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Sample records for models model building

  1. Translating building information modeling to building energy modeling using model view definition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, WoonSeong; Kim, Jong Bum; Clayton, Mark J; Haberl, Jeff S; Yan, Wei

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a new approach to translate between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Building Energy Modeling (BEM) that uses Modelica, an object-oriented declarative, equation-based simulation environment. The approach (BIM2BEM) has been developed using a data modeling method to enable seamless model translations of building geometry, materials, and topology. Using data modeling, we created a Model View Definition (MVD) consisting of a process model and a class diagram. The process model demonstrates object-mapping between BIM and Modelica-based BEM (ModelicaBEM) and facilitates the definition of required information during model translations. The class diagram represents the information and object relationships to produce a class package intermediate between the BIM and BEM. The implementation of the intermediate class package enables system interface (Revit2Modelica) development for automatic BIM data translation into ModelicaBEM. In order to demonstrate and validate our approach, simulation result comparisons have been conducted via three test cases using (1) the BIM-based Modelica models generated from Revit2Modelica and (2) BEM models manually created using LBNL Modelica Buildings library. Our implementation shows that BIM2BEM (1) enables BIM models to be translated into ModelicaBEM models, (2) enables system interface development based on the MVD for thermal simulation, and (3) facilitates the reuse of original BIM data into building energy simulation without an import/export process.

  2. Translating Building Information Modeling to Building Energy Modeling Using Model View Definition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WoonSeong Jeong

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a new approach to translate between Building Information Modeling (BIM and Building Energy Modeling (BEM that uses Modelica, an object-oriented declarative, equation-based simulation environment. The approach (BIM2BEM has been developed using a data modeling method to enable seamless model translations of building geometry, materials, and topology. Using data modeling, we created a Model View Definition (MVD consisting of a process model and a class diagram. The process model demonstrates object-mapping between BIM and Modelica-based BEM (ModelicaBEM and facilitates the definition of required information during model translations. The class diagram represents the information and object relationships to produce a class package intermediate between the BIM and BEM. The implementation of the intermediate class package enables system interface (Revit2Modelica development for automatic BIM data translation into ModelicaBEM. In order to demonstrate and validate our approach, simulation result comparisons have been conducted via three test cases using (1 the BIM-based Modelica models generated from Revit2Modelica and (2 BEM models manually created using LBNL Modelica Buildings library. Our implementation shows that BIM2BEM (1 enables BIM models to be translated into ModelicaBEM models, (2 enables system interface development based on the MVD for thermal simulation, and (3 facilitates the reuse of original BIM data into building energy simulation without an import/export process.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2012-11-15

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

  4. Automated model building

    CERN Document Server

    Caferra, Ricardo; Peltier, Nicholas

    2004-01-01

    This is the first book on automated model building, a discipline of automated deduction that is of growing importance Although models and their construction are important per se, automated model building has appeared as a natural enrichment of automated deduction, especially in the attempt to capture the human way of reasoning The book provides an historical overview of the field of automated deduction, and presents the foundations of different existing approaches to model construction, in particular those developed by the authors Finite and infinite model building techniques are presented The main emphasis is on calculi-based methods, and relevant practical results are provided The book is of interest to researchers and graduate students in computer science, computational logic and artificial intelligence It can also be used as a textbook in advanced undergraduate courses

  5. Model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frampton, Paul H.

    1998-01-01

    In this talk I begin with some general discussion of model building in particle theory, emphasizing the need for motivation and testability. Three illustrative examples are then described. The first is the Left-Right model which provides an explanation for the chirality of quarks and leptons. The second is the 331-model which offers a first step to understanding the three generations of quarks and leptons. Third and last is the SU(15) model which can accommodate the light leptoquarks possibly seen at HERA

  6. Model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frampton, P.H.

    1998-01-01

    In this talk I begin with some general discussion of model building in particle theory, emphasizing the need for motivation and testability. Three illustrative examples are then described. The first is the Left-Right model which provides an explanation for the chirality of quarks and leptons. The second is the 331-model which offers a first step to understanding the three generations of quarks and leptons. Third and last is the SU(15) model which can accommodate the light leptoquarks possibly seen at HERA. copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

  7. SUSY GUT Model Building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raby, Stuart

    2008-01-01

    In this talk I discuss the evolution of SUSY GUT model building as I see it. Starting with 4 dimensional model building, I then consider orbifold GUTs in 5 dimensions and finally orbifold GUTs embedded into the E 8 xE 8 heterotic string.

  8. Building information modelling (BIM)

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Conradie, Dirk CU

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available The concept of a Building Information Model (BIM) also known as a Building Product Model (BPM) is nothing new. A short article on BIM will never cover the entire filed, because it is a particularly complex filed that is recently beginning to receive...

  9. Solar energy in buildings solved by building information modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chudikova, B.; Faltejsek, M.

    2018-03-01

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

  10. Whole-building Hygrothermal Simulation Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Grau, Karl

    2003-01-01

    An existing integrated simulation tool for dynamic thermal simulation of building was extended with a transient model for moisture release and uptake in building materials. Validation of the new model was begun with comparison against measurements in an outdoor test cell furnished with single...... materials. Almost quasi-steady, cyclic experiments were used to compare the indoor humidity variation and the numerical results of the integrated simulation tool with the new moisture model. Except for the case with chipboard as furnishing, the predictions of indoor humidity with the detailed model were...

  11. A Probabilistic Model for Exteriors of Residential Buildings

    KAUST Repository

    Fan, Lubin

    2016-07-29

    We propose a new framework to model the exterior of residential buildings. The main goal of our work is to design a model that can be learned from data that is observable from the outside of a building and that can be trained with widely available data such as aerial images and street-view images. First, we propose a parametric model to describe the exterior of a building (with a varying number of parameters) and propose a set of attributes as a building representation with fixed dimensionality. Second, we propose a hierarchical graphical model with hidden variables to encode the relationships between building attributes and learn both the structure and parameters of the model from the database. Third, we propose optimization algorithms to generate three-dimensional models based on building attributes sampled from the graphical model. Finally, we demonstrate our framework by synthesizing new building models and completing partially observed building models from photographs.

  12. Semi-Automatic Modelling of Building FAÇADES with Shape Grammars Using Historic Building Information Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dore, C.; Murphy, M.

    2013-02-01

    This paper outlines a new approach for generating digital heritage models from laser scan or photogrammetric data using Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM). HBIM is a plug-in for Building Information Modelling (BIM) software that uses parametric library objects and procedural modelling techniques to automate the modelling stage. The HBIM process involves a reverse engineering solution whereby parametric interactive objects representing architectural elements are mapped onto laser scan or photogrammetric survey data. A library of parametric architectural objects has been designed from historic manuscripts and architectural pattern books. These parametric objects were built using an embedded programming language within the ArchiCAD BIM software called Geometric Description Language (GDL). Procedural modelling techniques have been implemented with the same language to create a parametric building façade which automatically combines library objects based on architectural rules and proportions. Different configurations of the façade are controlled by user parameter adjustment. The automatically positioned elements of the façade can be subsequently refined using graphical editing while overlaying the model with orthographic imagery. Along with this semi-automatic method for generating façade models, manual plotting of library objects can also be used to generate a BIM model from survey data. After the 3D model has been completed conservation documents such as plans, sections, elevations and 3D views can be automatically generated for conservation projects.

  13. Model-based and model-free “plug-and-play” building energy efficient control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldi, Simone; Michailidis, Iakovos; Ravanis, Christos; Kosmatopoulos, Elias B.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • “Plug-and-play” Building Optimization and Control (BOC) driven by building data. • Ability to handle the large-scale and complex nature of the BOC problem. • Adaptation to learn the optimal BOC policy when no building model is available. • Comparisons with rule-based and advanced BOC strategies. • Simulation and real-life experiments in a ten-office building. - Abstract: Considerable research efforts in Building Optimization and Control (BOC) have been directed toward the development of “plug-and-play” BOC systems that can achieve energy efficiency without compromising thermal comfort and without the need of qualified personnel engaged in a tedious and time-consuming manual fine-tuning phase. In this paper, we report on how a recently introduced Parametrized Cognitive Adaptive Optimization – abbreviated as PCAO – can be used toward the design of both model-based and model-free “plug-and-play” BOC systems, with minimum human effort required to accomplish the design. In the model-based case, PCAO assesses the performance of its control strategy via a simulation model of the building dynamics; in the model-free case, PCAO optimizes its control strategy without relying on any model of the building dynamics. Extensive simulation and real-life experiments performed on a 10-office building demonstrate the effectiveness of the PCAO–BOC system in providing significant energy efficiency and improved thermal comfort. The mechanisms embedded within PCAO render it capable of automatically and quickly learning an efficient BOC strategy either in the presence of complex nonlinear simulation models of the building dynamics (model-based) or when no model for the building dynamics is available (model-free). Comparative studies with alternative state-of-the-art BOC systems show the effectiveness of the PCAO–BOC solution

  14. Iterative-build OMIT maps: map improvement by iterative model building and refinement without model bias

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Grosse-Kunstleve, Ralf W.; Afonine, Pavel V.; Moriarty, Nigel W.; Adams, Paul D.; Read, Randy J.; Zwart, Peter H.; Hung, Li-Wei

    2008-01-01

    An OMIT procedure is presented that has the benefits of iterative model building density modification and refinement yet is essentially unbiased by the atomic model that is built. A procedure for carrying out iterative model building, density modification and refinement is presented in which the density in an OMIT region is essentially unbiased by an atomic model. Density from a set of overlapping OMIT regions can be combined to create a composite ‘iterative-build’ OMIT map that is everywhere unbiased by an atomic model but also everywhere benefiting from the model-based information present elsewhere in the unit cell. The procedure may have applications in the validation of specific features in atomic models as well as in overall model validation. The procedure is demonstrated with a molecular-replacement structure and with an experimentally phased structure and a variation on the method is demonstrated by removing model bias from a structure from the Protein Data Bank

  15. Flexible building stock modelling with array-programming

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brøgger, Morten; Wittchen, Kim Bjarne

    2017-01-01

    Many building stock models employ archetype-buildings in order to capture the essential characteristics of a diverse building stock. However, these models often require multiple archetypes, which make them inflexible. This paper proposes an array-programming based model, which calculates the heat...... tend to overestimate potential energy-savings, if we do not consider these discrepancies. The proposed model makes it possible to compute and visualize potential energy-savings in a flexible and transparent way....

  16. Artificial intelligence support for scientific model-building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Richard M.

    1992-01-01

    Scientific model-building can be a time-intensive and painstaking process, often involving the development of large and complex computer programs. Despite the effort involved, scientific models cannot easily be distributed and shared with other scientists. In general, implemented scientific models are complex, idiosyncratic, and difficult for anyone but the original scientific development team to understand. We believe that artificial intelligence techniques can facilitate both the model-building and model-sharing process. In this paper, we overview our effort to build a scientific modeling software tool that aids the scientist in developing and using models. This tool includes an interactive intelligent graphical interface, a high-level domain specific modeling language, a library of physics equations and experimental datasets, and a suite of data display facilities.

  17. Irregular Shaped Building Design Optimization with Building Information Modelling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Xia Sheng

    2016-01-01

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

  18. Integrating Building Information Modeling and Green Building Certification: The BIM-LEED Application Model Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wei

    2010-01-01

    Building information modeling (BIM) and green building are currently two major trends in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. This research recognizes the market demand for better solutions to achieve green building certification such as LEED in the United States. It proposes a new strategy based on the integration of BIM…

  19. Empirical Model Building Data, Models, and Reality

    CERN Document Server

    Thompson, James R

    2011-01-01

    Praise for the First Edition "This...novel and highly stimulating book, which emphasizes solving real problems...should be widely read. It will have a positive and lasting effect on the teaching of modeling and statistics in general." - Short Book Reviews This new edition features developments and real-world examples that showcase essential empirical modeling techniques Successful empirical model building is founded on the relationship between data and approximate representations of the real systems that generated that data. As a result, it is essential for researchers who construct these m

  20. RCrane: semi-automated RNA model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keating, Kevin S.; Pyle, Anna Marie

    2012-01-01

    RCrane is a new tool for the partially automated building of RNA crystallographic models into electron-density maps of low or intermediate resolution. This tool helps crystallographers to place phosphates and bases into electron density and then automatically predicts and builds the detailed all-atom structure of the traced nucleotides. RNA crystals typically diffract to much lower resolutions than protein crystals. This low-resolution diffraction results in unclear density maps, which cause considerable difficulties during the model-building process. These difficulties are exacerbated by the lack of computational tools for RNA modeling. Here, RCrane, a tool for the partially automated building of RNA into electron-density maps of low or intermediate resolution, is presented. This tool works within Coot, a common program for macromolecular model building. RCrane helps crystallographers to place phosphates and bases into electron density and then automatically predicts and builds the detailed all-atom structure of the traced nucleotides. RCrane then allows the crystallographer to review the newly built structure and select alternative backbone conformations where desired. This tool can also be used to automatically correct the backbone structure of previously built nucleotides. These automated corrections can fix incorrect sugar puckers, steric clashes and other structural problems

  1. Modelling the probability of building fires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vojtěch Barták

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Systematic spatial risk analysis plays a crucial role in preventing emergencies.In the Czech Republic, risk mapping is currently based on the risk accumulationprinciple, area vulnerability, and preparedness levels of Integrated Rescue Systemcomponents. Expert estimates are used to determine risk levels for individualhazard types, while statistical modelling based on data from actual incidents andtheir possible causes is not used. Our model study, conducted in cooperation withthe Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic as a model within the Liberec andHradec Králové regions, presents an analytical procedure leading to the creation ofbuilding fire probability maps based on recent incidents in the studied areas andon building parameters. In order to estimate the probability of building fires, aprediction model based on logistic regression was used. Probability of fire calculatedby means of model parameters and attributes of specific buildings can subsequentlybe visualized in probability maps.

  2. Optimizing Energy Consumption in Building Designs Using Building Information Model (BIM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Egwunatum Samuel

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Given the ability of a Building Information Model (BIM to serve as a multi-disciplinary data repository, this paper seeks to explore and exploit the sustainability value of Building Information Modelling/models in delivering buildings that require less energy for their operation, emit less CO2 and at the same time provide a comfortable living environment for their occupants. This objective was achieved by a critical and extensive review of the literature covering: (1 building energy consumption, (2 building energy performance and analysis, and (3 building information modeling and energy assessment. The literature cited in this paper showed that linking an energy analysis tool with a BIM model helped project design teams to predict and create optimized energy consumption. To validate this finding, an in-depth analysis was carried out on a completed BIM integrated construction project using the Arboleda Project in the Dominican Republic. The findings showed that the BIM-based energy analysis helped the design team achieve the world’s first 103% positive energy building. From the research findings, the paper concludes that linking an energy analysis tool with a BIM model helps to expedite the energy analysis process, provide more detailed and accurate results as well as deliver energy-efficient buildings. The study further recommends that the adoption of a level 2 BIM and the integration of BIM in energy optimization analyse should be made compulsory for all projects irrespective of the method of procurement (government-funded or otherwise or its size.

  3. Impacts of Model Building Energy Codes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Athalye, Rahul A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sivaraman, Deepak [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Elliott, Douglas B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Liu, Bing [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bartlett, Rosemarie [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-10-31

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) periodically evaluates national and state-level impacts associated with energy codes in residential and commercial buildings. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), funded by DOE, conducted an assessment of the prospective impacts of national model building energy codes from 2010 through 2040. A previous PNNL study evaluated the impact of the Building Energy Codes Program; this study looked more broadly at overall code impacts. This report describes the methodology used for the assessment and presents the impacts in terms of energy savings, consumer cost savings, and reduced CO2 emissions at the state level and at aggregated levels. This analysis does not represent all potential savings from energy codes in the U.S. because it excludes several states which have codes which are fundamentally different from the national model energy codes or which do not have state-wide codes. Energy codes follow a three-phase cycle that starts with the development of a new model code, proceeds with the adoption of the new code by states and local jurisdictions, and finishes when buildings comply with the code. The development of new model code editions creates the potential for increased energy savings. After a new model code is adopted, potential savings are realized in the field when new buildings (or additions and alterations) are constructed to comply with the new code. Delayed adoption of a model code and incomplete compliance with the code’s requirements erode potential savings. The contributions of all three phases are crucial to the overall impact of codes, and are considered in this assessment.

  4. Integration of design applications with building models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eastman, C. M.; Jeng, T. S.; Chowdbury, R.

    1997-01-01

    This paper reviews various issues in the integration of applications with a building model... (Truncated.)......This paper reviews various issues in the integration of applications with a building model... (Truncated.)...

  5. Modeling urban building energy use: A review of modeling approaches and procedures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Wenliang; Zhou, Yuyu; Cetin, Kristen; Eom, Jiyong; Wang, Yu; Chen, Gang; Zhang, Xuesong

    2017-12-01

    With rapid urbanization and economic development, the world has been experiencing an unprecedented increase in energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions is a common interest shared by major developed and developing countries, actions to enable these global reductions are generally implemented at the city scale. This is because baseline information from individual cities plays an important role in identifying economical options for improving building energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions. Numerous approaches have been proposed for modeling urban building energy use in the past decades. This paper aims to provide an up-to-date review of the broad categories of energy models for urban buildings and describes the basic workflow of physics-based, bottom-up models and their applications in simulating urban-scale building energy use. Because there are significant differences across models with varied potential for application, strengths and weaknesses of the reviewed models are also presented. This is followed by a discussion of challenging issues associated with model preparation and calibration.

  6. Heterotic model building: 16 special manifolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Yang-Hui; Lee, Seung-Joo; Lukas, Andre; Sun, Chuang

    2014-01-01

    We study heterotic model building on 16 specific Calabi-Yau manifolds constructed as hypersurfaces in toric four-folds. These 16 manifolds are the only ones among the more than half a billion manifolds in the Kreuzer-Skarke list with a non-trivial first fundamental group. We classify the line bundle models on these manifolds, both for SU(5) and SO(10) GUTs, which lead to consistent supersymmetric string vacua and have three chiral families. A total of about 29000 models is found, most of them corresponding to SO(10) GUTs. These models constitute a starting point for detailed heterotic model building on Calabi-Yau manifolds in the Kreuzer-Skarke list. The data for these models can be downloaded http://www-thphys.physics.ox.ac.uk/projects/CalabiYau/toricdata/index.html.

  7. RCrane: semi-automated RNA model building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keating, Kevin S; Pyle, Anna Marie

    2012-08-01

    RNA crystals typically diffract to much lower resolutions than protein crystals. This low-resolution diffraction results in unclear density maps, which cause considerable difficulties during the model-building process. These difficulties are exacerbated by the lack of computational tools for RNA modeling. Here, RCrane, a tool for the partially automated building of RNA into electron-density maps of low or intermediate resolution, is presented. This tool works within Coot, a common program for macromolecular model building. RCrane helps crystallographers to place phosphates and bases into electron density and then automatically predicts and builds the detailed all-atom structure of the traced nucleotides. RCrane then allows the crystallographer to review the newly built structure and select alternative backbone conformations where desired. This tool can also be used to automatically correct the backbone structure of previously built nucleotides. These automated corrections can fix incorrect sugar puckers, steric clashes and other structural problems.

  8. Iterative model-building, structure refinement, and density modification with the PHENIX AutoBuild Wizard

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mailstop M888, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Building 64R0121, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England; Terwilliger, Thomas; Terwilliger, T.C.; Grosse-Kunstleve, Ralf Wilhelm; Afonine, P.V.; Moriarty, N.W.; Zwart, P.H.; Hung, L.-W.; Read, R.J.; Adams, P.D.

    2007-04-29

    The PHENIX AutoBuild Wizard is a highly automated tool for iterative model-building, structure refinement and density modification using RESOLVE or TEXTAL model-building, RESOLVE statistical density modification, and phenix.refine structure refinement. Recent advances in the AutoBuild Wizard and phenix.refine include automated detection and application of NCS from models as they are built, extensive model completion algorithms, and automated solvent molecule picking. Model completion algorithms in the AutoBuild Wizard include loop-building, crossovers between chains in different models of a structure, and side-chain optimization. The AutoBuild Wizard has been applied to a set of 48 structures at resolutions ranging from 1.1 {angstrom} to 3.2 {angstrom}, resulting in a mean R-factor of 0.24 and a mean free R factor of 0.29. The R-factor of the final model is dependent on the quality of the starting electron density, and relatively independent of resolution.

  9. Model building and new particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frampton, P.H.

    1992-01-01

    After an outline of the Standard Model, indications of new physics beyond it are discussed. The nature of model building is illustrated by three examples which predict, respectively, new particles called the axigluon, sarks and the aspon. (author). 11 refs

  10. Iterative model building, structure refinement and density modification with the PHENIX AutoBuild wizard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Grosse-Kunstleve, Ralf W.; Afonine, Pavel V.; Moriarty, Nigel W.; Zwart, Peter H.; Hung, Li-Wei; Read, Randy J.; Adams, Paul D.

    2008-01-01

    The highly automated PHENIX AutoBuild wizard is described. The procedure can be applied equally well to phases derived from isomorphous/anomalous and molecular-replacement methods. The PHENIX AutoBuild wizard is a highly automated tool for iterative model building, structure refinement and density modification using RESOLVE model building, RESOLVE statistical density modification and phenix.refine structure refinement. Recent advances in the AutoBuild wizard and phenix.refine include automated detection and application of NCS from models as they are built, extensive model-completion algorithms and automated solvent-molecule picking. Model-completion algorithms in the AutoBuild wizard include loop building, crossovers between chains in different models of a structure and side-chain optimization. The AutoBuild wizard has been applied to a set of 48 structures at resolutions ranging from 1.1 to 3.2 Å, resulting in a mean R factor of 0.24 and a mean free R factor of 0.29. The R factor of the final model is dependent on the quality of the starting electron density and is relatively independent of resolution

  11. Updating of a dynamic finite element model from the Hualien scale model reactor building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billet, L.; Moine, P.; Lebailly, P.

    1996-08-01

    The forces occurring at the soil-structure interface of a building have generally a large influence on the way the building reacts to an earthquake. One can be tempted to characterise these forces more accurately bu updating a model from the structure. However, this procedure requires an updating method suitable for dissipative models, since significant damping can be observed at the soil-structure interface of buildings. Such a method is presented here. It is based on the minimization of a mechanical energy built from the difference between Eigen data calculated bu the model and Eigen data issued from experimental tests on the real structure. An experimental validation of this method is then proposed on a model from the HUALIEN scale-model reactor building. This scale-model, built on the HUALIEN site of TAIWAN, is devoted to the study of soil-structure interaction. The updating concerned the soil impedances, modelled by a layer of springs and viscous dampers attached to the building foundation. A good agreement was found between the Eigen modes and dynamic responses calculated bu the updated model and the corresponding experimental data. (authors). 12 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs

  12. Alternatives to quintessence model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avelino, P.P.; Beca, L.M.G.; Pinto, P.; Carvalho, J.P.M. de; Martins, C.J.A.P.

    2003-01-01

    We discuss the issue of toy model building for the dark energy component of the universe. Specifically, we consider two generic toy models recently proposed as alternatives to quintessence models, respectively known as Cardassian expansion and the Chaplygin gas. We show that the former is entirely equivalent to a class of quintessence models. We determine the observational constraints on the latter, coming from recent supernovae results and from the shape of the matter power spectrum. As expected, these restrict the model to a behavior that closely matches that of a standard cosmological constant Λ

  13. Statistical models describing the energy signature of buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bacher, Peder; Madsen, Henrik; Thavlov, Anders

    2010-01-01

    Approximately one third of the primary energy production in Denmark is used for heating in buildings. Therefore efforts to accurately describe and improve energy performance of the building mass are very important. For this purpose statistical models describing the energy signature of a building, i...... or varying energy prices. The paper will give an overview of statistical methods and applied models based on experiments carried out in FlexHouse, which is an experimental building in SYSLAB, Risø DTU. The models are of different complexity and can provide estimates of physical quantities such as UA......-values, time constants of the building, and other parameters related to the heat dynamics. A method for selecting the most appropriate model for a given building is outlined and finally a perspective of the applications is given. Aknowledgements to the Danish Energy Saving Trust and the Interreg IV ``Vind i...

  14. Modelling the heat dynamics of buildings using stochastic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Kaae; Madsen, Henrik

    2000-01-01

    This paper describes the continuous time modelling of the heat dynamics of a building. The considered building is a residential like test house divided into two test rooms with a water based central heating. Each test room is divided into thermal zones in order to describe both short and long term...... variations. Besides modelling the heat transfer between thermal zones, attention is put on modelling the heat input from radiators and solar radiation. The applied modelling procedure is based on collected building performance data and statistical methods. The statistical methods are used in parameter...

  15. COMPLEMENTARITY OF HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Yang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we discuss the potential of integrating both semantically rich models from Building Information Modelling (BIM and Geographical Information Systems (GIS to build the detailed 3D historic model. BIM contributes to the creation of a digital representation having all physical and functional building characteristics in several dimensions, as e.g. XYZ (3D, time and non-architectural information that are necessary for construction and management of buildings. GIS has potential in handling and managing spatial data especially exploring spatial relationships and is widely used in urban modelling. However, when considering heritage modelling, the specificity of irregular historical components makes it problematic to create the enriched model according to its complex architectural elements obtained from point clouds. Therefore, some open issues limiting the historic building 3D modelling will be discussed in this paper: how to deal with the complex elements composing historic buildings in BIM and GIS environment, how to build the enriched historic model, and why to construct different levels of details? By solving these problems, conceptualization, documentation and analysis of enriched Historic Building Information Modelling are developed and compared to traditional 3D models aimed primarily for visualization.

  16. Armagh Observatory - Historic Building Information Modelling for Virtual Learning in Building Conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, M.; Chenaux, A.; Keenaghan, G.; GIbson, V..; Butler, J.; Pybusr, C.

    2017-08-01

    In this paper the recording and design for a Virtual Reality Immersive Model of Armagh Observatory is presented, which will replicate the historic buildings and landscape with distant meridian markers and position of its principal historic instruments within a model of the night sky showing the position of bright stars. The virtual reality model can be used for educational purposes allowing the instruments within the historic building model to be manipulated within 3D space to demonstrate how the position measurements of stars were made in the 18th century. A description is given of current student and researchers activities concerning on-site recording and surveying and the virtual modelling of the buildings and landscape. This is followed by a design for a Virtual Reality Immersive Model of Armagh Observatory use game engine and virtual learning platforms and concepts.

  17. Physical and JIT Model Based Hybrid Modeling Approach for Building Thermal Load Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iino, Yutaka; Murai, Masahiko; Murayama, Dai; Motoyama, Ichiro

    Energy conservation in building fields is one of the key issues in environmental point of view as well as that of industrial, transportation and residential fields. The half of the total energy consumption in a building is occupied by HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) systems. In order to realize energy conservation of HVAC system, a thermal load prediction model for building is required. This paper propose a hybrid modeling approach with physical and Just-in-Time (JIT) model for building thermal load prediction. The proposed method has features and benefits such as, (1) it is applicable to the case in which past operation data for load prediction model learning is poor, (2) it has a self checking function, which always supervises if the data driven load prediction and the physical based one are consistent or not, so it can find if something is wrong in load prediction procedure, (3) it has ability to adjust load prediction in real-time against sudden change of model parameters and environmental conditions. The proposed method is evaluated with real operation data of an existing building, and the improvement of load prediction performance is illustrated.

  18. Structured building model reduction toward parallel simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dobbs, Justin R. [Cornell University; Hencey, Brondon M. [Cornell University

    2013-08-26

    Building energy model reduction exchanges accuracy for improved simulation speed by reducing the number of dynamical equations. Parallel computing aims to improve simulation times without loss of accuracy but is poorly utilized by contemporary simulators and is inherently limited by inter-processor communication. This paper bridges these disparate techniques to implement efficient parallel building thermal simulation. We begin with a survey of three structured reduction approaches that compares their performance to a leading unstructured method. We then use structured model reduction to find thermal clusters in the building energy model and allocate processing resources. Experimental results demonstrate faster simulation and low error without any interprocessor communication.

  19. Analysis of a Residential Building Energy Consumption Demand Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Liu

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available In order to estimate the energy consumption demand of residential buildings, this paper first discusses the status and shortcomings of current domestic energy consumption models. Then it proposes and develops a residential building energy consumption demand model based on a back propagation (BP neural network model. After that, taking residential buildings in Chongqing (P.R. China as an example, 16 energy consumption indicators are introduced as characteristics of the residential buildings in Chongqing. The index system of the BP neutral network prediction model is established and the multi-factorial BP neural network prediction model of Chongqing residential building energy consumption is developed using the Cshap language, based on the SQL server 2005 platform. The results obtained by applying the model in Chongqing are in good agreement with actual ones. In addition, the model provides corresponding approximate data by taking into account the potential energy structure adjustments and relevant energy policy regulations.

  20. State reduced order models for the modelling of the thermal behavior of buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menezo, Christophe; Bouia, Hassan; Roux, Jean-Jacques; Depecker, Patrick [Institute National de Sciences Appliquees de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex, (France). Centre de Thermique de Lyon (CETHIL). Equipe Thermique du Batiment]. E-mail: menezo@insa-cethil-etb.insa-lyon.fr; bouia@insa-cethil-etb.insa-lyon.fr; roux@insa-cethil-etb.insa-lyon.fr; depecker@insa-cethil-etb.insa-lyon.fr

    2000-07-01

    This work is devoted to the field of building physics and related to the reduction of heat conduction models. The aim is to enlarge the model libraries of heat and mass transfer codes through limiting the considerable dimensions reached by the numerical systems during the modelling process of a multizone building. We show that the balanced realization technique, specifically adapted to the coupling of reduced order models with the other thermal phenomena, turns out to be very efficient. (author)

  1. Modeling arson - An exercise in qualitative model building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heineke, J. M.

    1975-01-01

    A detailed example is given of the role of von Neumann and Morgenstern's 1944 'expected utility theorem' (in the theory of games and economic behavior) in qualitative model building. Specifically, an arsonist's decision as to the amount of time to allocate to arson and related activities is modeled, and the responsiveness of this time allocation to changes in various policy parameters is examined. Both the activity modeled and the method of presentation are intended to provide an introduction to the scope and power of the expected utility theorem in modeling situations of 'choice under uncertainty'. The robustness of such a model is shown to vary inversely with the number of preference restrictions used in the analysis. The fewer the restrictions, the wider is the class of agents to which the model is applicable, and accordingly more confidence is put in the derived results. A methodological discussion on modeling human behavior is included.

  2. System Dynamics as Model-Based Theory Building

    OpenAIRE

    Schwaninger, Markus; Grösser, Stefan N.

    2008-01-01

    This paper introduces model-based theory building as a feature of system dynamics (SD) with large potential. It presents a systemic approach to actualizing that potential, thereby opening up a new perspective on theory building in the social sciences. The question addressed is if and how SD enables the construction of high-quality theories. This contribution is based on field experiment type projects which have been focused on model-based theory building, specifically the construction of a mi...

  3. Economic aspects and models for building codes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonke, Jens; Pedersen, Dan Ove; Johnsen, Kjeld

    It is the purpose of this bulletin to present an economic model for estimating the consequence of new or changed building codes. The object is to allow comparative analysis in order to improve the basis for decisions in this field. The model is applied in a case study.......It is the purpose of this bulletin to present an economic model for estimating the consequence of new or changed building codes. The object is to allow comparative analysis in order to improve the basis for decisions in this field. The model is applied in a case study....

  4. Developing Verification Systems for Building Information Models of Heritage Buildings with Heterogeneous Datasets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, L.; Fai, S.

    2017-08-01

    The digitization and abstraction of existing buildings into building information models requires the translation of heterogeneous datasets that may include CAD, technical reports, historic texts, archival drawings, terrestrial laser scanning, and photogrammetry into model elements. In this paper, we discuss a project undertaken by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) that explored the synthesis of heterogeneous datasets for the development of a building information model (BIM) for one of Canada's most significant heritage assets - the Centre Block of the Parliament Hill National Historic Site. The scope of the project included the development of an as-found model of the century-old, six-story building in anticipation of specific model uses for an extensive rehabilitation program. The as-found Centre Block model was developed in Revit using primarily point cloud data from terrestrial laser scanning. The data was captured by CIMS in partnership with Heritage Conservation Services (HCS), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), using a Leica C10 and P40 (exterior and large interior spaces) and a Faro Focus (small to mid-sized interior spaces). Secondary sources such as archival drawings, photographs, and technical reports were referenced in cases where point cloud data was not available. As a result of working with heterogeneous data sets, a verification system was introduced in order to communicate to model users/viewers the source of information for each building element within the model.

  5. Buildings Lean Maintenance Implementation Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abreu, Antonio; Calado, João; Requeijo, José

    2016-11-01

    Nowadays, companies in global markets have to achieve high levels of performance and competitiveness to stay "alive".Within this assumption, the building maintenance cannot be done in a casual and improvised way due to the costs related. Starting with some discussion about lean management and building maintenance, this paper introduces a model to support the Lean Building Maintenance (LBM) approach. Finally based on a real case study from a Portuguese company, the benefits, challenges and difficulties are presented and discussed.

  6. Reduced order modeling and parameter identification of a building energy system model through an optimization routine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harish, V.S.K.V.; Kumar, Arun

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A BES model based on 1st principles is developed and solved numerically. • Parameters of lumped capacitance model are fitted using the proposed optimization routine. • Validations are showed for different types of building construction elements. • Step response excitations for outdoor air temperature and relative humidity are analyzed. - Abstract: Different control techniques together with intelligent building technology (Building Automation Systems) are used to improve energy efficiency of buildings. In almost all control projects, it is crucial to have building energy models with high computational efficiency in order to design and tune the controllers and simulate their performance. In this paper, a set of partial differential equations are formulated accounting for energy flow within the building space. These equations are then solved as conventional finite difference equations using Crank–Nicholson scheme. Such a model of a higher order is regarded as a benchmark model. An optimization algorithm has been developed, depicted through a flowchart, which minimizes the sum squared error between the step responses of the numerical and the optimal model. Optimal model of the construction element is nothing but a RC-network model with the values of Rs and Cs estimated using the non-linear time invariant constrained optimization routine. The model is validated with comparing the step responses with other two RC-network models whose parameter values are selected based on a certain criteria. Validations are showed for different types of building construction elements viz., low, medium and heavy thermal capacity elements. Simulation results show that the optimal model closely follow the step responses of the numerical model as compared to the responses of other two models.

  7. Working group report: Flavor physics and model building

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    cO Indian Academy of Sciences. Vol. ... This is the report of flavor physics and model building working group at ... those in model building have been primarily devoted to neutrino physics. ..... [12] Andrei Gritsan, ICHEP 2004, Beijing, China.

  8. A View on Future Building System Modeling and Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael

    2011-04-01

    This chapter presents what a future environment for building system modeling and simulation may look like. As buildings continue to require increased performance and better comfort, their energy and control systems are becoming more integrated and complex. We therefore focus in this chapter on the modeling, simulation and analysis of building energy and control systems. Such systems can be classified as heterogeneous systems because they involve multiple domains, such as thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer, electrical systems, control systems and communication systems. Also, they typically involve multiple temporal and spatial scales, and their evolution can be described by coupled differential equations, discrete equations and events. Modeling and simulating such systems requires a higher level of abstraction and modularisation to manage the increased complexity compared to what is used in today's building simulation programs. Therefore, the trend towards more integrated building systems is likely to be a driving force for changing the status quo of today's building simulation programs. Thischapter discusses evolving modeling requirements and outlines a path toward a future environment for modeling and simulation of heterogeneous building systems.A range of topics that would require many additional pages of discussion has been omitted. Examples include computational fluid dynamics for air and particle flow in and around buildings, people movement, daylight simulation, uncertainty propagation and optimisation methods for building design and controls. For different discussions and perspectives on the future of building modeling and simulation, we refer to Sahlin (2000), Augenbroe (2001) and Malkawi and Augenbroe (2004).

  9. DEVELOPING VERIFICATION SYSTEMS FOR BUILDING INFORMATION MODELS OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS WITH HETEROGENEOUS DATASETS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Chow

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The digitization and abstraction of existing buildings into building information models requires the translation of heterogeneous datasets that may include CAD, technical reports, historic texts, archival drawings, terrestrial laser scanning, and photogrammetry into model elements. In this paper, we discuss a project undertaken by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS that explored the synthesis of heterogeneous datasets for the development of a building information model (BIM for one of Canada’s most significant heritage assets – the Centre Block of the Parliament Hill National Historic Site. The scope of the project included the development of an as-found model of the century-old, six-story building in anticipation of specific model uses for an extensive rehabilitation program. The as-found Centre Block model was developed in Revit using primarily point cloud data from terrestrial laser scanning. The data was captured by CIMS in partnership with Heritage Conservation Services (HCS, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC, using a Leica C10 and P40 (exterior and large interior spaces and a Faro Focus (small to mid-sized interior spaces. Secondary sources such as archival drawings, photographs, and technical reports were referenced in cases where point cloud data was not available. As a result of working with heterogeneous data sets, a verification system was introduced in order to communicate to model users/viewers the source of information for each building element within the model.

  10. ARMAGH OBSERVATORY – HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING IN BUILDING CONSERVATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Murphy

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the recording and design for a Virtual Reality Immersive Model of Armagh Observatory is presented, which will replicate the historic buildings and landscape with distant meridian markers and position of its principal historic instruments within a model of the night sky showing the position of bright stars. The virtual reality model can be used for educational purposes allowing the instruments within the historic building model to be manipulated within 3D space to demonstrate how the position measurements of stars were made in the 18th century. A description is given of current student and researchers activities concerning on-site recording and surveying and the virtual modelling of the buildings and landscape. This is followed by a design for a Virtual Reality Immersive Model of Armagh Observatory use game engine and virtual learning platforms and concepts.

  11. Methodology for Modeling Building Energy Performance across the Commercial Sector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Griffith, B.; Long, N.; Torcellini, P.; Judkoff, R.; Crawley, D.; Ryan, J.

    2008-03-01

    This report uses EnergyPlus simulations of each building in the 2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) to document and demonstrate bottom-up methods of modeling the entire U.S. commercial buildings sector (EIA 2006). The ability to use a whole-building simulation tool to model the entire sector is of interest because the energy models enable us to answer subsequent 'what-if' questions that involve technologies and practices related to energy. This report documents how the whole-building models were generated from the building characteristics in 2003 CBECS and compares the simulation results to the survey data for energy use.

  12. Building energy modeling for green architecture and intelligent dashboard applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBlois, Justin

    Buildings are responsible for 40% of the carbon emissions in the United States. Energy efficiency in this sector is key to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. This work studied the passive technique called the roof solar chimney for reducing the cooling load in homes architecturally. Three models of the chimney were created: a zonal building energy model, computational fluid dynamics model, and numerical analytic model. The study estimated the error introduced to the building energy model (BEM) through key assumptions, and then used a sensitivity analysis to examine the impact on the model outputs. The conclusion was that the error in the building energy model is small enough to use it for building simulation reliably. Further studies simulated the roof solar chimney in a whole building, integrated into one side of the roof. Comparisons were made between high and low efficiency constructions, and three ventilation strategies. The results showed that in four US climates, the roof solar chimney results in significant cooling load energy savings of up to 90%. After developing this new method for the small scale representation of a passive architecture technique in BEM, the study expanded the scope to address a fundamental issue in modeling - the implementation of the uncertainty from and improvement of occupant behavior. This is believed to be one of the weakest links in both accurate modeling and proper, energy efficient building operation. A calibrated model of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation's LEED Gold, 3,400 m2 building was created. Then algorithms were developed for integration to the building's dashboard application that show the occupant the energy savings for a variety of behaviors in real time. An approach using neural networks to act on real-time building automation system data was found to be the most accurate and efficient way to predict the current energy savings for each scenario. A stochastic study examined the impact of the

  13. A Unified Building Model for 3D Urban GIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ihab Hijazi

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Several tasks in urban and architectural design are today undertaken in a geospatial context. Building Information Models (BIM and geospatial technologies offer 3D data models that provide information about buildings and the surrounding environment. The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC and CityGML are today the two most prominent semantic models for representation of BIM and geospatial models respectively. CityGML has emerged as a standard for modeling city models while IFC has been developed as a reference model for building objects and sites. Current CAD and geospatial software provide tools that allow the conversion of information from one format to the other. These tools are however fairly limited in their capabilities, often resulting in data and information losses in the transformations. This paper describes a new approach for data integration based on a unified building model (UBM which encapsulates both the CityGML and IFC models, thus avoiding translations between the models and loss of information. To build the UBM, all classes and related concepts were initially collected from both models, overlapping concepts were merged, new objects were created to ensure the capturing of both indoor and outdoor objects, and finally, spatial relationships between the objects were redefined. Unified Modeling Language (UML notations were used for representing its objects and relationships between them. There are two use-case scenarios, both set in a hospital: “evacuation” and “allocating spaces for patient wards” were developed to validate and test the proposed UBM data model. Based on these two scenarios, four validation queries were defined in order to validate the appropriateness of the proposed unified building model. It has been validated, through the case scenarios and four queries, that the UBM being developed is able to integrate CityGML data as well as IFC data in an apparently seamless way. Constraints and enrichment functions are

  14. Non-commutative standard model: model building

    CERN Document Server

    Chaichian, Masud; Presnajder, P

    2003-01-01

    A non-commutative version of the usual electro-weak theory is constructed. We discuss how to overcome the two major problems: (1) although we can have non-commutative U(n) (which we denote by U sub * (n)) gauge theory we cannot have non-commutative SU(n) and (2) the charges in non-commutative QED are quantized to just 0,+-1. We show how the latter problem with charge quantization, as well as with the gauge group, can be resolved by taking the U sub * (3) x U sub * (2) x U sub * (1) gauge group and reducing the extra U(1) factors in an appropriate way. Then we proceed with building the non-commutative version of the standard model by specifying the proper representations for the entire particle content of the theory, the gauge bosons, the fermions and Higgs. We also present the full action for the non-commutative standard model (NCSM). In addition, among several peculiar features of our model, we address the inherentCP violation and new neutrino interactions. (orig.)

  15. Comparison of Building Energy Modeling Programs: Building Loads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Dandan [Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China); Hong, Tianzhen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Yan, Da [Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China); Wang, Chuang [Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China)

    2012-06-01

    This technical report presented the methodologies, processes, and results of comparing three Building Energy Modeling Programs (BEMPs) for load calculations: EnergyPlus, DeST and DOE-2.1E. This joint effort, between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA and Tsinghua University, China, was part of research projects under the US-China Clean Energy Research Center on Building Energy Efficiency (CERC-BEE). Energy Foundation, an industrial partner of CERC-BEE, was the co-sponsor of this study work. It is widely known that large discrepancies in simulation results can exist between different BEMPs. The result is a lack of confidence in building simulation amongst many users and stakeholders. In the fields of building energy code development and energy labeling programs where building simulation plays a key role, there are also confusing and misleading claims that some BEMPs are better than others. In order to address these problems, it is essential to identify and understand differences between widely-used BEMPs, and the impact of these differences on load simulation results, by detailed comparisons of these BEMPs from source code to results. The primary goal of this work was to research methods and processes that would allow a thorough scientific comparison of the BEMPs. The secondary goal was to provide a list of strengths and weaknesses for each BEMP, based on in-depth understandings of their modeling capabilities, mathematical algorithms, advantages and limitations. This is to guide the use of BEMPs in the design and retrofit of buildings, especially to support China’s building energy standard development and energy labeling program. The research findings could also serve as a good reference to improve the modeling capabilities and applications of the three BEMPs. The methodologies, processes, and analyses employed in the comparison work could also be used to compare other programs. The load calculation method of each program was analyzed and compared to

  16. Features of Functioning the Integrated Building Thermal Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morozov Maxim N.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A model of the building heating system, consisting of energy source, a distributed automatic control system, elements of individual heating unit and heating system is designed. Application Simulink of mathematical package Matlab is selected as a platform for the model. There are the specialized application Simscape libraries in aggregate with a wide range of Matlab mathematical tools allow to apply the “acausal” modeling concept. Implementation the “physical” representation of the object model gave improving the accuracy of the models. Principle of operation and features of the functioning of the thermal model is described. The investigations of building cooling dynamics were carried out.

  17. Climate change and high-resolution whole-building numerical modelling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blocken, B.J.E.; Briggen, P.M.; Schellen, H.L.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2010-01-01

    This paper briefly discusses the need of high-resolution whole-building numerical modelling in the context of climate change. High-resolution whole-building numerical modelling can be used for detailed analysis of the potential consequences of climate change on buildings and to evaluate remedial

  18. A Probabilistic Model for Exteriors of Residential Buildings

    KAUST Repository

    Fan, Lubin; Wonka, Peter

    2016-01-01

    We propose a new framework to model the exterior of residential buildings. The main goal of our work is to design a model that can be learned from data that is observable from the outside of a building and that can be trained with widely available

  19. Dynamic analysis of reactor containment building using axisymmetric finite element model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thakkar, S.K.; Dubey, R.N.

    1989-01-01

    The structural safety of nuclear reactor building during earthquake is of great importance in view of possibility of radiation hazards. The rational evaluation of forces and displacements in various portions of structure and foundation during strong ground motion is most important for safe performance and economic design of the reactor building. The accuracy of results of dynamic analysis is naturally dependent on the type of mathematical model employed. Three types of mathematical models are employed for dynamic analysis of reactor building beam model axisymmetric finite element model and three dimensional model. In this paper emphasis is laid on axisymmetric model. This model of containment building is considered a reinfinement over conventional beam model of the structure. The nuclear reactor building on a rocky foundation is considered herein. The foundation-structure interaction is relatively less in this condition. The objective of the paper is to highlight the significance of modelling of non-axisymmetric portion of building, such as reactor internals by equivalent axisymmetric body, on the structural response of the building

  20. Model for Refurbishment of Heritage Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Torben Valdbjørn

    2014-01-01

    the Heritage Agency, the Danish Working Environment Authority and the owner as a team cooperated in identifying feasible refurbishments. In this case, the focus centered on restoring and identifying potential energy savings and deciding on energy upgrading measures for the listed complex. The refurbished...... with the requirements for the use of the building. The model focuses on the cooperation and dialogue between authorities and owners, who refurbish heritage buildings. The developed model was used for the refurbishment of the listed complex, Fæstningens Materialgård. Fæstningens Materialgård is a case study where...

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bazjanac, Vladimir

    2004-06-21

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

  2. Energy based prediction models for building acoustics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brunskog, Jonas

    2012-01-01

    In order to reach robust and simplified yet accurate prediction models, energy based principle are commonly used in many fields of acoustics, especially in building acoustics. This includes simple energy flow models, the framework of statistical energy analysis (SEA) as well as more elaborated...... principles as, e.g., wave intensity analysis (WIA). The European standards for building acoustic predictions, the EN 12354 series, are based on energy flow and SEA principles. In the present paper, different energy based prediction models are discussed and critically reviewed. Special attention is placed...... on underlying basic assumptions, such as diffuse fields, high modal overlap, resonant field being dominant, etc., and the consequences of these in terms of limitations in the theory and in the practical use of the models....

  3. A Heat Dynamic Model for Intelligent Heating of Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thavlov, Anders; Bindner, Henrik W.

    2015-01-01

    This article presents a heat dynamic model for prediction of the indoor temperature in an office building. The model has been used in several flexible load applications, where the indoor temperature is allowed to vary around a given reference to provide power system services by shifting the heating...... of the building in time. This way the thermal mass of the building can be used to absorb energy from renewable energy source when available and postpone heating in periods with lack of renewable energy generation. The model is used in a model predictive controller to ensure the residential comfort over a given...

  4. Regulatory odour model development: Survey of modelling tools and datasets with focus on building effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, H. R.; Løfstrøm, P.; Berkowicz, R.

    dispersion models for estimating local concentration levels in general. However, the report focuses on some particular issues, which are relevant for subsequent work on odour due to animal production. An issue of primary concern is the effect that buildings (stables) have on flow and dispersion. The handling...... of building effects is a complicated problem, and a major part of the report is devoted to the treatment of building effects in dispersion models......A project within the framework of a larger research programme, Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment III (VMP III) aims towards improving an atmospheric dispersion model (OML). The OML model is used for regulatory applications in Denmark, and it is the candidate model to be used also in future...

  5. BIM-enabled Conceptual Modelling and Representation of Building Circulation

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Jin Kook; Kim, Mi Jeong

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes how a building information modelling (BIM)-based approach for building circulation enables us to change the process of building design in terms of its computational representation and processes, focusing on the conceptual modelling and representation of circulation within buildings. BIM has been designed for use by several BIM authoring tools, in particular with the widely known interoperable industry foundation classes (IFCs), which follow an object-oriented data modelli...

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2011-02-01

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

  7. A Learning Framework for Control-Oriented Modeling of Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rubio-Herrero, Javier; Chandan, Vikas; Siegel, Charles M.; Vishnu, Abhinav; Vrabie, Draguna L.

    2018-01-18

    Buildings consume a significant amount of energy worldwide. Several building optimization and control use cases require models of energy consumption which are control oriented, have high predictive capability, imposes minimal data pre-processing requirements, and have the ability to be adapted continuously to account for changing conditions as new data becomes available. Data driven modeling techniques, that have been investigated so far, while promising in the context of buildings, have been unable to simultaneously satisfy all the requirements mentioned above. In this context, deep learning techniques such as Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) hold promise, empowered by advanced computational capabilities and big data opportunities. In this paper, we propose a deep learning based methodology for the development of control oriented models for building energy management and test in on data from a real building. Results show that the proposed methodology outperforms other data driven modeling techniques significantly. We perform a detailed analysis of the proposed methodology along dimensions such as topology, sensitivity, and downsampling. Lastly, we conclude by envisioning a building analytics suite empowered by the proposed deep framework, that can drive several use cases related to building energy management.

  8. Modeling of HVAC operational faults in building performance simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Rongpeng; Hong, Tianzhen

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •Discuss significance of capturing operational faults in existing buildings. •Develop a novel feature in EnergyPlus to model operational faults of HVAC systems. •Compare three approaches to faults modeling using EnergyPlus. •A case study demonstrates the use of the fault-modeling feature. •Future developments of new faults are discussed. -- Abstract: Operational faults are common in the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of existing buildings, leading to a decrease in energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Various fault detection and diagnostic methods have been developed to identify and analyze HVAC operational faults at the component or subsystem level. However, current methods lack a holistic approach to predicting the overall impacts of faults at the building level—an approach that adequately addresses the coupling between various operational components, the synchronized effect between simultaneous faults, and the dynamic nature of fault severity. This study introduces the novel development of a fault-modeling feature in EnergyPlus which fills in the knowledge gap left by previous studies. This paper presents the design and implementation of the new feature in EnergyPlus and discusses in detail the fault-modeling challenges faced. The new fault-modeling feature enables EnergyPlus to quantify the impacts of faults on building energy use and occupant comfort, thus supporting the decision making of timely fault corrections. Including actual building operational faults in energy models also improves the accuracy of the baseline model, which is critical in the measurement and verification of retrofit or commissioning projects. As an example, EnergyPlus version 8.6 was used to investigate the impacts of a number of typical operational faults in an office building across several U.S. climate zones. The results demonstrate that the faults have significant impacts on building energy performance as well as on occupant

  9. Whole-Building Hygrothermal Modeling in IEA Annex 41

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Woloszyn, Monika

    2007-01-01

    . The IEA Annex 41 project runs from 2004–2007, coming to conclusion just before the Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings X conference. The Annex 41 project and its Subtask 1 do not aim to produce one state-of-the-art hygrothermal simulation model for whole buildings, but rather...... the modeling, free scientific contributions have been invited from specific fields that need the most attention in order to better accomplish the integral building simulations. This paper will give an overview of the advances in whole-building hygrothermal simulation that have been accomplished and presented...

  10. 'Semi-realistic'F-term inflation model building in supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kain, Ben

    2008-01-01

    We describe methods for building 'semi-realistic' models of F-term inflation. By semi-realistic we mean that they are built in, and obey the requirements of, 'semi-realistic' particle physics models. The particle physics models are taken to be effective supergravity theories derived from orbifold compactifications of string theory, and their requirements are taken to be modular invariance, absence of mass terms and stabilization of moduli. We review the particle physics models, their requirements and tools and methods for building inflation models

  11. A review of building information modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wen; Han, Rui

    2018-05-01

    Building Information Modelling (BIM) is widely seen as a catalyst for innovation and productivity. It is becoming standard for new construction and is the most significant technology changing how we design, build, use and manage the building. It is a dominant technological trend in the software industry and although the theoretical groundwork was laid in the previous century, it is a popular topic in academic research. BIM is discussed in this study, which results can provide better and more comprehensive choices for building owners, designers, and developers in future.

