledge about the interactions between different components of the energy sector. The review has been focused on aspects such as cost-effective solutions from...

Modern frame structure buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

В. М. Першаков

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the design, construction and implementation of reinforced concrete frame structures with span 18, 21 m for agricultural production buildings, hall-premises of public buildings and buildings of agricultural aviation. Structures are prefabricated frame buildings and have such advantages as large space inside the structure and lower cost compared with other facilities with same purpose

Predictive models of energy consumption in multi-family housing in College Station, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Hikmat Hummad

Patterns of energy consumption in apartment buildings are different than those in single-family houses. Apartment buildings have different physical characteristics, and their inhabitants have different demographic attributes. This study develops models that predict energy usage in apartment buildings in College Station. This is accomplished by analyzing and identifying the predictive variables that affect energy usage, studying the consumption patterns, and creating formulas based on combinations of these variables. According to the hypotheses and the specific research context, a cross-sectional design strategy is adopted. This choice implies analyses across variations within a sample of fourplex apartments in College Station. The data available for analysis include the monthly billing data along with the physical characteristics of the building, climate data for College Station, and occupant demographic characteristics. A simple random sampling procedure is adopted. The sample size of 176 apartments is drawn from the population in such a way that every possible sample has the same chance of being selected. Statistical methods used to interpret the data include univariate analysis (mean, standard deviation, range, and distribution of data), correlation analysis, regression analysis, and ANOVA (analyses of variance). The results show there are significant differences in cooling efficiency and actual energy consumption among different building types, but there are no significant differences in heating consumption. There are no significant differences in actual energy consumption between student and non-student groups or among ethnic groups. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in actual energy consumption among marital status groups and educational level groups. The multiple regression procedures show there is a significant relationship between normalized annual consumption and the combined variables of floor area, marital status, dead band

Building Acoustics

Science.gov (United States)

Cowan, James

This chapter summarizes and explains key concepts of building acoustics. These issues include the behavior of sound waves in rooms, the most commonly used rating systems for sound and sound control in buildings, the most common noise sources found in buildings, practical noise control methods for these sources, and the specific topic of office acoustics. Common noise issues for multi-dwelling units can be derived from most of the sections of this chapter. Books can be and have been written on each of these topics, so the purpose of this chapter is to summarize this information and provide appropriate resources for further exploration of each topic.

Building Software with Gradle

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Studer, Etienne

2014-01-01

In this presentation, we will give an overview of the key concepts and main features of Gradle, the innovative build system that has become the de-facto standard in the enterprise. We will cover task declaration and task graph execution, incremental builds, multi-project builds, dependency management, applying plugins, extracting reusable build logic, bootstrapping a build, and using the Gradle daemon. By the end of this talk, you will have a good understanding of what makes Gradle so powerful yet easy to use. You will also understand why companies like Pivotal, LinkedIn, Google, and other giants with complex builds count on Gradle. About the speakers Etienne is leading the Tooling Team at Gradleware. He has been working as a developer, architect, project manager, and CTO over the past 15 years. He has spent most of his time building software products from the ground up and successfully shipping them to happy customers. He had ...

Korterelamu Tallinnas Weizenbergi 29 = Apartment Building in Tallinn, at 29 Weizenbergi Street / Andres Alver

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Alver, Andres, 1953-

2001-01-01

Puitvoodriga betoonist kastjas hoone. Projekteerija Alver Trummal Arhitektid. Arhitektid Andres Alver ja Tarmo Laht. Eriosad: Eesti Projekt. Projekt 1998, valmis 2000. 3 ill.: põhiplaan, välisvaade, Pille Lausmäe kujundatud korteri vaade

Wall envelopes in office buildings: design trend and implications on cooling load of buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, N.; Ahmed, A.Z.; Ahmed, S.S.

2006-01-01

The wall envelope is a vital element of a building especially to a high rise building where its wall to building volume ratio is higher compared to other building forms. As well as a means of architectural expression, the wall envelope protects and regulates the indoor environment. In recent years there have been many applications of glass products and cladding systems in high-rise buildings built in Kuala Lumpur. This paper describes a recent research and survey on wall envelope designs adopted in 33 high-rise office buildings built in the central business district of Kuala Lumpur since 1990. This research adopts component design analysis to identify dominant trends on wall envelope design for the surveyed buildings. The paper seeks to discourse the implications of this design trend on energy consumption of high-rise office buildings in the country

Tribal Green Building Toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

This Tribal Green Building Toolkit (Toolkit) is designed to help tribal officials, community members, planners, developers, and architects develop and adopt building codes to support green building practices. Anyone can use this toolkit!

