Optimum Insulation Thickness for Walls and Roofs for Reducing Peak Cooling Loads in Residential Buildings in Lahore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddique, S.; Arif, S.; Khan, A.; Alam, A.T.

2016-01-01

Thermal insulation is the most effective energy saving measure for cooling in buildings. Therefore, the main subject of many engineering investigations is the selection and determination of the optimum insulation thickness. In the present study, the optimum insulation thickness on external walls and roofs is determined based on the peak cooling loads for an existing residential building in Lahore, Pakistan. Autodesk at the rate Revit 2013 is used for the analysis of the building and determination of the peak cooling loads. The analysis shows that the optimum insulation thickness to reduce peak cooling loads up to 40.1 percent is 1 inch for external walls and roof respectively. (author)

Technology Solutions Case Study: Field Testing an Unvented Roof with Fibrous Insulation and Tiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-11-01

This case study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America research team Building Science Corporation is a test implementation of an unvented tile roof assembly in a hot-humid climate (Orlando, Florida; zone 2A), insulated with air-permeable insulation (netted and blown fiberglass).

Building America Case Study: Field Testing an Unvented Roof with Fibrous Insulation and Tiles, Orlando, Florida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-11-01

This research is a test implementation of an unvented tile roof assembly in a hot-humid climate (Orlando, FL; Zone 2A), insulated with air permeable insulation (netted and blown fiberglass). Given the localized moisture accumulation and failures seen in previous unvented roof field work, it was theorized that a 'diffusion vent' (water vapor open, but air barrier 'closed') at the highest points in the roof assembly might allow for the wintertime release of moisture, to safe levels. The 'diffusion vent' is an open slot at the ridge and hips, covered with a water-resistant but vapor open (500+ perm) air barrier membrane. As a control comparison, one portion of the roof was constructed as a typical unvented roof (self-adhered membrane at ridge). The data collected to date indicate that the diffusion vent roof shows greater moisture safety than the conventional, unvented roof design. The unvented roof had extended winter periods of 95-100% RH, and wafer (wood surrogate RH sensor) measurements indicating possible condensation; high moisture levels were concentrated at the roof ridge. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions, with most peak MCs (sheathing) below 20%. In the spring, as outdoor temperatures warmed, all roofs dried well into the safe range (10% MC or less). Some roof-wall interfaces showed moderately high MCs; this might be due to moisture accumulation at the highest point in the lower attic, and/or shading of the roof by the adjacent second story. Monitoring will be continued at least through spring 2016 (another winter and spring).

Impact of external longwave radiation on optimum insulation thickness in Tunisian building roofs based on a dynamic analytical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daouas, Naouel

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An efficient tool is proposed for a rigorous energy analysis of building envelope. • The longwave radiation has an important impact on the energy requirements. • Optimum insulation thickness for roofs is rigorously determined in a cost analysis. • The present method is more accurate than the sol–air degree hours method. • The proposed model is applicable to the study of the efficiency of cool roofs. - Abstract: In Tunisia, the building sector is considered as a major issue of energy consumption. A special attention should be drawn to improve the thermal quality of the building envelope with real consideration of the Tunisian climate specificity. One of the most effective measures is the roof insulation. Therefore, the present study is concerned with the determination of the optimum insulation thickness and the resulting energy savings and payback period for two typical roof structures and two types of insulation materials. An efficient analytical dynamic model based on the Complex Finite Fourier Transform (CFFT) is proposed and validated in order to handle the nonlinear longwave radiation (LWR) exchange with the sky. This model provides a short computational time solution of the transient heat transfer through multilayer roofs, which could be a good alternative to some numerical methods. Both heating and cooling annual loads are rigorously estimated and used as inputs to a life-cycle cost analysis. Among the studied cases, the most economical one is the hollow terracotta-based roof insulated with rock wool, where the optimum insulation thickness is estimated to be 7.9 cm, with a payback period of 6.06 years and energy savings up to 58.06% of the cost of energy consumed without insulation. The impact of the LWR exchange component is quantified and the results show its important effect on the annual transmission loads and, consequently, on optimum insulation thickness. A sensitivity analysis shows the efficiency of cool roofs in the Tunisian

ROOF GARDENS AS LANDSCAPING IN MODERN TIMES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaska Sandeva

2017-02-01

Full Text Available As we know we live in a process of industrialization and massive building of residential buildings, both individually and as a collective housing. Given all that happens even with the procedural other things to come up with all this, the country remains less green space that is required for a single environment, so the roof gardens are the best choice for all of this to get a beautiful country. For roof gardens should be given the explanation that, roof gardens, call it beautiful, flat roofs, and with gentle slope, with rich composition intensively maintained and often impose a constructive adaptation of the building and benefits by the architectural beauty, insulation, absorption. Commonly found in urban areas and almost always are placed foliage with not very high growth.

Determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of the external walls and roof (ceiling) for Turkey's different degree-day regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisman, Nuri; Kahya, Emin; Aras, Nil; Aras, Haydar

2007-01-01

The external walls and roof of a building are the interface between its interior and the outdoor environment. Insulation of the external walls and roof is the most cost-effective way of controlling the outside elements to make homes more comfortable. Although insulation is generally accepted as a factor increasing the building costs, with the calculations we have shown that this is not the case. Fuel consumption and operational costs are reduced by increasing the thickness of the external walls and roof (ceiling), despite an increase in the investment costs. According to Turkish Standard Number 825 (TS 825), there are four different degree-day (DD) regions, and the required heat loads for the buildings in these regions exhibit large differences. Therefore, a method based on costs is needed for the determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of different DD regions. In this study, optimum insulation thicknesses for different DD regions of Turkey, namely, Izmir (DD: 1450), Bursa (DD: 2203), Eskisehir (DD: 3215) and Erzurum (DD: 4856), have been determined for a lifetime of N years, maximizing the present worth value of annual energy savings for insulated external walls

Economic and Environmental Optimization of an Airport Terminal Building’s Wall and Roof Insulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Kadri Akyüz

2017-10-01

Full Text Available HVAC systems use the largest share of energy consumption in airport terminal buildings. Thus, the efficiency of the HVAC system and the performance of the building envelope have great importance in reducing the energy used for heating and cooling purposes. In this study, the application of thermal insulation on the walls and roof of the Hasan Polatkan Airport terminal building was investigated from energy, environment and cost aspects. This study determined the optimum insulation thickness and assessed its effects on environmental performance based on energy flows. Environmental payback periods were calculated depending on the optimum insulation thickness. The life cycle assessment (LCA method was used to assess whether the decrease in energy consumption after applying the insulation balanced the environmental effects during the period between the production and application of the thermal insulation material. The global warming potential (GWP based on IPCC100, and the effects on human health (HH, the ecosystem and natural resources were evaluated according to the ReCiPe method. LCA results were obtained by processing data taken from ecoinvent 3 database present in the Sima Pro 8.3.0.0 software. Applying thermal insulation on the walls and roof of the terminal building was found to decrease heat loss by 48% and 56%, respectively. In addition, the analyses showed that the environmental payback periods for the thermal insulation were shorter than the economic payback periods.

Renovation of Roof Structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærbye, Per Oluf H

1997-01-01

A 30 year old not-watertight roof based on wooden boards with roofing felt have been changed to a pitched structure with cementos plates. At the same time more thermal insulation has been placed.......A 30 year old not-watertight roof based on wooden boards with roofing felt have been changed to a pitched structure with cementos plates. At the same time more thermal insulation has been placed....

Load test of the 3701U Building roof deck and support structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, R.M.

1994-01-01

The 3701U Building roof area was load tested according to the approved load-test procedure. The 3701U Building is located in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site and has the following characteristics: Roof deck--metal decking supported by steel purlins; Roof membrane--tar and gravel; Roof slope--flat (<10 deg); and Roof elevation--height of about 12.5 ft. The 3701U Building was visited in August 1992 for a visual inspection, but because of insulation an inspection could not be performed. The building was revisited in March 1994 for the purpose of writing this test report. Because the roof could not be inspected, a test was determined to be the best way to qualify the roof for personnel access. The test procedure called for the use of a remotely-controlled robot. The conclusions are that the roof has been qualified for 500-lb total roof load and that the ''No Roof Access'' signs can be changed to ''Roof Access Restricted'' signs

Cement blocks with EVA waste for extensive modular green roof: contribution of the components for thermal insulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. B. DE MELO

Full Text Available Abstract Green roofs can contribute in many ways to the quality of the environment, being known for reducing the heat transfer to the interior of the buildings. Amongst the available techniques for the execution of this type of covering, the use of light cement blocks which are compatible with the system of extensive modular green roofs is proposed. For the light cement blocks, produced with EVA aggregates (waste from the footwear industry, an additional contribution in the capacity of thermal insulation of the proposed green roof is expected. In the present article, the demonstration of such contribution is intended through measurements carried out in prototypes in hot and humid climates. After characterizing the capacity of thermal insulation of the proposed green roof, with different types of conventional covering as a reference, an additional contribution of the component used in this green roof was identified by making comparisons with measurements collected from another green roof, executed with cement blocks without the presence of the EVA aggregates. In the experiments, external and internal surface temperatures were measured in each of the prototypes' coverings, as well as the air temperatures in the internal and external environments. From the analysis of the data for a typical summer day, it was possible to prove that the proposed green roof presented the lowest temperature ranges, considering the internal air and surface temperatures. The presence of the EVA aggregates in the proposed blocks contributed to the decrease of the internal temperatures.

Green roofs: roof system reducing heating and cooling costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konasova, Sarka

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Green roofs are among the passive building systems that contribute to the thermal stability of the rooms under the roof in both summer and winter. Green roofs can provide a significant contribution to the thermal balance of the protected space. Over the past ten years, many studies have been carried out to investigate the energy benefits of green roofs in terms of the energy performance of buildings. These studies show that the installation of vegetated cover can achieve energy savings for both winter heating and summer cooling. The green roof, as a thermal insulation, reduces the amount of building operating energy costs and reduces heat losses. This article summarizes current literature and points to situations in which green roofs can play an important role in saving energy for heating and cooling due to improved thermal insulating function of the roof, in case of extensive vegetation coverage without significant overloading of the roof structure and associated over-dimensioning. It is important to note that these energy savings always depend on the particular climate, the type of building and the availability and the type of roof structure.

An environmental cost-benefit analysis of alternative green roofing strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, M.; William, R. K.; Goodwell, A. E.; Le, P. V.; Kumar, P.; Stillwell, A. S.

2016-12-01

Green roofs and cool roofs are alternative roofing strategies that mitigate urban heat island effects and improve building energy performance. Green roofs consist of soil and vegetation layers that provide runoff reduction, thermal insulation, and potential natural habitat, but can require regular maintenance. Cool roofs involve a reflective layer that reflects more sunlight than traditional roofing materials, but require additional insulation during winter months. This study evaluates several roofing strategies in terms of energy performance, urban heat island mitigation, water consumption, and economic cost. We use MLCan, a multi-layer canopy model, to simulate irrigated and non-irrigated green roof cases with shallow and deep soil depths during the spring and early summer of 2012, a drought period in central Illinois. Due to the dry conditions studied, periodic irrigation is implemented in the model to evaluate its effect on evapotranspiration. We simulate traditional and cool roof scenarios by altering surface albedo and omitting vegetation and soil layers. We find that both green roofs and cool roofs significantly reduce surface temperature compared to the traditional roof simulation. Cool roof temperatures always remain below air temperature and, similar to traditional roofs, require low maintenance. Green roofs remain close to air temperature and also provide thermal insulation, runoff reduction, and carbon uptake, but might require irrigation during dry periods. Due to the longer lifetime of a green roof compared to cool and traditional roofs, we find that green roofs realize the highest long term cost savings under simulated conditions. However, using longer-life traditional roof materials (which have a higher upfront cost) can help decrease this price differential, making cool roofs the most affordable option due to the higher maintenance costs associated with green roofs

The experiment study of the thermal insulation of the roof-slab of the main vessel of a LMFBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhifeng; Wang Zhou; Yang Xianyong

1995-01-01

The effects of composition of insulation, i.e., reflective multi-plate thermal insulator, protecting the roof-slab of the vessel of the LMFBR on the heat transfer performance has been studied experimentally for CEFR. A economical form of the thermal insulation is suggested for CEFR. In addition, the scheme without reflective thermal insulator which has only a forced convection cooling system has been studied experimentally and a formula to calculate the average Nusselt number of the flow channel, which is valuable for CEFR design, has been raised

An evaluation of highly insulated cold zinc roofs in a moderate humid region - Part II: Corrosion behavior of zinc sheeting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zheng, R.; Janssens, A.; Carmeliet, J.; Bogaerts, W.; Hens, H.

2004-01-01

In a previous paper [Zheng et al., Hygrothermal Performance, Part I; Const Building Mater, Vol. 18, Issue 1, pp. 49-59], the hygrothermal performances of four well-insulated cold zinc roofs were evaluated. This paper investigates the corrosion behavior of the zinc sheeting used in the roofs. The

Analysis of DOE s Roof Savings Calculator with Comparison to other Simulation Engines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

New, Joshua Ryan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Huang, Yu [White Box Technologies, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Levinson, Ronnen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mellot, Joe [The Garland Company, Cleveland, OH (United States); Sanyal, Jibonananda [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Childs, Kenneth W [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2014-01-01

A web-based Roof Savings Calculator (RSC) has been deployed for the Department of Energy as an industry-consensus tool to help building owners, manufacturers, distributors, contractors and researchers easily run complex roof and attic simulations. This tool employs the latest web technologies and usability design to provide an easy input interface to an annual simulation of hour-by-hour, whole-building performance using the world-class simulation tools DOE-2.1E and AtticSim. Building defaults were assigned based on national averages and can provide estimated annual energy and cost savings after the user selects nothing more than building location. In addition to cool reflective roofs, the RSC tool can simulate multiple roof and attic configurations including different roof slopes, above sheathing ventilation, radiant barriers, low-emittance surfaces, HVAC duct location, duct leakage rates, multiple layers of building materials, ceiling and deck insulation levels, and other parameters. A base case and energy-efficient alternative can be compared side-by-side to generate an energy/cost savings estimate between two buildings. The RSC tool was benchmarked against field data for demonstration homes in Ft. Irwin, CA. However, RSC gives different energy savings estimates than previous cool roof simulation tools so more thorough software and empirical validation proved necessary. This report consolidates much of the preliminary analysis for comparison of RSC s projected energy savings to that from other simulation engines.

Project Overcoat - An Exploration of Exterior Insulation Strategies for 1-1/2-Story Roof Applications in Cold Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojczyk, Cindy [NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, St. Paul, MN (United States); Mosiman, Garrett [NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, St. Paul, MN (United States); Huelman, Pat [NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, St. Paul, MN (United States); Schirber, Tom [NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, St. Paul, MN (United States); Yost, Peter [NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, St. Paul, MN (United States); Murry, Tessa [NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership, St. Paul, MN (United States)

2013-04-01

The development of an alternative method to interior-applied insulation strategies or exterior applied 'band-aids' such as heat tapes and ice belts may help reduce energy needs of millions of 1-1/2 story homes while reducing the risk of ice dam formation. A potential strategy for energy improvement of the roof is borrowed from new construction best practices: Here an 'overcoat' of a continuous air, moisture, and thermal barrier is applied on the outside of the roof structure for improved overall performance. The continuous insulation of this approach facilitates a reduction in thermal bridging which could further reduce energy consumption and bring existing homes closer to meeting the Building America goals for energy reduction. Research favors an exterior approach to deep energy retrofits and ice dam prevention in existing homes. The greatest amount of research focuses on whole house deep energy retrofits leaving a void in roof-only applications. The research is also void of data supporting the hygrothermal performance, durability, constructability, and cost of roof-only exterior overcoat strategies. Yet, contractors interviewed for this report indicate an understanding that exterior approaches are most promising for mitigating ice dams and energy loss and are able to sell these strategies to homeowners.

Improving the durability of flat roof constructions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rudbeck, Claus Christian; Svendsen, Sv Aa Højgaard

1999-01-01

of the system, thereby making it easier to detect leaks faster. When a leak is detected, the membrane is repaired locally. In order to remove water which has already entered the insulation, an air gap or a system of air channels between the deck and the insulation is subjected to forced ventilation with outdoor...... air. When the water is removed, the ventilation is stopped, and the roofing construction can continue to function as intended.Roofing systems where trapped moisture can be removed are cost-effective compared to traditional roofing insulation systems, and as leakage can be treated, they have a longer...

Comparison of Software Models for Energy Savings from Cool Roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

New, Joshua Ryan [ORNL; Miller, William A [ORNL; Huang, Yu (Joe) [White Box Technologies; Levinson, Ronnen [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

2014-01-01

A web-based Roof Savings Calculator (RSC) has been deployed for the United States Department of Energy as an industry-consensus tool to help building owners, manufacturers, distributors, contractors and researchers easily run complex roof and attic simulations. This tool employs modern web technologies, usability design, and national average defaults as an interface to annual simulations of hour-by-hour, whole-building performance using the world-class simulation tools DOE-2.1E and AtticSim in order to provide estimated annual energy and cost savings. In addition to cool reflective roofs, RSC simulates multiple roof and attic configurations including different roof slopes, above sheathing ventilation, radiant barriers, low-emittance roof surfaces, duct location, duct leakage rates, multiple substrate types, and insulation levels. A base case and energy-efficient alternative can be compared side-by-side to estimate monthly energy. RSC was benchmarked against field data from demonstration homes in Ft. Irwin, California; while cooling savings were similar, heating penalty varied significantly across different simulation engines. RSC results reduce cool roofing cost-effectiveness thus mitigating expected economic incentives for this countermeasure to the urban heat island effect. This paper consolidates comparison of RSC s projected energy savings to other simulation engines including DOE-2.1E, AtticSim, Micropas, and EnergyPlus, and presents preliminary analyses. RSC s algorithms for capturing radiant heat transfer and duct interaction in the attic assembly are considered major contributing factors to increased cooling savings and heating penalties. Comparison to previous simulation-based studies, analysis on the force multiplier of RSC cooling savings and heating penalties, the role of radiative heat exchange in an attic assembly, and changes made for increased accuracy of the duct model are included.

An effect of heat insulation parameters on thermal losses of water-cooled roofs for secondary steelmaking electric arc furnaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Mihailov

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is research in the insulation parameters effect on the thermal losses of watercooled roofs for secondary steelmaking electric arc furnaces. An analytical method has been used for the investigation in heat transfer conditions in the working area. The results of the research can be used to choose optimal cooling parameters and select a suitable kind of insulation for water-cooled surfaces.

Advanced Energy Efficient Roof System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jane Davidson

2008-09-30

options considered to date are not ideal. One approach is to insulate between the trusses at the roof plane. The construction process is time consuming and costs more than conventional attic construction. Moreover, the problems of air infiltration and thermal bridges across the insulation remain. Another approach is to use structurally insulated panels (SIPs), but conventional SIPs are unlikely to be the ultimate solution because an additional underlying support structure is required except for short spans. In addition, wood spline and metal locking joints can result in thermal bridges and gaps in the foam. This study undertook a more innovative approach to roof construction. The goal was to design and evaluate a modular energy efficient panelized roof system with the following attributes: (1) a conditioned and clear attic space for HVAC equipment and additional finished area in the attic; (2) manufactured panels that provide structure, insulation, and accommodate a variety of roofing materials; (3) panels that require support only at the ends; (4) optimal energy performance by minimizing thermal bridging and air infiltration; (5) minimal risk of moisture problems; (6) minimum 50-year life; (7) applicable to a range of house styles, climates and conditions; (8) easy erection in the field; (9) the option to incorporate factory-installed solar systems into the panel; and (10) lowest possible cost. A nationwide market study shows there is a defined market opportunity for such a panelized roof system with production and semi-custom builders in the United States. Senior personnel at top builders expressed interest in the performance attributes and indicate long-term opportunity exists if the system can deliver a clear value proposition. Specifically, builders are interested in (1) reducing construction cycle time (cost) and (2) offering increased energy efficiency to the homebuyer. Additional living space under the roof panels is another low-cost asset identified as part of

Comparative life cycle assessment of standard and green roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Saiz, Susana; Kennedy, Christopher; Bass, Brad; Pressnail, Kim

2006-07-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate the benefits, primarily from reduced energy consumption, resulting from the addition of a green roof to an eight story residential building in Madrid. Building energy use is simulated and a bottom-up LCA is conducted assuming a 50 year building life. The key property of a green roof is its low solar absorptance, which causes lower surface temperature, thereby reducing the heat flux through the roof. Savings in annual energy use are just over 1%, but summer cooling load is reduced by over 6% and reductions in peak hour cooling load in the upper floors reach 25%. By replacing the common flat roof with a green roof, environmental impacts are reduced by between 1.0 and 5.3%. Similar reductions might be achieved by using a white roof with additional insulation for winter, but more substantial reductions are achieved if common use of green roofs leads to reductions in the urban heat island.

Effects of roof and rainwater characteristics on copper concentrations in roof runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Bielmyer, Gretchen K; Arnold, W Ray; Tomasso, Joseph R; Isely, Jeff J; Klaine, Stephen J

2012-05-01

Copper sheeting is a common roofing material used in many parts of the world. However, copper dissolved from roof sheeting represents a source of copper ions to watersheds. Researchers have studied and recently developed a simple and efficient model to predict copper runoff rates. Important input parameters include precipitation amount, rain pH, and roof angle. We hypothesized that the length of a roof also positively correlates with copper concentration (thus, runoff rates) on the basis that runoff concentrations should positively correlate with contact time between acidic rain and the copper sheet. In this study, a novel system was designed to test and model the effects of roof length (length of roof from crown to the drip edge) on runoff copper concentrations relative to rain pH and roof angle. The system consisted of a flat-bottom copper trough mounted on an apparatus that allowed run length and slope to be varied. Water of known chemistry was trickled down the trough at a constant rate and sampled at the bottom. Consistent with other studies, as pH of the synthetic rainwater decreased, runoff copper concentrations increased. At all pH values tested, these results indicated that run length was more important in explaining variability in copper concentrations than was the roof slope. The regression equation with log-transformed data (R(2) = 0.873) accounted for slightly more variability than the equation with untransformed data (R(2) = 0.834). In log-transformed data, roof angle was not significant in predicting copper concentrations.

Attic Retrofits Using Nail-Base Insulated Panels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallay, David [Home Innovation Research Labs; Kochkin, Vladimir [Home Innovation Research Labs

2018-03-26

This project developed and demonstrated a roof/attic energy retrofit solution using nail-base insulated panels for existing homes where traditional attic insulation approaches are not effective or feasible. Nail-base insulated panels (retrofit panels) consist of rigid foam insulation laminated to one face of a wood structural panel. The prefabricated panels are installed above the existing roof deck during a reroofing effort.

Development of Clay Tile Coatings for Steep-Sloped Cool Roofs

OpenAIRE

Pisello, Anna; Cotana, Franco; Nicolini, Andrea; Brinchi, Lucia

2013-01-01

Most of the pitched roofs of existing buildings in Europe are covered by non-white roofing products, e.g., clay tiles. Typical, cost effective, cool roof solutions are not applicable to these buildings due to important constraints deriving from: (i) the owners of homes with roofs visible from the ground level; (ii) the regulation about the preservation of the historic architecture and the minimization of the visual environment impact, in particular in historic centers. In this perspective, th...

Development of a Long-Life-Cycle, Highly Water-Resistant Solar Reflective Retrofit Roof Coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polyzos, Georgios [ORNL; Hunter, Scott Robert [ORNL; Sharma, Jaswinder K [ORNL; Cheng, Mengdawn [ORNL; Chen, Sharon S [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Demarest, Victoria [Dow Chemical Company; Fabiny, William [Dow Chemical Company; Destaillats, Hugo [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Levinson, Ronnen [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

2016-03-04

Highly water-resistant and solar-reflective coatings for low-slope roofs are potentially among the most economical retrofit approaches to thermal management of the building envelope. Therefore, they represent a key building technology research program within the Department of Energy. Research efforts in industry and the Department of Energy are currently under way to increase long-term solar reflectance on a number of fronts. These include new polymer coatings technologies to provide longer-lasting solar reflectivity and improved test methodologies to predict long-term soiling and microbial performance. The focus on long-term improvements in soiling and microbial resistance for maximum reflectance does not address the single most important factor impacting the long-term sustainability of low-slope roof coatings: excellent water resistance. The hydrophobic character of asphaltic roof products makes them uniquely suitable for water resistance, but their low albedo and poor exterior durability are disadvantages. A reflective coating that maintains very high water resistance with increased long-term resistance to soiling and microbial activity would provide additional energy savings and extend roof service life.

Theoretical and experimental studies on the daily accumulative heat gain from cool roofs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Yinghong; Zhang, Mingyi; Hiller, Jacob E.

2017-01-01

Cool roofs are gaining popularity as passive building cooling techniques, but the correlation between energy savings and rooftop albedo has not been understood completely. Here we theoretically model the daily accumulative inward heat (DAIH) from building roofs with different albedo values, correlating the heat gain of the building roof to both the rooftop albedo and the incident solar radiation. According to this model, the DAIH increases linearly with the daily zenith solar radiation, but decreases linearly with the rooftop albedo. A small building cell was constructed to monitor the heat gain of the building under the conditions of non-insulated and insulated roofs. The observational DAIH is highly coincident with the theoretical one, validating the theoretical model. It was found that insulating the roof, increasing the rooftop albedo, or both options can effectively curtail the heat gain in buildings during the summer season. The proposed theoretical model would be a powerful tool for evaluating the heat gain of the buildings and estimating the energy savings potential of high-reflective cool roofs. - Highlights: • Daily accumulative heat gain from a building roof is theoretically modeled. • Daily accumulative heat gain from a building roof increases linearly with rooftop absorptivity. • Increasing the roof insulation tapers the effect of the rooftop absorptivity. • The theoretical model is powerful for estimating energy savings of reflective roofs.

Integral design of active energy roofs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quanjel, E.M.C.J.

2006-01-01

A wide variety of new products, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar collectors, roof lights, ventilation devices, insulation and safety devices, is finding its way into the roofing industry. As a result many problems occurred, resulting in poor quality, unsafe working conditions and high

Comparative Assessment of Thermal Performance of Existing Roof System and Retrofitted Green Roof System in Istanbul, Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nil TÜRKERİ

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Urban heat islands, temperature increase due to climate change and energy consumption due to high summer cooling load are significant issues in Turkey. International studies indicate that the green roof system serves as an energy efficient building technology. However, the thermal performance of green roofs when exposed to local climate conditions is still unknown in Turkey. A research project is being conducted at Istanbul Technical University, in which part of a low-slope existing roof system was retrofitted as an extensive green roof system and the thermal performances of both the existing roof and green roof were monitored in order to make a comparative assessment. Both the green roof and the existing roof were instrumented to measure the temperature profile within the roof systems and the solar reflectance of the roof surfaces. Local meteorological variables were also measured. Results obtained from the field monitoring revealed the following data. Reflected solar radiation from the green roof surface was slightly higher than from the existing roof surface. This was likely to be due to the fact that the plants had not yet covered the entire soil surface area of the green roof. Plants reduced the amount of heat absorbed by the growing medium during daytime through shading and reduced the surface temperature of the green roof. Ceiling temperatures of rooms under the existing roof and green roof indicated that heat transfer to the room beneath the green roof was reduced as well. The green roof reduced the heat gain due to the thermal mass of the soil. This created a buffer against daily fluctuations in temperature and minimized temperature extremes.

Thermal Study on Extensive Green Roof Integrated Irrigation in Northwestern Arid Regions of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yajun Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Selection of xerophils and drought tolerant plants is highly crucial in green roof techniques in the drought prone regions of Northwest China. In this study, the thermal performance under the natural conventional climate in summer was analyzed using a self-made simulation experimental platform through comparison of the internal surface temperature with and without green roofs. The distribution frequency of internal surface temperature was investigated by dividing internal surface temperature into several ranges. Statistical analysis showed that the frequency of internal surface temperature lower than 33 °C for green roofs was 91.8%, about 1.09 times higher than that for non-green roofs, and that the sum of internal surface temperature exceeding 35 °C was about one third of that for non-green roofs. The results proved that green roofs have a significant insulation effect. Moreover, the thermal insulation property of green roofs had a strong positive relation with outside temperature. The thermal insulation characteristic was improved as the outdoor temperature increased, additionally, it had a better insulation effect within two hours after irrigation.

Developing resilient green roofs in a dry climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaghmanesh, M; Beecham, S; Brien, C J

2014-08-15

Living roofs are an emerging green infrastructure technology that can potentially be used to ameliorate both climate change and urban heat island effects. There is not much information regarding the design of green roofs for dry climates and so the aim of this study was to develop low maintenance and unfertilized green roofs for a dry climate. This paper describes the effects of four important elements of green roofs namely slope, depth, growing media and plant species and their possible interactions in terms of plant growth responses in a dry climate. Sixteen medium-scale green roofs were set up and monitored during a one year period. This experiment consisted of twelve vegetated platforms and four non-vegetated platforms as controls. The design for the experiment was a split-split-plot design in which the factors Slope (1° and 25°) and Depth (100mm, 300 mm) were randomized to the platforms (main plots). Root depth and volume, average height of plants, final dry biomass and ground cover, relative growth rate, final dry shoot-root ratio, water use efficiency and leaf succulence were studied during a twelve month period. The results showed little growth of the plants in media type A, whilst the growth was significant in both media types B and C. On average, a 90% survival rate of plants was observed. Also the growth indices indicated that some plants can grow efficiently in the harsh environment created by green roofs in a dry climate. The root growth pattern showed that retained water in the drainage layer is an alternative source of water for plants. It was also shown that stormwater can be used as a source of irrigation water for green roofs during six months of the year at the study site. In summary, mild sloping intensive systems containing media type C and planted with either Chrysocephalum apiculatum or Disphyma crassifolium showed the best performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cool roofs and the influence on the energy consumption under Danish conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandt, Erik; Bunch-Nielsen, Tommy; Juhl, Lasse

Experience from countries in warm climates has shown that the color of the roofing material has a significant effect on the energy consumption of the building. Especially changing from black to white roofing material provides reduction in energy consumption. The investigated roofs have been...... with a moderate amount of thermal insulation. The Danish Roofing Advisory Board in Denmark has conducted an analysis of the effects of roofing color on buildings energy consumption under Danish conditions i.e. with a colder climate and with a larger amount of thermal insulation. An experiment was performed...... in order to study the effects of the roofing color on the temperature distribution in a roof structure. The studied roof specimens were flat roofs covered with roofing felt in different colors. Temperatures have been measured in the roofing felt as well as in the middle and the bottom of the structure...

Insulation systems of the building construtions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rumiantcev Boris

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Constructions of the exterior insulation and decoration combines materials of different functionality and constructive solutions allows to these materials to demonstrate their efficiency to the great extent. Fire safety of buildings is mandatory requirement for building systems. Some insulating material may belong to the group of combustible, but their use in structures so as to minimize the risk of fire. On the other hand, there are special designs, in which non-flammable insulation acts as a flame retardant barrier. In the article carried systematization of construction systems used in the flat and pitched roof during the insulation and wall covering and facades. Taking into account the experience of leading firms were considered the application features of using exterior finish systems: construction solutions, requirements for materials and recommendations about the installation these systems.The article deals with the construction ventilated roofing system of two types: flat roof and pitched roof seam. In the first case, the ventilation system is created using milled insulation boards in the second - by a ventilated gap. In both cases the natural convection of air in the air cavities. Ensuring operational stability insulation is laid on the stages of production of heat-insulating materials. It is important: firstly responsible execution of all process operations associated with providing regulatory properties of materials and secondly, the performance of additional operations associated with the produc-tion of materials, working in a specific design. An example of a material whose properties can modify for a particular application, are milled mineral wool (with air channels for systems of ventilated flat roof.

Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Roofs for Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-01

heated with a small 580,000 British Thermal Units (BTU) Parker water tube boiler . Two air handlers provide conditioned air to the space. The interior...such as PV adhesive failures . The PV system performed as expected, but is highly susceptible to soiling in low-slope roof applications. The BIPV system...roof, but was insufficient for unanticipated issues with the PV system, such as PV adhesive failures . The PV system performed as expected, but is

Field Testing Unvented Roofs with Asphalt Shingles in Cold and Hot-Humid Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, Kohta [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Lstiburek, Joseph W. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-09-01

Test houses with unvented roof assemblies were built to measure long-term moisture performance, in the Chicago area (5A) and the Houston area (2A). The Chicago-area test bed had seven experimental rafter bays, including a control vented compact roof, and six unvented roof variants with cellulose or fiberglass insulation. The interior was run at 50% RH. The Houston-area roof was an unvented attic insulated with spray-applied fiberglass. Most ridges and hips were built with a diffusion vent detail, capped with vapor permeable roof membrane. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions at the roof peak in wintertime, but during the summer, RHs and MCs were higher than the unvented roof (albeit in the safe range).

Calculating the Insulated Car Roof Opening System Components and Strength Analysis of Car Design in Its Various Embodiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Kopytov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Opening roof cars can be used in transportation of a diversity of goods that require weather protection. Their operation allows us to fulfill the tasks of the Ministry of Railways that is to ensure both the qualitative and lossless transportation of various national economy and special loads and the significant improvement in the technical and economic indexes of the industry. Thus, there are three embodiment options of the opening roofs: single-leaf roof with axial of rotation along one car side; double-leaf roof with axial of rotation of its flaps along both car sides; single-leaf roof with axial of rotation along the car end wall. The work analyses and compares the first two options of the opening systems of the car roof. Analysis of various schemes of opening the roof-insulated cars is based on kinematic and force calculations. The paper defines how the changing length of hydraulic cylinders depends on the stroke and on the arm of applied force, depending on the opening roof angle for various embodiment options. To find the forces acting on the cylinders were determined the forces acting on the roof and the total applied moment of all the forces acting on them with respect to the axial of rotation. Thus, the total applied moment was considered to comprise the weighting unbalance moments of the roof and snow on it, as well as a moment of the force of wind acting on the roof (dead wind or downwind. Upon finding how the changing total moment of the force applied to the roof depends on the rotation angle and on the change of the applied force arm of hydraulic cylinders, the work determines the forces acting on the cylinders. The maximum tensile and compression force acting on the cylinders allows us to define their geometric characteristics such as piston stroke, diameter of the rod, piston-and rod-working cavity. Using a software package SADAS (developed at the Department "Rocket Launching Complexes" in BMSTU the core models were built and

Field Testing Unvented Roofs with Asphalt Shingles in Cold and Hot-Humid Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, Kohta [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lstiburek, Joseph W. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-09-01

Insulating roofs with dense-pack cellulose (instead of spray foam) has moisture risks, but is a lower cost approach. If moisture risks could be addressed, buildings could benefit from retrofit options, and the ability to bring HVAC systems within the conditioned space. Test houses with unvented roof assemblies were built to measure long-term moisture performance, in the Chicago area (5A) and the Houston area (2A). The Chicago-area test bed had seven experimental rafter bays, including a control vented compact roof, and six unvented roof variants with cellulose or fiberglass insulation. The interior was run at 50% RH. All roofs except the vented cathedral assembly experienced wood moisture contents and RH levels high enough to constitute failure. Disassembly at the end of the experiment showed that the unvented fiberglass roofs had wet sheathing and mold growth. In contrast, the cellulose roofs only had slight issues, such as rusted fasteners and sheathing grain raise. The Houston-area roof was an unvented attic insulated with spray-applied fiberglass. Most ridges and hips were built with a diffusion vent detail, capped with vapor permeable roof membrane. Some ridge sections were built as a conventional unvented roof, as a control. In the control unvented roofs, roof peak RHs reached high levels in the first winter; as exterior conditions warmed, RHs quickly fell. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions at the roof peak in wintertime, but during the summer, RHs and MCs were higher than the unvented roof (albeit in the safe range).

Thermophysical aspects of reconstruction of cold roof spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Semko Oleksandr

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The results of theoretical studies of thermal modernization of cold roof floor. The designs of overlap of long-life roofs of public buildings were considered. Overlap of these buildings are made by wooden or concrete beams and made of concrete slabs with upward edges. The problems of thermal modernization of these designs are consideration of the impact of heat-conducting inclusions on the resistance to heat. The heat-conducting inclusions of constructions are beams and vertical edges of the slabs. The results of calculations of the temperature fields were used for the analysis. The research was carried for the two temperature zones which Ukraine’s territory is divided into. The analysis of thermal protection level of structures overlap was made. The magnitude of the impact of heat-conducting inclusions on resistance to heat after thermal modernization of cold roof floor was observed. The analysis showed that the thermal protection properties of structures less than standard, therefore the insulation of areas with heat-conducting inclusions is required. The options of insulation of these areas were considered. The optimal insulation options with the least amount of additional insulation over the heat conductive areas were selected.

Greenbacks from green roofs: forging a new industry in Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peck, S. W.; Callaghan, C. [Peck and Associates, Toronto, ON (Canada); Bass, B. [Environment Canada, Toronto, ON (Canada); Kuhn, M. [Toronto, ON (Canada)

1999-03-01

This report provides a comprehensive review of the qualitative and quantitative benefits of green roof and vertical garden technologies, explains the nature of roof greening and green roof systems, examines the barriers to their more rapid diffusion into Canadian markets, and makes recommendations as to how how these barriers may be overcome. Two basic types of green roof systems, extensive and intensive, are identified. Extensive green roofs are characterized by their low weight, low capital cost and low maintenance. Intensive green roofs, by contrast, are heavier, more costly to establish, require intensive planting and higher maintenance. Both types of green roofs may be further subdivided into accessible or inaccessible. Accessible green roofs are flat, outdoor open spaces intended for use as gardens or terraces, while inaccessible roofs are only accessible for periodic maintenance. 'Vertical gardens' are a type of extensive green roof, characterized by the growing of plants on or up against the facade of buildings. The many benefits of green roof or vertical garden technologies include energy cost savings due to increased insulation and improved protection of the roof membrane, air quality improvements, new employment opportunities for a wide range of people including suppliers of roof membranes and related products, and social benefits such as improved aesthetics, health and horticultural therapy. Barriers to diffusion in Canada have been identified as lack of awareness, lack of incentives to implement, cost implications, lack of technical standards, few existing examples and risks associated with uncertainty. The recommendations to overcome market barriers are intended to address these barriers, i.e. they call for increased efforts to generate awareness through addressing the knowledge availability issue, and through high profile demonstration projects, government-sponsored technology diffusion, financial incentives to overcome cost-based barriers

New typologies for active roofs; An integral approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeiler, W.; Quanjel, E.M.C.J.; Borsboom, W.; Spoorenberg, H.

2006-01-01

A wide variety of new products, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar collectors, roof lights, ventilation devices, insulation and safety devices, is finding its way into the roofing industry. As a result many problems occurred, resulting in poor quality, unsafe working conditions and high

New typologies for active roofs; an integral approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quanjel, E.M.C.J.; Borsboom, W.A.; Spoorenberg, H.H.R.

2006-01-01

A wide variety of new products, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar collectors, roof lights, ventilation devices, insulation and safety devices, is finding its way into the roofing industry. As a result many problems occurred, resulting in poor quality, unsafe working conditions and high

Performance Evaluation of Advanced Retrofit Roof Technologies Using Field-Test Data Phase Three Final Report, Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biswas, Kaushik [ORNL; Childs, Phillip W [ORNL; Atchley, Jerald Allen [ORNL

2014-05-01

This article presents various metal roof configurations that were tested at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, U.S.A. between 2009 and 2013, and describes their potential for reducing the attic-generated space conditioning loads. These roofs contained different combinations of phase change material, rigid insulation, low emittance surface and above-sheathing ventilation, with standing-seam metal panels on top. These roofs were designed to be installed on existing roofs decks, or on top of asphalt shingles for retrofit construction. All the tested roofs showed the potential for substantial energy savings compared to an asphalt shingle roof, which was used as a control for comparison. The roofs were constructed on a series of adjacent attics separated at the gables using thick foam insulation. The attics were built on top of a conditioned room. All attics were vented at the soffit and ridge. The test roofs and attics were instrumented with an array of thermocouples. Heat flux transducers were installed in the roof deck and attic floor (ceiling) to measure the heat flows through the roof and between the attic and conditioned space below. Temperature and heat flux data were collected during the heating, cooling and swing seasons over a 3 year period. Data from previous years of testing have been published. Here, data from the latest roof configurations being tested in year 3 of the project are presented. All test roofs were highly effective in reducing the heat flows through the roof and ceiling, and in reducing the diurnal attic temperature fluctuations.

Inclusion of cool roofs in nonresidential Title 24 prescriptive requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levinson, Ronnen; Akbari, Hashem; Konopacki, Steve; Bretz, Sarah

2002-12-15

Roofs that have high solar reflectance (high ability to reflect sunlight) and high thermal emittance (high ability to radiate heat) tend to stay cool in the sun. The same is true of low-emittance roofs with exceptionally high solar reflectance. Substituting a cool roof for a noncool roof tends to decrease cooling electricity use, cooling power demand, and cooling-equipment capacity requirements, while slightly increasing heating energy consumption. Cool roofs can also lower the ambient air temperature in summer, slowing ozone formation and increasing human comfort. DOE-2.1E building energy simulations indicate that use of a cool roofing material on a prototypical California nonresidential building with a low-sloped roof yields average annual cooling energy savings of approximately 300 kWh/1000 ft2 [3.2 kWh/m2], average annual natural gas deficits of 4.9 therm/1000 ft2 [5.6 MJ/m2], average source energy savings of 2.6 MBTU/1000 ft2 [30 MJ/m2], and average peak power demand savings of 0. 19 kW/1000 ft2 [2.1 W/m2]. The 15-year net present value (NPV) of energy savings averages $450/1000 ft2 [$4.90/m2] with time dependent valuation (TDV), and $370/1000 ft2 [$4.00/m2] without TDV. When cost savings from downsizing cooling equipment are included, the average total savings (15-year NPV + equipment savings) rises to $550/1000 ft2 [$5.90/m2] with TDV, and to $470/1000 ft2 [$5.00/m2] without TDV. Total savings range from 0.18 to 0.77 $/ft2 [1.90 to 8.30 $/m2] with TDV, and from 0.16 to 0.66 $/ft2 [1.70 to 7.10 $/m2] without TDV, across California's 16 climate zones. The typical cost premium for a cool roof is 0.00 to 0.20 $/ft2 [0.00 to 2.20 $/m2]. Cool roofs with premiums up to $0.20/ft2 [$2.20/m2] are expected to be cost effective in climate zones 2 through 16; those with premiums not exceeding $0.18/ft2 [$1.90/m2] are expected to be also cost effective in climate zone 1. Hence, this study recommends that the year-2005 California building energy efficiency code (Title

Inclusion of cool roofs in nonresidential Title 24 prescriptive requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levinson, Ronnen; Akbari, Hashem; Konopacki, Steve; Bretz, Sarah

2005-01-01

Roofs that have high solar reflectance (high ability to reflect sunlight) and high thermal emittance (high ability to radiate heat) tend to stay cool in the sun. The same is true of low-emittance roofs with exceptionally high solar reflectance. Substituting a cool roof for a non-cool roof tends to decrease cooling electricity use, cooling power demand, and cooling-equipment capacity requirements, while slightly increasing heating energy consumption. Cool roofs can also lower citywide ambient air temperature in summer, slowing ozone formation and increasing human comfort. DOE-2.1E building energy simulations indicate that use of a cool roofing material on a prototypical California nonresidential (NR) building with a low-sloped roof yields average annual cooling energy savings of approximately 3.2 kW h/m 2 (300 kW h/1000 ft 2 ), average annual natural gas deficits of 5.6 MJ/m 2 (4.9 therm/1000 ft 2 ), average annual source energy savings of 30 MJ/m 2 (2.6 MBTU/1000 ft 2 ), and average peak power demand savings of 2.1 W/m 2 (0.19 kW/1000 ft 2 ). The 15-year net present value (NPV) of energy savings averages $4.90/m 2 ($450/1000 ft 2 ) with time-dependent valuation (TDV), and $4.00/m 2 ($370/1000 ft 2 ) without TDV. When cost savings from downsizing cooling equipment are included, the average total savings (15-year NPV+equipment savings) rises to $5.90/m 2 ($550/1000 ft 2 ) with TDV, and to $5.00/m 2 ($470/1000 ft 2 ) without TDV. Total savings range from 1.90 to 8.30 $/m 2 (0.18-0.77 $/ft 2 ) with TDV, and from 1.70 to 7.10 $/m 2 (0.16-0.66 $/ft 2 ) without TDV, across California's 16 climate zones. The typical cost premium for a cool roof is 0.00-2.20 $/m 2 (0.00-0.20 $/ft 2 ). Cool roofs with premiums up to $2.20/m 2 ($0.20/ft 2 ) are expected to be cost effective in climate zones 2-16; those with premiums not exceeding $1.90/m 2 ($0.18/ft 2 ) are expected to be also cost effective in climate zone 1. Hence, this study recommends that the year-2005 California

Key factors in successful green roof training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seeger, H.; Ansel, W.

2004-01-01

The green roof market in Germany has increased significantly in the past 3 decades, reaching a market share of 11 to 14 per cent. Three factors were responsible for the success of the green roof movement in Germany, namely the early introduction of quality standards and guidelines; the scientific investigation of ecological and economic benefits and the development of innovative and reliable technologies. In addition, seminars and workshops targeted at relevant groups encouraged green roof construction. Training courses and seminars proved to be efficient communication tools with the advantage of direct feedback from the participants to address sophisticated green roof problems and to integrate current ecological and economic frameworks. The content of the courses were tailored to the specific needs of the participants. In addition, organizers had considerable knowledge of green roof technology and related disciplines. The green roof guidelines in Germany are based on a range of scientific studies from universities, technical colleges and regional research institutions. These studies explored the technical performance of different green roof constructions and the ecological benefits for people and the environment. The market development in Germany is backed by the development of a wide range of innovative technologies which offer solutions for nearly all green roof issues, such as landscaping of sloped, barrel shaped roofs with low load bearing capacities. The German company ZinCo offers the international market a range of well tested and proven green roof systems for intensive and extensive roofs. Their flexible modular products can be adapted to the needs of different roof constructions and to locally specific climatic conditions. 6 refs., 1 fig

Sustainability of thermoplastic vinyl roofing membrane systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graveline, S. P. [Sika Sanarfil, Canton, (United States)

2010-07-01

The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB-RILEM) has developed a framework for sustainable roofing based on a series of tenets divided into three key areas: preservation of the environment, conservation of energy, and extended roof life. This paper investigated the sustainability of thermoplastic vinyl roof membranes using these guidelines and the relevant tenets for roof system selection. Several tenets provided alternatives for minimizing the burden on the environment using non-renewable raw materials, conserving energy with thermal insulation, and extending the lifespan of all roof components by using long lasting membranes. A life cycle assessment was carried out to provide a quantitative framework for assessing the sustainability of roofing materials. It was found that the PVC membrane systems had a lesser impact on the environment than other competing systems.