  12. A procedure for Building Product Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvam, Lars

    1999-01-01

    , easily adaptable concepts and methods from data modeling (object oriented analysis) and domain modeling (product modeling). The concepts are general and can be used for modeling all types of specifications in the different phases in the product life cycle. The modeling techniques presented have been......The application of product modeling in manufacturing companies raises the important question of how to model product knowledge in a comprehensible and efficient way. An important challenge is to qualify engineers to model and specify IT-systems (product models) to support their specification...... activities. A basic assumption is that engineers have to take the responsability for building product models to be used in their domain. To do that they must be able to carry out the modeling task on their own without any need for support from computer science experts. This paper presents a set of simple...

  13. Building Chaotic Model From Incomplete Time Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siek, Michael; Solomatine, Dimitri

    2010-05-01

    This paper presents a number of novel techniques for building a predictive chaotic model from incomplete time series. A predictive chaotic model is built by reconstructing the time-delayed phase space from observed time series and the prediction is made by a global model or adaptive local models based on the dynamical neighbors found in the reconstructed phase space. In general, the building of any data-driven models depends on the completeness and quality of the data itself. However, the completeness of the data availability can not always be guaranteed since the measurement or data transmission is intermittently not working properly due to some reasons. We propose two main solutions dealing with incomplete time series: using imputing and non-imputing methods. For imputing methods, we utilized the interpolation methods (weighted sum of linear interpolations, Bayesian principle component analysis and cubic spline interpolation) and predictive models (neural network, kernel machine, chaotic model) for estimating the missing values. After imputing the missing values, the phase space reconstruction and chaotic model prediction are executed as a standard procedure. For non-imputing methods, we reconstructed the time-delayed phase space from observed time series with missing values. This reconstruction results in non-continuous trajectories. However, the local model prediction can still be made from the other dynamical neighbors reconstructed from non-missing values. We implemented and tested these methods to construct a chaotic model for predicting storm surges at Hoek van Holland as the entrance of Rotterdam Port. The hourly surge time series is available for duration of 1990-1996. For measuring the performance of the proposed methods, a synthetic time series with missing values generated by a particular random variable to the original (complete) time series is utilized. There exist two main performance measures used in this work: (1) error measures between the actual

  14. Energy modelling and capacity building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The Planning and Economic Studies Section of the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Energy is focusing on building analytical capacity in MS for energy-environmental-economic assessments and for the elaboration of sustainable energy strategies. It offers a variety of analytical models specifically designed for use in developing countries for (i) evaluating alternative energy strategies; (ii) assessing environmental, economic and financial impacts of energy options; (iii) assessing infrastructure needs; (iv) evaluating regional development possibilities and energy trade; (v) assessing the role of nuclear power in addressing priority issues (climate change, energy security, etc.). These models can be used for analysing energy or electricity systems, and to assess possible implications of different energy, environmental or financial policies that affect the energy sector and energy systems. The models vary in complexity and data requirements, and so can be adapted to the available data, statistics and analytical needs of different countries. These models are constantly updated to reflect changes in the real world and in the concerns that drive energy system choices. They can provide thoughtfully informed choices for policy makers over a broader range of circumstances and interests. For example, they can readily reflect the workings of competitive energy and electricity markets, and cover such topics as external costs. The IAEA further offers training in the use of these models and -just as important- in the interpretation and critical evaluation of results. Training of national teams to develop national competence over the full spectrum of models, is a high priority. The IAEA maintains a broad spectrum of databanks relevant to energy, economic and environmental analysis in MS, and make these data available to analysts in MS for use in their own analytical work. The Reference Technology Data Base (RTDB) and the Reference Data Series (RDS-1) are the major vehicles by which we

  15. Four-dimensional strings: Phenomenology and model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quiros, M.

    1989-01-01

    In these lectures we will review some of the last developments in string theories leading to the construction of realistic four-dimensional string models. Special attention will be paid to world-sheet and space-time supersymmetry, modular invariance and model building for supersymmetric and (tachyon-free) nonsupersymmetric ten and four-dimensional models. (orig.)

  16. Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM), released in 2002, is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

  17. Models for map building and navigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penna, M.A.; Jian Wu

    1993-01-01

    In this paper the authors present several models for solving map building and navigation problems. These models are motivated by biological processes, and presented in the context of artificial neural networks. Since the nodes, weights, and threshold functions of the models all have physical meanings, they can easily predict network topologies and avoid traditional trial-and-error training. On one hand, this makes their models useful in constructing solutions to engineering problems (problems such as those that occur in robotics, for example). On the other hand, this might also contribute to the ability of their models to explain some biological processes, few of which are completely understood at this time

  18. BIM-Enabled Conceptual Modelling and Representation of Building Circulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Kook Lee

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes how a building information modelling (BIM-based approach for building circulation enables us to change the process of building design in terms of its computational representation and processes, focusing on the conceptual modelling and representation of circulation within buildings. BIM has been designed for use by several BIM authoring tools, in particular with the widely known interoperable industry foundation classes (IFCs, which follow an object-oriented data modelling methodology. Advances in BIM authoring tools, using space objects and their relations defined in an IFC's schema, have made it possible to model, visualize and analyse circulation within buildings prior to their construction. Agent-based circulation has long been an interdisciplinary topic of research across several areas, including design computing, computer science, architectural morphology, human behaviour and environmental psychology. Such conventional approaches to building circulation are centred on navigational knowledge about built environments, and represent specific circulation paths and regulations. This paper, however, places emphasis on the use of ‘space objects’ in BIM-enabled design processes rather than on circulation agents, the latter of which are not defined in the IFCs' schemas. By introducing and reviewing some associated research and projects, this paper also surveys how such a circulation representation is applicable to the analysis of building circulation-related rules.

  19. Guidelines for Reproducibly Building and Simulating Systems Biology Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medley, J Kyle; Goldberg, Arthur P; Karr, Jonathan R

    2016-10-01

    Reproducibility is the cornerstone of the scientific method. However, currently, many systems biology models cannot easily be reproduced. This paper presents methods that address this problem. We analyzed the recent Mycoplasma genitalium whole-cell (WC) model to determine the requirements for reproducible modeling. We determined that reproducible modeling requires both repeatable model building and repeatable simulation. New standards and simulation software tools are needed to enhance and verify the reproducibility of modeling. New standards are needed to explicitly document every data source and assumption, and new deterministic parallel simulation tools are needed to quickly simulate large, complex models. We anticipate that these new standards and software will enable researchers to reproducibly build and simulate more complex models, including WC models.

  20. Current State of the Art Historic Building Information Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dore, C.; Murphy, M.

    2017-08-01

    In an extensive review of existing literature a number of observations were made in relation to the current approaches for recording and modelling existing buildings and environments: Data collection and pre-processing techniques are becoming increasingly automated to allow for near real-time data capture and fast processing of this data for later modelling applications. Current BIM software is almost completely focused on new buildings and has very limited tools and pre-defined libraries for modelling existing and historic buildings. The development of reusable parametric library objects for existing and historic buildings supports modelling with high levels of detail while decreasing the modelling time. Mapping these parametric objects to survey data, however, is still a time-consuming task that requires further research. Promising developments have been made towards automatic object recognition and feature extraction from point clouds for as-built BIM. However, results are currently limited to simple and planar features. Further work is required for automatic accurate and reliable reconstruction of complex geometries from point cloud data. Procedural modelling can provide an automated solution for generating 3D geometries but lacks the detail and accuracy required for most as-built applications in AEC and heritage fields.

  1. Progress in D-brane model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchesano, F.

    2007-01-01

    The state of the art in D-brane model building is briefly reviewed, focusing on recent achievements in the construction of D=4 N=1 type II string vacua with semi-realistic gauge sectors. Such progress relies on a better understanding of the spectrum of BPS D-branes, the effective field theory obtained from them and the explicit construction of vacua. We first consider D-branes in standard Calabi-Yau compactifications, and then the more involved case of compactifications with fluxes. We discuss how the non-trivial interplay between D-branes and fluxes modifies the previous model-building rules, as well as provides new possibilities to connect string theory to particle physics. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  2. Application of 6D Building Information Model (6D BIM) for Business-storage Building in Slovenia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pučko, Zoran; Vincek, Dražen; Štrukelj, Andrej; Šuman, Nataša

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this paper is to present an application of 6D building information modelling (6D BIM) on a real business-storage building in Slovenia. First, features of building maintenance in general are described according to the current Slovenian legislation, and also a general principle of BIM is given. After that, step-by-step activities for modelling 6D BIM are exposed, namely from Element list for maintenance, determination of their lifetime and service measures, cost analysing and time analysing to 6D BIM modelling. The presented 6D BIM model is designed in a unique way in which cost analysis is performed as 5D BIM model with linked data to use BIM Construction Project Management Software (Vico Office), integrated with 3D BIM model, whereas time analysis as 4D BIM model is carried out as non-linked data with the help of Excel (without connection to 3D BIM model). The paper is intended to serve as a guide to the building owners to prepare 6D BIM and to provide an insight into the relevant dynamic information about intervals and costs for execution of maintenance works in the whole building lifecycle.

  3. Building Information Model: advantages, tools and adoption efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abakumov, R. G.; Naumov, A. E.

    2018-03-01

    The paper expands definition and essence of Building Information Modeling. It describes content and effects from application of Information Modeling at different stages of a real property item. Analysis of long-term and short-term advantages is given. The authors included an analytical review of Revit software package in comparison with Autodesk with respect to: features, advantages and disadvantages, cost and pay cutoff. A prognostic calculation is given for efficiency of adoption of the Building Information Modeling technology, with examples of its successful adoption in Russia and worldwide.

  4. The Creation of Space Vector Models of Buildings From RPAS Photogrammetry Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trhan Ondrej

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The results of Remote Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS photogrammetry are digital surface models and orthophotos. The main problem of the digital surface models obtained is that buildings are not perpendicular and the shape of roofs is deformed. The task of this paper is to obtain a more accurate digital surface model using building reconstructions. The paper discusses the problem of obtaining and approximating building footprints, reconstructing the final spatial vector digital building model, and modifying the buildings on the digital surface model.

  5. Automatic 3d Building Model Generations with Airborne LiDAR Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yastikli, N.; Cetin, Z.

    2017-11-01

    LiDAR systems become more and more popular because of the potential use for obtaining the point clouds of vegetation and man-made objects on the earth surface in an accurate and quick way. Nowadays, these airborne systems have been frequently used in wide range of applications such as DEM/DSM generation, topographic mapping, object extraction, vegetation mapping, 3 dimensional (3D) modelling and simulation, change detection, engineering works, revision of maps, coastal management and bathymetry. The 3D building model generation is the one of the most prominent applications of LiDAR system, which has the major importance for urban planning, illegal construction monitoring, 3D city modelling, environmental simulation, tourism, security, telecommunication and mobile navigation etc. The manual or semi-automatic 3D building model generation is costly and very time-consuming process for these applications. Thus, an approach for automatic 3D building model generation is needed in a simple and quick way for many studies which includes building modelling. In this study, automatic 3D building models generation is aimed with airborne LiDAR data. An approach is proposed for automatic 3D building models generation including the automatic point based classification of raw LiDAR point cloud. The proposed point based classification includes the hierarchical rules, for the automatic production of 3D building models. The detailed analyses for the parameters which used in hierarchical rules have been performed to improve classification results using different test areas identified in the study area. The proposed approach have been tested in the study area which has partly open areas, forest areas and many types of the buildings, in Zekeriyakoy, Istanbul using the TerraScan module of TerraSolid. The 3D building model was generated automatically using the results of the automatic point based classification. The obtained results of this research on study area verified that automatic 3D

  6. AUTOMATIC 3D BUILDING MODEL GENERATIONS WITH AIRBORNE LiDAR DATA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Yastikli

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available LiDAR systems become more and more popular because of the potential use for obtaining the point clouds of vegetation and man-made objects on the earth surface in an accurate and quick way. Nowadays, these airborne systems have been frequently used in wide range of applications such as DEM/DSM generation, topographic mapping, object extraction, vegetation mapping, 3 dimensional (3D modelling and simulation, change detection, engineering works, revision of maps, coastal management and bathymetry. The 3D building model generation is the one of the most prominent applications of LiDAR system, which has the major importance for urban planning, illegal construction monitoring, 3D city modelling, environmental simulation, tourism, security, telecommunication and mobile navigation etc. The manual or semi-automatic 3D building model generation is costly and very time-consuming process for these applications. Thus, an approach for automatic 3D building model generation is needed in a simple and quick way for many studies which includes building modelling. In this study, automatic 3D building models generation is aimed with airborne LiDAR data. An approach is proposed for automatic 3D building models generation including the automatic point based classification of raw LiDAR point cloud. The proposed point based classification includes the hierarchical rules, for the automatic production of 3D building models. The detailed analyses for the parameters which used in hierarchical rules have been performed to improve classification results using different test areas identified in the study area. The proposed approach have been tested in the study area which has partly open areas, forest areas and many types of the buildings, in Zekeriyakoy, Istanbul using the TerraScan module of TerraSolid. The 3D building model was generated automatically using the results of the automatic point based classification. The obtained results of this research on study area verified

  7. Open string model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishibashi, Nobuyuki; Onogi, Tetsuya

    1989-01-01

    Consistency conditions of open string theories, which can be a powerful tool in open string model building, are proposed. By making use of these conditions and assuming a simple prescription for the Chan-Paton factors, open string theories in several backgrounds are studied. We show that 1. there exist a large number of consistent bosonic open string theories on Z 2 orbifolds, 2. SO(32) type I superstring is the unique consistent model among fermionic string theories on the ten-dimensional flat Minkowski space, and 3. with our prescription for the Chan-Paton factors, there exist no consistent open superstring theories on (six-dimensional Minkowski space-time) x (Z 2 orbifold). (orig.)

  8. Study on vertical seismic response model of BWR-type reactor building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konno, T.; Motohashi, S.; Izumi, M.; Iizuka, S.

    1993-01-01

    A study on advanced seismic design for LWR has been carried out by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan. As a part of the study, it has been investigated to construct an accurate analytical model of reactor buildings for a seismic response analysis, which can reasonably represent dynamic characteristics of the building. In Japan, vibration models of reactor buildings for horizontal ground motion have been studied and examined through many simulation analyses for forced vibration tests and earthquake observations of actual buildings. And now it is possible to establish a reliable horizontal vibration model on the basis of multi-lumped mass and spring model. However, vertical vibration models have not been so much studied as horizontal models, due to less observed data for vertical motions. In this paper, the vertical seismic response models of a BWR-type reactor building including soil-structure interaction effect are numerically studied, by comparing the dynamic characteristics of (1) three dimensional finite element model, (2) multi-stick lumped mass model with a flexible base-mat, (3) multi-stick lumped mass model with a rigid base-mat and (4) single-stick lumped mass model. In particular, the BWR-type reactor building has the long span truss roof which is considered to be one of the critical members to vertical excitation. The modelings of the roof trusses are also studied

  9. TLS for generating multi-LOD of 3D building model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akmalia, R; Setan, H; Majid, Z; Suwardhi, D; Chong, A

    2014-01-01

    The popularity of Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) to capture three dimensional (3D) objects has been used widely for various applications. Development in 3D models has also led people to visualize the environment in 3D. Visualization of objects in a city environment in 3D can be useful for many applications. However, different applications require different kind of 3D models. Since a building is an important object, CityGML has defined a standard for 3D building models at four different levels of detail (LOD). In this research, the advantages of TLS for capturing buildings and the modelling process of the point cloud can be explored. TLS will be used to capture all the building details to generate multi-LOD. This task, in previous works, involves usually the integration of several sensors. However, in this research, point cloud from TLS will be processed to generate the LOD3 model. LOD2 and LOD1 will then be generalized from the resulting LOD3 model. Result from this research is a guiding process to generate the multi-LOD of 3D building starting from LOD3 using TLS. Lastly, the visualization for multi-LOD model will also be shown

  10. TLS for generating multi-LOD of 3D building model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akmalia, R.; Setan, H.; Majid, Z.; Suwardhi, D.; Chong, A.

    2014-02-01

    The popularity of Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) to capture three dimensional (3D) objects has been used widely for various applications. Development in 3D models has also led people to visualize the environment in 3D. Visualization of objects in a city environment in 3D can be useful for many applications. However, different applications require different kind of 3D models. Since a building is an important object, CityGML has defined a standard for 3D building models at four different levels of detail (LOD). In this research, the advantages of TLS for capturing buildings and the modelling process of the point cloud can be explored. TLS will be used to capture all the building details to generate multi-LOD. This task, in previous works, involves usually the integration of several sensors. However, in this research, point cloud from TLS will be processed to generate the LOD3 model. LOD2 and LOD1 will then be generalized from the resulting LOD3 model. Result from this research is a guiding process to generate the multi-LOD of 3D building starting from LOD3 using TLS. Lastly, the visualization for multi-LOD model will also be shown.

  11. Use of MCAM in creating 3D neutronics model for ITER building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng Qin; Wang Guozhong; Dang Tongqiang; Long Pengcheng; Loughlin, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We created a 3D neutronics model of the ITER building. ► The model was produced from the engineering CAD model by MCAM software. ► The neutron flux map in the ITER building was calculated. - Abstract: The three dimensional (3D) neutronics reference model of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) only defines the tokamak machine and extends to the bio-shield. In order to meet further 3D neutronics analysis needs, it is necessary to create a 3D reference model of the ITER building. Monte Carlo Automatic Modeling Program for Radiation Transport Simulation (MCAM) was developed as a computer aided design (CAD) based bi-directional interface program between general CAD systems and Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation codes. With the help of MCAM version 4.8, the 3D neutronics model of ITER building was created based on the engineering CAD model. The calculation of the neutron flux map in ITER building during operation showed the correctness and usability of the model. This model is the first detailed ITER building 3D neutronics model and it will be made available to all international organization collaborators as a reference model.

  12. Modelling Technology for Building Fire Scene with Virtual Geographic Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Y.; Zhao, L.; Wei, M.; Zhang, H.; Liu, W.

    2017-09-01

    Building fire is a risky activity that can lead to disaster and massive destruction. The management and disposal of building fire has always attracted much interest from researchers. Integrated Virtual Geographic Environment (VGE) is a good choice for building fire safety management and emergency decisions, in which a more real and rich fire process can be computed and obtained dynamically, and the results of fire simulations and analyses can be much more accurate as well. To modelling building fire scene with VGE, the application requirements and modelling objective of building fire scene were analysed in this paper. Then, the four core elements of modelling building fire scene (the building space environment, the fire event, the indoor Fire Extinguishing System (FES) and the indoor crowd) were implemented, and the relationship between the elements was discussed also. Finally, with the theory and framework of VGE, the technology of building fire scene system with VGE was designed within the data environment, the model environment, the expression environment, and the collaborative environment as well. The functions and key techniques in each environment are also analysed, which may provide a reference for further development and other research on VGE.

  13. Modeling Aggregate Hourly Energy Consumption in a Regional Building Stock

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Kipping

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Sound estimates of future heat and electricity demand with high temporal and spatial resolution are needed for energy system planning, grid design, and evaluating demand-side management options and polices on regional and national levels. In this study, smart meter data on electricity consumption in buildings are combined with cross-sectional building information to model hourly electricity consumption within the household and service sectors on a regional basis in Norway. The same modeling approach is applied to model aggregate hourly district heat consumption in three different consumer groups located in Oslo. A comparison of modeled and metered hourly energy consumption shows that hourly variations and aggregate consumption per county and year are reproduced well by the models. However, for some smaller regions, modeled annual electricity consumption is over- or underestimated by more than 20%. Our results indicate that the presented method is useful for modeling the current and future hourly energy consumption of a regional building stock, but that larger and more detailed training datasets are required to improve the models, and more detailed building stock statistics on regional level are needed to generate useful estimates on aggregate regional energy consumption.

  14. Boxes of Model Building and Visualization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turk, Dušan

    2017-01-01

    Macromolecular crystallography and electron microscopy (single-particle and in situ tomography) are merging into a single approach used by the two coalescing scientific communities. The merger is a consequence of technical developments that enabled determination of atomic structures of macromolecules by electron microscopy. Technological progress in experimental methods of macromolecular structure determination, computer hardware, and software changed and continues to change the nature of model building and visualization of molecular structures. However, the increase in automation and availability of structure validation are reducing interactive manual model building to fiddling with details. On the other hand, interactive modeling tools increasingly rely on search and complex energy calculation procedures, which make manually driven changes in geometry increasingly powerful and at the same time less demanding. Thus, the need for accurate manual positioning of a model is decreasing. The user's push only needs to be sufficient to bring the model within the increasing convergence radius of the computing tools. It seems that we can now better than ever determine an average single structure. The tools work better, requirements for engagement of human brain are lowered, and the frontier of intellectual and scientific challenges has moved on. The quest for resolution of new challenges requires out-of-the-box thinking. A few issues such as model bias and correctness of structure, ongoing developments in parameters defining geometric restraints, limitations of the ideal average single structure, and limitations of Bragg spot data are discussed here, together with the challenges that lie ahead.

  15. Heterotic SO(32) model building in four dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, K.S.; Groot Nibbelink, S.; Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis, MN; Trapletti, M.

    2004-10-01

    Four dimensional heterotic SO(32) orbifold models are classified systematically with model building applications in mind. We obtain all Z 3 , Z 7 and Z 2N models based on vectorial gauge shifts. The resulting gauge groups are reminiscent of those of type-I model building, as they always take the form SO(2n 0 ) x U(n 1 ) x.. x U(n N-1 ) x SO(2n N ). The complete twisted spectrum is determined simultaneously for all orbifold models in a parametric way depending on n 0 ,.., n N , rather than on a model by model basis. This reveals interesting patterns in the twisted states: They are always built out of vectors and anti-symmetric tensors of the U(n) groups, and either vectors or spinors of the SO(2n) groups. Our results may shed additional light on the S-duality between heterotic and type-I strings in four dimensions. As a spin-off we obtain an SO(10) GUT model with four generations from the Z 4 orbifold. (orig.)

  16. Modelling energy demand in the Norwegian building stock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sartori, Igor

    2008-07-15

    Energy demand in the building stock in Norway represents about 40% of the final energy consumption, of which 22% goes to the residential sector and 18% to the service sector. In Norway there is a strong dependency on electricity for heating purposes, with electricity covering about 80% of the energy demand in buildings. The building sector can play an important role in the achievement of a more sustainable energy system. The work performed in the articles presented in this thesis investigates various aspects related to the energy demand in the building sector, both in singular cases and in the stock as a whole. The work performed in the first part of this thesis on development and survey of case studies provided background knowledge that was then used in the second part, on modelling the entire stock. In the first part, a literature survey of case studies showed that, in a life cycle perspective, the energy used in the operating phase of buildings is the single most important factor. Design of low-energy buildings is then beneficial and should be pursued, even though it implies a somewhat higher embodied energy. A case study was performed on a school building. First, a methodology using a Monte Carlo method in the calibration process was explored. Then, the calibrated model of the school was used to investigate measures for the achievement of high energy efficiency standard through renovation work. In the second part, a model was developed to study the energy demand in a scenario analysis. The results showed the robustness of policies that included conservation measures against the conflicting effects of the other policies. Adopting conservation measures on a large scale showed the potential to reduce both electricity and total energy demand from present day levels while the building stock keeps growing. The results also highlighted the inertia to change of the building stock, due to low activity levels compared to the stock size. It also became clear that a deeper

  17. Early experiences building a software quality prediction model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agresti, W. W.; Evanco, W. M.; Smith, M. C.

    1990-01-01

    Early experiences building a software quality prediction model are discussed. The overall research objective is to establish a capability to project a software system's quality from an analysis of its design. The technical approach is to build multivariate models for estimating reliability and maintainability. Data from 21 Ada subsystems were analyzed to test hypotheses about various design structures leading to failure-prone or unmaintainable systems. Current design variables highlight the interconnectivity and visibility of compilation units. Other model variables provide for the effects of reusability and software changes. Reported results are preliminary because additional project data is being obtained and new hypotheses are being developed and tested. Current multivariate regression models are encouraging, explaining 60 to 80 percent of the variation in error density of the subsystems.

  18. Use of MCAM in creating 3D neutronics model for ITER building

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeng Qin [Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China); School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027 (China); Wang Guozhong, E-mail: mango33@mail.ustc.edu.cn [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027 (China); Dang Tongqiang [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027 (China); Long Pengcheng [Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China); School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027 (China); Loughlin, Michael [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 St. Paul-Lz-Durance (France)

    2012-08-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We created a 3D neutronics model of the ITER building. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The model was produced from the engineering CAD model by MCAM software. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The neutron flux map in the ITER building was calculated. - Abstract: The three dimensional (3D) neutronics reference model of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) only defines the tokamak machine and extends to the bio-shield. In order to meet further 3D neutronics analysis needs, it is necessary to create a 3D reference model of the ITER building. Monte Carlo Automatic Modeling Program for Radiation Transport Simulation (MCAM) was developed as a computer aided design (CAD) based bi-directional interface program between general CAD systems and Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation codes. With the help of MCAM version 4.8, the 3D neutronics model of ITER building was created based on the engineering CAD model. The calculation of the neutron flux map in ITER building during operation showed the correctness and usability of the model. This model is the first detailed ITER building 3D neutronics model and it will be made available to all international organization collaborators as a reference model.

  19. Model calibration for building energy efficiency simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mustafaraj, Giorgio; Marini, Dashamir; Costa, Andrea; Keane, Marcus

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Developing a 3D model relating to building architecture, occupancy and HVAC operation. • Two calibration stages developed, final model providing accurate results. • Using an onsite weather station for generating the weather data file in EnergyPlus. • Predicting thermal behaviour of underfloor heating, heat pump and natural ventilation. • Monthly energy saving opportunities related to heat pump of 20–27% was identified. - Abstract: This research work deals with an Environmental Research Institute (ERI) building where an underfloor heating system and natural ventilation are the main systems used to maintain comfort condition throughout 80% of the building areas. Firstly, this work involved developing a 3D model relating to building architecture, occupancy and HVAC operation. Secondly, the calibration methodology, which consists of two levels, was then applied in order to insure accuracy and reduce the likelihood of errors. To further improve the accuracy of calibration a historical weather data file related to year 2011, was created from the on-site local weather station of ERI building. After applying the second level of calibration process, the values of Mean bias Error (MBE) and Cumulative Variation of Root Mean Squared Error (CV(RMSE)) on hourly based analysis for heat pump electricity consumption varied within the following ranges: (MBE) hourly from −5.6% to 7.5% and CV(RMSE) hourly from 7.3% to 25.1%. Finally, the building was simulated with EnergyPlus to identify further possibilities of energy savings supplied by a water to water heat pump to underfloor heating system. It found that electricity consumption savings from the heat pump can vary between 20% and 27% on monthly bases

  20. Aspects of superstring model-building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.

    1989-01-01

    Several approaches to model-building with strings are discussed, including Calabi-Yau manifolds and fermionic formulations of strings directly in four dimensions. Ideas about supersymmetry breaking are reviewed. Flipped SU(5)xU(1) is touted as the theory of everything below the Planck scale (perhaps). (author). 64 refs, 7 figs

  1. Robust Building Energy Load Forecasting Using Physically-Based Kernel Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anand Krishnan Prakash

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Robust and accurate building energy load forecasting is important for helping building managers and utilities to plan, budget, and strategize energy resources in advance. With recent prevalent adoption of smart-meters in buildings, a significant amount of building energy consumption data became available. Many studies have developed physics-based white box models and data-driven black box models to predict building energy consumption; however, they require extensive prior knowledge about building system, need a large set of training data, or lack robustness to different forecasting scenarios. In this paper, we introduce a new building energy forecasting method based on Gaussian Process Regression (GPR that incorporates physical insights about load data characteristics to improve accuracy while reducing training requirements. The GPR is a non-parametric regression method that models the data as a joint Gaussian distribution with mean and covariance functions and forecast using the Bayesian updating. We model the covariance function of the GPR to reflect the data patterns in different forecasting horizon scenarios, as prior knowledge. Our method takes advantage of the modeling flexibility and computational efficiency of the GPR while benefiting from the physical insights to further improve the training efficiency and accuracy. We evaluate our method with three field datasets from two university campuses (Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University for both short- and long-term load forecasting. The results show that our method performs more accurately, especially when the training dataset is small, compared to other state-of-the-art forecasting models (up to 2.95 times smaller prediction error.

  2. Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model Forms

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

  3. A Team Building Model for Software Engineering Courses Term Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahin, Yasar Guneri

    2011-01-01

    This paper proposes a new model for team building, which enables teachers to build coherent teams rapidly and fairly for the term projects of software engineering courses. Moreover, the model can also be used to build teams for any type of project, if the team member candidates are students, or if they are inexperienced on a certain subject. The…

  4. Guidelines for Using Building Information Modeling for Energy Analysis of Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Reeves

    2015-12-01

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

  5. Toward a General Research Process for Using Dubin's Theory Building Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holton, Elwood F.; Lowe, Janis S.

    2007-01-01

    Dubin developed a widely used methodology for theory building, which describes the components of the theory building process. Unfortunately, he does not define a research process for implementing his theory building model. This article proposes a seven-step general research process for implementing Dubin's theory building model. An example of a…

  6. Building Energy Modeling and Control Methods for Optimization and Renewables Integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, Eric M.

    This dissertation presents techniques for the numerical modeling and control of building systems, with an emphasis on thermostatically controlled loads. The primary objective of this work is to address technical challenges related to the management of energy use in commercial and residential buildings. This work is motivated by the need to enhance the performance of building systems and by the potential for aggregated loads to perform load following and regulation ancillary services, thereby enabling the further adoption of intermittent renewable energy generation technologies. To increase the generalizability of the techniques, an emphasis is placed on recursive and adaptive methods which minimize the need for customization to specific buildings and applications. The techniques presented in this dissertation can be divided into two general categories: modeling and control. Modeling techniques encompass the processing of data streams from sensors and the training of numerical models. These models enable us to predict the energy use of a building and of sub-systems, such as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit. Specifically, we first present an ensemble learning method for the short-term forecasting of total electricity demand in buildings. As the deployment of intermittent renewable energy resources continues to rise, the generation of accurate building-level electricity demand forecasts will be valuable to both grid operators and building energy management systems. Second, we present a recursive parameter estimation technique for identifying a thermostatically controlled load (TCL) model that is non-linear in the parameters. For TCLs to perform demand response services in real-time markets, online methods for parameter estimation are needed. Third, we develop a piecewise linear thermal model of a residential building and train the model using data collected from a custom-built thermostat. This model is capable of approximating unmodeled

  7. Modeling of Dynamic Responses in Building Insulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Antonyová

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In this research a measurement systemwas developedfor monitoring humidity and temperature in the cavity between the wall and the insulating material in the building envelope. This new technology does not disturb the insulating material during testing. The measurement system can also be applied to insulation fixed ten or twenty years earlier and sufficiently reveals the quality of the insulation. A mathematical model is proposed to characterize the dynamic responses in the cavity between the wall and the building insulation as influenced by weather conditions.These dynamic responses are manifested as a delay of both humidity and temperature changes in the cavity when compared with the changes in the ambient surrounding of the building. The process is then modeled through numerical methods and statistical analysis of the experimental data obtained using the new system of measurement.

  8. Thermal Models for Intelligent Heating of Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thavlov, Anders; Bindner, Henrik W.

    2012-01-01

    the comfort of residents, proper prediction models for indoor temperature have to be developed. This paper presents a model for prediction of indoor temperature and power consumption from electrical space heating in an office building, using stochastic differential equations. The heat dynamic model is build......The Danish government has set the ambitious goal that the share of the total Danish electricity consumption, covered by wind energy, should be increased to 50% by year 2020. This asks for radical changes in how we utilize and transmit electricity in the future power grid. To fully utilize the high...... share of renewable power generation, which is in general intermittent and non-controllable, the consumption side has to be much more flexible than today. To achieve such flexibility, methods for moving power consumption in time, within the hourly timescale, have to be developed. One approach currently...

  9. Automatic Generation of 3D Building Models with Multiple Roofs

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Kenichi Sugihara; Yoshitugu Hayashi

    2008-01-01

    Based on building footprints (building polygons) on digital maps, we are proposing the GIS and CG integrated system that automatically generates 3D building models with multiple roofs. Most building polygons' edges meet at right angles (orthogonal polygon). The integrated system partitions orthogonal building polygons into a set of rectangles and places rectangular roofs and box-shaped building bodies on these rectangles. In order to partition an orthogonal polygon, we proposed a useful polygon expression in deciding from which vertex a dividing line is drawn. In this paper, we propose a new scheme for partitioning building polygons and show the process of creating 3D roof models.

  10. Flood vulnerability assessment of residential buildings by explicit damage process modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Custer, Rocco; Nishijima, Kazuyoshi

    2015-01-01

    The present paper introduces a vulnerability modelling approach for residential buildings in flood. The modelling approach explicitly considers relevant damage processes, i.e. water infiltration into the building, mechanical failure of components in the building envelope and damage from water...

  11. BIM, GIS and semantic models of cultural heritage buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pavel Tobiáš

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Even though there has been a great development of using building information models in the AEC (Architecture/Engineering/Construction sector recently, creation of models of existing buildings is still not very usual. The cultural heritage documentation is still, in most cases, kept in the form of 2D drawings while these drawings mostly contain only geometry without semantics, attributes or definitions of relationships and hierarchies between particular building elements. All these additional information would, however, be very providential for the tasks of cultural heritage preservation, i.e. for the facility management of heritage buildings or for reconstruction planning and it would be suitable to manage all geometric and non-geometric information in a single 3D information model. This paper is based on the existing literature and focuses on the historic building information modelling to provide information about the current state of the art. First, a summary of available software tools is introduced while not only the BIM tools but also the related GIS software is considered. This is followed by a review of existing efforts worldwide and an evaluation of the facts found.

  12. Impacts of building information modeling on facility maintenance management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahamed, Shafee; Neelamkavil, Joseph; Canas, Roberto [Centre for Computer-assisted Construction Technologies, National Research Council of Canada, London, Ontario (Canada)

    2010-07-01

    Building information modeling (BIM) is a digital representation of the physical and functional properties of a building; it has been used by construction professionals for a long time and stakeholders are now using it in different aspects of the building lifecycle. This paper intends to present how BIM impacts the construction industry and how it can be used for facility maintenance management. The maintenance and operations of buildings are in most cases still managed through the use of drawings and spreadsheets although life cycle costs of a building are significantly higher than initial investment costs; thus, the use of BIM could help in achieving a higher efficiency and so important benefits. This study is part of an ongoing research project, the nD modeling project, which aims at predicting building energy consumption with better accuracy.

  13. A Building Model Framework for a Genetic Algorithm Multi-objective Model Predictive Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arendt, Krzysztof; Ionesi, Ana; Jradi, Muhyiddine

    2016-01-01

    Model Predictive Control (MPC) of building systems is a promising approach to optimize building energy performance. In contrast to traditional control strategies which are reactive in nature, MPC optimizes the utilization of resources based on the predicted effects. It has been shown that energy ...

  14. Models for describing the thermal characteristics of building components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jimenez, M.J.; Madsen, Henrik

    2008-01-01

    , for example. For the analysis of these tests, dynamic analysis models and methods are required. However, a wide variety of models and methods exists, and the problem of choosing the most appropriate approach for each particular case is a non-trivial and interdisciplinary task. Knowledge of a large family....... The characteristics of each type of model are highlighted. Some available software tools for each of the methods described will be mentioned. A case study also demonstrating the difference between linear and nonlinear models is considered....... of these approaches may therefore be very useful for selecting a suitable approach for each particular case. This paper presents an overview of models that can be applied for modelling the thermal characteristics of buildings and building components using data from outdoor testing. The choice of approach depends...

  15. DEVELOPING PARAMETRIC BUILDING MODELS – THE GANDIS USE CASE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Thaller

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available In the course of a project related to green building design, we have created a group of eight parametric building models that can be manipulated interactively with respect to dimensions, number of floors, and a few other parameters. We report on the commonalities and differences between the models and the abstractions that we were able to identify.

  16. Near-Source Modeling Updates: Building Downwash & Near-Road

    Science.gov (United States)

    The presentation describes recent research efforts in near-source model development focusing on building downwash and near-road barriers. The building downwash section summarizes a recent wind tunnel study, ongoing computational fluid dynamics simulations and efforts to improve ...

  17. Building information models for astronomy projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariño, Javier; Murga, Gaizka; Campo, Ramón; Eletxigerra, Iñigo; Ampuero, Pedro

    2012-09-01

    A Building Information Model is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a building. BIMs represent the geometrical characteristics of the Building, but also properties like bills of quantities, definition of COTS components, status of material in the different stages of the project, project economic data, etc. The BIM methodology, which is well established in the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) domain for conventional buildings, has been brought one step forward in its application for Astronomical/Scientific facilities. In these facilities steel/concrete structures have high dynamic and seismic requirements, M&E installations are complex and there is a large amount of special equipment and mechanisms involved as a fundamental part of the facility. The detail design definition is typically implemented by different design teams in specialized design software packages. In order to allow the coordinated work of different engineering teams, the overall model, and its associated engineering database, is progressively integrated using a coordination and roaming software which can be used before starting construction phase for checking interferences, planning the construction sequence, studying maintenance operation, reporting to the project office, etc. This integrated design & construction approach will allow to efficiently plan construction sequence (4D). This is a powerful tool to study and analyze in detail alternative construction sequences and ideally coordinate the work of different construction teams. In addition engineering, construction and operational database can be linked to the virtual model (6D), what gives to the end users a invaluable tool for the lifecycle management, as all the facility information can be easily accessed, added or replaced. This paper presents the BIM methodology as implemented by IDOM with the E-ELT and ATST Enclosures as application examples.

  18. Vision-based building energy diagnostics and retrofit analysis using 3D thermography and building information modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ham, Youngjib

    The emerging energy crisis in the building sector and the legislative measures on improving energy efficiency are steering the construction industry towards adopting new energy efficient design concepts and construction methods that decrease the overall energy loads. However, the problems of energy efficiency are not only limited to the design and construction of new buildings. Today, a significant amount of input energy in existing buildings is still being wasted during the operational phase. One primary source of the energy waste is attributed to unnecessary heat flows through building envelopes during hot and cold seasons. This inefficiency increases the operational frequency of heating and cooling systems to keep the desired thermal comfort of building occupants, and ultimately results in excessive energy use. Improving thermal performance of building envelopes can reduce the energy consumption required for space conditioning and in turn provide building occupants with an optimal thermal comfort at a lower energy cost. In this sense, energy diagnostics and retrofit analysis for existing building envelopes are key enablers for improving energy efficiency. Since proper retrofit decisions of existing buildings directly translate into energy cost saving in the future, building practitioners are increasingly interested in methods for reliable identification of potential performance problems so that they can take timely corrective actions. However, sensing what and where energy problems are emerging or are likely to emerge and then analyzing how the problems influence the energy consumption are not trivial tasks. The overarching goal of this dissertation focuses on understanding the gaps in knowledge in methods for building energy diagnostics and retrofit analysis, and filling these gaps by devising a new method for multi-modal visual sensing and analytics using thermography and Building Information Modeling (BIM). First, to address the challenges in scaling and

  19. A procedure for building product models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvam, Lars; Riis, Jesper; Malis, Martin

    2001-01-01

    This article presents a procedure for building product models to support the specification processes dealing with sales, design of product variants and production preparation. The procedure includes, as the first phase, an analysis and redesign of the business processes, which are to be supported...... with product models. The next phase includes an analysis of the product assortment, and the set up of a so-called product master. Finally the product model is designed and implemented using object oriented modelling. The procedure is developed in order to ensure that the product models constructed are fit...... for the business processes they support, and properly structured and documented, in order to facilitate that the systems can be maintained continually and further developed. The research has been carried out at the Centre for Industrialisation of Engineering, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Technical...

  20. A MODEL BUILDING CODE ARTICLE ON FALLOUT SHELTERS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR FALLOUT SHELTER CONSTRUCTION IN FOUR NATIONAL MODEL BUILDING CODES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    American Inst. of Architects, Washington, DC.

    A MODEL BUILDING CODE FOR FALLOUT SHELTERS WAS DRAWN UP FOR INCLUSION IN FOUR NATIONAL MODEL BUILDING CODES. DISCUSSION IS GIVEN OF FALLOUT SHELTERS WITH RESPECT TO--(1) NUCLEAR RADIATION, (2) NATIONAL POLICIES, AND (3) COMMUNITY PLANNING. FALLOUT SHELTER REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIELDING, SPACE, VENTILATION, CONSTRUCTION, AND SERVICES SUCH AS ELECTRICAL…

  1. Activity measurement and effective dose modelling of natural radionuclides in building material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maringer, F.J.; Baumgartner, A.; Rechberger, F.; Seidel, C.; Stietka, M.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper the assessment of natural radionuclides' activity concentration in building materials, calibration requirements and related indoor exposure dose models is presented. Particular attention is turned to specific improvements in low-level gamma-ray spectrometry to determine the activity concentration of necessary natural radionuclides in building materials with adequate measurement uncertainties. Different approaches for the modelling of the effective dose indoor due to external radiation resulted from natural radionuclides in building material and results of actual building material assessments are shown. - Highlights: • Dose models for indoor radiation exposure due to natural radionuclides in building materials. • Strategies and methods in radionuclide metrology, activity measurement and dose modelling. • Selection of appropriate parameters in radiation protection standards for building materials. • Scientific-based limitations of indoor exposure due to natural radionuclides in building materials

  2. Seismic simulation analysis of nuclear reactor building by soil-building interaction model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muto, K.; Kobayashi, T.; Motohashi, S.; Kusano, N.; Mizuno, N.; Sugiyama, N.

    1981-01-01

    Seismic simulation analysis were performed for evaluating soil-structure interaction effects by an analytical approach using a 'Lattice Model' developed by the authors. The purpose of this paper is to check the adequacy of this procedure for analyzing soil-structure interaction by means of comparing computed results with recorded ones. The 'Lattice Model' approach employs a lumped mass interactive model, in which not only the structure but also the underlying and/or surrounding soil are modeled as descretized elements. The analytical model used for this study extends about 310 m in the horizontal direction and about 103 m in depth. The reactor building is modeled as three shearing-bending sticks (outer wall, inner wall and shield wall) and the underlying and surrounding soil are divided into four shearing sticks (column directly beneath the reactor building, adjacent, near and distant columns). A corresponding input base motion for the 'Lattice Model' was determined by a deconvolution analysis using a recorded motion at elevation -18.5 m in the free-field. The results of this simulation analysis were shown to be in reasonably good agreement with the recorded ones in the forms of the distribution of ground motions and structural responses, acceleration time histories and related response spectra. These results showed that the 'Lattice Model' approach was an appropriate one to estimate the soil-structure interaction effects. (orig./HP)

  3. A model for the sustainable selection of building envelope assemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huedo, Patricia, E-mail: huedo@uji.es [Universitat Jaume I (Spain); Mulet, Elena, E-mail: emulet@uji.es [Universitat Jaume I (Spain); López-Mesa, Belinda, E-mail: belinda@unizar.es [Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain)

    2016-02-15

    The aim of this article is to define an evaluation model for the environmental impacts of building envelopes to support planners in the early phases of materials selection. The model is intended to estimate environmental impacts for different combinations of building envelope assemblies based on scientifically recognised sustainability indicators. These indicators will increase the amount of information that existing catalogues show to support planners in the selection of building assemblies. To define the model, first the environmental indicators were selected based on the specific aims of the intended sustainability assessment. Then, a simplified LCA methodology was developed to estimate the impacts applicable to three types of dwellings considering different envelope assemblies, building orientations and climate zones. This methodology takes into account the manufacturing, installation, maintenance and use phases of the building. Finally, the model was validated and a matrix in Excel was created as implementation of the model. - Highlights: • Method to assess the envelope impacts based on a simplified LCA • To be used at an earlier phase than the existing methods in a simple way. • It assigns a score by means of known sustainability indicators. • It estimates data about the embodied and operating environmental impacts. • It compares the investment costs with the costs of the consumed energy.

  4. A model for the sustainable selection of building envelope assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huedo, Patricia; Mulet, Elena; López-Mesa, Belinda

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this article is to define an evaluation model for the environmental impacts of building envelopes to support planners in the early phases of materials selection. The model is intended to estimate environmental impacts for different combinations of building envelope assemblies based on scientifically recognised sustainability indicators. These indicators will increase the amount of information that existing catalogues show to support planners in the selection of building assemblies. To define the model, first the environmental indicators were selected based on the specific aims of the intended sustainability assessment. Then, a simplified LCA methodology was developed to estimate the impacts applicable to three types of dwellings considering different envelope assemblies, building orientations and climate zones. This methodology takes into account the manufacturing, installation, maintenance and use phases of the building. Finally, the model was validated and a matrix in Excel was created as implementation of the model. - Highlights: • Method to assess the envelope impacts based on a simplified LCA • To be used at an earlier phase than the existing methods in a simple way. • It assigns a score by means of known sustainability indicators. • It estimates data about the embodied and operating environmental impacts. • It compares the investment costs with the costs of the consumed energy.

  5. Experimental and analytical studies of a deeply embedded reactor building model considering soil-building interaction. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, H.; Ohta, T.; Uchiyama, S.

    1979-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the dynamic characteristics of a deeply embedded reactor building model derived from experimental and analytical studies which considers soil-building interaction behaviour. The model building is made of reinforced concrete. It has two stories above ground level and a basement, resting on sandy gravel layer at a depth of 3 meters. The backfill around the building was made to ground level. The model building is simplified and reduced to about one-fifteenth (1/15) of the prototype. It has bearing wall system for the basement and the first story, and frame system for the second. (orig.)

  6. Exploitation of Semantic Building Model in Indoor Navigation Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anjomshoaa, A.; Shayeganfar, F.; Tjoa, A. Min

    2009-04-01

    There are many types of indoor and outdoor navigation tools and methodologies available. A majority of these solutions are based on Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and instant video and image processing. These approaches are ideal for open world environments where very few information about the target location is available, but for large scale building environments such as hospitals, governmental offices, etc the end-user will need more detailed information about the surrounding context which is especially important in case of people with special needs. This paper presents a smart indoor navigation solution that is based on Semantic Web technologies and Building Information Model (BIM). The proposed solution is also aligned with Google Android's concepts to enlighten the realization of results. Keywords: IAI IFCXML, Building Information Model, Indoor Navigation, Semantic Web, Google Android, People with Special Needs 1 Introduction Built environment is a central factor in our daily life and a big portion of human life is spent inside buildings. Traditionally the buildings are documented using building maps and plans by utilization of IT tools such as computer-aided design (CAD) applications. Documenting the maps in an electronic way is already pervasive but CAD drawings do not suffice the requirements regarding effective building models that can be shared with other building-related applications such as indoor navigation systems. The navigation in built environment is not a new issue, however with the advances in emerging technologies like GPS, mobile and networked environments, and Semantic Web new solutions have been suggested to enrich the traditional building maps and convert them to smart information resources that can be reused in other applications and improve the interpretability with building inhabitants and building visitors. Other important issues that should be addressed in building navigation scenarios are location tagging and end-user communication

  7. Internet of Things building blocks and business models

    CERN Document Server

    Hussain, Fatima

    2017-01-01

    This book describes the building blocks and introductory business models for Internet of Things (IoT). The author provide an overview of the entire IoT architecture and constituent layers, followed by detail description of each block . Various inter-connecting technologies and sensors are discussed in context of IoT networks. In addition to this, concepts of Big Data and Fog Computing are presented and characterized as per data generated by versatile IoT applications . Smart parking system and context aware services are presented as an hybrid model of cloud and Fog Afterwards, various IoT applications and respective business models are discussed. Finally, author summarizes the IoT building blocks and identify research issues in each, and suggest potential research projects worthy of pursuing. .

  8. 7 CFR Exhibit E to Subpart A of... - Voluntary National Model Building Codes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Voluntary National Model Building Codes E Exhibit E... National Model Building Codes The following documents address the health and safety aspects of buildings and related structures and are voluntary national model building codes as defined in § 1924.4(h)(2) of...

  9. Structural observability analysis and EKF based parameter estimation of building heating models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.W.U. Perera

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Research for enhanced energy-efficient buildings has been given much recognition in the recent years owing to their high energy consumptions. Increasing energy needs can be precisely controlled by practicing advanced controllers for building Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC systems. Advanced controllers require a mathematical building heating model to operate, and these models need to be accurate and computationally efficient. One main concern associated with such models is the accurate estimation of the unknown model parameters. This paper presents the feasibility of implementing a simplified building heating model and the computation of physical parameters using an off-line approach. Structural observability analysis is conducted using graph-theoretic techniques to analyze the observability of the developed system model. Then Extended Kalman Filter (EKF algorithm is utilized for parameter estimates using the real measurements of a single-zone building. The simulation-based results confirm that even with a simple model, the EKF follows the state variables accurately. The predicted parameters vary depending on the inputs and disturbances.

  10. VERIFICATION OF 3D BUILDING MODELS USING MUTUAL INFORMATION IN AIRBORNE OBLIQUE IMAGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. P. Nyaruhuma

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a method for automatic verification of 3D building models using airborne oblique images. The problem being tackled is identifying buildings that are demolished or changed since the models were constructed or identifying wrong models using the images. The models verified are of CityGML LOD2 or higher since their edges are expected to coincide with actual building edges. The verification approach is based on information theory. Corresponding variables between building models and oblique images are used for deriving mutual information for individual edges, faces or whole buildings, and combined for all perspective images available for the building. The wireframe model edges are projected to images and verified using low level image features – the image pixel gradient directions. A building part is only checked against images in which it may be visible. The method has been tested with models constructed using laser points against Pictometry images that are available for most cities of Europe and may be publically viewed in the so called Birds Eye view of the Microsoft Bing Maps. Results are that nearly all buildings are correctly categorised as existing or demolished. Because we now concentrate only on roofs we also used the method to test and compare results from nadir images. This comparison made clear that especially height errors in models can be more reliably detected in oblique images because of the tilted view. Besides overall building verification, results per individual edges can be used for improving the 3D building models.

  11. Integration of Models of Building Interiors with Cadastral Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gotlib, Dariusz; Karabin, Marcin

    2017-12-01

    Demands for applications which use models of building interiors is growing and highly diversified. Those models are applied at the stage of designing and construction of a building, in applications which support real estate management, in navigation and marketing systems and, finally, in crisis management and security systems. They are created on the basis of different data: architectural and construction plans, both, in the analogue form, as well as CAD files, BIM data files, by means of laser scanning (TLS) and conventional surveys. In this context the issue of searching solutions which would integrate the existing models and lead to elimination of data redundancy is becoming more important. The authors analysed the possible input- of cadastral data (legal extent of premises) at the stage of the creation and updating different models of building's interiors. The paper focuses on one issue - the way of describing the geometry of premises basing on the most popular source data, i.e. architectural and construction plans. However, the described rules may be considered as universal and also may be applied in practice concerned may be used during the process of creation and updating indoor models based on BIM dataset or laser scanning clouds

  12. Modeling hourly consumption of electricity and district heat in non-residential buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kipping, A.; Trømborg, E.

    2017-01-01

    Models for hourly consumption of heat and electricity in different consumer groups on a regional level can yield important data for energy system planning and management. In this study hourly meter data, combined with cross-sectional data derived from the Norwegian energy label database, is used to model hourly consumption of both district heat and electrical energy in office buildings and schools which either use direct electric heating (DEH) or non-electric hydronic heating (OHH). The results of the study show that modeled hourly total energy consumption in buildings with DEH and in buildings with OHH (supplied by district heat) exhibits differences, e.g. due to differences in heat distribution and control systems. In a normal year, in office buildings with OHH the main part of total modeled energy consumption is used for electric appliances, while in schools with OHH the main part is used for heating. In buildings with OHH the share of modeled annual heating energy is higher than in buildings with DEH. Although based on small samples our regression results indicate that the presented method can be used for modeling hourly energy consumption in non-residential buildings, but also that larger samples and additional cross-sectional information could yield improved models and more reliable results. - Highlights: • Schools with district heating (DH) tend to use less night-setback. • DH in office buildings tends to start earlier than direct electric heating (DEH). • In schools with DH the main part of annual energy consumption is used for heating. • In office buildings with DH the main part is used for electric appliances. • Buildings with DH use a larger share of energy for heating than buildings with DEH.