Design and development of Building energy simulation Software for prefabricated cabin type of industrial building (PCES)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Li, Ri Yi

2018-06-01

Building energy simulation is an important supporting tool for green building design and building energy consumption assessment, At present, Building energy simulation software can't meet the needs of energy consumption analysis and cabinet level micro environment control design of prefabricated building. thermal physical model of prefabricated building is proposed in this paper, based on the physical model, the energy consumption calculation software of prefabricated cabin building(PCES) is developed. we can achieve building parameter setting, energy consumption simulation and building thermal process and energy consumption analysis by PCES.

Building-related symptoms and inflammatory potency of dust from office buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allermann, Leila; Pejtersen, Jan; Gunnarsen, Lars Bo

2007-01-01

Abstract The aim was to investigate the association between building-related symptoms (BRS) in office buildings and the inflammatory potency of dust (PD). Furthermore, the association between dust potency and various building characteristics was investigated. Occupants of 22 office buildings...... received a retrospective questionnaire about BRS (2301 respondents). Dust was collected from groups of offices and building characteristics were recorded. The potency of a dust sample to induce interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion from the lung epithelial cell line A549 was measured as the slope of the initial...... linear part of the concentration- response curve. Symptoms of the central nervous system (CNS) were associated with the potency of surface dust (OR ¼ 1.4). This association may be due to an association between an index of CNS symptoms and dust potency in offices of 1-6 occupants (OR ¼ 1.5). No single...

CERN's newest building

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Vernède

2011-01-01

With a growing number of users looking for offices, the shortage of space has become acute, particularly for physicists. Building 42, inaugurated on Friday 11 February, offers almost 300 new work-spaces and a particularly pleasant working environment.   Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, the Swiss State Secretary for Education and Research (left), Rolf Heuer , CERN Director-General (centre), and Mark Muller, President of the Government of the Republic and Canton of Geneva and Head of the Department of Construction and Information Technology (right) at the opening of Building 42 on 11 February, 2011.   Construction work for the new Building 42 began in January 2009, thanks to support from the Swiss foundation FIPOI (Fondation des immeubles pour les organisations internationales). After two years of work, the building, an extension of Building 40, is ready to accommodate physicists from around the world who have come to work on the LHC. "We had more than 25 external contractors working...

Building Energy Efficiency in India: Compliance Evaluation of Energy Conservation Building Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Sha; Evans, Meredydd; Delgado, Alison

2014-03-26

India is experiencing unprecedented construction boom. The country doubled its floorspace between 2001 and 2005 and is expected to add 35 billion m2 of new buildings by 2050. Buildings account for 35% of total final energy consumption in India today, and building energy use is growing at 8% annually. Studies have shown that carbon policies will have little effect on reducing building energy demand. Chaturvedi et al. predicted that, if there is no specific sectoral policies to curb building energy use, final energy demand of the Indian building sector will grow over five times by the end of this century, driven by rapid income and population growth. The growing energy demand in buildings is accompanied by a transition from traditional biomass to commercial fuels, particularly an increase in electricity use. This also leads to a rapid increase in carbon emissions and aggravates power shortage in India. Growth in building energy use poses challenges to the Indian government. To curb energy consumption in buildings, the Indian government issued the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in 2007, which applies to commercial buildings with a connected load of 100 kW or 120kVA. It is predicted that the implementation of ECBC can help save 25-40% of energy, compared to reference buildings without energy-efficiency measures. However, the impact of ECBC depends on the effectiveness of its enforcement and compliance. Currently, the majority of buildings in India are not ECBC-compliant. The United Nations Development Programme projected that code compliance in India would reach 35% by 2015 and 64% by 2017. Whether the projected targets can be achieved depends on how the code enforcement system is designed and implemented. Although the development of ECBC lies in the hands of the national government – the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power, the adoption and implementation of ECBC largely relies on state and local governments. Six years after ECBC�

77 FR 24494 - Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Green Building Advisory Committee...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-24

... Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Green Building Advisory Committee; Notification of Upcoming... agenda for the May 9, 2012, meeting of the Green Building Advisory Committee Meeting (the Committee). The... Sandler, Designated Federal Officer, Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, Office of...

77 FR 66616 - Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Green Building Advisory Committee...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-06

... Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Green Building Advisory Committee; Notification of Upcoming... and agenda for the November 27, 2012, meeting of the Green Building Advisory Committee Meeting (the... Green Buildings, Office of Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration, 1275 First Street NE...

78 FR 21368 - Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Green Building Advisory Committee...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-10

... Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Green Building Advisory Committee; Notification of Upcoming... and agenda for the May 1, 2013, meeting of the Green Building Advisory Committee Meeting (the... Green Buildings, Office of Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration, 1275 First Street NE...