Effect of highly reflective roofing sheet on building thermal loads for a school in Osaka

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Jihui

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, urban heat island (UHI phenomenon and building energy consumptions are becoming serious. Strategies to mitigate UHI and reduce building energy consumptions are implemented worldwide. In Japan, as an effective means of mitigating UHI and saving energy of buildings, highly reflective (HR and green roofs are increasingly used. In order to evaluate the effect of roofs with high reflection and thermal insulation on the energy conservation of buildings, we investigated the roof solar reflectivity of the subject school in Osaka, in which the HR roofing sheet was installed on the roof from 2010. Thermal loads, including cooling and heating loads of the top floor of school, were calculated using the thermal load calculation software, New HASP/ACLD-β. Comparing the thermal loads after HR roofing sheet installation to previous, the annual thermal load decreased about 25 MJ/m2-year and the cooling load decreased about 112 MJ/m2-year. However, the heating load increased about 87 MJ/m2-year in winter. To minimize the annual thermal load, thermal insulation of the roof was also considered be used together with HR roofing sheet in this study. The results showed that the combination of HR roofing sheet and high thermal insulation is more effective to reduce the annual thermal load.

The impact of roofing material on building energy performance

Science.gov (United States)

Badiee, Ali

The last decade has seen an increase in the efficient use of energy sources such as water, electricity, and natural gas as well as a variety of roofing materials, in the heating and cooling of both residential and commercial infrastructure. Oil costs, coal and natural gas prices remain high and unstable. All of these instabilities and increased costs have resulted in higher heating and cooling costs, and engineers are making an effort to keep them under control by using energy efficient building materials. The building envelope (that which separates the indoor and outdoor environments of a building) plays a significant role in the rate of building energy consumption. An appropriate architectural design of a building envelope can considerably lower the energy consumption during hot summers and cold winters, resulting in reduced HVAC loads. Several building components (walls, roofs, fenestration, foundations, thermal insulation, external shading devices, thermal mass, etc.) make up this essential part of a building. However, thermal insulation of a building's rooftop is the most essential part of a building envelope in that it reduces the incoming "heat flux" (defined as the amount of heat transferred per unit area per unit time from or to a surface) (Sadineni et al., 2011). Moreover, more than 60% of heat transfer occurs through the roof regardless of weather, since a roof is often the building surface that receives the largest amount of solar radiation per square annually (Suman, and Srivastava, 2009). Hence, an argument can be made that the emphasis on building energy efficiency has influenced roofing manufacturing more than any other building envelope component. This research project will address roofing energy performance as the source of nearly 60% of the building heat transfer (Suman, and Srivastava, 2009). We will also rank different roofing materials in terms of their energy performance. Other parts of the building envelope such as walls, foundation

An Integrated Simplification Approach for 3D Buildings with Sloped and Flat Roofs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinghan Xie

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Simplification of three-dimensional (3D buildings is critical to improve the efficiency of visualizing urban environments while ensuring realistic urban scenes. Moreover, it underpins the construction of multi-scale 3D city models (3DCMs which could be applied to study various urban issues. In this paper, we design a generic yet effective approach for simplifying 3D buildings. Instead of relying on both semantic information and geometric information, our approach is based solely on geometric information as many 3D buildings still do not include semantic information. In addition, it provides an integrated means to treat 3D buildings with either sloped or flat roofs. The two case studies, one exploring simplification of individual 3D buildings at varying levels of complexity while the other, investigating the multi-scale simplification of a cityscape, show the effectiveness of our approach.

Methods for designing building envelope components prepared for repair and maintenance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rudbeck, Claus Christian

2000-01-01

the deterministic and probabilistic approach. Based on an investigation of the data-requirement, user-friendliness and supposed accuracy (the accuracy of the different methods has not been evaluated due to the absence of field data) the method which combines the deterministic factor method with statistical...... to be prepared for repair and maintenance. Both of these components are insulation systems for flat roofs and low slope roofs; components where repair or replacement is very expensive if the roofing material fails in its function. The principle of both roofing insulation systems is that the insulation can...... of issues which are specified below:Further development of methods for designing building envelope components prepared for repair and maintenance, and ways of tracking and predicting performance through time once the components have been designed, implemented in a building design and built...

Development of Clay Tile Coatings for Steep-Sloped Cool Roofs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia Brinchi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Most of the pitched roofs of existing buildings in Europe are covered by non-white roofing products, e.g., clay tiles. Typical, cost effective, cool roof solutions are not applicable to these buildings due to important constraints deriving from: (i the owners of homes with roofs visible from the ground level; (ii the regulation about the preservation of the historic architecture and the minimization of the visual environment impact, in particular in historic centers. In this perspective, the present paper deals with the development of high reflective coatings with the purpose to elaborate “cool” tiles with the same visual appearance of traditional tiles for application to historic buildings. Integrated experimental analyses of reflectance, emittance, and superficial temperature were carried out. Deep analysis of the reflectance spectra is undertaken to evaluate the effect of different mineral pigments, binders, and an engobe basecoat. Two tile typologies are investigated: substrate-basecoat-topcoat three-layer tile and substrate-topcoat two-layer tile. The main results show that the developed coatings are able to increase the overall solar reflectance by more than 20% with acceptable visual appearance, suitable for application in historic buildings. Additionally, the effect of a substrate engobe layer allows some further contribution to the increase of the overall reflectance characteristics.

PREDICTING THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF ROOFING SYSTEMS IN SURABAYA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MINTOROGO Danny Santoso

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Traditional roofing systems in the developing country likes Indonesia are still be dominated by the 30o, 45o, and more pitched angle roofs; the roofing cover materials are widely used to traditional clay roof tiles, then modern concrete roof tiles, and ceramic roof tiles. In the 90’s decay, shop houses are prosperous built with flat concrete roofs dominant. Green roofs and roof ponds are almost rarely built to meet the sustainable environmental issues. Some tested various roof systems in Surabaya were carried out to observe the roof thermal performances. Mathematical equation model from three references are also performed in order to compare with the real project tested. Calculated with equation (Kabre et al., the 30o pitched concrete-roof-tile, 30o clay-roof-tile, 45o pitched concrete-roof-tile are the worst thermal heat flux coming to room respectively. In contrast, the bare soil concrete roof and roof pond system are the least heat flux streamed onto room. Based on predicted calculation without insulation and cross-ventilation attic space, the roof pond and bare soil concrete roof (greenery roof are the appropriate roof systems for the Surabaya’s climate; meanwhile the most un-recommended roof is pitched 30o or 45o angle with concrete-roof tiles roofing systems.

Impact of Sustainable Cool Roof Technology on Building Energy Consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Vuppuluri, Prem Kiran

Highly reflective roofing systems have been analyzed over several decades to evaluate their ability to meet sustainability goals, including reducing building energy consumption and mitigating the urban heat island. Studies have isolated and evaluated the effects of climate, surface reflectivity, and roof insulation on energy savings, thermal load mitigation and also ameliorating the urban heat island. Other sustainable roofing systems, like green-roofs and solar panels have been similarly evaluated. The motivation for the present study is twofold: the first goal is to present a method for simultaneous evaluation and inter-comparison of multiple roofing systems, and the second goal is to quantitatively evaluate the realized heating and cooling energy savings associated with a white roof system compared to the reduction in roof-top heat flux. To address the first research goal a field experiment was conducted at the International Harvester Building located in Portland, OR. Thermal data was collected for a white roof, vegetated roof, and a solar panel shaded vegetated roof, and the heat flux through these roofing systems was compared against a control patch of conventional dark roof membrane. The second research goal was accomplished using a building energy simulation program to determine the impact of roof area and roof insulation on the savings from a white roof, in both Portland and Phoenix. The ratio of cooling energy savings to roof heat flux reduction from replacing a dark roof with a white roof was 1:4 for the month of July, and 1:5 annually in Portland. The COP of the associated chillers ranges from 2.8-4.2, indicating that the ratio of cooling energy savings to heat flux reduction is not accounted for solely by the COP of the chillers. The results of the building simulation indicate that based on energy savings alone, white roofs are not an optimal choice for Portland. The benefits associated with cooling energy savings relative to a black roof are offset by

Investigation of the thermal resistance of timber attic spaces with reflective foil and bulk insulation, heat flow up

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belusko, M.; Bruno, F.; Saman, W. [Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, SA 5095 (Australia)

2011-01-15

An experimental investigation was undertaken in which the thermal resistance for the heat flow through a typical timber framed pitched roofing system was measured under outdoor conditions for heat flow up. The measured thermal resistance of low resistance systems such as an uninsulated attic space and a reflective attic space compared well with published data. However, with higher thermal resistance systems containing bulk insulation within the timber frame, the measured result for a typical installation was as low as 50% of the thermal resistance determined considering two dimensional thermal bridging using the parallel path method. This result was attributed to three dimensional heat flow and insulation installation defects, resulting from the design and construction method used. Translating these results to a typical house with a 200 m{sup 2} floor area, the overall thermal resistance of the roof was at least 23% lower than the overall calculated thermal resistance including two dimensional thermal bridging. When a continuous layer of bulk insulation was applied to the roofing system, the measured values were in agreement with calculated resistances representing a more reliable solution. (author)

Modelling of green roofs' hydrologic performance using EPA's SWMM.

Science.gov (United States)

Burszta-Adamiak, E; Mrowiec, M

2013-01-01

Green roofs significantly affect the increase in water retention and thus the management of rain water in urban areas. In Poland, as in many other European countries, excess rainwater resulting from snowmelt and heavy rainfall contributes to the development of local flooding in urban areas. Opportunities to reduce surface runoff and reduce flood risks are among the reasons why green roofs are more likely to be used also in this country. However, there are relatively few data on their in situ performance. In this study the storm water performance was simulated for the green roofs experimental plots using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) with Low Impact Development (LID) Controls module (version 5.0.022). The model consists of many parameters for a particular layer of green roofs but simulation results were unsatisfactory considering the hydrologic response of the green roofs. For the majority of the tested rain events, the Nash coefficient had negative values. It indicates a weak fit between observed and measured flow-rates. Therefore complexity of the LID module does not affect the increase of its accuracy. Further research at a technical scale is needed to determine the role of the green roof slope, vegetation cover and drying process during the inter-event periods.

Thermal performance of an innovative roof component

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimoudi, A. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vassilisis Sofias 12, 67 100 Xanthi (Greece); Lykoudis, S. [Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, I. Metaxa and B. Pavlou, 152 36 Penteli (Greece); Androutsopoulos, A. [Buildings Department, Division of Energy Efficiency, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), 19th km Marathonos Aven., 190 09 Pikermi (Greece)

2006-11-15

In this paper, the thermal performance of a ventilated roof component is investigated during the winter period. The ventilated roof component consists of a conventional roof structure - reinforced concrete with a layer of thermal insulation - an air gap that allows the movement of the ambient air and an external layer made of a prefabricated concrete slab. The experimental results of the ventilated roof component during the winter period are presented and its thermal performance is analysed. The effect of key construction parameters like the height of the air gap and the use of a radiant barrier in the air gap is also investigated. Analysis of the results showed that the performance of a ventilated roof component is comparable to a conventional structure during winter. The ventilated component is shown to be in compliance with Greek regulatory requirements in terms of U-value. (author)

Run-off from roofing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roed, J.

1985-01-01

In order to find the runn-off from roof material, a roof has been constructed with two different slopes (30 deg. and 45 deg.). 7 Be and 137 Cs have been used as tracers. Considering new roof material, the pollution removed by run-off processes has been shown to be very different for various roof materials. The pollution is much more easily removed from silicon-treated material than from porous red-tile roof material. Cesium is removed more easily than beryllium. The content of cesium in old roof materials is greater in red-tile than in other less porous roof materials. However, the measured removal from new material does not correspond to the amount accumulated in the old. This could be explained by weathering and by saturation effects. The last effect is probably the more important. The measurements on old material indicate a removal of 44-86% of cesium pollution by run-off, whereas the measurement on new material showed a removal of only 31-50%. It has been demonstrated that the pollution concentration in run-off water could be very different from that in rainwater

Internal Roof and Attic Thermal Radiation Control Retrofit Strategies for Cooling-Dominated Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fallahi, A. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Boston, MA (United States); Duraschlag, H. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Boston, MA (United States); Elliott, D. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Boston, MA (United States); Hartsough, J. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Boston, MA (United States); Shukla, N. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Boston, MA (United States); Kosny, J. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Boston, MA (United States)

2013-12-01

This project evaluates the cooling energy savings and cost effectiveness of radiation control retrofit strategies for residential attics in U.S. cooling-dominated climates. Usually, in residential applications, radiation control retrofit strategies are applied below the roof deck or on top of the attic floor insulation. They offer an alternative option to the addition of conventional bulk insulation such as fiberglass or cellulose insulation. Radiation control is a potentially low-cost energy efficiency retrofit strategy that does not require significant changes to existing homes. In this project, two groups of low-cost radiation control strategies were evaluated for southern U.S. applications. One uses a radiant barrier composed of two aluminum foils combined with an enclosed reflective air space and the second uses spray-applied interior radiation control coatings (IRCC).

Roof Moisture Surveys: Current State Of The Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Tobiasson, Wayne

1983-03-01

Moisture is the big enemy of compact roofing systems. Non-destructive nuclear, capacitance and infrared methods can all find wet insulation in such roofs but a few core samples are needed for verification. Nuclear and capacitance surveys generate quantitative results at grid points but examine only a small portion of the roof. Quantitative results are not usually provided by infrared scanners but they can rapidly examine every square inch of the roof. Being able to find wet areas when they are small is an important advantage. Prices vary with the scope of the investigation. For a particular scope, the three techniques are often cost-competitive. The limitations of each technique are related to the people involved as well as the equipment. When the right people are involved, non-destructive surveys are a very effective method for improving the long-term performance and reducing the life-cycle costs of roofing systems. Plans for the maintenance, repair or replacement of a roof should include a roof moisture survey.

Thermal analysis of building roof assisted with water heater and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

D Prakash

2018-03-14

Mar 14, 2018 ... Thermal analysis; building roof; solar water heating system; roof ... These solar collec- ... several benefits, such as its wide range of storage temper- ... rugated plate, rear plate and back insulation material [12]. ..... [7] Weiss W and Rommel M 2008 Process heat collectors. State of the art within Task 33/IV.

The technical viability of alternative blowing agents in polyisocyanurate roof insulation: A cooperative industry/government project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christian, J.E.; Courville, G.E.; Desjarlais, A.O.; Graves, R.S.; Linkous, R.L.; McElroy, D.L.; Weaver, F.J.; Wendt, R.L.; Yarbrough, D.W.

1993-06-01

This report is a summary of the cooperative industry/government program to establish the viability of alternative blowing agents to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The project was initiated in 1989 following two workshops that focused on needed research on thermal insulation blown with substitutes for CFC-11 and CFC-12. The project is directed by a steering committee of representatives of the sponsors and of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The purpose of the project is to determine if the performance of polyisocyanurate (PIR) roof insulation foam boards blown with alternate agents differs from the performance of boards blown with CFC-1. This report describes apparent thermal conductivity (k) results obtained from field and laboratory tests from 1989 to 1992 on a set of experimental PIR laminate boardstock produced to evaluate the viability of alternative hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as blowing agents. All boardstock was manufactured from similar formulations that were not optimized for thermal performance. Commercial broadstock made in the future may differ in performance from this set. The PIR boards were prepared with CFC-11, HCFC-123, HCFC-141b, and 50/50 and 65/35 blends of HCFC-123/HCFC-141b.

Numerical analysis on thermal performance of roof contained PCM of a single residential building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Dong; Zheng, Yumeng; Liu, Changyu; Wu, Guozhong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal performance of different roofs in cold area of China are investigated. • Effects of five different conditions on thermal performance of roofs are analyzed. • Delay time of temperatures peak in PCM roofs are beyond 3 h than common roof. - Abstract: The phase change material (PCM) applied in the roof can decrease the building energy consumption and improve the thermal comfort by enhancing the thermal energy storage capacity of building envelope. In the present work, the thermal performance of different kinds of roofs with and without PCM in Northeast and cold area of China, i.e. common roof and PCM roofs, have been investigated numerically. This study also explored the influencing factors of thermal behavior of the roofs, such as solar radiation intensity, transition temperature and latent heat of PCM, roof slope, PCM layer thickness, and absorption coefficients of external roof surface. The results show that the PCM roofs effect on the temperature delay in the room is very strong and the delay time of temperatures peak of base layer in PCM roofs are beyond 3 h than common roof. The effect of transition temperature and latent heat of PCM on the thermal performance of roofs is relatively weak, compared with the roof slope, PCM layer thickness and absorption coefficients of external roof surface

Evolution of Flat Roofs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Şt. Vasiliu

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Roofs are constructive subassembles that are located at the top of buildings, which toghether with perimetral walls and some elements of the infrastructure belongs to the subsystem elements that close the building. Roofs must meet resistance requirements to mechanical action, thermal insulating, waterproofing and acoustic, fire resistance, durability, economy and aesthetics. The man saw the need to build roofs from the oldest ancient times. Even if the design of buildings has an empirical character, are known and are preserved until today constructions that are made in antiquity, by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans with architectural achievements, worthy of admiration and in present time. General composition of civil construction has been influenced throughout the evolution of construction history by the level of production forces and properties of building materials available in every historical epoch. For over five millennia, building materials were stone, wood and ceramic products (concrete was used by theRomans only as filling material.

Run-off from roofs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roed, J.

1985-01-01

In order to find the run-off from roof material a roof has been constructed with two different slopes (30 deg C and 45 deg C). Beryllium-7 and caesium-137 has been used as tracers. Considering new roof material the pollution removed by runoff processes has been shown to be very different for various roof materials. The pollution is much more easily removed from silicon-treated material than from porous red-tile roof material. Caesium is removed more easily than beryllium. The content of caesium in old roof materials is greater in red-tile than in other less-porous materials. However, the measured removal from new material does not correspond to the amount accumulated in the old. This could be explained by weathering and by saturation effects. This last effect is probably the more important. The measurements on old material indicates a removal of 44-86% of the caesium pollution by run-off, whereas the measurement on new showed a removal of only 31-50%. It has been demonstrated that the pollution concentration in the run-off water could be very different from that in rainwater. The work was part of the EEC Radiation Protection Programme and done under a subcontract with Association Euratom-C.E.A. No. SC-014-BIO-F-423-DK(SD) under contract No. BIO-F-423-81-F. (author)

Three-Dimensional Heat Transfer Analysis of Metal Fasteners in Roofing Assemblies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manan Singh

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Heat transfer analysis was performed on typical roofing assemblies using HEAT3, a three-dimensional heat transfer analysis software. The difference in heat transferred through the roofing assemblies considered is compared between two cases—without any steel fasteners and with steel fasteners. In the latter case, the metal roofing fasteners were arranged as per Factor Mutual Global (FMG approvals, in the field, perimeter, and corner zones of the roof. The temperature conditions used for the analysis represented summer and winter conditions for three separate Climate Zones (CZ namely Climate Zone 2 or CZ2 represented by Orlando, FL; CZ3 represented by Atlanta, GA; and CZ6 zone represented by St. Paul, MN. In all the climatic conditions, higher energy transfer was observed with increase in the number of metal fasteners attributed to high thermal conductivity of metals as compared to the insulation and other materials used in the roofing assembly. This difference in heat loss was also quantified in the form of percentage change in the overall or effective insulation of the roofing assembly for better understanding of the practical aspects. Besides, a comparison of 2D heat transfer analysis (using THERM software and 3D analysis using HEAT3 is also discussed proving the relevance of 3D over 2D heat transfer analysis.

Measure Guideline. Deep Energy Enclosure Retrofit for Zero Energy Ready House Flat Roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loomis, H. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Pettit, B. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-05-29

This Measure Guideline provides design and construction information for a deep energy enclosure retrofit solution of a flat roof assembly. It describes the strategies and procedures for an exterior retrofit of a flat wood-framed roof with brick masonry exterior walls using exterior and interior (framing cavity) insulation. The approach supported in this guide could also be adapted for use with flat wood-framed roofs with wood-framed exterior walls.

Measure Guideline: Deep Energy Enclosure Retrofit for Zero Energy Ready House Flat Roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loomis, H. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Pettit, B. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-05-01

This Measure Guideline provides design and construction information for a deep energy enclosure retrofit (DEER) solution of a flat roof assembly. It describes the strategies and procedures for an exterior retrofit of a flat, wood-framed roof with brick masonry exterior walls, using exterior and interior (framing cavity) insulation. The approach supported in this guide could also be adapted for use with flat, wood-framed roofs with wood-framed exterior walls.

The cost efficiency of improved roof windows in two well-lit nearly zero-energy houses in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skarning, Gunnlaug Cecilie Jensen; Hviid, Christian Anker; Svendsen, Svend

2017-01-01

.The aim of this study was to quantify the scope for investing in improved roof window solutions inbuildings insulated to consume nearly zero-energy. Based on two single-family houses in Copenhagenwith typical roof windows and adequate daylighting, the study identified the prices at which various typesof......Roof windows are efficient and flexible daylight sources that are essential in certain types of houses if theyare to achieve sufficient daylighting throughout. Previous studies have indicated that, for such buildingsto meet nearly zero-energy targets in an easy and robust way without compromising...... roof window improvements would have to be made available to achieve the same cost efficiency asimproved insulation. If the improvements can be made available for less than these prices, the installationof improved roof windows would make it cheaper to construct well-lit and comfortable nearly zero...

Experimental evaluation of thermal and energy performance of temperate green roofs: a case study in Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, T.; Institute of Hydrology; Water Resources

2011-12-01

An experimental evaluation of thermal and energy performance of temperate green roofs was carried out by thermal and meteorological observation and energy budget modeling using a setup of green roof in Beijing urban area. From both the yearly and daily temperature trends, the green roof could effectively damp down the undulation of roof surface temperature comparing with the conventional one. As an insulating screen, the green roof abated the amplitude of temperature by 9.0 in winter and 9.1 °C in summer, respectively. Under different cloud conditions, the green roof in summer time resulted in decreases in sensible heat and heat flux by 125.3W m-2 and 32.0 W m-2, respectively, on daily average comparing with the conventional one. Based on the energy budget analyses, under an assumptive scenario of 50% roof-greening in Beijing, a total of 34.1 PJ of sensible heat and 8.7 PJ of heat flux would be decreased for a summer period of 90 days. This study demonstrated that green roof, serving as an insulating screen to building top in comparison with the conventional roof, proved thermal improving effect in building scale and high energy saving potential for urban development.

Single-sided natural ventilation through a centre-pivot roof window

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iqbal, Ahsan; Nielsen, Peter V.; Gunner, Amalie

2014-01-01

The characteristics of centre pivot roof windows for wind driven single-sided ventilation has not been studied before. These types of windows are dominating roof windows in Europe. Knowledge of flow characteristics of this kind of window is essential for accurate designing of natural ventilation...... systems. In this study, numerical methods were used to characterise a centre-pivot roof window for wind-driven single-sided ventilation. A 1:20 scale model house of the Energy Flex House (Denmark) was used in this study. The roof slope was 36o. It was found that the single-sided ventilation through...

Demonstration of energy savings of cool roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konopacki, S.; Gartland, L.; Akbari, H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Div.; Rainer, L. [Davis Energy Group, Davis, CA (United States)

1998-06-01

Dark roofs raise the summertime air-conditioning demand of buildings. For highly-absorptive roofs, the difference between the surface and ambient air temperatures can be as high as 90 F, while for highly-reflective roofs with similar insulative properties, the difference is only about 20 F. For this reason, cool roofs are effective in reducing cooling energy use. Several experiments on individual residential buildings in California and Florida show that coating roofs white reduces summertime average daily air-conditioning electricity use from 2--63%. This demonstration project was carried out to address some of the practical issues regarding the implementation of reflective roofs in a few commercial buildings. The authors monitored air-conditioning electricity use, roof surface temperature, plenum, indoor, and outdoor air temperatures, and other environmental variables in three buildings in California: two medical office buildings in Gilroy and Davis and a retail store in San Jose. Coating the roofs of these buildings with a reflective coating increased the roof albedo from an average of 0.20--0.60. The roof surface temperature on hot sunny summer afternoons fell from 175 F--120 F after the coating was applied. Summertime average daily air-conditioning electricity use was reduced by 18% (6.3 kWh/1000ft{sup 2}) in the Davis building, 13% (3.6 kWh/1000ft{sup 2}) in the Gilroy building, and 2% (0.4 kWh/1000ft{sup 2}) in the San Jose store. In each building, a kiosk was installed to display information from the project in order to educate and inform the general public about the environmental and energy-saving benefits of cool roofs. They were designed to explain cool-roof coating theory and to display real-time measurements of weather conditions, roof surface temperature, and air-conditioning electricity use. 55 figs., 15 tabs.

Dynamic Simulation of the Green Roofs Impact on Building Energy Performance, Case Study of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hery Tiana Rakotondramiarana

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Green roofs improve building energy performance and constitute an alternative to sustainable buildings. A green roof model is dynamically coupled with a building thermal model to assess its energy performance that takes into account the indoor air temperature dynamic changes. Under the climate conditions in Antananarivo, we compared green and conventional roofs. The present study shows that green roofs protect the roof structure under extreme temperature and large temperature fluctuations. For the case of Antananarivo, the amplitude of the temperature fluctuations at the top face of the support is reduced by 28 °C when using green roof. The impact of the green roof on indoor air temperature and energy demand is investigated. The vegetation decreases the maximum indoor air temperature and improves the building thermal comfort during summer days. It has no effect on the minimum indoor air temperature, but additional soil thickness can increase it. In addition, a global sensitivity analysis, which is carried out on the proposed model without considering any specific weather data, allows us to identify the most influential parameters on the energy demand. It has been found that green roofs have almost insignificant thermal impact in insulated buildings; however, their potential prevails over the building envelope and weather characteristics in the case of non-insulated building.

Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Liu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta3L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine, is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs. The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μFET of 0.17 cm2 V−1 s−1, threshold voltage (Vth of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 103, and subthreshold slope (SS of 1.0 V dec−1, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO2 substrate (0.13 cm2 V−1 s−1, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec−1 for μFET, Vth and SS value when operated at −30 V. These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

Assessment of green roof systems in terms of water and energy balance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mert Ekşi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Green roofs concept term is used for extensive green roofs which are planted with herbaceous plants that can be adapted into changeable environmental conditions on a shallow substrate layer, require minimal maintenance, installed for their benefits to building and urban scale. Main objective of this study is to determine the characteristics of a green roof such as thermal insulation, water holding capacity, runoff characteristics, plant growth and its interaction with environmental factors in Istanbul climate conditions by performing comparative measurements. In this study, a research site (IU Green Roof Research Station was founded to assess water and energy balance of green roofs. Thus, a typical green roof was evaluated in terms of water and energy balance and its interaction with the building and city was determined. energy efficiency of green roof system was 77% higher than reference roof. Temperature fluctuations on green roof section of the roof were 79% lower. In addition, green roof retained 12,8% - 100% of precipitation and delayed runoff up to 23 hours depending on water content of substrate.

Improved Thermal-Insulation Systems for Low Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Fesmire, James E.; Augustynowicz, Stanislaw D.

2003-01-01

Improved thermal-insulation materials and structures and the techniques for manufacturing them are undergoing development for use in low-temperature applications. Examples of low-temperature equipment for which these thermal insulation systems could provide improved energy efficiency include storage tanks for cryogens, superconducting electric-power-transmission equipment, containers for transport of food and other perishable commodities, and cold boxes for low-temperature industrial processes. These systems could also be used to insulate piping used to transfer cryogens and other fluids, such as liquefied natural gas, refrigerants, chilled water, crude oil, or low-pressure steam. The present thermal-insulation systems are layer composites based partly on the older class of thermal-insulation systems denoted generally as multilayer insulation (MLI). A typical MLI structure includes an evacuated jacket, within which many layers of radiation shields are stacked or wrapped close together. Low-thermal-conductivity spacers are typically placed between the reflection layers to keep them from touching. MLI can work very well when a high vacuum level (less than 10(exp-4) torr) is maintained and utmost care is taken during installation, but its thermal performance deteriorates sharply as the pressure in the evacuated space rises into the soft vacuum range [pressures greater than 0.1 torr (greater than 13 Pa)]. In addition, the thermal performance of MLI is extremely sensitive to mechanical compression and edge effects and can easily decrease from one to two orders of magnitude from its ideal value even when the MLI is kept under high vacuum condition. The present thermal-insulation systems are designed to perform well under soft vacuum level, in particular the range of 1 to 10 torr. They are also designed with larger interlayer spacings to reduce vulnerability to compression (and consequent heat leak) caused by installation and use. The superiority of these systems is the

Internal Roof and Attic Thermal Radiation Control Retrofit Strategies for Cooling-Dominated Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fallahi, A. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Boston, MA (United States); Durschlag, H. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Boston, MA (United States); Elliott, D. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Boston, MA (United States); Hartsough, J. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Boston, MA (United States); Shukla, N. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Boston, MA (United States); Kosny, J. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Boston, MA (United States)

2013-12-01

This project evaluates the cooling energy savings and cost effectiveness of radiation control retrofit strategies for residential attics in U.S. cooling-dominated climates. Usually, in residential applications, radiation control retrofit strategies are applied below the roof deck or on top of the attic floor insulation. They offer an alternative option to the addition of conventional bulkinsulation such as fiberglass or cellulose insulation. Radiation control is a potentially low-cost energy efficiency retrofit strategy that does not require significant changes to existing homes. In this project, two groups of low-cost radiation control strategies were evaluated for southern U.S. applications. One uses a radiant barrier composed of two aluminum foils combined with an enclosedreflective air space and the second uses spray-applied interior radiation control coatings (IRCC).

Polyester Apparel Cutting Waste as Insulation Material

OpenAIRE

Trajković, Dušan; Jordeva, Sonja; Tomovska, Elena; Zafirova, Koleta

2017-01-01

Polyester waste is the dominant component of the clothing industry waste stream, yet its recycling in this industry is rarely addressed. This paper proposes using polyester cutting waste as an insulation blanket for roofing and buildings’ internal walls in order to reduce environmental pollution. The designed textile structures used waste cuttings from different polyester fabrics without opening the fabric to fibre. Thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, fire resistance and biodegradation o...

Green roof hydrologic performance and modeling: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanling; Babcock, Roger W

2014-01-01

Green roofs reduce runoff from impervious surfaces in urban development. This paper reviews the technical literature on green roof hydrology. Laboratory experiments and field measurements have shown that green roofs can reduce stormwater runoff volume by 30 to 86%, reduce peak flow rate by 22 to 93% and delay the peak flow by 0 to 30 min and thereby decrease pollution, flooding and erosion during precipitation events. However, the effectiveness can vary substantially due to design characteristics making performance predictions difficult. Evaluation of the most recently published study findings indicates that the major factors affecting green roof hydrology are precipitation volume, precipitation dynamics, antecedent conditions, growth medium, plant species, and roof slope. This paper also evaluates the computer models commonly used to simulate hydrologic processes for green roofs, including stormwater management model, soil water atmosphere and plant, SWMS-2D, HYDRUS, and other models that are shown to be effective for predicting precipitation response and economic benefits. The review findings indicate that green roofs are effective for reduction of runoff volume and peak flow, and delay of peak flow, however, no tool or model is available to predict expected performance for any given anticipated system based on design parameters that directly affect green roof hydrology.

A Literature Review of Sealed and Insulated Attics—Thermal, Moisture and Energy Performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Less, Brennan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Levinson, Ronnen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-08-01

In this literature review and analysis, we focus on the thermal, moisture and energy performance of sealed and insulated attics in California climates. Thermal. Sealed and insulated attics are expected to maintain attic air temperatures that are similar to those in the house within +/- 10°F. Thermal stress on the assembly, namely high shingle and sheathing temperatures, are of minimal concern. In the past, many sealed and insulated attics were constructed with insufficient insulation levels (~R-20) and with too much air leakage to outside, leading to poor thermal performance. To ensure high performance, sealed and insulated attics in new California homes should be insulated at levels at least equivalent to the flat ceiling requirements in the code, and attic envelopes and ducts should be airtight. We expect that duct systems in well-constructed sealed and insulated attics should have less than 2% HVAC system leakage to outside. Moisture. Moisture risk in sealed and insulated California attics will increase with colder climate regions and more humid outside air in marine zones. Risk is considered low in the hot-dry, highly populated regions of the state, where most new home construction occurs. Indoor humidity levels should be controlled by following code requirements for continuous whole-house ventilation and local exhaust. Pending development of further guidance, we recommend that the air impermeable insulation requirements of the International Residential Code (2012) be used, as they vary with IECC climate region and roof finish. Energy. Sealed and insulated attics provide energy benefits only if HVAC equipment is located in the attic volume, and the benefits depend strongly on the insulation and airtightness of the attic and ducts. Existing homes with leaky, uninsulated ducts in the attic should have major savings. When compared with modern, airtight duct systems in a vented attic, sealed and insulated attics in California may still provide substantial benefit

Timber Chips as the Insulation Material for Energy Saving in Prefabricated Offices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yupeng Wang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This research demonstrates the feasibility of a roof insulation method for prefabricated offices that uses vinyl packed timber chips to reduce air conditioning loads (hereinafter referred to as AC loads and which also improves indoor thermal comfort. The advantages of the new roof insulation method were revealed through comparing the impacts of four roof types on prefabricated offices. The AC load and indoor thermal comfort (surface temperature and air temperature were evaluated. The disposal of scrap timber discarded from building construction projects is costing money, and is also a waste of natural resources. The assessment of a new roof insulation method with timber chips demonstrates the advanced usage of timber chips, reducing the environmental load in the building construction process. On the other hand, since prefabricated offices have lower thermal storage capacities and are less airtight than RC (reinforced concrete or S (steel structured buildings, the AC load consumption and indoor thermal comfort exacerbation in prefabricated offices is more serious. Especially in summer, a large amount of solar energy absorption from the roof raises the indoor air temperature and significantly increases the cooling load. This research contributes to the environmental design for prefabricated offices, and develops a method for the reuse of wood chips.

Polyurethane adhesives in flat roofs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogárová Markéta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available It is necessary to stabilize individual layers of flat roofs, mainly because of wind suction. Apart from anchoring and surcharge, these layers can be secured by bonding. At present gluing is an indispensable and widely used stabilization method. On our market we can found many types of adhesives, most widely used are based on polyurethane. This paper focuses on problematic about stabilization thermal insulation from expanded polystyrene to vapor barrier from bitumen. One of the main issues is to calculate the exact amount of adhesive, which is required to guarantee the resistance against wind suction. In this problematic we can not find help neither in technical data sheets provided by the manufactures. Some of these data sheets contain at least information about amount of adhesive depending on location in roof plane and building height, but they do not specify the strength of such connection. It was therefore resorted to select several representatives polyurethane adhesives and their subsequent testing on specimens simulating the flat roof segment. The paper described the test methodology and results for two types of polyurethane adhesives.

National construction, Denmark. Flat roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rode, C

1995-04-01

The Paris meeting of IEA Annex 24 (held in the spring of 1991) declared a set of typical building constructions, the Heat, Air and Moisture characteristics of which should be dealt with as part of the Annex work. Each type of construction was assigned to one or more countries as their National Construction, and it has been the responsibility of each country to prepare a report on what may be regarded as common knowledge in the country on the hygrothermal behaviour of their construction. This knowledge is in part due to experimental work carried out by research bodies in the countries, and due to experience form practice. This report has two main sections: Section 2 gives a general overview of the design of the most common variants of flat roofs and common knowledge reported for such roofs. Section 3 gives an account of research projects carried out in Denmark on flat roofs to analyze their hygrothermal performance. Whenever possible, an emphasis will be put on the hygrothermal consequences of thermally insulating such constructions. (EG) 19 refs.

Parametric study of roof diaphragm stiffness requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, W.D.; Tenbus, M.A.

1991-01-01

A common assumption made in performing a dynamic seismic analysis for a building is that the roof/floor system is open-quotes rigidclose quotes. This assumption would appear to be reasonable for many of the structures found in nuclear power plants, since many of these structures are constructed of heavily reinforced concrete having floor/roof slabs at least two feet in thickness, and meet the code requirements for structural detailing for seismic design. The roofs of many Department of Energy (DOE) buildings at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, have roofs constructed of either metal, precast concrete or gypsum plank deck overlaid with rigid insulation, tar and gravel. In performing natural phenomena hazard assessments for one such facility, it was assumed that the existing roof performed first as a flexible diaphragm (zero stiffness) and then, rigid (infinitely stiff). For the flexible diaphragm model it was determined that the building began to experience significant damage around 0.09 g's. For the rigid diaphragm model it was determined that no significant damage was observed below 0.20 g's. A Conceptual Design Report has been prepared for upgrading/replacing the roof of this building. The question that needed to be answered here was, open-quotes How stiff should the new roof diaphragm be in order to satisfy the rigid diaphragm assumption and, yet, be cost effective?close quotes. This paper presents a parametric study of a very simple structural system to show that the design of roof diaphragms needs to consider both strength and stiffness (frequency) requirements. This paper shows how the stiffness of a roof system affects the seismically induced loads in the lateral, vertical load resisting elements of a building and provides guidance in determining how open-quotes rigidclose quotes a roof system should be in order to accomplish a cost effective design

Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qi; Li, Yi; Zhang, Yang; Song, You, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Wang, Xizhang, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Hu, Zheng [Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, Jiangsu Provincial Lab for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. High-Tech Research Institute of Nanjing University (Suzhou), Suzhou 215123 (China); Sun, Huabin; Li, Yun, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Shi, Yi [School of Electronic Science and Engineering and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic and Electronic Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2014-08-15

A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta){sub 3}L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine), is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs). The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μ{sub FET}) of 0.17 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, threshold voltage (V{sub th}) of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 10{sup 3}, and subthreshold slope (SS) of 1.0 V dec{sup −1}, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO{sub 2} substrate (0.13 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec{sup −1} for μ{sub FET}, V{sub th} and SS value when operated at −30 V). These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

Field evaluation of reflective insulation in south east Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, Khar San; Yarbrough, David W.; Lim, Chin Haw; Salleh, Elias

2017-12-01

The objective of this research was to obtain thermal performance data for reflective insulations in a South East Asia environment. Thermal resistance data (RSI, m2 ṡ K/W) for reflective insulations are well established from 1-D steady-state tests, but thermal data for reflective insulation in structures like those found in South East Asia are scarce. Data for reflective insulations in South East Asia will add to the worldwide database for this type of energy-conserving material. RSI were obtained from heat flux and temperature data of three identical structures in the same location. One unit did not have insulation above the ceiling, while the second and third units were insulated with reflective insulation with emittance less than 0.05. RSI for the uninsulated test unit varied from 0.37 to 0.40 m2 ṡ K/W. RSI for a single-sheet reflective insulation (woven foil) varied from 2.15 to 2.26 m2 ṡ K/W, while bubble-foil insulation varied from 2.69 to 3.09 m2 ṡ K/W. The range of RSI values resulted from differences in the spacing between the reflective insulation and the roof. In addition, the reflective insulation below the roof lowered attic temperatures by as much as 9.7° C. Reductions in ceiling heat flux of 80 to 90% relative to the uninsulated structure, due to the reflective insulation, were observed.

A more general model for the analysis of the rock slope stability

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

slope stability analysis, the joint surfaces are assumed to be continuous along the potential ... of rock slope stability has many applications in the design of rock slopes, roofs and walls of .... cases the wedge failure analysis can be applied.

Office-like Test Chambers to Measure Cool Roof Energy Savings in Four Indian Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arumugam, Rathish [Saint Gobain Research India Pvt. Ltd. (India); B, Sasank [Saint Gobain Research India Pvt. Ltd. (India); T, Rajappa [Saint Gobain Research India Pvt. Ltd. (India); N, Vinay [Saint Gobain Research India Pvt. Ltd. (India); Garg, Vishal [International Inst. of Information Technology, Hyderabad (India); Reddy, Niranjan [International Inst. of Information Technology, Hyderabad (India); Levinson, Ronnen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-08-21

Selecting a high albedo (solar reflectance) waterproofing layer on the top of a roof helps lower the roof’s surface temperature and reduce the air conditioning energy consumption in the top floor of a building. The annual energy savings depend on factors including weather, internal loads, and building operation schedule. To demonstrate the energy saving potential of high albedo roofs, an apparatus consisting of two nearly identical test chambers (A and B) has been built in four Indian climates: Chennai (hot & humid), Bangalore (temperate), Jhagadia (Hot & dry) and Delhi (composite). Each chamber has well-insulated walls to mimic the core of an office building. Both chambers have the same construction, equipment, and operating schedule, differing only in roof surface. The reinforced cement concrete roof of Chamber A is surfaced with a low-albedo cement layer, while that of Chamber B is surfaced with a high-albedo water proof membrane (change in solar reflectance of 0.28). The experiment will be carried out for one year to explore seasonal variations in energy savings. Initial results in the month of July (post summer) shows that savings from high albedo roof ranges from 0.04 kWh/m2/day in temperate climates, to 0.08 kWh/m2/day in hot & dry climate.

Roof windows in low-energy buildings - Analyses of demands and possibilities for future product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skarning, Gunnlaug Cecilie Jensen; Duer, Karsten; Hviid, Christian Anker

As part of an ambitious energy policy and strategy for reducing the use of fossil fuels in the European Union, all new buildings are required to consume `nearly zero-energy' by the end of 2020. This creates a strong need for research in cost-effective solutions and technology that can help balance...... transmittances of about 40-70% could provide suffcient daylighting without overheating in the climates of Rome and Copenhagen, as long as they were located in rooms with a reasonable layout for daylighting and appropriate solar-control coating was used on solar exposed glazing. The same was true for sloped...... and horizontal roof windows with any choice of light transmittance in both climates. Roof-window thermal properties needed for flexibility were then identied by studying the effect of these options on space-heating demand in rooms representing various parts of a 11/2-storey house with a simplied floor plan and...

Using Remote Sensing to Quantify Roof Albedo in Seven California Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Ban-Weiss, G. A.; Woods, J.; Millstein, D.; Levinson, R.

2013-12-01

Building Energy Efficiency Standard (Title-24, Part 6) includes the use of high-albedo surfaces on low-sloped roofs on non-residential buildings. Analyzing a subset of large presumably commercial buildings, we find high albedo roofs represent 0.5% and 10% of total roofs and roof surface area, respectively. The potential for high albedo roofs to reduce urban temperatures was investigated for a California city (Bakersfield) with warm summers using a state-of-the-art meteorological model (Weather Research and Forecasting, WRF). Base case and cool roof scenarios were simulated with the only difference being that the surface albedo was increased under the cool roof scenario. Roof albedos derived from the aerial imagery were used as an input to the climate model in the base case scenario. Simulation results indicate that seasonal average afternoon (1500 h) temperatures could be reduced by up to 0.2 °C across Bakersfield during both the summer and winter. While temperature changes are similar during winter and summer, only summer shows statistically significant temperature changes downwind (southeast) from Bakersfield. This indicates that reduced summertime temperatures may be felt over a distance that is 2 or 3 times the length scale of the region with high albedo roofs.

Polyurethane adhesives in flat roofs

OpenAIRE

Bogárová Markéta; Stodůlka Jindřich; Šuhajda Karel

2017-01-01

It is necessary to stabilize individual layers of flat roofs, mainly because of wind suction. Apart from anchoring and surcharge, these layers can be secured by bonding. At present gluing is an indispensable and widely used stabilization method. On our market we can found many types of adhesives, most widely used are based on polyurethane. This paper focuses on problematic about stabilization thermal insulation from expanded polystyrene to vapor barrier from bitumen. One of the main issues is...

Green roofs: potential at LANL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pacheco, Elena M [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2009-01-01

strokes, heat exhaustion, and pollution that can agitate the respiratory system. The most significant savings associated with green roofs is in the reduction of cooling demands due to the green roof's thermal mass and their insulating properties. Unlike a conventional roof system, a green roof does not absorb solar radiation and transfer that heat into the interior of a building. Instead the vegetation acts as a shade barrier and stabilizes the roof temperature so that interior temperatures remain comfortable for the occupants. Consequently there is less of a demand for air conditioning, and thus less money spent on energy. At LANL the potential of green roof systems has already been realized with the construction of the accessible green roof on the Otowi building. To further explore the possibilities and prospective benefits of green roofs though, the initial capital costs must be invested. Three buildings, TA-03-1698, TA-03-0502, and TA-53-0031 have all been identified as sound candidates for a green roof retrofit project. It is recommended that LANL proceed with further analysis of these projects and implementation of the green roofs. Furthermore, it is recommended that an urban forestry program be initiated to provide supplemental support to the environmental goals of green roofs. The obstacles barring green roof construction are most often budgetary and structural concerns. Given proper resources, however, the engineers and design professionals at LANL would surely succeed in the proper implementation of green roof systems so as to optimize their ecological and monetary benefits for the entire organization.

Thermal Analysis Of Cover Plate Of Galvanizing Bath Tub At Bridge amp Roof Co. I Ltd. By Shape Modification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anirban Jana

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This project is aimed for thermally analyzing stress and strain on cover plate of galvanizing bath tub at Bridge amp Roof co. I Ltd in order to maintain 450C in bath tub. Along with analysis part cover plate shape was modified due to its continuous use amp prevailing conditions at the workshop. The cover plate consist of insulating materials compacted to retain the heat in the bath tub. The thermal convection of air is less than thermal resistance of insulating materials used thus heat loss is negligible. Thermal convection air 0.0579 w m k Thermal Resistance Insulator 7.046 w m k. Thermal analysis report show at 450C. Deformation is effecting end portion 2-3 mm. Stress amp Strain at that portion is also low 0.1-0.3 Mpa. Heat transfer of air is more than insulating materials. Thus Heat transfer rate of Insulating materials being low they dont conduct heat from the bath tub to the atmosphere. So temperature of the bath tub is maintained. QA 1806.25 W Heat transfer rate of Air by convection QI 270.43 W Heat transfer rate of Insulation materials

The Hydrological Performance of Lightweight Green Roofs Made From Recycled Waste Materials As the Drainage Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afizah Asman Nurul Shahadahtul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Green roofs can be used for promoting infiltration and provide temporary storage spaces. Hence, in urban stormwater structural design, the investigation of the hydrological performance investigation is often required. Thus, this paper presents the results of a hydrological investigation in term of peak flow reduction and green roof’s weight using 0, 2, and 6% slope for three specimens drainage layer in green roofs. Three types of recycled waste are selected for each test bed which is rubber crumbs, palm oil shell, and polyfoam. Another test bed without a drainage layer as a control. The result indicates that rubber crumbs can be used as a stormwater control and runoff reduction while ensuring a good drainage and aeration of the substrate and roofs. From the results obtained shows that rubber crumbs are suitable as a drainage layer and a proposed slope of 6% are suitable for lightweight green roofs.