  13. IMPROVING TRADITIONAL BUILDING REPAIR CONSTRUCTION QUALITY USING HISTORIC BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING CONCEPT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. C. Wu

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In addition to the repair construction project following the repair principles contemplated by heritage experts, the construction process should be recorded and measured at any time for monitoring to ensure the quality of repair. The conventional construction record methods mostly depend on the localized shooting of 2D digital images coupled with text and table for illustration to achieve the purpose of monitoring. Such methods cannot fully and comprehensively record the 3D spatial relationships in the real world. Therefore, the construction records of traditional buildings are very important but cannot function due to technical limitations. This study applied the 3D laser scanning technology to establish a 3D point cloud model for the repair construction of historical buildings. It also broke down the detailed components of the 3D point cloud model by using the concept of the historic building information modeling, and established the 3D models of various components and their attribute data in the 3DGIS platform database. In the construction process, according to the time of completion of each stage as developed on the construction project, this study conducted the 3D laser scanning and database establishment for each stage, also applied 3DGIS spatial information and attribute information comparison and analysis to propose the analysis of differences in completion of various stages for improving the traditional building repair construction quality. This method helps to improve the quality of repair construction work of tangible cultural assets of the world. The established 3DGIS platform can be used as a power tool for subsequent management and maintenance.

  14. Hybrid LCA model for assessing the embodied environmental impacts of buildings in South Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Minho; Hong, Taehoon; Ji, Changyoon

    2015-01-01

    The assessment of the embodied environmental impacts of buildings can help decision-makers plan environment-friendly buildings and reduce environmental impacts. For a more comprehensive assessment of the embodied environmental impacts of buildings, a hybrid life cycle assessment model was developed in this study. The developed model can assess the embodied environmental impacts (global warming, ozone layer depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical ozone creation, abiotic depletion, and human toxicity) generated directly and indirectly in the material manufacturing, transportation, and construction phases. To demonstrate the application and validity of the developed model, the environmental impacts of an elementary school building were assessed using the developed model and compared with the results of a previous model used in a case study. The embodied environmental impacts from the previous model were lower than those from the developed model by 4.6–25.2%. Particularly, human toxicity potential (13 kg C 6 H 6 eq.) calculated by the previous model was much lower (1965 kg C 6 H 6 eq.) than what was calculated by the developed model. The results indicated that the developed model can quantify the embodied environmental impacts of buildings more comprehensively, and can be used by decision-makers as a tool for selecting environment-friendly buildings. - Highlights: • The model was developed to assess the embodied environmental impacts of buildings. • The model evaluates GWP, ODP, AP, EP, POCP, ADP, and HTP as environmental impacts. • The model presents more comprehensive results than the previous model by 4.6–100%. • The model can present the HTP of buildings, which the previous models cannot do. • Decision-makers can use the model for selecting environment-friendly buildings

  15. Modeling and forecasting energy consumption for heterogeneous buildings using a physical–statistical approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lü, Xiaoshu; Lu, Tao; Kibert, Charles J.; Viljanen, Martti

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • This paper presents a new modeling method to forecast energy demands. • The model is based on physical–statistical approach to improving forecast accuracy. • A new method is proposed to address the heterogeneity challenge. • Comparison with measurements shows accurate forecasts of the model. • The first physical–statistical/heterogeneous building energy modeling approach is proposed and validated. - Abstract: Energy consumption forecasting is a critical and necessary input to planning and controlling energy usage in the building sector which accounts for 40% of the world’s energy use and the world’s greatest fraction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, due to the diversity and complexity of buildings as well as the random nature of weather conditions, energy consumption and loads are stochastic and difficult to predict. This paper presents a new methodology for energy demand forecasting that addresses the heterogeneity challenges in energy modeling of buildings. The new method is based on a physical–statistical approach designed to account for building heterogeneity to improve forecast accuracy. The physical model provides a theoretical input to characterize the underlying physical mechanism of energy flows. Then stochastic parameters are introduced into the physical model and the statistical time series model is formulated to reflect model uncertainties and individual heterogeneity in buildings. A new method of model generalization based on a convex hull technique is further derived to parameterize the individual-level model parameters for consistent model coefficients while maintaining satisfactory modeling accuracy for heterogeneous buildings. The proposed method and its validation are presented in detail for four different sports buildings with field measurements. The results show that the proposed methodology and model can provide a considerable improvement in forecasting accuracy

  16. Impact of whole-building hygrothermal modelling on the assessment of indoor climate in a library building

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steeman, M.; Janssens, A. [Ghent University, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); De Paepe, M. [Ghent University, Department of Flow, Heat and Combustion Mechanics, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, B-9000 Gent (Belgium)

    2010-07-15

    This paper focuses on the importance of accurately modelling the hygrothermal interaction between the building and its hygroscopic content for the assessment of the indoor climate. Libraries contain a large amount of stored books which require a stable relative humidity to guarantee their preservation. On the other hand, visitors and staff must be comfortable with the indoor climate. The indoor climate of a new library building is evaluated by means of measurements and simulations. Complaints of the staff are confirmed by measured data during the winter and summer of 2007-2008. For the evaluation of the indoor climate, a building simulation model is used in which the porous books are either described by a HAM model or by a simplified isothermal model. Calculations demonstrate that the HAM model predicts a more stable indoor climate regarding both temperature and relative humidity variations in comparison to the estimations by the simplified model. This is attributed to the ability of the HAM model to account for the effect of temperature variations on moisture storage. Moreover, by applying the HAM model, a good agreement with the measured indoor climate is found. As expected, a larger exposed book surface ameliorates the indoor climate because a more stable indoor relative humidity is obtained. Finally, the building simulation model is used to improve the indoor climate with respect to the preservation of valuable books. Results demonstrate that more stringent interventions on the air handling unit are expected when a simplified approach is used to model the hygroscopic books. (author)

  17. Modeling Boston: A workflow for the efficient generation and maintenance of urban building energy models from existing geospatial datasets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cerezo Davila, Carlos; Reinhart, Christoph F.; Bemis, Jamie L.

    2016-01-01

    City governments and energy utilities are increasingly focusing on the development of energy efficiency strategies for buildings as a key component in emission reduction plans and energy supply strategies. To support these diverse needs, a new generation of Urban Building Energy Models (UBEM) is currently being developed and validated to estimate citywide hourly energy demands at the building level. However, in order for cities to rely on UBEMs, effective model generation and maintenance workflows are needed based on existing urban data structures. Within this context, the authors collaborated with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to develop a citywide UBEM based on official GIS datasets and a custom building archetype library. Energy models for 83,541 buildings were generated and assigned one of 52 use/age archetypes, within the CAD modelling environment Rhinoceros3D. The buildings were then simulated using the US DOE EnergyPlus simulation program, and results for buildings of the same archetype were crosschecked against data from the US national energy consumption surveys. A district-level intervention combining photovoltaics with demand side management is presented to demonstrate the ability of UBEM to provide actionable information. Lack of widely available archetype templates and metered energy data, were identified as key barriers within existing workflows that may impede cities from effectively applying UBEM to guide energy policy. - Highlights: • Data requirements for Urban Building Energy Models are reviewed. • A workflow for UBEM generation from available GIS datasets is developed. • A citywide demand simulation model for Boston is generated and tested. • Limitations for UBEM in current urban data systems are identified and discussed. • Model application for energy management policy is shown in an urban PV scenario.

  18. Reduction of thermal models of buildings: improvement of techniques using meteorological influence models; Reduction de modeles thermiques de batiments: amelioration des techniques par modelisation des sollicitations meteorologiques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dautin, S.

    1997-04-01

    This work concerns the modeling of thermal phenomena inside buildings for the evaluation of energy exploitation costs of thermal installations and for the modeling of thermal and aeraulic transient phenomena. This thesis comprises 7 chapters dealing with: (1) the thermal phenomena inside buildings and the CLIM2000 calculation code, (2) the ETNA and GENEC experimental cells and their modeling, (3) the techniques of model reduction tested (Marshall`s truncature, Michailesco aggregation method and Moore truncature) with their algorithms and their encoding in the MATRED software, (4) the application of model reduction methods to the GENEC and ETNA cells and to a medium size dual-zone building, (5) the modeling of meteorological influences classically applied to buildings (external temperature and solar flux), (6) the analytical expression of these modeled meteorological influences. The last chapter presents the results of these improved methods on the GENEC and ETNA cells and on a lower inertia building. These new methods are compared to classical methods. (J.S.) 69 refs.

  19. Building 235-F Goldsim Fate And Transport Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, G. A.; Phifer, M. A.

    2012-09-14

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) personnel, at the request of Area Completion Projects (ACP), evaluated In-Situ Disposal (ISD) alternatives that are under consideration for deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of Building 235-F and the Building 294-2F Sand Filter. SRNL personnel developed and used a GoldSim fate and transport model, which is consistent with Musall 2012, to evaluate relative to groundwater protection, ISD alternatives that involve either source removal and/or the grouting of portions or all of 235-F. This evaluation was conducted through the development and use of a Building 235-F GoldSim fate and transport model. The model simulates contaminant release from four 235-F process areas and the 294-2F Sand Filter. In addition, it simulates the fate and transport through the vadose zone, the Upper Three Runs (UTR) aquifer, and the Upper Three Runs (UTR) creek. The model is designed as a stochastic model, and as such it can provide both deterministic and stochastic (probabilistic) results. The results show that the median radium activity concentrations exceed the 5 ?Ci/L radium MCL at the edge of the building for all ISD alternatives after 10,000 years, except those with a sufficient amount of inventory removed. A very interesting result was that grouting was shown to basically have minimal effect on the radium activity concentration. During the first 1,000 years grouting may have some small positive benefit relative to radium, however after that it may have a slightly deleterious effect. The Pb-210 results, relative to its 0.06 ?Ci/L PRG, are essentially identical to the radium results, but the Pb-210 results exhibit a lesser degree of exceedance. In summary, some level of inventory removal will be required to ensure that groundwater standards are met.

  20. Building 235-F Goldsim Fate And Transport Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, G. A.; Phifer, M. A.

    2012-01-01

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) personnel, at the request of Area Completion Projects (ACP), evaluated In-Situ Disposal (ISD) alternatives that are under consideration for deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) of Building 235-F and the Building 294-2F Sand Filter. SRNL personnel developed and used a GoldSim fate and transport model, which is consistent with Musall 2012, to evaluate relative to groundwater protection, ISD alternatives that involve either source removal and/or the grouting of portions or all of 235-F. This evaluation was conducted through the development and use of a Building 235-F GoldSim fate and transport model. The model simulates contaminant release from four 235-F process areas and the 294-2F Sand Filter. In addition, it simulates the fate and transport through the vadose zone, the Upper Three Runs (UTR) aquifer, and the Upper Three Runs (UTR) creek. The model is designed as a stochastic model, and as such it can provide both deterministic and stochastic (probabilistic) results. The results show that the median radium activity concentrations exceed the 5 ρCi/L radium MCL at the edge of the building for all ISD alternatives after 10,000 years, except those with a sufficient amount of inventory removed. A very interesting result was that grouting was shown to basically have minimal effect on the radium activity concentration. During the first 1,000 years grouting may have some small positive benefit relative to radium, however after that it may have a slightly deleterious effect. The Pb-210 results, relative to its 0.06 ρCi/L PRG, are essentially identical to the radium results, but the Pb-210 results exhibit a lesser degree of exceedance. In summary, some level of inventory removal will be required to ensure that groundwater standards are met

  1. Hygrothermal modelling of flooding events within historic buildings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huijbregts, Z.; Schellen, H.L.; Schijndel, van A.W.M.; Blades, N.

    2014-01-01

    Flooding events pose a high risk to valuable monumental buildings and their interiors. Due to higher river discharges and sea level rise, flooding events may occur more often in future. Hygrothermal building simulation models can be applied to investigate the impact of a flooding event on the

  2. Hygrothermal modelling of flooding events within historic buildings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huijbregts, Z.; Schijndel, van A.W.M.; Schellen, H.L.; Blades, N.; Mahdavi, A.; Mertens, B.

    2013-01-01

    Flooding events pose a high risk to valuable monumental buildings and their interiors. Due to higher river discharges and sea level rise, flooding events may occur more often in future. Hygrothermal building simulation models can be applied to investigate the impact of a flooding event on the

  3. MODELLING AND SIMULATION MATTERS UPON THE STATIC ANALYSIS OF A BUILDING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DUTA Alina

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The present paper puts forward a method applied to determine the static analysis and the stress of a two-level building, via an analysis with finite elements for building construction domain. Prior to this, we shall deal with a strategic issue, i.e. the achievement of a model with finite elements to validate the best approximation for the building structure. The method endorsed comes to replace the mathematical model, which is more complicated. However, a central issue that has to be dealt with before determining the displacements and the stress analysis is the achievement of the model with finite elements, as the best approximation of the building structure.

  4. Modelling of settlement induced building damage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Giardina, G.

    2013-01-01

    This thesis focuses on the modelling of settlement induced damage to masonry buildings. In densely populated areas, the need for new space is nowadays producing a rapid increment of underground excavations. Due to the construction of new metro lines, tunnelling activity in urban areas is growing.

  5. Hybrid LCA model for assessing the embodied environmental impacts of buildings in South Korea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jang, Minho, E-mail: minmin40@hanmail.net [Asset Management Division, Mate Plus Co., Ltd., 9th Fl., Financial News Bldg. 24-5 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-877 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Taehoon, E-mail: hong7@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ji, Changyoon, E-mail: chnagyoon@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-01-15

    The assessment of the embodied environmental impacts of buildings can help decision-makers plan environment-friendly buildings and reduce environmental impacts. For a more comprehensive assessment of the embodied environmental impacts of buildings, a hybrid life cycle assessment model was developed in this study. The developed model can assess the embodied environmental impacts (global warming, ozone layer depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical ozone creation, abiotic depletion, and human toxicity) generated directly and indirectly in the material manufacturing, transportation, and construction phases. To demonstrate the application and validity of the developed model, the environmental impacts of an elementary school building were assessed using the developed model and compared with the results of a previous model used in a case study. The embodied environmental impacts from the previous model were lower than those from the developed model by 4.6–25.2%. Particularly, human toxicity potential (13 kg C{sub 6}H{sub 6} eq.) calculated by the previous model was much lower (1965 kg C{sub 6}H{sub 6} eq.) than what was calculated by the developed model. The results indicated that the developed model can quantify the embodied environmental impacts of buildings more comprehensively, and can be used by decision-makers as a tool for selecting environment-friendly buildings. - Highlights: • The model was developed to assess the embodied environmental impacts of buildings. • The model evaluates GWP, ODP, AP, EP, POCP, ADP, and HTP as environmental impacts. • The model presents more comprehensive results than the previous model by 4.6–100%. • The model can present the HTP of buildings, which the previous models cannot do. • Decision-makers can use the model for selecting environment-friendly buildings.

  6. SEMI-AUTOMATIC BUILDING MODELS AND FAÇADE TEXTURE MAPPING FROM MOBILE PHONE IMAGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Jeong

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Research on 3D urban modelling has been actively carried out for a long time. Recently the need of 3D urban modelling research is increased rapidly due to improved geo-web services and popularized smart devices. Nowadays 3D urban models provided by, for example, Google Earth use aerial photos for 3D urban modelling but there are some limitations: immediate update for the change of building models is difficult, many buildings are without 3D model and texture, and large resources for maintaining and updating are inevitable. To resolve the limitations mentioned above, we propose a method for semi-automatic building modelling and façade texture mapping from mobile phone images and analyze the result of modelling with actual measurements. Our method consists of camera geometry estimation step, image matching step, and façade mapping step. Models generated from this method were compared with actual measurement value of real buildings. Ratios of edge length of models and measurements were compared. Result showed 5.8% average error of length ratio. Through this method, we could generate a simple building model with fine façade textures without expensive dedicated tools and dataset.

  7. Building models for marketing decisions : Past, present and future

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leeflang, PSH; Wittink, DR

    We review five eras of model building in marketing, with special emphasis on the fourth and the fifth eras, the present and the future. At many firms managers now routinely use model-based results for marketing decisions. Given an increasing number of successful applications, the demand for models

  8. Construction cost prediction model for conventional and sustainable college buildings in North America

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Othman Subhi Alshamrani

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The literature lacks in initial cost prediction models for college buildings, especially comparing costs of sustainable and conventional buildings. A multi-regression model was developed for conceptual initial cost estimation of conventional and sustainable college buildings in North America. RS Means was used to estimate the national average of construction costs for 2014, which was subsequently utilized to develop the model. The model could predict the initial cost per square feet with two structure types made of steel and concrete. The other predictor variables were building area, number of floors and floor height. The model was developed in three major stages, such as preliminary diagnostics on data quality, model development and validation. The developed model was successfully tested and validated with real-time data.

  9. Integration of inaccurate data into model building and uncertainty assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coleou, Thierry

    1998-12-31

    Model building can be seen as integrating numerous measurements and mapping through data points considered as exact. As the exact data set is usually sparse, using additional non-exact data improves the modelling and reduces the uncertainties. Several examples of non-exact data are discussed and a methodology to honor them in a single pass, along with the exact data is presented. This automatic procedure is valid for both ``base case`` model building and stochastic simulations for uncertainty analysis. 5 refs., 3 figs.

  10. Mental models of a water management system in a green building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalantzis, Anastasia; Thatcher, Andrew; Sheridan, Craig

    2016-11-01

    This intergroup case study compared users' mental models with an expert design model of a water management system in a green building. The system incorporates a constructed wetland component and a rainwater collection pond that together recycle water for re-use in the building and its surroundings. The sample consisted of five building occupants and the cleaner (6 users) and two experts who were involved with the design of the water management system. Users' mental model descriptions and the experts' design model were derived from in-depth interviews combined with self-constructed (and verified) diagrams. Findings from the study suggest that there is considerable variability in the user mental models that could impact the efficient functioning of the water management system. Recommendations for improvements are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Integration of Models of Building Interiors with Cadastral Data

    OpenAIRE

    Gotlib Dariusz; Karabin Marcin

    2017-01-01

    Demands for applications which use models of building interiors is growing and highly diversified. Those models are applied at the stage of designing and construction of a building, in applications which support real estate management, in navigation and marketing systems and, finally, in crisis management and security systems. They are created on the basis of different data: architectural and construction plans, both, in the analogue form, as well as CAD files, BIM data files, by means of las...

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faustino Patiño-Cambeiro

    2017-07-01

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

  13. Enhancements to ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Prototype Building Models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goel, Supriya; Athalye, Rahul A.; Wang, Weimin; Zhang, Jian; Rosenberg, Michael I.; Xie, YuLong; Hart, Philip R.; Mendon, Vrushali V.

    2014-04-16

    This report focuses on enhancements to prototype building models used to determine the energy impact of various versions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1. Since the last publication of the prototype building models, PNNL has made numerous enhancements to the original prototype models compliant with the 2004, 2007, and 2010 editions of Standard 90.1. Those enhancements are described here and were made for several reasons: (1) to change or improve prototype design assumptions; (2) to improve the simulation accuracy; (3) to improve the simulation infrastructure; and (4) to add additional detail to the models needed to capture certain energy impacts from Standard 90.1 improvements. These enhancements impact simulated prototype energy use, and consequently impact the savings estimated from edition to edition of Standard 90.1.

  14. Models test on dynamic structure-structure interaction of nuclear power plant buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitada, Y.; Hirotani, T.

    1999-01-01

    A reactor building of an NPP (nuclear power plant) is generally constructed closely adjacent to a turbine building and other buildings such as the auxiliary building, and in increasing numbers of NPPs, multiple plants are being planned and constructed closely on a single site. In these situations, adjacent buildings are considered to influence each other through the soil during earthquakes and to exhibit dynamic behaviour different from that of separate buildings, because those buildings in NPP are generally heavy and massive. The dynamic interaction between buildings during earthquake through the soil is termed here as 'dynamic cross interaction (DCI)'. In order to comprehend DCI appropriately, forced vibration tests and earthquake observation are needed using closely constructed building models. Standing on this background, Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) had planned the project to investigate the DCI effect in 1993 after the preceding SSI (soil-structure interaction) investigation project, 'model tests on embedment effect of reactor building'. The project consists of field and laboratory tests. The field test is being carried out using three different building construction conditions, e.g. a single reactor building to be used for the comparison purposes as for a reference, two same reactor buildings used to evaluate pure DCI effects, and two different buildings, reactor and turbine building models to evaluate DCI effects under the actual plant conditions. Forced vibration tests and earthquake observations are planned in the field test. The laboratory test is planned to evaluate basic characteristics of the DCI effects using simple soil model made of silicon rubber and structure models made of aluminum. In this test, forced vibration tests and shaking table tests are planned. The project was started in April 1994 and will be completed in March 2002. This paper describes an outline and the summary of the current status of this project. (orig.)

  15. A fuzzy-based model to implement the global safety buildings index assessment for agri-food buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Barreca

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The latest EU policies focus on the issue of food safety with a view to ensuring adequate and standard quality levels for the food produced and/or consumed within the EC. To that purpose, the environment where agricultural products are manufactured and processed plays a crucial role in achieving food hygiene. As a consequence, it is of the outmost importance to adopt proper building solutions which meet health and hygiene requirements as well as to use suitable tools to measure the levels achieved. Similarly, it is necessary to verify and evaluate the level of workers’ safety and welfare in their working environment. Workers’ safety has not only an ethical and social value but also an economic implication, since possible accidents or environmental stressors are the major causes of the lower efficiency and productivity of workers. Therefore, it is fundamental to design suitable models of analysis that allow assessing buildings as a whole, taking into account both health and hygiene safety as well as workers’ safety and welfare. Hence, this paper proposes an assessment model that, based on an established study protocol and on the application of a fuzzy logic procedure, allows assessing the global safety level of an agri-food building by means of a global safety buildings index. The model here presented is original since it uses fuzzy logic to evaluate the performances of both the technical and environmental systems of an agri-food building in terms of health and hygiene safety of the manufacturing process as well as of workers’ health and safety. The result of the assessment is expressed through a triangular fuzzy membership function which allows carrying out comparative analyses of different buildings. A specific procedure was developed to apply the model to a case study which tested its operational simplicity and the validity of its results. The proposed model allows obtaining a synthetic and global value of the building performance of

  16. Hybrid Building Performance Simulation Models for Industrial Energy Efficiency Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Smolek

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In the challenge of achieving environmental sustainability, industrial production plants, as large contributors to the overall energy demand of a country, are prime candidates for applying energy efficiency measures. A modelling approach using cubes is used to decompose a production facility into manageable modules. All aspects of the facility are considered, classified into the building, energy system, production and logistics. This approach leads to specific challenges for building performance simulations since all parts of the facility are highly interconnected. To meet this challenge, models for the building, thermal zones, energy converters and energy grids are presented and the interfaces to the production and logistics equipment are illustrated. The advantages and limitations of the chosen approach are discussed. In an example implementation, the feasibility of the approach and models is shown. Different scenarios are simulated to highlight the models and the results are compared.

  17. THE EFFECT OF BUILDING FAÇADE MODEL ON LIGHT DISTRIBUTION (CASE STUDY: MENARA PHINISI BUILDING OF UNM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurul Jamala

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Global warming issues influence the temperature of the earth surface. It is an impact on energy consumption, especially in buildings. Utilization of daylight is one of the factors that need to be considered, in order to minimize energy consumption as a source of artificial lighting. This study analyzed the distribution of light on the Menara Phinisi building of Makassar State University. Quantitative research method that is to describe the data of simulation in Autodesk Ecotect program. The research objective was to determine the effect of the building facade model on the value of illumination inside the building. Results of the study concluded that the decrease percentage of the distribution of light on the building facade using and not using the facade is 3,16% or 236 lux. Distribution of light in horizontal and diagonal facade models differ in the amount of 2,5%. Design analysis of the building serves as a guide for analyzing the influence of the building facade model so that it can create energy efficient buildings.

  18. Development of surrogate models using artificial neural network for building shell energy labelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melo, A.P.; Cóstola, D.; Lamberts, R.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2014-01-01

    Surrogate models are an important part of building energy labelling programs, but these models still present low accuracy, particularly in cooling-dominated climates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using an artificial neural network (ANN) to improve the accuracy of surrogate models for labelling purposes. An ANN was applied to model the building stock of a city in Brazil, based on the results of extensive simulations using the high-resolution building energy simulation program EnergyPlus. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were carried out to evaluate the behaviour of the ANN model, and the variations in the best and worst performance for several typologies were analysed in relation to variations in the input parameters and building characteristics. The results obtained indicate that an ANN can represent the interaction between input and output data for a vast and diverse building stock. Sensitivity analysis showed that no single input parameter can be identified as the main factor responsible for the building energy performance. The uncertainty associated with several parameters plays a major role in assessing building energy performance, together with the facade area and the shell-to-floor ratio. The results of this study may have a profound impact as ANNs could be applied in the future to define regulations in many countries, with positive effects on optimizing the energy consumption. - Highlights: • We model several typologies which have variation in input parameters. • We evaluate the accuracy of surrogate models for labelling purposes. • ANN is applied to model the building stock. • Uncertainty in building plays a major role in the building energy performance. • Results show that ANN could help to develop building energy labelling systems

  19. Modeling of Heat Transfer in Rooms in the Modelica "Buildings" Library

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Zuo, Wangda [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Nouidui, Thierry Stephane [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2011-11-01

    This paper describes the implementation of the room heat transfer model in the free open-source Modelica \\Buildings" library. The model can be used as a single room or to compose a multizone building model. We discuss how the model is decomposed into submodels for the individual heat transfer phenomena. We also discuss the main physical assumptions. The room model can be parameterized to use different modeling assumptions, leading to linear or non-linear differential algebraic systems of equations. We present numerical experiments that show how these assumptions affect computing time and accuracy for selected cases of the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140- 2007 envelop validation tests.

  20. A financing model to solve financial barriers for implementing green building projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sanghyo; Lee, Baekrae; Kim, Juhyung; Kim, Jaejun

    2013-01-01

    Along with the growing interest in greenhouse gas reduction, the effect of greenhouse gas energy reduction from implementing green buildings is gaining attention. The government of the Republic of Korea has set green growth as its paradigm for national development, and there is a growing interest in energy saving for green buildings. However, green buildings may have financial barriers that have high initial construction costs and uncertainties about future project value. Under the circumstances, governmental support to attract private funding is necessary to implement green building projects. The objective of this study is to suggest a financing model for facilitating green building projects with a governmental guarantee based on Certified Emission Reduction (CER). In this model, the government provides a guarantee for the increased costs of a green building project in return for CER. And this study presents the validation of the model as well as feasibility for implementing green building project. In addition, the suggested model assumed governmental guarantees for the increased cost, but private guarantees seem to be feasible as well because of the promising value of the guarantee from CER. To do this, certification of Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) for green buildings must be obtained.

  1. Commercial Building Energy Baseline Modeling Software: Performance Metrics and Method Testing with Open Source Models and Implications for Proprietary Software Testing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Price, Phillip N.; Granderson, Jessica; Sohn, Michael; Addy, Nathan; Jump, David

    2013-09-01

    The overarching goal of this work is to advance the capabilities of technology evaluators in evaluating the building-level baseline modeling capabilities of Energy Management and Information System (EMIS) software. Through their customer engagement platforms and products, EMIS software products have the potential to produce whole-building energy savings through multiple strategies: building system operation improvements, equipment efficiency upgrades and replacements, and inducement of behavioral change among the occupants and operations personnel. Some offerings may also automate the quantification of whole-building energy savings, relative to a baseline period, using empirical models that relate energy consumption to key influencing parameters, such as ambient weather conditions and building operation schedule. These automated baseline models can be used to streamline the whole-building measurement and verification (M&V) process, and therefore are of critical importance in the context of multi-measure whole-building focused utility efficiency programs. This report documents the findings of a study that was conducted to begin answering critical questions regarding quantification of savings at the whole-building level, and the use of automated and commercial software tools. To evaluate the modeling capabilities of EMIS software particular to the use case of whole-building savings estimation, four research questions were addressed: 1. What is a general methodology that can be used to evaluate baseline model performance, both in terms of a) overall robustness, and b) relative to other models? 2. How can that general methodology be applied to evaluate proprietary models that are embedded in commercial EMIS tools? How might one handle practical issues associated with data security, intellectual property, appropriate testing ‘blinds’, and large data sets? 3. How can buildings be pre-screened to identify those that are the most model-predictable, and therefore those

  2. Implicit Regularization for Reconstructing 3D Building Rooftop Models Using Airborne LiDAR Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaewook Jung

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available With rapid urbanization, highly accurate and semantically rich virtualization of building assets in 3D become more critical for supporting various applications, including urban planning, emergency response and location-based services. Many research efforts have been conducted to automatically reconstruct building models at city-scale from remotely sensed data. However, developing a fully-automated photogrammetric computer vision system enabling the massive generation of highly accurate building models still remains a challenging task. One the most challenging task for 3D building model reconstruction is to regularize the noises introduced in the boundary of building object retrieved from a raw data with lack of knowledge on its true shape. This paper proposes a data-driven modeling approach to reconstruct 3D rooftop models at city-scale from airborne laser scanning (ALS data. The focus of the proposed method is to implicitly derive the shape regularity of 3D building rooftops from given noisy information of building boundary in a progressive manner. This study covers a full chain of 3D building modeling from low level processing to realistic 3D building rooftop modeling. In the element clustering step, building-labeled point clouds are clustered into homogeneous groups by applying height similarity and plane similarity. Based on segmented clusters, linear modeling cues including outer boundaries, intersection lines, and step lines are extracted. Topology elements among the modeling cues are recovered by the Binary Space Partitioning (BSP technique. The regularity of the building rooftop model is achieved by an implicit regularization process in the framework of Minimum Description Length (MDL combined with Hypothesize and Test (HAT. The parameters governing the MDL optimization are automatically estimated based on Min-Max optimization and Entropy-based weighting method. The performance of the proposed method is tested over the International

  3. Implicit Regularization for Reconstructing 3D Building Rooftop Models Using Airborne LiDAR Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jaewook; Jwa, Yoonseok; Sohn, Gunho

    2017-03-19

    With rapid urbanization, highly accurate and semantically rich virtualization of building assets in 3D become more critical for supporting various applications, including urban planning, emergency response and location-based services. Many research efforts have been conducted to automatically reconstruct building models at city-scale from remotely sensed data. However, developing a fully-automated photogrammetric computer vision system enabling the massive generation of highly accurate building models still remains a challenging task. One the most challenging task for 3D building model reconstruction is to regularize the noises introduced in the boundary of building object retrieved from a raw data with lack of knowledge on its true shape. This paper proposes a data-driven modeling approach to reconstruct 3D rooftop models at city-scale from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The focus of the proposed method is to implicitly derive the shape regularity of 3D building rooftops from given noisy information of building boundary in a progressive manner. This study covers a full chain of 3D building modeling from low level processing to realistic 3D building rooftop modeling. In the element clustering step, building-labeled point clouds are clustered into homogeneous groups by applying height similarity and plane similarity. Based on segmented clusters, linear modeling cues including outer boundaries, intersection lines, and step lines are extracted. Topology elements among the modeling cues are recovered by the Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) technique. The regularity of the building rooftop model is achieved by an implicit regularization process in the framework of Minimum Description Length (MDL) combined with Hypothesize and Test (HAT). The parameters governing the MDL optimization are automatically estimated based on Min-Max optimization and Entropy-based weighting method. The performance of the proposed method is tested over the International Society for

  4. Modeling the building blocks of biodiversity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucas N Joppa

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Networks of single interaction types, such as plant-pollinator mutualisms, are biodiversity's "building blocks". Yet, the structure of mutualistic and antagonistic networks differs, leaving no unified modeling framework across biodiversity's component pieces. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We use a one-dimensional "niche model" to predict antagonistic and mutualistic species interactions, finding that accuracy decreases with the size of the network. We show that properties of the modeled network structure closely approximate empirical properties even where individual interactions are poorly predicted. Further, some aspects of the structure of the niche space were consistently different between network classes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These novel results reveal fundamental differences between the ability to predict ecologically important features of the overall structure of a network and the ability to predict pair-wise species interactions.

  5. Building aggregate timber supply models from individual harvest choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maksym Polyakov; David N. Wear; Robert Huggett

    2009-01-01

    Timber supply has traditionally been modelled using aggregate data. In this paper, we build aggregate supply models for four roundwood products for the US state of North Carolina from a stand-level harvest choice model applied to detailed forest inventory. The simulated elasticities of pulpwood supply are much lower than reported by previous studies. Cross price...

  6. Thermal models of buildings. Determination of temperatures, heating and cooling loads. Theories, models and computer programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaellblad, K

    1998-05-01

    The need to estimate indoor temperatures, heating or cooling load and energy requirements for buildings arises in many stages of a buildings life cycle, e.g. at the early layout stage, during the design of a building and for energy retrofitting planning. Other purposes are to meet the authorities requirements given in building codes. All these situations require good calculation methods. The main purpose of this report is to present the authors work with problems related to thermal models and calculation methods for determination of temperatures and heating or cooling loads in buildings. Thus the major part of the report deals with treatment of solar radiation in glazing systems, shading of solar and sky radiation and the computer program JULOTTA used to simulate the thermal behavior of rooms and buildings. Other parts of thermal models of buildings are more briefly discussed and included in order to give an overview of existing problems and available solutions. A brief presentation of how thermal models can be built up is also given and it is a hope that the report can be useful as an introduction to this part of building physics as well as during development of calculation methods and computer programs. The report may also serve as a help for the users of energy related programs. Independent of which method or program a user choose to work with it is his or her own responsibility to understand the limits of the tool, else wrong conclusions may be drawn from the results 52 refs, 22 figs, 4 tabs

  7. Building Information Modelling in Denmark and Iceland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Per Anker; Jóhannesson, Elvar Ingi

    2013-01-01

    with BIM is studied. Based on findings from both parts, ideas and recommendations are put forward for the Icelandic building industry about feasible ways of implementing BIM. Findings – Among the results are that the use of BIM is very limited in the Icelandic companies compared to the other Nordic...... for making standards and guidelines related to BIM. Public building clients are also encouraged to consider initiating projects based on making simple building models of existing buildings in order to introduce the BIM technology to the industry. Icelandic companies are recommended to start implementing BIM...... countries. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to the Nordic countries in Europe, but many recommendations could be relevant to other countries. Practical implications – It is recommended to the Icelandic building authorities to get into cooperation with their Nordic counterparts...

  8. BUILDING INFORMATION MODELS FOR MONITORING AND SIMULATION DATA IN HERITAGE BUILDINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. P. Pocobelli

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyses the use of BIM in heritage buildings, assessing the state-of-the-art and finding paths for further development. Specifically, this work is part of a broader project, which final aim is to support stakeholders through BIM. Given that humidity is one of the major causes of weathering, being able to detect, depict and forecast it, is a key task. A BIM model of a heritage building – enhanced with the integration of a weathering forecasting model – will be able to give detailed information on possible degradation patterns, and when they will happen. This information can be effectively used to plan both ordinary and extraordinary maintenance. The Jewel Tower in London, our case study, is digitised using combined laser scanning and photogrammetry, and a virtual model is produced. The point cloud derived from combined laser scanning & photogrammetry is traced out in with Autodesk Revit, where the main volumetry (gross walls and floors is created with parametric objects. Surface characterisation of the façade is given through renderings. Specifically, new rendering materials have been created for this purpose, based on rectified photos of the Tower. The model is then integrated with moisture data, organised in spreadsheets and linked to it via parametric objects representing the points where measurements had been previously taken. The spatial distribution of moisture is then depicted using Dynamo. This simple exercise demonstrates the potential Dynamo has for condition reporting, and future work will concentrate on the creation of a complex forecasting model to be linked through it.

  9. Guided Inquiry and Consensus-Building Used to Construct Cellular Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joel I. Cohen

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Using models helps students learn from a “whole systems” perspective when studying the cell. This paper describes a model that employs guided inquiry and requires consensus building among students for its completion. The model is interactive, meaning that it expands upon a static model which, once completed, cannot be altered and additionally relates various levels of biological organization (molecular, organelle, and cellular to define cell and organelle function and interaction. Learning goals are assessed using data summed from final grades and from images of the student’s final cell model (plant, bacteria, and yeast taken from diverse seventh grade classes. Instructional figures showing consensus-building pathways and seating arrangements are discussed. Results suggest that the model leads to a high rate of participation, facilitates guided inquiry, and fosters group and individual exploration by challenging student understanding of the living cell.

  10. A Financing Model to Solve Financial Barriers for Implementing Green Building Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Baekrae; Kim, Juhyung; Kim, Jaejun

    2013-01-01

    Along with the growing interest in greenhouse gas reduction, the effect of greenhouse gas energy reduction from implementing green buildings is gaining attention. The government of the Republic of Korea has set green growth as its paradigm for national development, and there is a growing interest in energy saving for green buildings. However, green buildings may have financial barriers that have high initial construction costs and uncertainties about future project value. Under the circumstances, governmental support to attract private funding is necessary to implement green building projects. The objective of this study is to suggest a financing model for facilitating green building projects with a governmental guarantee based on Certified Emission Reduction (CER). In this model, the government provides a guarantee for the increased costs of a green building project in return for CER. And this study presents the validation of the model as well as feasibility for implementing green building project. In addition, the suggested model assumed governmental guarantees for the increased cost, but private guarantees seem to be feasible as well because of the promising value of the guarantee from CER. To do this, certification of Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) for green buildings must be obtained. PMID:24376379

  11. Model building strategy for logistic regression: purposeful selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhongheng

    2016-03-01

    Logistic regression is one of the most commonly used models to account for confounders in medical literature. The article introduces how to perform purposeful selection model building strategy with R. I stress on the use of likelihood ratio test to see whether deleting a variable will have significant impact on model fit. A deleted variable should also be checked for whether it is an important adjustment of remaining covariates. Interaction should be checked to disentangle complex relationship between covariates and their synergistic effect on response variable. Model should be checked for the goodness-of-fit (GOF). In other words, how the fitted model reflects the real data. Hosmer-Lemeshow GOF test is the most widely used for logistic regression model.

  12. Improved model for solar heating of buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Lie, Bernt

    2015-01-01

    A considerable future increase in the global energy use is expected, and the effects of energy conversion on the climate are already observed. Future energy conversion should thus be based on resources that have negligible climate effects; solar energy is perhaps the most important of such resources. The presented work builds on a previous complete model for solar heating of a house; here the aim to introduce ventilation heat recovery and improve on the hot water storage model. Ventilation he...

  13. FIRST PRISMATIC BUILDING MODEL RECONSTRUCTION FROM TOMOSAR POINT CLOUDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Sun

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper demonstrates for the first time the potential of explicitly modelling the individual roof surfaces to reconstruct 3-D prismatic building models using spaceborne tomographic synthetic aperture radar (TomoSAR point clouds. The proposed approach is modular and works as follows: it first extracts the buildings via DSM generation and cutting-off the ground terrain. The DSM is smoothed using BM3D denoising method proposed in (Dabov et al., 2007 and a gradient map of the smoothed DSM is generated based on height jumps. Watershed segmentation is then adopted to oversegment the DSM into different regions. Subsequently, height and polygon complexity constrained merging is employed to refine (i.e., to reduce the retrieved number of roof segments. Coarse outline of each roof segment is then reconstructed and later refined using quadtree based regularization plus zig-zag line simplification scheme. Finally, height is associated to each refined roof segment to obtain the 3-D prismatic model of the building. The proposed approach is illustrated and validated over a large building (convention center in the city of Las Vegas using TomoSAR point clouds generated from a stack of 25 images using Tomo-GENESIS software developed at DLR.

  14. Bibliography for the Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

  15. Aggregation Potentials for Buildings - Business Models of Demand Response and Virtual Power Plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Zheng; Billanes, Joy Dalmacio; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

    2017-01-01

    programs, national regulations and energy market structures strongly influence buildings’ participation in the aggregation market. Under the current Nordic market regulation, business model one is the most feasible one, and business model two faces more challenges due to regulation barriers and limited...... aggregation market with unclear incentives is still a challenge for buildings to participate in the aggregation market. However, few studies have investigated business models for building participation in the aggregation market. Therefore, this paper develops four business models for buildings to participate...

  16. FITTING OF PARAMETRIC BUILDING MODELS TO OBLIQUE AERIAL IMAGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U. S. Panday

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available In literature and in photogrammetric workstations many approaches and systems to automatically reconstruct buildings from remote sensing data are described and available. Those building models are being used for instance in city modeling or in cadastre context. If a roof overhang is present, the building walls cannot be estimated correctly from nadir-view aerial images or airborne laser scanning (ALS data. This leads to inconsistent building outlines, which has a negative influence on visual impression, but more seriously also represents a wrong legal boundary in the cadaster. Oblique aerial images as opposed to nadir-view images reveal greater detail, enabling to see different views of an object taken from different directions. Building walls are visible from oblique images directly and those images are used for automated roof overhang estimation in this research. A fitting algorithm is employed to find roof parameters of simple buildings. It uses a least squares algorithm to fit projected wire frames to their corresponding edge lines extracted from the images. Self-occlusion is detected based on intersection result of viewing ray and the planes formed by the building whereas occlusion from other objects is detected using an ALS point cloud. Overhang and ground height are obtained by sweeping vertical and horizontal planes respectively. Experimental results are verified with high resolution ortho-images, field survey, and ALS data. Planimetric accuracy of 1cm mean and 5cm standard deviation was obtained, while buildings' orientation were accurate to mean of 0.23° and standard deviation of 0.96° with ortho-image. Overhang parameters were aligned to approximately 10cm with field survey. The ground and roof heights were accurate to mean of – 9cm and 8cm with standard deviations of 16cm and 8cm with ALS respectively. The developed approach reconstructs 3D building models well in cases of sufficient texture. More images should be acquired for

  17. Pseudo-Bond Graph model for the analysis of the thermal behavior of buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Merabtine Abdelatif

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a simplified graphical modeling tool, which in some extent can be considered in halfway between detailed physical and Data driven dynamic models, has been developed. This model is based on Bond Graphs approach. This approach has the potential to display explicitly the nature of power in a building system, such as a phenomenon of storage, processing and dissipating energy such as Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC systems. This paper represents the developed models of the two transient heat conduction problems corresponding to the most practical cases in building envelope, such as the heat transfer through vertical walls, roofs and slabs. The validation procedure consists of comparing the results obtained with this model with analytical solution. It has shown very good agreement between measured data and Bond Graphs model simulation. The Bond Graphs technique is then used to model the building dynamic thermal behavior over a single zone building structure and compared with a set of experimental data. An evaluation of indoor temperature was carried out in order to check our Bond Graphs model.

  18. A Hierarchical Building Segmentation in Digital Surface Models for 3D Reconstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiming Yan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, a hierarchical method for segmenting buildings in a digital surface model (DSM, which is used in a novel framework for 3D reconstruction, is proposed. Most 3D reconstructions of buildings are model-based. However, the limitations of these methods are overreliance on completeness of the offline-constructed models of buildings, and the completeness is not easily guaranteed since in modern cities buildings can be of a variety of types. Therefore, a model-free framework using high precision DSM and texture-images buildings was introduced. There are two key problems with this framework. The first one is how to accurately extract the buildings from the DSM. Most segmentation methods are limited by either the terrain factors or the difficult choice of parameter-settings. A level-set method are employed to roughly find the building regions in the DSM, and then a recently proposed ‘occlusions of random textures model’ are used to enhance the local segmentation of the buildings. The second problem is how to generate the facades of buildings. Synergizing with the corresponding texture-images, we propose a roof-contour guided interpolation of building facades. The 3D reconstruction results achieved by airborne-like images and satellites are compared. Experiments show that the segmentation method has good performance, and 3D reconstruction is easily performed by our framework, and better visualization results can be obtained by airborne-like images, which can be further replaced by UAV images.

  19. Modeling Manpower and Equipment Productivity in Tall Building Construction Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudumbai Krishnaswamy, Parthasarathy; Rajiah, Murugasan; Vasan, Ramya

    2017-12-01

    Tall building construction projects involve two critical resources of manpower and equipment. Their usage, however, widely varies due to several factors affecting their productivity. Currently, no systematic study for estimating and increasing their productivity is available. What is prevalent is the use of empirical data, experience of similar projects and assumptions. As tall building projects are here to stay and increase, to meet the emerging demands in ever shrinking urban spaces, it is imperative to explore ways and means of scientific productivity models for basic construction activities: concrete, reinforcement, formwork, block work and plastering for the input of specific resources in a mixed environment of manpower and equipment usage. Data pertaining to 72 tall building projects in India were collected and analyzed. Then, suitable productivity estimation models were developed using multiple linear regression analysis and validated using independent field data. It is hoped that the models developed in the study will be useful for quantity surveyors, cost engineers and project managers to estimate productivity of resources in tall building projects.

  20. Scalable geocomputation: evolving an environmental model building platform from single-core to supercomputers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitz, Oliver; de Jong, Kor; Karssenberg, Derek

    2017-04-01

    There is an increasing demand to run environmental models on a big scale: simulations over large areas at high resolution. The heterogeneity of available computing hardware such as multi-core CPUs, GPUs or supercomputer potentially provides significant computing power to fulfil this demand. However, this requires detailed knowledge of the underlying hardware, parallel algorithm design and the implementation thereof in an efficient system programming language. Domain scientists such as hydrologists or ecologists often lack this specific software engineering knowledge, their emphasis is (and should be) on exploratory building and analysis of simulation models. As a result, models constructed by domain specialists mostly do not take full advantage of the available hardware. A promising solution is to separate the model building activity from software engineering by offering domain specialists a model building framework with pre-programmed building blocks that they combine to construct a model. The model building framework, consequently, needs to have built-in capabilities to make full usage of the available hardware. Developing such a framework providing understandable code for domain scientists and being runtime efficient at the same time poses several challenges on developers of such a framework. For example, optimisations can be performed on individual operations or the whole model, or tasks need to be generated for a well-balanced execution without explicitly knowing the complexity of the domain problem provided by the modeller. Ideally, a modelling framework supports the optimal use of available hardware whichsoever combination of model building blocks scientists use. We demonstrate our ongoing work on developing parallel algorithms for spatio-temporal modelling and demonstrate 1) PCRaster, an environmental software framework (http://www.pcraster.eu) providing spatio-temporal model building blocks and 2) parallelisation of about 50 of these building blocks using

  1. Economical analyses of build-operate-transfer model in establishing alternative power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yumurtaci, Zehra [Yildiz Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Y.T.U. Mak. Fak. Mak. Muh. Bolumu, Besiktas, 34349 Istanbul (Turkey)]. E-mail: zyumur@yildiz.edu.tr; Erdem, Hasan Hueseyin [Yildiz Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Y.T.U. Mak. Fak. Mak. Muh. Bolumu, Besiktas, 34349 Istanbul (Turkey)

    2007-01-15

    The most widely employed method to meet the increasing electricity demand is building new power plants. The most important issue in building new power plants is to find financial funds. Various models are employed, especially in developing countries, in order to overcome this problem and to find a financial source. One of these models is the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. In this model, the investor raises all the funds for mandatory expenses and provides financing, builds the plant and, after a certain plant operation period, transfers the plant to the national power organization. In this model, the object is to decrease the burden of power plants on the state budget. The most important issue in the BOT model is the dependence of the unit electricity cost on the transfer period. In this study, the model giving the unit electricity cost depending on the transfer of the plants established according to the BOT model, has been discussed. Unit electricity investment cost and unit electricity cost in relation to transfer period for plant types have been determined. Furthermore, unit electricity cost change depending on load factor, which is one of the parameters affecting annual electricity production, has been determined, and the results have been analyzed. This method can be employed for comparing the production costs of different plants that are planned to be established according to the BOT model, or it can be employed to determine the appropriateness of the BOT model.

  2. Economical analyses of build-operate-transfer model in establishing alternative power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yumurtaci, Zehra; Erdem, Hasan Hueseyin

    2007-01-01

    The most widely employed method to meet the increasing electricity demand is building new power plants. The most important issue in building new power plants is to find financial funds. Various models are employed, especially in developing countries, in order to overcome this problem and to find a financial source. One of these models is the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. In this model, the investor raises all the funds for mandatory expenses and provides financing, builds the plant and, after a certain plant operation period, transfers the plant to the national power organization. In this model, the object is to decrease the burden of power plants on the state budget. The most important issue in the BOT model is the dependence of the unit electricity cost on the transfer period. In this study, the model giving the unit electricity cost depending on the transfer of the plants established according to the BOT model, has been discussed. Unit electricity investment cost and unit electricity cost in relation to transfer period for plant types have been determined. Furthermore, unit electricity cost change depending on load factor, which is one of the parameters affecting annual electricity production, has been determined, and the results have been analyzed. This method can be employed for comparing the production costs of different plants that are planned to be established according to the BOT model, or it can be employed to determine the appropriateness of the BOT model

  3. JEDDAH HISTORICAL BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING "JHBIM" OLD JEDDAH – SAUDI ARABIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Baik

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The historic city of Jeddah faces serious issues in the conservation, documentation and recording of its valuable building stock. Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Architectural Photogrammetry have already been used in many Heritage sites in the world. The integration of heritage recording and Building Information Modelling (BIM has been introduced as HBIM and is now a method to document and manage these buildings. In the last decade many traditional surveying methods were used to record the buildings in Old Jeddah. However, these methods take a long time, can sometimes provide unreliable information and often lack completeness. This paper will look at another approach for heritage recording by using the Jeddah Historical Building Information Modelling (JHBIM.

  4. Weather Correlations to Calculate Infiltration Rates for U. S. Commercial Building Energy Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Lisa C; Quiles, Nelson Ojeda; Dols, W Stuart; Emmerich, Steven J

    2018-01-01

    As building envelope performance improves, a greater percentage of building energy loss will occur through envelope leakage. Although the energy impacts of infiltration on building energy use can be significant, current energy simulation software have limited ability to accurately account for envelope infiltration and the impacts of improved airtightness. This paper extends previous work by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that developed a set of EnergyPlus inputs for modeling infiltration in several commercial reference buildings using Chicago weather. The current work includes cities in seven additional climate zones and uses the updated versions of the prototype commercial building types developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U. S. Department of Energy. Comparisons were made between the predicted infiltration rates using three representations of the commercial building types: PNNL EnergyPlus models, CONTAM models, and EnergyPlus models using the infiltration inputs developed in this paper. The newly developed infiltration inputs in EnergyPlus yielded average annual increases of 3 % and 8 % in the HVAC electrical and gas use, respectively, over the original infiltration inputs in the PNNL EnergyPlus models. When analyzing the benefits of building envelope airtightening, greater HVAC energy savings were predicted using the newly developed infiltration inputs in EnergyPlus compared with using the original infiltration inputs. These results indicate that the effects of infiltration on HVAC energy use can be significant and that infiltration can and should be better accounted for in whole-building energy models.

  5. Estimating Fallout Building Attributes from Architectural Features and Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Building Descriptions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dillon, Michael B. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Kane, Staci R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-03-01

    A nuclear explosion has the potential to injure or kill tens to hundreds of thousands (or more) of people through exposure to fallout (external gamma) radiation. Existing buildings can protect their occupants (reducing fallout radiation exposures) by placing material and distance between fallout particles and individuals indoors. Prior efforts have determined an initial set of building attributes suitable to reasonably assess a given building’s protection against fallout radiation. The current work provides methods to determine the quantitative values for these attributes from (a) common architectural features and data and (b) buildings described using the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) taxonomy. These methods will be used to improve estimates of fallout protection for operational US Department of Defense (DoD) and US Department of Energy (DOE) consequence assessment models.