REPRESENTASI KOLONISASI TERHADAP MASYARAKAT KULIT HITAM AFRIKA DALAM NOVEL THINGS FALL APART KARYA CHINUA ACHEBE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

. Hadiyanto

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract This article discusses white-skinned race colonization and its impacts on African black-skinned race tribal society and culture in African Anglophone novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe. The approach used in this research is post-colonial approach by using post-colonial theory to analyze phenomena as well as the implication of the colonizer and the colonized relationship. The result of this research indicates that the coming of white-skinned race colonialists in African Ibo tribe community with their colonization and cultural imperialism is implemented with varied strategies. Those strategies are proven effectively in strengthening white-skinned race’s colonial hegemony in Africa. The white-skinned race colonialists’ imperialism results in horizontal conflict and cultural-social disintegration in African native society; between the pro-colonial and the anti-colonial. Anti-colonial resistence is shown by most African native society to fight against colonial government arrogance and to resist white-skinned race imperialism in Africa. Keywords: African black-skinned race traditional culture, white-skinned race colonization, horizontal conflict, social-cultural disintegration

Building lifespan: effect on the environmental impact of building components in a Danish perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marsh, Rob

2017-01-01

of building lifespan are inadequately addressed. The aim of this research is therefore to explore how environmental impact from building components is affected by building lifespans of 50, 80, 100 and 120 years in a Danish context. LCAs are undertaken for 792 parametric variations of typical construction...... solutions, covering all primary building components and based on contemporary practice. A full statistical analysis is carried out, which shows a significant statistical correlation between changes in building lifespan and environmental impact for all primary building components, except windows......Construction professionals must now integrate environmental concerns with life cycle assessment (LCA) early in the procurement process. Building lifespan is important to LCA, since results must be normalized on an annualized basis for comparison. However, the scientific literature shows that issues...

Green Building Tools for Tribes

Science.gov (United States)

Tribal green building tools and funding information to support tribal building code adoption, healthy building, siting, energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, green building materials, recycling and adaptation and resilience.

BUILDING 341 Seismic Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halle, J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-06-15

The Seismic Evaluation of Building 341 located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California has been completed. The subject building consists of a main building, Increment 1, and two smaller additions; Increments 2 and 3.

Regression Tree-Based Methodology for Customizing Building Energy Benchmarks to Individual Commercial Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kaskhedikar, Apoorva Prakash

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, commercial buildings represent about 40% of the United State's energy consumption of which office buildings consume a major portion. Gauging the extent to which an individual building consumes energy in excess of its peers is the first step in initiating energy efficiency improvement. Energy Benchmarking offers initial building energy performance assessment without rigorous evaluation. Energy benchmarking tools based on the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) database are investigated in this thesis. This study proposes a new benchmarking methodology based on decision trees, where a relationship between the energy use intensities (EUI) and building parameters (continuous and categorical) is developed for different building types. This methodology was applied to medium office and school building types contained in the CBECS database. The Random Forest technique was used to find the most influential parameters that impact building energy use intensities. Subsequently, correlations which were significant were identified between EUIs and CBECS variables. Other than floor area, some of the important variables were number of workers, location, number of PCs and main cooling equipment. The coefficient of variation was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the new model. The customization technique proposed in this thesis was compared with another benchmarking model that is widely used by building owners and designers namely, the ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager. This tool relies on the standard Linear Regression methods which is only able to handle continuous variables. The model proposed uses data mining technique and was found to perform slightly better than the Portfolio Manager. The broader impacts of the new benchmarking methodology proposed is that it allows for identifying important categorical variables, and then incorporating them in a local, as against a global, model framework for EUI

Green commercial building insurance in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yu Xin Ou; Chew, Boon Cheong; Loo, Heoy Shin; Tan, Lay Hong

2017-03-01

Green building construction is growing tremendously globally even in Malaysia. Currently, there are approximate 636 buildings have registered and to be certified with Green Building Index. Among these buildings, 45 buildings have already fulfilled the requirements and fully certified. The other buildings still under provisional certification stage. Malaysia had adopted Green Building Index in 2009 to support a move to promote green building concept. Malaysia starts to move towards green building because Malaysian construction and building industry realizes that both energy consumed and waste produced are reduced without irreversible impacts to ecosystems. Consequently, insurance companies such as Fireman's Fund from America has started the green building insurance policies for their green building in the year of 2006, while Malaysia still remain the coverage for green buildings using conventional property insurance. There are lacks of efforts to be seen from insurance companies to propose green building insurance for these green buildings. There are a few factors which can take into consideration for insurance companies to start the very first green building insurance in Malaysia. Although there are challenges, some efficient strategies have been identified to overcome the problems. The methods used in this research topic is qualitative research. The results obtained shows that green commercial building insurance has a huge business opportunity in Malaysia because the number of green commercial buildings are increasing tremendously in Malaysia. It is a favor to implement green building insurance in Malaysia. Furthermore, insurance companies can consider to add in extra coverage in standard building policy to provide extra protection for non-certified green buildings which have the intention to rebuilt in green when damage happens. Generally, it is very important to introduce green commercial buildings insurance into Malaysia so that all of the green commercial

Daylight case study building. A working document of Task 21. Daylight in buildings