Water quality and quantity investigation of green roofs in a dry climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Beecham, S; Razzaghmanesh, M

2015-03-01

Low-energy pollutant removal strategies are now being sought for water sensitive urban design. This paper describes investigations into the water quality and quantity of sixteen, low-maintenance and unfertilized intensive and extensive green roof beds. The factors of Slope (1° and 25°), Depth (100 mm and 300 mm), Growing media (type A, type B and type C) and Species (P1, P2 and P3) were randomized according to a split-split plot design. This consisted of twelve vegetated green roof beds and four non-vegetated beds as controls. Stormwater runoff was collected from drainage points that were installed in each area. Samples of run-off were collected for five rainfall events and analysed for water retention capacity and the water quality parameters of NO₂, NO₃, NH₄, PO₄, pH, EC, TDS, Turbidity, Na, Ca, Mg and K. The results indicated significant differences in terms of stormwater water quality and quantity between the outflows of vegetated and non-vegetated systems. The water retention was between 51% and 96% and this range was attributed to the green roof configurations in the experiment. Comparing the quality of rainfall as inflow, and the quality of runoff from the systems showed that green roofs generally acted as a source of pollutants in this study. In the vegetated beds, the intensive green roofs performed better than the extensive beds with regard to outflow quality while in the non-vegetated beds, the extensive beds performed better than intensive systems. This highlights the importance of vegetation in improving water retention capacity as well as the role of vegetation in enhancing pollutant removal in green roof systems. In addition growing media with less organic matter had better water quality performance. Comparison of these results with national and international standards for water reuse confirmed that the green roof outflow was suitable for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All

Load test of the 277W Building high bay roof deck and support structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, R.M.

1994-01-01

The 277W Building high bay roof area was load tested according to the approved load-test procedure, WHC-SD-GN-TP-30015, Revision 1. The 277W Building is located in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site and has the following characteristics: roof deck -- wood decking supported by 4 x 14 timber purlins; roof membrane -- tar and gravel; roof slope -- flat (<10 deg); and roof elevation -- maximum height of about 63 ft. The 227W Building was visited in March 1994 for a visual inspection. During this inspection, cracked areas were visible in the decking, but it was not possible to determine whether these cracks extended completely through the decking, which is 2-in. thick. The building was revisited in March 1994 for the purpose of writing this test report. Because the roof requires personnel access, a test was determined to be the best way to qualify the roof. The conclusions are that the roof has been qualified for 500-lb total roof load and that the ''No Roof Access'' signs can be changed to ''Roof Access Restricted'' signs

Study of wind forces on low-rise hip-roof building | Jameel ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comprehensive numerical study of wind effects using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques on the low-rise hipped roof building is presented in this paper. Two Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes Equations (RANS) techniques such as the Standard k -e turbulence model and the Renormalization group (RNG) k ...

The Insulation of Houses against Noise from Aircraft in Flight.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholes, W. E.; Parkin, P. H.

Three groups of traditional houses were insulated against aircraft noise by double glazing and installing sound attenuating ventilator units. For upper floor rooms of two story houses, overall insulations of 35-40 dB were obtainable, providing transmission through the roofs and down flues were also reduced. The noise levels caused by ventilator…

Low Permeability Polyimide Insulation, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Resodyn Technologies proposes a new technology that enables the application of polyimide based cryogenic insulation with low hydrogen permeability. This effort...

A Low Temperature Detoxification Method for Treatment of Chrysotile-Containing Waste Roofing Slate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hwanju Jo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, we evaluated a two-step process for detoxification of waste roofing slate, involving cement hydrate removal and low temperature detoxification using oxalic acid. These treatments were conducted on raw material and intermediate product, respectively. Cement hydrate removal effectively eliminated most Ca-containing cement hydrate components from the raw material under the following conditions: HCl to solid ratio: 0.456 g/g, reaction time: 2 h, and solid to liquid ratio: 0.124 g/mL. Following low temperature (~100 °C detoxification of intermediate product obtained after cement hydrate removal, chrysotile in waste roofing slate was effectively transformed to Mg-oxalate under conditions of oxalic acid to solid ratio of >0.67 g/g.

Measure Guideline: Three High Performance Mineral Fiber Insulation Board Retrofit Solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neuhauser, K. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-01-01

This Measure Guideline describes a high performance enclosure retrofit package that uses mineral fiber insulation board, and is intended to serve contractors and designers seeking guidance for non-foam exterior insulation retrofit processes. The guideline describes retrofit assembly and details for wood frame roof and walls and for cast concrete foundations.

Drought-avoiding plants with low water use can achieve high rainfall retention without jeopardising survival on green roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Szota, Christopher; Farrell, Claire; Williams, Nicholas S G; Arndt, Stefan K; Fletcher, Tim D

2017-12-15

Green roofs are increasingly being used among the suite of tools designed to reduce the volume of surface water runoff generated by cities. Plants provide the primary mechanism for restoring the rainfall retention capacity of green roofs, but selecting plants with high water use is likely to increase drought stress. Using empirically-derived plant physiological parameters, we used a water balance model to assess the trade-off between rainfall retention and plant drought stress under a 30-year climate scenario. We compared high and low water users with either drought avoidance or drought tolerance strategies. Green roofs with low water-using, drought-avoiding species achieved high rainfall retention (66-81%) without experiencing significant drought stress. Roofs planted with other strategies showed high retention (72-90%), but they also experienced >50days of drought stress per year. However, not all species with the same strategy behaved similarly, therefore selecting plants based on water use and drought strategy alone does not guarantee survival in shallow substrates where drought stress can develop quickly. Despite this, it is more likely that green roofs will achieve high rainfall retention with minimal supplementary irrigation if planted with low water users with drought avoidance strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Untreated runoff quality from roof and road surfaces in a low intensity rainfall climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Charters, Frances J; Cochrane, Thomas A; O'Sullivan, Aisling D

2016-04-15

Sediment and heavy metals in stormwater runoff are key pollutants of urban waterways, and their presence in stormwater is driven by climatic factors such as rainfall intensity. This study describes the total suspended solids (TSS) and heavy metal concentrations found in runoff from four different urban surfaces within a residential/institutional catchment, in a climate where rainfall is typically of low intensity (runoff quality from a compilation of international studies. The road runoff had the highest TSS concentrations, while copper and galvanized roof runoff had the highest copper and zinc concentrations, respectively. Pollutant concentrations were found to be significantly different between surfaces; quantification and prediction of pollutant contributions from urban surfaces should thus take account of the different surface materials, instead of being aggregated into more generalized categories such as land use. The TSS and heavy metal concentrations were found to be at the low to medium end of ranges observed internationally, except for total copper and zinc concentrations generated by dissolution of copper and galvanized roofing material respectively; these concentrations were at least as high as those reported internationally. TSS wash-off from the roofs was seen to be a source-limited process, where all available TSS is washed off during the rain event despite the low intensity rainfall, whereas both road TSS and heavy metals wash-off from roof and road surfaces appeared to all be transport-limited and therefore some carryover of pollutants occurs between rain events. A first flush effect was seen from most surfaces for TSS, but not for heavy metals. This study demonstrates that in low intensity rainfall climates, quantification of untreated runoff quality from key individual surface types in a catchment are needed to enable development of targeted and appropriately sized stormwater treatment systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystalline roof glazing - Westside shopping centre, Berne; Kristalline Dachverglasungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enkerli, W.

2009-07-01

This illustrated article takes a look at the new shopping and leisure centre on the western outskirts of Berne, Switzerland. In particular, the roof of this unusual building over the motorway with its sloping walls and zig-zag design is looked at. The centre's shopping mall, adventure baths and spa, a multiplex cinema, an old peoples' home and a hotel are briefly discussed, as is the embedding of the centre in its suburban environment. The roof construction with its crystalline skylights is examined and discussed in detail. The centre's building technical services are also briefly commented on.

Measure Guideline: Three High Performance Mineral Fiber Insulation Board Retrofit Solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neuhauser, Ken [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-01-01

This Measure Guideline describes a high performance enclosure retrofit package that uses mineral fiber insulation board. The Measure Guideline describes retrofit assembly and details for wood frame roof and walls and for cast concrete foundations. This Measure Guideline is intended to serve contractors and designers seeking guidance for non-foam exterior insulation retrofit.

Use of LiDAR for calculating solar irradiance on roofs and façades of buildings at city scale: Methodology, validation, and analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Liang; Xu, Hao; Li, Shuyi; Chen, Yanming; Zhang, Fangli; Li, Manchun

2018-04-01

As the rate of urbanization continues to accelerate, the utilization of solar energy in buildings plays an increasingly important role in sustainable urban development. For this purpose, we propose a LiDAR-based joint approach for calculating the solar irradiance incident on roofs and façades of buildings at city scale, which includes a methodology for calculating solar irradiance, the validation of the proposed method, and analysis of its application. The calculation of surface irradiance on buildings may then inform photovoltaic power generation simulations, architectural design, and urban energy planning. Application analyses of the proposed method in the experiment area found that: (1) Global and direct irradiations vary significantly by hour, day, month and season, both following the same trends; however, diffuse irradiance essentially remains unchanged over time. (2) Roof irradiation, but not façade irradiation, displays distinct time-dependent patterns. (3) Global and direct irradiations on roofs are highly correlated with roof aspect and slope, with high global and direct irradiations observed on roofs of aspect 100-250° and slopes of 0-60°, whereas diffuse irradiation on roofs is only affected by roof slope. (4) The façade of a building receives higher levels of global and direct irradiations if facing southeast, south, and southwest; however, diffuse irradiation remains constant regardless of façade orientation.

Ultra-thin smart acoustic metasurface for low-frequency sound insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Xiao, Yong; Wen, Jihong; Yu, Dianlong; Wen, Xisen

2016-04-01

Insulating low-frequency sound is a conventional challenge due to the high areal mass required by mass law. In this letter, we propose a smart acoustic metasurface consisting of an ultra-thin aluminum foil bonded with piezoelectric resonators. Numerical and experimental results show that the metasurface can break the conventional mass law of sound insulation by 30 dB in the low frequency regime (sound insulation performance is attributed to the infinite effective dynamic mass density produced by the smart resonators. It is also demonstrated that the excellent sound insulation property can be conveniently tuned by simply adjusting the external circuits instead of modifying the structure of the metasurface.

Green roofs : a watertight perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honza, D. [Honza Group Inc., Columbia, MD (United States)]|[Barrett Co., Millington, NJ (United States)

2005-07-01

While there is a growing acceptance of the ecological benefits of green roofs, many roofing contractors view green roofs with suspicion. The roofing industry is a high-volume, low-margin cost-driven industry which promotes a minimum standard commodity mentality. Roofing and waterproofing is the largest source of claims against architects and engineers. This paper suggested that architectural firms and engineering firms can reduce many issues associated with roofing problems by investigating and understanding materials, demands of projects, and preparing thorough specifications. Long-term exposure to the sun's rays will impact the chemical make-up of the roofing material, and water can break down the surface molecular structure of the membrane. Daily, yearly and event-related temperature variations can subject membranes to thermal induced stresses. Many roofs leak as a result of abuse during construction. Understanding and anticipating the performance problems of membranes can give green roof designers the ability to address limitations through good design. The membrane for a green roof should have superior abuse resistance; elastic properties, and resistance to long-term wet or saturated environments. Flashings for green roofs must exceed minimum standards. Membranes should be tested for watertightness before components are installed using electronic field vector mapping. Overburden should be installed after the membrane installation is proven to be watertight. It was concluded that higher design standards are required for green roofs, as many traditional roof membranes fail prematurely. A review of widely used membranes in the roofing and waterproofing industry included modified bitumen; built-up roofing; cured synthetic rubber sheets; thermalplastic membranes; self-adhering modified bitumen; and rubberized asphalt. 6 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs.

Prolong Your Roof's Performance: Roof Asset Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Teitsma, Jerry

2001-01-01

Discusses the roof asset management process for maintaining a roof system's integrity and value in a cost-effective manner. Included is a breakdown of roofing surface characteristics for multiply and single ply roofing systems. (GR)

Flat roofs. Dayligth systems, sealing, roof greening, solar engineering, thermal insulation, drainage, monitoring; Flachdaecher. Tageslichtsysteme, Abdichtungstechnik, Dachbegruenung, Solartechnik, Flachdachdaemmung, Entwaesserung, Monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoenfeldt, Simone von; Bratfisch, Rainer (comps.)

2010-07-15

The target of the project is, to lower the costs of the basic constructions and the costs of the static calculation. These costs categories develop when setting up collectors on flat roofs. Cost-optimized solutions are presented beginning with the attachment detail up to the carrying construction. A economical implementation enables. A substantial point of the project is the examination of the load assumptions, particularly the wind load. Result is a modular system, which gives a selection of attachment details depending upon available roof structure and a combination of different carrying constructions co-ordinated with most frequently occurring collector types enables. (orig./GL)

Modelling runoff on ceramic tile roofs using the kinematic wave equations

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira, Alexandre; Abrantes, João; de Lima, João; Lira, Lincoln

2016-04-01

Rainwater harvesting is a water saving alternative strategy that presents many advantages and can provide solutions to address major water resources problems, such as fresh water scarcity, urban stream degradation and flooding. In recent years, these problems have become global challenges, due to climatic change, population growth and increasing urbanisation. Generally, roofs are the first to come into contact with rainwater; thus, they are the best candidates for rainwater harvesting. In this context, the correct evaluation of roof runoff quantity and quality is essential to effectively design rainwater harvesting systems. Despite this, many studies usually focus on the qualitative aspects in detriment of the quantitative aspects. Laboratory studies using rainfall simulators have been widely used to investigate rainfall-runoff processes. These studies enabled a detailed exploration and systematic replication of a large range of hydrologic conditions, such as rainfall spatial and temporal characteristics, providing for a fast way to obtain precise and consistent data that can be used to calibrate and validate numerical models. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a kinematic wave based numerical model in simulating runoff on sloping roofs, by comparing the numerical results with the ones obtained from laboratory rainfall simulations on a real-scale ceramic tile roof (Lusa tiles). For all studied slopes, simulated discharge hydrographs had a good adjust to observed ones. Coefficient of determination and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values were close to 1.0. Particularly, peak discharges, times to peak and peak durations were very well simulated.

Study of wind forces on low-rise hip-roof building

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR OKE

to predict the wind loads and the flow patterns around the hip-roof building. .... various wind angle attack on the roof using CFD simulation. .... SIMPLE algorithm substitutes the flux correction equations into the discrete continuity equation to ...

Advanced Insulation for High Performance Cost-Effective Wall, Roof, and Foundation Systems Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costeux, Stephane [Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI (United States); Bunker, Shanon [Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI (United States)

2013-12-20

The objective of this project was to explore and potentially develop high performing insulation with increased R/inch and low impact on climate change that would help design highly insulating building envelope systems with more durable performance and lower overall system cost than envelopes with equivalent performance made with materials available today. The proposed technical approach relied on insulation foams with nanoscale pores (about 100 nm in size) in which heat transfer will be decreased. Through the development of new foaming methods, of new polymer formulations and new analytical techniques, and by advancing the understanding of how cells nucleate, expand and stabilize at the nanoscale, Dow successfully invented and developed methods to produce foams with 100 nm cells and 80% porosity by batch foaming at the laboratory scale. Measurements of the gas conductivity on small nanofoam specimen confirmed quantitatively the benefit of nanoscale cells (Knudsen effect) to increase insulation value, which was the key technical hypotheses of the program. In order to bring this technology closer to a viable semi-continuous/continuous process, the project team modified an existing continuous extrusion foaming process as well as designed and built a custom system to produce 6" x 6" foam panels. Dow demonstrated for the first time that nanofoams can be produced in a both processes. However, due to technical delays, foam characteristics achieved so far fall short of the 100 nm target set for optimal insulation foams. In parallel with the technology development, effort was directed to the determination of most promising applications for nanocellular insulation foam. Voice of Customer (VOC) exercise confirmed that demand for high-R value product will rise due to building code increased requirements in the near future, but that acceptance for novel products by building industry may be slow. Partnerships with green builders, initial launches in smaller markets (e.g. EIFS

[A review of green roof performance towards management of roof runoff].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiao-ping; Huang, Pei; Zhou, Zhi-xiang; Gao, Chi

2015-08-01

Green roof has a significant influence on reducing runoff volume, delaying runoff-yielding time, reducing the peak flow and improving runoff quality. This paper addressed the related research around the world and concluded from several aspects, i.e., the definition of green roof of different types, the mechanism how green roof manages runoff quantity and quality, the ability how green roof controls roof runoff, and the influence factors of green roof toward runoff quantity and quality. Afterwards, there was a need for more future work on research of green roof toward roof runoff, i.e., vegetation selection of green roof, efficient construction model selection of green roof, the regulating characteristics of green roof on roof runoff, the value assessment of green roof on roof runoff, analysis of source-sink function of green roof on the water pollutants of roof runoff and the research on the mitigation measures of roof runoff pollution. This paper provided a guideline to develop green roofs aiming to regulating roof runoff.

Method of developing thick sloping coal formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bragintsev, V F; Mashkovtsev, I L; Semenov, V S; Zykov, V N

1980-02-15

A method of developing thick sloping coal formations in three inclined layers includes carrying out developmental operations for each of the layers until one begins development of the last one and extraction of layers. It is characterized in that in order to improve efficiency and safety of an operation of formation development there is first extraction of the upper layer and then slits in sequence from the roof of the formation to the floor of the upper layer and beneath protected objects. Then the lower layer is workedin thin strips in sequence from the floor of the formation to the roof of the lower layer. Next there is extraction of a slit at the roof of the middle layer and delivery of a plasticized hardening mixture into the worked out space of the indicated slot. The middle layer is worked in thin layers beneath the protection of the formed artificial roof in a sequence from the artificial roof to the floor of the middle layer. Workings of the middle layer are formed by joining of the combined workings of the upper and lower layers during extraction of pillars of coal between them. The layers are respectively worked following completion of roof advance in front of the working face of each subsequent extraction layer in alternating fashion.

Competitive landscape of the EU’s insulation materials industry for energy-efficient buildings

OpenAIRE

PAVEL CLAUDIU; BLAGOEVA DARINA

2017-01-01

Insulation materials could contribute significantly to improving the overall energy efficiency and sustainability of the buildings, especially by reducing the energy losses through the building envelope (walls, roofs, floors, etc.). The global demand for thermal insulation materials in building applications is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.5 % between 2016 and 2027. In the EU the demand for thermal insulation materials is estimated at 3.48 % (2015-2027). Wool minerals (glass and stone ...

Using radio frequency and ultrasonic antennas for inspecting pin-type insulators on medium-voltage overhead distribution lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cícero Lefort Borges

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper summarises the activities undertaken when using antennas (ultrasound and radiofrequency for identifying insulators in pre-failure state by detecting the noise emitted by the distribution line and correlating this with these insulators (porcelain pin type dielectric breakdown. This has led to developing low-cost maintenance procedures and providing support and criteria for engineer-ing decisions regarding replacing these insulators. The technique used two detectors; a radio frequency detector was used in a first investigation of a particular distribution line, set to 40 MHz and installed on the roof of a moving vehicle. The ultrasound detector was used for inspecting (phases A, B, C each structure (pole selected. Atmospheric conditions had no influence on defining pre-failure insulators (pin type based on the noise detection technique. Pin type insulators emitting noise should be replaced since measurement was made from the ground and near the base of the post.

The Advancement of Cool Roof Standards in China from 2010 to 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ge, Jing [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Levinson, Ronnen M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-11-01

Since the initiation of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center-Building Energy Efficiency (CERC-BEE) cool roof research collaboration between the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Heat Island Group and Chinese institutions in 2010, new cool surface credits (insulation trade- offs) have been adopted in Chinese building energy efficiency standards, industry standards, and green building standards. JGJ 75-2012: Design Standard for Energy Efficiency of Residential Buildings in Hot Summer and Warm Winter Zone became the first national level standard to provide cool surface credits. GB/T 50378-2014: Assessment Standard for Green Building is the first national level green building standard that offers points for heat island mitigation. JGJ/T 359-2015: Technical Specification for Application of Architectural Reflective Thermal Insulation Coating is the first industry standard that offers cool coating credits for both public and residential buildings in all hot-summer climates (Hot Summer/Cold Winter, Hot Summer/Warm Winter). As of December 2015, eight provinces or municipalities in hot-summer regions have credited cool surfaces credits in their residential and/or public building design standards; five other provinces or municipalities in hot-summer regions recommend, but do not credit, the use of cool surfaces in their building design standards. Cool surfaces could be further advanced in China by including cool roof credits for residential and public building energy efficiency standards in all hot-summer regions; developing a standardized process for natural exposure and aged-property rating of cool roofing products; and adapting the U.S.-developed laboratory aging process for roofing materials to replicate solar reflectance changes induced by natural exposure in China.

Airtightness Results of Roof-Only Air Sealing Strategies on 1 ½-Story Homes in Cold Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojczyk, C.; Murry, T.; Mosiman, G.

2014-07-01

In this second study on solutions to ice dams in 1-1/2 story homes, the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team analyzed five test homes located in both cold and very cold climates for air leakage reduction rates following modifications by independent contractors on owner-occupied homes. These homes were chosen for testing as they are common in Minnesota and very difficult to air seal and insulate effectively. Two projects followed a roof-only Exterior Thermal Moisture Management System (ETMMS) process. One project used an interior-only approach to roof air sealing and insulation. The remaining two projects used a deep energy retrofit approach for whole house (foundation wall, above grade wall, roof) air leakage and heat loss reduction. All were asked to provide information regarding project goals, process, and pre and post-blower door test results. Additional air leakage reduction data was provided by several NorthernSTAR industry partners for interior-applied, roof-only modifications on 1-1/2 story homes. The data represents homes in the general market as well as homes that were part of the state of Minnesota weatherization program. A goal was to compare exterior air sealing methods with interior approaches. This pool of data enabled the team to compare air tightness data from over 220 homes using similar air seal methods.

SOLAR RADIATION ESTIMATION ON BUILDING ROOFS AND WEB-BASED SOLAR CADASTRE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Agugiaro

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is the estimation of solar irradiance on building roofs in complex Alpine landscapes. Very high resolution geometric models of the building roofs are generated by means of advanced automated image matching methods. Models are combined with raster and vector data sources to estimate the incoming solar radiation hitting the roofs. The methodology takes into account for atmospheric effects, site latitude and elevation, slope and aspect of the terrain as well as the effects of shadows cast by surrounding buildings, chimneys, dormers, vegetation and terrain topography. An open source software solution has been developed and applied to a study area located in a mountainous site and containing some 1250 residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The method has been validated by data collected with a pyranometer and results made available through a prototype WebGIS platform.

Load test of the 272E Building high bay roof deck and support structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, R.M.

1994-01-01

The 272E Building high bay roof area was load tested according to the approved load-test procedure. The 272E Building is located in the 200 East Area of the Hanford Site and has the following characteristics: Roof deck -- wood decking supported by 4 x 14 timber purlins; Roof membrane -- tar and gravel; Roof slope -- flat (<10 deg); and Roof elevation -- maximum height of about 63 ft. The 272 Building was visited in August 1992 for a visual inspection. During this inspection, cracked areas were visible in the decking, but it was not possible to determine whether these cracks extended completely through the decking, which is 2-in. thick. The building was revisited in March 1994 for the purpose of writing this test report. Because the roof requires personnel access, a test was determine to be the best way to qualify the roof. The pre-test briefing consisted of filling out the pre-test checklist, discussing proper lifting techniques, reviewing the fall-protection plan, reviewing the job hazards analysis, and reviewing the robot travel path. The load-test results consist of visual observations and the test engineer's conclusions. Visual observations found no adverse conditions such as large deflections or permanent deformations. No deflection measurements were recorded because the tar and gravel on roof get displaced by the robot tracks; the result is large variations in deflection measurements. The conclusions are that the roof has been qualified for 500-lb total roof load and that the ''No Roof Access'' signs can be changed to ''Roof Access Restricted'' signs

Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Roofs for Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-10

288 Enviromental 1 - Main Membrane 90000 9043 SqFt 472 Ft 94 98 None Real Estate Perimeter: 460Ft Rating: Excellent Rating: Excellent...Cost Index: $2.00 Section: Section Area: 288- Building 288 Enviromental 1 9043 Roof Replacement Cost: Insulation Replacement Cost: $8.00 per...Bldg NoJSec: 2881 Bldg Name: Bui ding 288 Enviromental Bldg Use: Ofice Inspection Date: Oct/2011 Membrane: SINGLE-PlY: PVC Area (SF): 9043

Airtightness Results of Roof-Only Air Sealing Strategies on 1-1/2 Story Homes in Cold Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojczyk, C.; Murry, T.; Mosiman, G.

2014-07-01

In this second study on solutions to ice dams in 1-1/2 story homes, five test homes located in both cold and very cold climates were analyzed for air leakage reduction rates following modifications by independent contractors on owner-occupied homes. The reason for choosing this house type was they are very common in our area and very difficult to air seal and insulate effectively. Two projects followed a roof-only Exterior Thermal Moisture Management System (ETMMS) process. One project used an interior-only approach to roof air sealing and insulation. The remaining two projects used a deep energy retrofit approach for whole house (foundation wall, above grade wall, roof) air leakage and heat loss reduction. All were asked to provide information regarding project goals, process, and pre and post-blower door test results. Additional air leakage reduction data was provided by several NorthernSTAR Building America industry partners for interior-applied, roof-only modifications on 1-1/2 story homes. The data represents homes in the general market as well as homes that were part of the state of Minnesota weatherization program. A goal was to compare exterior air sealing methods with interior approaches. This pool of data enabled us to compare air tightness data from over 220 homes using similar air seal methods.

Hot trends in design : chic sustainability, unique driving factors and boutique green roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velazquez, L.S. [American Society of Landscape Architects, Washington, DC (United States)]|[Greenroofs.com, Alpharetta, GA (United States); Kiers, K. [Greenroofs.com, Alpharetta, GA (United States)

2007-07-01

Green roofs are well known for their ecological benefits but less for their architectural usage. Green roofs offer more to the urban landscape than simply ecological, economic and aesthetic attributes of storm water management, temperature and energy reduction, and provision of additional green space. This paper focused on the top ten architectural trends in vegetated rooftop design. It addressed issues regarding client demands for green roofs and questioned if green roofs should be defined solely by their function as an ecological cover. The top ten trends revealed out-of-the ordinary applications, specialty designs and unusual projects on the boards. The paper looked beyond storm water and heat islands, and explored plans for innovative recreation, including a rooftop ski slope in Delft, the Netherlands, and a converted helipad turned into temporary grass tennis court in Dubai. The paper also presented less typical green roof market drivers, such as a doggie green space for a 10-year old, 9-pound Yorkie and a rooftop garden with plants from the Bible as a teaching laboratory for ministers. Other proposed projects that were discussed included plans for rice paddies on rooftop farms in China and the Vancouver Olympic Village with 50 per cent green roof coverage. The top ten list was organized under the following topics: boutique green roofs; sports and recreation; living roofs and living walls; eco resorts, hotels and therapeutic gardens; food on the roof; cutting edge applications; government and big box applications, cool green residences; mega green roofs; and, visionary proposed projects. 77 refs., 77 figs.

An office building used as a federal test bed for energy-efficient roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McLain, H.A.; Christian, J.E.

1995-08-01

The energy savings benefits of re-covering the roof of an existing federal office building with a sprayed polyurethane foam system are documented. The building is a 12,880 ft{sup 2} (1,197 m{sup 2}), 1 story, masonry structure located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN. Prior to re-covering, the roof had a thin fiberglass insulation layer, which had become partially soaked because of water leakage through the failed built-up roof membrane. The average R-value for this roof measured at 2 hr{center_dot}ft{sup 2}{center_dot}{degrees}F/Btu (0.3 m{sup 2} {center_dot}K/W). After re-covering the roof, it measured at 13 hr{center_dot}ft{sup 2}{degrees}F/Btu (2.3 m{sup 2}{center_dot}K/W). The building itself is being used as a test bed to document the benefits of a number of energy efficiency improvements. As such, it was instrumented to measure the half-hourly energy consumption of the whole building and of the individual rooftop air conditioners, the roof heat fluxes and the interior air and roof temperatures. These data were used to evaluate the energy effectiveness of the roof re-covering action. The energy savings analysis was done using the DOE-2.lE building simulation program, which was calibrated to match the measured data. The roof re-covering led to around 10% cooling energy savings and around 50% heating energy savings. The resulting energy cost reductions alone are not sufficient to justify re-covered roofs for buildings having high internal loads, such as the building investigated here. However the energy savings do contribute significantly to the measure`s Savings-to-Investment Ratio (SIR).

Slope of the mass function of low-mass stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malkov, O.Yu.

1987-01-01

It is shown that the modern method of obtaining the initial mass function contains a number of a uncertainties that can have a significant effect on the slope of the function in the low-mass section (m < m**). The influence of changes of the mass-luminosity relation, the scale of bolometric corrections, and the luminosity function on the form of the mass function is considered. The effect of photometrically unresolved binaries is also discussed. Some quantitative estimates are made, and it is shown that the slope of the initial mass function in the low-mass section can vary in wide ranges

Method of developing thick sloping coal formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bragintsev, V F; Mashkovtsev, I L; Semenov, V S; Zykov, V N

1980-04-25

A method is patented for developing thick sloping coal formations in 3 inclined layers. It includes conducting developmental operations for each of the layers until one begins the last one and extraction of the layers. In order to improve effectivess and extraction operation safety one first carried out preliminary development of a formation in thin strips beneath protected objects when extracting formation which contain alot of gas. Then one removes the gas of a formation through boreholes that have been drilled into the formation from the indicated workings. Then one works the upper layer in thin strips in a sequence from the roof of the formation to the floor of the upper layer. The one strengthens roof rock of the formation by pumping in a quickly hardening solution into the boreholes which have been drilled into the roof of the formation after processing the upper layer. The middle layer is worked in thin strips in the sequence from the roof to the ground of the middle layer, then the lower layer of the formation is strengthened by pumping in quickly hardening solution into the formation along degasified boreholes and it is worked in thin strips in sequence from the ground of the lower to its roof. Workings are shaped respectively for the middle and lower layers by deepening workings of the upper and middle layers. The layers are worked respectively after finishing displacement of the roof in front of the extraction face of each subsequent extraction of a layer in alternating fashion.

Enhancement of CFD validation exercise along the roof profile of a low-rise building

Science.gov (United States)

Deraman, S. N. C.; Majid, T. A.; Zaini, S. S.; Yahya, W. N. W.; Abdullah, J.; Ismail, M. A.

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to enhance the validation of CFD exercise along the roof profile of a low-rise building. An isolated gabled-roof house having 26.6° roof pitch was simulated to obtain the pressure coefficient around the house. Validation of CFD analysis with experimental data requires many input parameters. This study performed CFD simulation based on the data from a previous study. Where the input parameters were not clearly stated, new input parameters were established from the open literatures. The numerical simulations were performed in FLUENT 14.0 by applying the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach based on steady RANS equation together with RNG k-ɛ model. Hence, the result from CFD was analysed by using quantitative test (statistical analysis) and compared with CFD results from the previous study. The statistical analysis results from ANOVA test and error measure showed that the CFD results from the current study produced good agreement and exhibited the closest error compared to the previous study. All the input data used in this study can be extended to other types of CFD simulation involving wind flow over an isolated single storey house.

Evaluation of Roof Bolting Requirements Based on In-Mine Roof Bolter Drilling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Syd S. Peng

2005-10-01

Roof bolting is the most popular method for underground openings in the mining industry, especially in the bedded deposits such as coal. In fact, all U.S. underground coal mine entries are roof-bolted as required by law. However, roof falls still occur frequently in the roof bolted entries. The two possible reasons are: the lack of knowledge of and technology to detect the roof geological conditions in advance of mining, and lack of roof bolting design criteria for modern roof bolting systems. This research is to develop a method for predicting the roof geology and stability condition in real time during roof bolting operation. Based on this information, roof bolting design criteria for modern roof bolting systems will be developed for implementation in real time. For the prediction of roof geology and stability condition in real time, a micro processor was used and a program developed to monitor and record the drilling parameters of roof bolter. These parameters include feed pressure, feed flow (penetration rate), rotation pressure, rotation rate, vacuum pressure, oil temperature of hydraulic circuit, and signals for controlling machine. From the results of a series of laboratory and underground tests so far, feed pressure is found to be a good indicator for identifying the voids/fractures and estimating the roof rock strength. The method for determining quantitatively the location and the size of void/fracture and estimating the roof rock strength from the drilling parameters of roof bolter was developed. Also, a set of computational rules has been developed for in-mine roof using measured roof drilling parameters and implemented in MRGIS (Mine Roof Geology Information System), a software package developed to allow mine engineers to make use of the large amount of roof drilling parameters for predicting roof geology properties automatically. For the development of roof bolting criteria, finite element models were developed for tensioned and fully grouted bolting

Mapping the Green Infrastructure potential - and it's water-energy impacts on New York City roof Tops

Science.gov (United States)

Engström, Rebecka; Destouni, Georgia; Howells, Mark

2017-04-01

Green Roofs have the potential to provide multiple services in cities. Besides acting as carbon sinks, providing noise reduction and decreasing air pollution - without requiring any additional "land-use" in a city (only roof-use), green roofs have a quantifiable potential to reduce direct and indirect energy and water use. They enhance the insulating capacity of a conventional residential roof and thereby decrease both cooling demands in summer and heating demands in winter. The former is further mitigated by the cooling effect of evapotranspiration from the roofs In New York City green roofs are additionally a valuable component of reducing "combined sewer overflows", as these roofs can retain storm water. This can improve water quality in the city's rivers as well as decrease the total volume of water treated in the city's wastewater treatment plants, thereby indirectly reduce energy demands. The impacts of green roofs on NYC's water-energy nexus has been initially studied (Engström et. al, forthcoming). The present study expands that work to more comprehensively investigate the potential of this type of nature-based solution in a dense city. By employing Geographical Information Systems analysis, the roof top area of New York City is analysed and roof space suitable for green roofs of varying types (ranging from extensive to intensive) are mapped and quantified. The total green roof area is then connected with estimates of potential water-energy benefits (and costs) of each type of green roof. The results indicate where green roofs can be beneficially installed throughout the city, and quantifies the related impacts on both water and energy use. These outputs can provide policy makers with valuable support when facing investment decisions in green infrastructure, in a city where there is great interest for these types of nature-based solutions.

Vacuum insulation - Panel properties and building applications. HiPTI - High Performance Thermal Insulation - IEA/ECBCS Annex 39 - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erb, M. (ed.)

2005-12-15

This paper takes a look at the properties of vacuum insulation panels (VIP) that have already been developed some time ago for use in appliances such as refrigerators and deep-freezers. Their insulation performance is a factor of five to ten times better than that of conventional insulation. The paper discusses the use of such panels in buildings to provide thin, highly-insulating constructions for walls, roofs and floors. The motivation for examining the applicability of high performance thermal insulation in buildings is discussed, including solutions where severe space limitations and other technical and aesthetic considerations exist. The use of nano-structured materials and laminated foils is examined and discussed. The questions arising from the use of such panels in buildings is discussed and the open questions and risks involved are examined. Finally, an outlook on the introduction of VIP technology is presented and quality assurance aspects are examined. This work was done within the framework of the Task 39 'High Performance Thermal Insulation' of the 'Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems ECBCS' programme of the International Energy Agency IEA.

Design and Development of Low P-Emission Substrate for the Protection of Urban Water Bodies Collecting Green Roof Runoff

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Karczmarczyk

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Urbanization leads to higher phosphorus (P concentration in urban catchments. Among different stormwater retention measures, green roofs are the least efficient in phosphorus retention. Moreover, much research has shown that green roofs act as sources of phosphorus, and they can emit P in significant loads. In this study low P emission green roof substrate was developed based on the proposed step by step procedure for the selection of materials including laboratory tests, column experiments, and the monitoring of the open air green roof model. Developed substrate is the mixture of crushed red brick (35% of volume, crushed limestone (20% of volume, and sand (45% of volume, and is characterized by a bulk density of 1.52 g/cm3, water permeability of 9 mm/min, water capacity of 24.6% of volume, and granulometric composition that meets the Landscaping and Landscape Development Research Society (FLL guidelines. Limestone was added to limit the potential P leaching from crushed red brick and vegetated mate consisted of Sedum album, Sedum acre, Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum spurium, Sedum reflexum, Sedum sexangulare, Dianthus deltoides, Dianthus carthusianorum, and Thymus vulgaris. The open air model experiment was run for 319 days, from March 2015 to February 2016. The total water runoff from the green roof model amounted to 43.3% of runoff from the reference roof. The only one runoff event polluted with phosphorus was connected with the outflow of melted snow from an unfreezing green roof model.

Building America Top Innovations 2013 Profile – Exterior Rigid Insulation Best Practices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-09-01

In this Top Innovation profile, field and lab studies by BSC, PHI, and NorthernSTAR characterize the thermal, air, and vapor resistance properties of rigid foam insulation and describe best practices for their use on walls, roofs, and foundations.

Phosphate Leaching from Green Roof Substrates—Can Green Roofs Pollute Urban Water Bodies?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Karczmarczyk

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Green roofs are an effective stormwater measure due to high water retention capacity and the ability of delaying stormwater runoff. However, low importance is still given to the pollutant leaching potential of substrates used in green roof construction. The aim of the study is to estimate the concentrations and loads of P-PO43− in runoff from extensive and intensive substrates. To achieve this goal, several commonly-used fresh substrates were analyzed for P-PO43− leaching potential in different scale experiments, from laboratory batch tests, leaching column experiments, and long-term monitoring of open air green roof containers. The results of the study confirmed that fresh green roof substrates contain phosphorus in significant amounts of 17–145 mg∙P-PO43−/kg and, thus, can contribute to eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems. High correlation between phosphate content estimated by HCl extraction and cumulative load in leachate tests suggests that the batch HCl extraction test can be recommended for the comparison and selection of substrates with low potential P leaching. Volume-weighted mean concentrations and UALs of P-PO43− leaching from fresh substrates were higher in cases of intensive substrates, but there was no clear relationship between substrate type and the observed P-PO43− concentration range. To avoid increasing eutrophication of urban receivers the implementation of P reduction measures is strongly recommended.

Flat roofs, a grey area; Grauzone Flachdach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riedel, Anja

2012-11-01

The boom of low-ballast assembly systems for flat roofs is going on. Solar assembly racks are set up directly on the sealing foil without fastening bolts. But what happens in case of water ingress? And what should be done to prevent damage to the roof cover? (orig.)

Ionization by ion impact at grazing incidence on insulator surface

CERN Document Server

Martiarena, M L

2003-01-01

We have calculated the energy distribution of electrons produced by ionization of the ionic crystal electrons in grazing fast ion-insulator surface collision. The ionized electrons originate in the 2p F sup - orbital. We observe that the binary peak appears as a double change in the slope of the spectra, in the high energy region. The form of the peak is determined by the initial electron distribution and its position will be affected by the binding energy of the 2p F sup - electron in the crystal. This BEP in insulator surfaces will appear slightly shifted to the low energy side with respect the ion-atom one.

Effects of Wastes from the Brewing Industry in Lightweight Aggregates Manufactured with Clay for Green Roofs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romina D. Farías

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the effects of sieved wastes generated from the brewing industry on lightweight aggregates manufactured with clay. Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, bagasse and diatomaceous earth were used to obtain the samples. These wastes are usually dumped in landfills, but the current increase in restrictions on dumping and interest in improving the environment make our proposal for gaining value from these wastes a significant contribution. Laboratory tests show that the new aggregate has low bulk density and increased water absorption and porosity. The thermographic camera results provide evidence that new aggregates have significant insulating properties and are suitable for use on green roofs.

Effects of Wastes from the Brewing Industry in Lightweight Aggregates Manufactured with Clay for Green Roofs

Science.gov (United States)

Farías, Romina D.; Martínez García, Carmen; Cotes Palomino, Teresa; Martínez Arellano, Myriam

2017-01-01

This study investigates the effects of sieved wastes generated from the brewing industry on lightweight aggregates manufactured with clay. Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, bagasse and diatomaceous earth were used to obtain the samples. These wastes are usually dumped in landfills, but the current increase in restrictions on dumping and interest in improving the environment make our proposal for gaining value from these wastes a significant contribution. Laboratory tests show that the new aggregate has low bulk density and increased water absorption and porosity. The thermographic camera results provide evidence that new aggregates have significant insulating properties and are suitable for use on green roofs. PMID:28772892

Acoustic quality and sound insulation between dwellings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindel, Jens Holger

1998-01-01

to another, however, several of the results show a slope around 4 % per dB. The results may be used to evaluate the acoustic quality level of a certain set of sound insulation requirements, or they may be used as a basis for specifying the desired acoustic quality of future buildings......During the years there have been several large field investigations in different countries with the aim to find a relationship between sound insulation between dwellings and the subjective degree of annoyance. This paper presents an overview of the results, and the difficulties in comparing...... the different findings are discussed. It is tried to establish dose-response relationships between airborne sound insulation or impact sound pressure level according to ISO 717 and the percentage of people being annoyed by noise from neighbours. The slopes of the dose-response curves vary from one investigation...

Green roofs

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Wyk, Llewellyn V

2010-04-01

Full Text Available , beetles and spiders); and the number of birds that nest in vegetated roofs (including kestrels, swallows, and wagtails). Objective The primary objective of a green roof is to create a living habitat in an otherwise barren environment, hence the use... the negative environmental impacts including plant and insect specie loss. Thus at a philosophical level green roofs support the notion “replace what you displace”. Key ecological issues that can be addressed through green roofs include: Negative effects...

Establishment and performance of an experimental green roof under extreme climatic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Petra M; Coffman, Reid

2015-04-15

Green roofs alter the surface energy balance and can help in mitigating urban heat islands. However, the cooling of green roofs due to evapotranspiration strongly depends on the climatic conditions, and vegetation type and density. In the Southern Central Plains of the United States, extreme weather events, such as high winds, heat waves and drought conditions pose challenges for successful implementation of green roofs, and likely alter their standard performance. The National Weather Center Experimental Green Roof, an interdisciplinary research site established in 2010 in Norman, OK, aimed to investigate the ecological performance and surface energy balance of green roof systems. Starting in May 2010, 26 months of vegetation studies were conducted and the radiation balance, air temperature, relative humidity, and buoyancy fluxes were monitored at two meteorological stations during April-October 2011. The establishment of a vegetative community trended towards prairie plant dominance. High mortality of succulents and low germination of grasses and herbaceous plants contributed to low vegetative coverage. In this condition succulent diversity declined. Bouteloua gracilis and Delosperma cooperi showed typological dominance in harsh climatic conditions, while Sedum species experienced high mortality. The plant community diversified through volunteers such as Euphorbia maculate and Portulaca maculate. Net radiation measured at a green-roof meteorological station was higher than at a control station over the original, light-colored roofing material. These findings indicate that the albedo of the green roof was lower than the albedo of the original roofing material. The low vegetative coverage during the heat and drought conditions in 2011, which resulted in the dark substrate used in the green roof containers being exposed, likely contributed to the low albedo values. Nevertheless, air temperatures and buoyancy fluxes were often lower over the green roof indicating

EVALUATION OF ROOF BOLTING REQUIREMENTS BASED ON IN-MINE ROOF BOLTER DRILLING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Syd S. Peng

2003-07-15

Roof bolting is the most popular method for underground openings in the mining industry, especially in the bedded deposits such as coal, potash, salt etc. In fact, all U.S. underground coal mine entries are roof-bolted as required by law. However, roof falls still occur frequently in the roof bolted entries. The two possible reasons are: the lack of knowledge of and technology to detect the roof geological conditions in advance of mining, and lack of roof bolting design criteria for modern roof bolting systems. This research is to develop a method for predicting the roof geology and stability condition in real time during roof bolting operation. Based on such information, roof bolting design criteria for modern roof bolting systems will be developed for implementation in real time. In this quarter, the field, theoretical and programming works have been performed toward achieving the research goals set in the proposal. The selected site and the field testing plan enabled us to test all three aspects of roof geological features. The development of the data interpretation methodologies and the geology mapping computer program have also been preceding well.

A generic hydrological model for a green roof drainage layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Vesuviano, Gianni; Stovin, Virginia

2013-01-01

A rainfall simulator of length 5 m and width 1 m was used to supply constant intensity and largely spatially uniform water inflow events to 100 different configurations of commercially available green roof drainage layer and protection mat. The runoff from each inflow event was collected and sampled at one-second intervals. Time-series runoff responses were subsequently produced for each of the tested configurations, using the average response of three repeat tests. Runoff models, based on storage routing (dS/dt = I-Q) and a power-law relationship between storage and runoff (Q = kS(n)), and incorporating a delay parameter, were created. The parameters k, n and delay were optimized to best fit each of the runoff responses individually. The range and pattern of optimized parameter values was analysed with respect to roof and event configuration. An analysis was performed to determine the sensitivity of the shape of the runoff profile to changes in parameter values. There appears to be potential to consolidate values of n by roof slope and drainage component material.

Roofing Materials Assessment: Investigation of Five Metals in Runoff from Roofing Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Nancy; Granuke, Kyle; McCall, Melissa

2015-09-01

To assess the contribution of five toxic metals from new roofing materials to stormwater, runoff was collected from 14 types of roofing materials and controls during 20 rain events and analyzed for metals. Many of the new roofing materials evaluated did not show elevated metals concentrations in the runoff. Runoff from several other roofing materials was significantly higher than the controls for arsenic, copper, and zinc. Notably, treated wood shakes released arsenic and copper, copper roofing released copper, PVC roofing released arsenic, and Zincalume® and EPDM roofing released zinc. For the runoff from some of the roofing materials, metals concentrations decreased significantly over an approximately one-year period of aging. Metals concentrations in runoff were demonstrated to depend on a number of factors, such as roofing materials, age of the materials, and climatic conditions. Thus, application of runoff concentrations from roofing materials to estimate basin-wide releases should be undertaken cautiously.

Infrared Thermography As Quality Control For Foamed In-Place Insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Joel A.

1989-03-01

Since November of 1985, FOAM-TECH, INC. has been utilizing an I.S.I. Model 91 Videotherm Camera to quality control the installation of foamed in-place polyurethane and polyisocyanurate insulation. Monitoring the injection of foam into the walls and roofs of new construction and during the the retrofitting of older buildings has become an integral and routine step in daily operations. The Videotherm is also used to monitor the injection of foam into hot water tanks, trailer bodies for refrigeration trucks, and pontoons and buoys for flotation. The camera is also used for the detection of heat loss and air infiltration for conventionally insulated buildings. Appendix A are thermograms of foamed in-place insulation.

External Insulation of Masonry Walls and Wood Framed Walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, P.

2013-01-01

The use of exterior insulation on a building is an accepted and effective means to increase the overall thermal resistance of the assembly that also has other advantages of improved water management and often increased air tightness of building assemblies. For thin layers of insulation (1" to 1 1/2"), the cladding can typically be attached directly through the insulation back to the structure. For thicker insulation layers, furring strips have been added as a cladding attachment location. This approach has been used in the past on numerous Building America test homes and communities (both new and retrofit applications), and has been proven to be an effective and durable means to provide cladding attachment. However, the lack of engineering data has been a problem for many designers, contractors, and code officials. This research project developed baseline engineering analysis to support the installation of thick layers of exterior insulation on existing masonry and frame walls. Furthermore, water management details necessary to integrate windows, doors, decks, balconies and roofs were created to provide guidance on the integration of exterior insulation strategies with other enclosure elements.