  6. Issues of Application of Machine Learning Models for Virtual and Real-Life Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young Min Kim

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The current Building Energy Performance Simulation (BEPS tools are based on first principles. For the correct use of BEPS tools, simulationists should have an in-depth understanding of building physics, numerical methods, control logics of building systems, etc. However, it takes significant time and effort to develop a first principles-based simulation model for existing buildings—mainly due to the laborious process of data gathering, uncertain inputs, model calibration, etc. Rather than resorting to an expert’s effort, a data-driven approach (so-called “inverse” approach has received growing attention for the simulation of existing buildings. This paper reports a cross-comparison of three popular machine learning models (Artificial Neural Network (ANN, Support Vector Machine (SVM, and Gaussian Process (GP for predicting a chiller’s energy consumption in a virtual and a real-life building. The predictions based on the three models are sufficiently accurate compared to the virtual and real measurements. This paper addresses the following issues for the successful development of machine learning models: reproducibility, selection of inputs, training period, outlying data obtained from the building energy management system (BEMS, and validation of the models. From the result of this comparative study, it was found that SVM has a disadvantage in computation time compared to ANN and GP. GP is the most sensitive to a training period among the three models.

  7. 3D modeling of buildings outstanding sites

    CERN Document Server

    Héno, Rapha?le

    2014-01-01

    Conventional topographic databases, obtained by capture on aerial or spatial images provide a simplified 3D modeling of our urban environment, answering the needs of numerous applications (development, risk prevention, mobility management, etc.). However, when we have to represent and analyze more complex sites (monuments, civil engineering works, archeological sites, etc.), these models no longer suffice and other acquisition and processing means have to be implemented. This book focuses on the study of adapted lifting means for "notable buildings". The methods tackled in this book cover las

  8. The ORC method. Effective modelling of thermal performance of multilayer building components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akander, Jan

    2000-02-01

    The ORC Method (Optimised RC-networks) provides a means of modelling one- or multidimensional heat transfer in building components, in this context within building simulation environments. The methodology is shown, primarily applied to heat transfer in multilayer building components. For multilayer building components, the analytical thermal performance is known, given layer thickness and material properties. The aim of the ORC Method is to optimise the values of the thermal resistances and heat capacities of an RC-model such as to give model performance a good agreement with the analytical performance, for a wide range of frequencies. The optimisation procedure is made in the frequency domain, where the over-all deviation between model and analytical frequency response, in terms of admittance and dynamic transmittance, is minimised. It is shown that ORC's are effective in terms of accuracy and computational time in comparison to finite difference models when used in building simulations, in this case with IDA/ICE. An ORC configuration of five mass nodes has been found to model building components in Nordic countries well, within the application of thermal comfort and energy requirement simulations. Simple RC-networks, such as the surface heat capacity and the simple R-C-configuration are not appropriate for detailed building simulation. However, these can be used as basis for defining the effective heat capacity of a building component. An approximate method is suggested on how to determine the effective heat capacity without the use of complex numbers. This entity can be calculated on basis of layer thickness and material properties with the help of two time constants. The approximate method can give inaccuracies corresponding to 20%. In-situ measurements have been carried out in an experimental building with the purpose of establishing the effective heat capacity of external building components that are subjected to normal thermal conditions. The auxiliary

  9. Integrated Urban System and Energy Consumption Model: Residential Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rocco Papa

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a segment of research conducted within the project PON 04a2_E Smart Energy Master for the energetic government of the territory conducted by the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environment Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II".  In particular, this article is part of the study carried out for the definition of the comprehension/interpretation model that correlates buildings, city’s activities and users’ behaviour in order to promote energy savings. In detail, this segment of the research wants to define the residential variables to be used in the model. For this purpose a knowledge framework at international level has been defined, to estimate the energy requirements of residential buildings and the identification of a set of parameters, whose variation has a significant influence on the energy consumption of residential buildings.

  10. Investigation Into Informational Compatibility Of Building Information Modelling And Building Performance Analysis Software Solutions

    OpenAIRE

    Hyun, S.; Marjanovic-Halburd, L.; Raslan, R.

    2015-01-01

    There are significant opportunities for Building Information Modelling (BIM) to address issues related to sustainable and energy efficient building design. While the potential benefits associated with the integration of BIM and BPA (Building Performance Analysis) have been recognised, its specifications and formats remain in their early infancy and often fail to live up to the promise of seamless interoperability at various stages of design process. This paper conducts a case study to investi...

  11. 3D Modeling of Interior Building Environments and Objects from Noisy Sensor Suites

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-05-14

    Even though I moved to the other side of the country, they have always been supportive. My Dad , David Turner, has not only been my role model of an...model [10, 23–25]. Models with flat regions or sharp corners where the curvature approaches zero or infinity can become degenerate or have poor ...quality. Since building models are composed almost entirely of such areas, these techniques are not appropriate. Models of building interiors are rich with

  12. Software Tools For Building Decision-support Models For Flood Emergency Situations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrote, L.; Molina, M.; Ruiz, J. M.; Mosquera, J. C.

    The SAIDA decision-support system was developed by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment to provide assistance to decision-makers during flood situations. SAIDA has been tentatively implemented in two test basins: Jucar and Guadalhorce, and the Ministry is currently planning to have it implemented in all major Spanish basins in a few years' time. During the development cycle of SAIDA, the need for providing as- sistance to end-users in model definition and calibration was clearly identified. System developers usually emphasise abstraction and generality with the goal of providing a versatile software environment. End users, on the other hand, require concretion and specificity to adapt the general model to their local basins. As decision-support models become more complex, the gap between model developers and users gets wider: Who takes care of model definition, calibration and validation?. Initially, model developers perform these tasks, but the scope is usually limited to a few small test basins. Before the model enters operational stage, end users must get involved in model construction and calibration, in order to gain confidence in the model recommendations. However, getting the users involved in these activities is a difficult task. The goal of this re- search is to develop representation techniques for simulation and management models in order to define, develop and validate a mechanism, supported by a software envi- ronment, oriented to provide assistance to the end-user in building decision models for the prediction and management of river floods in real time. The system is based on three main building blocks: A library of simulators of the physical system, an editor to assist the user in building simulation models, and a machine learning method to calibrate decision models based on the simulation models provided by the user.

  13. Simplified Building Thermal Model Used for Optimal Control of Radiant Cooling System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei He

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available MPC has the ability to optimize the system operation parameters for energy conservation. Recently, it has been used in HVAC systems for saving energy, but there are very few applications in radiant cooling systems. To implement MPC in buildings with radiant terminals, the predictions of cooling load and thermal environment are indispensable. In this paper, a simplified thermal model is proposed for predicting cooling load and thermal environment in buildings with radiant floor. In this thermal model, the black-box model is introduced to derive the incident solar radiation, while the genetic algorithm is utilized to identify the parameters of the thermal model. In order to further validate this simplified thermal model, simulated results from TRNSYS are compared with those from this model and the deviation is evaluated based on coefficient of variation of root mean square (CV. The results show that the simplified model can predict the operative temperature with a CV lower than 1% and predict cooling loads with a CV lower than 10%. For the purpose of supervisory control in HVAC systems, this simplified RC thermal model has an acceptable accuracy and can be used for further MPC in buildings with radiation terminals.

  14. Review of Development Survey of Phase Change Material Models in Building Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hussein J. Akeiber

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The application of phase change materials (PCMs in green buildings has been increasing rapidly. PCM applications in green buildings include several development models. This paper briefly surveys the recent research and development activities of PCM technology in building applications. Firstly, a basic description of phase change and their principles is provided; the classification and applications of PCMs are also included. Secondly, PCM models in buildings are reviewed and discussed according to the wall, roof, floor, and cooling systems. Finally, conclusions are presented based on the collected data.

  15. Activity measurement and effective dose modelling of natural radionuclides in building material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maringer, F J; Baumgartner, A; Rechberger, F; Seidel, C; Stietka, M

    2013-11-01

    In this paper the assessment of natural radionuclides' activity concentration in building materials, calibration requirements and related indoor exposure dose models is presented. Particular attention is turned to specific improvements in low-level gamma-ray spectrometry to determine the activity concentration of necessary natural radionuclides in building materials with adequate measurement uncertainties. Different approaches for the modelling of the effective dose indoor due to external radiation resulted from natural radionuclides in building material and results of actual building material assessments are shown. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Model building in the free-fermionic formulation of superstrings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreiner, H.K.

    1989-01-01

    In this thesis the author presents results in the free fermionic formulation of string theory in four space-time dimensions as presented by I. Antoniadis and C. Bachas. First he discusses how to build N = 1 space-time supersymmetric models. He also uses the low-energy requirements of N = 1 space-time supersymmetry as well as chiral space-time fermions to show that the spectrum does not contain any massless scalar fields which transform under the adjoint representation of the gauge group. He also discusses the consequences of these results for model building efforts. In Chapter 1 and 2 he introduces the concepts of string theory as well as the notation which he will be using throughout the following chapters. In Chapter 3 he reviews the free fermionic formulation of string theory as presented by [AB] including the rules for model building. He first classifies all the possible single boundary conditions for the free fermionic fields in the theory and then classifies the cases for which two or more distinct boundary conditions are compatible. In Chapter 4 he uses the rules from Chapter 3 to construct several toy models, which show what possible gauge groups can arise in the theory and how they can be constructed. In Chapter 5 he uses the classification of the boundary conditions for the fermionic fields to classify all the models with N = 4 spacetime supersymmetry. He then discusses the different possibilities to obtain models with N = 2, 1, and 0 spacetime supersymmetry. He shows that the requirement of N = 1 spacetime supersymmetry severely restricts the allowed constructions of the world-sheet supercharge. In Chapter 6 he proves, using the requirement of N = 1 space-time supersymmetry, that the spectrum does not contain any massless scalar fields transforming as the adjoint representation of the gauge group

  17. Collaborative data analytics for smart buildings: opportunities and models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lazarova-Molnar, Sanja; Mohamed, Nader

    2018-01-01

    of collaborative data analytics for smart buildings, its benefits, as well as presently possible models of carrying it out. Furthermore, we present a framework for collaborative fault detection and diagnosis as a case of collaborative data analytics for smart buildings. We also provide a preliminary analysis...... of the energy efficiency benefit of such collaborative framework for smart buildings. The result shows that significant energy savings can be achieved for smart buildings using collaborative data analytics.......Smart buildings equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and meters are becoming more common. Large quantities of data are being collected by these devices. For a single building to benefit from its own collected data, it will need to wait for a long time to collect sufficient data to build accurate...

  18. Stochastic Modeling of Overtime Occupancy and Its Application in Building Energy Simulation and Calibration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Kaiyu; Yan, Da; Hong, Tianzhen; Guo, Siyue

    2014-02-28

    Overtime is a common phenomenon around the world. Overtime drives both internal heat gains from occupants, lighting and plug-loads, and HVAC operation during overtime periods. Overtime leads to longer occupancy hours and extended operation of building services systems beyond normal working hours, thus overtime impacts total building energy use. Current literature lacks methods to model overtime occupancy because overtime is stochastic in nature and varies by individual occupants and by time. To address this gap in the literature, this study aims to develop a new stochastic model based on the statistical analysis of measured overtime occupancy data from an office building. A binomial distribution is used to represent the total number of occupants working overtime, while an exponential distribution is used to represent the duration of overtime periods. The overtime model is used to generate overtime occupancy schedules as an input to the energy model of a second office building. The measured and simulated cooling energy use during the overtime period is compared in order to validate the overtime model. A hybrid approach to energy model calibration is proposed and tested, which combines ASHRAE Guideline 14 for the calibration of the energy model during normal working hours, and a proposed KS test for the calibration of the energy model during overtime. The developed stochastic overtime model and the hybrid calibration approach can be used in building energy simulations to improve the accuracy of results, and better understand the characteristics of overtime in office buildings.

  19. A meta model-based methodology for an energy savings uncertainty assessment of building retrofitting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caucheteux Antoine

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy retrofitting of building stock presents significant potential for energy savings. In the design stage, energy savings are usually assessed through Building Energy Simulation (BES. The main difficulty is to first assess the energy efficiency of the existing buildings, in other words, to calibrate the model. As calibration is an under determined problem, there is many solutions for building representation in simulation tools. In this paper, a method is proposed to assess not only energy savings but also their uncertainty. Meta models, using experimental designs, are used to identify many acceptable calibrations: sets of parameters that provide the most accurate representation of the building are retained to calculate energy savings. The method was applied on an existing office building modeled with the TRNsys BES. The meta model, using 13 parameters, is built with no more than 105 simulations. The evaluation of the meta model on thousands of new simulations gives a normalized mean bias error between the meta model and BES of <4%. Energy savings are assessed based on six energy savings concepts, which indicate savings of 2–45% with a standard deviation ranging between 1.3% and 2.5%.

  20. Towards a Very Low Energy Building Stock: Modeling the U.S. Commercial Building Sector to Support Policy and Innovation Planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coffey, Brian; Borgeson, Sam; Selkowitz, Stephen; Apte, Josh; Mathew, Paul; Haves, Philip

    2009-07-01

    This paper describes the origin, structure and continuing development of a model of time varying energy consumption in the US commercial building stock. The model is based on a flexible structure that disaggregates the stock into various categories (e.g. by building type, climate, vintage and life-cycle stage) and assigns attributes to each of these (e.g. floor area and energy use intensity by fuel type and end use), based on historical data and user-defined scenarios for future projections. In addition to supporting the interactive exploration of building stock dynamics, the model has been used to study the likely outcomes of specific policy and innovation scenarios targeting very low future energy consumption in the building stock. Model use has highlighted the scale of the challenge of meeting targets stated by various government and professional bodies, and the importance of considering both new construction and existing buildings.

  1. Management Model for efficient quality control in new buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. E. Rodríguez-Jiménez

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The management of the quality control of each building process is usually set up in Spain from different levels of demand. This work tries to obtain a model of reference, to compare the quality control of the building process of a specific product (building, and to be able to evaluate its warranty level. In the quest of this purpose, we take credit of specialized sources and 153 real cases of Quality Control were carefully revised using a multi-judgment method. Applying different techniques to get a specific valuation (impartial of the input parameters through Delphi’s method (17 experts query, whose matrix treatment with the Fuzzy-QFD tool condenses numerical references through a weighted distribution of the selected functions and their corresponding conditioning factors. The model thus obtained (M153 is useful in order to have a quality control reference to meet the expectations of the quality.

  2. Automated side-chain model building and sequence assignment by template matching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.

    2002-01-01

    A method for automated macromolecular side-chain model building and for aligning the sequence to the map is described. An algorithm is described for automated building of side chains in an electron-density map once a main-chain model is built and for alignment of the protein sequence to the map. The procedure is based on a comparison of electron density at the expected side-chain positions with electron-density templates. The templates are constructed from average amino-acid side-chain densities in 574 refined protein structures. For each contiguous segment of main chain, a matrix with entries corresponding to an estimate of the probability that each of the 20 amino acids is located at each position of the main-chain model is obtained. The probability that this segment corresponds to each possible alignment with the sequence of the protein is estimated using a Bayesian approach and high-confidence matches are kept. Once side-chain identities are determined, the most probable rotamer for each side chain is built into the model. The automated procedure has been implemented in the RESOLVE software. Combined with automated main-chain model building, the procedure produces a preliminary model suitable for refinement and extension by an experienced crystallographer

  3. Building and testing models with extended Higgs sectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanov, Igor P.

    2017-07-01

    Models with non-minimal Higgs sectors represent a mainstream direction in theoretical exploration of physics opportunities beyond the Standard Model. Extended scalar sectors help alleviate difficulties of the Standard Model and lead to a rich spectrum of characteristic collider signatures and astroparticle consequences. In this review, we introduce the reader to the world of extended Higgs sectors. Not pretending to exhaustively cover the entire body of literature, we walk through a selection of the most popular examples: the two- and multi-Higgs-doublet models, as well as singlet and triplet extensions. We will show how one typically builds models with extended Higgs sectors, describe the main goals and the challenges which arise on the way, and mention some methods to overcome them. We will also describe how such models can be tested, what are the key observables one focuses on, and illustrate the general strategy with a subjective selection of results.

  4. A Study on Development of a Cost Optimal and Energy Saving Building Model: Focused on Industrial Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hye Yeon Kim

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This study suggests an optimization method for the life cycle cost (LCC in an economic feasibility analysis when applying energy saving techniques in the early design stage of a building. Literature and previous studies were reviewed to select appropriate optimization and LCC analysis techniques. The energy simulation (Energy Plus and computational program (MATLAB were linked to provide an automated optimization process. From the results, it is suggested that this process could outline the cost optimization model with which it is possible to minimize the LCC. To aid in understanding the model, a case study on an industrial building was performed to outline the operations of the cost optimization model including energy savings. An energy optimization model was also presented to illustrate the need for the cost optimization model.

  5. High-Resolution Remote Sensing Image Building Extraction Based on Markov Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, W.; Yan, L.; Chang, Y.; Gong, L.

    2018-04-01

    With the increase of resolution, remote sensing images have the characteristics of increased information load, increased noise, more complex feature geometry and texture information, which makes the extraction of building information more difficult. To solve this problem, this paper designs a high resolution remote sensing image building extraction method based on Markov model. This method introduces Contourlet domain map clustering and Markov model, captures and enhances the contour and texture information of high-resolution remote sensing image features in multiple directions, and further designs the spectral feature index that can characterize "pseudo-buildings" in the building area. Through the multi-scale segmentation and extraction of image features, the fine extraction from the building area to the building is realized. Experiments show that this method can restrain the noise of high-resolution remote sensing images, reduce the interference of non-target ground texture information, and remove the shadow, vegetation and other pseudo-building information, compared with the traditional pixel-level image information extraction, better performance in building extraction precision, accuracy and completeness.

  6. BUILDING DETECTION USING AERIAL IMAGES AND DIGITAL SURFACE MODELS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a method for building detection in aerial images based on variational inference of logistic regression is proposed. It consists of three steps. In order to characterize the appearances of buildings in aerial images, an effective bag-of-Words (BoW method is applied for feature extraction in the first step. In the second step, a classifier of logistic regression is learned using these local features. The logistic regression can be trained using different methods. In this paper we adopt a fully Bayesian treatment for learning the classifier, which has a number of obvious advantages over other learning methods. Due to the presence of hyper prior in the probabilistic model of logistic regression, approximate inference methods have to be applied for prediction. In order to speed up the inference, a variational inference method based on mean field instead of stochastic approximation such as Markov Chain Monte Carlo is applied. After the prediction, a probabilistic map is obtained. In the third step, a fully connected conditional random field model is formulated and the probabilistic map is used as the data term in the model. A mean field inference is utilized in order to obtain a binary building mask. A benchmark data set consisting of aerial images and digital surfaced model (DSM released by ISPRS for 2D semantic labeling is used for performance evaluation. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  7. Building Models and Building Modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Kaj; Skauge, Jørn

    2008-01-01

    I rapportens indledende kapitel beskrives de primære begreber vedrørende bygningsmodeller og nogle fundamentale forhold vedrørende computerbaseret modulering bliver opstillet. Desuden bliver forskellen mellem tegneprogrammer og bygnings­model­lerings­programmer beskrevet. Vigtige aspekter om comp...

  8. Modelling diversity in building occupant behaviour: a novel statistical approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haldi, Frédéric; Calì, Davide; Andersen, Rune Korsholm

    2016-01-01

    We propose an advanced modelling framework to predict the scope and effects of behavioural diversity regarding building occupant actions on window openings, shading devices and lighting. We develop a statistical approach based on generalised linear mixed models to account for the longitudinal nat...

  9. Systematic model building with flavor symmetries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plentinger, Florian

    2009-12-19

    The observation of neutrino masses and lepton mixing has highlighted the incompleteness of the Standard Model of particle physics. In conjunction with this discovery, new questions arise: why are the neutrino masses so small, which form has their mass hierarchy, why is the mixing in the quark and lepton sectors so different or what is the structure of the Higgs sector. In order to address these issues and to predict future experimental results, different approaches are considered. One particularly interesting possibility, are Grand Unified Theories such as SU(5) or SO(10). GUTs are vertical symmetries since they unify the SM particles into multiplets and usually predict new particles which can naturally explain the smallness of the neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism. On the other hand, also horizontal symmetries, i.e., flavor symmetries, acting on the generation space of the SM particles, are promising. They can serve as an explanation for the quark and lepton mass hierarchies as well as for the different mixings in the quark and lepton sectors. In addition, flavor symmetries are significantly involved in the Higgs sector and predict certain forms of mass matrices. This high predictivity makes GUTs and flavor symmetries interesting for both, theorists and experimentalists. These extensions of the SM can be also combined with theories such as supersymmetry or extra dimensions. In addition, they usually have implications on the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe or can provide a dark matter candidate. In general, they also predict the lepton flavor violating rare decays {mu} {yields} e{gamma}, {tau} {yields} {mu}{gamma}, and {tau} {yields} e{gamma} which are strongly bounded by experiments but might be observed in the future. In this thesis, we combine all of these approaches, i.e., GUTs, the seesaw mechanism and flavor symmetries. Moreover, our request is to develop and perform a systematic model building approach with flavor symmetries and

  10. Systematic model building with flavor symmetries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plentinger, Florian

    2009-01-01

    The observation of neutrino masses and lepton mixing has highlighted the incompleteness of the Standard Model of particle physics. In conjunction with this discovery, new questions arise: why are the neutrino masses so small, which form has their mass hierarchy, why is the mixing in the quark and lepton sectors so different or what is the structure of the Higgs sector. In order to address these issues and to predict future experimental results, different approaches are considered. One particularly interesting possibility, are Grand Unified Theories such as SU(5) or SO(10). GUTs are vertical symmetries since they unify the SM particles into multiplets and usually predict new particles which can naturally explain the smallness of the neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism. On the other hand, also horizontal symmetries, i.e., flavor symmetries, acting on the generation space of the SM particles, are promising. They can serve as an explanation for the quark and lepton mass hierarchies as well as for the different mixings in the quark and lepton sectors. In addition, flavor symmetries are significantly involved in the Higgs sector and predict certain forms of mass matrices. This high predictivity makes GUTs and flavor symmetries interesting for both, theorists and experimentalists. These extensions of the SM can be also combined with theories such as supersymmetry or extra dimensions. In addition, they usually have implications on the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe or can provide a dark matter candidate. In general, they also predict the lepton flavor violating rare decays μ → eγ, τ → μγ, and τ → eγ which are strongly bounded by experiments but might be observed in the future. In this thesis, we combine all of these approaches, i.e., GUTs, the seesaw mechanism and flavor symmetries. Moreover, our request is to develop and perform a systematic model building approach with flavor symmetries and to search for phenomenological

  11. FINDING CUBOID-BASED BUILDING MODELS IN POINT CLOUDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Nguatem

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we present an automatic approach for the derivation of 3D building models of level-of-detail 1 (LOD 1 from point clouds obtained from (dense image matching or, for comparison only, from LIDAR. Our approach makes use of the predominance of vertical structures and orthogonal intersections in architectural scenes. After robustly determining the scene's vertical direction based on the 3D points we use it as constraint for a RANSAC-based search for vertical planes in the point cloud. The planes are further analyzed to segment reliable outlines for rectangular surface within these planes, which are connected to construct cuboid-based building models. We demonstrate that our approach is robust and effective over a range of real-world input data sets with varying point density, amount of noise, and outliers.

  12. Fine modeling of energy exchanges between buildings and urban atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daviau-Pellegrin, Noelie

    2016-01-01

    This thesis work is about the effect of buildings on the urban atmosphere and more precisely the energetic exchanges that take place between these two systems. In order to model more finely the thermal effects of buildings on the atmospheric flows in simulations run under the CFD software Code-Saturne, we proceed to couple this tool with the building model BuildSysPro. This library is run under Dymola and can generate matrices describing the building thermal properties that can be used outside this software. In order to carry out the coupling, we use these matrices in a code that allows the building thermal calculations and the CFD to exchange their results. After a review about the physical phenomena and the existing models, we explain the interactions between the atmosphere and the urban elements, especially buildings. The latter can impact the air flows dynamically, as they act as obstacles, and thermally, through their surface temperatures. At first, we analyse the data obtained from the measurement campaign EM2PAU that we use in order to validate the coupled model. EM2PAU was carried out in Nantes in 2011 and represents a canyon street with two rows of four containers. Its distinctive feature lies in the simultaneous measurements of the air and wall temperatures as well as the wind speeds with anemometers located on a 10 m-high mast for the reference wind and on six locations in the canyon. This aims for studying the thermal influence of buildings on the air flows. Then the numerical simulations of the air flows in EM2PAU is carried out with different methods that allow us to calculate or impose the surface temperature we use for each of the container walls. The first method consists in imposing their temperatures from the measurements. For each wall, we set the temperature to the surface temperature that was measured during the EM2PAU campaign. The second method involves imposing the outdoor air temperature that was measured at a given time to all the

  13. A Graph-Based Approach for 3D Building Model Reconstruction from Airborne LiDAR Point Clouds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Wu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available 3D building model reconstruction is of great importance for environmental and urban applications. Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR is a very useful data source for acquiring detailed geometric and topological information of building objects. In this study, we employed a graph-based method based on hierarchical structure analysis of building contours derived from LiDAR data to reconstruct urban building models. The proposed approach first uses a graph theory-based localized contour tree method to represent the topological structure of buildings, then separates the buildings into different parts by analyzing their topological relationships, and finally reconstructs the building model by integrating all the individual models established through the bipartite graph matching process. Our approach provides a more complete topological and geometrical description of building contours than existing approaches. We evaluated the proposed method by applying it to the Lujiazui region in Shanghai, China, a complex and large urban scene with various types of buildings. The results revealed that complex buildings could be reconstructed successfully with a mean modeling error of 0.32 m. Our proposed method offers a promising solution for 3D building model reconstruction from airborne LiDAR point clouds.

  14. Toward Accessing Spatial Structure from Building Information Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, C.; Bhatt, M.

    2011-08-01

    Data about building designs and layouts is becoming increasingly more readily available. In the near future, service personal (such as maintenance staff or emergency rescue workers) arriving at a building site will have immediate real-time access to enormous amounts of data relating to structural properties, utilities, materials, temperature, and so on. The critical problem for users is the taxing and error prone task of interpreting such a large body of facts in order to extract salient information. This is necessary for comprehending a situation and deciding on a plan of action, and is a particularly serious issue in time-critical and safety-critical activities such as firefighting. Current unifying building models such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), while being comprehensive, do not directly provide data structures that focus on spatial reasoning and spatial modalities that are required for high-level analytical tasks. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to provide computational tools for higher level querying and reasoning that shift the cognitive burden of dealing with enormous amounts of data away from the user. The user can then spend more energy and time in planning and decision making in order to accomplish the tasks at hand. We present an overview of our framework that provides users with an enhanced model of "built-up space". In order to test our approach using realistic design data (in terms of both scale and the nature of the building models) we describe how our system interfaces with IFC, and we conduct timing experiments to determine the practicality of our approach. We discuss general computational approaches for deriving higher-level spatial modalities by focusing on the example of route graphs. Finally, we present a firefighting scenario with alternative route graphs to motivate the application of our framework.

  15. Modeling volatile organic compounds sorption on dry building materials using double-exponential model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, Baoqing; Ge, Di; Li, Jiajia; Guo, Yuan; Kim, Chang Nyung

    2013-01-01

    A double-exponential surface sink model for VOCs sorption on building materials is presented. Here, the diffusion of VOCs in the material is neglected and the material is viewed as a surface sink. The VOCs concentration in the air adjacent to the material surface is introduced and assumed to always maintain equilibrium with the material-phase concentration. It is assumed that the sorption can be described by mass transfer between the room air and the air adjacent to the material surface. The mass transfer coefficient is evaluated from the empirical correlation, and the equilibrium constant can be obtained by linear fitting to the experimental data. The present model is validated through experiments in small and large test chambers. The predicted results accord well with the experimental data in both the adsorption stage and desorption stage. The model avoids the ambiguity of model constants found in other surface sink models and is easy to scale up

  16. Model tests and numerical analysis on restoring force characteristics of reactor buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchiyama, Y.; Suzuki, S.; Akino, K.

    1987-01-01

    Seismic shear walls of nuclear reactor buildings are composed of cylindrical, truncated cone-shape, box-shape, irregular polygonal walls or its combination and they are generally heavily reinforced concrete (RC) walls. So the elasto-plastic behaviors of those RC structures in ultimate regions have many unsolved and may be considered as especially important factors for explaining nonlinear response of nuclear reactor buildings. Following these research demands, the authors have prepared a nonlinear F.E.M. code called ''SANREF'' and made an extensive study for the restoring force characteristics of the inner concrete structures (I/C) of a PWR-type containment vessel and the principal seismic shear walls of a BWR-type reactor building by some series of reduced model tests and simulation analysis for the tests results. The detailed objectives of this study can be summarized as follows: (1) Examine the effectiveness of the configurations of shear walls, reinforcement ratios, shear span ratios (M/Qd) and vertical axial stress by ''partial model test'' which simulates some independent shear walls of the PWR-type and BWR-type reactor buildings. (2) Obtain fundamental data of restoring force characteristics of the complex shaped RC structures by ''composite model test'' which models are composed of the partial model test specimens. (3) Verify the applicability of analytical methods and constitutive modelings in SANREF code for complex shaped RC structures through nonlinear simulation analysis for the composite model test

  17. Building Component Library: An Online Repository to Facilitate Building Energy Model Creation; Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fleming, K.; Long, N.; Swindler, A.

    2012-05-01

    This paper describes the Building Component Library (BCL), the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) online repository of building components that can be directly used to create energy models. This comprehensive, searchable library consists of components and measures as well as the metadata which describes them. The library is also designed to allow contributors to easily add new components, providing a continuously growing, standardized list of components for users to draw upon.

  18. Links Related to the Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

  19. Integration of Models of Building Interiors with Cadastral Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gotlib Dariusz

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Demands for applications which use models of building interiors is growing and highly diversified. Those models are applied at the stage of designing and construction of a building, in applications which support real estate management, in navigation and marketing systems and, finally, in crisis management and security systems. They are created on the basis of different data: architectural and construction plans, both, in the analogue form, as well as CAD files, BIM data files, by means of laser scanning (TLS and conventional surveys. In this context the issue of searching solutions which would integrate the existing models and lead to elimination of data redundancy is becoming more important. The authors analysed the possible input- of cadastral data (legal extent of premises at the stage of the creation and updating different models of building’s interiors. The paper focuses on one issue - the way of describing the geometry of premises basing on the most popular source data, i.e. architectural and construction plans. However, the described rules may be considered as universal and also may be applied in practice concerned may be used during the process of creation and updating indoor models based on BIM dataset or laser scanning clouds

  20. Extension of the PMV model to non-air-conditioned building in warm climates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fanger, Povl Ole; Toftum, Jørn

    2002-01-01

    The PMV model agrees well with high-quality field studies in buildings with HVAC systems, situated in cold, temperate and warm climates, studied during both summer and winter. In non-air-conditioned buildings in warm climates, occupants may sense the warmth as being less severe than the PMV...... predicts. The main reason is low expectations, but a metabolic rate that is estimated too high can also contribute to explaining the difference. An extension of the PMV model that includes an expectancy factor is introduced for use in non-air-conditioned buildings in warm climates. The extended PMV model...... agrees well with quality field studies in non-air-conditioned buildings of three continents....

  1. Large-scale building energy efficiency retrofit: Concept, model and control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Zhou; Wang, Bo; Xia, Xiaohua

    2016-01-01

    BEER (Building energy efficiency retrofit) projects are initiated in many nations and regions over the world. Existing studies of BEER focus on modeling and planning based on one building and one year period of retrofitting, which cannot be applied to certain large BEER projects with multiple buildings and multi-year retrofit. In this paper, the large-scale BEER problem is defined in a general TBT (time-building-technology) framework, which fits essential requirements of real-world projects. The large-scale BEER is newly studied in the control approach rather than the optimization approach commonly used before. Optimal control is proposed to design optimal retrofitting strategy in terms of maximal energy savings and maximal NPV (net present value). The designed strategy is dynamically changing on dimensions of time, building and technology. The TBT framework and the optimal control approach are verified in a large BEER project, and results indicate that promising performance of energy and cost savings can be achieved in the general TBT framework. - Highlights: • Energy efficiency retrofit of many buildings is studied. • A TBT (time-building-technology) framework is proposed. • The control system of the large-scale BEER is modeled. • The optimal retrofitting strategy is obtained.

  2. Protocol to Manage Heritage-Building Interventions Using Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel Jordan-Palomar

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The workflow in historic architecture projects presents problems related to the lack of clarity of processes, dispersion of information and the use of outdated tools. Different heritage organisations have showed interest in innovative methods to resolve those problems and improve cultural tourism for sustainable economic development. Building Information Modelling (BIM has emerged as a suitable computerised system for improving heritage management. Its application to historic buildings is named Historic BIM (HBIM. HBIM literature highlights the need for further research in terms of the overall processes of heritage projects, its practical implementation and a need for better cultural documentation. This work uses Design Science Research to develop a protocol to improve the workflow in heritage interdisciplinary projects. Research techniques used include documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. HBIM is proposed as a virtual model that will hold heritage data and will articulate processes. As a result, a simple and visual HBIM protocol was developed and applied in a real case study. The protocol was named BIMlegacy and it is divided into eight phases: building registration, determine intervention options, develop design for intervention, planning the physical intervention, physical intervention, handover, maintenance and culture dissemination. It contemplates all the stakeholders involved.

  3. Change detection on LOD 2 building models with very high resolution spaceborne stereo imagery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Rongjun

    2014-10-01

    Due to the fast development of the urban environment, the need for efficient maintenance and updating of 3D building models is ever increasing. Change detection is an essential step to spot the changed area for data (map/3D models) updating and urban monitoring. Traditional methods based on 2D images are no longer suitable for change detection in building scale, owing to the increased spectral variability of the building roofs and larger perspective distortion of the very high resolution (VHR) imagery. Change detection in 3D is increasingly being investigated using airborne laser scanning data or matched Digital Surface Models (DSM), but rare study has been conducted regarding to change detection on 3D city models with VHR images, which is more informative but meanwhile more complicated. This is due to the fact that the 3D models are abstracted geometric representation of the urban reality, while the VHR images record everything. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to detect changes directly on LOD (Level of Detail) 2 building models with VHR spaceborne stereo images from a different date, with particular focus on addressing the special characteristics of the 3D models. In the first step, the 3D building models are projected onto a raster grid, encoded with building object, terrain object, and planar faces. The DSM is extracted from the stereo imagery by hierarchical semi-global matching (SGM). In the second step, a multi-channel change indicator is extracted between the 3D models and stereo images, considering the inherent geometric consistency (IGC), height difference, and texture similarity for each planar face. Each channel of the indicator is then clustered with the Self-organizing Map (SOM), with "change", "non-change" and "uncertain change" status labeled through a voting strategy. The "uncertain changes" are then determined with a Markov Random Field (MRF) analysis considering the geometric relationship between faces. In the third step, buildings are

  4. Multiscale modelling for better hygrothermal prediction of porous building materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belarbi Rafik

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to understand the influence of the microstructuralgeometric parameters of porous building materials on the mechanisms of coupled heat, air and moisture transfers, in order to predict behavior of the building to control and improve it in its durability. For this a multi-scale approach is implemented. It consists of mastering the dominant physical phenomena and their interactions on the microscopic scale. Followed by a dual-scale modelling, microscopic-macroscopic, of coupled heat, air and moisture transfers that takes into account the intrinsic properties and microstructural topology of the material using X-ray tomography combined with the correlation of 3D images were undertaken. In fact, the hygromorphicbehavior under hydric solicitations was considered. In this context, a model of coupled heat, air and moisture transfer in porous building materials was developed using the periodic homogenization technique. These informations were subsequently implemented in a dynamic computation simulation that model the hygrothermalbehaviourof material at the scale of the envelopes and indoor air quality of building. Results reveals that is essential to consider the local behaviors of materials, but also to be able to measure and quantify the evolution of its properties on a macroscopic scale from the youngest age of the material. In addition, comparisons between experimental and numerical temperature and relative humidity profilesin multilayers wall and in building envelopes were undertaken. Good agreements were observed.

  5. Enhancements to AERMOD's building downwash algorithms based on wind-tunnel and Embedded-LES modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monbureau, E. M.; Heist, D. K.; Perry, S. G.; Brouwer, L. H.; Foroutan, H.; Tang, W.

    2018-04-01

    Knowing the fate of effluent from an industrial stack is important for assessing its impact on human health. AERMOD is one of several Gaussian plume models containing algorithms to evaluate the effect of buildings on the movement of the effluent from a stack. The goal of this study is to improve AERMOD's ability to accurately model important and complex building downwash scenarios by incorporating knowledge gained from a recently completed series of wind tunnel studies and complementary large eddy simulations of flow and dispersion around simple structures for a variety of building dimensions, stack locations, stack heights, and wind angles. This study presents three modifications to the building downwash algorithm in AERMOD that improve the physical basis and internal consistency of the model, and one modification to AERMOD's building pre-processor to better represent elongated buildings in oblique winds. These modifications are demonstrated to improve the ability of AERMOD to model observed ground-level concentrations in the vicinity of a building for the variety of conditions examined in the wind tunnel and numerical studies.

  6. CAD CONSTRUCTION METHOD OF 3D BUILDING MODELS FOR GIS ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Boguslawski

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Buildings are often modelled as two-dimensional (2D footprints which are extruded to simple cubes. Buildings are also represented as more complex objects with roofs, facades, etc. – in this case they are polyhedra, sometimes of a complex shape. These allow for visualisation and analysis of a wide area like a city, but micro-scale analysis of interiors is not possible. An example can be rescue operation simulation where information about the internal structure of a building and the external terrain is crucial to improve the response time. It demands a three-dimensional (3D model where each room is represented as a separate element; there are also doors, windows, walls and other objects that have to be included. Even complex geometrical models can be easily constructed using Computer-Aided Design (CAD systems. However, lack of semantic information and topological relations makes such models poor choices for GIS analysis. With the new dual half-edge (DHE data structure and a set of Euler operators a 3D model can be built as in CAD systems, and represented as a cell complex. Construction of non-manifold objects is also possible. An advantage of the DHE is simplicity – only edges and nodes are used. Because of the 3D duality implemented in the structure volumes (cells and faces are also present in the model. The geometry of a model is constructed explicitly by using Euler operators: connections between elements are created automatically, and semantic information is represented with attributes which can be assigned to any element of the model.

  7. Building on Tinto's model of engagement and persistence ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Building on Tinto's model of engagement and persistence: Experiences from the Umthombo Youth Development Foundation Scholarship Scheme. A Ross. Abstract. Background. Major inequalities in staffing levels at rural and urban hospitals contribute to poorer health outcomes in rural areas. Local and international ...

  8. Reconstructing building mass models from UAV images

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Minglei

    2015-07-26

    We present an automatic reconstruction pipeline for large scale urban scenes from aerial images captured by a camera mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Using state-of-the-art Structure from Motion and Multi-View Stereo algorithms, we first generate a dense point cloud from the aerial images. Based on the statistical analysis of the footprint grid of the buildings, the point cloud is classified into different categories (i.e., buildings, ground, trees, and others). Roof structures are extracted for each individual building using Markov random field optimization. Then, a contour refinement algorithm based on pivot point detection is utilized to refine the contour of patches. Finally, polygonal mesh models are extracted from the refined contours. Experiments on various scenes as well as comparisons with state-of-the-art reconstruction methods demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.

  9. Building generic anatomical models using virtual model cutting and iterative registration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hallgrímsson Benedikt

    2010-02-01

    retrieve a sub-region from it at their ease. Java-based implementation allows our method to be used on various visualization systems including personal computers, workstations, computers equipped with stereo displays, and even virtual reality rooms such as the CAVE Automated Virtual Environment. The technique allows biologists to build generic 3D models of their interest quickly and accurately.

  10. Integrated model for characterization of spatiotemporal building energy consumption patterns in neighborhoods and city districts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fonseca, Jimeno A.; Schlueter, Arno

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A model to describe spatiotemporal building energy demand patterns was developed. • The model integrates existing methods in urban and energy planning domains. • The model is useful to analyze energy efficiency strategies in neighborhoods. • Applicability in educational, urban and energy planning practices was found. - Abstract: We introduce an integrated model for characterization of spatiotemporal building energy consumption patterns in neighborhoods and city districts. The model addresses the need for a comprehensive method to identify present and potential states of building energy consumption in the context of urban transformation. The focus lies on determining the spatiotemporal variability of energy services in both standing and future buildings in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. This detailed characterization facilitates the assessment of potential energy efficiency measures at the neighborhood and city district scales. In a novel approach we integrated existing methods in urban and energy planning domains such as spatial analysis, dynamic building energy modeling and energy mapping to provide a comprehensive, multi-scale and multi-dimensional model of analysis. The model is part of a geographic information system (GIS), which serves as a platform for the allocation and future dissemination of spatiotemporal data. The model is validated against measured data and a peer model for a city district in Switzerland. In this context, we present practical applications in the analysis of energy efficiency measures in buildings and urban zoning. We furthermore discuss potential applications in educational, urban and energy planning practices

  11. A Non-linear Stochastic Model for an Office Building with Air Infiltration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thavlov, Anders; Madsen, Henrik

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a non-linear heat dynamic model for a multi-room office building with air infiltration. Several linear and non-linear models, with and without air infiltration, are investigated and compared. The models are formulated using stochastic differential equations and the model...

  12. Reviewing the Role of Stakeholders in Operational Research: Opportunities for Group Model Building

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gooyert, V. de; Rouwette, E.A.J.A.; Kranenburg, H.L. van

    2013-01-01

    Stakeholders have always received much attention in system dynamics, especially in the group model building tradition, which emphasizes the deep involvement of a client group in building a system dynamics model. In organizations, stakeholders are gaining more and more attention by managers who try

  13. The Use of Modelling for Theory Building in Qualitative Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briggs, Ann R. J.

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to exemplify and enhance the place of modelling as a qualitative process in educational research. Modelling is widely used in quantitative research as a tool for analysis, theory building and prediction. Statistical data lend themselves to graphical representation of values, interrelationships and operational…

  14. Integrating Building Information Modeling and Augmented Reality to Improve Investigation of Historical Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Chionna

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes an experimental system to support investigation of historical buildings using Building Information Modeling (BIM and Augmented Reality (AR. The system requires the use of an off-line software to build the BIM representation and defines a method to integrate diagnostic data into BIM. The system offers access to such information during site investigation using AR glasses supported by marker and marker-less technologies. The main innovation is the possibility to contextualize through AR not only existing BIM properties but also results from non-invasive tools. User evaluations show how the use of the system may enhance the perception of engineers during the investigation process.

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  16. Automated main-chain model building by template matching and iterative fragment extension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C.

    2003-01-01

    A method for automated macromolecular main-chain model building is described. An algorithm for the automated macromolecular model building of polypeptide backbones is described. The procedure is hierarchical. In the initial stages, many overlapping polypeptide fragments are built. In subsequent stages, the fragments are extended and then connected. Identification of the locations of helical and β-strand regions is carried out by FFT-based template matching. Fragment libraries of helices and β-strands from refined protein structures are then positioned at the potential locations of helices and strands and the longest segments that fit the electron-density map are chosen. The helices and strands are then extended using fragment libraries consisting of sequences three amino acids long derived from refined protein structures. The resulting segments of polypeptide chain are then connected by choosing those which overlap at two or more C α positions. The fully automated procedure has been implemented in RESOLVE and is capable of model building at resolutions as low as 3.5 Å. The algorithm is useful for building a preliminary main-chain model that can serve as a basis for refinement and side-chain addition

  17. An integrated environmental and health performance quantification model for pre-occupancy phase of buildings in China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Xiaodong, E-mail: eastdawn@tsinghua.edu.cn; Su, Shu, E-mail: sushuqh@163.com; Zhang, Zhihui, E-mail: zhzhg@tsinghua.edu.cn; Kong, Xiangqin, E-mail: kxlwq@126.com

    2017-03-15

    To comprehensively pre-evaluate the damages to both the environment and human health due to construction activities in China, this paper presents an integrated building environmental and health performance (EHP) assessment model based on the Building Environmental Performance Analysis System (BEPAS) and the Building Health Impact Analysis System (BHIAS) models and offers a new inventory data estimation method. The new model follows the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework and the inventory analysis step involves bill of quantity (BOQ) data collection, consumption data formation, and environmental profile transformation. The consumption data are derived from engineering drawings and quotas to conduct the assessment before construction for pre-evaluation. The new model classifies building impacts into three safeguard areas: ecosystems, natural resources and human health. Thus, this model considers environmental impacts as well as damage to human wellbeing. The monetization approach, distance-to-target method and panel method are considered as optional weighting approaches. Finally, nine residential buildings of different structural types are taken as case studies to test the operability of the integrated model through application. The results indicate that the new model can effectively pre-evaluate building EHP and the structure type significantly affects the performance of residential buildings.

  18. An integrated environmental and health performance quantification model for pre-occupancy phase of buildings in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaodong; Su, Shu; Zhang, Zhihui; Kong, Xiangqin

    2017-01-01

    To comprehensively pre-evaluate the damages to both the environment and human health due to construction activities in China, this paper presents an integrated building environmental and health performance (EHP) assessment model based on the Building Environmental Performance Analysis System (BEPAS) and the Building Health Impact Analysis System (BHIAS) models and offers a new inventory data estimation method. The new model follows the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework and the inventory analysis step involves bill of quantity (BOQ) data collection, consumption data formation, and environmental profile transformation. The consumption data are derived from engineering drawings and quotas to conduct the assessment before construction for pre-evaluation. The new model classifies building impacts into three safeguard areas: ecosystems, natural resources and human health. Thus, this model considers environmental impacts as well as damage to human wellbeing. The monetization approach, distance-to-target method and panel method are considered as optional weighting approaches. Finally, nine residential buildings of different structural types are taken as case studies to test the operability of the integrated model through application. The results indicate that the new model can effectively pre-evaluate building EHP and the structure type significantly affects the performance of residential buildings.

  19. Building groundwater modeling capacity in Mongolia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valder, Joshua F.; Carter, Janet M.; Anderson, Mark T.; Davis, Kyle W.; Haynes, Michelle A.; Dorjsuren Dechinlhundev,

    2016-06-16

    Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia (fig. 1), is dependent on groundwater for its municipal and industrial water supply. The population of Mongolia is about 3 million people, with about one-half the population residing in or near Ulaanbaatar (World Population Review, 2016). Groundwater is drawn from a network of shallow wells in an alluvial aquifer along the Tuul River. Evidence indicates that current water use may not be sustainable from existing water sources, especially when factoring the projected water demand from a rapidly growing urban population (Ministry of Environment and Green Development, 2013). In response, the Government of Mongolia Ministry of Environment, Green Development, and Tourism (MEGDT) and the Freshwater Institute, Mongolia, requested technical assistance on groundwater modeling through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Scientists from the USGS and USACE provided two workshops in 2015 to Mongolian hydrology experts on basic principles of groundwater modeling using the USGS groundwater modeling program MODFLOW-2005 (Harbaugh, 2005). The purpose of the workshops was to bring together representatives from the Government of Mongolia, local universities, technical experts, and other key stakeholders to build in-country capacity in hydrogeology and groundwater modeling.A preliminary steady-state groundwater-flow model was developed as part of the workshops to demonstrate groundwater modeling techniques to simulate groundwater conditions in alluvial deposits along the Tuul River in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar. ModelMuse (Winston, 2009) was used as the graphical user interface for MODFLOW for training purposes during the workshops. Basic and advanced groundwater modeling concepts included in the workshops were groundwater principles; estimating hydraulic properties; developing model grids, data sets, and MODFLOW input files; and viewing and evaluating MODFLOW output files. A key to success was

  20. Comparison of sensorless dimming control based on building modeling and solar power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Naeun; Kim, Jonghun; Jang, Cheolyong; Sung, Yoondong; Jeong, Hakgeun

    2015-01-01

    Artificial lighting in office buildings accounts for about 30% of the total building energy consumption. Lighting energy is important to reduce building energy consumption since artificial lighting typically has a relatively large energy conversion factor. Therefore, previous studies have proposed a dimming control using daylight. When applied dimming control, method based on building modeling does not need illuminance sensors. Thus, it can be applied to existing buildings that do not have illuminance sensors. However, this method does not accurately reflect real-time weather conditions. On the other hand, solar power generation from a PV (photovoltaic) panel reflects real-time weather conditions. The PV panel as the sensor improves the accuracy of dimming control by reflecting disturbance. Therefore, we compared and analyzed two types of sensorless dimming controls: those based on the building modeling and those that based on solar power generation using PV panels. In terms of energy savings, we found that a dimming control based on building modeling is more effective than that based on solar power generation by about 6%. However, dimming control based on solar power generation minimizes the inconvenience to occupants and can also react to changes in solar radiation entering the building caused by dirty window. - Highlights: • We conducted sensorless dimming control based on solar power generation. • Dimming controls using building modeling and solar power generation were compared. • The real time weather conditions can be considered by using solar power generation. • Dimming control using solar power generation minimizes inconvenience to occupants

  1. Evaluation of the Effective Moisture Penetration Depth Model for Estimating Moisture Buffering in Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woods, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Winkler, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Christensen, D. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model, and its suitability for building simulations. The EMPD model is a compromise between the simple, inaccurate effective capacitance approach and the complex, yet accurate, finite-difference approach. Two formulations of the EMPD model were examined, including the model used in the EnergyPlus building simulation software. An error in the EMPD model we uncovered was fixed with the release of EnergyPlus version 7.2, and the EMPD model in earlier versions of EnergyPlus should not be used.

  2. Integrated Urban System and Energy Consumption Model: Public and Singular Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rocco Papa

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The present paper illustrates the results of the first steps of a study on one aspect investigated as the preliminary step of the definition of the analysis - comprehension model of the relation between: city, buildings, and user behavior, for the reduction of energy consumption within the research project “Smart Energy Master” for the energetic governance of the territory (PON_MIUR n. pos. 04a2_00120 CUP Ricerca: E61H12000130005, at the Department of Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering - University of Naples Federico II, principal investigator prof. Carmela Gargiulo.Specifically the literary review aimed at determining if, and in what measure, the presence of public and singular buildings is present in the energy consumption estimate models,  proposed by the scientific community, for the city or neighborhood scale.The difficulties in defining the weight of these singular buildings on the total energy consumption and the impossibility to define mean values that are significant for all subsets and different types as well as for each one, have forced model makers to either ignore them completely or chose a portion of this specific stock to include.

  3. Automated structure solution, density modification and model building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C

    2002-11-01

    The approaches that form the basis of automated structure solution in SOLVE and RESOLVE are described. The use of a scoring scheme to convert decision making in macromolecular structure solution to an optimization problem has proven very useful and in many cases a single clear heavy-atom solution can be obtained and used for phasing. Statistical density modification is well suited to an automated approach to structure solution because the method is relatively insensitive to choices of numbers of cycles and solvent content. The detection of non-crystallographic symmetry (NCS) in heavy-atom sites and checking of potential NCS operations against the electron-density map has proven to be a reliable method for identification of NCS in most cases. Automated model building beginning with an FFT-based search for helices and sheets has been successful in automated model building for maps with resolutions as low as 3 A. The entire process can be carried out in a fully automatic fashion in many cases.

  4. Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Indoor Environmental Performance Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    The report is a part of a research assignment carried out by students in the 5ETCS course “Project Byggeri – [entitled as: Building Information Modeling (BIM) – Modeling & Analysis]”, during the 3rd semester of master degree in Civil and Architectural Engineering, Department of Engineering, Aarhus...... University. This includes seven papers describing BIM for Sustainability, concentrating specifically on individual topics regarding to Indoor Environment Performance Analysis....

  5. Lipid Processing Technology: Building a Multilevel Modeling Network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Diaz Tovar, Carlos Axel; Mustaffa, Azizul Azri; Hukkerikar, Amol

    2011-01-01

    of a computer aided multilevel modeling network consisting a collection of new and adopted models, methods and tools for the systematic design and analysis of processes employing lipid technology. This is achieved by decomposing the problem into four levels of modeling: 1. pure component properties; 2. mixtures...... and phase behavior; 3. unit operations; and 4. process synthesis and design. The methods and tools in each level include: For the first level, a lipid‐database of collected experimental data from the open literature, confidential data from industry and generated data from validated predictive property...... of these unit operations with respect to performance parameters such as minimum total cost, product yield improvement, operability etc., and process intensification for the retrofit of existing biofuel plants. In the fourth level the information and models developed are used as building blocks...

  6. Public health component in building information modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trufanov, A. I.; Rossodivita, A.; Tikhomirov, A. A.; Berestneva, O. G.; Marukhina, O. V.

    2018-05-01

    A building information modelling (BIM) conception has established itself as an effective and practical approach to plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure. Analysis of the governance literature has shown that the BIM-developed tools do not take fully into account the growing demands from ecology and health fields. In this connection, it is possible to offer an optimal way of adapting such tools to the necessary consideration of the sanitary and hygienic specifications of materials used in construction industry. It is proposed to do it through the introduction of assessments that meet the requirements of national sanitary standards. This approach was demonstrated in the case study of Revit® program.

  7. Does integration matter? A holistic model for building community resilience in Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanta Kafle, Shesh

    2017-01-01

    This paper analyses an integrated communitybased risk reduction model adopted by the Pakistan Red Crescent. The paper analyses the model's constructs and definitions, and provides a conceptual framework and a set of practical recommendations for building community resilience. The study uses the process of outcome-based resilience index to assess the effectiveness of the approach. The results indicate that the integrated programming approach is an effective way to build community resilience as it offers a number of tangible and longlasting benefits, including effective and efficient service delivery, local ownership, sustainability of results, and improved local resilience with respect to the shock and stress associated with disaster. The paper also outlines a set of recommendations for the effective and efficient use of the model for building community resilience in Pakistan.

  8. Automatic generation and simulation of urban building energy models based on city datasets for city-scale building retrofit analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Yixing; Hong, Tianzhen; Piette, Mary Ann

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •Developed methods and used data models to integrate city’s public building records. •Shading from neighborhood buildings strongly influences urban building performance. •A case study demonstrated the workflow, simulation and analysis of building retrofits. •CityBES retrofit analysis feature provides actionable information for decision making. •Discussed significance and challenges of urban building energy modeling. -- Abstract: Buildings in cities consume 30–70% of total primary energy, and improving building energy efficiency is one of the key strategies towards sustainable urbanization. Urban building energy models (UBEM) can support city managers to evaluate and prioritize energy conservation measures (ECMs) for investment and the design of incentive and rebate programs. This paper presents the retrofit analysis feature of City Building Energy Saver (CityBES) to automatically generate and simulate UBEM using EnergyPlus based on cities’ building datasets and user-selected ECMs. CityBES is a new open web-based tool to support city-scale building energy efficiency strategic plans and programs. The technical details of using CityBES for UBEM generation and simulation are introduced, including the workflow, key assumptions, and major databases. Also presented is a case study that analyzes the potential retrofit energy use and energy cost savings of five individual ECMs and two measure packages for 940 office and retail buildings in six city districts in northeast San Francisco, United States. The results show that: (1) all five measures together can save 23–38% of site energy per building; (2) replacing lighting with light-emitting diode lamps and adding air economizers to existing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are most cost-effective with an average payback of 2.0 and 4.3 years, respectively; and (3) it is not economical to upgrade HVAC systems or replace windows in San Francisco due to the city’s mild

  9. International survey on current occupant modelling approaches in building performance simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    O'Brien, W.; Gaetani, I.; Gilani, S.; Carlucci, S.; Hoes, P.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2017-01-01

    It is not evident that practitioners have kept pace with latest research developments in building occupant behaviour modelling; nor are the attitudes of practitioners regarding occupant behaviour modelling well understood. In order to guide research and development efforts, researchers,

  10. Reducing failures rate within the project documentation using Building Information Modelling, especially Level of Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prušková Kristýna

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Paper´s focus is on differences between traditional modelling in 2D software and modelling within the BIM technology. Research uncovers failures connected to the traditional way of designing and construction of project documentation. There are revealed and shown mismatches within the project documentation. Solution within the Building information modelling Technology is outlined. As a reference, there is used experience with design of specific building in both ways of construction of project documentation: in the way of traditional modelling and in the way when using BIM technology, especially using Level of Development. Output of this paper is pointing to benefits of using advanced technology in building design, thus Building Information Modelling, especially Level of Development, which leads to reducing failures rate within the project documentation.

  11. Effectiveness of Training Model Capacity Building for Entrepreneurship Women Based Empowerment Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Idawati; Mahmud, Alimuddin; Dirawan, Gufran Darma

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of a training model for capacity building of women entrepreneurship community-based. Research type approach Research and Development Model, which refers to the model of development research that developed by Romiszowki (1996) combined with a model of development Sugiono (2011) it was…

  12. Simulation Speed Analysis and Improvements of Modelica Models for Building Energy Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jorissen, Filip; Wetter, Michael; Helsen, Lieve

    2015-09-21

    This paper presents an approach for speeding up Modelica models. Insight is provided into how Modelica models are solved and what determines the tool’s computational speed. Aspects such as algebraic loops, code efficiency and integrator choice are discussed. This is illustrated using simple building simulation examples and Dymola. The generality of the work is in some cases verified using OpenModelica. Using this approach, a medium sized office building including building envelope, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and control strategy can be simulated at a speed five hundred times faster than real time.

  13. Implementation of Models for Building Envelope Air Flow Fields in a Whole Building Hygrothermal Simulation Tool

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Karl Grau; Rode, Carsten

    2009-01-01

    cavity such as behind the exterior cladding of a building envelope, i.e. a flow which is parallel to the construction plane. (2) Infiltration/exfiltration of air through the building envelope, i.e. a flow which is perpendicular to the constructionplane. The paper presents the models and how they have...

  14. Expand the Modeling Capabilities of DOE's EnergyPlus Building Energy Simulation Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Don Shirey

    2008-02-28

    EnergyPlus{trademark} is a new generation computer software analysis tool that has been developed, tested, and commercialized to support DOE's Building Technologies (BT) Program in terms of whole-building, component, and systems R&D (http://www.energyplus.gov). It is also being used to support evaluation and decision making of zero energy building (ZEB) energy efficiency and supply technologies during new building design and existing building retrofits. Version 1.0 of EnergyPlus was released in April 2001, followed by semiannual updated versions over the ensuing seven-year period. This report summarizes work performed by the University of Central Florida's Florida Solar Energy Center (UCF/FSEC) to expand the modeling capabilities of EnergyPlus. The project tasks involved implementing, testing, and documenting the following new features or enhancement of existing features: (1) A model for packaged terminal heat pumps; (2) A model for gas engine-driven heat pumps with waste heat recovery; (3) Proper modeling of window screens; (4) Integrating and streamlining EnergyPlus air flow modeling capabilities; (5) Comfort-based controls for cooling and heating systems; and (6) An improved model for microturbine power generation with heat recovery. UCF/FSEC located existing mathematical models or generated new model for these features and incorporated them into EnergyPlus. The existing or new models were (re)written using Fortran 90/95 programming language and were integrated within EnergyPlus in accordance with the EnergyPlus Programming Standard and Module Developer's Guide. Each model/feature was thoroughly tested and identified errors were repaired. Upon completion of each model implementation, the existing EnergyPlus documentation (e.g., Input Output Reference and Engineering Document) was updated with information describing the new or enhanced feature. Reference data sets were generated for several of the features to aid program users in selecting proper

  15. Evaluation of a micro-scale wind model's performance over realistic building clusters using wind tunnel experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning; Du, Yunsong; Miao, Shiguang; Fang, Xiaoyi

    2016-08-01

    The simulation performance over complex building clusters of a wind simulation model (Wind Information Field Fast Analysis model, WIFFA) in a micro-scale air pollutant dispersion model system (Urban Microscale Air Pollution dispersion Simulation model, UMAPS) is evaluated using various wind tunnel experimental data including the CEDVAL (Compilation of Experimental Data for Validation of Micro-Scale Dispersion Models) wind tunnel experiment data and the NJU-FZ experiment data (Nanjing University-Fang Zhuang neighborhood wind tunnel experiment data). The results show that the wind model can reproduce the vortexes triggered by urban buildings well, and the flow patterns in urban street canyons and building clusters can also be represented. Due to the complex shapes of buildings and their distributions, the simulation deviations/discrepancies from the measurements are usually caused by the simplification of the building shapes and the determination of the key zone sizes. The computational efficiencies of different cases are also discussed in this paper. The model has a high computational efficiency compared to traditional numerical models that solve the Navier-Stokes equations, and can produce very high-resolution (1-5 m) wind fields of a complex neighborhood scale urban building canopy (~ 1 km ×1 km) in less than 3 min when run on a personal computer.

  16. CFD Modeling of Airflow in a Livestock Building

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rong, Li; Elhadidi, B.; Khalifa, H. E.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, a 2D simulation for a typical livestock building is performed to assess the ammonia emission removal rate to the atmosphere. Two geometry models are used and compared in order to represent the slatted floor. In the first model the floor is modeled as a slatted floor and in the second...... the accuracy of the porous jump assumption by comparing the velocity, and ammonia concentration in a 2D simulation, heated solid bodies are added to represent the livestock in the following simulations. The results of simulations with heat source also indicate that modeling the slatted floor with slats...... is necessary. Furthermore, the combination of low inlet velocity and heated objects causes the flow to be buoyancy dominated and unsteady. This unsteadiness can be common in similar buoyancy induced flows for high Rayleigh number flow. The paper concludes with tradeoffs suggested for simulation of livestock...

  17. How to Build a Course in Mathematical-Biological Modeling: Content and Processes for Knowledge and Skill

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoskinson, Anne-Marie

    2010-01-01

    Biological problems in the twenty-first century are complex and require mathematical insight, often resulting in mathematical models of biological systems. Building mathematical-biological models requires cooperation among biologists and mathematicians, and mastery of building models. A new course in mathematical modeling presented the opportunity…

  18. Building damage assessment from PolSAR data using texture parameters of statistical model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Linlin; Liu, Xiuguo; Chen, Qihao; Yang, Shuai

    2018-04-01

    Accurate building damage assessment is essential in providing decision support for disaster relief and reconstruction. Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) has become one of the most effective means of building damage assessment, due to its all-day/all-weather ability and richer backscatter information of targets. However, intact buildings that are not parallel to the SAR flight pass (termed oriented buildings) and collapsed buildings share similar scattering mechanisms, both of which are dominated by volume scattering. This characteristic always leads to misjudgments between assessments of collapsed buildings and oriented buildings from PolSAR data. Because the collapsed buildings and the intact buildings (whether oriented or parallel buildings) have different textures, a novel building damage assessment method is proposed in this study to address this problem by introducing texture parameters of statistical models. First, the logarithms of the estimated texture parameters of different statistical models are taken as a new texture feature to describe the collapse of the buildings. Second, the collapsed buildings and intact buildings are distinguished using an appropriate threshold. Then, the building blocks are classified into three levels based on the building block collapse rate. Moreover, this paper also discusses the capability for performing damage assessment using texture parameters from different statistical models or using different estimators. The RADARSAT-2 and ALOS-1 PolSAR images are used to present and analyze the performance of the proposed method. The results show that using the texture parameters avoids the problem of confusing collapsed and oriented buildings and improves the assessment accuracy. The results assessed by using the K/G0 distribution texture parameters estimated based on the second moment obtain the highest extraction accuracies. For the RADARSAT-2 and ALOS-1 data, the overall accuracy (OA) for these three types of

  19. Building Modelling Methodologies for Virtual District Heating and Cooling Networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saurav, Kumar; Choudhury, Anamitra R.; Chandan, Vikas; Lingman, Peter; Linder, Nicklas

    2017-10-26

    District heating and cooling systems (DHC) are a proven energy solution that has been deployed for many years in a growing number of urban areas worldwide. They comprise a variety of technologies that seek to develop synergies between the production and supply of heat, cooling, domestic hot water and electricity. Although the benefits of DHC systems are significant and have been widely acclaimed, yet the full potential of modern DHC systems remains largely untapped. There are several opportunities for development of energy efficient DHC systems, which will enable the effective exploitation of alternative renewable resources, waste heat recovery, etc., in order to increase the overall efficiency and facilitate the transition towards the next generation of DHC systems. This motivated the need for modelling these complex systems. Large-scale modelling of DHC-networks is challenging, as it has several components interacting with each other. In this paper we present two building methodologies to model the consumer buildings. These models will be further integrated with network model and the control system layer to create a virtual test bed for the entire DHC system. The model is validated using data collected from a real life DHC system located at Lulea, a city on the coast of northern Sweden. The test bed will be then used for simulating various test cases such as peak energy reduction, overall demand reduction etc.

  20. 5D Building Information Modelling – A Practicability Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Xia Sheng

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Quality, time and cost are the three most important elements in any construction project. Building information that comes timely and accurately in multiple dimensions will facilitate a refined decision making process which can improve the construction quality, time and cost. 5 dimensional Building Information Modelling or 5D BIM is an emerging trend in the construction industry that integrates all the major information starting from the initial design to the final construction stage. After that, the integrated information is arranged and communicated through Virtual Design and Construction (VDC. This research is to gauge the practicability of 5D BIM with an action research type pilot study by the means of hands-on modelling of a conceptual bungalow design based on one of the most popular BIM tools. A bungalow is selected as a study subject to simulate the major stages of 5D BIM digital workflow. The whole process starts with developing drawings (2D into digital model (3D, and is followed by the incorporation of time (4D and cost (5D. Observations are focused on the major factors that will affect the practicability of 5D BIM, including the modelling effort, inter-operability, information output and limitations. This research concludes that 5D BIM certainly has high level practicability which further differentiates BIM from Computer Aided Design (CAD. The integration of information not only enhanced the efficiency and accuracy of process in all stages, but also enabled decision makers to have a sophisticated interpretation of information which is almost impossible with the conventional 2D CAD workflow. Although it is possible to incorporate more than 5 dimensions of information, it is foreseeable that excessive information may escalate the complexity unfavourably for BIM implementation. 5D BIM has achieved a significant level of practicability; further research should be conducted to streamline implementation. Once 5D BIM is matured and widely

  1. Improving the accuracy of energy baseline models for commercial buildings with occupancy data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Xin; Hong, Tianzhen; Shen, Geoffrey Qiping

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We evaluated several baseline models predicting energy use in buildings. • Including occupancy data improved accuracy of baseline model prediction. • Occupancy is highly correlated with energy use in buildings. • This simple approach can be used in decision makings of energy retrofit projects. - Abstract: More than 80% of energy is consumed during operation phase of a building’s life cycle, so energy efficiency retrofit for existing buildings is considered a promising way to reduce energy use in buildings. The investment strategies of retrofit depend on the ability to quantify energy savings by “measurement and verification” (M&V), which compares actual energy consumption to how much energy would have been used without retrofit (called the “baseline” of energy use). Although numerous models exist for predicting baseline of energy use, a critical limitation is that occupancy has not been included as a variable. However, occupancy rate is essential for energy consumption and was emphasized by previous studies. This study develops a new baseline model which is built upon the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) model but includes the use of building occupancy data. The study also proposes metrics to quantify the accuracy of prediction and the impacts of variables. However, the results show that including occupancy data does not significantly improve the accuracy of the baseline model, especially for HVAC load. The reasons are discussed further. In addition, sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the influence of parameters in baseline models. The results from this study can help us understand the influence of occupancy on energy use, improve energy baseline prediction by including the occupancy factor, reduce risks of M&V and facilitate investment strategies of energy efficiency retrofit.

  2. Multiple regression models for energy use in air-conditioned office buildings in different climates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lam, Joseph C.; Wan, Kevin K.W.; Liu Dalong; Tsang, C.L.

    2010-01-01

    An attempt was made to develop multiple regression models for office buildings in the five major climates in China - severe cold, cold, hot summer and cold winter, mild, and hot summer and warm winter. A total of 12 key building design variables were identified through parametric and sensitivity analysis, and considered as inputs in the regression models. The coefficient of determination R 2 varies from 0.89 in Harbin to 0.97 in Kunming, indicating that 89-97% of the variations in annual building energy use can be explained by the changes in the 12 parameters. A pseudo-random number generator based on three simple multiplicative congruential generators was employed to generate random designs for evaluation of the regression models. The difference between regression-predicted and DOE-simulated annual building energy use are largely within 10%. It is envisaged that the regression models developed can be used to estimate the likely energy savings/penalty during the initial design stage when different building schemes and design concepts are being considered.

  3. Integrated building and system simulation using run-time coupled distributed models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trcka, M.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Wijsman, A.J.T.M.

    2006-01-01

    In modeling and simulation of real building and heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system configurations, it is frequently found that certain parts can be represented in one simulation software, while models for other parts of the configuration are only available in other software.

  4. Nonlinear Economic Model Predictive Control Strategy for Active Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Santos, Rui Mirra; Zong, Yi; Sousa, Joao M. C.

    2016-01-01

    Nowadays, the development of advanced and innovative intelligent control techniques for energy management in buildings is a key issue within the smart grid topic. A nonlinear economic model predictive control (EMPC) scheme, based on the branch-and-bound tree search used as optimization algorithm ...... controller is shown very reliable keeping the comfort levels in the two considered seasons and shifting the load away from peak hours in order to achieve the desired flexible electricity consumption.......Nowadays, the development of advanced and innovative intelligent control techniques for energy management in buildings is a key issue within the smart grid topic. A nonlinear economic model predictive control (EMPC) scheme, based on the branch-and-bound tree search used as optimization algorithm...

  5. Lost opportunities: Modeling commercial building energy code adoption in the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Hal T.

    2012-01-01

    This paper models the adoption of commercial building energy codes in the US between 1977 and 2006. Energy code adoption typically results in an increase in aggregate social welfare by cost effectively reducing energy expenditures. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, I test if relative state funding, a new, objective, multivariate regression-derived measure of government capacity, as well as a vector of control variables commonly used in comparative state research, predict commercial building energy code adoption. The research shows little political influence over historical commercial building energy code adoption in the sample. Colder climates and higher electricity prices also do not predict more frequent code adoptions. I do find evidence of high government capacity states being 60 percent more likely than low capacity states to adopt commercial building energy codes in the following year. Wealthier states are also more likely to adopt commercial codes. Policy recommendations to increase building code adoption include increasing access to low cost capital for the private sector and providing noncompetitive block grants to the states from the federal government. - Highlights: ► Model the adoption of commercial building energy codes from 1977–2006 in the US. ► Little political influence over historical building energy code adoption. ► High capacity states are over 60 percent more likely than low capacity states to adopt codes. ► Wealthier states are more likely to adopt commercial codes. ► Access to capital and technical assistance is critical to increase code adoption.

  6. AUTOMATIC 3D BUILDING MODEL GENERATION FROM LIDAR AND IMAGE DATA USING SEQUENTIAL MINIMUM BOUNDING RECTANGLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Kwak

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Digital Building Model is an important component in many applications such as city modelling, natural disaster planning, and aftermath evaluation. The importance of accurate and up-to-date building models has been discussed by many researchers, and many different approaches for efficient building model generation have been proposed. They can be categorised according to the data source used, the data processing strategy, and the amount of human interaction. In terms of data source, due to the limitations of using single source data, integration of multi-senor data is desired since it preserves the advantages of the involved datasets. Aerial imagery and LiDAR data are among the commonly combined sources to obtain 3D building models with good vertical accuracy from laser scanning and good planimetric accuracy from aerial images. The most used data processing strategies are data-driven and model-driven ones. Theoretically one can model any shape of buildings using data-driven approaches but practically it leaves the question of how to impose constraints and set the rules during the generation process. Due to the complexity of the implementation of the data-driven approaches, model-based approaches draw the attention of the researchers. However, the major drawback of model-based approaches is that the establishment of representative models involves a manual process that requires human intervention. Therefore, the objective of this research work is to automatically generate building models using the Minimum Bounding Rectangle algorithm and sequentially adjusting them to combine the advantages of image and LiDAR datasets.

  7. RESRAD-BUILD: A computer model for analyzing the radiological doses resulting from the remediation and occupancy of buildings contaminated with radioactive material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, C.; LePoire, D.J.; Jones, L.G.

    1994-11-01

    The RESRAD-BUILD computer code is a pathway analysis model designed to evaluate the potential radiological dose incurred by an individual who works or lives in a building contaminated with radioactive material. The transport of radioactive material inside the building from one compartment to another is calculated with an indoor air quality model. The air quality model considers the transport of radioactive dust particulates and radon progeny due to air exchange, deposition and resuspension, and radioactive decay and ingrowth. A single run of the RESRAD-BUILD code can model a building with up to: three compartments, 10 distinct source geometries, and 10 receptor locations. A shielding material can be specified between each source-receptor pair for external gamma dose calculations. Six exposure pathways are considered in the RESRAD-BUILD code: (1) external exposure directly from the source; (2) external exposure to materials deposited on the floor; (3) external exposure due to air submersion; (4) inhalation of airborne radioactive particulates; (5) inhalation of aerosol indoor radon progeny; and (6) inadvertent ingestion of radioactive material, either directly from the sources or from materials deposited on the surfaces of the building compartments

  8. Building information modelling (BIM: now and beyond

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salman Azhar

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Building Information Modeling (BIM, also called n-D Modeling or Virtual Prototyping Technology, is a revolutionary development that is quickly reshaping the Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC industry. BIM is both a technology and a process. The technology component of BIM helps project stakeholders to visualize what is to be built in a simulated environment to identify any potential design, construction or operational issues. The process component enables close collaboration and encourages integration of the roles of all stakeholders on a project. The paper presents an overview of BIM with focus on its core concepts, applications in the project life cycle and benefits for project stakeholders with the help of case studies. The paper also elaborates risks and barriers to BIM implementation and future trends.

  9. Building information modelling (BIM: now and beyond

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salman Azhar

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Building Information Modeling (BIM, also called n-D Modeling or Virtual Prototyping Technology, is a revolutionary development that is quickly reshaping the Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC industry. BIM is both a technology and a process. The technology component of BIM helps project stakeholders to visualize what is to be built in a simulated environment to identify any potential design, construction or operational issues. The process component enables close collaboration and encourages integration of the roles of all stakeholders on a project. The paper presents an overview of BIM with focus on its core concepts, applications in the project life cycle and benefits for project stakeholders with the help of case studies. The paper also elaborates risks and barriers to BIM implementation and future trends.

  10. Structural analysis of reactor buildings with help of complete FE models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz, B.E.; Vaz, L.E.; Martha, L.F.R.; Costa, E.

    1984-01-01

    The reinforced concrete structures located within the steel containment shell of a Reactor Building are formed by highly complex structures subjected to a large amount of actions due to different causes. The analysis of this complex structure can be performed with help of small models, each one representing a part of the global structure. The interaction effects among the partial models are accounted for in approximate way. This approach has been used previously with entire success in the design of 1300 MW PWR nuclear power plants. However a new and entire different approach can be used in the design of these structures. The entire assembly of structural elements of the building is represented and analyzed with help of a single and very large FE model. This paper will present the main characteristics of this type of analysis as well as all the necessary procedures, which must be implemented for the proper data processing of the forces and the automatic reinforced concrete design of the structural elements of the Reactor Building. (Author) [pt

  11. Building predictive models of soil particle-size distribution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Samuel-Rosa

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Is it possible to build predictive models (PMs of soil particle-size distribution (psd in a region with complex geology and a young and unstable land-surface? The main objective of this study was to answer this question. A set of 339 soil samples from a small slope catchment in Southern Brazil was used to build PMs of psd in the surface soil layer. Multiple linear regression models were constructed using terrain attributes (elevation, slope, catchment area, convergence index, and topographic wetness index. The PMs explained more than half of the data variance. This performance is similar to (or even better than that of the conventional soil mapping approach. For some size fractions, the PM performance can reach 70 %. Largest uncertainties were observed in geologically more complex areas. Therefore, significant improvements in the predictions can only be achieved if accurate geological data is made available. Meanwhile, PMs built on terrain attributes are efficient in predicting the particle-size distribution (psd of soils in regions of complex geology.

  12. Development of Automated Procedures to Generate Reference Building Models for ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and India’s Building Energy Code and Implementation in OpenStudio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parker, Andrew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Haves, Philip [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Jegi, Subhash [International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (India); Garg, Vishal [International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (India); Ravache, Baptiste [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2017-09-14

    This paper describes a software system for automatically generating a reference (baseline) building energy model from the proposed (as-designed) building energy model. This system is built using the OpenStudio Software Development Kit (SDK) and is designed to operate on building energy models in the OpenStudio file format.

  13. Deep Belief Network Based Hybrid Model for Building Energy Consumption Prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chengdong Li

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available To enhance the prediction performance for building energy consumption, this paper presents a modified deep belief network (DBN based hybrid model. The proposed hybrid model combines the outputs from the DBN model with the energy-consuming pattern to yield the final prediction results. The energy-consuming pattern in this study represents the periodicity property of building energy consumption and can be extracted from the observed historical energy consumption data. The residual data generated by removing the energy-consuming pattern from the original data are utilized to train the modified DBN model. The training of the modified DBN includes two steps, the first one of which adopts the contrastive divergence (CD algorithm to optimize the hidden parameters in a pre-train way, while the second one determines the output weighting vector by the least squares method. The proposed hybrid model is applied to two kinds of building energy consumption data sets that have different energy-consuming patterns (daily-periodicity and weekly-periodicity. In order to examine the advantages of the proposed model, four popular artificial intelligence methods—the backward propagation neural network (BPNN, the generalized radial basis function neural network (GRBFNN, the extreme learning machine (ELM, and the support vector regressor (SVR are chosen as the comparative approaches. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DBN based hybrid model has the best performance compared with the comparative techniques. Another thing to be mentioned is that all the predictors constructed by utilizing the energy-consuming patterns perform better than those designed only by the original data. This verifies the usefulness of the incorporation of the energy-consuming patterns. The proposed approach can also be extended and applied to some other similar prediction problems that have periodicity patterns, e.g., the traffic flow forecasting and the electricity consumption

  14. Introduction of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technologies in Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milyutina, M. A.

    2018-05-01

    The issues of introduction of building information modeling (BIM) in construction industry are considered in this work. The advantages of this approach and perspectives of the transition to new design technologies, construction process management, and operation in the near future are stated. The importance of development of pilot projects that should identify the ways and means of verification of the regulatory and technical base, as well as economic indicators in the transition to Building Information Technologies in the construction, is noted.

  15. IBM SPSS modeler essentials effective techniques for building powerful data mining and predictive analytics solutions

    CERN Document Server

    McCormick, Keith; Wei, Bowen

    2017-01-01

    IBM SPSS Modeler allows quick, efficient predictive analytics and insight building from your data, and is a popularly used data mining tool. This book will guide you through the data mining process, and presents relevant statistical methods which are used to build predictive models and conduct other analytic tasks using IBM SPSS Modeler. From ...

  16. Economic Model Predictive Control for Hot Water Based Heating Systems in Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Awadelrahman, M. A. Ahmed; Zong, Yi; Li, Hongwei

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a study to optimize the heating energy costs in a residential building with varying electricity price signals based on an Economic Model Predictive Controller (EMPC). The investigated heating system consists of an air source heat pump (ASHP) incorporated with a hot water tank...... as active Thermal Energy Storage (TES), where two optimization problems are integrated together to optimize both the ASHP electricity consumption and the building heating consumption utilizing a heat dynamic model of the building. The results show that the proposed EMPC can save the energy cost by load...

  17. Modelling heavy metals build-up on urban road surfaces for effective stormwater reuse strategy implementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Nian; Zhu, Panfeng; Liu, An

    2017-01-01

    Urban road stormwater is an alternative water resource to mitigate water shortage issues in the worldwide. Heavy metals deposited (build-up) on urban road surface can enter road stormwater runoff, undermining stormwater reuse safety. As heavy metal build-up loads perform high variabilities in terms of spatial distribution and is strongly influenced by surrounding land uses, it is essential to develop an approach to identify hot-spots where stormwater runoff could include high heavy metal concentrations and hence cannot be reused if it is not properly treated. This study developed a robust modelling approach to estimating heavy metal build-up loads on urban roads using land use fractions (representing percentages of land uses within a given area) by an artificial neural network (ANN) model technique. Based on the modelling results, a series of heavy metal load spatial distribution maps and a comprehensive ecological risk map were generated. These maps provided a visualization platform to identify priority areas where the stormwater can be safely reused. Additionally, these maps can be utilized as an urban land use planning tool in the context of effective stormwater reuse strategy implementation. - Highlights: • A model was developed to simulate heavy metal build-up loads on urban roads. • This model is based on artificial neural networks. • Land use fractions was used to model build-up loads on different particle sizes. • The maps of heavy metal spatial distribution and ecological risk were generated. • This model can be used for effective stormwater reuse strategy implementation. - Development of a robust modelling approach to mapping heavy metals build-up and their ecological risks for stormwater reuse safety.

  18. Building Information Modeling Comprehensive Overview

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey Kalinichuk

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The article is addressed to provide a comprehensive review on recently accelerated development of the Information Technology within project market such as industrial, engineering, procurement and construction. Author’s aim is to cover the last decades of the growth of the Information and Communication Technology in construction industry in particular Building Information Modeling and testifies that the problem of a choice of the effective project realization method not only has not lost its urgency, but has also transformed into one of the major condition of the intensive technology development. All of it has created a great impulse on shortening the project duration and has led to the development of various schedule compression techniques what becomes a focus of modern construction.

  19. Developing Historic Building Information Modelling Guidelines and Procedures for Architectural Heritage in Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, M.; Corns, A.; Cahill, J.; Eliashvili, K.; Chenau, A.; Pybus, C.; Shaw, R.; Devlin, G.; Deevy, A.; Truong-Hong, L.

    2017-08-01

    Cultural heritage researchers have recently begun applying Building Information Modelling (BIM) to historic buildings. The model is comprised of intelligent objects with semantic attributes which represent the elements of a building structure and are organised within a 3D virtual environment. Case studies in Ireland are used to test and develop the suitable systems for (a) data capture/digital surveying/processing (b) developing library of architectural components and (c) mapping these architectural components onto the laser scan or digital survey to relate the intelligent virtual representation of a historic structure (HBIM). While BIM platforms have the potential to create a virtual and intelligent representation of a building, its full exploitation and use is restricted to narrow set of expert users with access to costly hardware, software and skills. The testing of open BIM approaches in particular IFCs and the use of game engine platforms is a fundamental component for developing much wider dissemination. The semantically enriched model can be transferred into a WEB based game engine platform.

  20. EVALUATION OF A FAST-RESPONSE URBAN WIND MODEL - COMPARISON TO SINGLE-BUILDING WIND TUNNEL DATA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    E.R. PARDYJAK; M.J. BROWN

    2001-01-01

    Prediction of the 3-dimensional flow field around buildings and other obstacles is important for a number of applications, including urban air quality studies, the tracking of plumes from accidental releases of toxic air contaminants, indoor/outdoor air pollution problems, and thermal comfort assessments. Various types of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models have been used for determining the flow fields around buildings (e.g., Reisner et al., 1998; Eichhorn et al., 1988). Comparisons to measurements show that these models work reasonably well for the most part (e.g., Ehrhard et al., 2 ; Johnson and Hunter, 1998; Murakami, 1997). However, CFD models are computationally intensive and for some applications turn-around time is of the essence. For example, planning and assessment studies in which hundreds of cases must be analyzed or emergency response scenarios in which plume transport must be computed quickly. Several fast-response dispersion models of varying levels of fidelity have been developed to explicitly account for the effects of a single building or groups of buildings (e.g., UDM - Hall et al. (2000), NRC-Ramsdell and Fosmire (1995), CBP-3 - Yamartino and Wiegand (1986), APRAC - Daerdt et al. (1973)). Although a few of these models include the Hotchkiss and Harlow (1973) analytical solution for potential flow in a notch to describe the velocity field within an urban canyon, in general, these models do not explicitly compute the velocity field around groups of buildings. The EPA PRIME model (Schulman et al., 2000) has been empirically derived to provide streamlines around a single isolated building

  1. INTEGRATING SMARTPHONE IMAGES AND AIRBORNE LIDAR DATA FOR COMPLETE URBAN BUILDING MODELLING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Zhang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A complete building model reconstruction needs data collected from both air and ground. The former often has sparse coverage on building façades, while the latter usually is unable to observe the building rooftops. Attempting to solve the missing data issues in building reconstruction from single data source, we describe an approach for complete building reconstruction that integrates airborne LiDAR data and ground smartphone imagery. First, by taking advantages of GPS and digital compass information embedded in the image metadata of smartphones, we are able to find airborne LiDAR point clouds for the corresponding buildings in the images. In the next step, Structure-from-Motion and dense multi-view stereo algorithms are applied to generate building point cloud from multiple ground images. The third step extracts building outlines respectively from the LiDAR point cloud and the ground image point cloud. An automated correspondence between these two sets of building outlines allows us to achieve a precise registration and combination of the two point clouds, which ultimately results in a complete and full resolution building model. The developed approach overcomes the problem of sparse points on building façades in airborne LiDAR and the deficiency of rooftops in ground images such that the merits of both datasets are utilized.

  2. Theories, models and frameworks used in capacity building interventions relevant to public health: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergeron, Kim; Abdi, Samiya; DeCorby, Kara; Mensah, Gloria; Rempel, Benjamin; Manson, Heather

    2017-11-28

    There is limited research on capacity building interventions that include theoretical foundations. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify underlying theories, models and frameworks used to support capacity building interventions relevant to public health practice. The aim is to inform and improve capacity building practices and services offered by public health organizations. Four search strategies were used: 1) electronic database searching; 2) reference lists of included papers; 3) key informant consultation; and 4) grey literature searching. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are outlined with included papers focusing on capacity building, learning plans, professional development plans in combination with tools, resources, processes, procedures, steps, model, framework, guideline, described in a public health or healthcare setting, or non-government, government, or community organizations as they relate to healthcare, and explicitly or implicitly mention a theory, model and/or framework that grounds the type of capacity building approach developed. Quality assessment were performed on all included articles. Data analysis included a process for synthesizing, analyzing and presenting descriptive summaries, categorizing theoretical foundations according to which theory, model and/or framework was used and whether or not the theory, model or framework was implied or explicitly identified. Nineteen articles were included in this review. A total of 28 theories, models and frameworks were identified. Of this number, two theories (Diffusion of Innovations and Transformational Learning), two models (Ecological and Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation) and one framework (Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning) were identified as the most frequently cited. This review identifies specific theories, models and frameworks to support capacity building interventions relevant to public health organizations. It provides public health practitioners

  3. Modelling piezoelectric energy harvesting potential in an educational building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaofeng; Strezov, Vladimir

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Energy harvesting potential of commercialized piezoelectric tiles is analyzed. • The parameters which will affect the energy harvesting efficiency are determined. • The potential could cover 0.5% of the total energy usage of the library building. • A simplified evaluation indicator is proposed to test the considered paving area. - Abstract: In this paper, potential application of a commercial piezoelectric energy harvester in a central hub building at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia is examined and discussed. Optimization of the piezoelectric tile deployment is presented according to the frequency of pedestrian mobility and a model is developed where 3.1% of the total floor area with the highest pedestrian mobility is paved with piezoelectric tiles. The modelling results indicate that the total annual energy harvesting potential for the proposed optimized tile pavement model is estimated at 1.1 MW h/year. This potential energy generation may be further increased to 9.9 MW h/year with a possible improvement in piezoelectric energy conversion efficiency integrated into the system. This energy harvesting potential would be sufficient to meet close to 0.5% of the annual energy needs of the building. The study confirms that locating high traffic areas is critical for optimization of the energy harvesting efficiency, as well as the orientation of the tile pavement significantly affects the total amount of the harvested energy. A Density Flow evaluation is recommended in this study to qualitatively evaluate the piezoelectric power harvesting potential of the considered area based on the number of pedestrian crossings per unit time

  4. Modelling energy demand in the buildings sector within the EU

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O Broin, Eoin

    2012-11-01

    In the on-going effort within the EU to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and secure future energy supplies, the buildings sector is often referred to as offering a large potential for energy savings. The aim of this thesis is to produce scenarios that highlight the parameters that affect the energy demands and thus potentials for savings of the building sector. Top-down and bottom-up approaches to modelling energy demand in EU buildings are applied in this thesis. The top-down approach uses econometrics to establish the historical contribution of various parameters to energy demands for space and water heating in the residential sectors of four EU countries. The bottom-up approach models the explicit impact of trends in energy efficiency improvement on total energy demand in the EU buildings stock. The two approaches are implemented independently, i.e., the results from the top-down studies do not feed into those from the bottom-up studies or vice versa. The explanatory variables used in the top-down approach are: energy prices; heating degree days, as a proxy for outdoor climate; a linear time trend, as a proxy for technology development; and the lag of energy demand, as a proxy for inertia in the system. In this case, inertia refers to the time it takes to replace space and water heating systems in reaction to price changes. The analysis gives long-term price elasticities of demand as follows: for France, -0.17; for Italy, -0.35; for Sweden, -0.27; and for the UK, -0.35. These results reveal that the price elasticity of demand for space and water heating is inelastic in each of these cases. Nonetheless, scenarios created for the period up to 2050 using these elasticities and an annual price increase of 3 % show that demand can be reduced by more than 1 % per year in France and Sweden and by less than 1 % per year in Italy and the UK. In the bottom-up modelling, varying rates for conversion efficiencies, heating standards for new buildings, end-use efficiency, and

  5. Building information modeling in the architectural design phases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hermund, Anders

    2009-01-01

    The overall economical benefits of Building Information Modeling are generally comprehensible, but are there other problems with the implementation of BIM as a formulized system in a field that ultimately is dependant on a creative input? Is optimization and economic benefit really contributing...... with an architectural quality? In Denmark the implementation of the digital working methods related to BIM has been introduced by government law in 2007. Will the important role of the architect as designer change in accordance with these new methods, and does the idea of one big integrated model represent a paradox...... in relation to designing? The BIM mindset requires changes on many levels....

  6. Building CMU Sphinx language model for the Ho

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Yassine El Amrani

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the use of a simplified set of Arabic phonemes in an Arabic Speech Recognition system applied to Holy Quran. The CMU Sphinx 4 was used to train and evaluate a language model for the Hafs narration of the Holy Quran. The building of the language model was done using a simplified list of Arabic phonemes instead of the mainly used Romanized set in order to simplify the process of generating the language model. The experiments resulted in very low Word Error Rate (WER reaching 1.5% while using a very small set of audio files during the training phase when using all the audio data for both the training and the testing phases. However, when using 90% and 80% of the training data, the WER obtained was respectively 50.0% and 55.7%.

  7. Aligning building information model tools and construction management methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hartmann, Timo; van Meerveld, H.J.; Vossebeld, N.; Adriaanse, Adriaan Maria

    2012-01-01

    Few empirical studies exist that can explain how different Building Information Model (BIM) based tool implementation strategies work in practical contexts. To help overcoming this gap, this paper describes the implementation of two BIM based tools, the first, to support the activities at an

  8. A simplified model of dynamic interior cooling load evaluation for office buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Yan; Zhang, Qiang; Wang, Zhaoxia; Liu, Min; He, Qing

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The core interior disturbance was determined by principle component analysis. • Influences of occupants on cooling load should be described using time series. • A simplified model was built to evaluate dynamic interior building cooling load. - Abstract: Predicted cooling load is a valuable tool for assessing the operation of air-conditioning systems. Compared with exterior cooling load, interior cooling load is more unpredictable. According to principle components analysis, occupancy was proved to be a typical factor influencing interior cooling loads in buildings. By exploring the regularity of interior disturbances in an office building, a simplified evaluation model for interior cooling load was established in this paper. The stochastic occupancy rate was represented by a Markov transition model. Equipment power, lighting power and fresh air were all related to occupancy rate based on time sequence. The superposition of different types of interior cooling loads was also considered in the evaluation model. The error between the evaluation results and measurement results was found to be lower than 10%. In reference to the cooling loads calculated by the traditional design method and area-based method in case study office rooms, the evaluated cooling loads were suitable for operation regulation.

  9. Energy efficient model based algorithm for control of building HVAC systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirubakaran, V; Sahu, Chinmay; Radhakrishnan, T K; Sivakumaran, N

    2015-11-01

    Energy efficient designs are receiving increasing attention in various fields of engineering. Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) control system designs involve improved energy usage with an acceptable relaxation in thermal comfort. In this paper, real time data from a building HVAC system provided by BuildingLAB is considered. A resistor-capacitor (RC) framework for representing thermal dynamics of the building is estimated using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. With objective costs as thermal comfort (deviation of room temperature from required temperature) and energy measure (Ecm) explicit MPC design for this building model is executed based on its state space representation of the supply water temperature (input)/room temperature (output) dynamics. The controllers are subjected to servo tracking and external disturbance (ambient temperature) is provided from the real time data during closed loop control. The control strategies are ported on a PIC32mx series microcontroller platform. The building model is implemented in MATLAB and hardware in loop (HIL) testing of the strategies is executed over a USB port. Results indicate that compared to traditional proportional integral (PI) controllers, the explicit MPC's improve both energy efficiency and thermal comfort significantly. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. A Comparison of Energy Consumption Prediction Models Based on Neural Networks of a Bioclimatic Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid R. Khosravani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Energy consumption has been increasing steadily due to globalization and industrialization. Studies have shown that buildings are responsible for the biggest proportion of energy consumption; for example in European Union countries, energy consumption in buildings represents around 40% of the total energy consumption. In order to control energy consumption in buildings, different policies have been proposed, from utilizing bioclimatic architectures to the use of predictive models within control approaches. There are mainly three groups of predictive models including engineering, statistical and artificial intelligence models. Nowadays, artificial intelligence models such as neural networks and support vector machines have also been proposed because of their high potential capabilities of performing accurate nonlinear mappings between inputs and outputs in real environments which are not free of noise. The main objective of this paper is to compare a neural network model which was designed utilizing statistical and analytical methods, with a group of neural network models designed benefiting from a multi objective genetic algorithm. Moreover, the neural network models were compared to a naïve autoregressive baseline model. The models are intended to predict electric power demand at the Solar Energy Research Center (Centro de Investigación en Energía SOLar or CIESOL in Spanish bioclimatic building located at the University of Almeria, Spain. Experimental results show that the models obtained from the multi objective genetic algorithm (MOGA perform comparably to the model obtained through a statistical and analytical approach, but they use only 0.8% of data samples and have lower model complexity.

  11. Numerical Modelling of Connections Between Stones in Foundations of Historical Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Przewlocki, Jaroslaw; Zielinska, Monika; Grebowski, Karol

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this paper is to analyse the behaviour of old building foundations composed of stones (the main load-bearing elements) and mortar, based on numerical analysis. Some basic aspects of historical foundations are briefly discussed, with an emphasis on their development, techniques, and material. The behaviour of a foundation subjected to the loads transmitted from the upper parts of the structure is described using the finite element method (FEM). The main problems in analysing the foundations of historical buildings are determining the characteristics of the materials and the degree of degradation of the mortar, which is the weakest part of the foundation. Mortar is graded using the damaged-plastic model. In this model, exceeding the bearing capacity occurs due to the degradation of materials. The damaged-plastic model is the most accurate model describing the work and properties of mortar because it shows exactly what happens with this material throughout its total load history. For a uniformly loaded fragment of the foundation, both stresses and strains were analysed. The results of the analysis presented in this paper contribute to further research in the field of understanding both behaviour and modelling in historical buildings’ foundations.

  12. Automated side-chain model building and sequence assignment by template matching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C

    2003-01-01

    An algorithm is described for automated building of side chains in an electron-density map once a main-chain model is built and for alignment of the protein sequence to the map. The procedure is based on a comparison of electron density at the expected side-chain positions with electron-density templates. The templates are constructed from average amino-acid side-chain densities in 574 refined protein structures. For each contiguous segment of main chain, a matrix with entries corresponding to an estimate of the probability that each of the 20 amino acids is located at each position of the main-chain model is obtained. The probability that this segment corresponds to each possible alignment with the sequence of the protein is estimated using a Bayesian approach and high-confidence matches are kept. Once side-chain identities are determined, the most probable rotamer for each side chain is built into the model. The automated procedure has been implemented in the RESOLVE software. Combined with automated main-chain model building, the procedure produces a preliminary model suitable for refinement and extension by an experienced crystallographer.

  13. Encoding Dissimilarity Data for Statistical Model Building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahba, Grace

    2010-12-01

    We summarize, review and comment upon three papers which discuss the use of discrete, noisy, incomplete, scattered pairwise dissimilarity data in statistical model building. Convex cone optimization codes are used to embed the objects into a Euclidean space which respects the dissimilarity information while controlling the dimension of the space. A "newbie" algorithm is provided for embedding new objects into this space. This allows the dissimilarity information to be incorporated into a Smoothing Spline ANOVA penalized likelihood model, a Support Vector Machine, or any model that will admit Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space components, for nonparametric regression, supervised learning, or semi-supervised learning. Future work and open questions are discussed. The papers are: F. Lu, S. Keles, S. Wright and G. Wahba 2005. A framework for kernel regularization with application to protein clustering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102, 12332-1233.G. Corrada Bravo, G. Wahba, K. Lee, B. Klein, R. Klein and S. Iyengar 2009. Examining the relative influence of familial, genetic and environmental covariate information in flexible risk models. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, 8128-8133F. Lu, Y. Lin and G. Wahba. Robust manifold unfolding with kernel regularization. TR 1008, Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

  14. Dispersion model for airborne particulates inside a building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perkins, W.C.; Stoddard, D.H.

    1985-01-01

    An empirical model has been developed for the spread of airborne radioactive particles after they are released inside a building. The model has been useful in performing safety analyses of actinide materials facilities at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). These facilities employ the multiple-air-zone concept; that is, ventilation air flows from rooms or areas of least radioactive material hazard, through zones of increasing hazard, to a treatment system. A composite of the data for dispersion of airborne activity during 12 actual case incidents at SRP forms the basis for this model. These incidents occurred during approximately 90 plant-years of experience at SRP with the chemical and metallurgical processing of purified neptunium and plutonium after their recovery from irradiated uranium. The model gives ratios of the airborne activity concentrations in rooms and corridors near the site of the release. The multiple-air-zone concept has been applied to many designs of nuclear facilities as a safety feature to limit the spread of airborne activity from a release. The model illustrates the limitations of this concept: it predicts an apparently anomalous behavior of airborne particulates; namely, a small migration against the flow of the ventilation air

  15. GillesPy: A Python Package for Stochastic Model Building and Simulation

    OpenAIRE

    Abel, John H.; Drawert, Brian; Hellander, Andreas; Petzold, Linda R.

    2016-01-01

    GillesPy is an open-source Python package for model construction and simulation of stochastic biochemical systems. GillesPy consists of a Python framework for model building and an interface to the StochKit2 suite of efficient simulation algorithms based on the Gillespie stochastic simulation algorithms (SSA). To enable intuitive model construction and seamless integration into the scientific Python stack, we present an easy to understand, action-oriented programming interface. Here, we descr...

  16. Air Dispersion Modeling for Building 3026C/D Demolition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ward, Richard C [ORNL; Sjoreen, Andrea L [ORNL; Eckerman, Keith F [ORNL

    2010-06-01

    This report presents estimates of dispersion coefficients and effective dose for potential air dispersion scenarios of uncontrolled releases from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) buildings 3026C, 3026D, and 3140 prior to or during the demolition of the 3026 Complex. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) AERMOD system1-6 was used to compute these estimates. AERMOD stands for AERMIC Model, where AERMIC is the American Meteorological Society-EPA Regulatory Model Improvement Committee. Five source locations (three in building 3026D and one each in building 3026C and the filter house 3140) and associated source characteristics were determined with the customer. In addition, the area of study was determined and building footprints and intake locations of air-handling systems were obtained. In addition to the air intakes, receptor sites consisting of ground level locations on four polar grids (50 m, 100 m, 200 m, and 500 m) and two intersecting lines of points (50 m separation), corresponding to sidewalks along Central Avenue and Fifth Street. Three years of meteorological data (2006 2008) were used each consisting of three datasets: 1) National Weather Service data; 2) upper air data for the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area; and 3) local weather data from Tower C (10 m, 30 m and 100 m) on the ORNL reservation. Annual average air concentration, highest 1 h average and highest 3 h average air concentrations were computed using AERMOD for the five source locations for the three years of meteorological data. The highest 1 h average air concentrations were converted to dispersion coefficients to characterize the atmospheric dispersion as the customer was interested in the most significant response and the highest 1 h average data reflects the best time-averaged values available from the AERMOD code. Results are presented in tabular and graphical form. The results for dose were obtained using radionuclide activities for each of the buildings provided by the customer.7

  17. The Dutch sustainable building policy: A model for developing countries?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melchert, Luciana [Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Sao Paulo, Rua do Lago, 876, CEP 05508.900, Sao Paulo SP (Brazil)

    2007-02-15

    This article explores the institutionalization of environmental policies in the Dutch building sector and the applicability of the current model to developing countries. First, it analyzes the transition of sustainable building practices in the Netherlands from the 1970s until today, exploring how these were originally embedded in a discourse on 'de-modernization', which attempted to improve the environmental performance of building stocks by means of self-sufficient technologies, whereas nowadays they adopt a framework of 'ecological modernization', with integrative approaches seeking to improve the environmental performance of building stocks through more efficient-rather than self-sufficient-technologies. The study subsequently shows how the current Dutch sustainable building framework has thereby managed to achieve a pragmatic and widely accepted rationale, which can serve to orient the ecological restructuring of building stocks in developing countries. (author)

  18. ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL 3D GEO-DATA MODEL FOR BUILDING DATA COMPLIANT TO CITYGML: CASE OF TURKEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Ates Aydar

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the generation of the 3D national building geo-data model of Turkey, which is compatible with the international OGC CityGML Encoding Standard. We prepare an ADE named CityGML-TRKBIS.BI that is produced by extending existing thematic modules of CityGML according to TRKBIS needs. All thematic data groups in TRKBIS geo-data model have been remodelled in order to generate the national large scale 3D geo-data model for Turkey. Specific attention has been paid to data groups that have different class structure according to related CityGML data themes such as building data model. Current 2D geo-information model for building data theme of Turkey (TRKBIS.BI was established based on INSPIRE specifications for building (Core 2D and Extended 2D profiles, ISO/TC 211 standards and OGC web services. New version of TRKBIS.BI which is established according to semantic and geometric rules of CityGML will represent 2D-2.5D and 3D objects. After a short overview on generic approach, this paper describes extending CityGML building data theme according to TRKBIS.BI through several steps. First, building models of both standards were compared according to their data structure, classes and attributes. Second, CityGML building model was extended with respect to TRKBIS needs and CityGML-TRKBIS Building ADE was established in UML. This study provides new insights into 3D applications in Turkey. The generated 3D geo-data model for building thematic class will be used as a common exchange format that meets 2D, 2.5D and 3D implementation needs at national level.

  19. Guidelines for developing efficient thermal conduction and storage models within building energy simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hillary, Jason; Walsh, Ed; Shah, Amip; Zhou, Rongliang; Walsh, Pat

    2017-01-01

    Improving building energy efficiency is of paramount importance due to the large proportion of energy consumed by thermal operations. Consequently, simulating a building's environment has gained popularity for assessing thermal comfort and design. The extended timeframes and large physical scales involved necessitate compact modelling approaches. The accuracy of such simulations is of chief concern, yet there is little guidance offered on achieving accurate solutions whilst mitigating prohibitive computational costs. Therefore, the present study addresses this deficit by providing clear guidance on discretisation levels required for achieving accurate but computationally inexpensive models. This is achieved by comparing numerical models of varying discretisation levels to benchmark analytical solutions with prediction accuracy assessed and reported in terms of governing dimensionless parameters, Biot and Fourier numbers, to ensure generality of findings. Furthermore, spatial and temporal discretisation errors are separated and assessed independently. Contour plots are presented to intuitively determine the optimal discretisation levels and time-steps required to achieve accurate thermal response predictions. Simulations derived from these contour plots were tested against various building conditions with excellent agreement observed throughout. Additionally, various scenarios are highlighted where the classical single lumped capacitance model can be applied for Biot numbers much greater than 0.1 without reducing accuracy. - Highlights: • Addressing the problems of inadequate discretisation within building energy models. • Accuracy of numerical models assessed against analytical solutions. • Fourier and Biot numbers used to provide generality of results for any material. • Contour plots offer intuitive way to interpret results for manual discretisation. • Results show proposed technique promising for automation of discretisation process.