Establishment and performance of an experimental green roof under extreme climatic conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, Petra M., E-mail: pkklein@ou.edu [School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States); Coffman, Reid, E-mail: rcoffma4@kent.edu [College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Kent State University, Kent, OH (United States)

2015-04-15

Green roofs alter the surface energy balance and can help in mitigating urban heat islands. However, the cooling of green roofs due to evapotranspiration strongly depends on the climatic conditions, and vegetation type and density. In the Southern Central Plains of the United States, extreme weather events, such as high winds, heat waves and drought conditions pose challenges for successful implementation of green roofs, and likely alter their standard performance. The National Weather Center Experimental Green Roof, an interdisciplinary research site established in 2010 in Norman, OK, aimed to investigate the ecological performance and surface energy balance of green roof systems. Starting in May 2010, 26 months of vegetation studies were conducted and the radiation balance, air temperature, relative humidity, and buoyancy fluxes were monitored at two meteorological stations during April–October 2011. The establishment of a vegetative community trended towards prairie plant dominance. High mortality of succulents and low germination of grasses and herbaceous plants contributed to low vegetative coverage. In this condition succulent diversity declined. Bouteloua gracilis and Delosperma cooperi showed typological dominance in harsh climatic conditions, while Sedum species experienced high mortality. The plant community diversified through volunteers such as Euphorbia maculate and Portulaca maculate. Net radiation measured at a green-roof meteorological station was higher than at a control station over the original, light-colored roofing material. These findings indicate that the albedo of the green roof was lower than the albedo of the original roofing material. The low vegetative coverage during the heat and drought conditions in 2011, which resulted in the dark substrate used in the green roof containers being exposed, likely contributed to the low albedo values. Nevertheless, air temperatures and buoyancy fluxes were often lower over the green roof indicating

Establishment and performance of an experimental green roof under extreme climatic conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, Petra M.; Coffman, Reid

2015-01-01

Green roofs alter the surface energy balance and can help in mitigating urban heat islands. However, the cooling of green roofs due to evapotranspiration strongly depends on the climatic conditions, and vegetation type and density. In the Southern Central Plains of the United States, extreme weather events, such as high winds, heat waves and drought conditions pose challenges for successful implementation of green roofs, and likely alter their standard performance. The National Weather Center Experimental Green Roof, an interdisciplinary research site established in 2010 in Norman, OK, aimed to investigate the ecological performance and surface energy balance of green roof systems. Starting in May 2010, 26 months of vegetation studies were conducted and the radiation balance, air temperature, relative humidity, and buoyancy fluxes were monitored at two meteorological stations during April–October 2011. The establishment of a vegetative community trended towards prairie plant dominance. High mortality of succulents and low germination of grasses and herbaceous plants contributed to low vegetative coverage. In this condition succulent diversity declined. Bouteloua gracilis and Delosperma cooperi showed typological dominance in harsh climatic conditions, while Sedum species experienced high mortality. The plant community diversified through volunteers such as Euphorbia maculate and Portulaca maculate. Net radiation measured at a green-roof meteorological station was higher than at a control station over the original, light-colored roofing material. These findings indicate that the albedo of the green roof was lower than the albedo of the original roofing material. The low vegetative coverage during the heat and drought conditions in 2011, which resulted in the dark substrate used in the green roof containers being exposed, likely contributed to the low albedo values. Nevertheless, air temperatures and buoyancy fluxes were often lower over the green roof indicating

Effect Of Low External Flow On Flame Spreading Over ETFE Insulated Wire Under Microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Nishizawa, Katsuhiro; Fujita, Osamu; Ito, Kenichi; Kikuchi, Masao; Olson, Sandra L.; Kashiwagi, Takashi

2003-01-01

Fire safety is one of the most important issues for manned space missions. A likely cause of fires in spacecraft is wire insulation combustion in electrical system. Regarding the wire insulation combustion it important to know the effect of low external flow on the combustion because of the presence of ventilation flow in spacecraft. Although, there are many researches on flame spreading over solid material at low external flows under microgravity, research dealing with wire insulation is very limited. An example of wire insulation combustion in microgravity is the Space Shuttle experiments carried out by Greenberg et al. However, the number of experiments was very limited. Therefore, the effect of low flow velocity is still not clear. The authors have reported results on flame spreading over ETFE (ethylene - tetrafluoroetylene) insulated wire in a quiescent atmosphere in microgravity by 10 seconds drop tower. The authors also performed experiments of polyethylene insulated nichrom wire combustion in low flow velocity under microgravity. The results suggested that flame spread rate had maximum value in low flow velocity condition. Another interesting issue is the effect of dilution gas, especially CO2, which is used for fire extinguisher in ISS. There are some researches working on dilution gas effect on flame spreading over solid material in quiescent atmosphere in microgravity. However the research with low external flow is limited and, of course, the research discussing a relation of the appearance of maximum wire flammability in low flow velocity region with different dilution gas cannot be found yet. The present paper, therefore, investigates the effect of opposed flow with different dilution gas on flame spreading over ETFE insulated wire and change in the presence of the maximum flammability depending on the dilution gas type is discussed within the limit of microgravity time given by ground-based facility.

Water quality function of an extensive vegetated roof.

Science.gov (United States)

Todorov, Dimitar; Driscoll, Charles T; Todorova, Svetoslava; Montesdeoca, Mario

2018-06-01

In this paper we present the results of a four-year study of water quality in runoff from an extensive, sedum covered, vegetated roof on an urban commercial building. Monitoring commenced seven months after the roof was constructed, with the first growing season. Stormwater drainage quality function of the vegetated roof was compared to a conventional (impermeable, high-albedo) membrane roof in addition to paired measurements of wet and bulk depositions at the study site. We present concentrations and fluxes of nutrients and major solutes. We discuss seasonal and year-to-year variation in water quality of drainage from the vegetated roof and how it compares with atmospheric deposition and drainage from the impermeable roof. Drainage waters from the vegetated roof exhibited a high concentration of nutrients compared to atmospheric deposition, particularly during the warm temperature growing season. However, nutrient losses were generally low because of the strong retention of water by the vegetated roof. There was marked variation in the retention of nutrients by season due to variations in concentrations in drainage from the vegetated roof. The vegetated roof was a sink of nitrogen, total phosphorus and chloride, and a source of phosphate and dissolved inorganic and organic carbon. Chloride exhibited elevated inputs and leaching during the winter. The drainage from the vegetated and impermeable roofs met the United States Environmental Protection Agency freshwater standards for all parameters, except for total phosphorus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lighter touch keeps in the heat. [Advantages of low-thermal-mass insulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pipes, A.

1979-04-01

Low-thermal-mass insulation of ceramic fibers and light refractory materials is more suitable to applications with intermittent processes and lower-temperature melting and retreating, where the heat-retention requirements do not require traditional furnace design. Old furnaces can be retrofitted by replacing bricks with insulation or by veneering. Insulating materials include ceramic, alumina, and quartz fibers, and microtherm in the form of blocks, blankets and other shapes. 4 figures. (DCK)

Acoustic quality and sound insulation between dwellings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindel, Jens Holger

1999-01-01

to another, however, several of the results show a slope around 4 % per dB. The results may be used to evaluate the acoustic quality level of a certain set of sound insulation requirements, or they may be used as a basis for specifying the desired acoustic quality of future buildings.......During the years there have been several large field investigations in different countries with the aim to find a relationship between sound insulation between dwellings and the subjective degree of annoyance. This paper presents an overview of the results, and the dif-ficulties in comparing...... the different findings are discussed. It is tried to establish dose-response relationships between airborne sound insulation or impact sound pressure level according to ISO 717 and the percentage of people being annoyed by noise from neighbours. The slopes of the dose-response curves vary from one investigation...

Summer and Winter Effect of Innovative Cool Roof Tiles on the Dynamic Thermal Behavior of Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Laura Pisello

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Cool roofs represent an acknowledged passive cooling technique to reduce building energy consumption for cooling and to mitigate urban heat island effects. This paper concerns the evaluation of the dynamic effect of new cool roof clay tiles on building thermal performance in summer and winter conditions. To this end, these properties have been analyzed on traditional roof brick tiles through an indoor and outdoor two-year long continuous monitoring campaign set up in a residential building located in central Italy. The analysis and the cooperation with industrial companies producing brick tiles and reflective coatings allowed the production of a new tile with notable “cool roof” properties through the traditional industrial manufacturing path of such tiles. Notable results show that during summer the high reflection tiles are able to decrease the average external roof surface temperature by more than 10 °C and the indoor operative temperature by more than 3 °C. During winter the average external surface temperature is lower with high reflection tiles by about 1 °C. Singular optic-thermal phenomena are registered while evaluating the dynamics of the cool roof effect. Interesting findings show how the sloped cool roof application could suggest further considerations about the dynamic effect of cool roofs.

Habitat connectivity shapes urban arthropod communities: the key role of green roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Braaker, S; Ghazoul, J; Obrist, M K; Moretti, M

2014-04-01

The installation of green roofs, defined here as rooftops with a shallow soil cover and extensive vegetation, has been proposed as a possible measure to mitigate the loss of green space caused by the steady growth of cities. However, the effectiveness of green roofs in supporting arthropod communities, and the extent to which they facilitate connectivity of these communities within the urban environment is currently largely unknown. We investigated the variation of species community composition (beta diversity) of four arthropod groups with contrasting mobility (Carabidae, Araneae, Curculionidae, and Apidae) on 40 green roofs and 40 extensively managed green sites on the ground in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. With redundancy analysis and variation partitioning, we (1) disentangled the relative importance of local environmental conditions, the surrounding land cover composition, and habitat connectivity on species community composition, (2) searched for specific spatial scales of habitat connectivity for the different arthropod groups, and (3) discussed the ecological and functional value of green roofs in cities. Our study revealed that on green roofs community composition of high-mobility arthropod groups (bees and weevils) were mainly shaped by habitat connectivity, while low-mobility arthropod groups (carabids and spiders) were more influenced by local environmental conditions. A similar but less pronounced pattern was found for ground communities. The high importance of habitat connectivity in shaping high-mobility species community composition indicates that these green roof communities are substantially connected by the frequent exchange of individuals among surrounding green roofs. On the other hand, low-mobility species communities on green roofs are more likely connected to ground sites than to other green roofs. The integration of green roofs in urban spatial planning strategies has great potential to enable higher connectivity among green spaces, so

Investigation of the Hygrothermal Performance of Alternative Insulation Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Kristiansen, Finn Harken; Rasmussen, Niels T.

1999-01-01

The paper gives an account of hygrothermal investigations carried out on some insulation products which are "alternative" to the ones that are traditionally used in Danish constructions. The alternative products are claimed to be friendly both to the environment and to the labour force. The mater......The paper gives an account of hygrothermal investigations carried out on some insulation products which are "alternative" to the ones that are traditionally used in Danish constructions. The alternative products are claimed to be friendly both to the environment and to the labour force...... is determined for the different materials with a guarded hot plate apparatus in which different vapour pressure conditions can be maintained over the specimens. The apparatus and some results are presented.2. Computational analysis of the hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation...... products.The hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation products is analysed with a computational model for combined heat and moisture transfer. The analysis concerns both traditional wall and roof constructions with the alternative insulation products, and some alternative...

Air insulated cables for medium and low voltage supplies of the EVU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dienstel, S

1977-02-01

Air insulated cables and insulated overhead cables are electrical components, which, by the use of new insulating materials and technology, are particularly suitable for the introduction of systems for overhead power transmission plants. They combine the favorable properties of underground cables, such as compact construction and low inductance, with their high mechanical strength. The present report deals with the construction, accessories and technical properties of these cables. The constructional and operational aspects of such systems and their costs are also discussed.

External Insulation of Masonry Walls and Wood Framed Walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, P. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States)

2013-01-01

The use of exterior insulation on a building is an accepted and effective means to increase the overall thermal resistance of the assembly that also has other advantages of improved water management and often increased air tightness of building assemblies. For thin layers of insulation (1” to 1 ½”), the cladding can typically be attached directly through the insulation back to the structure. For thicker insulation layers, furring strips have been added as a cladding attachment location. This approach has been used in the past on numerous Building America test homes and communities (both new and retrofit applications), and has been proven to be an effective and durable means to provide cladding attachment. However, the lack of engineering data has been a problem for many designers, contractors, and code officials. This research project developed baseline engineering analysis to support the installation of thick layers of exterior insulation on existing masonry and frame walls. Furthermore, water management details necessary to integrate windows, doors, decks, balconies and roofs were created to provide guidance on the integration of exterior insulation strategies with other enclosure elements.

An open-structure sound insulator against low-frequency and wide-band acoustic waves

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhe; Fan, Li; Zhang, Shu-yi; Zhang, Hui; Li, Xiao-juan; Ding, Jin

2015-10-01

To block sound, i.e., the vibration of air, most insulators are based on sealed structures and prevent the flow of the air. In this research, an acoustic metamaterial adopting side structures, loops, and labyrinths, arranged along a main tube, is presented. By combining the accurately designed side structures, an extremely wide forbidden band with a low cut-off frequency of 80 Hz is produced, which demonstrates a powerful low-frequency and wide-band sound insulation ability. Moreover, by virtue of the bypass arrangement, the metamaterial is based on an open structure, and thus air flow is allowed while acoustic waves can be insulated.

Selection of powered roof support for weak coal roof

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramayya, M.S.V.; Sudhakar, L. [Singareni Collieries Co. Ltd., Kothagudem (India)

2002-04-01

Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) introduced mechanised longwall mining in 1983. The first few faces were worked with conventional and immediate forward supports (IFS), with capacities in the range of 360 to 450 t. These under capacity supports increased from abutment loads and there was breakage of roof in front of the supports which resulted in closure of powered roof supports, followed by face cavities. The cavities were more frequent and were difficult to negotiate especially in case of IFS supports. Subsequently, support capacity was increased at Padmavati Khani (PVK) mine and at GDK.10a and GKD.9LFP Inclines where the roof is composed of weak, coal, shale and clay. Problems related to failure of hydraulics/legs etc., which are repairable have occurred; though the problems are not totally eliminated, there was definite improvement in strata control with these higher capacity supports. Monitoring of supports was conducted all through the working of longwall panels. The data generated while working these longwall faces were analysed to study the suitability of other types of powered roof supports, namely 2 legged shield supports/4 legged supports for improved strata control. The analysis and practical experiences suggest that in weak, coaly, shale and clay roofs 2 legged shield supports offer better roof control. 4 refs., 4 figs.

An Innovative Use of Renewable Ground Heat for Insulation in Low Exergy Building Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hansjürg Leibundgut

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Ground heat is a renewable resource that is readily available for buildings in cool climates, but its relatively low temperature requires the use of a heat pump to extract it for heating. We developed a system that uses low temperature ground heat directly in a building wall to reduce transmission heat losses. The Active Low Exergy Geothermal Insulation Systems (ALEGIS minimizes exergy demand and maximizes the use of renewable geothermal heat from the ground. A fluid is pumped into a small pipe network in an external layer of a wall construction that is linked to a ground heat source. This decouples the building from the outside temperature, therefore eliminating large peak demands and reducing the primary energy demand. Our steady-state analysis shows that at a design temperature of −10 °C the 6 cm thick active insulation system has equivalent performance to 11 cm of passive insulation. Our comparison of heating performance of a building with our active insulation system versus a building with static insulation of the same thickness shows a 15% reduction in annual electricity demand, and thus exergy input. We present an overview of the operation and analysis of our low exergy concept and its modeled performance.

A lightweight low-frequency sound insulation membrane-type acoustic metamaterial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuan Lu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A novel membrane-type acoustic metamaterial with a high sound transmission loss (STL at low frequencies (⩽500Hz was designed and the mechanisms were investigated by using negative mass density theory. This metamaterial’s structure is like a sandwich with a thin (thickness=0.25mm lightweight flexible rubber material within two layers of honeycomb cell plates. Negative mass density was demonstrated at frequencies below the first natural frequency, which results in the excellent low-frequency sound insulation. The effects of different structural parameters of the membrane on the sound-proofed performance at low frequencies were investigated by using finite element method (FEM. The numerical results show that, the STL can be modulated to higher value by changing the structural parameters, such as the membrane surface density, the unite cell film shape, and the membrane tension. The acoustic metamaterial proposed in this study could provide a potential application in the low-frequency noise insulation.

A lightweight low-frequency sound insulation membrane-type acoustic metamaterial

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Kuan; Wu, Jiu Hui; Guan, Dong; Gao, Nansha; Jing, Li

2016-02-01

A novel membrane-type acoustic metamaterial with a high sound transmission loss (STL) at low frequencies (⩽500Hz) was designed and the mechanisms were investigated by using negative mass density theory. This metamaterial's structure is like a sandwich with a thin (thickness=0.25mm) lightweight flexible rubber material within two layers of honeycomb cell plates. Negative mass density was demonstrated at frequencies below the first natural frequency, which results in the excellent low-frequency sound insulation. The effects of different structural parameters of the membrane on the sound-proofed performance at low frequencies were investigated by using finite element method (FEM). The numerical results show that, the STL can be modulated to higher value by changing the structural parameters, such as the membrane surface density, the unite cell film shape, and the membrane tension. The acoustic metamaterial proposed in this study could provide a potential application in the low-frequency noise insulation.

An acoustic metamaterial composed of multi-layer membrane-coated perforated plates for low-frequency sound insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Li; Chen, Zhe; Zhang, Shu-yi; Ding, Jin; Li, Xiao-juan; Zhang, Hui

2015-04-01

Insulating against low-frequency sound (below 500 Hz ) remains challenging despite the progress that has been achieved in sound insulation and absorption. In this work, an acoustic metamaterial based on membrane-coated perforated plates is presented for achieving sound insulation in a low-frequency range, even covering the lower audio frequency limit, 20 Hz . Theoretical analysis and finite element simulations demonstrate that this metamaterial can effectively block acoustic waves over a wide low-frequency band regardless of incident angles. Two mechanisms, non-resonance and monopolar resonance, operate in the metamaterial, resulting in a more powerful sound insulation ability than that achieved using periodically arranged multi-layer solid plates.

30 CFR 75.205 - Installation of roof support using mining machines with integral roof bolters.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Installation of roof support using mining... Roof Support § 75.205 Installation of roof support using mining machines with integral roof bolters. When roof bolts are installed by a continuous mining machine with intregal roof bolting equipment: (a...

Green roofs; Les toitures vegetalisees

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seghier, C.

2006-03-15

Impervious surface coverage keeps spreading in cities. Streets, sidewalks, parking lots and roofs are waterproof, meaning greater amounts of water to channel and treat and higher flood risks during heavy rainfalls. Green roofing can play a key part in addressing this alarming issue. There are three types of green roofs: extensive, semi-intensive and intensive. The extensive green roof technique uses a thin soil covering with a variety of species providing year-round plant coverage. The plants are not necessarily horticultural in which case routine maintenance is minimal. No watering is needed. Usually extensive green roofs create an ecosystem. The semi-intensive green roof technique uses a soil covering of average thickness and serves to create decorative roofing. Although maintenance is moderate, watering is essential. The intensive green roof technique produces a terrace roof garden. Another advantage of green roofs is they increase the life cycle of the sealing. Roof sealing protection may see the span of its life cycle, now at about fifteen years, doubled if the building has a green roof. planning professionals still know very little about green roofing solutions. Yet, green roofing provides unquestionable ecological qualities and thermal and acoustic performance that have proven to be environmentally friendly. Yet France lags behind northern European countries in green roofing. The Germans, Swiss, Austrians, Scandinavians and Dutch have been using the technique for more than twenty years. (A.L.B.)

Spectral response data for development of cool coloured tile coverings

Science.gov (United States)

Libbra, Antonio; Tarozzi, Luca; Muscio, Alberto; Corticelli, Mauro A.

2011-03-01

Most ancient or traditional buildings in Italy show steep-slope roofs covered by red clay tiles. As the rooms immediately below the roof are often inhabited in historical or densely urbanized centres, the combination of low solar reflectance of tile coverings and low thermal inertia of either wooden roof structures or sub-tile insulation panels makes summer overheating a major problem. The problem can be mitigated by using tiles coated with cool colours, that is colours with the same spectral response of clay tiles in the visible, but highly reflecting in the near infrared range, which includes more than half of solar radiation. Cool colours can yield the same visible aspect of common building surfaces, but higher solar reflectance. Studies aimed at developing cool colour tile coverings for traditional Italian buildings have been started. A few coating solutions with the typical red terracotta colour have been produced and tested in the laboratory, using easily available materials. The spectral response and the solar reflectance have been measured and compared with that of standard tiles.

40 CFR 65.45 - External floating roof converted into an internal floating roof.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... External floating roof converted into an internal floating roof. The owner or operator who elects to... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false External floating roof converted into an internal floating roof. 65.45 Section 65.45 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION...

Green roof impact on the hydrological cycle components

Science.gov (United States)

Lamera, Carlotta; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Becciu, Gianfranco; Rosso, Renzo

2013-04-01

In the last decades the importance of storm water management in urban areas has increased considerably, due to both urbanization extension and to a greater concern for environment pollution. Traditional storm water control practices, based on the "all to the sewer" attitude, rely on conveyance to route storm water runoff from urban impervious surfaces towards the nearby natural water bodies. In recent years, infiltration facilities are receiving an increasing attention, due to their particular efficiency in restoring a balance in hydrological cycle quite equal to quite pre-urbanization condition. In particular, such techniques are designed to capture, temporarily retain and infiltrate storm water, promote evapotranspiration and harvest water at the source, encouraging in general evaporation, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge and the re-use of storm water. Green roofs are emerging as an increasingly popular Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) technique for urban storm water management. Indeed, they are able to operate hydrologic control over storm water runoff: they allow a significant reduction of peak flows and runoff volumes collected by drainage system, with a consequent reduction of flooding events and pollution masses discharges by CSO. Furthermore green roofs have a positive influence on the microclimate in urban areas by helping in lower urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect. Last but not least, they have the advantage of improving the thermal insulation of buildings, with significant energy savings. A detailed analysis of the hydrological dynamics, connected both with the characteristics of the climatic context and with the green roof technical design, is essential in order to obtain a full characterization of the hydrologic behavior of a green roof system and its effects on the urban water cycle components. The purpose of this paper is to analysis the hydrological effects and urban benefits of the vegetation cover of a

Infants' Perception of Affordances of Slopes under High- and Low-Friction Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Adolph, Karen E.; Joh, Amy S.; Eppler, Marion A.

2010-01-01

Three experiments investigated whether 14- and 15-month-old infants use information for both friction and slant for prospective control of locomotion down slopes. In Experiment 1, high- and low-friction conditions were interleaved on a range of shallow and steep slopes. In Experiment 2, friction conditions were blocked. In Experiment 3, the…

Ultra-low loss nano-taper coupler for Silicon-on-Insulator ridge waveguide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pu, Minhao; Liu, Liu; Ou, Haiyan

2010-01-01

A nano-taper coupler is optimized specially for the transverse-magnetic mode for interfacing light between a silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide and a single-mode fiber. An ultra-low coupling loss of ~0.36dB is achieved for the nano-taper coupler.......A nano-taper coupler is optimized specially for the transverse-magnetic mode for interfacing light between a silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide and a single-mode fiber. An ultra-low coupling loss of ~0.36dB is achieved for the nano-taper coupler....

Sheffield's Green Roof Forum: a multi-stranded programme of green roof infrastructure development for the UK's greenest city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunnett, N.

2006-01-01

Sheffield, United Kingdom (UK) was the world centre for the steel and cutlery industries. However, those industries have been in decline and the city has been in the process of re-inventing itself over the past 20 years. Sheffield is now known as the UK's greenest city in terms of the amount of woodland, parkland and open spaces within its city limits. The city of Sheffield has also developed a unique partnership approach to promote green roof infrastructure as the most visible and high-profile signal of intent and symbol of low environmental impact building design and construction. This partnership involves Sheffield's Green Roof Forum, comprising the University of Sheffield's multi-disciplinary centre of excellence in green roof research; Sheffield City Council; Groundwork Sheffield, an urban economic and environmental regeneration agency; and city Architects and developers. This partnership meets six times a year to raise the profile of green roofs within the city and region, and to develop strategies to increase the uptake and implementation of green roof infrastructure in the region. This paper discussed the partnership, the Green Room Forum, accomplishments to date in promoting green roofs in the city, and the strategy for the Sheffield region to become a leader in green roof implementation and associated green technologies. The strategy is presented in two parts: consultation and research to identify the nature of market failure and devising methods to overcome that failure. The green roof strategy is being implemented through a program entitled Building Greener, Building Smarter and consists of four inter-linked strands. These strands were discussed in detail and included getting buy-in, demonstrating benefit, establishing the business case, and changing plans and practices. 3 tabs., 1 ref

Green roof Malta

OpenAIRE

Gatt, Antoine

2015-01-01

In Malta, buildings cover one third of the Island, leaving greenery in the dirt track. Green roofs are one way to bring plants back to urban areas with loads of benefits. Antoine Gatt, who manages the LifeMedGreenRoof project at the University of Malta, tells us more. http://www.um.edu.mt/think/green-roof-malta/

Green Roofs: Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Federal Technology Alert

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholz-Barth, K.; Tanner, S.

2004-09-01

In a ''green roof,'' a layer of vegetation (e.g., a roof garden) covers the surface of a roof to provide shade, cooler indoor and outdoor temperatures, and effective storm-water management to reduce runoff. The main components are waterproofing, soil, and plants. There are two basic kinds: intensive and extensive. An intensive green roof often features large shrubs and trees, and it can be expensive to install and maintain. An extensive green roof features shallow soil and low-growing, horizontally spreading plants that can thrive in the alpine conditions of many rooftops. These plants do not require a lot of water or soil, and they can tolerate a significant amount of exposure to the sun and wind. This Federal Technology Alert focuses on the benefits, design, and implementation of extensive green roofs and includes criteria for their use on federal facilities.

Advantages of a Vertical High-Resolution Distributed-Temperature-Sensing System Used to Evaluate the Thermal Behavior of Green Roofs

Science.gov (United States)

Hausner, M. B.; Suarez, F. I.; Cousiño, J. A.; Victorero, F.; Bonilla, C. A.; Gironas, J. A.; Vera, S.; Bustamante, W.; Rojas, V.; Leiva, E.; Pasten, P.

2015-12-01

Technological innovations used for sustainable urban development, green roofs offer a range of benefits, including reduced heat island effect, rooftop runoff, roof surface temperatures, energy consumption, and noise levels inside buildings, as well as increased urban biodiversity. Green roofs feature layered construction, with the most important layers being the vegetation and the substrate layers located above the traditional roof. These layers provide both insulation and warm season cooling by latent heat flux, reducing the thermal load to the building. To understand and improve the processes driving this thermal energy reduction, it is important to observe the thermal dynamics of a green roof at the appropriate spatial and temporal scales. Traditionally, to observe the thermal behavior of green roofs, a series of thermocouples have been installed at discrete depths within the layers of the roof. Here, we present a vertical high-resolution distributed-temperature-sensing (DTS) system installed in different green roof modules of the Laboratory of Vegetated Infrastructure for Buildings (LIVE -its acronym in Spanish) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. This DTS system allows near-continuous measurement of the thermal profile at spatial and temporal resolutions of approximately 1 cm and 30 s, respectively. In this investigation, the temperature observations from the DTS system are compared with the measurements of a series of thermocouples installed in the green roofs. This comparison makes it possible to assess the value of thermal observations at better spatial and temporal resolutions. We show that the errors associated with lower resolution observations (i.e., from the thermocouples) are propagated in the calculations of the heat fluxes through the different layers of the green roof. Our results highlight the value of having a vertical high-resolution DTS system to observe the thermal dynamics in green roofs.

Positive effects of vegetation: Urban heat island and green roofs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susca, T.; Gaffin, S.R.; Dell'Osso, G.R.

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to evaluate the positive effects of vegetation with a multi-scale approach: an urban and a building scale. Monitoring the urban heat island in four areas of New York City, we have found an average of 2 deg. C difference of temperatures between the most and the least vegetated areas, ascribable to the substitution of vegetation with man-made building materials. At micro-scale, we have assessed the effect of surface albedo on climate through the use of a climatological model. Then, using the CO 2 equivalents as indicators of the impact on climate, we have compared the surface albedo, and the construction, replacement and use phase of a black, a white and a green roof. By our analyses, we found that both the white and the green roofs are less impactive than the black one; with the thermal resistance, the biological activity of plants and the surface albedo playing a crucial role. - Highlights: → The local morphology and the scarcity of vegetation in NYC core determines its UHI. → We introduce the evaluation of the effects of the surface albedo on climate change. → We use it to compare a black roof with a white and a green one. → Surface albedo has a crucial role in the evaluation of the environmental loads of the roofs. → Vegetation has positive effects on both the urban and the building scale. - Vegetation has positive effects both on an urban scale, mitigating the urban heat island effect; and on a building scale, where albedo, thermal insulation and biological activity of plants play a crucial role.

IMPROVED ROOF STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M.A. Ebadian, Ph.D.

1999-01-01

Many U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) remediation sites have performed roof repair and roof replacement to stabilize facilities prior to performing deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) activities. This project will review the decision criteria used by these DOE sites, along with the type of repair system used for each different roof type. Based on this information, along with that compiled from roofing experts, a decision-making tool will be generated to aid in selecting the proper roof repair systems. Where appropriate, innovative technologies will be reviewed and applied to the decision-making tool to determine their applicability. Based on the results, applied research and development will be conducted to develop a method to repair these existing roofing systems, while providing protection for the D and D worker in a cost-efficient manner.

IMPROVED ROOF STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebadian, M.A.

1999-01-01

Many U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) remediation sites have performed roof repair and roof replacement to stabilize facilities prior to performing deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) activities. This project will review the decision criteria used by these DOE sites, along with the type of repair system used for each different roof type. Based on this information, along with that compiled from roofing experts, a decision-making tool will be generated to aid in selecting the proper roof repair systems. Where appropriate, innovative technologies will be reviewed and applied to the decision-making tool to determine their applicability. Based on the results, applied research and development will be conducted to develop a method to repair these existing roofing systems, while providing protection for the D and D worker in a cost-efficient manner

The relationship between sound insulation and acoustic quality in dwellings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindel, Jens Holger

1998-01-01

to another, however, several of the results show a slope around 4 % per dB. The results may be used to evaluate the acoustic quality level of a certain set of sound insulation requirements, or they may be used as a basis for specifying the desired acoustic quality of future buildings.......During the years there have been several large field investigations in different countries with the aim to find a relationship between sound insulation between dwellings and the subjective degree of annoyance. This paper presents an overview of the results, and the difficulties in comparing...... the different findings are discussed. It is tried to establish dose-response relationships between airborne sound insulation or impact sound pressure level according to ISO 717 and the percentage of people being annoyed by noise from neighbours. The slopes of the dose-response curves vary from one investigation...

Solar radiation on domed roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faghih, Ahmadreza K.; Bahadori, Mehdi N. [School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran)

2009-11-15

Solar radiation received and absorbed by four domed roofs was estimated and compared with that of a flat roof. The domed roofs all had the same base areas, and equal to that of the flat roof. One of the roofs considered was the dome of the St. Peter's Church in Rome. Compared with the other roofs considered, this dome had a higher aspect ratio. It was found that all domed roofs received more solar radiation than the flat roof. Considering glazed tiles to cover a selected dome in Iran and the dome of the St. Peter's Church, it was found that the solar radiation absorbed by these roofs is reduced appreciably. In the case of the dome of St. Peter's Church, the amount of radiation absorbed was roughly equal to that absorbed by the comparable flat roof in the warm months. In the case of the glazed reference dome located in Yazd, Iran (a city with very high solar radiation), the radiation absorbed was less than that of flat roof at all times. In addition to aesthetics, this may be a reason for employing glazed tiles to cover the domes of all mosques, shrines, and other large buildings in Iran. (author)

Use of endotrophic mycorhiza and soil microorganisms and vegetation establishment on mineral green roof substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, J. [GeoVerde Inc., Schaffhausen (Switzerland)

2004-07-01

Green roofs have the potential to introduce colour and nature into urban and industrial areas. This paper showed how the addition of soil microorganisms into a green roof substrate can help establish vegetation. Microorganisms help the roots exploit essential nutrient and water reserves in the substrate by making them more readily available to the plant. Microorganisms facilitate uniform germination, plant development at the young stage, and prolonged vegetation development on the roof. Soil microorganisms and mycorrhizal fungi can be added directly in to the seed blends. As the products are blended with the seed, they also fulfill the function of a seeding aid. Mycorrhizal and other soil fungi were examined on mineral roof substrates by means of dry and hydroseeding in greenhouse and field tests. Results of this developmental work and experiences from practical applications were presented. It was noted that vegetation on green roof areas must be able to withstand harsh environmental conditions. As such, the challenges include drought that causes water stress, warm and cold temperatures, wind, acid rain and air pollution. This paper also presented details of the following categories of green roof systems. Intensive green roofs are usually referred to as roof gardens. They are constructed over reinforced concrete decks and usually are accessible. Simple intensive green roofs are vegetated with lawns or ground covering plants. Regular maintenance including irrigation, fertilization and mowing is also required. Extensive green roofs are low maintenance and low weight. Growing media is usually composed of purely mineral material or a blend of mineral with a low proportion of organic matter. Substrate is low in nutrient content and the depth . Vegetation usually consists of succulents that require minimal maintenance. The requirements to install each of these types of green roof systems were also presented. 7 refs., 3 tabs.

Norwegian Pitched Roof Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Gullbrekken

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The building constructions investigated in this work are pitched wooden roofs with exterior vertical drainpipes and wooden load-bearing system. The aim of this research is to further investigate the building defects of pitched wooden roofs and obtain an overview of typical roof defects. The work involves an analysis of the building defect archive from the research institute SINTEF Building and Infrastructure. The findings from the SINTEF archive show that moisture is a dominant exposure factor, especially in roof constructions. In pitched wooden roofs, more than half of the defects are caused by deficiencies in design, materials, or workmanship, where these deficiencies allow moisture from precipitation or indoor moisture into the structure. Hence, it is important to increase the focus on robust and durable solutions to avoid defects both from exterior and interior moisture sources in pitched wooden roofs. Proper design of interior ventilation and vapour retarders seem to be the main ways to control entry from interior moisture sources into attic and roof spaces.

Creep Behavior of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS): Results from a Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Dwight McDonald; Marshall Begel; C. Adam Senalik; Robert Ross; Thomas D. Skaggs; Borjen Yeh; Thomas Williamson

2014-01-01

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) have been recognized as construction materials in the International Residential Code (IRC) since 2009. Although most SIPs are used in wall applications, they can also be used as roof or floor panels that are subjected to long-term transverse loading, for which SIP creep performance may be critical in design. However, limited...

Green Roofs for Stormwater Management

Science.gov (United States)

This project evaluated green roofs as a stormwater management tool. Results indicate that the green roofs are capable of removing 40% of the annual rainfall volume from a roof through retention and evapotranspiration. Rainfall not retained by green roofs is detained, effectively...

System for monitoring of green roof performance: use of weighing roof segment and non-invasive visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Jelinkova, Vladmira; Dohnal, Michal; Picek, Tomas; Sacha, Jan

2015-04-01

Understanding the performance of technogenic substrates for green roofs is a significant task in the framework of sustainable urban planning and water/energy management. The potential retention and detention of the anthropogenic, light weight soil systems and their temporal soil structure changes are of major importance. A green roof test segment was built to investigate the benefits of such anthropogenic systems. Adaptable low-cost system allows long-term monitoring of preferred characteristics. Temperature and water balance measurements complemented with meteorological observations and knowledge of physical properties of the substrates provide basis for detailed analysis of thermal and hydrological regime in green roof systems. The first results confirmed the benefits of green roof systems. The reduction of temperature fluctuations as well as rainfall runoff was significant. Depending on numerous factors such substrate material or vegetation cover the test green roof suppressed the roof temperature amplitude for the period analyzed. The ability to completely prevent (light rainfall events) or reduce and delay (medium and heavy rainfall events) the peak runoff was also analyzed. Special attention is being paid to the assessment of soil structural properties related to possible aggregation/disaggregation, root growth, weather conditions and associated structural changes using non-invasive imaging method. X-ray computed microtomography of undisturbed soil samples (taken from experimental segments) is used for description of pore space geometry, evaluation of surface to volume ratio, additionally for description of cracks and macropores as a product of soil flora and fauna activity. The information from computed tomography imaging will be used for numerical modeling of water flow in variable saturated porous media. The research was realized as a part of the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings supported by the EU and with financial support from the Czech

Design and performance of a novel innovative roofing system for tropical landed houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Obaidi, Karam M.; Ismail, Mazran; Abdul Rahman, Abdul Malek

2014-01-01

indoor temperature under daylight condition was 2.61 °C for the IRS, whereas 4.05 °C for conventional roof. Moreover, the IRS successfully delivered an acceptable range of natural light below 2000 lux (Green Building Index) at daytime with a minimum level of 86% compared with 78% for conventional roofing design. As a result, these findings indicated that the IRS with light materials and without any insulation can separate solar heat from useful natural light under the climatic conditions in Malaysia. The system provides a new design paradigm based on the requirements of the Malaysian Green Building Index

Study of wind forces on low-rise hip-roof building

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR OKE

cost approach for evaluation of wind effects in comparison to wind-tunnel experiments, using the ... edges of the hip-roof building in their wind-tunnel experiments. ..... choice of turbulence model depends on considerations such as the physics ...

Leaf Roof - Designing Luminescent Solar Concentrating PV Roof Tiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinders, Angelina H.M.E.; Doudart de la Gree, G.; Papadopoulos, A..; Rosemann, A.; Debije, M.G.; Cox, M.; Krumer, Zachar

2016-01-01

The Leaf Roof project on the design features of PV roof tiles using Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) technology [1] has resulted in a functional prototype. The results are presented in the context of industrial product design with a focus on the aesthetic aspects of LSCs [2]. This paper outlines

Cement bonded wood wool boards from podocarpus spp. for low ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... sound insulation in walls, ceilings and floors, roofs, sound barriers and thermal insulation. Further research is required to investigate the use of different wood species and different mineral binders. Keywords: podocarpus spp, wood-wool, wood-cement composites. Journal of Civil Engineering Research and Practice Vol.

Peculiar ferromagnetic insulator state in the low-hole-doped manganites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Algarabel, P.A.; Teresa, J.M. de; Blasco, J.; Ibarra, M.R.; Kapusta, Cz.; Sikora, M.; Zajac, D.; Riedi, P.C.; Ritter, C.

2003-01-01

In this work we show the very different nature of the ferromagnetic state of the low-hole-doped manganites with respect to other manganites showing colossal magnetoresistance. High-field measurements definitively prove the coexistence of ferromagnetic-metallic and ferromagnetic-insulating regions even when the sample is magnetically saturated, with the ground state being inhomogeneous. We have investigated La 0.9 Ca 0.1 MnO 3 as a prototype compound. A wide characterization by means of magnetic and magnetotransport measurements, neutron diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance has allowed us to establish that the ground state is based on the existence of disordered nanometric double-exchange metallic clusters that coexist with long-range superexchange-based ferromagnetic insulating regions. Under high magnetic field the system reaches magnetization saturation by aligning the magnetic clusters and the insulating matrix, but even if they grow in size, they do not reach the percolation limit

EPA's Green Roof Research

Science.gov (United States)

This is a presentation on the basics of green roof technology. The presentation highlights some of the recent ORD research projects on green roofs and provices insight for the end user as to the benefits for green roof technology. It provides links to currently available EPA re...

Ultra-low-loss inverted taper coupler for silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pu, Minhao; Liu, Liu; Ou, Haiyan

2010-01-01

An ultra-low-loss coupler for interfacing a silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide and a single-mode fiber in both polarizations is presented. The inverted taper coupler, embedded in a polymer waveguide, is optimized for both the transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes through tapering...... the width of the silicon-on-insulator waveguide from 450 nm down to less than 15 nm applying a thermal oxidation process. Two inverted taper couplers are integrated with a 3-mm long silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide in the fabricated sample. The measured coupling losses of the inverted taper coupler...... for transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes are ~0.36 dB and ~0.66 dB per connection, respectively....

An Analysis of Insulated Concrete Forms for use in Sustainable Military Construction

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-27

the building foundation, exterior walls, ceiling, roof, doors, windows and even the interior wall insulation ( Lemieux & Totten, 2010). With a focus...the various elements comprising a typical wall system. 19 Figure 5. Wall System Components ( Lemieux & Totten, 2010) The exterior cladding is...interior of the building and, conversely, inside air from infiltrating outside ( Lemieux & Totten, 2010). The vapor retarder protects the interior wall

Photovoltaic roof construction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawley, W.W.

1980-02-26

In a batten-seam roof construction employing at least one photovoltaic cell module, the electrical conduits employed with the at least one photovoltaic cell module are disposed primarily under the battens of the roof.

Application of optical diagnosis to aged low-voltage cable insulation in nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katagiri, Junichi; Takezawa, Yoshitaka; Shouji, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

We have developed a novel non-destructive optical diagnosis technique for low-voltage cable insulations used in nuclear power plants. The key features of this diagnosis are the use of two wavelengths to measure the change in reflective absorbance (ΔA R ), the use of polarized light to measure crystallinity and the use of element volatilizing to measure fluorescence. Chemical kinetics is used to predict the lifetimes of the cable insulations. When cable insulations darken and harden by time degradation, the ΔA R and depolarization parameters increase. This means that the cross-linking density in the cable insulations increases due to deterioration reactions. When the cross-linking density of insulation increases, its elasticity, corresponding to the material's life, increases. Similarly, as the crystallinity increases due to the change in the high-order structure of the insulating resin caused by irradiation, its elongation property decreases. The elongation property of insulation is one of the most important parameters that can be used to evaluate material lifetimes, because it relates to elasticity. The ΔA R correlated with the elongation property, and the correlation coefficient of an accelerated experiment using model pieces was over 0.9. Thus, we concluded that this optical diagnosis should be applied to evaluate the degradation of cable insulations used in nuclear power plants. (author)

Toronto green roof construction standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aster, D.

2007-01-01

Toronto City Council adopted a green roof strategy in February 2006. This paper reviewed the by-law governing the strategy as well as the work in progress to develop minimum standards for the design and construction of green roofs in Toronto. The strategy included a series of recommendations regarding the installation of green roofs on city buildings; a pilot grant program; using the development process to encourage green roofs; and, public education and promotion. It was noted that compared to Europe, the development of standards for green roofs in North America is in its early stages. As an emerging sustainable technology, there currently are no standards incorporated into Ontario's Building Code against which Toronto can measure the design and construction of green roofs. Therefore this paper included an analysis detailing how the recommended design requirements were able to support the City's green roof policy objectives and integrate the performance criteria for green roofs previously established and supported by Toronto City Council. The key policy objectives of the City's green roof strategy were to reduce the urban heat island effect; to address stormwater management implications in terms of quality and quantity; to improve the energy budgets of individual buildings; and, to improve air quality

Low-velocity impact cratering experiments in granular slopes

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Kosuke; Sumita, Ikuro

2017-07-01

Low-velocity impact cratering experiments are conducted in sloped granular targets to study the effect of the slope angle θ on the crater shape and its scales. We use two types of granular matter, sand and glass beads, former of which has a larger friction coefficient μs = tanθr , where θr is the angle of repose. Experiments show that as θ increases, the crater becomes shallower and elongated in the direction of the slope. Furthermore the crater floor steepens in the upslope side and a thick rim forms in the downslope side, thus forming an asymmetric profile. High-speed images show that these features are results of ejecta being dispersed farther towards the downslope side and the subsequent avalanche which buries much of the crater floor. Such asymmetric ejecta dispersal can be explained by combining the Z-model and a ballistic model. Using the topographic maps of the craters, we classify crater shape regimes I-III, which transition with increasing θ : a full-rim crater (I), a broken-rim crater (II), and a depression (III). The critical θ for the regime transitions are larger for sand compared to glass beads, but collapse to close values when we use a normalized slope θ^ = tanθ / tanθr . Similarly we derive θ^-dependences of the scaled crater depth, length, width and their ratios which collapse the results for different targets and impact energies. We compare the crater profiles formed in our experiments with deep craters on asteroid Vesta and find that some of the scaled profiles nearly overlap and many have similar depth / length ratios. This suggests that these Vestan craters may also have formed in the gravity regime and that the formation process can be approximated by a granular flow with a similar effective friction coefficient.

Fourier analysis of conductive heat transfer for glazed roofing materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roslan, Nurhana Lyana; Bahaman, Nurfaradila; Almanan, Raja Noorliyana Raja; Ismail, Razidah [Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Zakaria, Nor Zaini [Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

2014-07-10

For low-rise buildings, roof is the most exposed surface to solar radiation. The main mode of heat transfer from outdoor via the roof is conduction. The rate of heat transfer and the thermal impact is dependent on the thermophysical properties of roofing materials. Thus, it is important to analyze the heat distribution for the various types of roofing materials. The objectives of this paper are to obtain the Fourier series for the conductive heat transfer for two types of glazed roofing materials, namely polycarbonate and polyfilled, and also to determine the relationship between the ambient temperature and the conductive heat transfer for these materials. Ambient and surface temperature data were collected from an empirical field investigation in the campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam. The roofing materials were installed on free-standing structures in natural ventilation. Since the temperature data are generally periodic, Fourier series and numerical harmonic analysis are applied. Based on the 24-point harmonic analysis, the eleventh order harmonics is found to generate an adequate Fourier series expansion for both glazed roofing materials. In addition, there exists a linear relationship between the ambient temperature and the conductive heat transfer for both glazed roofing materials. Based on the gradient of the graphs, lower heat transfer is indicated through polyfilled. Thus polyfilled would have a lower thermal impact compared to polycarbonate.

Commercial/industrial photovoltaic module and array requirement study. Low-cost solar array project engineering area

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

Design requirements for photovoltaic modules and arrays used in commercial and industrial applications were identified. Building codes and referenced standards were reviewed for their applicability to commercial and industrial photovoltaic array installation. Four general installation types were identified - integral (replaces roofing), direct (mounted on top of roofing), stand-off (mounted away from roofing), and rack (for flat or low slope roofs, or ground mounted). Each of the generic mounting types can be used in vertical wall mounting systems. This implies eight mounting types exist in the commercial/industrial sector. Installation costs were developed for these mounting types as a function of panel/module size. Cost drivers were identified. Studies were performed to identify optimum module shapes and sizes and operating voltage cost drivers. The general conclusion is that there are no perceived major obstacles to the use of photovoltaic modules in commercial/industrial arrays.

Operation of roof pond systems, considering its advantages and disadvantages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noohi, Samira; Rezaei, Davood [Faculty of engineering, Zanjan University (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], email: noohi.sam@gmail.com, email: d_rezaei@znu.ac.ir

2011-07-01

With the coming shortage of fossil fuels it is important to develop energy efficient buildings to reduce both energy consumption and pollution at the same time. The roof pond system is a passive solar system which gathers heat from the sun and can distribute it to the living space to cool it or heat it by changing the operating cycle. Although not recent, this method has not been widely implemented due to certain limitations and the aim of this paper is to assess the different advantages and disadvantages of this system over other passive solar heating systems. This study showed that a roof pond has a low impact on the building, provides controllable energy delivery and variations in indoor temperature are low; however it requires an active solar system as a backup and vegetation can limit sunlight penetration. This study highlighted that the efficiency of the roof system pond depends on climate conditions and that it is best suited to lower latitude and low humidity areas.