  20. A model for (re)building consumer trust in the food system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Annabelle M; Withall, Elizabeth; Coveney, John; Meyer, Samantha B; Henderson, Julie; McCullum, Dean; Webb, Trevor; Ward, Paul R

    2017-12-01

    The article presents a best practice model that can be utilized by food system actors to assist with (re)building trust in the food system, before, during and after a food incident defined as 'any situation within the food supply chain where there is a risk or potential risk of illness or confirmed illness or injury associated with the consumption of a food or foods' (Commonwealth of Australia. National Food Incident Response Protocol. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012). Interviews were undertaken with 105 actors working within the media, food industry and food regulatory settings across Australia, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). Interview data produced strategy statements, which indicated participant views on how to (re)build consumer trust in the food system. These included: (i) be transparent, (ii) have protocols and procedures in place, (iii) be credible, (iv) be proactive, (v) put consumers first, (vi) collaborate with stakeholders, (vii) be consistent, (viii) educate stakeholders and consumers, (ix) build your reputation and (x) keep your promises. A survey was designed to enable participants to indicate their agreement/disagreement with the ideas, rate their importance and provide further comment. The five strategies considered key to (re)building consumer trust were used to develop a model demonstrating best practice strategies for (re)building consumer trust in the food system before, during and after a food incident. In a world where the food system is increasingly complex, strategies for (re)building and fostering consumer trust are important. This study offers a model to do so which is derived from the views and experiences of actors working across the food industry, food regulation and the media. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Adapting to change: The role of the right hemisphere in mental model building and updating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filipowicz, Alex; Anderson, Britt; Danckert, James

    2016-09-01

    We recently proposed that the right hemisphere plays a crucial role in the processes underlying mental model building and updating. Here, we review the evidence we and others have garnered to support this novel account of right hemisphere function. We begin by presenting evidence from patient work that suggests a critical role for the right hemisphere in the ability to learn from the statistics in the environment (model building) and adapt to environmental change (model updating). We then provide a review of neuroimaging research that highlights a network of brain regions involved in mental model updating. Next, we outline specific roles for particular regions within the network such that the anterior insula is purported to maintain the current model of the environment, the medial prefrontal cortex determines when to explore new or alternative models, and the inferior parietal lobule represents salient and surprising information with respect to the current model. We conclude by proposing some future directions that address some of the outstanding questions in the field of mental model building and updating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. The theoretical modelling of aerosol behaviour within containment buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunbar, I.H.

    1988-01-01

    The modelling of the deposition of aerosol particles within the containment building plays an important part in determining the effectiveness of the building in reducing releases of activity following accidents. This paper describes attempts to ensure the accuracy of computer codes which model aerosol behaviour, with special reference to the code AEROSIM-M. Code intercomparisons have been used to test the reliability of the coding and the accuracy of the numerical methods. Those codes which assume that the particle size distribution is always lognormal give significantly different results from those which do not make this assumption but instead discretise the range of particle sizes. When the same physical assumptions are made, the predictions of different discrete codes are in reasonable agreement. In comparisons between an earlier version of AEROSIM and sodium fire experiments, the code achieved good agreement on the overall time-scale of deposition. An extensive set of tests of AEROSIM-M against experiments relevant to LWR conditions is underway. (author)

  3. STOCHASTIC AND GEOMETRIC REASONING FOR INDOOR BUILDING MODELS WITH ELECTRIC INSTALLATIONS – BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN GIS AND BIM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Dehbi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available 3D city and building models according to CityGML encode the geometry, represent the structure and model semantically relevant building parts such as doors, windows and balconies. Building information models support the building design, construction and the facility management. In contrast to CityGML, they include also objects which cannot be observed from the outside. The three dimensional indoor models characterize a missing link between both worlds. Their derivation, however, is expensive. The semantic automatic interpretation of 3D point clouds of indoor environments is a methodically demanding task. The data acquisition is costly and difficult. The laser scanners and image-based methods require the access to every room. Based on an approach which does not require an additional geometry acquisition of building indoors, we propose an attempt for filling the gaps between 3D building models and building information models. Based on sparse observations such as the building footprint and room areas, 3D indoor models are generated using combinatorial and stochastic reasoning. The derived models are expanded by a-priori not observable structures such as electric installation. Gaussian mixtures, linear and bi-linear constraints are used to represent the background knowledge and structural regularities. The derivation of hypothesised models is performed by stochastic reasoning using graphical models, Gauss-Markov models and MAP-estimators.

  4. Modeling of electromigration salt removal methods in building materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johannesson, Björn; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

    2008-01-01

    for salt attack of various kinds, is one potential method to preserve old building envelopes. By establishing a model for ionic multi-species diffusion, which also accounts for external applied electrical fields, it is proposed that an important complement to the experimental tests and that verification...... with its ionic mobility properties. It is, further, assumed that Gauss’s law can be used to calculate the internal electrical field induced by the diffusion it self. In this manner the external electrical field applied can be modeled, simply, by assigning proper boundary conditions for the equation...

  5. Voluminator 2.0 - Speeding up the Approximation of the Volume of Defective 3d Building Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sindram, M.; Machl, T.; Steuer, H.; Pültz, M.; Kolbe, T. H.

    2016-06-01

    Semantic 3D city models are increasingly used as a data source in planning and analyzing processes of cities. They represent a virtual copy of the reality and are a common information base and source of information for examining urban questions. A significant advantage of virtual city models is that important indicators such as the volume of buildings, topological relationships between objects and other geometric as well as thematic information can be derived. Knowledge about the exact building volume is an essential base for estimating the building energy demand. In order to determine the volume of buildings with conventional algorithms and tools, the buildings may not contain any topological and geometrical errors. The reality, however, shows that city models very often contain errors such as missing surfaces, duplicated faces and misclosures. To overcome these errors (Steuer et al., 2015) have presented a robust method for approximating the volume of building models. For this purpose, a bounding box of the building is divided into a regular grid of voxels and it is determined which voxels are inside the building. The regular arrangement of the voxels leads to a high number of topological tests and prevents the application of this method using very high resolutions. In this paper we present an extension of the algorithm using an octree approach limiting the subdivision of space to regions around surfaces of the building models and to regions where, in the case of defective models, the topological tests are inconclusive. We show that the computation time can be significantly reduced, while preserving the robustness against geometrical and topological errors.

  6. Dynamics-Based Stranded-Crowd Model for Evacuation in Building Bottlenecks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidi Huang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In high-density public buildings, it is difficult to evacuate. So in this paper, we propose a novel quantitative evacuation model to insure people’s safety and reduce the risk of crowding. We analyze the mechanism of arch-like clogging phenomena during evacuation and the influencing factors in emergency situations at bottleneck passages; then we design a model based on crowd dynamics and apply the model to a stadium example. The example is used to compare evacuation results of crowd density with different egress widths in stranded zones. The results show this model proposed can guide the safe and dangerous egress widths in performance design and can help evacuation routes to be selected and optimized.

  7. Building a Democratic Model of Science Teaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhadi Ibnu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Earlier in the last century, learning in science, as was learning in other disciplines, was developed according to the philosophy of behaviorism. This did not serve the purposes of learning in science properly, as the students were forced to absorb information transferred from the main and the only source of learning, the teacher. Towards the end of the century a significant shift from behaviorism to constructivism philosophy took place. The shift promoted the development of more democratic models of learning in science which provided greater opportunities to the students to act as real scientist, chattering for the building of knowledge and scientific skills. Considering the characteristics of science and the characteristics of the students as active learners, the shift towards democratic models of learning is unavoidable and is merely a matter of time

  8. Determination of the Thermal Insulation for the Model Building Approach and the Global Effects in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cenk Onan

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available One of the most important considerations to be considered in the design of energy efficient buildings is the thickness of the insulation to be applied to the building. In this study the existing building stock in Turkey has been investigated depending on parameters such as the height and the area. A model building has been created covering all of these buildings. Fuel emission reduction of combustion system was calculated in the case of insulation applied to this model building. Heat loss of the existing building stock and exhaust emissions and the contribution to the country's economy with the model building methodology are also determined. The results show that the optimum insulation thicknesses vary between 3.21 and 7.12 cm, the energy savings vary between 9.23 US$/m2 and43.95 US$/m2, and the payback periods vary between 1 and 8.8 years depending on the regions. As a result of the study when the optimum insulation thickness is applied in the model building, the total energy savings for the country are calculated to be 41.7 billion US$. And also total CO2 emissions for the country are calculated to be 57.2 billion kg CO2 per year after insulation.

  9. RESRAD-Build: A model to estimate dose from contaminated structures. Innovative technology summary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-12-01

    The RESRAD-BUILD model is an exposure pathway and analysis code used to determine whether radiologically contaminated buildings and structures can be free released for a specific land use (e.g., residential or industrial). The model provides estimates of dose to a hypothetical receptor from the structure. The RESRAD-BUILD technology can calculate dose from variety of site-specific hypothetical scenarios, decay-time intervals, and radionuclides. When using the RESRAD-BUILD code, specific project assumptions must be developed with the appropriate regulatory agencies, especially the cleanup criteria and the exposure scenario to be used. The C Reactor demonstration of RESRAD-BUILD modeled hypothetical future use of below grade portions of the reactor building complex. A residential exposure scenario with a cleanup criteria of 15 mrem/yr above background (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] draft guidance) was used to coordinate decommissioning with adjacent ongoing remedial actions conducted in accordance with an existing Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) Record of Decision. This paper gives a description of the technology and discusses its performance, applications, cost, regulatory and policy issues, and lessons learned

  10. RESRAD-BUILD: A model to estimate dose from contaminated structures. Innovative technology summary report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-12-01

    The RESRAD-BUILD model is an exposure pathway and analysis code used to determine whether radiologically contaminated buildings and structures can be free released for a specific land use (e.g., residential or industrial). The model provides estimates of dose to a hypothetical receptor from the structure. The RESRAD-BUILD technology can calculate dose from variety of site-specific hypothetical scenarios, decay-time intervals, and radionuclides. When using the RESRAD-BUILD code, specific project assumptions must be developed with the appropriate regulatory agencies, especially the cleanup criteria and the exposure scenario to be used. The C Reactor demonstration of RESRAD-BUILD modeled hypothetical future use of below grade portions of the reactor building complex. A residential exposure scenario with a cleanup criteria of 15 mrem/yr above background (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] draft guidance) was used to coordinate decommissioning with adjacent ongoing remedial actions conducted in accordance with an existing Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) Record of Decision. This paper gives a description of the technology and discusses its performance, applications, cost, regulatory and policy issues, and lessons learned.

  11. Development of a Mobile Application for Building Energy Prediction Using Performance Prediction Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Ri Kim

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the Korean government has enforced disclosure of building energy performance, so that such information can help owners and prospective buyers to make suitable investment plans. Such a building energy performance policy of the government makes it mandatory for the building owners to obtain engineering audits and thereby evaluate the energy performance levels of their buildings. However, to calculate energy performance levels (i.e., asset rating methodology, a qualified expert needs to have access to at least the full project documentation and/or conduct an on-site inspection of the buildings. Energy performance certification costs a lot of time and money. Moreover, the database of certified buildings is still actually quite small. A need, therefore, is increasing for a simplified and user-friendly energy performance prediction tool for non-specialists. Also, a database which allows building owners and users to compare best practices is required. In this regard, the current study developed a simplified performance prediction model through experimental design, energy simulations and ANOVA (analysis of variance. Furthermore, using the new prediction model, a related mobile application was also developed.

  12. Object-Oriented Database for Managing Building Modeling Components and Metadata: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Long, N.; Fleming, K.; Brackney, L.

    2011-12-01

    Building simulation enables users to explore and evaluate multiple building designs. When tools for optimization, parametrics, and uncertainty analysis are combined with analysis engines, the sheer number of discrete simulation datasets makes it difficult to keep track of the inputs. The integrity of the input data is critical to designers, engineers, and researchers for code compliance, validation, and building commissioning long after the simulations are finished. This paper discusses an application that stores inputs needed for building energy modeling in a searchable, indexable, flexible, and scalable database to help address the problem of managing simulation input data.

  13. Numerical model for stack gas diffusion in terrain with buildings. Variations in air flow and gas concentration with additional building near stack

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sada, Koichi; Michioka, Takenobu; Ichikawa, Yoichi; Komiyama, Sumito; Numata, Kunio

    2009-01-01

    A numerical simulation method for predicting atmospheric flow and stack gas diffusion using a calculation domain of several km around a stack under complex terrain conditions containing buildings has been developed. The turbulence closure technique using a modified k-ε-type model without a hydrostatic approximation was used for flow calculation, and some of the calculation grids near the ground were treated as buildings using a terrain-following coordinate system. Stack gas diffusion was predicted using the Lagrangian particle model, that is, the stack gas was represented by trajectories of released particles. The developed numerical model was applied to a virtual terrain and building conditions in this study prior to the applications of a numerical model for real terrain and building conditions. The height of the additional building (H a ), located about 200 m leeward from the stack, was varied (i.e., H a =0, 20, 30 and 50 m), and its effects on airflow and the concentration of stack gas at a released height of 75 m were calculated. Furthermore, effective stack height, which was used in the safety analysis of atmospheric diffusion for nuclear facilities in Japan, was evaluated from the calculated ground-level concentration of stack gas. The cavity region behind the additional building was calculated, and turbulence near the cavity was observed to decrease when the additional building was present. According to these flow variations with the additional building, tracer gas tended to diffuse to the ground surface rapidly with the additional building at the leeward position of the cavity, and the ground-level stack gas concentration along the plume axis also increased with the height of the additional building. However, the variations in effective stack height with the height of the additional building were relatively small and ranged within several m in this study. (author)

  14. Automated main-chain model building by template matching and iterative fragment extension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terwilliger, Thomas C

    2003-01-01

    An algorithm for the automated macromolecular model building of polypeptide backbones is described. The procedure is hierarchical. In the initial stages, many overlapping polypeptide fragments are built. In subsequent stages, the fragments are extended and then connected. Identification of the locations of helical and beta-strand regions is carried out by FFT-based template matching. Fragment libraries of helices and beta-strands from refined protein structures are then positioned at the potential locations of helices and strands and the longest segments that fit the electron-density map are chosen. The helices and strands are then extended using fragment libraries consisting of sequences three amino acids long derived from refined protein structures. The resulting segments of polypeptide chain are then connected by choosing those which overlap at two or more C(alpha) positions. The fully automated procedure has been implemented in RESOLVE and is capable of model building at resolutions as low as 3.5 A. The algorithm is useful for building a preliminary main-chain model that can serve as a basis for refinement and side-chain addition.

  15. The implementation of assessment model based on character building to improve students’ discipline and achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusijono; Khotimah, K.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of implementing the assessment model based on character building to improve discipline and student’s achievement. Assessment model based on character building includes three components, which are the behaviour of students, the efforts, and student’s achievement. This assessment model based on the character building is implemented in science philosophy and educational assessment courses, in Graduate Program of Educational Technology Department, Educational Faculty, Universitas Negeri Surabaya. This research used control group pre-test and post-test design. Data collection method used in this research were observation and test. The observation was used to collect the data about the disciplines of the student in the instructional process, while the test was used to collect the data about student’s achievement. Moreover, the study applied t-test to the analysis of data. The result of this research showed that assessment model based on character building improved discipline and student’s achievement.

  16. Directions for model building from asymptotic safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, Andrew D.; Hiller, Gudrun; Kowalska, Kamila; Litim, Daniel F.

    2017-08-01

    Building on recent advances in the understanding of gauge-Yukawa theories we explore possibilities to UV-complete the Standard Model in an asymptotically safe manner. Minimal extensions are based on a large flavor sector of additional fermions coupled to a scalar singlet matrix field. We find that asymptotic safety requires fermions in higher representations of SU(3) C × SU(2) L . Possible signatures at colliders are worked out and include R-hadron searches, diboson signatures and the evolution of the strong and weak coupling constants.

  17. Matching Aerial Images to 3D Building Models Using Context-Based Geometric Hashing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaewook Jung

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A city is a dynamic entity, which environment is continuously changing over time. Accordingly, its virtual city models also need to be regularly updated to support accurate model-based decisions for various applications, including urban planning, emergency response and autonomous navigation. A concept of continuous city modeling is to progressively reconstruct city models by accommodating their changes recognized in spatio-temporal domain, while preserving unchanged structures. A first critical step for continuous city modeling is to coherently register remotely sensed data taken at different epochs with existing building models. This paper presents a new model-to-image registration method using a context-based geometric hashing (CGH method to align a single image with existing 3D building models. This model-to-image registration process consists of three steps: (1 feature extraction; (2 similarity measure; and matching, and (3 estimating exterior orientation parameters (EOPs of a single image. For feature extraction, we propose two types of matching cues: edged corner features representing the saliency of building corner points with associated edges, and contextual relations among the edged corner features within an individual roof. A set of matched corners are found with given proximity measure through geometric hashing, and optimal matches are then finally determined by maximizing the matching cost encoding contextual similarity between matching candidates. Final matched corners are used for adjusting EOPs of the single airborne image by the least square method based on collinearity equations. The result shows that acceptable accuracy of EOPs of a single image can be achievable using the proposed registration approach as an alternative to a labor-intensive manual registration process.

  18. Reducing the operational energy demand in buildings using building information modeling tools and sustainability approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojtaba Valinejad Shoubi

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available A sustainable building is constructed of materials that could decrease environmental impacts, such as energy usage, during the lifecycle of the building. Building Information Modeling (BIM has been identified as an effective tool for building performance analysis virtually in the design stage. The main aims of this study were to assess various combinations of materials using BIM and identify alternative, sustainable solutions to reduce operational energy consumption. The amount of energy consumed by a double story bungalow house in Johor, Malaysia, and assessments of alternative material configurations to determine the best energy performance were evaluated by using Revit Architecture 2012 and Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software to show which of the materials helped in reducing the operational energy use of the building to the greatest extent throughout its annual life cycle. At the end, some alternative, sustainable designs in terms of energy savings have been suggested.

  19. Comparison of Demand Response Performance with an EnergyPlus Model in a Low Energy Campus Building

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dudley, Junqiao Han; Black, Doug; Apte, Mike; Piette, Mary Ann; Berkeley, Pam

    2010-05-14

    We have studied a low energy building on a campus of the University of California. It has efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, consisting of a dual-fan/dual-duct variable air volume (VAV) system. As a major building on the campus, it was included in two demand response (DR) events in the summers of 2008 and 2009. With chilled water supplied by thermal energy storage in the central plant, cooling fans played a critical role during DR events. In this paper, an EnergyPlus model of the building was developed and calibrated. We compared both whole-building and HVAC fan energy consumption with model predictions to understand why demand savings in 2009 were much lower than in 2008. We also used model simulations of the study building to assess pre-cooling, a strategy that has been shown to improve demand saving and thermal comfort in many types of building. This study indicates a properly calibrated EnergyPlus model can reasonably predict demand savings from DR events and can be useful for designing or optimizing DR strategies.

  20. Use of noncrystallographic symmetry for automated model building at medium to low resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegels, Tim; Lamzin, Victor S

    2012-04-01

    A novel method is presented for the automatic detection of noncrystallographic symmetry (NCS) in macromolecular crystal structure determination which does not require the derivation of molecular masks or the segmentation of density. It was found that throughout structure determination the NCS-related parts may be differently pronounced in the electron density. This often results in the modelling of molecular fragments of variable length and accuracy, especially during automated model-building procedures. These fragments were used to identify NCS relations in order to aid automated model building and refinement. In a number of test cases higher completeness and greater accuracy of the obtained structures were achieved, specifically at a crystallographic resolution of 2.3 Å or poorer. In the best case, the method allowed the building of up to 15% more residues automatically and a tripling of the average length of the built fragments.

  1. A ROADMAP FOR GENERATING SEMANTICALLY ENRICHED BUILDING MODELS ACCORDING TO CITYGML MODEL VIA TWO DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Floros

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The methodologies of 3D modeling techniques have increasingly increased due to the rapid advances of new technologies. Nowadays, the focus of 3D modeling software is focused, not only to the finest visualization of the models, but also in their semantic features during the modeling procedure. As a result, the models thus generated are both realistic and semantically enriched. Additionally, various extensions of modeling software allow for the immediate conversion of the model’s format, via semi-automatic procedures with respect to the user’s scope. The aim of this paper is to investigate the generation of a semantically enriched Citygml building model via two different methodologies. The first methodology includes the modeling in Trimble SketchUp and the transformation in FME Desktop Manager, while the second methodology includes the model’s generation in CityEngine and its transformation in the CityGML format via the 3DCitiesProject extension for ArcGIS. Finally, the two aforesaid methodologies are being compared and specific characteristics are evaluated, in order to infer the methodology that is best applied depending on the different projects’ purposes.

  2. From Point Clouds to Building Information Models: 3D Semi-Automatic Reconstruction of Indoors of Existing Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hélène Macher

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The creation of as-built Building Information Models requires the acquisition of the as-is state of existing buildings. Laser scanners are widely used to achieve this goal since they permit to collect information about object geometry in form of point clouds and provide a large amount of accurate data in a very fast way and with a high level of details. Unfortunately, the scan-to-BIM (Building Information Model process remains currently largely a manual process which is time consuming and error-prone. In this paper, a semi-automatic approach is presented for the 3D reconstruction of indoors of existing buildings from point clouds. Several segmentations are performed so that point clouds corresponding to grounds, ceilings and walls are extracted. Based on these point clouds, walls and slabs of buildings are reconstructed and described in the IFC format in order to be integrated into BIM software. The assessment of the approach is proposed thanks to two datasets. The evaluation items are the degree of automation, the transferability of the approach and the geometric quality of results of the 3D reconstruction. Additionally, quality indexes are introduced to inspect the results in order to be able to detect potential errors of reconstruction.

  3. Comparative analysis of modified PMV models and SET models to predict human thermal sensation in naturally ventilated buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gao, Jie; Wang, Yi; Wargocki, Pawel

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, a comparative analysis was performed on the human thermal sensation estimated by modified predicted mean vote (PMV) models and modified standard effective temperature (SET) models in naturally ventilated buildings; the data were collected in field study. These prediction models were....../s, the expectancy factors for the extended PMV model and the extended SET model were from 0.770 to 0.974 and from 1.330 to 1.363, and the adaptive coefficients for the adaptive PMV model and the adaptive SET model were from 0.029 to 0.167 and from-0.213 to-0.195. In addition, the difference in thermal sensation...... between the measured and predicted values using the modified PMV models exceeded 25%, while the difference between the measured thermal sensation and the predicted thermal sensation using modified SET models was approximately less than 25%. It is concluded that the modified SET models can predict human...

  4. Agent-based modeling: a new approach for theory building in social psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Eliot R; Conrey, Frederica R

    2007-02-01

    Most social and psychological phenomena occur not as the result of isolated decisions by individuals but rather as the result of repeated interactions between multiple individuals over time. Yet the theory-building and modeling techniques most commonly used in social psychology are less than ideal for understanding such dynamic and interactive processes. This article describes an alternative approach to theory building, agent-based modeling (ABM), which involves simulation of large numbers of autonomous agents that interact with each other and with a simulated environment and the observation of emergent patterns from their interactions. The authors believe that the ABM approach is better able than prevailing approaches in the field, variable-based modeling (VBM) techniques such as causal modeling, to capture types of complex, dynamic, interactive processes so important in the social world. The article elaborates several important contrasts between ABM and VBM and offers specific recommendations for learning more and applying the ABM approach.

  5. Building a risk-targeted regional seismic hazard model for South-East Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woessner, J.; Nyst, M.; Seyhan, E.

    2015-12-01

    The last decade has tragically shown the social and economic vulnerability of countries in South-East Asia to earthquake hazard and risk. While many disaster mitigation programs and initiatives to improve societal earthquake resilience are under way with the focus on saving lives and livelihoods, the risk management sector is challenged to develop appropriate models to cope with the economic consequences and impact on the insurance business. We present the source model and ground motions model components suitable for a South-East Asia earthquake risk model covering Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indochine countries. The source model builds upon refined modelling approaches to characterize 1) seismic activity from geologic and geodetic data on crustal faults and 2) along the interface of subduction zones and within the slabs and 3) earthquakes not occurring on mapped fault structures. We elaborate on building a self-consistent rate model for the hazardous crustal fault systems (e.g. Sumatra fault zone, Philippine fault zone) as well as the subduction zones, showcase some characteristics and sensitivities due to existing uncertainties in the rate and hazard space using a well selected suite of ground motion prediction equations. Finally, we analyze the source model by quantifying the contribution by source type (e.g., subduction zone, crustal fault) to typical risk metrics (e.g.,return period losses, average annual loss) and reviewing their relative impact on various lines of businesses.

  6. A diffusivity model for predicting VOC diffusion in porous building materials based on fractal theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Yanfeng; Zhou, Xiaojun; Wang, Dengjia; Song, Cong; Liu, Jiaping

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Fractal theory is introduced into the prediction of VOC diffusion coefficient. • MSFC model of the diffusion coefficient is developed for porous building materials. • The MSFC model contains detailed pore structure parameters. • The accuracy of the MSFC model is verified by independent experiments. - Abstract: Most building materials are porous media, and the internal diffusion coefficients of such materials have an important influences on the emission characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The pore structure of porous building materials has a significant impact on the diffusion coefficient. However, the complex structural characteristics bring great difficulties to the model development. The existing prediction models of the diffusion coefficient are flawed and need to be improved. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests of typical porous building materials, this study developed a new diffusivity model: the multistage series-connection fractal capillary-bundle (MSFC) model. The model considers the variable-diameter capillaries formed by macropores connected in series as the main mass transfer paths, and the diameter distribution of the capillary bundles obeys a fractal power law in the cross section. In addition, the tortuosity of the macrocapillary segments with different diameters is obtained by the fractal theory. Mesopores serve as the connections between the macrocapillary segments rather than as the main mass transfer paths. The theoretical results obtained using the MSFC model yielded a highly accurate prediction of the diffusion coefficients and were in a good agreement with the VOC concentration measurements in the environmental test chamber.

  7. Modeling the Temperature Effect of Orientations in Residential Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabahat Arif

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Indoor thermal comfort in a building has been an important issue for the environmental sustainability. It is an accepted fact that their designs and planning consume a lot of energy in the modern architecture of 20th and 21st centuries. An appropriate orientation of a building can provide thermally comfortable indoor temperatures which otherwise can consume extra energy to condition these spaces through all the seasons. This experimental study investigates the potential effect of this solar passive design strategy on indoor temperatures and a simple model is presented for predicting indoor temperatures based upon the ambient temperatures.

  8. Modeling of a Novel Low-Exergy System for Office Buildings with Modelica

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maccarini, Alessandro; Afshari, Alireza; Hultmark, Göran

    2016-01-01

    This paper aims to investigate the thermal behavior of a novel low-exergy system for office buildings. The main characteristic of the system is its ability to provide simultaneous heating and cooling by operating one water circuit. Inlet water temperature of about 22 °C is delivered to all...... the thermal zones in the building, no matter whether a single zone needs heating or cooling. This approach clearly differs from conventional systems where simultaneous heating and cooling is provided by two separated water circuits. A detailed model of the novel system was developed with Dymola, a modeling...

  9. Modeling impact damper in building frames using GAP element

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Mehdi Zahrai

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Main effective factor in impact dampers to control vibration is to create disruption in structural oscillation amplitude using small forces induced by auxiliary masses to reduce strong vibrations. So far, modeling of the impact damper has been conducted solely through MATLAB software. Naturally, the functional aspects of this software are limited in research and development aspects compared to the common programs such as SAP2000 and ETABS. In this paper, a Single Degree of Freedom System, SDOF, is first modeled under harmonic loading with maximum amplitude of 0.4g in SAP2000 program. Then, the results are compared with numerical model. In this way, the proposed model is validated and the SDOF system equipped with an impact damper is investigated under the Kobe and Northridge earthquake records using SAP2000 model. Based on obtained results, the system equipped with an impact damper under the Kobe and Northridge earthquakes for structures considered in this study would have better seismic performance in which maximum displacements are reduced 6% and 33% respectively. Finally, impact dampers are modeled in a 4-story building structure with concentric bracing leading to 12% reduction in story drifts.

  10. Investigating the impact of different thermal comfort models for zero energy buildings in hot climates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Attia, S.G.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2014-01-01

    The selection of a thermal comfort model has a major impact on energy consumption of Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) in hot climates. The objective of this paper is to compare the influence of using different comfort models for zero energy buildings in hot climates. The paper compares the impact

  11. Actual building energy use patterns and their implications for predictive modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heidarinejad, Mohammad; Cedeño-Laurent, Jose G.; Wentz, Joshua R.; Rekstad, Nicholas M.; Spengler, John D.; Srebric, Jelena

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Developed three building categories based on energy use patterns of campus buildings. • Evaluated implication of temporal energy data granularity on predictive modeling. • Demonstrated importance of monitoring daily chilled water consumption. • Identified interval electricity data as an indicator of building operation schedules. • Demonstrated a calibration process for energy modeling of a campus building. - Abstract: The main goal of this study is to understand the patterns in which commercial buildings consume energy, rather than evaluating building energy use based on aggregate utility bills typically linked to building principal tenant activity or occupancy type. The energy consumption patterns define buildings as externally-load, internally-load, or mixed-load dominated buildings. Penn State and Harvard campuses serve as case studies for this particular research project. The buildings in these two campuses use steam, chilled water, and electricity as energy commodities and maintain databases of different resolutions to include minute, hourly, daily, and monthly data instances depending on the commodity and available data acquisition system. The results of this study show monthly steam consumption directly correlates to outdoor environmental conditions for 88% of the studied buildings, while chilled water consumption has negligible correlation to the outdoor environmental conditions. Thus, in terms of monthly chilled water consumption, 86% of buildings are internally-load and mixed-load dominated, respectively. Chilled water consumption is better suited for the daily analyses compared to the monthly and hourly analyses. While the influence of building operation schedules affects the analyses at the hourly level, the monthly chilled water consumptions are not good indicators of the building energy consumption patterns. Electricity consumption at the monthly (or seasonal) level can support the building energy simulation tools for the

  12. An expandable software model for collaborative decision making during the whole building life cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papamichael, K.; Pal, V.; Bourassa, N.; Loffeld, J.; Capeluto, G.

    2000-01-01

    Decisions throughout the life cycle of a building, from design through construction and commissioning to operation and demolition, require the involvement of multiple interested parties (e.g., architects, engineers, owners, occupants and facility managers). The performance of alternative designs and courses of action must be assessed with respect to multiple performance criteria, such as comfort, aesthetics, energy, cost and environmental impact. Several stand-alone computer tools are currently available that address specific performance issues during various stages of a building's life cycle. Some of these tools support collaboration by providing means for synchronous and asynchronous communications, performance simulations, and monitoring of a variety of performance parameters involved in decisions about a building during building operation. However, these tools are not linked in any way, so significant work is required to maintain and distribute information to all parties. In this paper we describe a software model that provides the data management and process control required for collaborative decision making throughout a building's life cycle. The requirements for the model are delineated addressing data and process needs for decision making at different stages of a building's life cycle. The software model meets these requirements and allows addition of any number of processes and support databases over time. What makes the model infinitely expandable is that it is a very generic conceptualization (or abstraction) of processes as relations among data. The software model supports multiple concurrent users, and facilitates discussion and debate leading to decision making. The software allows users to define rules and functions for automating tasks and alerting all participants to issues that need attention. It supports management of simulated as well as real data and continuously generates information useful for improving performance prediction and

  13. A model for the build-up of disordered material in ion bombarded Si

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, R.S.

    1977-01-01

    A new model based on experimental observation is developed for the build-up of disordered material in ion bombarded silicon. The model assumes that disordered zones are created in a background of migrating point defects, these zones then act as neutral sinks for such defects which interact with the zones and cause recrystallization. A simple steady state rate theory is developed to describe the build-up of disordered material with ion dose as a function of temperature. In general the theory predicts two distinct behaviour patterns depending on the temperature and the ion mass, namely a linear build-up with dose to complete disorder for heavy bombarding ions and a build-up to saturation at a relatively low level for light ions such as protons. However, in some special circumstances a transition region is predicted where the build-up of disorder approximately follows a (dose)sup(1/2) relationship before reverting to a linear behaviour at high dose. (author)

  14. Accuracy Assessment of a Complex Building 3d Model Reconstructed from Images Acquired with a Low-Cost Uas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oniga, E.; Chirilă, C.; Stătescu, F.

    2017-02-01

    Nowadays, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) are a wide used technique for acquisition in order to create buildings 3D models, providing the acquisition of a high number of images at very high resolution or video sequences, in a very short time. Since low-cost UASs are preferred, the accuracy of a building 3D model created using this platforms must be evaluated. To achieve results, the dean's office building from the Faculty of "Hydrotechnical Engineering, Geodesy and Environmental Engineering" of Iasi, Romania, has been chosen, which is a complex shape building with the roof formed of two hyperbolic paraboloids. Seven points were placed on the ground around the building, three of them being used as GCPs, while the remaining four as Check points (CPs) for accuracy assessment. Additionally, the coordinates of 10 natural CPs representing the building characteristic points were measured with a Leica TCR 405 total station. The building 3D model was created as a point cloud which was automatically generated based on digital images acquired with the low-cost UASs, using the image matching algorithm and different software like 3DF Zephyr, Visual SfM, PhotoModeler Scanner and Drone2Map for ArcGIS. Except for the PhotoModeler Scanner software, the interior and exterior orientation parameters were determined simultaneously by solving a self-calibrating bundle adjustment. Based on the UAS point clouds, automatically generated by using the above mentioned software and GNSS data respectively, the parameters of the east side hyperbolic paraboloid were calculated using the least squares method and a statistical blunder detection. Then, in order to assess the accuracy of the building 3D model, several comparisons were made for the facades and the roof with reference data, considered with minimum errors: TLS mesh for the facades and GNSS mesh for the roof. Finally, the front facade of the building was created in 3D based on its characteristic points using the PhotoModeler Scanner

  15. From 2D to 3D: Using Illumination Cones to Build 3d Face Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, S S; Jin, M

    2006-01-01

    To solve the problem derivate by lighting condition and position of the camera, a new method using illumination cones to build 3d face model has been proposed. Due to illumination variability, the same object can show dramatic difference even as being viewed in fixed pose. To handle this variability, an object recognition system must employ a representation that is either invariant to, or can model this variability. The proposed technique presents an appearance-based method for modeling the variability due to illumination in the images of objects. The method differs from past appearance-based methods. Evenmore, a small set of training images is used to generate a representation that the illumination cone models the complete set of images of an object with Lambertian reflectance surface under a combination of arbitrary point light sources at infinity. After building up the illumination cones, researches focus on how to present the 3d model of the face. Combining illumination and texture feature to build up 3d model of the face make it easy solving the problem in recognition of face under different pose

  16. Product Modelling for Building Design: Annotated Bibliography (2nd Edition)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galle, Per

    1999-01-01

    This bibliography concerns research publications from 1976 to 1994-5, on product modelling in computer aided architectural design and computer aided engineering design of buildings and their surroundings. For each item of literature, full bibliographic information is given whenever available...... of literature is offered on machine interpretation of drawings, which may be relevant in the context of information exchange among different product models. Although the bibliography is fairly comprehensive as far as it goes, no completeness of coverage is claimed....

  17. Modelling the effects of phase change materials on the energy use in buildings. Results of Experiments and System Dynamics Modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prins, J.

    2012-02-15

    The current era is in need for more and more sustainable energy solutions. Phase Change Materials (PCM's) are a solution for a more sustainable build environment because they can help to reduce the energy use of buildings during heating and cooling of the indoor air. This paper presents the results of recent experiments that have been executed with test boxes. In addition a System Dynamics model has been developed to find out how PCM's can be used efficiently without testing in reality. The first experiment, in which PCM's were applied in a concrete floor, shows a reduction of peak temperatures with 4C {+-} 0.7C on maximum temperatures and over 1.5C {+-} 0.7C on minimum temperatures during warm periods. The model confirmed these findings, although the predicted reductions were slightly. During the second experiment more PCM's were applied by mounting them into the walls using gypsum plasterboard to increase the latent heat capacity. Remarkably, both the experimental set-up as the model showed that the increase of PCM's (of almost 98%) causes hardly any difference compared to the first situation. Adapting the exterior in a way to absorb more solar energy, increases the average indoor temperature but decreases the reduction of peak temperatures. Again the model confirmed these findings of the experiment. These results show that the effect of PCM's varies on different climatological contexts and with different construction components physics. This means no straight forward advice on the use of PCM's for a building design can be given. The solution for this problem is provided by the model, showing that the effects of PCM's can be modelled in order to use PCM's in an effective way in different climatological contexts and with different characteristics of construction components. The research shows that a simple model is already capable of predicting PCM performance in test boxes with reasonable accuracy. Therefore it can be

  18. From neurons to nests: nest-building behaviour as a model in behavioural and comparative neuroscience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Zachary J; Meddle, Simone L; Healy, Susan D

    Despite centuries of observing the nest building of most extant bird species, we know surprisingly little about how birds build nests and, specifically, how the avian brain controls nest building. Here, we argue that nest building in birds may be a useful model behaviour in which to study how the brain controls behaviour. Specifically, we argue that nest building as a behavioural model provides a unique opportunity to study not only the mechanisms through which the brain controls behaviour within individuals of a single species but also how evolution may have shaped the brain to produce interspecific variation in nest-building behaviour. In this review, we outline the questions in both behavioural and comparative neuroscience that nest building could be used to address, summarize recent findings regarding the neurobiology of nest building in lab-reared zebra finches and across species building different nest structures, and suggest some future directions for the neurobiology of nest building.

  19. Theory Building- Towards an understanding of business model innovation processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taran, Yariv; Boer, Harry; Lindgren, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Companies today, in some industries more than others, invest more capital and resources just to stay competitive, develop more diverse solutions, and increasingly start to think more radically, when considering to innovate their business model. However, the development and innovation of business...... models is a complex venture and has not been widely researched yet. The objective of this paper is therefore 1) to build a [descriptive] theoretical understanding, based on Christensen's (2005) three-step procedure, to business models and their innovation and, as a result of that, 2) to strengthen...... researchers' and practitioners' perspectives as to how the process of business model innovation can be realized. By using various researchers' perspectives and assumptions, we identify relevant inconsistencies, which consequently lead us to propose possible supplementary solutions. We conclude our paper...

  20. A statistical modeling approach to build expert credit risk rating systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Waagepetersen, Rasmus

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents an efficient method for extracting expert knowledge when building a credit risk rating system. Experts are asked to rate a sample of counterparty cases according to creditworthiness. Next, a statistical model is used to capture the relation between the characteristics...... of a counterparty and the expert rating. For any counterparty the model can identify the rating, which would be agreed upon by the majority of experts. Furthermore, the model can quantify the concurrence among experts. The approach is illustrated by a case study regarding the construction of an application score...

  1. GillesPy: A Python Package for Stochastic Model Building and Simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abel, John H; Drawert, Brian; Hellander, Andreas; Petzold, Linda R

    2016-09-01

    GillesPy is an open-source Python package for model construction and simulation of stochastic biochemical systems. GillesPy consists of a Python framework for model building and an interface to the StochKit2 suite of efficient simulation algorithms based on the Gillespie stochastic simulation algorithms (SSA). To enable intuitive model construction and seamless integration into the scientific Python stack, we present an easy to understand, action-oriented programming interface. Here, we describe the components of this package and provide a detailed example relevant to the computational biology community.

  2. BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING IMPLEMENTATION IN JORDANIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

    OpenAIRE

    Mohammed A.KA. AL-Btoush*, Ahmad Tarmizi Haron

    2017-01-01

    Construction companies are faced with the need to innovatively integrate the construction process and address project development challenges. One way of doing that is the integration of building information modelling (BIM) in the building design and development cycles. However, due to the lack of clear understanding and the absence of a holistic implementation guideline, many companies are unable to fully achieve BIM potentials or implement BIM in their project and building lifecycle. BIM imp...

  3. Pseudo dynamic transitional modeling of building heating energy demand using artificial neural network

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paudel, S.; Elmtiri, M.; Kling, W.L.; Corre, le O.; Lacarriere, B.

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the building heating demand prediction model with occupancy profile and operational heating power level characteristics in short time horizon (a couple of days) using artificial neural network. In addition, novel pseudo dynamic transitional model is introduced, which consider

  4. METHODS OF SELECTING THE EFFECTIVE MODELS OF BUILDINGS REPROFILING PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Александр Иванович МЕНЕЙЛЮК

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The article highlights the important task of project management in reprofiling of buildings. It is expedient to pay attention to selecting effective engineering solutions to reduce the duration and cost reduction at the project management in the construction industry. This article presents a methodology for the selection of efficient organizational and technical solutions for the reconstruction of buildings reprofiling. The method is based on a compilation of project variants in the program Microsoft Project and experimental statistical analysis using the program COMPEX. The introduction of this technique in the realigning of buildings allows choosing efficient models of projects, depending on the given constraints. Also, this technique can be used for various construction projects.

  5. Knowledge Based 3d Building Model Recognition Using Convolutional Neural Networks from LIDAR and Aerial Imageries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alidoost, F.; Arefi, H.

    2016-06-01

    In recent years, with the development of the high resolution data acquisition technologies, many different approaches and algorithms have been presented to extract the accurate and timely updated 3D models of buildings as a key element of city structures for numerous applications in urban mapping. In this paper, a novel and model-based approach is proposed for automatic recognition of buildings' roof models such as flat, gable, hip, and pyramid hip roof models based on deep structures for hierarchical learning of features that are extracted from both LiDAR and aerial ortho-photos. The main steps of this approach include building segmentation, feature extraction and learning, and finally building roof labeling in a supervised pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) framework to have an automatic recognition system for various types of buildings over an urban area. In this framework, the height information provides invariant geometric features for convolutional neural network to localize the boundary of each individual roofs. CNN is a kind of feed-forward neural network with the multilayer perceptron concept which consists of a number of convolutional and subsampling layers in an adaptable structure and it is widely used in pattern recognition and object detection application. Since the training dataset is a small library of labeled models for different shapes of roofs, the computation time of learning can be decreased significantly using the pre-trained models. The experimental results highlight the effectiveness of the deep learning approach to detect and extract the pattern of buildings' roofs automatically considering the complementary nature of height and RGB information.

  6. Optimization of heat saving in buildings using unsteady heat transfer model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dedinec Aleksandra

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Reducing the energy consumption growth rate is increasingly becoming one of the main challenges for ensuring sustainable development, particularly in the buildings as the largest end-use sector in many countries. Along this line, the aim of this paper is to analyse the possibilities for energy savings in the construction of new buildings and reconstruction of the existing ones developing a tool that, in terms of the available heating technologies and insulation, provides answer to the problem of optimal cost effective energy consumption. The tool is composed of an unsteady heat transfer model which is incorporated into a cost-effective energy saving optimization. The unsteady heat transfer model uses annual hourly meteorological data, chosen as typical for the last ten-year period, as well as thermo physical features of the layers of the building walls. The model is tested for the typical conditions in the city of Skopje, Macedonia. The results show that the most cost effective heating technology for the given conditions is the wood fired stove, followed by the inverter air-conditioner. The centralized district heating and the pellet fired stoves are the next options. The least cost effective option is the panel that uses electricity. In this paper, the optimal insulation thickness is presented for each type of heating technology.

  7. Fractional and multivariable calculus model building and optimization problems

    CERN Document Server

    Mathai, A M

    2017-01-01

    This textbook presents a rigorous approach to multivariable calculus in the context of model building and optimization problems. This comprehensive overview is based on lectures given at five SERC Schools from 2008 to 2012 and covers a broad range of topics that will enable readers to understand and create deterministic and nondeterministic models. Researchers, advanced undergraduate, and graduate students in mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, and biological sciences will find this book to be a valuable resource for finding appropriate models to describe real-life situations. The first chapter begins with an introduction to fractional calculus moving on to discuss fractional integrals, fractional derivatives, fractional differential equations and their solutions. Multivariable calculus is covered in the second chapter and introduces the fundamentals of multivariable calculus (multivariable functions, limits and continuity, differentiability, directional derivatives and expansions of multivariable ...

  8. Building v/s Exploring Models: Comparing Learning of Evolutionary Processes through Agent-based Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagh, Aditi

    Two strands of work motivate the three studies in this dissertation. Evolutionary change can be viewed as a computational complex system in which a small set of rules operating at the individual level result in different population level outcomes under different conditions. Extensive research has documented students' difficulties with learning about evolutionary change (Rosengren et al., 2012), particularly in terms of levels slippage (Wilensky & Resnick, 1999). Second, though building and using computational models is becoming increasingly common in K-12 science education, we know little about how these two modalities compare. This dissertation adopts agent-based modeling as a representational system to compare these modalities in the conceptual context of micro-evolutionary processes. Drawing on interviews, Study 1 examines middle-school students' productive ways of reasoning about micro-evolutionary processes to find that the specific framing of traits plays a key role in whether slippage explanations are cued. Study 2, which was conducted in 2 schools with about 150 students, forms the crux of the dissertation. It compares learning processes and outcomes when students build their own models or explore a pre-built model. Analysis of Camtasia videos of student pairs reveals that builders' and explorers' ways of accessing rules, and sense-making of observed trends are of a different character. Builders notice rules through available blocks-based primitives, often bypassing their enactment while explorers attend to rules primarily through the enactment. Moreover, builders' sense-making of observed trends is more rule-driven while explorers' is more enactment-driven. Pre and posttests reveal that builders manifest a greater facility with accessing rules, providing explanations manifesting targeted assembly. Explorers use rules to construct explanations manifesting non-targeted assembly. Interviews reveal varying degrees of shifts away from slippage in both

  9. Incoherent SSI Analysis of Reactor Building using 2007 Hard-Rock Coherency Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Joo-Hyung; Lee, Sang-Hoon

    2008-01-01

    Many strong earthquake recordings show the response motions at building foundations to be less intense than the corresponding free-field motions. To account for these phenomena, the concept of spatial variation, or wave incoherence was introduced. Several approaches for its application to practical analysis and design as part of soil-structure interaction (SSI) effect have been developed. However, conventional wave incoherency models didn't reflect the characteristics of earthquake data from hard-rock site, and their application to the practical nuclear structures on the hard-rock sites was not justified sufficiently. This paper is focused on the response impact of hard-rock coherency model proposed in 2007 on the incoherent SSI analysis results of nuclear power plant (NPP) structure. A typical reactor building of pressurized water reactor (PWR) type NPP is modeled classified into surface and embedded foundations. The model is also assumed to be located on medium-hard rock and hard-rock sites. The SSI analysis results are obtained and compared in case of coherent and incoherent input motions. The structural responses considering rocking and torsion effects are also investigated

  10. Experiences of building a medical data acquisition system based on two-level modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bei; Li, Jianbin; Lan, Xiaoyun; An, Ying; Gao, Wuqiang; Jiang, Yuqiao

    2018-04-01

    Compared to traditional software development strategies, the two-level modeling approach is more flexible and applicable to build an information system in the medical domain. However, the standards of two-level modeling such as openEHR appear complex to medical professionals. This study aims to investigate, implement, and improve the two-level modeling approach, and discusses the experience of building a unified data acquisition system for four affiliated university hospitals based on this approach. After the investigation, we simplified the approach of archetype modeling and developed a medical data acquisition system where medical experts can define the metadata for their own specialties by using a visual easy-to-use tool. The medical data acquisition system for multiple centers, clinical specialties, and diseases has been developed, and integrates the functions of metadata modeling, form design, and data acquisition. To date, 93,353 data items and 6,017 categories for 285 specific diseases have been created by medical experts, and over 25,000 patients' information has been collected. OpenEHR is an advanced two-level modeling method for medical data, but its idea to separate domain knowledge and technical concern is not easy to realize. Moreover, it is difficult to reach an agreement on archetype definition. Therefore, we adopted simpler metadata modeling, and employed What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) tools to further improve the usability of the system. Compared with the archetype definition, our approach lowers the difficulty. Nevertheless, to build such a system, every participant should have some knowledge in both medicine and information technology domains, as these interdisciplinary talents are necessary. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Innovative model of business process reengineering at machine building enterprises

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nekrasov, R. Yu; Tempel, Yu A.; Tempel, O. A.

    2017-10-01

    The paper provides consideration of business process reengineering viewed as amanagerial innovation accepted by present day machine building enterprises, as well as waysto improve its procedure. A developed innovative model of reengineering measures isdescribed and is based on the process approach and other principles of company management.

  12. Profiles in Leadership: Enhancing Learning through Model and Theory Building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mello, Jeffrey A.

    2003-01-01

    A class assignment was designed to present factors affecting leadership dynamics, allow practice in model and theory building, and examine leadership from multicultural perspectives. Students developed a profile of a fictional or real leader and analyzed qualities, motivations, context, and effectiveness in written and oral presentations.…

  13. Prediction model for sound transmission from machinery in buildings: feasible approaches and problems to be solved

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gerretsen, E.

    2000-01-01

    Prediction models for the airborne and impact sound transmission in buildings have recently been established (EN 12354- 1&2:1999). However, these models do not cover technical installations and machinery as a source of sound in buildings. Yet these can cause unacceptable sound levels and it is

  14. Utilization of building information modeling in infrastructure’s design and construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zak, Josef; Macadam, Helen

    2017-09-01

    Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a concept that has gained its place in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings in Czech Republic during recent years. This paper deals with description of usage, applications and potential benefits and disadvantages connected with implementation of BIM principles in the preparation and construction of infrastructure projects. Part of the paper describes the status of BIM implementation in Czech Republic, and there is a review of several virtual design and construction practices in Czech Republic. Examples of best practice are presented from current infrastructure projects. The paper further summarizes experiences with new technologies gained from the application of BIM related workflows. The focus is on the BIM model utilization for the machine control systems on site, quality assurance, quality management and construction management.

  15. Automatic 3D Building Detection and Modeling from Airborne LiDAR Point Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Shaohui

    Urban reconstruction, with an emphasis on man-made structure modeling, is an active research area with broad impact on several potential applications. Urban reconstruction combines photogrammetry, remote sensing, computer vision, and computer graphics. Even though there is a huge volume of work that has been done, many problems still remain unsolved. Automation is one of the key focus areas in this research. In this work, a fast, completely automated method to create 3D watertight building models from airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) point clouds is presented. The developed method analyzes the scene content and produces multi-layer rooftops, with complex rigorous boundaries and vertical walls, that connect rooftops to the ground. The graph cuts algorithm is used to separate vegetative elements from the rest of the scene content, which is based on the local analysis about the properties of the local implicit surface patch. The ground terrain and building rooftop footprints are then extracted, utilizing the developed strategy, a two-step hierarchical Euclidean clustering. The method presented here adopts a "divide-and-conquer" scheme. Once the building footprints are segmented from the terrain and vegetative areas, the whole scene is divided into individual pendent processing units which represent potential points on the rooftop. For each individual building region, significant features on the rooftop are further detected using a specifically designed region-growing algorithm with surface smoothness constraints. The principal orientation of each building rooftop feature is calculated using a minimum bounding box fitting technique, and is used to guide the refinement of shapes and boundaries of the rooftop parts. Boundaries for all of these features are refined for the purpose of producing strict description. Once the description of the rooftops is achieved, polygonal mesh models are generated by creating surface patches with outlines defined by detected

  16. Functional Testing Protocols for Commercial Building Efficiency Baseline Modeling Software

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jump, David; Price, Phillip N.; Granderson, Jessica; Sohn, Michael

    2013-09-06

    This document describes procedures for testing and validating proprietary baseline energy modeling software accuracy in predicting energy use over the period of interest, such as a month or a year. The procedures are designed according to the methodology used for public domain baselining software in another LBNL report that was (like the present report) prepared for Pacific Gas and Electric Company: ?Commercial Building Energy Baseline Modeling Software: Performance Metrics and Method Testing with Open Source Models and Implications for Proprietary Software Testing Protocols? (referred to here as the ?Model Analysis Report?). The test procedure focuses on the quality of the software?s predictions rather than on the specific algorithms used to predict energy use. In this way the software vendor is not required to divulge or share proprietary information about how their software works, while enabling stakeholders to assess its performance.

  17. The variants of an LOD of a 3D building model and their influence on spatial analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biljecki, Filip; Ledoux, Hugo; Stoter, Jantien; Vosselman, George

    2016-06-01

    The level of detail (LOD) of a 3D city model indicates the model's grade and usability. However, there exist multiple valid variants of each LOD. As a consequence, the LOD concept is inconclusive as an instruction for the acquisition of 3D city models. For instance, the top surface of an LOD1 block model may be modelled at the eaves of a building or at its ridge height. Such variants, which we term geometric references, are often overlooked and are usually not documented in the metadata. Furthermore, the influence of a particular geometric reference on the performance of a spatial analysis is not known. In response to this research gap, we investigate a variety of LOD1 and LOD2 geometric references that are commonly employed, and perform numerical experiments to investigate their relative difference when used as input for different spatial analyses. We consider three use cases (estimation of the area of the building envelope, building volume, and shadows cast by buildings), and compute the deviations in a Monte Carlo simulation. The experiments, carried out with procedurally generated models, indicate that two 3D models representing the same building at the same LOD, but modelled according to different geometric references, may yield substantially different results when used in a spatial analysis. The outcome of our experiments also suggests that the geometric reference may have a bigger influence than the LOD, since an LOD1 with a specific geometric reference may yield a more accurate result than when using LOD2 models.

  18. Development of surrogate models using artificial neural network for building shell energy labelling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Melo, A.P.; Costola, D.; Lamberts, R.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2014-01-01

    Surrogate models are an important part of building energy labelling programs, but these models still present low accuracy, particularly in cooling-dominated climates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using an artificial neural network (ANN) to improve the accuracy of

  19. Development of a Computational Simulation Model for Conflict Management in Team Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. M. Wang

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Conflict management is one of the most important issues in leveraging organizational competitiveness. However, traditional social scientists built theories or models in this area which were mostly expressed in words and diagrams are insufficient. Social science research based on computational modeling and simulation is beginning to augment traditional theory building. Simulation provides a method for people to try their actions out in a way that is cost effective, faster, appropriate, flexible, and ethical. In this paper, a computational simulation model for conflict management in team building is presented. The model is designed and used to explore the individual performances related to the combination of individuals who have a range of conflict handling styles, under various types of resources and policies. The model is developed based on agent-based modeling method. Each of the agents has one of the five conflict handling styles: accommodation, compromise, competition, contingency, and learning. There are three types of scenarios: normal, convex, and concave. There are two types of policies: no policy, and a reward and punishment policy. Results from running the model are also presented. The simulation has led us to derive two implications concerning conflict management. First, a concave type of resource promotes competition, while convex type of resource promotes compromise and collaboration. Second, the performance ranking of different styles can be influenced by introducing different policies. On the other hand, it is possible for us to promote certain style by introducing different policies.

  20. Building a 3-D Appearance Model of the Human Face

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sjöstrand, Karl; Larsen, Rasmus; Lading, Brian

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes a method for building an appearance model from three-dimensional data of human faces. The data consists of 3-D vertices, polygons and a texture map. The method uses a set of nine manually placed landmarks to automatically form a dense correspondence of thousands of points...

  1. Building extraction for 3D city modelling using airborne laser ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology has become a standard tool for three-dimensional mapping because it offers fast rate of data acquisition with unprecedented level of accuracy. This study presents an approach to accurately extract and model building in three-dimensional space from airborne laser scanning ...

  2. Use of noncrystallographic symmetry for automated model building at medium to low resolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiegels, Tim; Lamzin, Victor S.

    2012-01-01

    Noncrystallographic symmetry is automatically detected and used to achieve higher completeness and greater accuracy of automatically built protein structures at resolutions of 2.3 Å or poorer. A novel method is presented for the automatic detection of noncrystallographic symmetry (NCS) in macromolecular crystal structure determination which does not require the derivation of molecular masks or the segmentation of density. It was found that throughout structure determination the NCS-related parts may be differently pronounced in the electron density. This often results in the modelling of molecular fragments of variable length and accuracy, especially during automated model-building procedures. These fragments were used to identify NCS relations in order to aid automated model building and refinement. In a number of test cases higher completeness and greater accuracy of the obtained structures were achieved, specifically at a crystallographic resolution of 2.3 Å or poorer. In the best case, the method allowed the building of up to 15% more residues automatically and a tripling of the average length of the built fragments

  3. Global analyses of historical masonry buildings: Equivalent frame vs. 3D solid models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clementi, Francesco; Mezzapelle, Pardo Antonio; Cocchi, Gianmichele; Lenci, Stefano

    2017-07-01

    The paper analyses the seismic vulnerability of two different masonry buildings. It provides both an advanced 3D modelling with solid elements and an equivalent frame modelling. The global structural behaviour and the dynamic properties of the compound have been evaluated using the Finite Element Modelling (FEM) technique, where the nonlinear behaviour of masonry has been taken into account by proper constitutive assumptions. A sensitivity analysis is done to evaluate the effect of the choice of the structural models.

  4. Vibration tests and analyses of the reactor building model on a small scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuchiya, Hideo; Tanaka, Mitsuru; Ogihara, Yukio; Moriyama, Ken-ichi; Nakayama, Masaaki

    1985-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the vibration tests and the simulation analyses of the reactor building model on a small scale. The model vibration tests were performed to investigate the vibrational characteristics of the combined super-structure and to verify the computor code based on Dr. H. Tajimi's Thin Layered Element Theory, using the uniaxial shaking table (60 cm x 60 cm). The specimens consist of ground model, three structural model (prestressed concrete containment vessel, inner concrete structure, and enclosure building), a combined structural model and a combined structure-soil interaction model. These models are made of silicon-rubber, and they have a scale of 1:600. Harmonic step by step excitation of 40 gals was performed to investigate the vibrational characteristics for each structural model. The responses of the specimen to harmonic excitation were measured by optical displacement meters, and analyzed by a real time spectrum analyzer. The resonance and phase lag curves of the specimens to the shaking table were obtained respectively. As for the tests of a combined structure-soil interaction model, three predominant frequencies were observed in the resonance curves. These values were in good agreement with the analytical transfer function curves on the computer code. From the vibration tests and the simulation analyses, the silicon-rubber model test is useful for the fundamental study of structural problems. The computer code based on the Thin Element Theory can simulate well the test results. (Kobozono, M.)

  5. 3D Building Models Segmentation Based on K-Means++ Cluster Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C.; Mao, B.

    2016-10-01

    3D mesh model segmentation is drawing increasing attentions from digital geometry processing field in recent years. The original 3D mesh model need to be divided into separate meaningful parts or surface patches based on certain standards to support reconstruction, compressing, texture mapping, model retrieval and etc. Therefore, segmentation is a key problem for 3D mesh model segmentation. In this paper, we propose a method to segment Collada (a type of mesh model) 3D building models into meaningful parts using cluster analysis. Common clustering methods segment 3D mesh models by K-means, whose performance heavily depends on randomized initial seed points (i.e., centroid) and different randomized centroid can get quite different results. Therefore, we improved the existing method and used K-means++ clustering algorithm to solve this problem. Our experiments show that K-means++ improves both the speed and the accuracy of K-means, and achieve good and meaningful results.

  6. 3D BUILDING MODELS SEGMENTATION BASED ON K-MEANS++ CLUSTER ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Zhang

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available 3D mesh model segmentation is drawing increasing attentions from digital geometry processing field in recent years. The original 3D mesh model need to be divided into separate meaningful parts or surface patches based on certain standards to support reconstruction, compressing, texture mapping, model retrieval and etc. Therefore, segmentation is a key problem for 3D mesh model segmentation. In this paper, we propose a method to segment Collada (a type of mesh model 3D building models into meaningful parts using cluster analysis. Common clustering methods segment 3D mesh models by K-means, whose performance heavily depends on randomized initial seed points (i.e., centroid and different randomized centroid can get quite different results. Therefore, we improved the existing method and used K-means++ clustering algorithm to solve this problem. Our experiments show that K-means++ improves both the speed and the accuracy of K-means, and achieve good and meaningful results.

  7. Building spatio-temporal database model based on ontological approach using relational database environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmood, N.; Burney, S.M.A.

    2017-01-01

    Everything in this world is encapsulated by space and time fence. Our daily life activities are utterly linked and related with other objects in vicinity. Therefore, a strong relationship exist with our current location, time (including past, present and future) and event through with we are moving as an object also affect our activities in life. Ontology development and its integration with database are vital for the true understanding of the complex systems involving both spatial and temporal dimensions. In this paper we propose a conceptual framework for building spatio-temporal database model based on ontological approach. We have used relational data model for modelling spatio-temporal data content and present our methodology with spatio-temporal ontological accepts and its transformation into spatio-temporal database model. We illustrate the implementation of our conceptual model through a case study related to cultivated land parcel used for agriculture to exhibit the spatio-temporal behaviour of agricultural land and related entities. Moreover, it provides a generic approach for designing spatiotemporal databases based on ontology. The proposed model is capable to understand the ontological and somehow epistemological commitments and to build spatio-temporal ontology and transform it into a spatio-temporal data model. Finally, we highlight the existing and future research challenges. (author)

  8. Capacity building for tropical coastal ecosystems management using a dynamic teaching model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindberg, Annika Büchert; Nielsen, Thomas; Macintosh, Donald

    2008-01-01

    This learning opportunity illustrates effective capacity building through a dynamic teaching model that involves you and gives you personal experiences. The teaching model is easy to adapt to local environments and the learning opportunity is relevant to everyone working in coastal natural resource...... in combining knowledge and methods and applying these in a real life situation. Objectives: The participants will apply the acquired knowledge of ecosystems and project management tools when describing ecosystem services and when planning a project The participants will act as different stakeholders during...... the role play and hereby gain experience from a situation mimicking real life project situation.; The participants will experience how dynamic teaching can improve capacity building....

  9. EvoBuild: A Quickstart Toolkit for Programming Agent-Based Models of Evolutionary Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagh, Aditi; Wilensky, Uri

    2018-04-01

    Extensive research has shown that one of the benefits of programming to learn about scientific phenomena is that it facilitates learning about mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. However, using programming activities in classrooms is associated with costs such as requiring additional time to learn to program or students needing prior experience with programming. This paper presents a class of programming environments that we call quickstart: Environments with a negligible threshold for entry into programming and a modest ceiling. We posit that such environments can provide benefits of programming for learning without incurring associated costs for novice programmers. To make this claim, we present a design-based research study conducted to compare programming models of evolutionary processes with a quickstart toolkit with exploring pre-built models of the same processes. The study was conducted in six seventh grade science classes in two schools. Students in the programming condition used EvoBuild, a quickstart toolkit for programming agent-based models of evolutionary processes, to build their NetLogo models. Students in the exploration condition used pre-built NetLogo models. We demonstrate that although students came from a range of academic backgrounds without prior programming experience, and all students spent the same number of class periods on the activities including the time students took to learn programming in this environment, EvoBuild students showed greater learning about evolutionary mechanisms. We discuss the implications of this work for design research on programming environments in K-12 science education.

  10. A Brief Introduction to Building Information Modeling (BIM and its interoperability with TRNSYS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelaziz Naamane

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract:Hand-drafted print, sketching and hand modeling were the standard  for building designs before the advent of computer aided design (CAD systems . Nowadays CAD systems are better understood, their adoption increased until the 2D, 3D CAD system  and the virtual reality became the norm. Their natural evolution has given rise to a new and more complex generation of building design tools known as building information modeling, or BIM. There is insufficient clarity about what BIM is, although this is improving, and there is much shared understanding. There is agreement that BIM is not just software. BIM is not just CAD, or geometric data. BIM is a collaboratively generated and maintained, data rich, information source for the life of the design process and beyond. In this paper , we present briefly the greatest value derived from BIM in the use and maintenance of buildings and the use of TRNSYS with BIM.

  11. Multi-agent control system with information fusion based comfort model for smart buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Zhu; Wang, Lingfeng; Dounis, Anastasios I.; Yang, Rui

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Proposed a model to manage indoor energy and comfort for smart buildings. ► Developed a control system to maximize comfort with minimum energy consumption. ► Information fusion with ordered weighted averaging aggregation is used. ► Multi-agent technology and heuristic intelligent optimization are deployed in developing the control system. -- Abstract: From the perspective of system control, a smart and green building is a large-scale dynamic system with high complexity and a huge amount of information. Proper combination of the available information and effective control of the overall building system turns out to be a big challenge. In this study, we proposed a building indoor energy and comfort management model based on information fusion using ordered weighted averaging (OWA) aggregation. A multi-agent control system with heuristic intelligent optimization is developed to achieve a high level of comfort with the minimum power consumption. Case studies and simulation results are presented and discussed in this paper.

  12. Life cycle optimization model for integrated cogeneration and energy systems applications in buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osman, Ayat E.

    Energy use in commercial buildings constitutes a major proportion of the energy consumption and anthropogenic emissions in the USA. Cogeneration systems offer an opportunity to meet a building's electrical and thermal demands from a single energy source. To answer the question of what is the most beneficial and cost effective energy source(s) that can be used to meet the energy demands of the building, optimizations techniques have been implemented in some studies to find the optimum energy system based on reducing cost and maximizing revenues. Due to the significant environmental impacts that can result from meeting the energy demands in buildings, building design should incorporate environmental criteria in the decision making criteria. The objective of this research is to develop a framework and model to optimize a building's operation by integrating congregation systems and utility systems in order to meet the electrical, heating, and cooling demand by considering the potential life cycle environmental impact that might result from meeting those demands as well as the economical implications. Two LCA Optimization models have been developed within a framework that uses hourly building energy data, life cycle assessment (LCA), and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). The objective functions that are used in the formulation of the problems include: (1) Minimizing life cycle primary energy consumption, (2) Minimizing global warming potential, (3) Minimizing tropospheric ozone precursor potential, (4) Minimizing acidification potential, (5) Minimizing NOx, SO 2 and CO2, and (6) Minimizing life cycle costs, considering a study period of ten years and the lifetime of equipment. The two LCA optimization models can be used for: (a) long term planning and operational analysis in buildings by analyzing the hourly energy use of a building during a day and (b) design and quick analysis of building operation based on periodic analysis of energy use of a building in a

  13. Overcoming Microsoft Excel's Weaknesses for Crop Model Building and Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Christopher Teh Boon

    2011-01-01

    Using spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel for building crop models and running simulations can be beneficial. Excel is easy to use, powerful, and versatile, and it requires the least proficiency in computer programming compared to other programming platforms. Excel, however, has several weaknesses: it does not directly support loops for iterative…

  14. Improved model for the calculation of the energy demand for the energetic evaluation of non-residential buildings; Verbessertes Modell zur Berechnung des Energiebedarfs zur energetischen Bewertung von Nichtwohngebaeuden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kempf, Heike

    2011-06-29

    The German Industrial Norm DIN V 18599, which is related to the German Energieeinsparverordnung (EnEV), addresses the energetic evaluation of nonresidential buildings. With its more than 800 pages it is very voluminous and complex. Due to the complex subject of DIN V 18599, discrepancies causing considerable differences in the overall result are possible. A further weak point in the current procedure for energetic evaluation is the composition of individual zones within the considered buildings and the subsequent effort for acquisition and determination of values needed during computation. Before a non-residential building can be evaluated energetically, the building has to be divided into individual areas with identical boundary conditions (zoning). The process of zoning is an elementary step within the balancing according to DIN V 18599. It provides, beside the determination of geometrical data, the basis for further computations. Thus, the energetic evaluation of non-residential buildings is based on the so-called Multiple-Zone-Model as described in DIN V 18599. Zoning, especially the gathering of data connected to it, is a very time-consuming task, because the building areas and volumes have to be determined for each zone individually. Nevertheless, zoning is mandatory because of the often completely different net energies to be provided. In order to reduce this effort, a Single-Zone-Model was added to the Energieeinsparverordnung, which may be used under certain preconditions. However, in comparison to the Multi-Zone-Model, differences in the evaluation results are possible. The elimination of weak points, that is to say the difference in time and result, is reached by the computation of the annual primary energy demand on the basis of an Improved-Single-Zone-Model. The Improved-Single-Zone-Model works with improved use values and includes computations of the Single-Zone-Model as well as the Multiple-Zone-Model. The advantage of the Improved-Single-Zone-Model

  15. A Prediction Mechanism of Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings Using Hidden Markov Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Israr Ullah

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Internet of Things (IoT is considered as one of the future disruptive technologies, which has the potential to bring positive change in human lifestyle and uplift living standards. Many IoT-based applications have been designed in various fields, e.g., security, health, education, manufacturing, transportation, etc. IoT has transformed conventional homes into Smart homes. By attaching small IoT devices to various appliances, we cannot only monitor but also control indoor environment as per user demand. Intelligent IoT devices can also be used for optimal energy utilization by operating the associated equipment only when it is needed. In this paper, we have proposed a Hidden Markov Model based algorithm to predict energy consumption in Korean residential buildings using data collected through smart meters. We have used energy consumption data collected from four multi-storied buildings located in Seoul, South Korea for model validation and results analysis. Proposed model prediction results are compared with three well-known prediction algorithms i.e., Support Vector Machine (SVM, Artificial Neural Network (ANN and Classification and Regression Trees (CART. Comparative analysis shows that our proposed model achieves 2.96 % better than ANN results in terms of root mean square error metric, 6.09 % better than SVM and 9.03 % better than CART results. To further establish and validate prediction results of our proposed model, we have performed temporal granularity analysis. For this purpose, we have evaluated our proposed model for hourly, daily and weekly data aggregation. Prediction accuracy in terms of root mean square error metric for hourly, daily and weekly data is 2.62, 1.54 and 0.46, respectively. This shows that our model prediction accuracy improves for coarse grain data. Higher prediction accuracy gives us confidence to further explore its application in building control systems for achieving better energy efficiency.

  16. Hardware-in-the-Loop Modeling and Simulation Methods for Daylight Systems in Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mead, Alex Robert

    This dissertation introduces hardware-in-the-loop modeling and simulation techniques to the daylighting community, with specific application to complex fenestration systems. No such application of this class of techniques, optimally combining mathematical-modeling and physical-modeling experimentation, is known to the author previously in the literature. Daylighting systems in buildings have a large impact on both the energy usage of a building as well as the occupant experience within a space. As such, a renewed interest has been placed on designing and constructing buildings with an emphasis on daylighting in recent times as part of the "green movement.''. Within daylighting systems, a specific subclass of building envelope is receiving much attention: complex fenestration systems (CFSs). CFSs are unique as compared to regular fenestration systems (e.g. glazing) in the regard that they allow for non-specular transmission of daylight into a space. This non-specular nature can be leveraged by designers to "optimize'' the times of the day and the days of the year that daylight enters a space. Examples of CFSs include: Venetian blinds, woven fabric shades, and prismatic window coatings. In order to leverage the non-specular transmission properties of CFSs, however, engineering analysis techniques capable of faithfully representing the physics of these systems are needed. Traditionally, the analysis techniques available to the daylighting community fall broadly into three classes: simplified techniques, mathematical-modeling and simulation, and physical-modeling and experimentation. Simplified techniques use "rules-of-thumb'' heuristics to provide insights for simple daylighting systems. Mathematical-modeling and simulation use complex numerical models to provide more detailed insights into system performance. Finally, physical-models can be instrumented and excited using artificial and natural light sources to provide performance insight into a daylighting system

  17. Rain water runoff from porous building facades : implementation and application of a first-order runoff model coupled to a HAM model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brande, T. van den; Blocken, B.J.E.; Roels, S.

    2013-01-01

    Wind-driven rain (WDR) is one of the most important moisture sources for a building facade. Therefore, a reliable prediction of WDR loads is a prerequisite to assess the durability of building facade components. However, current state of the art Heat-Air-Moisture (HAM) models that are used to assess

  18. EIA models and capacity building in Viet Nam: an analysis of development aid programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doberstein, Brent

    2004-01-01

    There has been a decided lack of empirical research examining development aid agencies as 'agents of change' in environmental impact assessment (EIA) systems in developing countries, particularly research examining the model of environmental planning practice promoted by aid agencies as part of capacity building. This paper briefly traces a conceptual framework of EIA, then introduces the concept of 'EIA capacity building'. Using Viet Nam as a case study, the paper then outlines the empirical results of the research, focusing on the extent to which aid agency capacity-building programs promoted a Technical vs. Planning Model of EIA and on the coherence of capacity-building efforts across all aid programs. A discussion follows, where research results are interpreted within the Vietnamese context, and implications of research results are identified for three main groups of actors. The paper concludes by calling for development aid agencies to reconceptualise EIA capacity building as an opportunity to transform developing countries' development planning processes

  19. Characterization of the wind loads and flow fields around a gable-roof building model in tornado-like winds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Hui; Yang, Zifeng; Sarkar, Partha [Iowa State University, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Ames, IA (United States); Haan, Fred [Iowa State University, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Ames, IA (United States); Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Terre Haute, IN (United States)

    2011-09-15

    An experimental study was conducted to quantify the characteristics of a tornado-like vortex and to reveal the dynamics of the flow-structure interactions between a low-rise, gable-roof building model and swirling, turbulent tornado-like winds. The experimental work was conducted by using a large-scale tornado simulator located in the Aerospace Engineering Department of Iowa State University. In addition to measuring the pressure distributions and resultant wind loads acting on the building model, a digital Particle Image Velocimetry system was used to conduct detailed flow field measurements to quantify the evolution of the unsteady vortices and turbulent flow structures around the gable-roof building model in tornado-like winds. The effects of important parameters, such as the distance between the centers of the tornado-like vortex and the test model and the orientation angles of the building model related to the tornado-like vortex, on the evolutions of the wake vortices and turbulent flow structures around the gable-roof building model as well as the wind loads induced by the tornado-like vortex were assessed quantitatively. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the surface pressure and wind load measurements to elucidate the underlying physics to gain further insight into flow-structure interactions between the gable-roof building model and tornado-like winds in order to provide more accurate prediction of wind damage potential to built structures. (orig.)

  20. Building trust and diversity in patient-centered oncology clinical trials: An integrated model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurd, Thelma C; Kaplan, Charles D; Cook, Elise D; Chilton, Janice A; Lytton, Jay S; Hawk, Ernest T; Jones, Lovell A

    2017-04-01

    Trust is the cornerstone of clinical trial recruitment and retention. Efforts to decrease barriers and increase clinical trial participation among diverse populations have yielded modest results. There is an urgent need to better understand the complex interactions between trust and clinical trial participation. The process of trust-building has been a focus of intense research in the business community. Yet, little has been published about trust in oncology clinical trials or the process of building trust in clinical trials. Both clinical trials and business share common dimensions. Business strategies for building trust may be transferable to the clinical trial setting. This study was conducted to understand and utilize contemporary thinking about building trust to develop an Integrated Model of Trust that incorporates both clinical and business perspectives. A key word-directed literature search of the PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, and Google Search databases for entries dated between 1 January 1985 and 1 September 2015 was conducted to obtain information from which to develop an Integrated Model of Trust. Successful trial participation requires both participants and clinical trial team members to build distinctly different types of interpersonal trust to effect recruitment and retention. They are built under conditions of significant emotional stress and time constraints among people who do not know each other and have never worked together before. Swift Trust and Traditional Trust are sequentially built during the clinical trial process. Swift trust operates during the recruitment and very early active treatment phases of the clinical trial process. Traditional trust is built over time and operates during the active treatment and surveillance stages of clinical trials. The Psychological Contract frames the participants' and clinical trial team members' interpersonal trust relationship. The "terms" of interpersonal trust are negotiated through the psychological

  1. Building and Sustaining Digital Collections: Models for Libraries and Museums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Council on Library and Information Resources, Washington, DC.

    In February 2001, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and the National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH) convened a meeting to discuss how museums and libraries are building digital collections and what business models are available to sustain them. A group of museum and library senior executives met with…

  2. Modeling and Analysis of Commercial Building Electrical Loads for Demand Side Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berardino, Jonathan

    In recent years there has been a push in the electric power industry for more customer involvement in the electricity markets. Traditionally the end user has played a passive role in the planning and operation of the power grid. However, many energy markets have begun opening up opportunities to consumers who wish to commit a certain amount of their electrical load under various demand side management programs. The potential benefits of more demand participation include reduced operating costs and new revenue opportunities for the consumer, as well as more reliable and secure operations for the utilities. The management of these load resources creates challenges and opportunities to the end user that were not present in previous market structures. This work examines the behavior of commercial-type building electrical loads and their capacity for supporting demand side management actions. This work is motivated by the need for accurate and dynamic tools to aid in the advancement of demand side operations. A dynamic load model is proposed for capturing the response of controllable building loads. Building-specific load forecasting techniques are developed, with particular focus paid to the integration of building management system (BMS) information. These approaches are tested using Drexel University building data. The application of building-specific load forecasts and dynamic load modeling to the optimal scheduling of multi-building systems in the energy market is proposed. Sources of potential load uncertainty are introduced in the proposed energy management problem formulation in order to investigate the impact on the resulting load schedule.

  3. A diffusivity model for predicting VOC diffusion in porous building materials based on fractal theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yanfeng; Zhou, Xiaojun; Wang, Dengjia; Song, Cong; Liu, Jiaping

    2015-12-15

    Most building materials are porous media, and the internal diffusion coefficients of such materials have an important influences on the emission characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The pore structure of porous building materials has a significant impact on the diffusion coefficient. However, the complex structural characteristics bring great difficulties to the model development. The existing prediction models of the diffusion coefficient are flawed and need to be improved. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests of typical porous building materials, this study developed a new diffusivity model: the multistage series-connection fractal capillary-bundle (MSFC) model. The model considers the variable-diameter capillaries formed by macropores connected in series as the main mass transfer paths, and the diameter distribution of the capillary bundles obeys a fractal power law in the cross section. In addition, the tortuosity of the macrocapillary segments with different diameters is obtained by the fractal theory. Mesopores serve as the connections between the macrocapillary segments rather than as the main mass transfer paths. The theoretical results obtained using the MSFC model yielded a highly accurate prediction of the diffusion coefficients and were in a good agreement with the VOC concentration measurements in the environmental test chamber. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Best-estimate LOCA simulation in a PWR-W containment building with a detailed 3D GOTHIC model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jimenez, G.; Fernandez-Cosials, K.; Bocanegra, R.; Lopez-Alonso, E.

    2015-01-01

    The design-basis accidents in a PWR-W containment building are usually simulated with a lumped parameter model, normally used for license analysis. Nevertheless, some phenomenology is difficult to be simulated with a lumped model: the condensation rate in each structure, stagnant water areas, temperature in different compartments, sumps and recirculation pumps disabled because of lack of water, etc. Therefore, for the detailed study of the thermal-hydraulic (TH) behaviour in every room of the containment building could be more appropriate to do it with a detailed 3D representation of the containment building geometry. The main objective of this project has been to build a 3D PWR-W containment model with the GOTHIC code to analyze the detailed behavior during a design basis accident. In the process of the 3D GOTHIC model development some previous steps were necessary: a detailed CAD model of the containment, followed by a simplified model adapted to the GOTHIC geometric capabilities. Once the geometry has been adapted to the GOTHIC requirements, the 3D model is created with this information. A design-basis accident has been simulated with the 3D model (LBLOCA), and the local TH behaviour is analysed. The results show that in comparison with a lumped parameter model, high temperatures are reached locally. Nevertheless the average pressure behaviour is found to be similar to that given by a lumped parameter model. The present paper demonstrates that is possible to build a 3D PWR-W model with the GOTHIC code with enough resolution to analyse the TH behaviour in each one of the containment rooms but at the same time with reasonable computing time. Once the GOTHIC model has been created a new road is opened enabling the simulation of other accidents such as MSLB, a SBLOCA or even a long-term SBO sequence. This document is made up of an abstract and the slides of the presentation. (authors)

  5. Modelling of internal structure in seismic analysis of a PHWR building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reddy, G.R.; Vaze, K.K.; Kushawaha, H.S.; Ingle, R.K.; Subramanian, K.V.

    1991-01-01

    Seismic analysis of complex and large structures, consisting of thick shear walls, such as Reactor Building is very involved and time consuming. It is a standard practice to model the structure as a stick model to predict reasonably the dynamic behaviour of the structure. It is required to determine approximate equivalent sectional properties of Internal Structure for representation in the stick model. The restraint to warping can change the stress distribution thus affecting the centre of rigidity and torsional inertia, Hence, standard formulae does not hold good for determination of sectional properties of the Internal Structure. In this case the equivalent sectional properties for the Internal Structure are calculated using a Finite Element Model (FEM) of the Internal Structure and applying unit horizontal forces in each direction. A 3-D stick model is developed using the guidelines. Using the properties calculated by FEM and also by standard formulae, the responses of the 3-D stick model are compared. (J.P.N.)

  6. Building a three-dimensional model of CYP2C9 inhibition using the Autocorrelator: an autonomous model generator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lardy, Matthew A; Lebrun, Laurie; Bullard, Drew; Kissinger, Charles; Gobbi, Alberto

    2012-05-25

    In modern day drug discovery campaigns, computational chemists have to be concerned not only about improving the potency of molecules but also reducing any off-target ADMET activity. There are a plethora of antitargets that computational chemists may have to consider. Fortunately many antitargets have crystal structures deposited in the PDB. These structures are immediately useful to our Autocorrelator: an automated model generator that optimizes variables for building computational models. This paper describes the use of the Autocorrelator to construct high quality docking models for cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) from two publicly available crystal structures. Both models result in strong correlation coefficients (R² > 0.66) between the predicted and experimental determined log(IC₅₀) values. Results from the two models overlap well with each other, converging on the same scoring function, deprotonated charge state, and predicted the binding orientation for our collection of molecules.

  7. Factors accounting for youth suicide attempt in Hong Kong: a model building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Gloria W Y; Leung, Patrick W L

    2010-10-01

    This study aimed at proposing and testing a conceptual model of youth suicide attempt. We proposed a model that began with family factors such as a history of physical abuse and parental divorce/separation. Family relationship, presence of psychopathology, life stressors, and suicide ideation were postulated as mediators, leading to youth suicide attempt. The stepwise entry of the risk factors to a logistic regression model defined their proximity as related to suicide attempt. Path analysis further refined our proposed model of youth suicide attempt. Our originally proposed model was largely confirmed. The main revision was dropping parental divorce/separation as a risk factor in the model due to lack of significant contribution when examined alongside with other risk factors. This model was cross-validated by gender. This study moved research on youth suicide from identification of individual risk factors to model building, integrating separate findings of the past studies.

  8. Building a good initial model for full-waveform inversion using frequency shift filter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guanchao; Wang, Shangxu; Yuan, Sanyi; Lian, Shijie

    2018-05-01

    Accurate initial model or available low-frequency data is an important factor in the success of full waveform inversion (FWI). The low-frequency helps determine the kinematical relevant components, low-wavenumber of the velocity model, which are in turn needed to avoid FWI trap in local minima or cycle-skipping. However, in the field, acquiring data that common point of low- and high-frequency signal, then utilize the high-frequency data to obtain the low-wavenumber velocity model. It is well known that the instantaneous amplitude envelope of a wavelet is invariant under frequency shift. This means that resolution is constant for a given frequency bandwidth, and independent of the actual values of the frequencies. Based on this property, we develop a frequency shift filter (FSF) to build the relationship between low- and high-frequency information with a constant frequency bandwidth. After that, we can use the high-frequency information to get a plausible recovery of the low-wavenumber velocity model. Numerical results using synthetic data from the Marmousi and layer model demonstrate that our proposed envelope misfit function based on the frequency shift filter can build an initial model with more accurate long-wavelength components, when low-frequency signals are absent in recorded data.

  9. Dynamic building risk assessment theoretic model for rainstorm-flood utilization ABM and ABS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Wenze; Li, Wenbo; Wang, Hailei; Huang, Yingliang; Wu, Xuelian; Sun, Bingyun

    2015-12-01

    Flood is one of natural disasters with the worst loss in the world. It needs to assess flood disaster risk so that we can reduce the loss of flood disaster. Disaster management practical work needs the dynamic risk results of building. Rainstorm flood disaster system is a typical complex system. From the view of complex system theory, flood disaster risk is the interaction result of hazard effect objects, rainstorm flood hazard factors, and hazard environments. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is an important tool for complex system modeling. Rainstorm-flood building risk dynamic assessment method (RFBRDAM) was proposed using ABM in this paper. The interior structures and procedures of different agents in proposed meth had been designed. On the Netlogo platform, the proposed method was implemented to assess the building risk changes of the rainstorm flood disaster in the Huaihe River Basin using Agent-based simulation (ABS). The results indicated that the proposed method can dynamically assess building risk of the whole process for the rainstorm flood disaster. The results of this paper can provide one new approach for flood disaster building risk dynamic assessment and flood disaster management.

  10. Dispersion model for airborne radioactive particulates inside a process building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perkins, W.C.; Stoddard, D.H.

    1984-02-01

    An empirical model, predicting the spread of airborne radioactive particles after they are released inside a building, has been developed. The basis for this model is a composite of data for dispersion of airborne activity recorded during 12 case incidents. These incidents occurred at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) during approximately 90 plant-years of experience with the chemical and metallurgical processing of purified neptunium and plutonium. The model illustrates that the multiple-air-zone concept, used in the designs of many nuclear facilities, can be an efficient safety feature to limit the spread of airborne activity from a release. This study also provides some insight into an apparently anomalous behavior of airborne particulates, namely, their migration against the prevailing flow of ventilation air. 2 references, 12 figures, 4 tables

  11. A model to predict radon exhalation from walls to indoor air based on the exhalation from building material samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahoo, B.K.; Sapra, B.K.; Gaware, J.J.; Kanse, S.D.; Mayya, Y.S.

    2011-01-01

    In recognition of the fact that building materials are an important source of indoor radon, second only to soil, surface radon exhalation fluxes have been extensively measured from the samples of these materials. Based on this flux data, several researchers have attempted to predict the inhalation dose attributable to radon emitted from walls and ceilings made up of these materials. However, an important aspect not considered in this methodology is the enhancement of the radon flux from the wall or the ceiling constructed using the same building material. This enhancement occurs mainly because of the change in the radon diffusion process from the former to the latter configuration. To predict the true radon flux from the wall based on the flux data of building material samples, we now propose a semi-empirical model involving radon diffusion length and the physical dimensions of the samples as well as wall thickness as other input parameters. This model has been established by statistically fitting the ratio of the solution to radon diffusion equations for the cases of three-dimensional cuboidal shaped building materials (such as brick, concrete block) and one dimensional wall system to a simple mathematical function. The model predictions have been validated against the measurements made at a new construction site. This model provides an alternative tool (substitute to conventional 1-D model) to estimate radon flux from a wall without relying on 226 Ra content, radon emanation factor and bulk density of the samples. Moreover, it may be very useful in the context of developing building codes for radon regulation in new buildings. - Research highlights: → A model is proposed to predict radon flux from wall using flux of building material. → It is established based on the diffusion mechanism in building material and wall. → Study showed a large difference in radon flux from building material and wall. → Model has been validated against the measurements made at

  12. Building a model based on scientific consensus for Life Cycle Impact Assessment of chemicals:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Huijbregts, Mark; Jolliet, Olivier

    2008-01-01

    Achieving consensus among scientists is often a challenge - particularly in model development. In this article we describe a recent scientific consensus-building process for Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) models applied to chemical emissions - including the strategy, execution, and results...

  13. Building Realistic Mobility Models for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrian Pullin

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A mobile ad hoc network (MANET is a self-configuring wireless network in which each node could act as a router, as well as a data source or sink. Its application areas include battlefields and vehicular and disaster areas. Many techniques applied to infrastructure-based networks are less effective in MANETs, with routing being a particular challenge. This paper presents a rigorous study into simulation techniques for evaluating routing solutions for MANETs with the aim of producing more realistic simulation models and thereby, more accurate protocol evaluations. MANET simulations require models that reflect the world in which the MANET is to operate. Much of the published research uses movement models, such as the random waypoint (RWP model, with arbitrary world sizes and node counts. This paper presents a technique for developing more realistic simulation models to test and evaluate MANET protocols. The technique is animation, which is applied to a realistic scenario to produce a model that accurately reflects the size and shape of the world, node count, movement patterns, and time period over which the MANET may operate. The animation technique has been used to develop a battlefield model based on established military tactics. Trace data has been used to build a model of maritime movements in the Irish Sea. Similar world models have been built using the random waypoint movement model for comparison. All models have been built using the ns-2 simulator. These models have been used to compare the performance of three routing protocols: dynamic source routing (DSR, destination-sequenced distance-vector routing (DSDV, and ad hoc n-demand distance vector routing (AODV. The findings reveal that protocol performance is dependent on the model used. In particular, it is shown that RWP models do not reflect the performance of these protocols under realistic circumstances, and protocol selection is subject to the scenario to which it is applied. To

  14. A Model for Sustainable Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit (BEER) Using Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) Mechanism for Hotel Buildings in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Pengpeng

    Hotel building is one of the high-energy-consuming building types, and retrofitting hotel buildings is an untapped solution to help cut carbon emissions contributing towards sustainable development. Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) has been promulgated as a market mechanism for the delivery of energy efficiency projects. EPC mechanism has been introduced into China relatively recently, and it has not been implemented successfully in building energy efficiency retrofit projects. The aim of this research is to develop a model for achieving the sustainability of Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit (BEER) in hotel buildings under the Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) mechanism. The objectives include: • To identify a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for measuring the sustainability of BEER in hotel buildings; • To identify Critical Success Factors (CSFs) under EPC mechanism that have a strong correlation with sustainable BEER project; • To develop a model explaining the relationships between the CSFs and the sustainability performance of BEER in hotel building. Literature reviews revealed the essence of sustainable BEER and EPC, which help to develop a conceptual framework for analyzing sustainable BEER under EPC mechanism in hotel buildings. 11 potential KPIs for sustainable BEER and 28 success factors of EPC were selected based on the developed framework. A questionnaire survey was conducted to ascertain the importance of selected performance indicators and success factors. Fuzzy set theory was adopted in identifying the KPIs. Six KPIs were identified from the 11 selected performance indicators. Through a questionnaire survey, out of the 28 success factors, 21 Critical Success Factors (CSFs) were also indentified. Using the factor analysis technique, the 21 identified CSFs in this study were grouped into six clusters to help explain project success of sustainable BEER. Finally, AHP/ANP approach was used in this research to develop a model to

  15. A general model of confidence building: analysis and implications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilgour, D.M.

    1998-01-01

    For more than two decades, security approaches in Europe have included confidence building. Many have argued that Confidence-Building Measures (CBMS) played an essential role in the enormous transformations that took place there. Thus, it is hardly,surprising that CBMs have been proposed as measures to reduce tensions and transform security relationships elsewhere in the world. The move toward wider application of CBMs has strengthened recently, as conventional military, diplomatic, and humanitarian approaches seem to have failed to address problems associated with peace-building and peace support operations. There is, however, a serious problem. We don't really know why, or even how, CBMs work. Consequently, we have no reliable way to design CBMs that would be appropriate in substance, form, and timing for regions culturally, geographically, and militarily different from Europe. Lacking a solid understanding of confidence building, we are handicapped in our efforts to extend its successes to the domain of peace building and peace support. To paraphrase Macintosh, if we don't know how CBMs succeeded in the past, then we are unlikely to be good at maintaining, improving, or extending them. The specific aim of this project is to step into this gap, using the methods of game theory to clarify some aspects of the underlying logic of confidence building. Formal decision models will be shown to contribute new and valuable insights that will assist in the design of CBMs to contribute to new problems and in new arenas. (author)

  16. Collaborative Model-based Systems Engineering for Cyber-Physical Systems, with a Building Automation Case Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fitzgerald, John; Gamble, Carl; Payne, Richard

    2016-01-01

    We describe an approach to the model-based engineering of cyber-physical systems that permits the coupling of diverse discrete-event and continuous-time models and their simulators. A case study in the building automation domain demonstrates how such co-models and co-simulation can promote early...

  17. Cultural consensus modeling to measure transactional sex in Swaziland: Scale building and validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fielding-Miller, Rebecca; Dunkle, Kristin L; Cooper, Hannah L F; Windle, Michael; Hadley, Craig

    2016-01-01

    Transactional sex is associated with increased risk of HIV and gender based violence in southern Africa and around the world. However the typical quantitative operationalization, "the exchange of gifts or money for sex," can be at odds with a wide array of relationship types and motivations described in qualitative explorations. To build on the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative research streams, we used cultural consensus models to identify distinct models of transactional sex in Swaziland. The process allowed us to build and validate emic scales of transactional sex, while identifying key informants for qualitative interviews within each model to contextualize women's experiences and risk perceptions. We used logistic and multinomial logistic regression models to measure associations with condom use and social status outcomes. Fieldwork was conducted between November 2013 and December 2014 in the Hhohho and Manzini regions. We identified three distinct models of transactional sex in Swaziland based on 124 Swazi women's emic valuation of what they hoped to receive in exchange for sex with their partners. In a clinic-based survey (n = 406), consensus model scales were more sensitive to condom use than the etic definition. Model consonance had distinct effects on social status for the three different models. Transactional sex is better measured as an emic spectrum of expectations within a relationship, rather than an etic binary relationship type. Cultural consensus models allowed us to blend qualitative and quantitative approaches to create an emicly valid quantitative scale grounded in qualitative context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Urban weather data and building models for the inclusion of the urban heat island effect in building performance simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palme, M; Inostroza, L; Villacreses, G; Lobato, A; Carrasco, C

    2017-10-01

    This data article presents files supporting calculation for urban heat island (UHI) inclusion in building performance simulation (BPS). Methodology is used in the research article "From urban climate to energy consumption. Enhancing building performance simulation by including the urban heat island effect" (Palme et al., 2017) [1]. In this research, a Geographical Information System (GIS) study is done in order to statistically represent the most important urban scenarios of four South-American cities (Guayaquil, Lima, Antofagasta and Valparaíso). Then, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is done to obtain reference Urban Tissues Categories (UTC) to be used in urban weather simulation. The urban weather files are generated by using the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) software (version 4.1 beta). Finally, BPS is run out with the Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) software (version 17). In this data paper, four sets of data are presented: 1) PCA data (excel) to explain how to group different urban samples in representative UTC; 2) UWG data (text) to reproduce the Urban Weather Generation for the UTC used in the four cities (4 UTC in Lima, Guayaquil, Antofagasta and 5 UTC in Valparaíso); 3) weather data (text) with the resulting rural and urban weather; 4) BPS models (text) data containing the TRNSYS models (four building models).

  19. Analytical Model of Underground Train Induced Vibrations on Nearby Building Structures in Cameroon: Assessment and Prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lezin Seba MINSILI

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research paper was to assess and predict the effect of vibrations induced by an underground railway on nearby-existing buildings prior to the construction of projected new railway lines of the National Railway Master Plan of Cameroon and after upgrading of the railway conceded to CAMRAIL linking the two most densely populated cities of Cameroon: Douala and Yaoundé. With the source-transmitter-receiver mathematical model as the train-soil-structure interaction model, taking into account sub-model parameters such as type of the train-railway system, typical geotechnical conditions of the ground and the sensitivity of the nearby buildings, the analysis is carried out over the entire system using the dynamic finite element method in the time domain. This subdivision of the model is a powerful tool that allows to consider different alternatives of sub-models with different characteristics, and thus to determine any critical excessive vibration impact. Based on semi-empirical analytical results obtained from presented models, the present work assesses and predicts characteristics of traffic-induced vibrations as a function of time duration, intensity and vehicle speed, as well as their influence on buildings at different levels.

  20. Fundamental mass transfer modeling of emission of volatile organic compounds from building materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodalal, Awad Saad

    In this study, a mass transfer theory based model is presented for characterizing the VOC emissions from building materials. A 3-D diffusion model is developed to describe the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from individual sources. Then the formulation is extended to include the emissions from composite sources (system comprising an assemblage of individual sources). The key parameters for the model (The diffusion coefficient of the VOC in the source material D, and the equilibrium partition coefficient k e) were determined independently (model parameters are determined without the use of chamber emission data). This procedure eliminated to a large extent the need for emission testing using environmental chambers, which is costly, time consuming, and may be subject to confounding sink effects. An experimental method is developed and implemented to measure directly the internal diffusion (D) and partition coefficients ( ke). The use of the method is illustrated for three types of VOC's: (i) Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, (ii) Aromatic Hydrocarbons and ( iii) Aldehydes, through typical dry building materials (carpet, plywood, particleboard, vinyl floor tile, gypsum board, sub-floor tile and OSB). Then correlations for predicting D and ke based solely on commonly available properties such as molecular weight and vapour pressure were proposed for each product and type of VOC. These correlations can be used to estimate the D and ke when direct measurement data are not available, and thus facilitate the prediction of VOC emissions from the building materials using mass transfer theory. The VOC emissions from a sub-floor material (made of the recycled automobile tires), and a particleboard are measured and predicted. Finally, a mathematical model to predict the diffusion coefficient through complex sources (floor adhesive) as a function of time was developed. Then this model (for diffusion coefficient in complex sources) was used to predict the emission rate from

  1. Surface characteristics modeling and performance evaluation of urban building materials using LiDAR data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaolu; Liang, Yu

    2015-05-20

    Analysis of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) intensity data to extract surface features is of great interest in remote sensing research. One potential application of LiDAR intensity data is target classification. A new bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model is derived for target characterization of rough and smooth surfaces. Based on the geometry of our coaxial full-waveform LiDAR system, the integration method is improved through coordinate transformation to establish the relationship between the BRDF model and intensity data of LiDAR. A series of experiments using typical urban building materials are implemented to validate the proposed BRDF model and integration method. The fitting results show that three parameters extracted from the proposed BRDF model can distinguish the urban building materials from perspectives of roughness, specular reflectance, and diffuse reflectance. A comprehensive analysis of these parameters will help characterize surface features in a physically rigorous manner.

  2. Meta-modeling of occupancy variables and analysis of their impact on energy outcomes of office buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qinpeng; Augenbroe, Godfried; Kim, Ji-Hyun; Gu, Li

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A meta-analysis framework for a stochastic characterization of occupancy variables. • Sensitivity ranking of occupancy variability against all other sources of uncertainty. • Sensitivity of occupant presence for building energy consumption is low. • Accurate mean knowledge is sufficient for predicting building energy consumption. • Prediction of peak demand behavior requires stochastic occupancy modeling. - Abstract: Occupants interact with buildings in various ways via their presence (passive effects) and control actions (active effects). Therefore, understanding the influence of occupants is essential if we are to evaluate the performance of a building. In this paper, we model the mean profiles and variability of occupancy variables (presence and actions) separately. We will use a multi-variate Gaussian distribution to generate mean profiles of occupancy variables, while the variability will be represented by a multi-dimensional time series model, within a framework for a meta-analysis that synthesizes occupancy data gathered from a pool of buildings. We then discuss variants of occupancy models with respect to various outcomes of interest such as HVAC energy consumption and peak demand behavior via a sensitivity analysis. Results show that our approach is able to generate stochastic occupancy profiles, requiring minimum additional input from the energy modeler other than standard diversity profiles. Along with the meta-analysis, we enable the generalization of previous research results and statistical inferences to choose occupancy variables for future buildings. The sensitivity analysis shows that for aggregated building energy consumption, occupant presence has a smaller impact compared to lighting and appliance usage. Specifically, being accumulatively 55% wrong with regard to presence, only translates to 2% error in aggregated cooling energy in July and 3.6% error in heating energy in January. Such a finding redirects focus to the

  3. BUILDING NEW BUSINESS MODELS FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

    OpenAIRE

    Taco C. R. van Someren; Shuhua van Someren-Wang

    2011-01-01

    Considered are issues of methodology and methods, as well as ideology of strategic innovation. Using the tools of this approach is offered as mechanisms to develop and build business models for sustainable socio-economic economic growth and development of different regions. The connection between key problems of sustainable development and management policy of different economic entities is studied. The consultancy company Ynnovate’s experience in addressing these issues in the EU and China i...

  4. Modelica-based Modeling and Simulation to Support Research and Development in Building Energy and Control Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael

    2009-02-12

    Traditional building simulation programs possess attributes that make them difficult to use for the design and analysis of building energy and control systems and for the support of model-based research and development of systems that may not already be implemented in these programs. This article presents characteristic features of such applications, and it shows how equation-based object-oriented modelling can meet requirements that arise in such applications. Next, the implementation of an open-source component model library for building energy systems is presented. The library has been developed using the equation-based object-oriented Modelica modelling language. Technical challenges of modelling and simulating such systems are discussed. Research needs are presented to make this technology accessible to user groups that have more stringent requirements with respect to the numerical robustness of simulation than a research community may have. Two examples are presented in which models from the here described library were used. The first example describes the design of a controller for a nonlinear model of a heating coil using model reduction and frequency domain analysis. The second example describes the tuning of control parameters for a static pressure reset controller of a variable air volume flow system. The tuning has been done by solving a non-convex optimization problem that minimizes fan energy subject to state constraints.

  5. Automatic Generation of Building Models with Levels of Detail 1-3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguatem, W.; Drauschke, M.; Mayer, H.

    2016-06-01

    We present a workflow for the automatic generation of building models with levels of detail (LOD) 1 to 3 according to the CityGML standard (Gröger et al., 2012). We start with orienting unsorted image sets employing (Mayer et al., 2012), we compute depth maps using semi-global matching (SGM) (Hirschmüller, 2008), and fuse these depth maps to reconstruct dense 3D point clouds (Kuhn et al., 2014). Based on planes segmented from these point clouds, we have developed a stochastic method for roof model selection (Nguatem et al., 2013) and window model selection (Nguatem et al., 2014). We demonstrate our workflow up to the export into CityGML.

  6. Web tools for predictive toxicology model building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeliazkova, Nina

    2012-07-01

    The development and use of web tools in chemistry has accumulated more than 15 years of history already. Powered by the advances in the Internet technologies, the current generation of web systems are starting to expand into areas, traditional for desktop applications. The web platforms integrate data storage, cheminformatics and data analysis tools. The ease of use and the collaborative potential of the web is compelling, despite the challenges. The topic of this review is a set of recently published web tools that facilitate predictive toxicology model building. The focus is on software platforms, offering web access to chemical structure-based methods, although some of the frameworks could also provide bioinformatics or hybrid data analysis functionalities. A number of historical and current developments are cited. In order to provide comparable assessment, the following characteristics are considered: support for workflows, descriptor calculations, visualization, modeling algorithms, data management and data sharing capabilities, availability of GUI or programmatic access and implementation details. The success of the Web is largely due to its highly decentralized, yet sufficiently interoperable model for information access. The expected future convergence between cheminformatics and bioinformatics databases provides new challenges toward management and analysis of large data sets. The web tools in predictive toxicology will likely continue to evolve toward the right mix of flexibility, performance, scalability, interoperability, sets of unique features offered, friendly user interfaces, programmatic access for advanced users, platform independence, results reproducibility, curation and crowdsourcing utilities, collaborative sharing and secure access.

  7. FloorspaceJS - A New, Open Source, Web-Based Geometry Editor for Building Energy Modeling (BEM): Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macumber, Daniel L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Horowitz, Scott G [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schott, Marjorie [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nolan, Katie [Devetry; Schiller, Brian [Devetry

    2018-03-19

    Across most industries, desktop applications are being rapidly migrated to web applications for a variety of reasons. Web applications are inherently cross platform, mobile, and easier to distribute than desktop applications. Fueling this trend are a wide range of free, open source libraries and frameworks that make it incredibly easy to develop powerful web applications. The building energy modeling community is just beginning to pick up on these larger trends, with a small but growing number of building energy modeling applications starting on or moving to the web. This paper presents a new, open source, web based geometry editor for Building Energy Modeling (BEM). The editor is written completely in JavaScript and runs in a modern web browser. The editor works on a custom JSON file format and is designed to be integrated into a variety of web and desktop applications. The web based editor is available to use as a standalone web application at: https://nrel.github.io/openstudio-geometry-editor/. An example integration is demonstrated with the OpenStudio desktop application. Finally, the editor can be easily integrated with a wide range of possible building energy modeling web applications.

  8. Economic Model Predictive Control for Building Climate Control in a Smart Grid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halvgaard, Rasmus; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad; Madsen, Henrik

    2012-01-01

    Model Predictive Control (MPC) can be used to control a system of energy producers and consumers in a Smart Grid. In this paper, we use heat pumps for heating residential buildings with a floor heating system. We use the thermal capacity of the building to shift the electricity consumptions...... to periods with low energy prices. In this way the heating system of the house becomes a flexible power consumer in the Smart Grid. This scenario is relevant for systems with a significant share of stochastic energy producers, e.g. wind turbines, where the ability to shift power consumption according...... and electricity price. Simulation studies demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed model and algorithm. Compared to traditional operation of heat pumps with constant electricity prices, the optimized operating strategy saves 25-33% of the electricity cost....