The properties degradation of exposed GFRP roof

Science.gov (United States)

Zainudin, Mohammad; Diharjo, Kuncoro; Kaavessina, Mujtahid; Setyanto, Djoko

2018-02-01

There is much consideration of roof selection as a protector of a building against the outside weather, such as lightweight, strong stiff, corrosion resistant and guarantee for the availability of products. Based on these considerations, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) roof is a roof which can fulfill the requirement. The objective of this research is to investigate the degradation of physical and mechanical properties of GFRP roof exposed in outside weather. This GFRP roof composite was produced using a sheet molding compound (SMC) supplied by PT Intec Persada, Tangerang, Indonesia. There are two kinds GFRP roofs evaluated in this research that are GFRP roof exposed within 7 years and new GFRP roof that has not been exposed. The GFRP roofs were cut manually for preparing the specimens for hardness test, tensile test, SEM and FTIR test. The results show that the GFRP roof exposed within 7 years had the degradation of properties compared to the new GFRP roof. The exposed GFRP roof had lower strength and hardness compared to the new GFRP roof. The SEM observation indicates that exposed GFRP roof had the debonding of fiber on the surface, and in contrast, there are no debonding of fiber in the new GFRP roof surface. It can be recommended that the exposed GFRP roof may be repaired to enhance its performance and can re-increase its properties using the coating.

Leaf Roof – designing luminescent solar concentrating PV roof tiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinders, A.H.M.E.; Doudart de la Grée, G.C.H.; Papadopoulos, A.; Rosemann, A.L.P.; Debije, M.G.; Cox, M.G.D.M.; Krumer, Z.

2016-01-01

The Leaf Roof project on the design features of PV roof tiles using Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) technology has resulted in a functional prototype . The results are presented in the context of industrial product design with a focus on the aesthetic aspects of LSCs. This paper outlines the

Roof instability characteristics and pre-grouting of the roof caving zone in residual coal mining

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tong; Liu, Changyou

2017-12-01

Abandoned roadways and roof caving zones are commonly found in residual coal, and can destroy the integrity of the coal seam and roof. Resulting from mining-induced stress, continuous collapse and fracture instability in roof caving zones (RCZs) jeopardize the safety and efficiency of residual coal mining. Based on the engineering geology conditions of remining face 3101 in Shenghua Mine, the roof fracture and instability features of the RCZ were analyzed through physical simulation, theoretical analysis, and field measurements. In this case, influenced by the RCZ, the main roof across the RCZ fractured and rotated towards the goaf, greatly increasing the working resistance, and crushing the supports. The sudden instability of the coal pillars weakened its support of the main roof, thus resulting in long-key blocks across the RCZ and hinged roof structures, which significantly decreased the stability of the underlying immediate roof. This study establishes a mechanical model for the interactions between the surrounding rock and the supports in the RCZ, determines the reasonable working resistance, and examines the use of pre-grouting solidification restoration technology (PSRT) to solidify the RCZ and reinforce the coal pillars—thus increasing their bearing capacity. Field measurements revealed no roof flaking, inhomogeneous loading or support crushing, indicating that the PSRT effectively controlled the surrounding rock of the RCZ.

Green-Roof Effects on Neighborhood Microclimate and Human Thermal Sensation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Y. Jim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Green roofs have been recognized as an effective sustainable design tool to mitigate urban heat island (UHI effects. Previous studies have identified green-roof benefits in cooling and energy-conservation at the building scale, with limited exploration of the wider influence on neighborhood microclimate and human thermal comfort (HTC. This paper investigated the impacts of community-scale green-roof installation on air temperature and HTC in five typical residential neighborhoods of subtropical Hong Kong. The microclimate models ENVI-met and RayMan permitted studies of two main green-roof scenarios, namely extensive (EGR and intensive (IGR. Microclimatic monitoring data from a local experimental green-roof site validated the modeling methods. The results verified that green-roof cooling effects were not restricted to rooftops, but extended to the ground to improve neighborhood microclimate. EGR reduced pedestrian-level air temperature by 0.4–0.7 °C, and IGR by 0.5–1.7 °C, with maximum effect in open-set low rise sites. Coverage by building footprints and building height dampened lateral and vertical advection of cool air generated by green roofs. Roof greening also improved notably the rooftop-podium level HTC. Diurnal duration of high heat stress was reduced by 6–9 h for EGR scenarios, and 9–11 h for IGR. The findings indicated that large-scale green-roof installation could bring neighborhood-wide cooling, mitigate urban heat island effect, and furnish more comfortable thermal environment for urban residents.

Green Roofs for Stormwater Runoff Control

Science.gov (United States)

This project evaluated green roofs as a stormwater management tool. Specifically, runoff quantity and quality from green and flat asphalt roofs were compared. Evapotranspiration from planted green roofs and evaporation from unplanted media roofs were also compared. The influence...

Realistic roofs over a rectilinear polygon

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap

2013-11-01

Given a simple rectilinear polygon P in the xy-plane, a roof over P is a terrain over P whose faces are supported by planes through edges of P that make a dihedral angle π/4 with the xy-plane. According to this definition, some roofs may have faces isolated from the boundary of P or even local minima, which are undesirable for several practical reasons. In this paper, we introduce realistic roofs by imposing a few additional constraints. We investigate the geometric and combinatorial properties of realistic roofs and show that the straight skeleton induces a realistic roof with maximum height and volume. We also show that the maximum possible number of distinct realistic roofs over P is ((n-4)(n-4)/4 /2⌋) when P has n vertices. We present an algorithm that enumerates a combinatorial representation of each such roof in O(1) time per roof without repetition, after O(n4) preprocessing time. We also present an O(n5)-time algorithm for computing a realistic roof with minimum height or volume. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

The effectiveness of cool and green roofs as urban heat island mitigation strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Dan; Bou-Zeid, Elie; Oppenheimer, Michael

2014-01-01

Mitigation of the urban heat island (UHI) effect at the city-scale is investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in conjunction with the Princeton Urban Canopy Model (PUCM). Specifically, the cooling impacts of green roof and cool (white/high-albedo) roof strategies over the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area during a heat wave period (7 June–10 June 2008) are assessed using the optimal set-up of WRF-PUCM described in the companion paper by Li and Bou-Zeid (2014). Results indicate that the surface UHI effect (defined based on the urban–rural surface temperature difference) is reduced significantly more than the near-surface UHI effect (defined based on urban–rural 2 m air temperature difference) when these mitigation strategies are adopted. In addition, as the green and cool roof fractions increase, the surface and near-surface UHIs are reduced almost linearly. Green roofs with relatively abundant soil moisture have comparable effect in reducing the surface and near-surface UHIs to cool roofs with an albedo value of 0.7. Significant indirect effects are also observed for both green and cool roof strategies; mainly, the low-level advection of atmospheric moisture from rural areas into urban terrain is enhanced when the fraction of these roofs increases, thus increasing the humidity in urban areas. The additional benefits or penalties associated with modifications of the main physical determinants of green or cool roof performance are also investigated. For green roofs, when the soil moisture is increased by irrigation, additional cooling effect is obtained, especially when the ‘unmanaged’ soil moisture is low. The effects of changing the albedo of cool roofs are also substantial. These results also underline the capabilities of the WRF-PUCM framework to support detailed analysis and diagnosis of the UHI phenomenon, and of its different mitigation strategies. (letter)

Sheffield's Green Roof Forum: a multi-stranded programme of green roof infrastructure development for the UK's greenest city

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunnett, N. [Univ. of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield (United Kingdom). Dept. of Landscape

2006-07-01

Sheffield, United Kingdom (UK) was the world centre for the steel and cutlery industries. However, those industries have been in decline and the city has been in the process of re-inventing itself over the past 20 years. Sheffield is now known as the UK's greenest city in terms of the amount of woodland, parkland and open spaces within its city limits. The city of Sheffield has also developed a unique partnership approach to promote green roof infrastructure as the most visible and high-profile signal of intent and symbol of low environmental impact building design and construction. This partnership involves Sheffield's Green Roof Forum, comprising the University of Sheffield's multi-disciplinary centre of excellence in green roof research; Sheffield City Council; Groundwork Sheffield, an urban economic and environmental regeneration agency; and city Architects and developers. This partnership meets six times a year to raise the profile of green roofs within the city and region, and to develop strategies to increase the uptake and implementation of green roof infrastructure in the region. This paper discussed the partnership, the Green Room Forum, accomplishments to date in promoting green roofs in the city, and the strategy for the Sheffield region to become a leader in green roof implementation and associated green technologies. The strategy is presented in two parts: consultation and research to identify the nature of market failure and devising methods to overcome that failure. The green roof strategy is being implemented through a program entitled Building Greener, Building Smarter and consists of four inter-linked strands. These strands were discussed in detail and included getting buy-in, demonstrating benefit, establishing the business case, and changing plans and practices. 3 tabs., 1 ref.

Sound absorption of low-temperature reusable surface insulation candidate materials

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, J. D.

1974-01-01

Sound absorption data from tests of four candidate low-temperature reusable surface insulation materials are presented. Limitations on the use of the data are discussed, conclusions concerning the effective absorption of the materials are drawn, and the relative significance to Vibration and Acoustic Test Facility test planning of the absorption of each material is assessed.

Improved roof stabilization technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebadian, M.A.

1998-01-01

Decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) activities require that personnel have access to all areas of structures, some of which are more than 40 years old. In many cases, these structures have remained in a standby condition for up to 10 years; few preventative maintenance activities have been performed on them because of lack of funding or a defined future plan of action. This situation has led to deteriorated building conditions, resulting in potential personnel safety hazards. In addition, leaky roofs allow water to enter the buildings, which can cause the spread of contamination and increase building deterioration, worsening the already unsafe working conditions. To ensure worker safety and facilitate building dismantlement, the assessment of roof stabilization techniques applicable to US Department of Energy (DOE) structures has become an important issue. During Fiscal year 1997 (FY97), a comprehensive reliability-based model for the structural stabilization analysis of roof system in complex structures was developed. The model consists of three major components: a material testing method, a deterministic structural computer model, and a reliability-based optimization, and probabilistic analyses of roof structures can be implemented. Given site-specific needs, this model recommends the most appropriate roof stabilization system. This model will give not only an accurate evaluation of the existing roof system in complex structures, but it will also be a reliable method to aid the decision-making process. This final report includes in its appendix a Users' Manual for the Program of Deterministic and Reliability Analysis of Roof Structures

Home Insulation With the Stroke of a Brush

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions, LLC, of Melbourne, Florida, is producing a very complex blend of ceramic vacuum-filled refractory products designed to minimize the path of hot air transfer through ceilings, walls, and roofs. The insulating ceramic technology blocks the transfer of heat outward when applied to paint on interior walls and ceilings, and prevents the transfer of heat inward when used to paint exterior walls and roofs, effectively providing year-round comfort in the home. As a manufacturer and marketer of thermal solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions attributes its success to the high performance insulating ceramic microsphere originally developed from NASA thermal research at Ames Research Center. Shaped like a hollow ball so small that it looks as if it is a single grain of flour to the naked eye (slightly thicker than a human hair), the microsphere is noncombustible and fairly chemical-resistant, and has a wall thickness about 1/10 of the sphere diameter, a compressive strength of about 4,000 pounds per square inch, and a softening point of about 1,800 C. Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions improved upon these properties by removing all of the gas inside and creating a vacuum. In effect, a 'mini thermos bottle' is produced, acting as a barrier to heat by reflecting it away from the protected surface. When these microspheres are combined with other materials, they enhance the thermal resistance of those materials. In bulk, the tiny ceramic 'beads' have the appearance of a fine talcum powder. Their inert, nontoxic properties allow them to mix easily into any type of paint, coating, adhesive, masonry, or drywall finish. Additionally, their roundness causes them to behave like ball bearings, rolling upon each other, and letting the coatings flow smoothly. When applied like paint to a wall or roof, the microsphere coating shrinks down tight and creates a dense film of the vacuum cells. The resulting ceramic layer

Performance investigation of heat insulation solar glass for low-carbon buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuce, Erdem; Young, Chin-Huai; Riffat, Saffa B.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • U-value of HISG is found to be 1.10 W/m 2 K. • Maximum temperature difference is achieved by HISG with 12.70 °C. • HISG provides two times better insulation than standard double glazed windows. • HISG generates over 40 W electricity from a glazing surface of 0.66 m 2 . • 100% of UV in incoming solar radiation is absorbed by HISG. - Abstract: Heat insulation solar glass (HISG), which has been recently developed by Professor Chin-Huai Young in Taiwan is an extraordinary glazing technology for low/zero carbon buildings. HISG differs from traditional glazing technologies with its ability of producing electricity. It also offers some additional features such as thermal insulation, sound insulation, self-cleaning and energy saving. In this work, thermal insulation, power generation and optical performance of HISG are experimentally investigated. Thermal insulation performance of HISG is analysed through standardized co-heating test methodology, and the results are compared with different traditional double glazed window samples. For the power generation and optical performance of HISG, two samples (air filled HISG and Argon filled HISG) are experimentally investigated in real and simulated operating conditions. The results indicate that both configurations show similar performance in terms of power generation. Under a solar intensity of 850 W/m 2 , over 40 W electrical power is achieved from HISG samples with a glazing area of 0.66 m 2 . Performance of samples under solar simulator is not found to be promising due to the absence of UV and IR parts in the artificial light source. In terms of thermal insulation ability, HISG is also found to be attractive. The average U-value of HISG is determined to be 1.10 W/m 2 K, which is two times better than standard double glazed windows. Some simulation results for two different cities (Taipei, Taiwan and Nottingham, UK) demonstrating the energy saving potential of HISG are also presented

30 CFR 75.204 - Roof bolting.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... accessories addressed in ASTM F432-95, “Standard Specification for Roof and Rock Bolts and Accessories,” the.... (4) In each roof bolting cycle, the actual torque or tension of the first tensioned roof bolt... during each roof bolting cycle shall be tested during or immediately after the first row of bolts has...

Low Frequency Dispersion Mechanism of Dielectric Response for Oil-paper Insulation Diagnosis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHOU Lijun; LI Xianlang; WU Guangning

2013-01-01

Both the real part and imaginary part of complex permittivity approximately have a log-linear frequency dependency at low frequencies,especially at ultra-low frequencies under conditions of different moisture concentrations and temperatures,which is recognized as the low frequency dispersion (LFD).In order to explain this dispersion,a new mechanism of dielectric response of LFD of oil-paper insulation is proposed.A simplified one-dimensional mathematical model of concentration polarization carrier caused by slow migration is developed and solved,which indicates that ion mobility is closely related to the size of gap and the adsorption capacity of cellulose molecular chains to ions.A stochastic statistical model of the carrier mobility induced LFD is also developed.Moreover,actual tests under 50 ℃and 2％ moisture content were put forward,as well as simulations with according current waveforms.The simulation results agreed well with the experimental data in that concentration polarization of carriers caused by slow migration is the probable cause of low frequency dispersion ofdielectric response for oil-paper insulation diagnosis.

IMPACT ON THE APPLICATION OF INSULATION IN BUILDINGS TO ACHIEVE THERMAL COMFORT (A CASE STUDY: LAUSER OFFICE BUILDING IN BANDA ACEH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nova Purnama Lisa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available From the results of research studies on the impact of the use of insulation in buildings, reducing solar radiation on buildings to improve indoor comfort by applying the Principles of radiation reduction in buildings naturally using insulation application that serves as an insulator against the building materials, use of thermal insulation in particular mounted on the roof of the building and the walls are located on second floor and the third floor Lauser office building, Calculate the cooling load for each room that was on second floor and the third floor based on the geographical location or position of the building, climate data, building material data , and the intensity of the spatial characteristics which include lighting, solar radiation, user activity and electrical appliances being used. The calculation is done with the help of Ecotech v.5, 2011. The location and position on the third floor of a building with a flat roof cast concrete, so that the heat absorbed by the platform, and two times greater than the amount of heat radiation is absorbed by the material in the direction of the light falling the sun is at an angle <30°C. The simulation results on the building with the addition of thermal insulation on all walls and the roof of the inside of the foam material ultrafolmadehid, without changing the model building and similar activities in accordance with the existing condition and the condition of the room using the air conditioner at a temperature of 18-26°C, indicating a decrease in cooling load signifinikan in any space reaches 40% of the total cooling load required on the lauser office building. Comparing the simulation results Ecotech temperature v.5 2011 with field measurements as a validation of the simulation results in order to achieve thermal comfort in buildings and can menggurangi use energy consumption in buildings and can be used as a reference in planning space-based conditioning systems energy efficient.

Producing superhydrophobic roof tiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrascosa, Luis A M; Facio, Dario S; Mosquera, Maria J

2016-01-01

Superhydrophobic materials can find promising applications in the field of building. However, their application has been very limited because the synthesis routes involve tedious processes, preventing large-scale application. A second drawback is related to their short-term life under outdoor conditions. A simple and low-cost synthesis route for producing superhydrophobic surfaces on building materials is developed and their effectiveness and their durability on clay roof tiles are evaluated. Specifically, an organic–inorganic hybrid gel containing silica nanoparticles is produced. The nanoparticles create a densely packed coating on the roof tile surface in which air is trapped. This roughness produces a Cassie–Baxter regime, promoting superhydrophobicity. A surfactant, n-octylamine, was also added to the starting sol to catalyze the sol–gel process and to coarsen the pore structure of the gel network, preventing cracking. The application of ultrasound obviates the need to use volatile organic compounds in the synthesis, thereby making a ‘green’ product. It was also demonstrated that a co-condensation process effective between the organic and inorganic species is crucial to obtain durable and effective coatings. After an aging test, high hydrophobicity was maintained and water absorption was completely prevented for the roof tile samples under study. However, a transition from a Cassie–Baxter to a Wenzel state regime was observed as a consequence of the increase in the distance between the roughness pitches produced by the aging of the coating. (paper)

Ecological Impacts of Replacing Traditional Roofs with Green Roofs in Two Urban Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy Carter

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Urban land cover is dominated by impervious surface that degrades both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems relative to predevelopment conditions. There are significant opportunities for designers of urban landscapes to use alternative land covers that have multiple functions, benefiting both human and nonhuman components of the urban ecosystem. Vegetated (green roofs are one form of alternative land cover that has shown the potential to provide a variety of ecological benefits in urban areas. We evaluated how stormwater retention, building energy and temperature, and rooftop habitat are influenced by the use of green roofs using test plots in Georgia and Massachusetts. Green roofs were shown to recreate part of the predevelopment hydrology through increasing interception, stormwater storage, evaporation, and transpiration on the rooftop and worked extremely well for small storm events. Temperature reductions were found on the green rooftop as compared to an asphalt surface, although other roof technologies that minimize temperatures, such as lighter colored membranes, provide similar benefits. Novel habitat was created on the rooftop, although the extent of this habitat was limited in part by plant survivability and the need for additional water inputs for diverse plant communities to survive. Despite the challenges, the green roof benefits reported here suggest that green roofs can be used effectively as a multifunctional land cover in urban areas.

IMPROVED LARGE-SCALE SLOPE ANALYSIS ON MARS BASED ON CORRELATION OF SLOPES DERIVED WITH DIFFERENT BASELINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Wang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The surface slopes of planetary bodies are important factors for exploration missions, such as landing site selection and rover manoeuvre. Generally, high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs such as those generated from the HiRISE images on Mars are preferred to generate detailed slopes with a better fidelity of terrain features. Unfortunately, high-resolution datasets normally only cover small area and are not always available. While lower resolution datasets, such as MOLA, provide global coverage of the Martian surface. Slopes generated from the low-resolution DEM will be based on a large baseline and be smoothed from the real situation. In order to carry out slope analysis at large scale on Martian surface based low-resolution data such as MOLA data, while alleviating the smoothness problem of slopes due to its low resolution, this paper presents an amplifying function of slopes derived from low-resolution DEMs based on the relationships between DEM resolutions and slopes. First, slope maps are derived from the HiRISE DEM (meter-level resolution DEM generated from HiRISE images and a series of down-sampled HiRISE DEMs. The latter are used to simulate low-resolution DEMs. Then the high-resolution slope map is down- sampled to the same resolution with the slope map from the lower-resolution DEMs. Thus, a comparison can be conducted pixel-wise. For each pixel on the slope map derived from the lower-resolution DEM, it can reach the same value with the down-sampled HiRISE slope by multiplying an amplifying factor. Seven sets of HiRISE images with representative terrain types are used for correlation analysis. It shows that the relationship between the amplifying factors and the original MOLA slopes can be described by the exponential function. Verifications using other datasets show that after applying the proposed amplifying function, the updated slope maps give better representations of slopes on Martian surface compared with the original

Analysis of the impact of thermal resistance of the roof on the performance of photovoltaic roof tiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurz Dariusz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper explores the issues related to the impact of thermal resistance of the roof on the electrical parameters of photovoltaic roof tiles. The methodology of determination of the thermal resistance and thermal transmittance factor was presented in accordance with the applicable legal regulations and standards. A test station was presented for the purpose of measurement of the parameters of photovoltaic roof tiles depending on the structure of the roof substrate. Detailed analysis of selected building components as well as their impact on the design thermal resistance factor and thermal transmittance factor was carried out. Results of our own studies, which indicated a relation between the type of the roof structure and the values of the electricity generated by photovoltaic tiles, were presented. Based on the calculations, it was concluded that the generated outputs in the respective constructions differ by maximum 6%. For cells with the highest temperature, the performance of the PV roof tiles on the respective roof constructions fell within the range between 0.4% and 1.2% (depending on the conducted measurement and amounted to 8.76% (in reference to 9.97% for roof tiles with the lowest temperature.

Green Roofs for Stormwater Runoff Control - Abstract

Science.gov (United States)

This project evaluated green roofs as a stormwater management tool. Specifically, runoff quantity and quality from green and flat asphalt roofs were compared. Evapotranspiration from planted green roofs and evaporation from unplanted media roofs were also compared. The influence...

Performance enhancement of Ge-on-Insulator tunneling FETs with source junctions formed by low-energy BF2 ion implantation

Science.gov (United States)

Katoh, Takumi; Matsumura, Ryo; Takaguchi, Ryotaro; Takenaka, Mitsuru; Takagi, Shinichi

2018-04-01

To clarify the process of formation of source regions of high-performance Ge n-channel tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs), p+-n junctions formed by low-energy ion implantation (I/I) of BF2 atoms are characterized. Here, the formation of p+-n junctions with steep B profiles and low junction leakage is a key issue. The steepness of 5.7 nm/dec in profiles of B implanted into Ge is obtained for BF2 I/I at 3 keV with a dose of 4 × 1014 cm-2. Ge-on-insulator (GOI) n-TFETs with the source tunnel junctions formed by low-energy B and BF2 I/I are fabricated on GOI substrates and the device operation is confirmed. Although the performance at room temperature is significantly degraded by the source junction leakage current, an I on/I off ratio of 105 and the minimum sub-threshold swing (S.S.) of 130 mV/dec are obtained at 10 K. It is found that GOI n-TFETs with steeper B profiles formed by BF2 I/I have led to higher on current and a lower sub-threshold slope, demonstrating the effectiveness of steep B profiles in enhancing the GOI TFET performance.

Insulation Reformulation Development

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Cynthia; Bray, Mark

2015-01-01

The current Space Launch System (SLS) internal solid rocket motor insulation, polybenzimidazole acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (PBI-NBR), is a new insulation that replaced asbestos-based insulations found in Space Shuttle heritage solid rocket boosters. PBI-NBR has some outstanding characteristics such as an excellent thermal erosion resistance, low thermal conductivity, and low density. PBI-NBR also has some significant challenges associated with its use: Air entrainment/entrapment during manufacture and lay-up/cure and low mechanical properties such as tensile strength, modulus, and fracture toughness. This technology development attempted to overcome these challenges by testing various reformulated versions of booster insulation. The results suggest the SLS program should continue to investigate material alternatives for potential block upgrades or use an entirely new, more advanced booster. The experimental design was composed of a logic path that performs iterative formulation and testing in order to maximize the effort. A lab mixing baseline was developed and documented for the Rubber Laboratory in Bldg. 4602/Room 1178.

IDENTIFYING ROOF FALL PREDICTORS USING FUZZY CLASSIFICATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertoncini, C. A.; Hinders, M. K.

2010-01-01

Microseismic monitoring involves placing geophones on the rock surfaces of a mine to record seismic activity. Classification of microseismic mine data can be used to predict seismic events in a mine to mitigate mining hazards, such as roof falls, where properly bolting and bracing the roof is often an insufficient method of preventing weak roofs from destabilizing. In this study, six months of recorded acoustic waveforms from microseismic monitoring in a Pennsylvania limestone mine were analyzed using classification techniques to predict roof falls. Fuzzy classification using features selected for computational ease was applied on the mine data. Both large roof fall events could be predicted using a Roof Fall Index (RFI) metric calculated from the results of the fuzzy classification. RFI was successfully used to resolve the two significant roof fall events and predicted both events by at least 15 hours before visual signs of the roof falls were evident.

30 CFR 75.206 - Conventional roof support.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Roof Support § 75.206 Conventional roof support. (a) Except in anthracite mines using non-mechanized mining systems, when conventional roof support... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Conventional roof support. 75.206 Section 75...

Two-dimensional modeling of water and heat fluxes in green roof substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez, F. I.; Sandoval, V. P.

2016-12-01

Due to public concern towards sustainable development, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency, green roofs have become popular in the last years. Green roofs integrate vegetation into infrastructures to reach additional benefits that minimize negative impacts of the urbanization. A properly designed green roof can reduce environmental pollution, noise levels, energetic requirements or surface runoff. The correct performance of green roofs depends on site-specific conditions and on each component of the roof. The substrate and the vegetation layers strongly influence water and heat fluxes on a green roof. The substrate is an artificial media that has an improved performance compared to natural soils as it provides critical resources for vegetation survival: water, nutrients, and a growing media. Hence, it is important to study the effects of substrate properties on green roof performance. The objective of this work is to investigate how the thermal and hydraulic properties affect the behavior of a green roof through numerical modeling. The substrates that were investigated are composed by: crushed bricks and organic soil (S1); peat with perlite (S2); crushed bricks (S3); mineral soil with tree leaves (S4); and a mixture of topsoil and mineral soil (S5). The numerical model utilizes summer-arid meteorological information to evaluate the performance of each substrate. Results show that the area below the water retention curve helps to define the substrate that retains more water. In addition, the non-linearity of the water retention curve can increment the water needed to irrigate the roof. The heat propagation through the roof depends strongly on the hydraulic behavior, meaning that a combination of a substrate with low thermal conductivity and more porosity can reduce the heat fluxes across the roof. Therefore, it can minimize the energy consumed of an air-conditioner system.

Energy performance of the low-energy house in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragh, Jesper; Svendsen, Svend

2005-01-01

by ventilation heat recovery (90% efficiency) specially designed for arctic conditions, by using thicker insulation in walls (300 mm) and roof/floor (350 mm), and by using solar hot water heating (3250 kWh/year). The building is intended to enhance sustainability in the building sector in Greenland....... energy gain, efficient ventilation system with heat recovery and solar heating. In this paper the results of a calculation of the energy consumption of low-energy house is presented. The calculation was done using the program BSim2002 [1] and a new weather test reference year based on climatic data......The object of the low-energy house in Sisimiut in Greenland was to build a house with an energy consumption less than 80 kWh/m² corresponding to half the energy frame of the coming building code. Therefore the focus in this project has been on large insulation thicknesses, windows with high net...

Heat and Mass Transfer in a High-Porous Low-Temperature Thermal Insulation in Real Operating Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Polovnikov Vyacheslav Yu.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The results of numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer in a high-porous low-temperature insulation in conditions of insulation freezing, a moisture migration to the front of phase transition and a condensation forming on an outer contour of interaction were obtained. Values of heat leakage were established.

Orbital roof encephalocele mimicking a destructive neoplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsuhaibani, Adel H; Hitchon, Patrick W; Smoker, Wendy R K; Lee, Andrew G; Nerad, Jeffrey A

2011-01-01

The purpose of this case report is to report an orbital roof encephalocele mimicking a destructive orbital neoplasm. Orbital roof encephalocele is uncommon but can mimic neoplasm. One potential mechanism for the orbital roof destruction is a post-traumatic "growing orbital roof fracture." The growing fracture has been reported mostly in children but can occur in adults. Alternative potential etiologies for the encephalocele are discussed, including Gorham syndrome. Orbital roof encephalocele is uncommon in adults, and the findings can superficially resemble an orbital neoplasm. Radiographic and clinical features that might suggest the correct diagnosis include a prior history of trauma, overlying frontal lobe encephalomalacia without significant mass effect or edema, and an orbital roof defect. The "growing fracture" mechanism may be a potential explanation for the orbital roof destruction in some cases.

High-Performance Energy-Efficient Cool Metal Roof Assemblies Utilizing Building Integrated Renewable Solar Energy Technologies for New and Retrofit Building Construction

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-01

technology described in this proposal was first commercialized in 2004. It has been installed in 35 states and 5 countries primarily on residential ...temperatures. o Rainwater harvesting systems help reduce demands on potable water systems and help crowded cities manage stormwater drainage problems...of high density polyisocyanurate rigid insulation board installed over the existing roof and between the sub-purlins with the top layer taped to

Collaborative active roof design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quanjel, E.M.C.J.

2008-01-01

Roofs play an essential role in buildings. Their value and impact often significantly surpass the cost ratio they represent in the total investment cost of the building. Traditionally, roofs have a protecting function and their basic design has changed little over hundreds of years. Nowadays

Theory of the low-voltage impedance of superconductor-- p insulator--normal metal tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemberger, T.R.

1984-01-01

A theory for the low-voltage impedance of a superconductor-- p insulator--normal metal tunnel junction is developed that includes the effects of charge imbalance and of quasiparticle fluctuations. A novel, inelastic, charge-imbalance relaxation process is identified that is associated with the junction itself. This new process leads to the surprising result that the charge-imbalance component of the dc resistance of a junction becomes independent of the electron-phonon scattering rate as the insulator resistance decreases

30 CFR 75.213 - Roof support removal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... mining experience shall perform permanent roof support removal work. (b) Prior to the removal of... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Roof support removal. 75.213 Section 75.213... MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Roof Support § 75.213 Roof support removal. (a)(1) All...

Factors Influencing Arthropod Diversity on Green Roofs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bracha Y. Schindler

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Green roofs have potential for providing substantial habitat to plants, birds, and arthropod species that are not well supported by other urban habitats. Whereas the plants on a typical green roof are chosen and planted by people, the arthropods that colonize it can serve as an indicator of the ability of this novel habitat to support a diverse community of organisms. The goal of this observational study was to determine which physical characteristics of a roof or characteristics of its vegetation correlate with arthropod diversity on the roof. We intensively sampled the number of insect families on one roof with pitfall traps and also measured the soil arthropod species richness on six green roofs in the Boston, MA area. We found that the number of arthropod species in soil, and arthropod families in pitfall traps, was positively correlated with living vegetation cover. The number of arthropod species was not significantly correlated with plant diversity, green roof size, distance from the ground, or distance to the nearest vegetated habitat from the roof. Our results suggest that vegetation cover may be more important than vegetation diversity for roof arthropod diversity, at least for the first few years after establishment. Additionally, we found that even green roofs that are small and isolated can support a community of arthropods that include important functional groups of the soil food web.

Green Roof Potential in Arab Cities

OpenAIRE

Attia, Shady

2014-01-01

Urban green roofs have long been promoted as an easy and effective strategy for beautifying the built environment and increasing investment opportunity. The building roof is very important because it has a direct impact on thermal comfort and energy conservation in and around buildings. Urban green roofs can help to address the lack of green space in many urban areas. Urban green roofs provides the city with open spaces that helps reduce urban heat island effect and provides the human populat...

GREEN ROOFS — A GROWING TREND

Science.gov (United States)

One of the most interesting stormwater control systems under evaluation by EPA are “green roofs”. Green roofs are vegetative covers applied to building roofs to slow, or totally absorb, rainfall runoff during storms. While the concept of over-planted roofs is very ancient, the go...

β-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistors with drain currents exceeding 1.5 A/mm and their self-heating effect

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hong; Maize, Kerry; Qiu, Gang; Shakouri, Ali; Ye, Peide D.

2017-08-01

We have demonstrated that depletion/enhancement-mode β-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistors can achieve a record high drain current density of 1.5/1.0 A/mm by utilizing a highly doped β-Ga2O3 nano-membrane as the channel. β-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistor (GOOI FET) shows a high on/off ratio of 1010 and low subthreshold slope of 150 mV/dec even with 300 nm thick SiO2. The enhancement-mode GOOI FET is achieved through surface depletion. An ultra-fast, high resolution thermo-reflectance imaging technique is applied to study the self-heating effect by directly measuring the local surface temperature. High drain current, low Rc, and wide bandgap make the β-Ga2O3 on insulator field-effect transistor a promising candidate for future power electronics applications.

A simple rainfall-runoff model for the single and long term hydrological performance of green roofs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Locatelli, Luca; Mark, Ole; Mikkelsen, Peter Steen

Green roofs are being widely implemented for storm water control and runoff reduction. There is need for incorporating green roofs into urban drainage models in order to evaluate their impact. These models must have low computational costs and fine time resolution. This paper aims to develop...... a model of green roof hydrological performance. A simple conceptual model for the long term and single event hydrological performance of green roofs, shows to be capable of reproducing observed runoff measurements. The model has surface and subsurface storage components representing the overall retention...... capacity of the green roof. The runoff from the system is described by the non-linear reservoir method and the storage capacity of the green roof is continuously re-established by evapotranspiration. Runoff data from a green roof in Denmark are collected and used for parameter calibration....

Influence of lithological characters of coal bearing formation on stability of roof of coal seams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng Zhao-ping; Peng Su-ping; Li Guo-qing; Huang Wei; Lu Jun; Lei Zhi-yong [CUMT, Beijing (China). School of Resources and Safety Engineering

2003-07-01

Lithology is one of the important factors influencing the stability of roof of coal seams. In order to investigate this, the phenomenon of underground pressure and distribution of pressure were studied by using the local observation and simulation test with similar materials. The observation results show that the distance of initial weighting and periodic weighting of the mudstone roof is shorter than that of sandstone roofs. The sandstone roof with a high strength has a longer distance of initial weighting and periodic weighting, the abutment stress on the working face is big and the height of caving and fracture zone is high. The peak point of abutment stress in the sandstone roof is near to the working face and the pressure bump is inclined to occur. The result is contrary to that in case of the mudstone roof with a low strength. While in the transition zone of nipped sandstone, roof rock-mass is broken and is poor in stability, therefore, it is difficult to hold the roof.

Resilience of roof-top Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells during Dutch winter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helder, Marjolein; Strik, David P.B.T.B.; Timmers, Ruud A.; Raes, Sanne M.T.; Hamelers, Hubertus V.M.; Buisman, Cees J.N.

2013-01-01

The Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell (P-MFC) is in theory a technology that could produce sustainable electricity continuously. We operated two designs of the P-MFC under natural roof-top conditions in the Netherlands for 221 days, including winter, to test its resilience. Current and power densities are not stable under outdoor conditions. Highest obtained power density was 88 mW m −2 , which is lower than was achieved under lab-conditions (440 mW m −2 ). Cathode potential was in our case dependent on solar radiation, due to algae growth, making the power output dependent on a diurnal cycle. The anode potential of the P-MFC is influenced by temperature, leading to a decrease in electricity production during low temperature periods and no electricity production during frost periods. Due to freezing of the roots, plants did not survive winter and therefore did not regrow in spring. In order to make a sustainable, stable and weather independent electricity production system of the P-MFC attention should be paid to improving cathode stability and cold insulation of anode and cathode. Only when power output of the Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell can be increased under outdoor conditions and plant-vitality can be sustained over winter, it can be a promising sustainable electricity technology for the future. -- Highlights: ► Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells (P-MFCs) produce sustainable electricity under outdoor conditions. ► During frost periods no electricity is produced in P-MFCs. ► Cathodes limit performance of P-MFCs under outdoor conditions. ► Spartina anglica in P-MFCs does not survive on a roof-top during Dutch winter. ► The P-MFC needs optimization of power output to be a promising sustainable electricity technology

Future-proofing the environmental performance of low-income housing: a South African case study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ampofo-Anti, NL

2012-09-01

Full Text Available on stabilised fill ? Superstructure: Modular, hollow concrete blocks; and precast concrete window frames (applied to four out of seven windows to minimise thermal bridging). ? Finishes: Insulated ceiling board; and thermal plaster to external walls Three... performance of CH: ? Appropriate north-south orientation; ? Appropriate roof overhang combined with north-facing windows; ? Cavity walls (modular, hollow concrete blocks); ? Insulated ceiling; and ? Insulated external walls (thermal plaster). The study...

Generating realistic roofs over a rectilinear polygon

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap

2011-01-01

Given a simple rectilinear polygon P in the xy-plane, a roof over P is a terrain over P whose faces are supported by planes through edges of P that make a dihedral angle π/4 with the xy-plane. In this paper, we introduce realistic roofs by imposing a few additional constraints. We investigate the geometric and combinatorial properties of realistic roofs, and show a connection with the straight skeleton of P. We show that the maximum possible number of distinct realistic roofs over P is ( ⌊(n-4)/4⌋ (n-4)/2) when P has n vertices. We present an algorithm that enumerates a combinatorial representation of each such roof in O(1) time per roof without repetition, after O(n 4) preprocessing time. We also present an O(n 5)-time algorithm for computing a realistic roof with minimum height or volume. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Assessment of health implications related to processing and use of natural wool insulation products.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansour, E; Loxton, C; Elias, R M; Ormondroyd, G A

2014-12-01

This paper discusses possible health implications related to dust particles released during the manufacture of sheep's wool-based non-woven insulation material. Such insulation may replace traditional synthetic insulation products used in roofs, wall cavities, etc. A review of the literature concerning organic dusts in general and sheep's wool fiber summarizes dust exposure patterns, toxicological pathways and the hazards imposed by inhalation and explosion risk. This paper highlights a need for more research in order to refrain from overgeneralizing potential pulmonary and carcinogenic risks across the industries. Variables existing between industries such as the use of different wool types, processes, and additives are shown to have varying health effects. Within the final section of the paper, the health issues raised are compared with those that have been extensively documented for the rock and glass wool industries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accidents due to falls from roof slabs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudelli, Bruno Alves; Silva, Marcelo Valerio Alabarce da; Akkari, Miguel; Santili, Claudio

2013-01-01

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Falls from the roof slabs of houses are accidents of high potential severity that occur in large Brazilian cities and often affect children and adolescents. The aims of this study were to characterize the factors that predispose towards this type of fall involving children and adolescents, quantify the severity of associated lesions and suggest preventive measures. DESIGN AND SETTING Descriptive observational prospective longitudinal study in two hospitals in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. METHODS Data were collected from 29 cases of falls from roof slabs involving children and adolescents between October 2008 and October 2009. RESULTS Cases involving males were more prevalent, accounting for 84%. The predominant age group was schoolchildren (7 to 12 years old; 44%). Leisure activities were most frequently being practiced on the roof slab at the time of the fall (86%), and flying a kite was the most prevalent game (37.9%). In 72% of the cases, the children were unaccompanied by an adult responsible for them. Severe conditions such as multiple trauma and traumatic brain injuries resulted from 79% of the accidents. CONCLUSION Falls from roof slabs are accidents of high potential severity, and preventive measures aimed towards informing parents and guardians about the dangers and risk factors associated with this type of accident are needed, along with physical protective measures, such as low walls around the slab and gates with locks to restrict free access to these places.

Accidents due to falls from roof slabs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Alves Rudelli

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Falls from the roof slabs of houses are accidents of high potential severity that occur in large Brazilian cities and often affect children and adolescents. The aims of this study were to characterize the factors that predispose towards this type of fall involving children and adolescents, quantify the severity of associated lesions and suggest preventive measures. DESIGN AND SETTING Descriptive observational prospective longitudinal study in two hospitals in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. METHODS Data were collected from 29 cases of falls from roof slabs involving children and adolescents between October 2008 and October 2009. RESULTS Cases involving males were more prevalent, accounting for 84%. The predominant age group was schoolchildren (7 to 12 years old; 44%. Leisure activities were most frequently being practiced on the roof slab at the time of the fall (86%, and flying a kite was the most prevalent game (37.9%. In 72% of the cases, the children were unaccompanied by an adult responsible for them. Severe conditions such as multiple trauma and traumatic brain injuries resulted from 79% of the accidents. CONCLUSION Falls from roof slabs are accidents of high potential severity, and preventive measures aimed towards informing parents and guardians about the dangers and risk factors associated with this type of accident are needed, along with physical protective measures, such as low walls around the slab and gates with locks to restrict free access to these places.

PV ready roofing systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

The integration of PV technology into roofs of houses has become very popular in the United States, Japan, Germany and The Netherlands. There could be a considerable market in the UK for these systems, given the large number of houses that are projected to be built in the next 10 years, and taking account of increased awareness of energy issues. A significant proportion of the market share of annual installed PV is for solar PV systems installed into homes (currently 15%), this is expected to rise to 23% (900MW) by 2010. The grid connected roof and building mounted facade systems represent the fastest growing market for PV systems in Europe. In conclusion, therefore, innovative approached for fixing PV technology onto roofs have been identified for both domestic roofs and for the commercial sector. With reference to production methodologies within the roofing industry, both approaches should be capable of being designed with PV-ready connections suitable for fixing PV modules at a later date. This will help overcome the key barriers of cost of installation, skills required and the lack of retrofit potential. Based on the results of this project, Sustainable Energy together with PV Systems are keen to take forward the full research and development of PV-ready systems for both the domestic and commercial sectors.

Mobilization and distribution of lead originating from roof dust and wet deposition in a roof runoff system.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jianghua; Yu, Haixia; Huang, Xiaogu

2015-12-01

In this research, the mobilization and distribution of lead originating in roof dust and wet deposition were investigated within a roof dust-rooftop-runoff system. The results indicated that lead from roof dust and wet deposition showed different transport dynamics in runoff system and that this process was significantly influenced by the rainfall intensity. Lead present in the roof dust could be easily washed off into the runoff, and nearly 60 % of the total lead content was present in particulate form. Most of the lead from the roof dust was transported during the late period of rainfall; however, the lead concentration was higher for several minutes at the rainfall beginning. Even though some of the lead from wet deposition, simulated with a standard isotope substance, was adsorbed onto adhered roof dust and/or retained on rooftop in runoff system, most of it (50-82 %) remained as dissolved lead in the runoff for rainfall events of varying intensity. Regarding the distribution of lead in the runoff system, the results indicated that it could be carried in the runoff in dissolved and particulate form, be adsorbed to adhered roof dust, or remain on the rooftop because of adsorption to the roof material. Lead from the different sources showed different distribution patterns that were also related to the rainfall intensity. Higher rainfall intensity resulted in a higher proportion of lead in the runoff and a lower proportion of lead remaining on the rooftop.

Establishing green roof infrastructure through environmental policy instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Timothy; Fowler, Laurie

2008-07-01

Traditional construction practices provide little opportunity for environmental remediation to occur in urban areas. As concerns for environmental improvement in urban areas become more prevalent, innovative practices which create ecosystem services and ecologically functional land cover in cities will be in higher demand. Green roofs are a prime example of one of these practices. The past decade has seen the North American green roof industry rapidly expand through international green roof conferences, demonstration sites, case studies, and scientific research. This study evaluates existing international and North American green roof policies at the federal, municipal, and community levels. Green roof policies fall into a number of general categories, including direct and indirect regulation, direct and indirect financial incentives, and funding of demonstration or research projects. Advantages and disadvantages of each category are discussed. Salient features and a list of prompting standards common to successfully implemented green roof strategies are then distilled from these existing policies. By combining these features with data collected from an experimental green roof site in Athens, Georgia, the planning and regulatory framework for widespread green roof infrastructure can be developed. The authors propose policy instruments be multi-faceted and spatially focused, and also propose the following recommendations: (1) Identification of green roof overlay zones with specifications for green roofs built in these zones. This spatial analysis is important for prioritizing areas of the jurisdiction where green roofs will most efficiently function; (2) Offer financial incentives in the form of density credits and stormwater utility fee credits to help overcome the barriers to entry of the new technology; (3) Construct demonstration projects and institutionalize a commitment greening roofs on publicly-owned buildings as an effective way of establishing an educated

Establishing Green Roof Infrastructure Through Environmental Policy Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Timothy; Fowler, Laurie

2008-07-01

Traditional construction practices provide little opportunity for environmental remediation to occur in urban areas. As concerns for environmental improvement in urban areas become more prevalent, innovative practices which create ecosystem services and ecologically functional land cover in cities will be in higher demand. Green roofs are a prime example of one of these practices. The past decade has seen the North American green roof industry rapidly expand through international green roof conferences, demonstration sites, case studies, and scientific research. This study evaluates existing international and North American green roof policies at the federal, municipal, and community levels. Green roof policies fall into a number of general categories, including direct and indirect regulation, direct and indirect financial incentives, and funding of demonstration or research projects. Advantages and disadvantages of each category are discussed. Salient features and a list of prompting standards common to successfully implemented green roof strategies are then distilled from these existing policies. By combining these features with data collected from an experimental green roof site in Athens, Georgia, the planning and regulatory framework for widespread green roof infrastructure can be developed. The authors propose policy instruments be multi-faceted and spatially focused, and also propose the following recommendations: (1) Identification of green roof overlay zones with specifications for green roofs built in these zones. This spatial analysis is important for prioritizing areas of the jurisdiction where green roofs will most efficiently function; (2) Offer financial incentives in the form of density credits and stormwater utility fee credits to help overcome the barriers to entry of the new technology; (3) Construct demonstration projects and institutionalize a commitment greening roofs on publicly-owned buildings as an effective way of establishing an educated

EVALUATION OF ROOF BOLTING REQUIREMENTS BASED ON IN-MINE ROOF BOLTER DRILLING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Syd S. Peng

2005-01-15

In this quarter, the field, theoretical and programming works have been performed toward achieving the research goals set in the proposal. The main accomplishments in this quarter included: (1) one more field test has been conducted in an underground coal mine, (2) optimization studies of the control parameters have been conducted, (3) method to use torque to thrust ratio as indicator of rock relative hardness has also been explored, and (4) about 98% of the development work for the roof geology mapping program, MRGIS, has completed, (5) A real time roof geology mapping system for roof bolters in limestone mine, including a special version of the geology mapping program and hardware, has already been verified to perform very well in underground production condition.

Perspectives of roof bolt use in the Kuzbass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shirokov, A P

1983-10-01

Use of roof bolting for strata control in mine roadways and underground chambers in Kuzbass mines is discussed. Use of roof bolting in the Kuzbass is increasing. In 1982 roof bolting was used in 50% of workings driven in the basin; in 15 coal mines roof bolting was the predominant method for strata control. Use of roof bolting rather than timber props permitted advance rate of mine drivage in the Kuzbass to be increased by 1.5-2.0 times. Interaction between roof bolts and rock strata is analyzed. The following bolt types are considered: timber roof bolts, steel expansion shell bolts and thread bar bolts. Bolt design is shown, along with methods for roof bolt installation in roadways and chambers. Roof bolting during level, inclined or steep seam mining, for strata control at junctions of working faces with gate roads, at junctions of 2 roadways, in coal chutes, in hydraulic mines, during thick seam slicing with hardening stowing and longwall mining with hydraulic stowing is analyzed. Effects of roof bolting on strata control efficiency in steep coal mines employing AShchM systems are evaluated.

Mathematical modeling of large floating roof reservoir temperature arena

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Yang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The current study is a simplification of related components of large floating roof tank and modeling for three dimensional temperature field of large floating roof tank. The heat transfer involves its transfer between the hot fluid in the oil tank, between the hot fluid and the tank wall and between the tank wall and the external environment. The mathematical model of heat transfer and flow of oil in the tank simulates the temperature field of oil in tank. Oil temperature field of large floating roof tank is obtained by numerical simulation, map the curve of central temperature dynamics with time and analyze axial and radial temperature of storage tank. It determines the distribution of low temperature storage tank location based on the thickness of the reservoir temperature. Finally, it compared the calculated results and the field test data; eventually validated the calculated results based on the experimental results.

The Energy Impact in Buildings of Vegetative Solutions for Extensive Green Roofs in Temperate Climates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedetta Barozzi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Many bibliographical studies have highlighted the positive effects of green roofs as technological solutions both for new and renovated buildings. The one-year experimental monitoring campaign conducted has investigated, in detail, some aspects related to the surface temperature variation induced by the presence of different types of vegetation compared to traditional finishing systems for flat roofs and their impact from an energy and environmental point of view. The results obtained underlined how an appropriate vegetative solution selection can contribute to a significant reduction of the external surface temperatures (10 °C–20 °C for I > 500 W/m2 and 0 °C–5 °C for I < 500 W/m2, regardless of the season compared to traditional flat roofs. During the winter season, the thermal gradients of the planted surface temperatures are close to zero compared to the floor, except under special improving conditions. This entails a significant reduction of the energy loads from summer air conditioning, and an almost conservative behavior with respect to that from winter heating consumption. The analysis of the inside growing medium temperatures returned a further interesting datum, too: the temperature gradient with respect to surface temperature (annual average 4 °C–9 °C is a function of solar radiation and involves the insulating contribution of the soil.

Can green roof act as a sink for contaminants? A methodological study to evaluate runoff quality from green roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, K; Joshi, Umid Man

2014-11-01

The present study examines whether green roofs act as a sink or source of contaminants based on various physico-chemical parameters (pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids) and metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb). The performance of green roof substrate prepared using perlite, vermiculite, sand, crushed brick, and coco-peat, was compared with local garden soil based on improvement of runoff quality. Portulaca grandiflora was used as green roof vegetation. Four different green roof configurations, with vegetated and non-vegetated systems, were examined for several artificial rain events (un-spiked and metal-spiked). In general, the vegetated green roof assemblies generated better-quality runoff with less conductivity and total metal ion concentration compared to un-vegetated assemblies. Of the different green roof configurations examined, P. grandiflora planted on green roof substrate acted as sink for various metals and showed the potential to generate better runoff. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of wind on Svalbard reindeer fur insulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Cuyler

2002-06-01

Full Text Available The heat transfer through Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus fur samples was studied with respect to wind velocity, season and animal age. A total of 33 dorsal fur sections were investigated using a wind tunnel. Insulation varied with season (calving, summer, autumn and winter. At zero wind velocity, fur insulation was significantly different between seasons for both calf and adult fur samples. At the same time, there was no significant difference between calf and adult insulation for the summer, autumn and winter seasons. Calf fur insulated as well as adult fur. Winter insulation of Svalbard reindeer was approximately 3 times that of summer. Increasing wind veloci¬ty increased heat loss, however, the increase was not dramatic. When wind coefficients (slope of the heat transfer regression lines were compared, between season and between calf and adult, no significant differences were reported. All fur samples showed similar increases in heat transfer for wind velocities between 0 and 10 m.s-1. The conductance of winter fur of Svalbard reindeer was almost half that of caribou fur. Also, conductance was not as greatly influenced by wind as caribou fur

Green roofs : a resource manual for municipal policy makers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawlor, G.; Currie, B.A.; Doshi, H.; Wieditz, I. [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2006-05-15

As knowledge of the environmental benefits of green roofs and technology improves, green roofs are quickly gaining acceptance in North America. European jurisdictions have been using green roof technology for stormwater management, to reduce energy use in buildings and to increase amenity space. By reviewing the reasons that municipalities throughout the world have set green roof policies and programs, policy makers can more easily determine which policies suit their needs. This manual provided an overview of international and Canadian green roof policies and programs. It presented information on 12 jurisdictions that demonstrated leadership in green roof policy development. The manual also presented information on an additional 13 jurisdictions with less-developed green roof policies. Activities that were discussed for each of these jurisdictions included: description of jurisdiction; key motivators; green roof policy; process to establish policy; effectiveness; lessons learned; future predictions; and applicability to Canada of international jurisdictions. The manual also provided general information on green roofs such as a definition of green roofs and green roof terminology. Key motivators for green roofs include stormwater runoff control; reduction in urban heat-island effect; reduction in building energy consumption; and air pollution control. refs., tabs., figs.

Green roofs provide habitat for urban bats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.L. Parkins

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Understanding bat use of human-altered habitat is critical for developing effective conservation plans for this ecologically important taxon. Green roofs, building rooftops covered in growing medium and vegetation, are increasingly important conservation tools that make use of underutilized space to provide breeding and foraging grounds for urban wildlife. Green roofs are especially important in highly urbanized areas such as New York City (NYC, which has more rooftops (34% than green space (13%. To date, no studies have examined the extent to which North American bats utilize urban green roofs. To investigate the role of green roofs in supporting urban bats, we monitored bat activity using ultrasonic recorders on four green and four conventional roofs located in highly developed areas of NYC, which were paired to control for location, height, and local variability in surrounding habitat and species diversity. We then identified bat vocalizations on these recordings to the species level. We documented the presence of five of nine possible bat species over both roof types: Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, L. noctivagans, P. subflavus,andE. fuscus. Of the bat calls that could be identified to the species level, 66% were from L. borealis. Overall levels of bat activity were higher over green roofs than over conventional roofs. This study provides evidence that, in addition to well documented ecosystem benefits, urban green roofs contribute to urban habitat availability for several North American bat species.

The use of aluminum dome tank roofs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morovich, G.L.

1992-01-01

Since the late 1970's the aluminum dome tank roof has gained wide usage for both new and retrofit applications. The increased application for the structure results from a need for maintenance reduction, environmental considerations, concern for product quality and economics. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has approved Standard API 650, Appendix G - Structurally Supported Aluminum Dome Roofs for publication. The aluminum dome was originally used as weather cover for retrofiting external floating roof tanks. The roof was considered for the reduction of maintenance related to draining water from the external floating roofs and problems resulting from freezing of drain lines and snow accumulation. This paper reports that environmental concerns have expanded the value of aluminum dome roofs. Rainwater bypassing the seals of an external floating roof became classified as a hazardous material requiring special and expensive disposal procedures. The marketing terminal facilities typically do not have the capacity for proper treatment of contaminated bottom water. With new fuel additives being water soluble, water contamination not only created a hazardous waste disposal problem, but resulted in reduced product quality

Creating a marketplace for green roofs in Chicago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vitt Sale, L.; Berkshire, M.

2004-01-01

Since 2003, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development has been encouraging city developers to consider installing green roofs on buildings in Chicago, with the belief that this practice results in mitigation of the urban heat island effect, cleaner runoff leaving green roofs, sound attenuation, aesthetic value, oxygen production, and mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the benefits to developers, which include reduced stormwater runoff, extended roof life and energy savings, in total do not offset the first cost premium of a green roof. Despite this, and with no mandate requiring green roofs, the marketplace is growing. After seeing green roofs on a tour in Europe, the mayor of Chicago encouraged the first design and installation of a 20,300 square foot demonstration green roof in Chicago, and other city-sponsored pilot projects followed shortly after. Since then, the number of green roofs in Chicago has grown to over one million square feet. A map of Chicago showing locations of most of the projects was presented. It was suggested that lower prices for green roofs, higher energy costs and an inclination to invest in long-term strategies would accelerate the market. In an effort to engage the public in dialogue, the Department of Planning and Development held seminars to promote the benefits of green roofs . Participants had many questions about the applicability of green roofs to Chicago, expressing skepticism that Chicago's climate would provide the same benefits as in Europe. Other concerns were expressed regarding the devaluation of property values resulting from placing green roofs on buildings; doubts about roof leaks; maintenance practices; and, bugs and mold. Since the first cost premium of the system remains a question, most participants expressed interest in some kind of incentive program, but remained open-minded if benefits could be proved. 6 figs

Creating a marketplace for green roofs in Chicago

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vitt Sale, L. [Wright and Co. Chicago, IL (United States); Berkshire, M. [City of Chicago, IL (United States)

2004-07-01

Since 2003, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development has been encouraging city developers to consider installing green roofs on buildings in Chicago, with the belief that this practice results in mitigation of the urban heat island effect, cleaner runoff leaving green roofs, sound attenuation, aesthetic value, oxygen production, and mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the benefits to developers, which include reduced stormwater runoff, extended roof life and energy savings, in total do not offset the first cost premium of a green roof. Despite this, and with no mandate requiring green roofs, the marketplace is growing. After seeing green roofs on a tour in Europe, the mayor of Chicago encouraged the first design and installation of a 20,300 square foot demonstration green roof in Chicago, and other city-sponsored pilot projects followed shortly after. Since then, the number of green roofs in Chicago has grown to over one million square feet. A map of Chicago showing locations of most of the projects was presented. It was suggested that lower prices for green roofs, higher energy costs and an inclination to invest in long-term strategies would accelerate the market. In an effort to engage the public in dialogue, the Department of Planning and Development held seminars to promote the benefits of green roofs . Participants had many questions about the applicability of green roofs to Chicago, expressing skepticism that Chicago's climate would provide the same benefits as in Europe. Other concerns were expressed regarding the devaluation of property values resulting from placing green roofs on buildings; doubts about roof leaks; maintenance practices; and, bugs and mold. Since the first cost premium of the system remains a question, most participants expressed interest in some kind of incentive program, but remained open-minded if benefits could be proved. 6 figs.

Theoretical study on air flow in a solar chimney with real insulation conditions; Estudo teorico do escoamento de ar em uma chamine solar com condicoes reais de insolacao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Andre Guimaraes; Cortez, Marcio Fonte-Boa; Molina Valle, Ramon; Brasil, Cristiana Santiago [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG, (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica]. E-mail: ferreira@demec.ufmg.br

2000-07-01

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the turbulent air flow with real conditions of insulation inside a solar chimney. The flow is described by the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations, besides the transport equations of the quantities in the turbulence model (k and epsilon). Dimensionless parameters are presented at way out the device, as function of time and the insulation conditions, represented by the soil and the roof heating.

Green roofs as a means of pollution abatement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowe, D. Bradley

2011-01-01

Green roofs involve growing vegetation on rooftops and are one tool that can help mitigate the negative effects of pollution. This review encompasses published research to date on how green roofs can help mitigate pollution, how green roof materials influence the magnitude of these benefits, and suggests future research directions. The discussion concentrates on how green roofs influence air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, carbon sequestration, longevity of roofing membranes that result in fewer roofing materials in landfills, water quality of stormwater runoff, and noise pollution. Suggestions for future directions for research include plant selection, development of improved growing substrates, urban rooftop agriculture, water quality of runoff, supplemental irrigation, the use of grey water, air pollution, carbon sequestration, effects on human health, combining green roofs with complementary related technologies, and economics and policy issues. - Green roofs can help mitigate air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, sequester carbon, conserve energy, reduce the urban heat island, and improve water quality.

Survey of thermal insulation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Izumi

1983-01-01

Better thermal insulations have been developed to meet the growing demands of industry, and studies on thermal insulation at both high temperature and low temperature have been widely performed. The purpose of this survey is to summarize data on the performances and characteristics of thermal insulation materials and thermal insulation structures (for instance, gas cooled reactors, space vehicles and LNG storage tanks), and to discuss ravious problems regarding the design of thermal insulation structures of pool-type LMFBRs. (author)

Stormwater runoff mitigation and nutrient leaching from a green roof designed to attract native pollinating insects

Science.gov (United States)

Fogarty, S.; Grogan, D. S.; Hale, S. R.

2013-12-01

A green roof is typically installed for one of two reasons: to mitigate the 'urban heat island' effect, reducing ambient temperatures and creating energy savings, or to reduce both the quantity and intensity of stormwater runoff, which is a major cause of river erosion and eutrophication. The study of green roofs in the United States has focused on commercial systems that use a proprietary expanded shale or clay substrate, along with succulent desert plants (mainly Sedum species). The green roof has the potential not only to provide thermal insulation and reduce storm runoff, but also to reclaim some of the natural habitat that has been lost to the built environment. Of special importance is the loss of habitat for pollinating insects, particularly native bees, which have been in decline for at least two decades. These pollinators are essential for crop production and for the reproduction of at least 65% of wild plants globally. Our study involves the installation of a small (4ft by 4ft), self-designed green roof system built with readily available components from a hardware store. The garden will be filled with a soilless potting mix, combined with 15% compost, and planted with grasses and wildflowers native to the Seacoast, New Hampshire region. Some of the plant species are used by bees for nesting materials, while others provide food in the form of nectar, pollen, and seeds for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and granivorous birds. We monitor precipitation on the roof and runoff from the garden on a per storm basis, and test grab samples of runoff for dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphorous. Runoff and nutrient concentration results are compared to a non-vegetated roof surface, and a proprietary Green Grid green roof system. This project is designed to address three main questions of interest: 1) Can these native plant species, which potentially provide greater ecosystem services than Sedum spp. in the form of food and habitat, survive in the conditions on

Thermal Analysis of Low Layer Density Multilayer Insulation Test Results

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Wesley L.

2011-01-01

Investigation of the thermal performance of low layer density multilayer insulations is important for designing long-duration space exploration missions involving the storage of cryogenic propellants. Theoretical calculations show an analytical optimal layer density, as widely reported in the literature. However, the appropriate test data by which to evaluate these calculations have been only recently obtained. As part of a recent research project, NASA procured several multilayer insulation test coupons for calorimeter testing. These coupons were configured to allow for the layer density to be varied from 0.5 to 2.6 layer/mm. The coupon testing was completed using the cylindrical Cryostat-l00 apparatus by the Cryogenics Test Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center. The results show the properties of the insulation as a function of layer density for multiple points. Overlaying these new results with data from the literature reveals a minimum layer density; however, the value is higher than predicted. Additionally, the data show that the transition region between high vacuum and no vacuum is dependent on the spacing of the reflective layers. Historically this spacing has not been taken into account as thermal performance was calculated as a function of pressure and temperature only; however the recent testing shows that the data is dependent on the Knudsen number which takes into account pressure, temperature, and layer spacing. These results aid in the understanding of the performance parameters of MLI and help to complete the body of literature on the topic.

Modeling Košice Green Roofs Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Poorova, Zuzana; Vranayova, Zuzana

2017-06-01

The need to house population in urban areas is expected to rise to 66% in 2050, according to United Nations. The replacement of natural permeable green areas with concrete constructions and hard surfaces will be noticed. The densification of existing built-up areas is responsible for the decreasing vegetation, which results in the lack of evapotranspiration cooling the air. Such decreasing vegetation causes urban heat islands. Since roofs and pavements have a very low albedo, they absorb a lot of sunlight. Several studies have shown that natural and permeable surfaces, as in the case of green roofs, can play crucial role in mitigating this negative climate phenomenon and providing higher efficiency for the building, leading to savings. Such as water saving, what is the main idea of this research.

The inaccuracy of heat transfer characteristics for non-insulated and insulated spherical containers neglecting the influence of heat radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, King-Leung; Salazar, Jose Luis Leon; Prasad, Leo; Chen, Wen-Lih

2011-01-01

In this investigation, the differences of heat transfer characteristics for insulated and non-insulated spherical containers between considering and neglecting the influence of heat radiation are studied by the simulations in some practical situations. It is found that the heat radiation effect cannot be ignored in conditions of low ambient convection heat coefficients (such ambient air) and high surface emissivities, especially for the non-insulated and thin insulated cases. In most practical situations when ambient temperature is different from surroundings temperature and the emissivity of insulation surface is different from that of metal wall surface, neglecting heat radiation will result in inaccurate insulation effect and heat transfer errors even with very thick insulation. However, the insulation effect considering heat radiation will only increase a very small amount after some dimensionless insulated thickness (such insulation thickness/radius ≥0.2 in this study), thus such dimensionless insulated thickness can be used as the optimum thickness in practical applications. Meanwhile, wrapping a material with low surface emissivity (such as aluminum foil) around the oxidized metal wall or insulation layer (always with high surface emissivity) can achieve very good insulated effect for the non-insulated or thin insulated containers.

Indoor ice arenas. Humidity caused problems and suggested solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-01-01

This report was prepared to assist indoor ice arena managers in Canada to solve common problems related to humidity. These problems typically include leaking roofs, deterioration of roof and insulation, condensation on indoor walls, damages to exterior walls due to condensation on exterior metal parts, rusting metal elements, high energy bills, and long and costly ice-making periods. Recommendations are made for improved roof insulation systems, proper sealing, maintenance, and repair. High energy costs are seen as due to insufficient insulation, air leakage, and heat losses by radiation and convection. Convection can be controlled by dehumidification and shielding the ice from air currents. Radiation losses can be lowered by using a low-emmissivity suspended ceiling; this effectively breaks the flow of radiated heat from the roof toward the ice sheet, and has the additional benefit of lowering of lighting energy demand by acting as a reflector. It is shown that these measures can result in significant energy cost savings with favorable payback periods. 10 figs.

Design and development of green roof substrate to improve runoff water quality: plant growth experiments and adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, K; Raja, Franklin D

2014-10-15

Many studies worldwide have investigated the potential benefits achievable by transforming brown roofs of buildings to green roofs. However, little literature examined the runoff quality/sorption ability of green roofs. As the green roof substrate is the main component to alter the quality of runoff, this investigation raises the possibility of using a mixture of low-cost inorganic materials to develop a green roof substrate. The tested materials include exfoliated vermiculite, expanded perlite, crushed brick and sand along with organic component (coco-peat). Detailed physical and chemical analyses revealed that each of these materials possesses different characteristics and hence a mix of these materials was desirable to develop an optimal green roof substrate. Using factorial design, 18 different substrate mixes were prepared and detailed examination indicated that mix-12 exhibited desirable characteristics of green roof substrate with low bulk density (431 kg/m(3)), high water holding capacity (39.4%), air filled porosity (19.5%), and hydraulic conductivity (4570 mm/h). The substrate mix also provided maximum support to Portulaca grandiflora (380% total biomass increment) over one month of growth. To explore the leaching characteristics and sorption capacity of developed green roof substrate, a down-flow packed column arrangement was employed. High conductivity and total dissolved solids along with light metal ions (Na, K, Ca and Mg) were observed in the leachates during initial stages of column operation; however the concentration of ions ceased during the final stages of operation (600 min). Experiments with metal-spiked deionized water revealed that green roof substrate possess high sorption capacity towards various heavy metal ions (Al, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cd). Thus the developed growth substrate possesses desirable characteristics for green roofs along with high sorption capacity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Six aspects to inspirational green roof design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiers, H. [SWA Group, Sausalito, CA (United States)

2004-07-01

Green roofs have been categorized as a technology that is not initially faster, better or cheaper, and may even under perform established products. However, green roofs have features and values that early adopters are ready to experiment with in small markets, thereby creating awareness of the technology. Termed as disruptive technologies, green roofs can become competitive within the mainstream market against established products. The challenge in green roof construction is to find the correct balance between idealistic principles and leading edge design. This paper presented case studies to examine the following 6 aspects of design fundamentals to the creation of inspirational green roofs: the use of colour; experimentation with materials and technology; incorporation of texture, form, and pattern; definition of space; engagement of vistas; and, principles of bio-regionalism. It was concluded that good design is not enough to lead to widespread green roof implementation. It was emphasized that change will occur primarily because of the benefits acquired through implementation. 11 refs., 7 figs.

Performance evaluation on cool roofs for green remodeling

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Yosun; Cho, Dongwoo; Cho, Kyungjoo

2018-06-01

Cool roofs refer that maximize heat emission, and minimize the absorption of solar radiation energy, by applying high solar reflectance paints, or materials to roofs or rooftops. The application of cool roofs to existing buildings does not need to take structural issues into consideration, as rooftop greening, is an alternative that can be applied to existing buildings easily. This study installed a cool roofs on existing buildings, and evaluated the performances, using the results to propose certification standards for green remodeling, considering the cool roof-related standards.

Green Roofs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2004-08-01

A New Technology Demonstration Publication Green roofs can improve the energy performance of federal buildings, help manage stormwater, reduce airborne emissions, and mitigate the effects of urban heat islands.

Green Roofs and Green Walls for Biodiversity Conservation: A Contribution to Urban Connectivity?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flavie Mayrand

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Green roofs and walls have recently emerged as conservation tools, and they offer promising additional opportunities to enhance biodiversity in cities. However, their ecological conditions remain poorly considered when planning wildlife corridors. To discuss the role of vegetated buildings in landscape connectivity, we reviewed the ecological and technical specificities of green walls and green roofs in light of the key factors concerning urban wildlife (patch size, quality, abundance, and isolation. Green roofs and walls show limited patch sizes, distinct habitat quality at the building scale, and limited redundancy of patch quality within the landscape. We also highlight that the abundance of roof and wall patches is often low. Future research is needed to establish if walls can be vertical corridors for wildlife, thereby reducing the isolation of green roofs. We argue that creating 3D ecological connectivity within the city requires substantial modifications of the design and maintenance of existing green building systems. We suggest that research is needed to integrate the biotic and abiotic characteristics of green buildings to make them more closely resemble those of open green spaces.

Variations of PV Panel Performance Installed over a Vegetated Roof and a Conventional Black Roof

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed J. Alshayeb

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The total worldwide photovoltaic (PV capacity has been growing from about 1 GW at the beginning of the twenty-first century to over 300 GW in 2016 and is expected to reach 740 GW by 2022. PV panel efficiency is reported by PV manufacturers based on laboratory testing under Standard Testing Condition with a specific temperature of 25 °C and solar irradiation of 1000 W/m2. This research investigated the thermal interactions between the building roof surface and PV panels by examining the differences in PV panel temperature and energy output for those installed over a green roof (PV-Green and those installed over a black roof (PV-Black. A year-long experimental study was conducted over the roof of an educational building with roof mounted PV panels with a system capacity of 4.3 kW to measure PV underside surface temperature (PV-UST, ambient air temperature between PV panel and building roof (PV-AT, and PV energy production (PV-EP. The results show that during the summer the PV-Green consistently recorded lower PV-UST and PV-AT temperatures and more PV-EP than PV-Black. The average hourly PV-EP difference was about 0.045 kWh while the maximum PV-EP difference was about 0.075 kWh, which represents roughly a 3.3% and 5.3% increase in PV-EP. For the entire study period, EP-Green produced 19.4 kWh more energy, which represents 1.4% more than EP-Black.

Lightweight, Thermally Insulating Structural Panels

Science.gov (United States)

Eisen, Howard J.; Hickey, Gregory; Wen, Liang-Chi; Layman, William E.; Rainen, Richard A.; Birur, Gajanana C.

1996-01-01

Lightweight, thermally insulating panels that also serve as structural members developed. Honeycomb-core panel filled with low-thermal-conductivity, opacified silica aerogel preventing convection and minimizes internal radiation. Copper coating on face sheets reduces radiation. Overall thermal conductivities of panels smaller than state-of-art commercial non-structurally-supporting foam and fibrous insulations. On Earth, panels suitable for use in low-air-pressure environments in which lightweight, compact, structurally supporting insulation needed; for example, aboard high-altitude aircraft or in partially evacuated panels in refrigerators.

Research on the compressive strength of a passenger vehicle roof

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Guanglei; Cao, Jianxiao; Liu, Tao; Yang, Na; Zhao, Hongguang

2017-05-01

To study the compressive strength of a passenger vehicle roof, this paper makes the simulation test on the static collapse of the passenger vehicle roof and analyzes the stress and deformation of the vehicle roof under pressure in accordance with the Roof Crush Resistance of Passenger Cars (GB26134-2010). It studies the optimization on the major stressed parts, pillar A, pillar B and the rail of roof, during the static collapse process of passenger vehicle roof. The result shows that the thickness of pillar A and the roof rail has significant influence on the compressive strength of the roof while that of pillar B has minor influence on the compressive strength of the roof.

Decline of Low-Frequency Hearing in People With Ski-Slope Hearing Loss; Implications for Electrode Array Insertion.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuurbiers, Jasper; Dingemanse, Gertjan; Metselaar, Mick

2017-12-01

The decline of low-frequency hearing in people with ski-slope hearing loss varies and might depend on etiology. People with ski-sloping hearing loss might benefit from cochlear implantation with preservation of residual hearing. To reduce the risk of losing low-frequency hearing after implantation, the electrode-array can be inserted partially up to the desired frequency. That, however, obstructs electrical stimulation of lower frequencies. To decide between complete or partial insertion, knowledge regarding the natural decline of low-frequency hearing is helpful. Patients with at least two ski-slope audiograms over time were selected. We calculated progression at lower frequencies for 320 patients. Etiologies for hearing loss were retrieved from medical records. Progression of hearing loss was analyzed separately for patients with uni- and bilateral hearing losses. Relative progression of hearing loss was obtained by comparing progression to a reference group. Average progression of PTA was 1.73 dB/yr and was not significantly different in the bilateral and unilateral group. Etiologies that did not show significantly more progression compared with the reference group could be identified as single or short-lasting pathologic events, whereas long-lasting conditions had significant more progression of PTA. Patients with a ski-slope hearing loss that was caused by a single or short-lasting event have low progression rate and are viable for partial insertion to minimize the risk of damaging residual low-frequency hearing. In the absence of such an event, complete insertion should be considered because faster than normal deterioration of low-frequency hearing over time will probably limit the advantage of preservation of residual hearing.

Stability of low-carrier-density topological-insulator Bi2Se3 thin films and effect of capping layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salehi, Maryam; Brahlek, Matthew; Koirala, Nikesh; Moon, Jisoo; Oh, Seongshik; Wu, Liang; Armitage, N. P.

2015-01-01

Although over the past number of years there have been many advances in the materials aspects of topological insulators (TIs), one of the ongoing challenges with these materials is the protection of them against aging. In particular, the recent development of low-carrier-density bulk-insulating Bi 2 Se 3 thin films and their sensitivity to air demands reliable capping layers to stabilize their electronic properties. Here, we study the stability of the low-carrier-density Bi 2 Se 3 thin films in air with and without various capping layers using DC and THz probes. Without any capping layers, the carrier density increases by ∼150% over a week and by ∼280% over 9 months. In situ-deposited Se and ex situ-deposited poly(methyl methacrylate) suppress the aging effect to ∼27% and ∼88%, respectively, over 9 months. The combination of effective capping layers and low-carrier-density TI films will open up new opportunities in topological insulators

Voltage-driven magnetization control in topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Flatté

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A major barrier to the development of spin-based electronics is the transition from current-driven spin torque, or magnetic-field-driven magnetization reversal, to a more scalable voltage-driven magnetization reversal. To achieve this, multiferroic materials appear attractive, however the effects in current materials occur at very large voltages or at low temperatures. Here the potential of a new class of hybrid multiferroic materials is described, consisting of a topological insulator adjacent to a magnetic insulator, for which an applied electric field reorients the magnetization. As these materials lack conducting states at the chemical potential in their bulk, no dissipative charge currents flow in the bulk. Surface states at the interface, if present, produce effects similar to surface recombination currents in bipolar devices, but can be passivated using magnetic doping. Even without conducting states at the chemical potential, for a topological insulator there is a finite spin Hall conductivity provided by filled bands below the chemical potential. Spin accumulation at the interface with the magnetic insulator provides a torque on the magnetization. Properly timed voltage pulses can thus reorient the magnetic moment with only the flow of charge current required in the leads to establish the voltage. If the topological insulator is sufficiently thick the resulting low capacitance requires little charge current.

ROOF TYPE SELECTION BASED ON PATCH-BASED CLASSIFICATION USING DEEP LEARNING FOR HIGH RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Partovi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available 3D building reconstruction from remote sensing image data from satellites is still an active research topic and very valuable for 3D city modelling. The roof model is the most important component to reconstruct the Level of Details 2 (LoD2 for a building in 3D modelling. While the general solution for roof modelling relies on the detailed cues (such as lines, corners and planes extracted from a Digital Surface Model (DSM, the correct detection of the roof type and its modelling can fail due to low quality of the DSM generated by dense stereo matching. To reduce dependencies of roof modelling on DSMs, the pansharpened satellite images as a rich resource of information are used in addition. In this paper, two strategies are employed for roof type classification. In the first one, building roof types are classified in a state-of-the-art supervised pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN framework. In the second strategy, deep features from deep layers of different pre-trained CNN model are extracted and then an RBF kernel using SVM is employed to classify the building roof type. Based on roof complexity of the scene, a roof library including seven types of roofs is defined. A new semi-automatic method is proposed to generate training and test patches of each roof type in the library. Using the pre-trained CNN model does not only decrease the computation time for training significantly but also increases the classification accuracy.

Green roof valuation: a probabilistic economic analysis of environmental benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Corrie; Adriaens, Peter; Talbot, F Brian

2008-03-15

Green (vegetated) roofs have gained global acceptance as a technologythat has the potential to help mitigate the multifaceted, complex environmental problems of urban centers. While policies that encourage green roofs exist atthe local and regional level, installation costs remain at a premium and deter investment in this technology. The objective of this paper is to quantitatively integrate the range of stormwater, energy, and air pollution benefits of green roofs into an economic model that captures the building-specific scale. Currently, green roofs are primarily valued on increased roof longevity, reduced stormwater runoff, and decreased building energy consumption. Proper valuation of these benefits can reduce the present value of a green roof if investors look beyond the upfront capital costs. Net present value (NPV) analysis comparing a conventional roof system to an extensive green roof system demonstrates that at the end of the green roof lifetime the NPV for the green roof is between 20.3 and 25.2% less than the NPV for the conventional roof over 40 years. The additional upfront investment is recovered at the time when a conventional roof would be replaced. Increasing evidence suggests that green roofs may play a significant role in urban air quality improvement For example, uptake of N0x is estimated to range from $1683 to $6383 per metric ton of NOx reduction. These benefits were included in this study, and results translate to an annual benefit of $895-3392 for a 2000 square meter vegetated roof. Improved air quality leads to a mean NPV for the green roof that is 24.5-40.2% less than the mean conventional roof NPV. Through innovative policies, the inclusion of air pollution mitigation and the reduction of municipal stormwater infrastructure costs in economic valuation of environmental benefits of green roofs can reduce the cost gap that currently hinders U.S. investment in green roof technology.

Metal and nutrient dynamics on an aged intensive green roof.

Science.gov (United States)

Speak, A F; Rothwell, J J; Lindley, S J; Smith, C L

2014-01-01

Runoff and rainfall quality was compared between an aged intensive green roof and an adjacent conventional roof surface. Nutrient concentrations in the runoff were generally below Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) values and the green roof exhibited NO3(-) retention. Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were in excess of EQS values for the protection of surface water. Green roof runoff was also significantly higher in Fe and Pb than on the bare roof and in rainfall. Input-output fluxes revealed the green roof to be a potential source of Pb. High concentrations of Pb within the green roof soil and bare roof dusts provide a potential source of Pb in runoff. The origin of the Pb is likely from historic urban atmospheric deposition. Aged green roofs may therefore act as a source of legacy metal pollution. This needs to be considered when constructing green roofs with the aim of improving pollution remediation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal and nutrient dynamics on an aged intensive green roof

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speak, A.F.; Rothwell, J.J.; Lindley, S.J.; Smith, C.L.

2014-01-01

Runoff and rainfall quality was compared between an aged intensive green roof and an adjacent conventional roof surface. Nutrient concentrations in the runoff were generally below Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) values and the green roof exhibited NO 3 − retention. Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were in excess of EQS values for the protection of surface water. Green roof runoff was also significantly higher in Fe and Pb than on the bare roof and in rainfall. Input–output fluxes revealed the green roof to be a potential source of Pb. High concentrations of Pb within the green roof soil and bare roof dusts provide a potential source of Pb in runoff. The origin of the Pb is likely from historic urban atmospheric deposition. Aged green roofs may therefore act as a source of legacy metal pollution. This needs to be considered when constructing green roofs with the aim of improving pollution remediation. -- Highlights: • Runoff from an aged intensive green roof was characterised. • Nutrient levels were not problematic for runoff quality. • High concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were found in the runoff. • Soil contamination was a likely source of metals in roof runoff. • Historic Pb atmospheric deposition may be the source of contamination. -- Aged green roofs may act as a store of legacy lead pollution

Roof slab cooling device in a FBR type reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarutani, Kohei

1987-01-01

Purpose: To obtain a roof slab cooling device capable of retaining cooling performance even in a case of electric power supply stop or failure and effective from economical point of view. Constitution: Atmospheric air is introduced into the cooling chamber of a proof slab and spontaneously passed to a exit pipeway connected to a stack thereby cooling the roof slab. Specifically, atmospheric air entered from the inlet pipeway is introduced to the cooling chamber and absorbs heat generate from the inside of the reactor container. Warmed air is sucked from the exit pipeway and then released into the atmosphere passing through the stack. The air cools the roof slab during circulation due to spontaneous passage and keeps the slab at a low temperature. Since the air is passed spontaneously, no power such as for a blower is required at all and, if the electric power supply should be lost, the cooling power can be maintained as it is to provide a high reliability. Further, since no electric power is required for the blowing power, it has high economical merit. (Horiuchi, T.)

Probabilistic economic analysis of green roof benefits for policy design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, C.; Adriaens, P.; Talbot, B.

2006-01-01

The installation costs of green roofs continue to deter widespread use of green roof technology. Analyses of the boundary conditions for the cost differential between a green roof and a conventional roof are usually compared to environmental benefits such as storm water reduction and building energy savings. However, evidence is emerging that green roofs may play a role in urban air quality improvement. This paper discussed a methodology for developing probabilistic ranges of benefits and cost analyses. A probabilistic analysis was conducted to prepare a generalized cost-benefit analysis for application to a range of green roof projects. Environmental benefits of roof greening were quantified on a per unit surface area to assess environmental impact at the building scale. Parameters included conventional and green roof installation costs; storm water fees and fee reductions for green roofs; energy costs due to heat flux and the resultant savings through the installation of a green roof and the additional economic valuation of the public health benefits due to air pollution mitigation. Results were then integrated into an economic model to determine the length of time required for a return on investment in a green roof, assuming that a traditional roof would require replacement after 20 years. A net present value analysis was performed for an average-sized university roof. Results of the study showed that a valuation of environmental benefits can reduce the time required for a return on investment in a moderately priced green roof. While reduced installation costs reduced the time required for a return on investment, optimizing the green roof system for maximum environmental benefit had a greater potential to provide a higher return. It was concluded that the benefit of improved air quality should not be ignored by green roof policy-makers as a valuation tool. 10 refs., 3 tabs., 1 fig

Influence of roof motion in LMFBR containment loading studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potter, R.; Lancefield, M.J.; Sidoli, J.E.A.; Broadhouse, B.J.; Green, R.S.

1982-01-01

Following an HCDA the reactor roof may be threatened by coolant impact. Recent trends in CDFR roof design suggest that roof movement during the impact process may reduce the roof loading as a result of the fluid-structure interaction. The paper describes analytic studies of the phenomena, extensions to the SEURBNUK containment code to the roof flexibility and fluid-structure coupling, and results of experiments which confirm the reduced impulse and provide validation of the mathematical modelling

Cost Analysis of Roof-Only Air Sealing and Insulation Strategies on 1 1/2-Story Homes in Cold Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojczyk, C. [NorthernSTAR, St. Paul, MN (United States)

2014-12-01

The External Thermal and Moisture Management System (ETMMS), typically seen in deep energy retrofits, is a valuable approach for the roof-only portions of existing homes, particularly the 1 ½-story home. It is effective in reducing energy loss through the building envelope, improving building durability, reducing ice dams, and providing opportunities to improve occupant comfort and health.

Cost Analysis of Roof-Only Air Sealing and Insulation Strategies on 1 1/2-Story Homes in Cold Climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojczyk, C.

2014-12-01

The External Thermal and Moisture Management System (ETMMS), typically seen in deep energy retrofits, is a valuable approach for the roof-only portions of existing homes, particularly the 1 1/2-story home. It is effective in reducing energy loss through the building envelope, improving building durability, reducing ice dams, and providing opportunities to improve occupant comfort and health.

A green roof grant program for Washington DC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, P.A.

2007-01-01

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) began its green roof demonstration project with $300,000 in funding provided by the DC Water and Sewer Authority. This paper reviewed the history of the project, its goals and early findings. The main objective was to demonstrate the technical, policy and economic feasibility of installing green roofs on commercial buildings in Washington DC and to promote green roofs as a means to manage storm water and improve water quality through the reduction of excessive runoff. The CBF has issued grants for the installation of 7 green roofs varying in size, design, location, and use. The projects included both new and existing structures designed to improve storm-water management in an urban area with significant pollution stress on the adjacent rivers. This paper provided technical, cost, and performance evaluations of each roof. A public outreach segment provided information to decision-makers to encourage more widespread replication of green roof technology throughout the metropolitan area. Much of the District of Columbia is served by a combined sewer system that becomes overloaded and discharges raw sewage into adjacent rivers during even moderately heavy rains. An average of 75 overflow events each year result in 1.5 billion gallons discharged into the Anacostia River. The installation of green roofs on buildings in the combined sewer area would retain storm water during these heavy rains and reduce the amount of overflow discharges. Apartments, as well as commercial and government buildings with mostly flat roofs are the most likely candidates for green roofs. The demonstration roofs are intended to become models, which all building owners could use as a guide for future plans for construction or re-construction to expand green roof coverage in Washington DC. It was emphasized that although such large-scale replication will take time and financial investments, it is achievable given enough political will and commercial awareness of

Green infrastructure in high-rise residential development on steep slopes in city of Vladivostok

Science.gov (United States)

Kopeva, Alla; Ivanova, Olga; Khrapko, Olga

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the facilities of green infrastructure that are able to improve living conditions in an urban environment in high-rise residential apartments buildings on steep slopes in the city of Vladivostok. Based on the analysis of theoretical sources and practices that can be observed in the world, green infrastructure facilities have been identified. These facilities meet the criteria of the sustainable development concept, and can be used in the city of Vladivostok. They include green roofs, green walls, and greening of disturbed slopes. All the existing high-rise apartments buildings situated on steep slopes in the city of Vladivostok, have been studied. It is concluded that green infrastructure is necessary to be used in new projects connected with designing and constructing of residential apartments buildings on steep slopes, as well as when upgrading the projects that have already been implemented. That will help to regulate the ecological characteristics of the sites. The results of the research can become a basis for increasing the sustainability of the habitat, and will facilitate the adoption of decisions in the field of urban design and planning.

Green infrastructure in high-rise residential development on steep slopes in city of Vladivostok

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kopeva Alla

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to identify the facilities of green infrastructure that are able to improve living conditions in an urban environment in high-rise residential apartments buildings on steep slopes in the city of Vladivostok. Based on the analysis of theoretical sources and practices that can be observed in the world, green infrastructure facilities have been identified. These facilities meet the criteria of the sustainable development concept, and can be used in the city of Vladivostok. They include green roofs, green walls, and greening of disturbed slopes. All the existing high-rise apartments buildings situated on steep slopes in the city of Vladivostok, have been studied. It is concluded that green infrastructure is necessary to be used in new projects connected with designing and constructing of residential apartments buildings on steep slopes, as well as when upgrading the projects that have already been implemented. That will help to regulate the ecological characteristics of the sites. The results of the research can become a basis for increasing the sustainability of the habitat, and will facilitate the adoption of decisions in the field of urban design and planning.

Roof assembly

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Villiers, A

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this chapter is to provide sustainability criteria for roof system design that can be used by planners, designers and developers as a planning, design and development guide for sustainable building projects....

A modelling study of long term green roof retention performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Stovin, Virginia; Poë, Simon; Berretta, Christian

2013-12-15

This paper outlines the development of a conceptual hydrological flux model for the long term continuous simulation of runoff and drought risk for green roof systems. A green roof's retention capacity depends upon its physical configuration, but it is also strongly influenced by local climatic controls, including the rainfall characteristics and the restoration of retention capacity associated with evapotranspiration during dry weather periods. The model includes a function that links evapotranspiration rates to substrate moisture content, and is validated against observed runoff data. The model's application to typical extensive green roof configurations is demonstrated with reference to four UK locations characterised by contrasting climatic regimes, using 30-year rainfall time-series inputs at hourly simulation time steps. It is shown that retention performance is dependent upon local climatic conditions. Volumetric retention ranges from 0.19 (cool, wet climate) to 0.59 (warm, dry climate). Per event retention is also considered, and it is demonstrated that retention performance decreases significantly when high return period events are considered in isolation. For example, in Sheffield the median per-event retention is 1.00 (many small events), but the median retention for events exceeding a 1 in 1 yr return period threshold is only 0.10. The simulation tool also provides useful information about the likelihood of drought periods, for which irrigation may be required. A sensitivity study suggests that green roofs with reduced moisture-holding capacity and/or low evapotranspiration rates will tend to offer reduced levels of retention, whilst high moisture-holding capacity and low evapotranspiration rates offer the strongest drought resistance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New insights into the ground thermal regime of talus slopes with permafrost below the timberline

Science.gov (United States)

Schwindt, Daniel; Kneisel, Christof

2013-04-01

In the central Alps permafrost can be expected above 2400 m a.s.l., at altitudes where mean annual air temperatures are below -1° C. However, isolated permafrost occurrences are present in north-exposed talus slopes, far below the timberline, where mean annual air temperatures are positive. Driving factors are assumed to be a low income of solar radiation, a thick organic layer with high insulation capacities as well as the thermally induced chimney effect (Wakonigg, 1996). Investigated are three talus slopes with permafrost in the Swiss Alps that differ with regard to elevation level, talus material, humus characteristics and vegetation composition as well as the mean annual air temperatures. Aim is to achieve a deeper understanding of the factors determining the site-specific thermal regime, as well as the spatially limited and temporally highly variable permafrost occurrences in vegetated talus slopes. Focus is not solely on the question of why permafrost exists at these sites, but also why permafrost does not exist in the immediate surroundings. To detect the temporal variability and spatial heterogeneity of the permafrost occurrences, electrical resistivity tomography monitoring, seismic refraction tomography monitoring, and quasi-3D ERT were applied. To determine the ground thermal regime, air-, ground surface-, and humus temperatures, as well as temperatures within vents of the chimneys were recorded. Furthermore, humus characteristics (thickness, -temperature and -moisture) were mapped in permafrost-affected slope areas and in the immediate surroundings. To test the correlation between solar radiation, permafrost distribution, and humus/vegetation composition, digital elevation models were used to calculate the income of solar radiation. The areal extent of the permafrost bodies coincide precisely with slope sections where the organic layer is thickest, a consistent moss cover is present, and where temperatures at the transition between humus layer and

Enhanced Thermal Performance of Mosques in Qatar

Science.gov (United States)

Touma, A. Al; Ouahrani, D.

2017-12-01

Qatar has an abundance of mosques that significantly contribute to the increasing energy consumption in the country. Little attention has been given to providing mitigation methods that limit the energy demands of mosques without violating the worshippers’ thermal comfort. Most of these researches dealt with enhancing the mosque envelope through the addition of insulation layers. Since most mosque walls in Qatar are mostly already insulated, this study proposes the installation of shading on the mosque roof that is anticipated to yield similar energy savings in comparison with insulated roofs. An actual mosque in Qatar, which is a combination of six different spaces consisting of men and women’s prayer rooms, ablutions and toilets, was simulated and yielded a total annual energy demand of 619.55 kWh/m2. The mosque, whose walls are already insulated, yielded 9.1% energy savings when an insulation layer was added to its roof whereas it produced 6.2% energy savings when a shading layer was added above this roof. As the reconstruction of the roof envelope is practically unrealistic in existing mosques, the addition of shading to the roof was found to produce comparable energy savings. Lastly, it was found that new mosques with thin-roof insulation and shading tend to be more energy-efficient than those with thick-roof insulation.

Impact- and earthquake- proof roof structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shohara, Ryoichi.

1990-01-01

Building roofs are constituted with roof slabs, an earthquake proof layer at the upper surface thereof and an impact proof layer made of iron-reinforced concrete disposed further thereover. Since the roofs constitute an earthquake proof structure loading building dampers on the upper surface of the slabs by the concrete layer, seismic inputs of earthquakes to the buildings can be moderated and the impact-proof layer is formed, to ensure the safety to external conditions such as earthquakes or falling accidents of airplane in important facilities such as reactor buildings. (T.M.)

Short locking time and low jitter phase-locked loop based on slope charge pump control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Zhongjie; Liu Youbao; Wu Longsheng; Wang Xihu; Tang Wei

2010-01-01

A novel structure of a phase-locked loop (PLL) characterized by a short locking time and low jitter is presented, which is realized by generating a linear slope charge pump current dependent on monitoring the output of the phase frequency detector (PFD) to implement adaptive bandwidth control. This improved PLL is created by utilizing a fast start-up circuit and a slope current control on a conventional charge pump PLL. First, the fast start-up circuit is enabled to achieve fast pre-charging to the loop filter. Then, when the output pulse of the PFD is larger than a minimum value, the charge pump current is increased linearly by the slope current control to ensure a shorter locking time and a lower jitter. Additionally, temperature variation is attenuated with the temperature compensation in the charge pump current design. The proposed PLL has been fabricated in a kind of DSP chip based on a 0.35 μm CMOS process. Comparing the characteristics with the classical PLL, the proposed PLL shows that it can reduce the locking time by 60% with a low peak-to-peak jitter of 0.3% at a wide operation temperature range. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Eco-Environmental Factors in Green Roof Application in Indian Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, M.

2014-09-01

Green-roof is the cost-effective environmental mitigation strategy for urban areas [1]. Its application is limited in India primarily due to inadequate understanding about its cost-benefit analysis and technicalities of its maintenance. Increasing awareness about green roof can alter conservative attitude towards its application. So, this work presents a quantified study on green-roof types, cost and environmental benefits while considering different geo-urban climate scenarios for cities of Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi. Cost estimation for extensive and intensive green-roof with reference to commonly used roof in urban India is also worked out. Attributes considered for environmental discussion are energy savings related to thermal heat gain through roof, roof-top storm-water drainage and sound attenuation. The comparative study confirms that further focused study on individual cities would identify city-specific objectives for green-roof application; strategies like awareness, capacity building programmes, incentives, demonstration projects etc. can be worked out accordingly for wider application of green-roof in Indian cities.

A Case Study of Effective Support Working Resistance and Roof Support Technology in Thick Seam Fully-Mechanized Face Mining with Hard Roof Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-bin Guo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the engineering geological properties and roof control tecnology for a thick coal seam fully-mechanized face mining with hard roof conditions (THC at the Jinhuagong Coal Mine (JCM, northwest China. The effective support working resistance and appropriate roof control technology are two critical factors for safe and productive mining in the THC. The load-estimate-method (LOEM is the effective method to determine the support working resistance for normal working conditions (the mining height less than 3.5 m. In order to prevent support crushing accidents from happening and to ensure the safety and high-efficiency in the THC, the LOEM was modified based on the structure of the overlying strata in the THC. The strata which can form the voussoir beam structure in normal working conditions and will break in the form of cantilever beam in the THC is defined as the key strata in the immediate roof. Therefore, the hanging length of the key strata in the immediate roof was considered in the LOEM. Furthermore, a method for calculating the hanging length of the key strata in the immediate roof and its influencing factors were proposed using cantilever beam theory analysis of the structure of the overlying strata. Moreover, in order to fully fill the goaf area with caving roof to reduce the energy accumulation of main roof movement, it was decided to apply destress blasting technique (DEBT at the JCM to control the large hanging length of the hard roof, so as to reduce the impact of the hard main roof movement on the working face. The key technique parameters of the roof caving borehole were also proposed. The obtained results demonstrated that the theoretical analysis is reasonable, and the chosen support type and the DEBT could meet the roof control requirements. The THC has achieved safety and high-efficiency mining.

The acoustically induced response of reactor thermal insulation at low frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitton, P.N.

1979-01-01

The response of insulation assemblies to sound is considered, and in particular the behaviour in the lower modes. Experimental confirmation of the theoretical results are reported using simulated insulation assemblies excited in a reverberant sound field. It is shown that response increases with the irregularity of cover plate shape and attachment arrangements, and that large variations in response with spatial position in a cavity are possible. Consideration is also given to the sound radiation from the back face of the coverplate in contact with the insulant. The results are important when extrapolating measurements made on insulation specimens in air to reactor conditions. (author)

Extensive Green Roof Ecological Benefits in Latvia

OpenAIRE

Rušenieks, Rihards; Kamenders, Agris

2013-01-01

Extensive green roof ecological benefits are studiedin this paper. The research contains a brief explanation aboutgreen roof technology and green roof ecological benefits. Greenroof capability to retain rainwater runoff by accumulating it instorage layers and conducting it back into the atmospherethrough evapotranspiration is studied and modeled. Modeling isdone in Stormwater Management Model 5.0 software. The modelis based on an existing warehouse-type building located in Rigaand hourly Riga...

Use Of Snow And Ice Melting Heating Cables On Roofs Of Existing Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metin ONAL

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Roofs are construction elements which form the upper part of a building and protect it from the all kinds of fall wind and sun lights. They are made as inclined or terrace shaped according to the climatic characteristics of the area they are located and their intended use. Inclined type roofs are preferred for aesthetic and or functionality. It is in interest of mechanical engineering that falling snow on long and effective regions of winter conditions accumulate on the roof surfaces with low inclination due to adhesion force between snowflakes and the roof covering. The mass of snow that turns into ice due to cold weather and wind creates stalactites in the eaves due to gravity. This snow mass leavesbreaks off from inclined surfaces due to the effect of the sun or any vibration and can damage to people or other objects around the building. Falling snow and ice masses from rooftops in urban areas where winter months are intense are also a matter for engineering applications of landscape architecture. In order to prevent snow and icing on the roofs of the buildings located especially in busy human and vehicle traffic routes the use of heating cables is a practical method. The icing can be prevented by means of the heating cables selected according to the installed power to be calculated based on the type of roof and the current country. The purpose of this study is to introduce heating systems to be mounted on the roofs with a lesser workmanship in a short period instead of difficulties and costs that would occur by increasing the roof inclination in present buildings as well as explaining their working principles.

Comparing wildlife habitat and biodiversity across green roof type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coffman, R.R. [Oklahoma Univ., Tulsa, OK (United States). Dept. of Landscape Architecture

2007-07-01

Green roofs represent restorative practices within human dominated ecosystems. They create habitat, increase local biodiversity, and restore ecosystem function. Cities are now promoting this technology as a part of mitigation for the loss of local habitat, making the green roof necessary in sustainable development. While most green roofs create some form of habitat for local and migratory fauna, some systems are designed to provide specific habitat for species of concern. Despite this, little is actually known about the wildlife communities inhabiting green roofs. Only a few studies have provided broad taxa descriptions across a range of green roof habitats, and none have attempted to measure the biodiversity across green roof class. Therefore, this study examined two different vegetated roof systems representative of North America. They were constructed under alternative priorities such as energy, stormwater and aesthetics. The wildlife community appears to be a result of the green roof's physical composition. Wildlife community composition and biodiversity is expected be different yet comparable between the two general types of green roofs, known as extensive and intensive. This study recorded the community composition found in the two classes of ecoroofs and assessed biodiversity and similarity at the community and group taxa levels of insects, spiders and birds. Renyi family of diversity indices were used to compare the communities. They were further described through indices and ratios such as Shannon's, Simpson's, Sorenson and Morsita's. In general, community biodiversity was found to be slightly higher in the intensive green roof than the extensive green roof. 26 refs., 4 tabs., 4 figs.

Software for roof defects recognition on aerial photographs

Science.gov (United States)

Yudin, D.; Naumov, A.; Dolzhenko, A.; Patrakova, E.

2018-05-01

The article presents information on software for roof defects recognition on aerial photographs, made with air drones. An areal image segmentation mechanism is described. It allows detecting roof defects – unsmoothness that causes water stagnation after rain. It is shown that HSV-transformation approach allows quick detection of stagnation areas, their size and perimeters, but is sensitive to shadows and changes of the roofing-types. Deep Fully Convolutional Network software solution eliminates this drawback. The tested data set consists of the roofing photos with defects and binary masks for them. FCN approach gave acceptable results of image segmentation in Dice metric average value. This software can be used in inspection automation of roof conditions in the production sector and housing and utilities infrastructure.

Case studies of green roof policy from Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marshall, S. [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2006-07-01

In order to overcome environmental, economic, and social challenges, such as stormwater management, heat island effects, reducing energy use in buildings and increasing amenity space, green roof technology has been a key approach used in many European countries and is gaining acceptance throughout North America as knowledge of the environmental benefits and green roof technology grows. While the conditions, benefits and market forces that have driven green roof development in Europe are not identical to Canada's, lessons can be learned from their experiences. Canadian municipalities that are looking to develop and implement green roof policies and programs will need information on how to tailor policies and programs for specific climate conditions, environmental concerns and regulatory realities. In order to provide Canadian municipal decision-makers with an overview of international and local green roof policies and programs, a green roof policy infrastructure manual was recently completed for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Decision-makers can be better informed about which policies may be best suited to meet their specific policy needs by reviewing the motivators and other factors behind existing programs around the world. The manual describes green roof policies in each of 12 different jurisdictions from Canada, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, and Japan in terms of local green roof motivators and the steps taken along the continuum of establishing policy. This paper described the progress of some Canadian cities that are moving through six phases of establishing appropriate green roof policies and programs. The six phases were introductory and awareness; community engagement; action plan development and implementation; technical research; program and policy development and continuous improvement.

Portulaca grandiflora as green roof vegetation: Plant growth and phytoremediation experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, K; Arockiaraj, Jesu; Kamala-Kannan, Seralathan

2017-06-03

Finding appropriate rooftop vegetation may improve the quality of runoff from green roofs. Portulaca grandiflora was examined as possible vegetation for green roofs. Green roof substrate was found to have low bulk density (360.7 kg/m 3 ) and high water-holding capacity (49.4%), air-filled porosity (21.1%), and hydraulic conductivity (5270 mm/hour). The optimal substrate also supported the growth of P. grandiflora with biomass multiplication of 450.3% and relative growth rate of 0.038. Phytoextraction potential of P. grandiflora was evaluated using metal-spiked green roof substrate as a function of time and spiked substrate metal concentration. It was identified that P. grandiflora accumulated all metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from metal-spiked green roof substrate. At the end of 40 days, P. grandiflora accumulated 811 ± 26.7, 87.2 ± 3.59, 416 ± 15.8, 459 ± 15.6, 746 ± 20.9, 357 ± 18.5, 565 ± 6.8, and 596 ± 24.4 mg/kg of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. Results also indicated that spiked substrate metal concentration strongly influenced metal accumulation property of P. grandiflora with metal uptake increased and accumulation factor decreased with increase in substrate metal concentration. P. grandiflora also showed potential to translocate all the examined metals with translocation factor greater than 1 for Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn, indicating hyperaccumulation property.

Bioretention storm water control measures decrease the toxicity of copper roof runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

LaBarre, William J; Ownby, David R; Rader, Kevin J; Lev, Steven M; Casey, Ryan E

2017-06-01

The present study evaluated the ability of 2 different bioretention storm water control measures (SCMs), planter boxes and swales, to decrease the toxicity of sheet copper (Cu) roofing runoff to Daphnia magna. The present study quantified changes in storm water chemistry as it passed through the bioretention systems and utilized the biotic ligand model (BLM) to assess whether the observed D. magna toxicity could be predicted by variations found in water chemistry. Laboratory toxicity tests were performed using select storm samples with D. magna cultured under low ionic strength conditions that were appropriate for the low ionic strength of the storm water samples being tested. The SCMs decreased toxicity of Cu roof runoff in both the BLM results and the storm water bioassays. Water exiting the SCMs was substantially higher than influent runoff in pH, ions, alkalinity, and dissolved organic carbon and substantially lower in total and dissolved Cu. Daphnids experienced complete mortality in untreated runoff from the Cu roof (the SCM influent); however, for planter and swale effluents, survival averaged 86% and 95%, respectively. The present study demonstrated that conventional bioretention practices, including planter boxes and swales, are capable of decreasing the risk of adverse effects from sheet Cu roof runoff to receiving systems, even before considering dilution of effluents in those receiving systems and associated further reductions in copper bioavailability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1680-1688. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Theoretical evaluation of thermal and energy performance of tropical green roofs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, S.W.; Jim, C.Y.

2011-01-01

The thermal and energy efficiency of tropical green roofs is assessed by a theoretical model to clarify the contribution of underlying factors. The suitability of 1400 high-rise public housing blocks in Hong Kong for rooftop greening was assessed by remote sensing images. Weather and microclimatic-soil monitoring data of an experimental green roof provided the basis for computations. Roof greening prevented a huge amount of solar energy at 43.9 TJ in one summer from penetrating the buildings to bring significant energy saving. Thermal performance of humid-tropical green roofs, with greater latent heat dissipation, is twice more effective than the temperate ones. The energy balance model shows that solar energy absorption by bare and green roofs depends on shortwave rather than longwave radiation. Heat flux into a building indicates a one-day time lag after a sunshine day. With restricted evapotranspiration, bare roofs have more sensible heat and heat storage than green roofs. The bare roof albedo of 0.15, comparing with 0.30 of green roof, renders 75% higher heat storage. Small increase in convection coefficient from 12 to 16 could amplify 24% and 45% of latent heat dissipation respectively for bare and green roofs. Doubling the soil water availability could halve the heat storage of green roofs. -- Highlights: → We developed a theoretical model to calculate the thermal performance of tropical green roofs. → Bare roofs have more sensible heat and heat storage than green roofs. → Latent heat dissipation of tropical green roofs is twice that of temperate counterparts. → Heat flux through the roof into a building demonstrates a one-day time lag after a long sunshine day. → Green roofs can block 43.9 TJ of solar energy penetration into public housing buildings in one summer.

Fuel consumption impacts of auto roof racks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yuche; Meier, Alan

2016-01-01

The after-market roof rack is one of the most common components attached to a vehicle for carrying over-sized items, such as bicycles and skis. It is important to understand these racks’ fuel consumption impacts on both individual vehicles and the national fleet because they are widely used. We estimate the national fuel consumption impacts of roof racks using a bottom-up approach. Our model incorporates real-world data and vehicle stock information to enable assessing fuel consumption impacts for several categories of vehicles, rack configurations, and usage conditions. In addition, the model draws on two new data-gathering techniques, on-line forums and crowd-sourcing. The results show that nationwide, roof racks are responsible for 0.8‰ of light duty vehicle fuel consumption in 2015, corresponding to 100 million gallons of gasoline per year. Sensitivity analyses show that results are most sensitive to the fraction of vehicles with installed roof racks but carrying no equipment. The aerodynamic efficiency of typical roof racks can be greatly improved and reduce individual vehicle fuel consumption; however, government policies to minimize extensive driving with empty racks—if successful—could save more fuel nationally. - Highlights: •First estimate of national energy impacts of auto roof racks—about 1‰. •A bottom-up approach reveals details of the fuel consumption penalty caused by racks. •Two novel data collection techniques, on-line forums and crowd-sourcing, improve estimate. •Technical and behavioral policies could significantly cut fuel penalties from roof racks.

Hinged roof timber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shestov, P I; Golub, A G; Yefremov, V I

1980-08-07

A hinged roof timer is suggested which includes a beam with prong and loop on the end which have openings in the form of ring slits for the distance wedges and round for the pins. In this case the opening of the distance wedge in the ring is arranged in relation to the opening for the pin closer to the end of the beam, and in the prong, in the opposite order. In order to improve the operating quality by guaranteeing active support of the cantilever roof timber without increasing its overall dimensions for the height of the opening for the distance wedge in the prong and the ring, beams are arranged axisymmetrically to the longitudinal axis.

Do green roofs cool the air?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Solcerova, A.; van de Ven, F.H.M.; Wang, Mengyu; Rijsdijk, Michiel; van de Giesen, N.C.

2017-01-01

Rapid urbanization and an increasing number and duration of heat waves poses a need to mitigate extremely high temperatures. One of the repeatedly suggested measures to moderate the so called urban heat island are green roofs. This study investigates several extensive sedum-covered green roofs in

Synthesis of ultrathin polymer insulating layers by initiated chemical vapour deposition for low-power soft electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Hanul; Seong, Hyejeong; Shin, Woo Cheol; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Mincheol; Lee, Seungwon; Bong, Jae Hoon; Noh, Yong-Young; Cho, Byung Jin; Yoo, Seunghyup; Im, Sung Gap

2015-06-01

Insulating layers based on oxides and nitrides provide high capacitance, low leakage, high breakdown field and resistance to electrical stresses when used in electronic devices based on rigid substrates. However, their typically high process temperatures and brittleness make it difficult to achieve similar performance in flexible or organic electronics. Here, we show that poly(1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane) (pV3D3) prepared via a one-step, solvent-free technique called initiated chemical vapour deposition (iCVD) is a versatile polymeric insulating layer that meets a wide range of requirements for next-generation electronic devices. Highly uniform and pure ultrathin films of pV3D3 with excellent insulating properties, a large energy gap (>8 eV), tunnelling-limited leakage characteristics and resistance to a tensile strain of up to 4% are demonstrated. The low process temperature, surface-growth character, and solvent-free nature of the iCVD process enable pV3D3 to be grown conformally on plastic substrates to yield flexible field-effect transistors as well as on a variety of channel layers, including organics, oxides, and graphene.

Insulating phase in Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4}: An investigation using critical analysis and magnetocaloric effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhatti, Imtiaz Noor; Pramanik, A.K., E-mail: akpramanik@mail.jnu.ac.in

2017-01-15

The nature of insulating phase in 5d based Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} is quite debated as the theoretical as well as experimental investigations have put forward evidences in favor of both magnetically driven Slater-type and interaction driven Mott-type insulator. To understand this insulating behavior, we have investigated the nature of magnetic state in Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} through studying critical exponents, low temperature thermal demagnetization and magnetocaloric effect. The estimated critical exponents do not exactly match with any universality class, however, the values obey the scaling behavior. The exponent values suggest that spin interaction in present material is close to mean-field model. The analysis of low temperature thermal demagnetization data, however, shows dual presence of localized- and itinerant-type of magnetic interaction. Moreover, field dependent change in magnetic entropy indicates magnetic interaction is close to mean-field type. While this material shows an insulating behavior across the magnetic transition, yet a distinct change in slope in resistivity is observed around T{sub c}. We infer that though the insulating phase in Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} is more close to be Slater-type but the simultaneous presence of both Slater- and Mott-type is the likely scenario for this material. - Highlights: • Critical analysis shows Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} has ferromagnetic ordering temperature T{sub c}~225 K. • Obtained critical exponents imply spin interaction is close to mean-field model. • Analysis of magneto-entropy data also supports mean-field type interaction. • However, the presence of both itinerant and localized spin interaction is evident. • Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} has simultaneous presence of both Slater- and Mott-type insulating phase.

The Self-Drying Concept for Flat Roofs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korsgaard, Vagn; Bunch-Nielsen, Tommy; Rode, Carsten

1996-01-01

ways. From the interior by diffusion and convection. During construction from moist materials or rain. Later on, rain water may enter through leaks in the roofing.From laboratory experiment, computer calculations and practical experience it is concluded, that the Self-Drying Roof concept works for both...... cold- and warm deck roof systems in climate zones where a vapor retarder is needed, if the traditional water proof vapor retarder is substituted by a water permeable vapor retarder....

The Geometric Theory of Roof Reflector Resonators

Science.gov (United States)

1976-12-01

reflector, if properly oriented, (The terms "roof-top prism ," "right-angle prism ," and - incorrectly - " Porro prism " are encountered in .the literature...Q-switch prisms ) in laser resonators have been infrequent compared to the attention given spherical mirrors. This chapter summarizes the relevant...designator (Refs 42 and 43). In one experiment, a 900 roof prism was tested in a resonator with a 70% reflecting filat mirror. Thus, in Fig. 2, the right roof

Realistic roofs over a rectilinear polygon

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap; Bae, Sangwon; Knauer, Christian; Lee, Mira; Shin, Chansu; Vigneron, Antoine E.

2013-01-01

Given a simple rectilinear polygon P in the xy-plane, a roof over P is a terrain over P whose faces are supported by planes through edges of P that make a dihedral angle π/4 with the xy-plane. According to this definition, some roofs may have faces

A green roof experimental site in the Mediterranean climate: the storm water quality issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Gnecco, Ilaria; Palla, Anna; Lanza, Luca G; La Barbera, Paolo

2013-01-01

Since 2007, the University of Genoa has been carrying out a monitoring programme to investigate the hydrologic response of green roofs in the Mediterranean climate by installing a green roof experimental site. In order to assess the influence of green roofs on the storm water runoff quality, water chemistry data have been included in the monitoring programme since 2010, providing rainfall and outflow data. For atmospheric source, the bulk deposition is collected to evaluate the role of the overall atmospheric deposition in storm water runoff quality. For subsurface outflow, a maximum of 24 composite samples are taken on an event basis, thus aiming at a full characterization of the outflow hydrograph. Water chemistry data reveal that the pollutant loads associated with green roof outflow is low; in particular, solids and metal concentrations are lower than values generally observed in storm water runoff from traditional rooftops. The concentration values of chemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, Fe, Ca and K measured in the subsurface outflow are significantly higher than those observed in the bulk deposition (p green roof behaviour as a sink/source of pollutants is investigated based on both concentration and mass.

Evaluation of diagnostic technique for degradation of low-voltage electric cables with silicone rubber insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikami, Masao

2005-01-01

As a part of countermeasures against ageing problems of nuclear power plants, it is requested to establish non-destructive diagnostic technique for their degradation of low voltage electric cables and assessment standard of their life. Having aimed at investigating the degradation of low-voltage electric cable with silicone rubber insulator, change of its surface hardness at elevated temperature were measured by indenter modules. Moreover, we also measured the elongation at break, which is regarded as general degradation index of electric cables, and the surface hardness with a micro hardness meter. Consequently, it is seen that the indenter modulus measurement is (1) capable to obtain general feature of the thermal degradation of silicone rubber insulator, (2) applicable to diagnose the degree of degradation of the electric cable by converting the result to elongation at break, (3) well correlated with the hardness measurement of the electric cable with the micro hardness meter. (author)

Roof top extensions for multifamily houses in Slovakia

Science.gov (United States)

Szekeres, K.

2010-12-01

In the countries of the European Union with the exception of Malta, approximately 100.1 million multifamily dwelling units are situated. These dwellings count for an average of 47.5% of the total housing stock in European Union countries. At present in Slovakia and also other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, there are vast housing areas which were built after World War II. Slovakia's multifamily housing stock was privatized during the 1990s. Considering that the economy of Slovakia is not capable of replacing the existing housing fund, which is located in the multifamily houses that were built after World War II, it is necessary to place an increased emphasis on the renovation of this housing fund. The expenditures for the refurbishment of multifamily housing stock in recent decades, when compared with the demand, have been at a very low level. The main problems involving the current multifamily housing stock in Slovakia are: the need for modernization, the low level of energy efficiency, and the insufficient level of building maintenance. One of the options for creating sufficient sources for the renovation of apartment buildings is to utilize the roofs of apartment buildings as construction areas for building additional floors (over - roofing). The means acquired from the sale of the new floors after deducting the costs can be used for renovation. It is a matter of a one-time possibility, which is limited by many factors that depend on the localization and constructive technical solutions for apartment buildings. This article is an outcome of the SuReFit "Sustainable Roof Extension Retrofit for High-Rise Social Housing in Europe" international research project.

Wind loads on solar energy roofs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geurts, C.P.W.; Bentum, C.A. van

2007-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the wind loads on roofs, equipped with solar energy products, so called Active Roofs. Values given in this paper have been based on wind tunnel and full scale measurements, carried out at TNO, and on an interpretation of existing rules and guidelines. The results

Sustainable urban energy: Development of a mesoscale assessment model for solar reflective roof technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, J.H.; Carlson, J.; Golden, J.S.; Bryan, H.

2010-01-01

Buildings and other engineered structures that form cities are responsible for a significant portion of the global and local impacts of climate change. Consequently, the incorporation of building design strategies and materials such as the use of reflective roof materials, or 'cool' roofs, are being widely investigated. However, although their benefits for individual buildings have been studied, as yet there is little understanding of the potential benefits of urban scale implementation of such systems. Here we report the development of a new methodology for assessing the potential capacity and benefits of installing reflective roofs in an urbanized area. The new methodology combines remote sensing image data with a building energy computer simulation to quantify the current rooftop reflectivity and predict the potential benefits of albedo improvement. In addition to the direct electricity savings, cool roof systems reduce peak electrical demand in the month of August when the peak demand is at its highest in the case study area. Environmental benefits associated with lowering greenhouse-gas emissions are also substantial. The new methodology allows the calculation of payback periods to assist planners to evaluate the potential economic benefits of the widespread installation of cool roof systems. - Research highlights: →Integrated remote sensing technique into building energy simulation quantifies rooftop reflectivity and predicts the potential benefits of albedo improvement. →70% buildings can improve rooftop reflectivity. →Cool roof application can reduce the study area's electrical demand by 4.3%. →Payback period will be 7-11 years depending on low and high-end cool roof cost assumptions.

Energy roofs. Energiedaken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

Low grade heat from roofs and walls can be upgraded to useful temperatures by heat pumps. Even latent heat can be used. This report gives a survey of the possibilities to use these forms of heat in houses. Several types of heat pumps are described; working of heat absorbers is explained and cost aspects are discussed. Absorbers are less sensitive for shadows than solar collectors, which is a remarkable advantage in urban areas where high-rise building is employed. Application of solar absorbers is closely connected to heat pumps. Both absorber systems and heat pumps are so expensive that the costs are now prohibitive when gas is available, but this is due to small production series. Construction and materials make cheaper production possible when demand increases. (A.V.)

Low-Temperature Fabrication of Robust, Transparent, and Flexible Thin-Film Transistors with a Nanolaminated Insulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jeong Hyun; Park, Junhong; Lee, Myung Keun; Park, Jeong Woo; Jeon, Yongmin; Shin, Jeong Bin; Nam, Minwoo; Kim, Choong-Ki; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Choi, Kyung Cheol

2018-05-09

The lack of reliable, transparent, and flexible electrodes and insulators for applications in thin-film transistors (TFTs) makes it difficult to commercialize transparent, flexible TFTs (TF-TFTs). More specifically, conventional high process temperatures and the brittleness of these elements have been hurdles in developing flexible substrates vulnerable to heat. Here, we propose electrode and insulator fabrication techniques considering process temperature, transmittance, flexibility, and environmental stability. A transparent and flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)/Ag/ITO (IAI) electrode and an Al 2 O 3 /MgO (AM)-laminated insulator were optimized at the low temperature of 70 °C for the fabrication of TF-TFTs on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The optimized IAI electrode with a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq exhibited the luminous transmittance of 85.17% and maintained its electrical conductivity after exposure to damp heat conditions because of an environmentally stable ITO capping layer. In addition, the electrical conductivity of IAI was maintained after 10 000 bending cycles with a tensile strain of 3% because of the ductile Ag film. In the metal/insulator/metal structure, the insulating and mechanical properties of the optimized AM-laminated film deposited at 70 °C were significantly improved because of the highly dense nanolaminate system, compared to those of the Al 2 O 3 film deposited at 70 °C. In addition, the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) was used as the active channel for TF-TFTs because of its excellent chemical stability. In the environmental stability test, the ITO, a-IGZO, and AM-laminated films showed the excellent environmental stability. Therefore, our IGZO-based TFT with IAI electrodes and the 70 °C AM-laminated insulator was fabricated to evaluate robustness, transparency, flexibility, and process temperature, resulting in transfer characteristics comparable to those of an IGZO-based TFT with a 150 °C Al 2 O 3

Hydrogen storage in insulated pressure vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aceves, S.M.; Garcia-Villazana, O. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

1998-08-01

Insulated pressure vessels are cryogenic-capable pressure vessels that can be fueled with liquid hydrogen (LH{sub 2}) or ambient-temperature compressed hydrogen (CH{sub 2}). Insulated pressure vessels offer the advantages of liquid hydrogen tanks (low weight and volume), with reduced disadvantages (lower energy requirement for hydrogen liquefaction and reduced evaporative losses). This paper shows an evaluation of the applicability of the insulated pressure vessels for light-duty vehicles. The paper shows an evaluation of evaporative losses and insulation requirements and a description of the current analysis and experimental plans for testing insulated pressure vessels. The results show significant advantages to the use of insulated pressure vessels for light-duty vehicles.

Gas insulated substations

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

This book provides an overview on the particular development steps of gas insulated high-voltage switchgear, and is based on the information given with the editor's tutorial. The theory is kept low only as much as it is needed to understand gas insulated technology, with the main focus of the book being on delivering practical application knowledge. It discusses some introductory and advanced aspects in the meaning of applications. The start of the book presents the theory of Gas Insulated Technology, and outlines reliability, design, safety, grounding and bonding, and factors for choosing GIS. The third chapter presents the technology, covering the following in detail: manufacturing, specification, instrument transformers, Gas Insulated Bus, and the assembly process. Next, the book goes into control and monitoring, which covers local control cabinet, bay controller, control schemes, and digital communication. Testing is explained in the middle of the book before installation and energization. Importantly, ...

Constraining the low-mass Slope of the star formation sequence at 0.5 < z < 2.5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitaker, Katherine E.; Henry, Alaina; Rigby, Jane R.; Franx, Marijn; Fumagalli, Mattia; Labbé, Ivo; Leja, Joel; Van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Momcheva, Ivelina G.; Nelson, Erica J.; Skelton, Rosalind E.; Brammer, Gabriel B.

2014-01-01

We constrain the slope of the star formation rate (SFR; log Ψ) to stellar mass (log M * ) relation down to log (M * /M ☉ ) = 8.4 (log (M * /M ☉ ) = 9.2) at z = 0.5 (z = 2.5) with a mass-complete sample of 39,106 star-forming galaxies selected from the 3D-HST photometric catalogs, using deep photometry in the CANDELS fields. For the first time, we find that the slope is dependent on stellar mass, such that it is steeper at low masses (log Ψ∝log M * ) than at high masses (log Ψ∝(0.3-0.6)log M * ). These steeper low-mass slopes are found for three different star formation indicators: the combination of the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR), calibrated from a stacking analysis of Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm imaging; β-corrected UV SFRs; and Hα SFRs. The normalization of the sequence evolves differently in distinct mass regimes as well: for galaxies less massive than log (M * /M ☉ ) < 10 the specific SFR (Ψ/M * ) is observed to be roughly self-similar with Ψ/M * ∝(1 + z) 1.9 , whereas more massive galaxies show a stronger evolution with Ψ/M * ∝(1 + z) 2.2-3.5 for log (M * /M ☉ ) = 10.2-11.2. The fact that we find a steep slope of the star formation sequence for the lower mass galaxies will help reconcile theoretical galaxy formation models with the observations.

Extra Heat Loss Through Light Weight Roofs Due to Latent Heat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten

1996-01-01

that changes phase at the terminals of its passage.Note however, that convection of air most often will have an important effect on the overall heat flow - but that is a different topic.Macroscopic latent heat transferConsider the following scenario: Initially, moisture is present in its condensed or frozen......This report is one in a series of papers in Task 5 of IEA Annex 24 on how moisture and air movements affect the energy performance of building constructions. The effect of latent heat flow will be demonstrated by means of an example: a light weight flat roof.Latent heat flow is one of three...... processes by which moisture affects energy performance:Higher thermal conductivityMoist materials have higher thermal con-ductivity than when they are dry. This is because thermally conducting moisture replaces the better insulating air in the pores of the materials. Moisture also enhan-ces the thermal...

Estimation of Overtopping Rates on Slopes in Wave Power Devices and Other Low Crested Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kofoed, Jens Peter; Burcharth, Hans Falk

2002-01-01

Motivated by questions raised by developers of wave energy devices based on wave overtopping concepts, model tests have been performed to study overtopping of structures with limited draught, low crest freeboards and slope geometries designed to increase overtopping and thereby also the captured...

Cool metal roofing tested for energy efficiency and sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, W.A.; Desjarlais, A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oakridge, TN (United States); Parker, D.S. [Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States); Kriner, S. [Metal Construction Association, Glenview, IL (United States)

2004-07-01

A 3 year field study was conducted in which temperature, heat flow, reflectance and emittance field data were calculated for 12 different painted and unpainted metal roofs exposed to weathering at an outdoor test facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oakridge, Tennessee. In addition, the Florida Solar Energy Center tested several Habitat for Humanity homes during one summer in Fort Myers, Florida. The objective was to determine how cooling and heating energy loads in a building are affected by the solar reflectance and infrared emittance of metal roofs. The Habitat for Humanities houses had different roofing systems which reduced the attic heat gain. White reflective roofs were shown to reduce cooling energy needs by 18 to 26 per cent and peak demand by 28 to 35 per cent. High solar reflectance and high infrared emittance roofs incur surface temperatures that are about 3 degrees C warmer than the ambient air temperature. A dark absorptive roof exceeds the ambient air temperature by more than 40 degrees C. It hot climates, a high solar reflectance and high infrared emittance roof can reduce the air conditioning load and reduce peak energy demands on the utility. It was concluded that an informed decision of the roof surface properties of reflectance and emittance can significantly reduce energy costs for homeowners and builders in hot climates. 7 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs.

Photovoltaic roofing tile systems

Science.gov (United States)

Melchior, B.

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in architecture is discussed. A PV-solar roofing tile system with polymer concrete base; PV-roofing tile with elastomer frame profiles and aluminum profile frames; contact technique; and solar cell modules measuring technique are described. Field tests at several places were conducted on the solar generator, electric current behavior, battery station, electric installation, power conditioner, solar measuring system with magnetic bubble memory technique, data transmission via telephone modems, and data processing system. The very favorable response to the PV-compact system proves the commercial possibilities of photovoltaic integration in architecture.

Chemical composition of water from roofs in Gdansk, Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsakovski, Stefan; Tobiszewski, Marek; Simeonov, Vasil; Polkowska, Zaneta; Namiesnik, Jacek

2010-01-01

This study deals with the assessment of roof runoff waters from the region of Gdansk collected during the winter season (2007/2008). The chemical analysis includes 16 chemical variables: major ions, PAHs and PCBs measured at 3 sampling sites for 6-14 rain events. Although the data set is of limited volume the statistical data treatment using self-organizing maps (SOM) reveals the main factors controlling roof runoff water quality even for a data set with small dimension. This effort for explanation of the identified factors by the possible emission sources of the urban environment and air-particulate formation seems to be very reliable. Additionally to the roof runoff water quality factors the rain events patterns are found: 'background' group of events and groups formally named 'PAHs', 'PCBs' and 'air-borne particles' - dominated events. The SOM classification results give an opportunity to uncover the role of roof 'impact' on the runoff waters. Rain runoff water quality is described by four latent factors and the 'roof' impact is uncovered. - Identification of the urban roof runoff water quality factors and 'roof' impact by self-organizing map classification.

Multi functional roof structures of the energy efficient buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krstić Aleksandra

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Modern architectural concepts, which are based on rational energy consumption of buildings and the use of solar energy as a renewable energy source, give the new and significant role to the roofs that become multifunctional structures. Various energy efficient roof structures and elements, beside the role of protection, provide thermal and electric energy supply, natural ventilation and cooling of a building, natural lighting of the indoor space sunbeam protection, water supply for technical use, thus according to the above mentioned functions, classification and analysis of such roof structures and elements are made in this paper. The search for new architectural values and optimization in total energy balance of a building or the likewise for the urban complex, gave to roofs the role of "climatic membranes". Contemporary roof forms and materials clearly exemplify their multifunctional features. There are numerous possibilities to achieve the new and attractive roof design which broadens to the whole construction. With such inducement, this paper principally analyze the configuration characteristics of the energy efficient roof structures and elements, as well as the visual effects that may be achieved by their application.

Weathering of Roofing Materials-An Overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berdahl, Paul; Akbari, Hashem; Levinson, Ronnen; Miller, William A.

2006-03-30

An overview of several aspects of the weathering of roofing materials is presented. Degradation of materials initiated by ultraviolet radiation is discussed for plastics used in roofing, as well as wood and asphalt. Elevated temperatures accelerate many deleterious chemical reactions and hasten diffusion of material components. Effects of moisture include decay of wood, acceleration of corrosion of metals, staining of clay, and freeze-thaw damage. Soiling of roofing materials causes objectionable stains and reduces the solar reflectance of reflective materials. (Soiling of non-reflective materials can also increase solar reflectance.) Soiling can be attributed to biological growth (e.g., cyanobacteria, fungi, algae), deposits of organic and mineral particles, and to the accumulation of flyash, hydrocarbons and soot from combustion.

The effect of roofing material on the quality of harvested rainwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, Carolina B; Klenzendorf, J Brandon; Afshar, Brigit R; Simmons, Mark T; Barrett, Michael E; Kinney, Kerry A; Kirisits, Mary Jo

2011-02-01

Due to decreases in the availability and quality of traditional water resources, harvested rainwater is increasingly used for potable and non-potable purposes. In this study, we examined the effect of conventional roofing materials (i.e., asphalt fiberglass shingle, Galvalume(®) metal, and concrete tile) and alternative roofing materials (i.e., cool and green) on the quality of harvested rainwater. Results from pilot-scale and full-scale roofs demonstrated that rainwater harvested from any of these roofing materials would require treatment if the consumer wanted to meet United States Environmental Protection Agency primary and secondary drinking water standards or non-potable water reuse guidelines; at a minimum, first-flush diversion, filtration, and disinfection are recommended. Metal roofs are commonly recommended for rainwater harvesting applications, and this study showed that rainwater harvested from metal roofs tends to have lower concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria as compared to other roofing materials. However, concrete tile and cool roofs produced harvested rainwater quality similar to that from the metal roofs, indicating that these roofing materials also are suitable for rainwater harvesting applications. Although the shingle and green roofs produced water quality comparable in many respects to that from the other roofing materials, their dissolved organic carbon concentrations were very high (approximately one order of magnitude higher than what is typical for a finished drinking water in the United States), which might lead to high concentrations of disinfection byproducts after chlorination. Furthermore the concentrations of some metals (e.g., arsenic) in rainwater harvested from the green roof suggest that the quality of commercial growing media should be carefully examined if the harvested rainwater is being considered for domestic use. Hence, roofing material is an important consideration when designing a rainwater catchment. Copyright �

Aboveground roofed design for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste in Maine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alexander, J.A. [Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States)

1993-03-01

The conceptual designs proposed in this report resulted from a study for the Maine Low-level Radioactive Waste Authority to develop conceptual designs for a safe and reliable disposal facility for Maine`s low-level radioactive waste (LLW). Freezing temperatures, heavy rainfall, high groundwater tables, and very complex and shallow glaciated soils found in Maine place severe constraints on the design. The fundamental idea behind the study was to consider Maine`s climatic and geological conditions at the beginning of conceptual design rather than starting with a design for another location and adapting it for Maine`s conditions. The conceptual designs recommended are entirely above ground and consist of an inner vault designed to provide shielding and protection against inadvertent intrusion and an outer building to protect the inner vault from water. The air dry conditions within the outer building should lead to almost indefinite service life for the concrete inner vault and the waste containers. This concept differs sharply from the usual aboveground vault in its reliance on at least two independent, but more or less conventional, roofing systems for primary and secondary protection against leakage of radioisotopes from the facility. Features include disposal of waste in air dry environment, waste loading and visual inspection by remote-controlled overhead cranes, and reliance on engineered soils for tertiary protection against release of radioactive materials.

Wind-driven roof turbines: a novel way to improve ventilation for TB infection control in health facilities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Cox

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Tuberculosis transmission in healthcare facilities contributes significantly to the TB epidemic, particularly in high HIV settings. Although improving ventilation may reduce transmission, there is a lack of evidence to support low-cost practical interventions. We assessed the efficacy of wind-driven roof turbines to achieve recommended ventilation rates, compared to current recommended practices for natural ventilation (opening windows, in primary care clinic rooms in Khayelitsha, South Africa. METHODS: Room ventilation was assessed (CO₂ gas tracer technique in 4 rooms where roof turbines and air-intake grates were installed, across three scenarios: turbine, grate and window closed, only window open, and only turbine and grate open, with concurrent wind speed measurement. 332 measurements were conducted over 24 months. FINDINGS: For all 4 rooms combined, median air changes per hour (ACH increased with wind speed quartiles across all scenarios. Higher median ACH were recorded with open roof turbines and grates, compared to open windows across all wind speed quartiles. Ventilation with open turbine and grate exceeded WHO-recommended levels (60 Litres/second/patient for 95% or more of measurements in 3 of the 4 rooms; 47% in the remaining room, where wind speeds were lower and a smaller diameter turbine was installed. CONCLUSION: High room ventilation rates, meeting recommended thresholds, may be achieved using wind-driven roof turbines and grates, even at low wind speeds. Roof turbines and air-intake grates are not easily closed by staff, allowing continued ventilation through colder periods. This simple, low-cost technology represents an important addition to our tools for TB infection control.

Wind-driven roof turbines: a novel way to improve ventilation for TB infection control in health facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Helen; Escombe, Rod; McDermid, Cheryl; Mtshemla, Yolanda; Spelman, Tim; Azevedo, Virginia; London, Leslie

2012-01-01

Tuberculosis transmission in healthcare facilities contributes significantly to the TB epidemic, particularly in high HIV settings. Although improving ventilation may reduce transmission, there is a lack of evidence to support low-cost practical interventions. We assessed the efficacy of wind-driven roof turbines to achieve recommended ventilation rates, compared to current recommended practices for natural ventilation (opening windows), in primary care clinic rooms in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Room ventilation was assessed (CO₂ gas tracer technique) in 4 rooms where roof turbines and air-intake grates were installed, across three scenarios: turbine, grate and window closed, only window open, and only turbine and grate open, with concurrent wind speed measurement. 332 measurements were conducted over 24 months. For all 4 rooms combined, median air changes per hour (ACH) increased with wind speed quartiles across all scenarios. Higher median ACH were recorded with open roof turbines and grates, compared to open windows across all wind speed quartiles. Ventilation with open turbine and grate exceeded WHO-recommended levels (60 Litres/second/patient) for 95% or more of measurements in 3 of the 4 rooms; 47% in the remaining room, where wind speeds were lower and a smaller diameter turbine was installed. High room ventilation rates, meeting recommended thresholds, may be achieved using wind-driven roof turbines and grates, even at low wind speeds. Roof turbines and air-intake grates are not easily closed by staff, allowing continued ventilation through colder periods. This simple, low-cost technology represents an important addition to our tools for TB infection control.

Experimental analysis of green roof substrate detention characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yio, Marcus H N; Stovin, Virginia; Werdin, Jörg; Vesuviano, Gianni

2013-01-01

Green roofs may make an important contribution to urban stormwater management. Rainfall-runoff models are required to evaluate green roof responses to specific rainfall inputs. The roof's hydrological response is a function of its configuration, with the substrate - or growing media - providing both retention and detention of rainfall. The objective of the research described here is to quantify the detention effects due to green roof substrates, and to propose a suitable hydrological modelling approach. Laboratory results from experimental detention tests on green roof substrates are presented. It is shown that detention increases with substrate depth and as a result of increasing substrate organic content. Model structures based on reservoir routing are evaluated, and it is found that a one-parameter reservoir routing model coupled with a parameter that describes the delay to start of runoff best fits the observed data. Preliminary findings support the hypothesis that the reservoir routing parameter values can be defined from the substrate's physical characteristics.

MODELING OF STORM WATER RUNOFF FROM GREEN ROOFS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Burszta-Adamiak

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Apart from direct measurements, modelling of runoff from green roofs is valuable source of information about effectiveness of this type of structure from hydrological point of view. Among different type of models, the most frequently used are numerical models. They allow to assess the impact of green roofs on decrease and attenuation of runoff, reduction of peak runoff and value of water retention. This paper presents preliminary results of research on computing the rate of runoff from green roofs using GARDENIA model. The analysis has been carried out for selected rainfall events registered during measuring campaign on pilot-scale green roofs. Obtained results are promising and show good fit between observed and simulated runoff.

Structural assessment of roof decking using visual inspection methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giller, R.A.; McCoy, R.M.; Wagenblast, G.R.

1993-01-01

The Hanford Site has approximately 1,100 buildings, some of which date back to the early 1940s. The roof on these buildings provides a weather resisting cover as well as the load resisting structure. Past experience has been that these roof structures may have structural modifications, the weather resisting membrane may have been replaced several times, and the members may experience some type of material degradation. This material degradation has progressed to cause the collapse of some roof deck members. The intent of the Hanford Site Central Engineering roof assessment effort is to provide an expedient structural assessment of the large number of buildings at the Hanford Site. This assessment is made by qualified structural inspectors following the open-quotes Preliminary Assessmentclose quotes procedures given in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standard ASCE 11-90. This roof assessment effort does not provide a total qualification of the roof for the design or in-place loads. This inspection does provide a reasonable estimate of the roof loading capacity to determine if personnel access restrictions are needed. A document search and a visual walkdown inspection provide the initial screening to identify modifications and components having questionable structural integrity. The structural assessment consists of baseline dead and live load stress calculations of all roofing components based on original design material strengths. The results of these assessments are documented in a final report which is retrievable in a form that future inspections will have comparative information

Structural assessment of roof decking using visual inspection methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giller, R.A.; McCoy, R.M.; Wagenblast, G.R.

1993-10-01

The Hanford Site has approximately 1,100 buildings, some of which date back to the early 1940s. The roof on these buildings provides a weather resisting cover as well as the load resisting structure. Past experience has been that these roof structures may have structural modifications, the weather resisting membrane may have been replaced several times, and the members may experience some type of material degradation. This material degradation has progressed to cause the collapse of some roof deck members. The intent of the Hanford Site Central Engineering roof assessment effort is to provide an expedient structural assessment of the large number of buildings at the Hanford Site. This assessment is made by qualified structural inspectors following the open-quotes Preliminary Assessment close-quote procedures given in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standard ASCE 11-90. This roof assessment effort does not provide a total qualification of the roof for the design or in-place loads. This inspection does provide a reasonable estimate of the roof loading capacity to determine if personnel access restrictions are needed. A document search and a visual walkdown inspection provide the initial screening to identify modifications and components having questionable structural integrity. The structural assessment consists of baseline dead and live load stress calculations of all roofing components based on original design material strengths. The results of these assessments are documented in a final report which is retrievable form that future inspections will have comparative information

Entire cities could benefit from green roofs : Heleen Mees is investigating how five metropolises are greenifying their roofs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mees, Heleen

Rotterdam is making good progress with its creation of green roofs. Heleen Mees, researcher at Utrecht University, drew this conclusion from her research, in which she compared the green roof policy of four different cities with that of Rotterdam. Rotterdam awards grants to those wishing to create a

Process insulation. Isolation thermique des equipements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1987-01-01

A manual is presented to assist managers and operating personnel to recognize industrial energy management opportunities, and provides mathematical equations, general information on proven techniques and technology, and examples. It deals with process insulation, focusing on the insulation of mechanical systems such as piping, process vessels, equipment, and ductwork. The manual describes the effects of insulation materials; commonly encountered types of insulation, coverings and protective finishes as well as common applications; energy management opportunities, divided into housekeeping, low cost, and retrofit; and includes worked examples of each. Includes glossary. 17 figs., 8 tabs.

Fabrication and laboratory-based performance testing of a building-integrated photovoltaic-thermal roofing panel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Fangliang; Yin, Huiming

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A BIPVT solar panel is designed and fabricated for energy efficient buildings. • A high-speed manufacture method is developed to produce the functionally graded materials. • Laboratory tests demonstrate BIPVT’s energy efficiency improvement and innovations. • The PV efficiency is enhanced ∼24% through temperature control of the panel by water flow. • The combined electric and thermal efficiency reaches >75% of solar irradiation. - Abstract: A building integrated photovoltaic-thermal (BIPVT) multifunctional roofing panel has been developed in this study to harvest solar energy in the form of PV electricity as well as heat energy through the collection of warm water. As a key component of the multifunctional building envelope, an aluminum/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) functionally graded material (FGM) panel embedded with aluminum water tubes has been fabricated through the vibration-sedimentation approach. The FGM layer gradually transits material phases from well-conductive side (with aluminum dominated) to another highly insulated side (with HDPE). The heat in the PV cells can be easily transferred into the conductive side of the FGM and then collected by the water flow in the embedded tubes. Therefore, the operational temperature of the PV cells can be significantly lowered down, which recovers the PV efficiency in hot weather. In this way, the developed BIPVT panel is able to efficiently harvest solar energy in the form of both PV electricity and heat. The performance of a prototype BIPVT panel has been evaluated in terms of its thermal efficiency via warm water collection and PV efficiency via the output electricity. The laboratory test results demonstrate that significant energy conversion efficiency improvement can be achieved for both electricity generation and heat collection by the presented BIPVT roofing system. Overall, the performance indicates a very promising prospective of the new BIPVT multifunctional roofing panel.

Green roof systems: a study of public attitudes and preferences in southern Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez-Cañero, Rafael; Emilsson, Tobias; Fernandez-Barba, Carolina; Herrera Machuca, Miguel Ángel

2013-10-15

This study investigates people's preconceptions of green roofs and their visual preference for different green roof design alternatives in relation to behavioral, social and demographical variables. The investigation was performed as a visual preference study using digital images created to represent eight different alternatives: gravel roof, extensive green roof with Sedums not in flower, extensive green roof with sedums in bloom, semi-intensive green roof with sedums and ornamental grasses, semi-intensive green roof with shrubs, intensive green roof planted with a lawn, intensive green roof with succulent and trees and intensive green roof with shrubs and trees. Using a Likert-type scale, 450 respondents were asked to indicate their preference for each digital image. Results indicated that respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and childhood environmental background influenced their preferences toward different green roof types. Results also showed that green roofs with a more careful design, greater variety of vegetation structure, and more variety of colors were preferred over alternatives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal simulation of different construction types in six climatic regions on heating and cooling loads

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kumirai, T

2012-10-01

Full Text Available reduces its heating and cooling loads the most. 3. Applying both roof and ceiling insulation should always be avoided. 4. Building insulation is an effective intervention in all climatic regions. 5. Slightly increasing the thermal mass of a wall... were designed to evaluate the following: ? Case A ? base case ? Case B ? insulated walls ? Case C ? insulated walls and insulated ceiling ? Case D ? insulated walls, insulated ceiling and roof ? Case E ? increased thermal mass wall and insulated...

Optimization of thermal insulation to achieve energy savings in low energy house (refurbishment)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bojić, Milorad; Miletić, Marko; Bojić, Ljubiša

2014-01-01

Highlights: • For buildings that require heating, a thickness of their thermal insulation is optimized. • The objective was to improve energy efficiency of the building. • The optimization is performed by using EnergyPlus and Hooke–Jeeves method. • The embodied energy of thermal insulation and the entire life cycle of the house are taken into account. - Abstract: Due to the current environmental situation, saving energy and reducing CO 2 emission have become the leading drive in modern research. For buildings that require heating, one of the solutions is to optimize a thickness of their thermal insulation and thus improve energy efficiency and reduce energy needs. In this paper, for a small residential house in Serbia, an optimization in the thickness of its thermal insulation layer is investigated by using EnergyPlus software and Hooke–Jeeves direct search method. The embodied energy of thermal insulation is taken into account. The optimization is done for the entire life cycle of thermal insulation. The results show the optimal thickness of thermal insulation that yields the minimum primary energy consumption

A Review of Methods for the Manufacture of Residential Roofing Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbari, Hashem; Levinson, Ronnen; Berdahl, Paul

2003-06-01

Shingles, tiles, and metal products comprise over 80% (by roof area) of the California roofing market (54-58% fiberglass shingle, 8-10% concrete tile, 8-10% clay tile, 7% metal, 3% wood shake, and 3% slate). In climates with significant demand for cooling energy, increasing roof solar reflectance reduces energy consumption in mechanically cooled buildings, and improves occupant comfort in non-conditioned buildings. This report examines methods for manufacturing fiberglass shingles, concrete tiles, clay tiles, and metal roofing. The report also discusses innovative methods for increasing the solar reflectance of these roofing materials. We have focused on these four roofing products because they are typically colored with pigmented coatings or additives. A better understanding of the current practices for manufacturing colored roofing materials would allow us to develop cool colored materials creatively and more effectively.

Effects of roof tile permeability on the thermal performance of ventilated roofs. Analysis of annual performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D' Orazio, M.; Di Perna, C.; Principi, P.; Stazi, A. [DACS, Universita politecnica delle Marche, 60100 Ancona (Italy)

2008-07-01

This paper shows the results of the second part of an experimental study aimed at analysing the effects of roof tile permeability on the thermal performances of ventilation ducts. Ventilation ducts under the layer of tiles are typically used in south European countries to limit the energy load during the summer period. The results of the first part of the study, carried out by analysing 14 different types of roof, proved that the air permeability of the layer of tiles determines a certain amount of heat to be released, in addition to the release connected with the stack effect, in ventilation ducts which have the same characteristics but are perfectly airtight. However, the study did not completely resolve some issues since it was carried out on a model roof (6 m x 1.5 m) with devices to raise the layer of tiles and to create the ventilation duct but without those building elements which are present in real roofs and are used to stop insects and small animals from entering the ventilation duct. These elements narrow the inlet and outlet and consequently cause important reductions in pressure. Moreover, the measurements were based on data collected for limited periods of time during the summer season. So as to eliminate any possible uncertainty from the results of the research, the study continued with the creation of a model building on which five types of ventilated roof with different cross sections of the ventilation duct were analysed. The results show that the presence of air permeable layers and elements to protect the ventilation duct eliminate any differences in performance which were due to the cross section of the ventilation duct. (author)

Bugs, bees and spiders : green roof design for rare invertebrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gedge, D. [Livingroofs.org, London (United Kingdom); Kadas, G. [Royal Holloway Univ. of London, London (United Kingdom)

2004-07-01

The use of green roofs as mitigation technique for biodiversity is particularly relevant for the objectives of the London Biodiversity Partnership, particularly since London is undergoing large-scale regeneration and many of the new developments will be targeted on brownfield land. In 2002 two research projects were undertaken to create a baseline of data on how invertebrates were using the current green roofs in London. The London Biodiversity Partnership's Black Redstart Action Plan conducts research into green roofs to demonstrate how they can be maximized for biodiversity. The Black Redstart Project ensures that green roofs are used in new developments in London where such developments threaten this species. It is one of the country's rarest breeding birds, and is unique in that it is predominantly found in cities, on brownfield sites and post-industrial sites. Three green roof laboratories were established at 2 sites in London to investigate how substrates, substrate depths and planting affects the fauna associated with brownfields and green roofs in London. Although conservationists in London have urged many developers to provide green roofs to help the Black Redstart, there is concern that many of these roofs do no provide the proper support for the species. In some cases roofs are constructed of commercially driven products such as sedum mats that do provide habitat for some rare invertebrates but are not as supportive of a greater diversity of species as they could be due to the design process and a lack of knowledge of green roof technology. It was suggested that there is a need for cooperation between ecologists and Architects in order to achieve the habitat. 18 refs., 6 figs.

The Perception of Malaysian Architects towards the Implementation of Green Roofs: A Review of Practices, Methodologies and Future Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahir M.H. Md.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The implementation of green roofs or vegetated roof as a sustainable tool to mitigate the Urban Heat Island effect is relatively new in Malaysia. Although it has not been tested on an urban scale, many research findings have indicated that green roofs can contribute towards enhancing the environmental and aesthetical quality of the built environment. It was hypothesized that the low application of green roofs in the Malaysian construction industry is due to the lack of awareness, understanding and experience in its benefits especially among building practitioners. As a result, this research was initiated to determine the perception and understanding of Malaysian architects in green roofs implementation issues, as well as to identify their level of acceptance and readiness. This paper reviews practices and different research approaches in understanding the factors that influence architect’s perception towards the implementation of green roofs in the Malaysian construction industry. Architects were chosen as the only respondents due to their intensive involvement in the conceptualisation, planning, design and construction stage of a built environment project. Extensive literature review was conducted to explore past experiences in green roof implementation and to develop the theoretical framework for this research.

Effects of Solar Photovoltaic Panels on Roof Heat Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Dominguez, A.; Klessl, J.; Samady, M.; Luvall, J. C.

2010-01-01

Building Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is a major contributor to urban energy use. In single story buildings with large surface area such as warehouses most of the heat enters through the roof. A rooftop modification that has not been examined experimentally is solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays. In California alone, several GW in residential and commercial rooftop PV are approved or in the planning stages. With the PV solar conversion efficiency ranging from 5-20% and a typical installed PV solar reflectance of 16-27%, 53-79% of the solar energy heats the panel. Most of this heat is then either transferred to the atmosphere or the building underneath. Consequently solar PV has indirect effects on roof heat transfer. The effect of rooftop PV systems on the building roof and indoor energy balance as well as their economic impacts on building HVAC costs have not been investigated. Roof calculator models currently do not account for rooftop modifications such as PV arrays. In this study, we report extensive measurements of a building containing a flush mount and a tilted solar PV array as well as exposed reference roof. Exterior air and surface temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation were measured and thermal infrared (TIR) images of the interior ceiling were taken. We found that in daytime the ceiling surface temperature under the PV arrays was significantly cooler than under the exposed roof. The maximum difference of 2.5 C was observed at around 1800h, close to typical time of peak energy demand. Conversely at night, the ceiling temperature under the PV arrays was warmer, especially for the array mounted flat onto the roof. A one dimensional conductive heat flux model was used to calculate the temperature profile through the roof. The heat flux into the bottom layer was used as an estimate of the heat flux into the building. The mean daytime heat flux (1200-2000 PST) under the exposed roof in the model was 14.0 Watts per square meter larger than

U-value measurements on a roof window

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duer, Karsten

1998-01-01

This report describes the results of the U-value measurements performed on a roof window. The work is as a part of the development of an ISO/CEN standard measuring procedure for roof windows.The measurements have been performed using the procedures given in ISO 12567 draft version 1998...

Generating realistic roofs over a rectilinear polygon

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap; Bae, Sangwon; Knauer, Christian; Lee, Mira; Shin, Chansu; Vigneron, Antoine E.

2011-01-01

Given a simple rectilinear polygon P in the xy-plane, a roof over P is a terrain over P whose faces are supported by planes through edges of P that make a dihedral angle π/4 with the xy-plane. In this paper, we introduce realistic roofs by imposing

Bio deterioration behaviour in different colour roofing tiles (red and straw coloured)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzulla, M. F.; Sanchez, E.; Gonzalez, J. M.; Orduna, M.

2014-01-01

Bio colonization of building materials is a critical problem for the durability of constructions. Industrial experience shows that straw coloured roofing tiles are more prone to colonization than red roofing tiles, even having similar characteristics. The aim of this work is to explain the difference of bio colonization between different colour roofing tiles. The chemical composition of the surface of straw coloured and red roofing tiles, the phase composition and the microstructure of the roofing tiles were determined by WD-XRF, XRD and SEM-EDX, respectively. The pore size distribution was carried out by Hg porosimetry. The solubility was studied by determining the soluble salts (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl and SO 4 2-) by ICP-OES and ionic chromatography. Roofing tile bio receptivity was evaluated by determining fluorescence intensity using a pulse amplitude- modulated (PAM) fluoro meter, and cyanobacteria Oscillator sp. The results obtained show higher concentration of calcium and sulphur in straw coloured roofing tiles surface, and higher solubility than red roofing tiles. Moreover, according to the results obtained in bio receptivity assays, straw coloured roofing tiles are more prone to colonization than red roofing tiles, so, there is a relationship between surface properties of roofing tiles and bio colonization, as it is observed in industrial products. (Author)

Insulation structure of thermonuclear device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Takayuki; Usami, Saburo; Tsukamoto, Hideo; Kikuchi, Mitsuru

1998-01-01

The present invention provides an insulating structure of a thermonuclear device, in which insulation materials between toroidal coils are not broken even if superconductive toroidal coils are used. Namely, a tokamak type thermonuclear device of an insulating structure type comprises superconductive toroidal coils for confining plasmas arranged in a circular shape directing the center each at a predetermined angle, and the toroidal coils are insulated from each other. The insulation materials are formed by using a biaxially oriented fiber reinforced plastics. The contact surface of the toroidal coils and the insulating materials are arranged so that they are contact at a woven surface of the fiber reinforced plastics. Either or both of the contact surfaces of the fiber reinforced plastics and the toroidal coils are coated with a high molecular compound having a low friction coefficient. With such a constitution, since the interlayer shearing strength of the biaxially oriented fiber reinforced plastics is about 1/10 of the compression strength, the shearing stress exerted on the insulation material is reduced. Since a static friction coefficient on the contact surface is reduced to provide a structure causing slipping, shearing stress does not exceeds a predetermined limit. As a result, breakage of the insulation materials between the toroidal coils can be prevented. (I.S.)

Composition and Diversity of Avian Communities Using a New Urban Habitat: Green Roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Washburn, Brian E; Swearingin, Ryan M; Pullins, Craig K; Rice, Matthew E

2016-06-01

Green roofs on buildings are becoming popular and represent a new component of the urban landscape. Public benefits of green roof projects include reduced stormwater runoff, improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and aesthetic values. As part of a city-wide plan, several green roofs have been constructed at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Like some other landscaping features, green roofs on or near an airport might attract wildlife and thus increase the risk of bird-aircraft collisions. During 2007-2011, we conducted a series of studies to evaluate wildlife use of newly constructed green roofs and traditional (gravel) roofs on buildings at ORD. These green roofs were 0.04-1.62 ha in area and consisted of primarily stonecrop species for vegetation. A total of 188 birds were observed using roofs during this research. Of the birds using green roofs, 66, 23, and 4 % were Killdeer, European Starlings, and Mourning Doves, respectively. Killdeer nested on green roofs, whereas the other species perched, foraged, or loafed. Birds used green roofs almost exclusively between May and October. Overall, avian use of the green roofs was minimal and similar to that of buildings with traditional roofs. Although green roofs with other vegetation types might offer forage or cover to birds and thus attract potentially hazardous wildlife, the stonecrop-vegetated green roofs in this study did not increase the risk of bird-aircraft collisions.

Composition and Diversity of Avian Communities Using a New Urban Habitat: Green Roofs

Science.gov (United States)

Washburn, Brian E.; Swearingin, Ryan M.; Pullins, Craig K.; Rice, Matthew E.

2016-06-01

Green roofs on buildings are becoming popular and represent a new component of the urban landscape. Public benefits of green roof projects include reduced stormwater runoff, improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and aesthetic values. As part of a city-wide plan, several green roofs have been constructed at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Like some other landscaping features, green roofs on or near an airport might attract wildlife and thus increase the risk of bird-aircraft collisions. During 2007-2011, we conducted a series of studies to evaluate wildlife use of newly constructed green roofs and traditional (gravel) roofs on buildings at ORD. These green roofs were 0.04-1.62 ha in area and consisted of primarily stonecrop species for vegetation. A total of 188 birds were observed using roofs during this research. Of the birds using green roofs, 66, 23, and 4 % were Killdeer, European Starlings, and Mourning Doves, respectively. Killdeer nested on green roofs, whereas the other species perched, foraged, or loafed. Birds used green roofs almost exclusively between May and October. Overall, avian use of the green roofs was minimal and similar to that of buildings with traditional roofs. Although green roofs with other vegetation types might offer forage or cover to birds and thus attract potentially hazardous wildlife, the stonecrop-vegetated green roofs in this study did not increase the risk of bird-aircraft collisions.

Trends in the design, construction and operation of green roofs to improve the rainwater quality. State of the art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jair Andrés Morales Mojica

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The green roofs appear as technology for the improvement water quality. This article identifies trends in the conditions of design, construction and operation of green roofs, which aim is to improve the quality of rainwater. A literature review was carried out in order to collect 45 original research papers from databases as Scopus, Science Direct, and Redalyc. From the information collected trends in increments and reductions in the concentrations of the main water quality parameters, seasons of the year with the best results, types of green roofs , types of substrate and most common components, construction trends (dimensions, inclination, Materials and layers and vegetation used in these systems have been determined. The results show that green roofs have the ability to neutralize acid rain. Extensive type roofs are the ones most commonly used, due to its characteristics of construction, functionality and low maintenance requirements.

Soft Roof Failure Mechanism and Supporting Method for Gob-Side Entry Retaining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongyun Yang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available To study the soft roof failure mechanism and the supporting method for a gateway in a gently inclined coal seam with a dip angle of 16° kept for gob-side entry retaining, and through the methodology of field investigation and numerical and analytical modeling, this paper analyzed the stress evolution law of roof strata at the working face end and determined that the sharp horizontal stress unloading phenomenon along the coal wall side did not appear after the working face advanced. Conversely, the horizontal stress along the gob side instantly decreased and the tensile stress produced, and the vertical stress in the central part of the roof had a higher reduction magnitude as well. An in-depth study indicates that the soft roof of the working face end subsided and seriously separated due to the effect of the front abutment pressure and the roof hanging length above the gob line, as well as certain other factors, including the rapid unloading of the lateral stress, tension and shear on the lower roof rock layer and dynamic disturbance. Those influencing factors also led to rapid crack propagation on a large scale and serious fracturing in the soft roof of the working face end. However, in the gob stress stabilized zone, the soft roof in the gob-side entry retaining has a shearing failure along the filling wall inside affected by the overburden pressure, rock bulking pressure, and roof gravity. To maintain the roof integrity, decrease the roof deformation, and enable the control of the working face end soft roof and the stabilization of the gob-side entry retaining roof, this study suggests that the preferred bolt installation angle for the soft roof situation is 70° based on the rock bolt extrusion strengthening theory.

Wind loads on stand-off photovoltaic systems on pitched roofs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geurts, C.P.W.; Blackmore, P.A.

2013-01-01

Stand-off photovoltaic systems are a popular measure for retrofitting of existing pitched roofs. Panels are generally mounted parallel to the existing roof coverings, usually roofing tiles. Full scale and wind tunnel experiments have been performed to determine the net uplift loads on these systems,

Application of green blue roof to mitigate heat island phenomena and resilient to climate change in urban areas: A case study from Seoul, Korea

OpenAIRE

Shafique Muhammad; Kim Reeho

2017-01-01

Green blue roof has the potential to reduce the surface temperature of the building in the urban areas. Green blue roof is a new innovative low impact development (LID) practice that has exhibited an option to mitigate the heat island phenomena in urban area. This is the modified form of green roof that has ability to store rainwater in vegetation, soil layer and increases the evapotranspiration rate which decreases the temperature of an area. For this purpose, green blue roof is installed at...

Protection for low current superconducting coils wound with insulated strand cable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satti, J.

1980-09-01

The insulated strand cable concept for winding of low current superconducting coil leads to an ideal quench protection by induction coupling. A superconducting secondary loop was made within a cable of a 6.2 Henry dipole coil. When quenching occurred, current was induced in the secondary strand above the critical value. The normal strand quenched the whole cable due to good thermal contact. The secondary loop works as a heater turned on as the wire becomes normal throughout the coil. With a well spread quench, the energy dissipation density is decreased thus preventing local burnout. The mechanism is possible because of close coupling that is present in the insulated cable as in bifilar winding. For the coil tested a 12 strand cable was used, thus a favorable 11 to 1 turn ratio was obtained for the primary to secondary. The superconductor in the secondary had a lower resistance until the critical current was achieved. A theoretical explanation is described for a simplified circuit. Test on the dipole coil with four individual shells showed that the one shell protected with the induced coupling heater always had a more rapid reduction of current. The induced coupling heater tested and explained in this paper works automatically and does not rely on mechanical or electrical devices

Minimal watering regime impacts on desert adapted green roof plant performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kovachich, S.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Templer, S.; Livingston, M.; Stoltz, R.; Smith, S.

2011-12-01

Roof tops can cover one-fifth of urban areas and can greatly alter the movement of matter and energy in cities. With traditional roofing methods and materials, roof tops readily absorb heat and as a result, buildings and the surrounding urban area heat to unnaturally high temperatures. It is hypothesized that extensive green roofs would have wide-ranging benefits for arid environments. However, little is known about the cost of water use associated with green roof installations and how to balance energy reduction needs with water costs in this water limited environment. We are conducting a pilot study to test whether a) green roofs with native plants and environmentally-responsible watering regimes will prove successful in arid environments and if b) green roofs provide ecosystem services with responsible water application. Three species of Sonoran Desert natives, Dyssodia pentachaeta (groundcover), Calliandra eriophylla (shrub), and Hesperaloe parviflora (succulent) have been planted in experimental plots [1 m2 model houses and roofs, replicated in triplicate] with two sandy, rocky desert soil mixtures (light mix: 60% expanded shale and heavy mix: organic and sandy mix with 50% shale) at the Biosphere 2 campus near Oracle, Az. The green roofs are watered by two different techniques. The first technique provides "smart watering", the minimal amount of water needed by green roof plants based on precipitation and historical data. The second watering technique is considered heavy and does not take into account environmental conditions. Preliminary data from the experimental plots shows a 30% decrease in daytime roof top temperatures on green roofs and a 10% decrease in interior temperatures in buildings with green roofs. This trend occurs with both watering regimes (heavy and light). This finding suggests that additional irrigation yields no extra heat reduction and energy savings. In order to explain this phenomenon more clearly, we use co-located temperature and

Rock slope instabilities in Norway: First systematic hazard and risk classification of 22 unstable rock slopes

Science.gov (United States)

Böhme, Martina; Hermanns, Reginald L.; Oppikofer, Thierry; Penna, Ivanna

2016-04-01

average displacement rates of up to 6 cm are measured with differential GNSS and InSAR. Cosmogenic nuclide dating suggests an acceleration of the present displacement compared to the average displacement since the initiation of the gravitational movement approximately 7000 years ago. Furthermore, there exists a pre-historic rock avalanche 3 km north along the same slope. These characteristics result in a very high hazard for the Gamanjunni unstable rock slope. The consequence analyses focus on the possibility of life loss only. For this the number of persons in the area that can be affected by either the rock slope failure itself and/or its secondary consequence of a displacement wave in case that a rock slope failure would hit a water body is estimated. For Gamanjunni the direct consequences are approximately 40 casualties, representing medium consequences. A total of 48 scenarios were finally analyzed for hazard, consequences and risk. The results are plotted in a risk matrix with 5 hazard and 5 consequence classes, leading to 4 risk classes. One unstable rock slope was classified as very high hazard, 9 scenarios as high hazard, 25 as medium hazard and 13 as low hazard, while none were classified as very low hazard. The consequence analyses for those scenarios resulted in 5 scenarios with very high consequences (>1000 potential casualties), 13 scenarios with high consequences (100-1000 casualties), 9 scenarios with medium consequences (10-100 casualties), 6 scenarios with low consequences (1-10 casualties) and 15 scenarios with very low consequences (0-1 casualties). This resulted in a high risk for 6 scenarios, medium to high risk for 16 scenarios, medium risk for 7 scenarios and low risk for 19 scenarios. These results allow determining which unstable rock slopes do not require further follow-up and on which further investigations and/or mitigation measures should be considered.

Pemanfaatan Green Roof sebagai Media Filter Air Hujan di Kota Pontianak

OpenAIRE

Uria Karlena Sely Sakong

2013-01-01

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh green roof terhadap kualitas air hujan di KotaPontianak. Pengaruh tersebut dipelajari dengan cara membandingkan antara kualitas air hujan yang melewatigreen roof dengan kualitas air yang tidak melewati green roof. Penelitian diawali dengan merancang danmembuat model green roof. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan sebanyak empat kali dan diuji di laboratoriumterhadap parameter pH, kekeruhan, Pb terlarut dan E.Col...

Rainwater runoff retention on an aged intensive green roof.

Science.gov (United States)

Speak, A F; Rothwell, J J; Lindley, S J; Smith, C L

2013-09-01

Urban areas are characterised by large proportions of impervious surfaces which increases rainwater runoff and the potential for surface water flooding. Increased precipitation is predicted under current climate change projections, which will put further pressure on urban populations and infrastructure. Roof greening can be used within flood mitigation schemes to restore the urban hydrological balance of cities. Intensive green roofs, with their deeper substrates and higher plant biomass, are able to retain greater quantities of runoff, and there is a need for more studies on this less common type of green roof which also investigate the effect of factors such as age and vegetation composition. Runoff quantities from an aged intensive green roof in Manchester, UK, were analysed for 69 rainfall events, and compared to those on an adjacent paved roof. Average retention was 65.7% on the green roof and 33.6% on the bare roof. A comprehensive soil classification revealed the substrate, a mineral soil, to be in good general condition and also high in organic matter content which can increase the water holding capacity of soils. Large variation in the retention data made the use of predictive regression models unfeasible. This variation arose from complex interactions between Antecedant Dry Weather Period (ADWP), season, monthly weather trends, and rainfall duration, quantity and peak intensity. However, significantly lower retention was seen for high rainfall events, and in autumn, which had above average rainfall. The study period only covers one unusually wet year, so a longer study may uncover relationships to factors which can be applied to intensive roofs elsewhere. Annual rainfall retention for Manchester city centre could be increased by 2.3% by a 10% increase in intensive green roof construction. The results of this study will be of particular interest to practitioners implementing greenspace adaptation in temperate and cool maritime climates. Copyright © 2013

Releasability of asbestos fibers from weathered roof cement.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberta, Andrew F; Poye, Lee; Compton, Steven P

2018-03-26

Chrysotile asbestos fibers were added to roofing products, including roof cement, for several decades. The fibers were described as "encapsulated" and therefore incapable of being released, an assertion that is disproved by the study reported herein. Three test panels of roof cement from the original container were exposed to ambient weathering in 2015 and 2016. Two panels were then sampled using the ASTM D5755 microvacuum method. Sampling revealed a light brown sub-layer under the dark brown surface layer, both of which crumbled and became friable during sampling. Analysis of the microvacuum samples with transmission electron microscopy showed that the material on the two panels contained 4,432,000 and 3,320,000 asbestos structures per cm² with nearly all of the structures consisting of fibers less than 5 µm long. Energy dispersive spectrometry determined that none of the fibers reported were coated with asphalt. The presence of free fibers were confirmed by direct examination of the surfaces of the panels and of dust released from handling the panels via scanning electron microscopy. This study confirmed the releasability of uncoated asbestos fibers from dried roof cement that was indicated in two previous studies published in 2007 and 2010. These results suggest that the finding of the 5th Circuit Court in 1997 that uncoated airborne asbestos fibers cannot be released from roof cement, and therefore do not present a potential exposure by inhalation, was erroneous in retrospect. Theexemption of roof cement from regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Construction Industry Standard for asbestos by the Court should not be relied on by employers of workers who remove weathered asbestos-containing roof cement, and precautions should be taken against exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during this work.

Electronic phase separation in insulating (Ga, Mn) As with low compensation: super-paramagnetism and hopping conduction

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Ye; Wang, Mao; Xu, Chi; Hübner, René; Böttger, Roman; Jakiela, Rafal; Helm, Manfred; Sawicki, Maciej; Zhou, Shengqiang

2018-03-01

In the present work, low compensated insulating (Ga,Mn)As with 0.7% Mn is obtained by ion implantation combined with pulsed laser melting. The sample shows variable-range hopping transport behavior with a Coulomb gap in the vicinity of the Fermi energy, and the activation energy is reduced by an external magnetic field. A blocking super-paramagnetism is observed rather than ferromagnetism. Below the blocking temperature, the sample exhibits a colossal negative magnetoresistance. Our studies confirm that the disorder-induced electronic phase separation occurs in (Ga,Mn)As samples with a Mn concentration in the insulator-metal transition regime, and it can account for the observed superparamagnetism and the colossal magnetoresistance.

EXTRACTION OF ROOF LINES FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES BY A GROUPING METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. P. Dal Poz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a method for extracting groups of straight lines that represent roof boundaries and roof ridgelines from highresolution aerial images using corresponding Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS roof polyhedrons as initial approximations. The proposed method is based on two main steps. First, straight lines that are candidates to represent roof ridgelines and roof boundaries of a building are extracted from the aerial image. Second, a group of straight lines that represent roof boundaries and roof ridgelines of a selected building is obtained through the optimization of a Markov Random Field (MRF-based energy function using the genetic algorithm optimization method. The formulation of this energy function considers several attributes, such as the proximity of the extracted straight lines to the corresponding projected ALS-derived roof polyhedron and the rectangularity (extracted straight lines that intersect at nearly 90°. Experimental results are presented and discussed in this paper.

Residential roof condition assessment system using deep learning

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fan; Kerekes, John P.; Xu, Zhuoyi; Wang, Yandong

2018-01-01

The emergence of high resolution (HR) and ultra high resolution (UHR) airborne remote sensing imagery is enabling humans to move beyond traditional land cover analysis applications to the detailed characterization of surface objects. A residential roof condition assessment method using techniques from deep learning is presented. The proposed method operates on individual roofs and divides the task into two stages: (1) roof segmentation, followed by (2) condition classification of the segmented roof regions. As the first step in this process, a self-tuning method is proposed to segment the images into small homogeneous areas. The segmentation is initialized with simple linear iterative clustering followed by deep learned feature extraction and region merging, with the optimal result selected by an unsupervised index, Q. After the segmentation, a pretrained residual network is fine-tuned on the augmented roof segments using a proposed k-pixel extension technique for classification. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated on both HR and UHR imagery collected by EagleView over different study sites. The proposed algorithm has yielded promising results and has outperformed traditional machine learning methods using hand-crafted features.

30 CFR 75.209 - Automated Temporary Roof Support (ATRS) systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... of temporary support shall be used, as specified in the roof control plan, when— (1) Mining... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Automated Temporary Roof Support (ATRS) systems... COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Roof Support § 75.209...

Study on the new technology of removing gangue and retaining roadway in complicated roof condition

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanhao; Jiang, Cong

2018-04-01

This article in view of the complex roof conditions was carried on study about the new technology of removing gangue and retaining roadway, and tells a method of progressive reinforced concrete wall segment with gangue to keep the roadway, the roadway beside the support system is mainly composed of the lining, waste rock wall and the outer wall, the wall and the outer wall of concrete material width to build the strength of the progressive type filling body, waste rock wall with woven bag with waste rock assembled, paragraphs geological survey on the actual distance should be based on working face. This method relies on the interior of the gangue wall to make the pressure control and allow the roof to sink. In this paper, the finite deformation control of the roof is realized by the gangue wall and the high strength filling body. This method has the characteristics of low entry cost, good forming of roadway, high security and good stability, and can be applied to complex geological conditions such as hard roof.

Plate-type metamaterials for extremely broadband low-frequency sound insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaopeng; Guo, Xinwei; Chen, Tianning; Yao, Ge

2018-01-01

A novel plate-type acoustic metamaterial with a high sound transmission loss (STL) in the low-frequency range ( ≤1000 Hz) is designed, theoretically proven and then experimentally verified. The thin plates with large modulus used in this paper mean that we do not need to apply tension to the plates, which is more applicable to practical engineering, the achievement of noise reduction is better and the installation of plates is more user-friendly than that of the membranes. The effects of different structural parameters of the plates on the sound-proofed performance at low-frequencies were also investigated by experiment and finite element method (FEM). The results showed that the STL can be modulated effectively and predictably using vibration theory by changing the structural parameters, such as the radius and thickness of the plate. Furthermore, using unit cells of different geometric sizes which are responsible for different frequency regions, the stacked panels with thickness ≤16 mm and weight ≤5 kg/m2 showed high STL below 2000 Hz. The acoustic metamaterial proposed in this study could provide a potential application in the low-frequency noise insulation.

Stormwater quality from extensive green roofs in a subtropical region

Science.gov (United States)

Onis Pessoa, Jonas; Allasia, Daniel; Tassi, Rutineia; Vaz Viega, Juliana; Fensterseifer, Paula

2016-04-01

Green roofs have increasingly become an integral part of urban environments, mainly due to their aesthetic benefits, thermal comfort and efficiency in controlling excess runoff. However, the effects of this emerging technology in the qualitative characteristics of rainwater is still poorly understood. In this study was evaluated the effect of two different extensive green roofs (EGRs) and a traditional roof built with corrugated fiber cement sheets (control roof) in the quality of rainwater, in a subtropical climate area in the city of Santa Maria, in southern Brazil. The principal variant between the two EGRs were the type of plant species, time since construction, soil depth and the substrate characteristics. During the monitoring period of the experiment, between the months of April and December of 2015 fourteen rainfall events were selected for qualitative analysis of water from the three roofs and directly from rainfall. It was analyzed physical (turbidity, apparent color, true color, electrical conductivity, total solids, dissolved solids, suspended solids and temperature), chemical (pH, phosphate, total nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, sulfate, BOD, iron and total hardness), heavy metals (copper, zinc, lead and chromium) and microbiological parameters (total coliforms and E. coli). It was also characterized the substrates used in both extensive green roofs. The results showed that the quality of the water drained from EGR s was directly influenced by their substrates (in turn containing significant levels of nutrients, organic matter and some metals). The passage of rainwater through green roofs and control roof resulted in the elevation of pH, allowing the conversion of the slightly acidic rainfall into basic water. Similarly, on both types of roofs occurred an increase of the values of most of the physical, chemical and microbiological parameters compared to rainwater. This same trend was observed for heavy metals, although with a much smaller degree

EVALUATION OF ROOF BOLTING REQUIREMENTS BASED ON IN-MINE ROOF BOLTER DRILLING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Syd S. Peng

2005-04-15

In this quarter, the field, theoretical and programming works have been performed toward achieving the research goals set in the proposal. The main accomplishments in this quarter included: (1) one more field test has been conducted in an underground coal mine, (2) optimization studies of the control parameters have been conducted, (3) the relationship among feed pressure, penetration rate and rotation rate seems to be a good indicator for estimating rock strength when both penetration rate and rotation rate are controlled or kept constant, (4) the empirical equations for eliminating the machine effect on drilling parameters were developed and verified, and (5) a real time roof geology mapping system for roof bolters in limestone mine, including a special version of the geology mapping program and hardware, performs very well in underground production condition.

A Mathematical Model of a Thermally Activated Roof (TAR Cooling System Using a Simplified RC-Thermal Model with Time Dependent Supply Water Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid Ahmed Joudi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a computer simulation model of a thermally activated roof (TAR to cool a room using cool water from a wet cooling tower. Modeling was achieved using a simplified 1-D resistance-capacitance thermal network (RC model for an infinite slab. Heat transfer from the cooling pipe network was treated as 2-D heat flow. Only a limited number of nodes were required to obtain reliable results. The use of 6th order RC-thermal model produced a set of ordinary differential equations that were solved using MATLAB - R2012a. The computer program was written to cover all possible initial conditions, material properties, TAR system geometry and hourly solar radiation. The cool water supply was considered time dependent with the variation of the ambient wet bulb temperature. Results from RC-thermal modeling were compared with experimental measurements for a second story room measuring 5.5 m x 4 m x 3 m at Amarah city/ Iraq (31.865 ˚N, 47.128 ˚E for 21 July, 2013. The roof was constructed of 200 mm concrete slab, 150 mm turf and 50 mm insulation. Galvanized 13 mm steel pipe coils were buried in the roof slab with a pipe occupation ratio of 0.12. The walls were constructed of 240 mm common brick with 10mm cement plaster on the inside and outside surfaces and 20 mm Styrofoam insulation on the inside surface and covered with PVC panel. Thermistors were used to measure the indoor and outdoor temperatures, TAR system water inlet and outlet temperatures and temperature distribution inside the concrete slab. The effect of pipe spacing and water mass flow rate were evaluated. Agreement was good between the experimental and RC-thermal model. Concrete core temperature reaches the supply water temperature faster for lower pipe spacing. Heat extracted from the space increased with water mass flow rate to an optimum of 0.0088 kg/s.m².

TASK 2.5.4 DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENERGY SAVINGS CALCULATOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, William A [ORNL; New, Joshua Ryan [ORNL; Desjarlais, Andre Omer [ORNL; Huang, Joe [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Erdem, Ender [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Ronnen, Levinson [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

2010-03-01

reflective roofs, the RSC tool will simulate high- medium- and low-slope roofs, and has a custom selection for the user whose house has a unique inclination. There is an option for above sheathing ventilation, which is prevalent in tile and stone-coated metal roof assemblies. The tool also accommodates the effects of radiant barriers and low-emittance surfaces in the inclined air space above the sheathing. The practitioner can select to have air-conditioning ducts either in the conditioned space or in the attic. If in the attic, the user can select one of three air leakage options. Option 1 is an inspected duct having 4% leakage and code level of duct insulation; option 2 is a poorly insulated duct having 14% air leakage; and option 3 is a custom leakage rate specified by the user. The practitioner can setup multiple layers of ceiling insulation. AtticSim is benchmarked against the field data acquired for Ft. Irwin located near Barstow, CA, first as a standalone simulation program and then again integrated within the DOE-2.1E program. The standalone benchmark was very useful to determining how well AtticSim replicates the building physics of an attic. The coupled benchmark was useful to verify that the DOE-2.1E/AtticSim code is modeling correctly the dynamic relationship between the attic and the occupied space below, as well as the interactions between the attic and the HVAC system, in particular when the ducts are located in the attic.

(H)-FCKW foamed insulating materials in the building industry in Germany. Estimation of the potential emissions up to the year 2010; (H)-FCKW-geschaeumte Daemmstoffe im Bauwesen in Deutschland. Schaetzung der potentiellen Emissionen bis zum Jahr 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Obernosterer, Richard [Ressourcen Management Agentur GmbH, Villach (Austria)

2012-09-15

fugitive losses (assumed to be between 0.35% and 0.68%) were deducted from those banks, specific to the relevant products and blowing agents. As result a bank of approximately 117.5 kt or 105 000 t-ODP in PU insulating foams was estimated for Germany. The entire ODS bank in insulating materials used in construction in Germany was estimated to amount to about 120 000 t-ODP. The bulk of these ODP quantities (more than three quarters) are concentrated in only a few applications. PU sandwich panels are mainly used to insulate roofs and walls in the construction of industrial buildings as well as for cold-storage buildings. PU insulating panels are mainly used to insulate flat roofs, saddle roofs and floors.

Utilization of hard rock dust with red clay to produce roof tiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mst. Shanjida Sultana

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Utilization of rock dust to produce roof tiles and its effects on properties of tiles, mixed with red clay collected from Naogaon district of Bangladesh were investigated. After proper characterization of the raw materials, tiles were prepared with different percentages of rock dust (10-50% mixed with clay sintered from 850-1100 °C temperature. Rock dust has been found good for using as fluxing material after XRF study. The samples were tested for different properties such as water absorption, porosity, mechanical strength, linear shrinkage, and bulk density. The strength values have exceeded the minimum standard requirement for roof tiles with low water absorption in most samples. The results obtained made it possible to conclude about the possibility of producing roof tiles incorporating up to 40% of rock dust having better properties (lower water absorption 6.5%, strength value 31.97 MPa fired at 900 °C. Therefore these dust acts as a fluxing agent and reducing the sinteringtemperature of the clay material.

Hydrological Performance of LECA-Based Roofs in Cold Climates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimír Hamouz

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Rooftops represent a considerable part of the impervious fractions of urban environments. Detaining and retaining runoff from vegetated rooftops can be a significant contribution to reducing the effects of urbanization, with respect to increased runoff peaks and volumes from precipitation events. However, in climates with limited evapotranspiration, a non-vegetated system is a convenient option for stormwater management. A LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate-based roof system was established in the coastal area of Trondheim, Norway in 2016. The roof structure consists of a 200 mm-thick layer of LECA® lightweight aggregate, covered by a concrete pavement. The retention in the LECA-based roof was estimated at 9%, which would be equivalent to 0.27 mm/day for the entire period. The LECA-based configuration provided a detention performance for a peak runoff reduction of 95% (median and for a peak delay of 1 h and 15 min (median, respectively. The relatively high moisture levels in the LECA-based roof did not affect the detention performance. Rooftop retrofitting as a form of source control may contribute to a change in runoff characteristics from conventional roofs. This study of the LECA-based roof configuration presents data and performance indicators for stormwater urban planners with regard to water detention capability.

Adsorption of *sp134*Cs onto two different types of roof materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quenild, C.; Tveten, U.

1983-01-01

The report relates to a subproject under a Nordic project called ''Large reactor accidents - consequences and mitigating actions''. Natural decontamination of two types of roof material, typical of Norwegian and Swedish buildings, was examined. The roofs were contaminated with *sp134*Cs. After two days with 7 mm precipitation, the remaining activity on the tar-paper roof was 97% and on the steel roof 29%. After 8 months the remaining activity was 61% on the tar-paper roof and 22% on the steel roof. In spring *sp134*Cs was spread upon an 8 cm thick layer of fresh snow on an additional tar-paper roof. After 3 montsh and 191 mm precipitation the remaining activity was 59%. All results are based upon *sp134*Cs in collected run-off water.(Auth.)

Water quantity and quality response of a green roof to storm events: Experimental and monitoring observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Corey M G; Todorov, Dimitar; Driscoll, Charles T; Montesdeoca, Mario

2016-11-01

Syracuse, New York is working under a court-ordered agreement to limit combined sewer overflows (CSO) to local surface waters. Green infrastructure technologies, including green roofs, are being implemented as part of a CSO abatement strategy and to develop co-benefits of diminished stormwater runoff, including decreased loading of contaminants to the wastewater system and surface waters. The objective of this study was to examine the quantity and quality of discharge associated with precipitation events over an annual cycle from a green roof in Syracuse, NY and to compare measurements from this monitoring program with results from a roof irrigation experiment. Wet deposition, roof drainage, and water quality were measured for 87 storm events during an approximately 12 month period over 2011-2012. Water and nutrient (total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and dissolved organic carbon) mass balances were conducted on an event basis to evaluate retention annually and during the growing and non-growing seasons. These results are compared with a hydrological manipulation experiment, which comprised of artificially watering of the roof. Loadings of nutrients were calculated for experimental and actual storms using the concentration of nutrients and the flow data of water discharging the roof. The green roof was effective in retaining precipitation quantity from storm events (mean percent retention 96.8%, SD = 2.7%, n = 87), although the relative fraction of water retained decreased with increases in the size of the event. There was no difference in water retention of the green roof for the growing and non-growing seasons. Drainage waters exhibited high concentration of nutrients during the warm temperature growing season, particularly total nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon. Overall, nutrient losses were low because of the strong retention of water. However, there was marked variation in the retention of nutrients by season due to variations in concentrations in roof

Monitoring the Energy-Use Effects of Cool Roofs on California Commercial Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbari, Hashem; Levinson, Ronnen; Konopaki, Steve; Rainer, Leo

2004-07-01

Solar-reflective roofs stay cooler in the sun than solar-absorptive roofs. Such ''cool'' roofs achieve lower surface temperatures that reduce heat conduction into the building and the building's cooling load. The California Energy Commission has funded research in which Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has measured the electricity use and peak demand in commercial buildings to document savings from implementing the Commission's Cool Roofs program. The study seeks to determine the savings achieved by cool roofs by monitoring the energy use of a carefully selected assortment of buildings participating in the Cool Roofs program. Measurements were needed because the peak savings resulting from the application of cool roofs on different types of buildings in the diverse California climate zones have not been well characterized to date. Only a few occupancy categories (e.g., office and retail buildings) have been monitored before this, and those were done under a limited number of climatic conditions. To help rectify this situation, LBNL was tasked to select the buildings to be monitored, measure roof performance before and after replacing a hot roof by a cool roof, and document both energy and peak demand savings resulting from installation of cool roofs. We monitored the effects of cool roofs on energy use and environmental parameters in six California buildings at three different sites: a retail store in Sacramento; an elementary school in San Marcos (near San Diego); and a 4-building cold storage facility in Reedley (near Fresno). The latter included a cold storage building, a conditioning and fruit-palletizing area, a conditioned packing area, and two unconditioned packing areas (counted as one building).

On effective holographic Mott insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baggioli, Matteo; Pujolàs, Oriol [Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology,Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain)

2016-12-20

We present a class of holographic models that behave effectively as prototypes of Mott insulators — materials where electron-electron interactions dominate transport phenomena. The main ingredient in the gravity dual is that the gauge-field dynamics contains self-interactions by way of a particular type of non-linear electrodynamics. The electrical response in these models exhibits typical features of Mott-like states: i) the low-temperature DC conductivity is unboundedly low; ii) metal-insulator transitions appear by varying various parameters; iii) for large enough self-interaction strength, the conductivity can even decrease with increasing doping (density of carriers) — which appears as a sharp manifestation of ‘traffic-jam’-like behaviour; iv) the insulating state becomes very unstable towards superconductivity at large enough doping. We exhibit some of the properties of the resulting insulator-superconductor transition, which is sensitive to the momentum dissipation rate in a specific way. These models imply a clear and generic correlation between Mott behaviour and significant effects in the nonlinear electrical response. We compute the nonlinear current-voltage curve in our model and find that indeed at large voltage the conductivity is largely reduced.

On effective holographic Mott insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baggioli, Matteo; Pujolàs, Oriol

2016-01-01

We present a class of holographic models that behave effectively as prototypes of Mott insulators — materials where electron-electron interactions dominate transport phenomena. The main ingredient in the gravity dual is that the gauge-field dynamics contains self-interactions by way of a particular type of non-linear electrodynamics. The electrical response in these models exhibits typical features of Mott-like states: i) the low-temperature DC conductivity is unboundedly low; ii) metal-insulator transitions appear by varying various parameters; iii) for large enough self-interaction strength, the conductivity can even decrease with increasing doping (density of carriers) — which appears as a sharp manifestation of ‘traffic-jam’-like behaviour; iv) the insulating state becomes very unstable towards superconductivity at large enough doping. We exhibit some of the properties of the resulting insulator-superconductor transition, which is sensitive to the momentum dissipation rate in a specific way. These models imply a clear and generic correlation between Mott behaviour and significant effects in the nonlinear electrical response. We compute the nonlinear current-voltage curve in our model and find that indeed at large voltage the conductivity is largely reduced.

Bamboo Fibre Reinforced Cement Used as a Roofing Sheet | Alade ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bamboo fibre roofing sheet was able to withstand an average load of 51Kg, which is above the minimum required strength of 50kg. Comparatively, Asbestos roofing sheets and coconut fibre roofing sheets of similar dimensions had failure loads of 104.65Kg and 79Kg respectively. When immersed in water, bamboo fibre ...

Low-loss high-confinement waveguides and microring resonators in AlGaAs-on-insulator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottaviano, Luisa; Pu, Minhao; Semenova, Elizaveta

2016-01-01

AlGaAs is a promising material for integrated nonlinearphotonics due to its intrinsic high nonlinearity. However,the challenging fabrication of deep etched AlGaAs devices makes it difficult to realize high-performance devices such as low-loss dispersion engineered waveguides and high quality...... microring resonators. Here, we report a process tomake high-quality AlGaAs-on-insulator (AlGaAsOI) waferswhere high confinement waveguides can be realized. Using optimized patterning processes, we fabricated AlGaAsOI waveguides with propagation losses as low as 1 dB/cmand microring resonators with quality...

Numerical simulation of the dual effect of green roof thermal performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidarinejad, Ghassem; Esmaili, Arash

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Nonlinear and coupled heat and mass transfer equations has been solved in green roof simultaneously. • Plant metabolism (including photosynthesis) has been considered for the first time. • Results indicate that presence of plants mitigate roof heat absorption significantly. • Green roof reduces indoor cooling loads and outdoor heat island effect simultaneously. - Abstract: Green roof is one of technologies applied in reducing energy consumption when cooling of a building is of concern. The heat and mass transfer in green roof is expressed by the complex system of coupled nonlinear differential equations which should be solved with respect to the four elements of air, plants, soil and structure, simultaneously. Numerical solution is applied through finite difference method. Over 40 models among 100 are adopted for the evaluation of thermal, physical and biological parameters in order to achieve best accuracy. Modeling of photosynthesis and plants’ response to environmental change is simulated for the first time in green roof modeling history. Grid independency has been checked for two most challenging regions; plants and soil. The average difference between numerical results and experimental measurements is below 8%, indicating a good agreement. The shading effect of plants and drought of soil layers due to solar radiation are shown. The results, obtained through comparison of green and concrete roofs indicate that the green roof represents 77% reduction in heat flux transmission and 13 K reduction in air temperature at one meter above the roof compared to conventional roof, revealing a significant effect in reducing the energy consumption required for cooling the buildings and urban heat island effect simultaneously.