  9. Source term evaluation model for high-level radioactive waste repository with decay chain build-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chopra, Manish; Sunny, Faby; Oza, R B

    2016-09-18

    A source term model based on two-component leach flux concept is developed for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The long-lived radionuclides associated with high-level waste may give rise to the build-up of activity because of radioactive decay chains. The ingrowths of progeny are incorporated in the model using Bateman decay chain build-up equations. The model is applied to different radionuclides present in the high-level radioactive waste, which form a part of decay chains (4n to 4n + 3 series), and the activity of the parent and daughter radionuclides leaching out of the waste matrix is estimated. Two cases are considered: one when only parent is present initially in the waste and another where daughters are also initially present in the waste matrix. The incorporation of in situ production of daughter radionuclides in the source is important to carry out realistic estimates. It is shown that the inclusion of decay chain build-up is essential to avoid underestimation of the radiological impact assessment of the repository. The model can be a useful tool for evaluating the source term of the radionuclide transport models used for the radiological impact assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories.

  10. AUTOMATED RECONSTRUCTION OF WALLS FROM AIRBORNE LIDAR DATA FOR COMPLETE 3D BUILDING MODELLING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. He

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Automated 3D building model generation continues to attract research interests in photogrammetry and computer vision. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR data with increasing point density and accuracy has been recognized as a valuable source for automated 3D building reconstruction. While considerable achievements have been made in roof extraction, limited research has been carried out in modelling and reconstruction of walls, which constitute important components of a full building model. Low point density and irregular point distribution of LIDAR observations on vertical walls render this task complex. This paper develops a novel approach for wall reconstruction from airborne LIDAR data. The developed method commences with point cloud segmentation using a region growing approach. Seed points for planar segments are selected through principle component analysis, and points in the neighbourhood are collected and examined to form planar segments. Afterwards, segment-based classification is performed to identify roofs, walls and planar ground surfaces. For walls with sparse LIDAR observations, a search is conducted in the neighbourhood of each individual roof segment to collect wall points, and the walls are then reconstructed using geometrical and topological constraints. Finally, walls which were not illuminated by the LIDAR sensor are determined via both reconstructed roof data and neighbouring walls. This leads to the generation of topologically consistent and geometrically accurate and complete 3D building models. Experiments have been conducted in two test sites in the Netherlands and Australia to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Results show that planar segments can be reliably extracted in the two reported test sites, which have different point density, and the building walls can be correctly reconstructed if the walls are illuminated by the LIDAR sensor.

  11. Assessment of Retrofitting Measures for a Large Historic Research Facility Using a Building Energy Simulation Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young Tae Chae

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A calibrated building simulation model was developed to assess the energy performance of a large historic research building. The complexity of space functions and operational conditions with limited availability of energy meters makes it hard to understand the end-used energy consumption in detail and to identify appropriate retrofitting options for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG emissions. An energy simulation model was developed to study the energy usage patterns not only at a building level, but also of the internal thermal zones, and system operations. The model was validated using site measurements of energy usage and a detailed audit of the internal load conditions, system operation, and space programs to minimize the discrepancy between the documented status and actual operational conditions. Based on the results of the calibrated model and end-used energy consumption, the study proposed potential energy conservation measures (ECMs for the building envelope, HVAC system operational methods, and system replacement. It also evaluated each ECM from the perspective of both energy and utility cost saving potentials to help retrofitting plan decision making. The study shows that the energy consumption of the building was highly dominated by the thermal requirements of laboratory spaces. Among other ECMs the demand management option of overriding the setpoint temperature is the most cost effective measure.

  12. A legacy building model for holistic nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Bernadette; Zahourek, Rothlyn P; Mariano, Carla

    2014-06-01

    This pilot project was an effort to record the historical roots, development, and legacy of holistic nursing through the visionary spirit of four older American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) members. The aim was twofold: (a) to capture the holistic nursing career experiences of elder AHNA members and (b) to begin to create a Legacy Building Model for Holistic Nursing. The narratives will help initiate an ongoing, systematic method for the collection of historical data and serve as a perpetual archive of knowledge and inspiration for present and future holistic nurses. An aesthetic inquiry approach was used to conduct in-depth interviews with four older AHNA members who have made significant contributions to holistic nursing. The narratives provide a rich description of their personal and professional evolution as holistic nurses. The narratives are presented in an aesthetic format of the art forms of snapshot, pastiche, and collage rather than traditional presentations of research findings. A synopsis of the narratives is a dialogue between the three authors and provides insight for how a Legacy Model can guide our future. Considerations for practice, education, and research are discussed based on the words of wisdom from the four older holistic nurses.

  13. Heating and cooling building energy demand evaluation; a simplified model and a modified degree days approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Rosa, Mattia; Bianco, Vincenzo; Scarpa, Federico; Tagliafico, Luca A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A dynamic model to estimate the energy performance of buildings is presented. • The model is validated against leading software packages, TRNSYS and Energy Plus. • Modified degree days are introduced to account for solar irradiation effects. - Abstract: Degree days represent a versatile climatic indicator which is commonly used in building energy performance analysis. In this context, the present paper proposes a simple dynamic model to simulate heating/cooling energy consumption in buildings. The model consists of several transient energy balance equations for external walls and internal air according to a lumped-capacitance approach and it has been implemented utilizing the Matlab/Simulink® platform. Results are validated by comparison to the outcomes of leading software packages, TRNSYS and Energy Plus. By using the above mentioned model, energy consumption for heating/cooling is analyzed in different locations, showing that for low degree days the inertia effect assumes a paramount importance, affecting the common linear behavior of the building consumption against the standard degree days, especially for cooling energy demand. Cooling energy demand at low cooling degree days (CDDs) is deeply analyzed, highlighting that in this situation other factors, such as solar irradiation, have an important role. To take into account these effects, a correction to CDD is proposed, demonstrating that by considering all the contributions the linear relationship between energy consumption and degree days is maintained

  14. a Historical Timber Frame Model for Diagnosis and Documentation Before Building Restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehl, M.; Viale, A.; Reeb, S.

    2013-09-01

    The aim of the project that is described in this paper was to define a four-level timber frame survey mode of a historical building: the so-called "Andlau's Seigniory", Alsace, France. This historical building (domain) was built in the late XVIth century and is now in a stage of renovation in order to become a heritage interpretation centre. The used measurement methods combine Total Station measurements, Photogrammetry and 3D Terrestrial Laser scanner. Different modelling workflows were tested and compared according to the data acquisition method, but also according to the characteristics of the reconstructed model in terms of accuracy and level of detail. 3D geometric modelling of the entire structure was performed including modelling the degree of detail adapted to the needs. The described 3D timber framework exists now in different versions, from a theoretical and geometrical one up to a very detailed one, in which measurements and evaluation of deformation by time are potentially allowed. The virtually generated models involving archaeologists, architects, historians and specialists in historical crafts, are intended to be used during the four stages of the project: (i) knowledge of the current state of needs for diagnosis and understanding of former construction techniques; (ii) preparation and evaluation of restoration steps; (iii) knowledge and documentation concerning the archaeological object; (iv) transmission and dissemination of knowledge through the implementation of museum animations. Among the generated models we can also find a documentation of the site in the form of virtual tours created from panoramic photographs before and during the restoration works. Finally, the timber framework model was structured and integrated into a 3D GIS, where the association of descriptive and complementary digital documents was possible. Both offer tools leading to the diagnosis, the understanding of the structure, knowledge dissemination, documentation and the

  15. Issue of Building Information Modelling Implementation into the Czech Republic’s Legislation using the Level of Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prušková, Kristýna; Nývlt, Vladimír

    2017-10-01

    The object of this paper is the issue of links between the Level of Development of particular project in Building Information Modeling environment and the projects of certain stages of project documentation within the existing Czech Republic’s Legislation. This research article uses the experiences from the initiative of active working group „WG#03: BIM & Realization“, which is the part of the Czech BIM Council, especially the document called “Draft of unified data structure for Building Information Modeling in the Czech Republic”. The findings of this paper are in the defining specific Level of Development of relative parameters, mentioned in this document, connected to the specific level of information and details requested by the Czech Republic’s Legislation. These findings could be used as an underlay to create document called “Level of Development draft assignment to the individual stages of project documentation in the Czech Republic”. The Level of Development is the most useful way of the information visualization, which leads to the most effortless way of exact stated implementation of Building Information Modeling into the practice of designing structures and buildings in the Czech Republic. The Implementation of using Building Information Modeling technology in designing structures and buildings will lead to the enhanced quality of the project documentation and generally to more effective cost savings during whole life cycle of buildings. Moreover, the all over using of the BIM technology in the Czech Republic will be very useful in the Facility Management area, especially in the facility management and maintenance of state buildings.

  16. RECONSTRUCTION OF 3D VECTOR MODELS OF BUILDINGS BY COMBINATION OF ALS, TLS AND VLS DATA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Boulaassal

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS and Vehicle based Laser Scanning (VLS are widely used as data acquisition methods for 3D building modelling. ALS data is often used to generate, among others, roof models. TLS data has proven its effectiveness in the geometric reconstruction of building façades. Although the operating algorithms used in the processing chain of these two kinds of data are quite similar, their combination should be more investigated. This study explores the possibility of combining ALS and TLS data for simultaneously producing 3D building models from bird point of view and pedestrian point of view. The geometric accuracy of roofs and façades models is different due to the acquisition techniques. In order to take these differences into account, the surfaces composing roofs and façades are extracted with the same algorithm of segmentation. Nevertheless the segmentation algorithm must be adapted to the properties of the different point clouds. It is based on the RANSAC algorithm, but has been applied in a sequential way in order to extract all potential planar clusters from airborne and terrestrial datasets. Surfaces are fitted to planar clusters, allowing edge detection and reconstruction of vector polygons. Models resulting from TLS data are obviously more accurate than those generated from ALS data. Therefore, the geometry of the roofs is corrected and adapted according to the geometry of the corresponding façades. Finally, the effects of the differences between raw ALS and TLS data on the results of the modeling process are analyzed. It is shown that such combination could be used to produce reliable 3D building models.

  17. Building and Verifying a Predictive Model of Interruption Resumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-01

    the gardener to remember those plants (and whether they need to be removed), and so will not commit resources to remember that information . The overall...camera), the storyteller needed help much less often. This result suggests that when there is no one to help them remember the last thing they said...INV ITED P A P E R Building and Verifying a Predictive Model of Interruption Resumption Help from a robot, to allow a human storyteller to continue

  18. NEW UPPER AND LOWER BOUNDS LINE OF SIGHT PATH LOSS MODELS FOR MOBILE PROPAGATION IN BUILDINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supachai Phaiboon

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a method to predict line-of-sight (LOS path loss in buildings. We performed measurements in two different type of buildings at a frequency of 1.8 GHz and propose new upper and lower bounds path loss models which depend on max and min values of sample path loss data. This makes our models limit path loss within the boundary lines. The models include time-variant effects such as people moving and cars in parking areas with their influence on wave propagation that is very high.  The results have shown that the proposed models will be useful for the system and cell design of indoor wireless communication systems.

  19. The impact of urban open space and 'lift-up' building design on building intake fraction and daily pollutant exposure in idealized urban models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, Chenyuan; Wang, Xuemei; Lin, Yuanyuan; Fan, Yifan; Chen, Xi; Hang, Jian

    2018-08-15

    Sustainable urban design is an effective way to improve urban ventilation and reduce vehicular pollutant exposure to urban residents. This paper investigated the impacts of urban open space and 'lift-up' building design on vehicular CO (carbon monoxide) exposure in typical three-dimensional (3D) urban canopy layer (UCL) models under neutral atmospheric conditions. The building intake fraction (IF) represents the fraction of total vehicular pollutant emissions inhaled by residents when they stay at home. The building daily CO exposure (E t ) means the extent of human beings' contact with CO within one day indoor at home. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations integrating with these two concepts were performed to solve turbulent flow and assess vehicular CO exposure to urban residents. CFD technique with the standard k-ε model was successfully validated by wind tunnel data. The initial numerical UCL model consists of 5-row and 5-column (5×5) cubic buildings (building height H=street width W=30m) with four approaching wind directions (θ=0°, 15°, 30°, 45°). In Group I, one of the 25 building models is removed to attain urban open space settings. In Group II, the first floor (Lift-up1), or second floor (Lift-up2), or third floor (Lift-up3) of all buildings is elevated respectively to create wind pathways through buildings. Compared to the initial case, urban open space can slightly or significantly reduce pollutant exposure for urban residents. As θ=30° and 45°, open space settings are more effective to reduce pollutant exposure than θ=0° and 15°.The pollutant dilution near or surrounding open space and in its adjacent downstream regions is usually enhanced. Lift-up1 and Lift-up2 experience much greater pollutant exposure reduction in all wind directions than Lift-up3 and open space. Although further investigations are still required to provide practical guidelines, this study is one of the first attempts for reducing urban pollutant exposure by

  20. Using Openstreetmap Data to Generate Building Models with Their Inner Structures for 3d Maps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Z.; Zipf, A.

    2017-09-01

    With the development of Web 2.0, more and more data related to indoor environments has been collected within the volunteered geographic information (VGI) framework, which creates a need for construction of indoor environments from VGI. In this study, we focus on generating 3D building models from OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, and provide an approach to support construction and visualization of indoor environments on 3D maps. In this paper, we present an algorithm which can extract building information from OSM data, and can construct building structures as well as inner building components (e.g., doors, rooms, and windows). A web application is built to support the processing and visualization of the building models on a 3D map. We test our approach with an indoor dataset collected from the field. The results show the feasibility of our approach and its potentials to provide support for a wide range of applications, such as indoor and outdoor navigation, urban planning, and incident management.

  1. USING OPENSTREETMAP DATA TO GENERATE BUILDING MODELS WITH THEIR INNER STRUCTURES FOR 3D MAPS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Wang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available With the development of Web 2.0, more and more data related to indoor environments has been collected within the volunteered geographic information (VGI framework, which creates a need for construction of indoor environments from VGI. In this study, we focus on generating 3D building models from OpenStreetMap (OSM data, and provide an approach to support construction and visualization of indoor environments on 3D maps. In this paper, we present an algorithm which can extract building information from OSM data, and can construct building structures as well as inner building components (e.g., doors, rooms, and windows. A web application is built to support the processing and visualization of the building models on a 3D map. We test our approach with an indoor dataset collected from the field. The results show the feasibility of our approach and its potentials to provide support for a wide range of applications, such as indoor and outdoor navigation, urban planning, and incident management.

  2. Modelling the distribution of 222Rn concentration in a multi level, general purpose building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toro, Laszlo; Noditi, Mihaela; Gheorghe, Raluca; Gheorghe, Dan

    2008-01-01

    The importance of 222 Rn (radon) in the indoor air related to the exposure form natural sources is relatively well documented. About 30% of the individual effective dose from natural sources is coming from the inhalation of 222 Rn and his short lived daughters. In unfavorable conditions given by the soil porosity and the existence of upward air movement in the soil there is a possibility to have unusually high radon concentration in houses even on soil with 'normal' 226 Ra content. Some construction solutions (high indoor spaces) should generate a significant indoor-outdoor negative pressure differences and consequently upward air currents (stack effect) which will facilitate the entrance of radon in the building. This effect will multiply the possibility of migration of radon in the building. The difficulty of the prediction of radon migration in the soil-building system increase the importance of the mathematical modelling of the behavior of radon-soil emission, infiltration and migration in the building - in areas with high radon potential. For one level simple buildings there are several models in the literature but the information regarding the multilevel building models are relatively scarce. Two different approaches used to describe the behavior of the radon gas in large (mainly high) buildings have been analyzed: Direct approach: computational fluid dynamics, solving the transport equations for the whole building (the domain of the solution of the transport and flow equations is delimited by the building envelope - the external walls); the openings (internal and external) and ventilation are defined by the boundary conditions. This approach is quite complex, the equations are solved (numerically) for highly inhomogeneous medium but is based on the fundamental processes governing the transport. In the same time it gives the possibility to obtain a concentration pattern in every part of the building. Multi-zone approach treating the building as interconnected

  3. D Modelling of a Historical Building Using Close-Range Photogrammetry and Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (rpas)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo Brutto, M.; Ebolese, D.; Dardanelli, G.

    2018-05-01

    The photogrammetric survey of architectural Cultural Heritage is a very useful and standard process in order to obtain accurate 3D data for the documentation and visualization of historical buildings. In particular, the integration of terrestrial close-range photogrammetry and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs) photogrammetry allows to create accurate and reliable 3D models of buildings and to monitor their state of conservation. The use of RPASs has indeed become more popular in Cultural Heritage survey to measure and detect areas that cannot normally be covered using terrestrial photogrammetry or terrestrial laser scanner. The paper presents the results of a photogrammetric survey executed to document the monumental complex of Villa Lampedusa ai Colli in Palermo (Italy), one of the most important historical buildings of the town. An integrated survey by close-range photogrammetry and RPAS photogrammetry was planned and carried out to reconstruct the 3D digital model of the monumental complex. Different images configurations (terrestrial, aerial nadiral, aerial parallel and oblique to the façades) have been acquired; data have been processed to verify the accuracy of the photogrammetric survey as regards the camera calibration parameters and the number of Ground Control Points (GCPs) measured on building façades. A very detailed 3D digital model and high-resolution ortho-images of the façades were obtained in order to carry out further analysis for historical studies, conservation and restoration project. The final 3D model of Villa Lampedusa ai Colli has been compared with a laser scanner 3D model to evaluate the quality of the photogrammetric approach. Beyond a purely metric assessment, 3D textured model has employed to generate 2D representations, useful for documentation purpose and to highlight the most significant damaged areas. 3D digital models and 2D representations can effectively contribute to monitor the state of conservation of historical

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2007-01-01

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

  5. Urban weather data and building models for the inclusion of the urban heat island effect in building performance simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Palme

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This data article presents files supporting calculation for urban heat island (UHI inclusion in building performance simulation (BPS. Methodology is used in the research article “From urban climate to energy consumption. Enhancing building performance simulation by including the urban heat island effect” (Palme et al., 2017 [1]. In this research, a Geographical Information System (GIS study is done in order to statistically represent the most important urban scenarios of four South-American cities (Guayaquil, Lima, Antofagasta and Valparaíso. Then, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA is done to obtain reference Urban Tissues Categories (UTC to be used in urban weather simulation. The urban weather files are generated by using the Urban Weather Generator (UWG software (version 4.1 beta. Finally, BPS is run out with the Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS software (version 17. In this data paper, four sets of data are presented: 1 PCA data (excel to explain how to group different urban samples in representative UTC; 2 UWG data (text to reproduce the Urban Weather Generation for the UTC used in the four cities (4 UTC in Lima, Guayaquil, Antofagasta and 5 UTC in Valparaíso; 3 weather data (text with the resulting rural and urban weather; 4 BPS models (text data containing the TRNSYS models (four building models.

  6. Damage estimation of subterranean building constructions due to groundwater inundation – the GIS-based model approach GRUWAD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Schinke

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The analysis and management of flood risk commonly focuses on surface water floods, because these types are often associated with high economic losses due to damage to buildings and settlements. The rising groundwater as a secondary effect of these floods induces additional damage, particularly in the basements of buildings. Mostly, these losses remain underestimated, because they are difficult to assess, especially for the entire building stock of flood-prone urban areas. For this purpose an appropriate methodology has been developed and lead to a groundwater damage simulation model named GRUWAD. The overall methodology combines various engineering and geoinformatic methods to calculate major damage processes by high groundwater levels. It considers a classification of buildings by building types, synthetic depth-damage functions for groundwater inundation as well as the results of a groundwater-flow model. The modular structure of this procedure can be adapted in the level of detail. Hence, the model allows damage calculations from the local to the regional scale. Among others it can be used to prepare risk maps, for ex-ante analysis of future risks, and to simulate the effects of mitigation measures. Therefore, the model is a multifarious tool for determining urban resilience with respect to high groundwater levels.

  7. Micro worlds versus boundary objects in group model building; evidence from the literature on problem definition and model conceptulization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zagonel, Aldo A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Systems Engineering & Analysis; Andersen, David F. [University in Albany, NY (United States). The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

    2007-03-01

    Based upon participant observation in group model building and content analysis of the system dynamics literature, we postulate that modeling efforts have a dual nature. On one hand, the modeling process aims to create a useful representation of a real-world system. This must be done, however, while aligning the clients’ mental models around a shared view of the system. There is significant overlap and confusion between these two goals and how they play out on a practical level. This research clarifies these distinctions by establishing an ideal-type dichotomy. To highlight the differences, we created two straw men: “micro world” characterizes a model that represents reality and “boundary object” represents a socially negotiated model. Using this framework, the literature was examined, revealing evidence for several competing views on problem definition and model conceptualization. The results are summarized in the text of this article, substantiated with strikingly polarized citations, often from the same authors. We also introduce hypotheses for the duality across the remaining phases of the modeling process. Finally, understanding and appreciation of the differences between these ideal types can promote constructive debate on their balance in system dynamics theory and practice.

  8. Modeling of heat and mass transfer in lateritic building envelopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meukam, Pierre

    2004-10-01

    The aim of the present work is to investigate the behavior of building envelopes made of local lateritic soil bricks subjected to different climatic conditions. The analysis is developed for the prediction of the temperature, relative humidity and water content behavior within the walls. The building envelopes studied in this work consist of lateritic soil bricks with incorporation of natural pozzolan or sawdust in order to obtain small thermal conductivity and low-density materials, and limit the heat transfer between the atmospheric climate and the inside environment. In order to describe coupled heat and moisture transfer in wet porous materials, the coupled equations were solved by the introduction of diffusion coefficients. A numerical model HMtrans, developed for prediction of beat and moisture transfer in multi-layered building components, was used to simulate the temperature, water content and relative humidity profiles within the building envelopes. The results allow the prediction of the duration of the exposed building walls to the local weather conditions. They show that for any of three climatic conditions considered, relative humidity and water content do not exceed 87% and 5% respectively. There is therefore minimum possibility of water condensation in the materials studied. The durability of building envelopes made of lateritic soil bricks with incorporation of natural pozzolan or sawdust is not strongly affected by the climatic conditions in tropical and equatorial regions. (author)

  9. Designing an Agent-Based Model Using Group Model Building: Application to Food Insecurity Patterns in a U.S. Midwestern Metropolitan City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Keumseok; Reno, Rebecca; Hyder, Ayaz

    2018-04-01

    Recent advances in computing resources have increased interest in systems modeling and population health. While group model building (GMB) has been effectively applied in developing system dynamics models (SD), few studies have used GMB for developing an agent-based model (ABM). This article explores the use of a GMB approach to develop an ABM focused on food insecurity. In our GMB workshops, we modified a set of the standard GMB scripts to develop and validate an ABM in collaboration with local experts and stakeholders. Based on this experience, we learned that GMB is a useful collaborative modeling platform for modelers and community experts to address local population health issues. We also provide suggestions for increasing the use of the GMB approach to develop rigorous, useful, and validated ABMs.

  10. Building prognostic models for breast cancer patients using clinical variables and hundreds of gene expression signatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Yufeng

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiple breast cancer gene expression profiles have been developed that appear to provide similar abilities to predict outcome and may outperform clinical-pathologic criteria; however, the extent to which seemingly disparate profiles provide additive prognostic information is not known, nor do we know whether prognostic profiles perform equally across clinically defined breast cancer subtypes. We evaluated whether combining the prognostic powers of standard breast cancer clinical variables with a large set of gene expression signatures could improve on our ability to predict patient outcomes. Methods Using clinical-pathological variables and a collection of 323 gene expression "modules", including 115 previously published signatures, we build multivariate Cox proportional hazards models using a dataset of 550 node-negative systemically untreated breast cancer patients. Models predictive of pathological complete response (pCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were also built using this approach. Results We identified statistically significant prognostic models for relapse-free survival (RFS at 7 years for the entire population, and for the subgroups of patients with ER-positive, or Luminal tumors. Furthermore, we found that combined models that included both clinical and genomic parameters improved prognostication compared with models with either clinical or genomic variables alone. Finally, we were able to build statistically significant combined models for pathological complete response (pCR predictions for the entire population. Conclusions Integration of gene expression signatures and clinical-pathological factors is an improved method over either variable type alone. Highly prognostic models could be created when using all patients, and for the subset of patients with lymph node-negative and ER-positive breast cancers. Other variables beyond gene expression and clinical-pathological variables, like gene mutation status or DNA

  11. Modeling and optimization of energy generation and storage systems for thermal conditioning of buildings targeting conceptual building design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grahovac, Milica

    2012-11-29

    The thermal conditioning systems are responsible for almost half of the energy consump-tion by commercial buildings. In many European countries and in the USA, buildings account for around 40% of primary energy consumption and it is therefore vital to explore further ways to reduce the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system energy consumption. This thesis investigates the relationship between the energy genera-tion and storage systems for thermal conditioning of buildings (shorter: primary HVAC systems) and the conceptual building design. Certain building design decisions irreversibly influence a building's energy performance and, conversely, many generation and storage components impose restrictions on building design and, by their nature, cannot be introduced at a later design stage. The objective is, firstly, to develop a method to quantify this influence, in terms of primary HVAC system dimensions, its cost, emissions and energy consumption and, secondly, to enable the use of the developed method by architects during the conceptual design. In order to account for the non-stationary effects of the intermittent renewable energy sources (RES), thermal storage and for the component part load efficiencies, a time domain system simulation is required. An abstract system simulation method is proposed based on seven pre-configured primary HVAC system models, including components such as boil-ers, chillers and cooling towers, thermal storage, solar thermal collectors, and photovoltaic modules. A control strategy is developed for each of the models and their annual quasi-stationary simulation is performed. The performance profiles obtained are then used to calculate the energy consumption, carbon emissions and costs. The annuity method has been employed to calculate the cost. Optimization is used to automatically size the HVAC systems, based on their simulation performance. Its purpose is to identify the system component dimensions that provide

  12. Modeling and optimization of energy generation and storage systems for thermal conditioning of buildings targeting conceptual building design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grahovac, Milica

    2012-11-29

    The thermal conditioning systems are responsible for almost half of the energy consump-tion by commercial buildings. In many European countries and in the USA, buildings account for around 40% of primary energy consumption and it is therefore vital to explore further ways to reduce the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system energy consumption. This thesis investigates the relationship between the energy genera-tion and storage systems for thermal conditioning of buildings (shorter: primary HVAC systems) and the conceptual building design. Certain building design decisions irreversibly influence a building's energy performance and, conversely, many generation and storage components impose restrictions on building design and, by their nature, cannot be introduced at a later design stage. The objective is, firstly, to develop a method to quantify this influence, in terms of primary HVAC system dimensions, its cost, emissions and energy consumption and, secondly, to enable the use of the developed method by architects during the conceptual design. In order to account for the non-stationary effects of the intermittent renewable energy sources (RES), thermal storage and for the component part load efficiencies, a time domain system simulation is required. An abstract system simulation method is proposed based on seven pre-configured primary HVAC system models, including components such as boil-ers, chillers and cooling towers, thermal storage, solar thermal collectors, and photovoltaic modules. A control strategy is developed for each of the models and their annual quasi-stationary simulation is performed. The performance profiles obtained are then used to calculate the energy consumption, carbon emissions and costs. The annuity method has been employed to calculate the cost. Optimization is used to automatically size the HVAC systems, based on their simulation performance. Its purpose is to identify the system component dimensions that provide minimal

  13. A Modified Model to Estimate Building Rental Multipiers Accounting for Advalorem Operating Expenses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smolyak S.A.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available To develop ideas on building element valuation contained in the first article on the subject published in REMV, we propose an elaboration of the approach accounting for ad valorem expenses incidental to property management, such as land taxes, income/capital gains tax, and insurance premium costs; all such costs, being of an ad valorem nature in the first instance, cause circularity in the logic of the model, which, however, is not intractable under the proposed approach. The resulting formulas for carrying out practical estimation of building rental multipliers and, in consequence, of building values, turn out to be somewhat modified, and we demonstrate the sensitivity of the developed approach to the impact of these ad valorem factors. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that (accounting for building depreciation charges, which should seemingly be included among the considered ad valorem factors, cancel out and do not have any impact on the resulting estimates. However, treating the depreciation of buildings in quantifiable economic terms as a reduction in derivable operating benefits over time (instead of mere physical indications, such as age, we also demonstrate that the approach has implications for estimating the economic service lives of buildings and can be practical when used in conjunction with the market-related approach to valuation – from which the requisite model inputs can be extracted as shown in the final part of the paper.

  14. Energy system investment model incorporating heat pumps with thermal storage in buildings and buffer tanks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hedegaard, Karsten; Balyk, Olexandr

    2013-01-01

    Individual compression heat pumps constitute a potentially valuable resource in supporting wind power integration due to their economic competitiveness and possibilities for flexible operation. When analysing the system benefits of flexible heat pump operation, effects on investments should be taken into account. In this study, we present a model that facilitates analysing individual heat pumps and complementing heat storages in integration with the energy system, while optimising both investments and operation. The model incorporates thermal building dynamics and covers various heat storage options: passive heat storage in the building structure via radiator heating, active heat storage in concrete floors via floor heating, and use of thermal storage tanks for space heating and hot water. It is shown that the model is well qualified for analysing possibilities and system benefits of operating heat pumps flexibly. This includes prioritising heat pump operation for hours with low marginal electricity production costs, and peak load shaving resulting in a reduced need for peak and reserve capacity investments. - Highlights: • Model optimising heat pumps and heat storages in integration with the energy system. • Optimisation of both energy system investments and operation. • Heat storage in building structure and thermal storage tanks included. • Model well qualified for analysing system benefits of flexible heat pump operation. • Covers peak load shaving and operation prioritised for low electricity prices

  15. Digital learning material for experimental design and model building in molecular biology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aegerter-Wilmsen, T.

    2005-01-01

    Designing experimental approaches is a major cognitive skill in molecular biology research, and building models, including quantitative ones, is a cognitive skill which is rapidly gaining importance. Since molecular biology education at university level is aimed at educating future researchers, we

  16. Advances in the development and application of an open source model server for building information

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beetz, J.; van Berlo, L.A.H.M.; Laat, de R.; Bonsma, P.

    2011-01-01

    The need for Building Information Model (BIM) servers to facilitate collaboration has been repeatedly reported in literature and stated by industry practitioners. To date, only a few commercial implementations of model servers are available. However, these applications are either limited to

  17. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AT EMBRAPA: SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE ON THE BUILDING OF A COLLABORATIVE MODEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rivadávia Correa Drummond de Alvarenga Neto

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates and analyses the process of building a knowledge management (KM model at Brazil’s Embrapa (The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. Embrapa is a world class knowledge organization whose mission is to provide feasible solutions for the sustainable development of Brazilian agribusiness through knowledge and technology generation and transfer. The qualitative research strategy used was the study of a single case with incorporated units of analysis and two criteria were observed for the judgment of the quality of the research project: validity of the construct and reliability. Multiple sources of evidence were used and data analysis consisted of three flows of activities: data reduction, data displays and conclusion drawing/verification. The results revealed a robust KM model made of four dynamic axes: (i strategy (a strategic conception of information and knowledge use, (ii environment - four different groups of enabling conditions (social-behavioral, information/communication, cognitive/epistemic and business/managerial, sine qua non conditions for successful implementation, (iii tool box – sets of IT tools and managerial practices and (iv results – in terms of outputs, being both tangible and intangible assets. The conclusions suggest that a collaborative building of a KM model in a diverse and geographically dispersed organization is more likely to succeed than one that is build and implemented from the top-down perspective. Embrapa’s KM Model is more inclined to be a knowledge-based view of organization than merely a KM model. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

  18. Computer-aided modeling of aluminophosphate zeolites as packings of building units

    KAUST Repository

    Peskov, Maxim

    2012-03-22

    New building schemes of aluminophosphate molecular sieves from packing units (PUs) are proposed. We have investigated 61 framework types discovered in zeolite-like aluminophosphates and have identified important PU combinations using a recently implemented computational algorithm of the TOPOS package. All PUs whose packing completely determines the overall topology of the aluminophosphate framework were described and catalogued. We have enumerated 235 building models for the aluminophosphates belonging to 61 zeolite framework types, from ring- or cage-like PU clusters. It is indicated that PUs can be considered as precursor species in the zeolite synthesis processes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  19. Modelling energy savings in the Danish building sector combined with internalisation of health related externalities in a heat and power system optimisation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zvingilaite, Erika

    2013-01-01

    A substantial untapped energy saving potential rests in the building sector and is expected to play an important role in achieving reduction of environmental impacts of energy. In order to utilise this potential, effective policy measures need to be adopted to remove the existing barriers and create incentives. For that purpose, the cost effective energy saving options together with an optimal level of savings and expected environmental benefits have to be identified. The paper reports on a study that analyses these questions by including heat-saving measures in buildings into an energy system optimisation model of the Danish heat and power sector. The achieved optimal level of heat savings reaches 11% of projected heat demand in 2025 under the model assumptions. Moreover, the analysis reveals the importance of considering energy conservation options in a system wide perspective. Furthermore, the results suggest that changes in the energy generation sector are the prime driver behind the reduction of environmental externalities of energy. Heat savings in buildings play only a small role under model assumptions. - Highlights: ► Heat savings in buildings are analysed together with a heat and power system. ► Heat savings compete with electricity to heat technologies, mainly heat pumps. ► Cost effective heat-savings bring small decrease in health impacts and CO 2 emissions. ► Cost-effectiveness of heat savings depends on the marginal heat generation technology

  20. Development of an atmospheric diffusion numerical model for a nuclear facility. Numerical calculation method incorporating building effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sada, Koichi; Michioka, Takenobu; Ichikawa, Yoichi

    2002-01-01

    Because effluent gas is sometimes released from low positions, viz., near the ground surface and around buildings, the effects caused by buildings within the site area are not negligible for gas diffusion predictions. For these reasons, the effects caused by buildings for gas diffusion are considered under the terrain following calculation coordinate system in this report. Numerical calculation meshes on the ground surface are treated as the building with the adaptation of wall function techniques of turbulent quantities in the flow calculations using a turbulence closure model. The reflection conditions of released particles on building surfaces are taken into consideration in the diffusion calculation using the Lagrangian particle model. Obtained flow and diffusion calculation results are compared with those of wind tunnel experiments around the building. It was apparent that features observed in a wind tunnel, viz., the formation of cavity regions behind the building and the gas diffusion to the ground surface behind the building, are also obtained by numerical calculation. (author)

  1. A control-oriented model for combined building climate comfort and aquifer thermal energy storage system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rostampour Samarin, Vahab; Bloemendal, J.M.; Jaxa-Rozen, M.; Keviczky, T.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a control-oriented model for combined building climate comfort and aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system. In particular, we first provide a description of building operational systems together with control framework variables. We then focus on the derivation of an

  2. COMPUTER MODELING OF STRUCTURAL - CONCENTRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF BUILDING COMPOSITE MATERIALS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. I. Zaripova

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available In the article the computer modeling of structural and concentration characteristics of the building composite material on the basis of the theory of the package. The main provisions of the algorithmon the basis of which it was possible to get the package with a significant number of packaged elements, making it more representative in comparison with existing analogues modeling. We describe the modeled area related areas, the presence of which determines the possibility of a percolation process, which in turn makes it possible to study and management of individual properties of the composite material of construction. As an example of the construction of a composite material is considered concrete that does not exclude the possibility of using algorithms and modeling results of similar studies for composite matrix type (matrix of the same material and distributed in a certain way by volume particles of another substance. Based on modeling results can be manufactured parts and construction elementsfor various purposes with improved technical characteristics (by controlling the concentration composition substance.

  3. Comparison of test and earthquake response modeling of a nuclear power plant containment building

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srinivasan, M.G.; Kot, C.A.; Hsieh, B.J.

    1985-01-01

    The reactor building of a BWR plant was subjected to dynamic testing, a minor earthquake, and a strong earthquake at different times. Analytical models simulating each of these events were devised by previous investigators. A comparison of the characteristics of these models is made in this paper. The different modeling assumptions involved in the different simulation analyses restrict the validity of the models for general use and also narrow the comparison down to only a few modes. The dynamic tests successfully identified the first mode of the soil-structure system.

  4. Comparison of test and earthquake response modeling of a nuclear power plant containment building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srinivasan, M.G.; Kot, C.A.; Hsieh, B.J.

    1985-01-01

    The reactor building of a BWR plant was subjected to dynamic testing, a minor earthquake, and a strong earthquake at different times. Analytical models simulating each of these events were devised by previous investigators. A comparison of the characteristics of these models is made in this paper. The different modeling assumptions involved in the different simulation analyses restrict the validity of the models for general use and also narrow the comparison down to only a few modes. The dynamic tests successfully identified the first mode of the soil-structure system

  5. Applied Distributed Model Predictive Control for Energy Efficient Buildings and Ramp Metering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehler, Sarah Muraoka

    suited for nonlinear optimization problems. The parallel computation of the algorithm exploits iterative linear algebra methods for the main linear algebra computations in the algorithm. We show that the splitting of the algorithm is flexible and can thus be applied to various distributed platform configurations. The two proposed algorithms are applied to two main energy and transportation control problems. The first application is energy efficient building control. Buildings represent 40% of energy consumption in the United States. Thus, it is significant to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The goal is to minimize energy consumption subject to the physics of the building (e.g. heat transfer laws), the constraints of the actuators as well as the desired operating constraints (thermal comfort of the occupants), and heat load on the system. In this thesis, we describe the control systems of forced air building systems in practice. We discuss the "Trim and Respond" algorithm which is a distributed control algorithm that is used in practice, and show that it performs similarly to a one-step explicit DMPC algorithm. Then, we apply the novel distributed primal-dual active-set method and provide extensive numerical results for the building MPC problem. The second main application is the control of ramp metering signals to optimize traffic flow through a freeway system. This application is particularly important since urban congestion has more than doubled in the past few decades. The ramp metering problem is to maximize freeway throughput subject to freeway dynamics (derived from mass conservation), actuation constraints, freeway capacity constraints, and predicted traffic demand. In this thesis, we develop a hybrid model predictive controller for ramp metering that is guaranteed to be persistently feasible and stable. This contrasts to previous work on MPC for ramp metering where such guarantees are absent. We apply a smoothing method to the hybrid model predictive

  6. Build Your Own Particle Detector. Education and outreach through ATLAS LEGO models and events

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00220289; The ATLAS collaboration

    2016-01-01

    To support the outreach activities of ATLAS institutes and to grasp people’s attention in science exhibitions and during public events, a very detailed model of the experiment built entirely out of LEGO bricks as well as an outreach programme using LEGO bricks to get people to think about particle detectors and involve them into a conversation about particle physics in general have been created. A large LEGO model, consisting of about 9500 pieces, has been exported to more than 55 ATLAS institutes and has been used in numerous exhibitions to explain the proportion and composition of the experiment to the public. As part of the Build Your Own Particle Detector programme (byopd.org) more than 15 events have been conducted, either involving a competition to design and build the best particle detector from a random pile of pieces or to take part in the construction of one of the large models, as part of a full day outreach event. Recently, miniature models of all four main LHC experiments, that will be used at ...

  7. A methodology for modelling energy-related human behaviour: Application to window opening behaviour in residential buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2013-01-01

    that affect the results accuracy. Above all, the real energy performance can be affected by the actual behaviour of the building occupants. Thus, there are great benefits to be derived from improving models that simulate the behaviour of human beings within the context of engineered complex systems...... for modelling the human behaviour related to the control of indoor environment. The procedure is applied at models of occupants’ interactions with windows (opening and closing behaviour). Models of occupants’ window opening behaviour were inferred based on measurements and implemented in a simulation program......An energy simulation of a building is a mathematical representation of its physical behaviour considering all the thermal, lighting, acoustics aspects. However, a simulation cannot precisely replicate a real construction because all the simulations are based on a number of key assumptions...

  8. A Procedure for Building Product Models in Intelligent Agent-based OperationsManagement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvam, Lars; Riis, Jesper; Malis, Martin

    2003-01-01

    This article presents a procedure for building product models to support the specification processes dealing with sales, design of product variants and production preparation. The procedure includes, as the first phase, an analysis and redesign of the business processes that are to be supported b...

  9. Some remarks on dimensional reduction of Gauge theories and model building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudolph, G.; Karl-Marx-Universitaet, Leipzig; Volobujev, I.P.

    1989-01-01

    We study the group-theoretical aspect of dimensional reduction of pure gauge theories and propose a method of solving the constraint equations for scalar fields. We show that there are possibilities of model building which differ from those commonly used. In particular, we give examples in which the resulting potential is not of Higgs type. (orig.)

  10. Effect of modeling of super-structure on the behaviour of reactor building raft

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mondal, A.; Singh, A.K.; Roy, Raghupati; Verma, U.S.P.; Warudkar, A.S.

    2003-01-01

    The behaviour of the reactor building raft was studied when the stiffness of the super-structural elements is included in the analysis as compared to the results of conventional analysis ignoring the stiffness of the super-structural elements. The effect of the stiffness of the super-structures on the loss of contact of the raft under seismic environment was also investigated. In order to study the effect of horizontal springs on the behaviour of the raft particularly near the stressing gallery under seismic environment, a separate study has been carried out considering a 3D model consisting of solid elements supported on both horizontal and vertical springs. The model was analysed for all the forces applied at the top of the raft and the analysis results were compared with those of shell model. The following conclusions are drawn: (i) Idealisation of the reactor building raft using shell elements is adequate for estimating the design forces/moments on the raft. The design forces/moments obtained from FE model consisting of solid elements closely matches with those obtained from FE model with shell elements. Idealisation of the RB raft using shell elements will also reduce the problem size and the related computational efforts. (ii) The stiffness of the super-structure has significant effect on the behaviour of the raft. Consideration of the stiffness of the super structure reduces the design forces/moments significantly and hence, modelling of the stiffness of the super structure is necessary for economical design. (iii) Modelling of horizontal stiffness of the raft in terms of horizontal springs at the interface of the raft and the rock does not have significant effect on the behaviour of the raft and as such, is not required to be considered in the FE model. However, it is necessary to ensure adequate factor of safety against the overall stability of the raft

  11. Modeling work of the dispatching service of high-rise building as queuing system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dement'eva, Marina; Dement'eva, Anastasiya

    2018-03-01

    The article presents the results of calculating the performance indicators of the dispatcher service of a high-rise building as a queuing system with an unlimited queue. The calculation was carried out for three models: with a single control room and brigade of service, with a single control room and a specialized service, with several dispatch centers and specialized services. The aim of the work was to investigate the influence of the structural scheme of the organization of the dispatcher service of a high-rise building on the amount of operating costs and the time of processing and fulfilling applications. The problems of high-rise construction and their impact on the complication of exploitation are analyzed. The composition of exploitation activities of high-rise buildings is analyzed. The relevance of the study is justified by the need to review the role of dispatch services in the structure of management of the quality of buildings. Dispatching service from the lower level of management of individual engineering systems becomes the main link in the centralized automated management of the exploitation of high-rise buildings. With the transition to market relations, the criterion of profitability at the organization of the dispatching service becomes one of the main parameters of the effectiveness of its work. A mathematical model for assessing the efficiency of the dispatching service on a set of quality of service indicators is proposed. The structure of operating costs is presented. The algorithm of decision-making is given when choosing the optimal structural scheme of the dispatching service of a high-rise building.

  12. Consequence Based Design. An approach for integrating computational collaborative models (Integrated Dynamic Models) in the building design phase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Negendahl, Kristoffer

    relies on various advancements in the area of integrated dynamic models. It also relies on the application and test of the approach in practice to evaluate the Consequence based design and the use of integrated dynamic models. As a result, the Consequence based design approach has been applied in five...... and define new ways to implement integrated dynamic models for the following project. In parallel, seven different developments of new methods, tools and algorithms have been performed to support the application of the approach. The developments concern: Decision diagrams – to clarify goals and the ability...... affect the design process and collaboration between building designers and simulationists. Within the limits of applying the approach of Consequence based design to five case studies, followed by documentation based on interviews, surveys and project related documentations derived from internal reports...

  13. Automated protein structure modeling with SWISS-MODEL Workspace and the Protein Model Portal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bordoli, Lorenza; Schwede, Torsten

    2012-01-01

    Comparative protein structure modeling is a computational approach to build three-dimensional structural models for proteins using experimental structures of related protein family members as templates. Regular blind assessments of modeling accuracy have demonstrated that comparative protein structure modeling is currently the most reliable technique to model protein structures. Homology models are often sufficiently accurate to substitute for experimental structures in a wide variety of applications. Since the usefulness of a model for specific application is determined by its accuracy, model quality estimation is an essential component of protein structure prediction. Comparative protein modeling has become a routine approach in many areas of life science research since fully automated modeling systems allow also nonexperts to build reliable models. In this chapter, we describe practical approaches for automated protein structure modeling with SWISS-MODEL Workspace and the Protein Model Portal.

  14. Use of a viscoelastic model for the seismic response of base-isolated buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uras, R.A.

    1994-01-01

    Due to recent developments in elastomer technology, seismic isolation using elastomer bearings is rapidly becoming an acceptable design tool to enhance structural seismic margins and to protect people and equipment from earthquake damage. With proper design of isolators, high-energy seismic input motions are transformed into low-frequency, low energy harmonic motions and the accelerations acting on the isolated building are significantly reduced. Several alternatives exist for the modeling of the isolators. This study is concerned with the use of a viscoelastic model to predict the seismic response of base-isolated buildings. The in-house finite element computer code has been modified to incorporate a viscoelastic spring element, and several simulations are performed. Then, the computed results have been compared with the corresponding observed data recorded at the test facility

  15. Impact of B physics on model building and vice versa: An example

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matias, Joaquim

    2003-01-01

    We motivate that the start-up of the B factories has opened a new precision flavour physics era, with an important effect on model building. Using as an example a left-right model with spontaneous CP violation, we will show how the inclusion of the new experimental data on B physics observables, together with the old observables coming from kaon physics, has significantly widened our capacity to strongly constrain the parameter space up to the point to exclude models. On the contrary, using certain hypotheses, mainly concerning isospin, we discuss how theory may help us to 'test' the data on charged, neutral and mixed B → πK decays once experimental errors will be reduced

  16. Data-driven sampling method for building 3D anatomical models from serial histology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salunke, Snehal Ulhas; Ablove, Tova; Danforth, Theresa; Tomaszewski, John; Doyle, Scott

    2017-03-01

    In this work, we investigate the effect of slice sampling on 3D models of tissue architecture using serial histopathology. We present a method for using a single fully-sectioned tissue block as pilot data, whereby we build a fully-realized 3D model and then determine the optimal set of slices needed to reconstruct the salient features of the model objects under biological investigation. In our work, we are interested in the 3D reconstruction of microvessel architecture in the trigone region between the vagina and the bladder. This region serves as a potential avenue for drug delivery to treat bladder infection. We collect and co-register 23 serial sections of CD31-stained tissue images (6 μm thick sections), from which four microvessels are selected for analysis. To build each model, we perform semi-automatic segmentation of the microvessels. Subsampled meshes are then created by removing slices from the stack, interpolating the missing data, and re-constructing the mesh. We calculate the Hausdorff distance between the full and subsampled meshes to determine the optimal sampling rate for the modeled structures. In our application, we found that a sampling rate of 50% (corresponding to just 12 slices) was sufficient to recreate the structure of the microvessels without significant deviation from the fullyrendered mesh. This pipeline effectively minimizes the number of histopathology slides required for 3D model reconstruction, and can be utilized to either (1) reduce the overall costs of a project, or (2) enable additional analysis on the intermediate slides.

  17. Development and application of a statistical methodology to evaluate the predictive accuracy of building energy baseline models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Granderson, Jessica [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Technologies Area Div.; Price, Phillip N. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Technologies Area Div.

    2014-03-01

    This paper documents the development and application of a general statistical methodology to assess the accuracy of baseline energy models, focusing on its application to Measurement and Verification (M&V) of whole-­building energy savings. The methodology complements the principles addressed in resources such as ASHRAE Guideline 14 and the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol. It requires fitting a baseline model to data from a ``training period’’ and using the model to predict total electricity consumption during a subsequent ``prediction period.’’ We illustrate the methodology by evaluating five baseline models using data from 29 buildings. The training period and prediction period were varied, and model predictions of daily, weekly, and monthly energy consumption were compared to meter data to determine model accuracy. Several metrics were used to characterize the accuracy of the predictions, and in some cases the best-­performing model as judged by one metric was not the best performer when judged by another metric.

  18. Time-History Seismic Analysis of Masonry Buildings: A Comparison between Two Non-Linear Modelling Approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Betti

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a comparison between two numerical modelling approaches employed to investigate the seismic behavior of unreinforced masonry buildings with flexible diaphragms. The comparison is performed analyzing a two-story prototype tested on a shaking table at the CNR-ENEA research center of Casaccia (Italy. The first numerical model was built by using the finite element (FE technique, while the second one was built by a simplified macro-element (ME approach. Both models were employed to perform non-linear dynamic analyses, integrating the equations of motion by step-by-step procedures. The shaking table tests were simulated to analyze the behavior of the prototype from the initial elastic state until the development of extensive damage. The main results of the analyses are discussed and critically compared in terms of engineering parameters, such as accelerations, displacements and base shears. The effectiveness of both models within the investigated typology of buildings is then evaluated in depth.

  19. Darwinian Model Building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kester, Do; Bontekoe, Romke

    2011-01-01

    We present a way to generate heuristic mathematical models based on the Darwinian principles of variation and selection in a pool of individuals over many generations. Each individual has a genotype (the hereditary properties) and a phenotype (the expression of these properties in the environment). Variation is achieved by cross-over and mutation operations on the genotype which consists in the present case of a single chromosome. The genotypes 'live' in the environment of the data. Nested Sampling is used to optimize the free parameters of the models given the data, thus giving rise to the phenotypes. Selection is based on the phenotypes.The evidences which naturally follow from the Nested Sampling Algorithm are used in a second level of Nested Sampling to find increasingly better models.The data in this paper originate from the Leiden Cytology and Pathology Laboratory (LCPL), which screens pap smears for cervical cancer. We have data for 1750 women who on average underwent 5 tests each. The data on individual women are treated as a small time series. We will try to estimate the next value of the prime cancer indicator from previous tests of the same woman.

  20. 3D MODELLING OF A HISTORICAL BUILDING USING CLOSE-RANGE PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (RPAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Lo Brutto

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The photogrammetric survey of architectural Cultural Heritage is a very useful and standard process in order to obtain accurate 3D data for the documentation and visualization of historical buildings. In particular, the integration of terrestrial close-range photogrammetry and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs photogrammetry allows to create accurate and reliable 3D models of buildings and to monitor their state of conservation. The use of RPASs has indeed become more popular in Cultural Heritage survey to measure and detect areas that cannot normally be covered using terrestrial photogrammetry or terrestrial laser scanner. The paper presents the results of a photogrammetric survey executed to document the monumental complex of Villa Lampedusa ai Colli in Palermo (Italy, one of the most important historical buildings of the town. An integrated survey by close-range photogrammetry and RPAS photogrammetry was planned and carried out to reconstruct the 3D digital model of the monumental complex. Different images configurations (terrestrial, aerial nadiral, aerial parallel and oblique to the façades have been acquired; data have been processed to verify the accuracy of the photogrammetric survey as regards the camera calibration parameters and the number of Ground Control Points (GCPs measured on building façades. A very detailed 3D digital model and high-resolution ortho-images of the façades were obtained in order to carry out further analysis for historical studies, conservation and restoration project. The final 3D model of Villa Lampedusa ai Colli has been compared with a laser scanner 3D model to evaluate the quality of the photogrammetric approach. Beyond a purely metric assessment, 3D textured model has employed to generate 2D representations, useful for documentation purpose and to highlight the most significant damaged areas. 3D digital models and 2D representations can effectively contribute to monitor the state of conservation

  1. Example models of building trust in supply chains of metalurgical enterprises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Gajdzik

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The article is an introduction to the notion of building trust in supply chains. Foreign publishers offer many articles connected with trust and some of the most important ones were quoted in this article. In business world there are models based on trust of the companies which are connected with one another and such models are very popular. Trust becomes the key link in the organisation of supply chains. It is one of the basic mechanisms of action co-ordination which provides the correctness of functioning in the whole chain. The growth of importance of trust between the links of the chain is also observed in metallurgy sector. For the purpose of this publication example models of supply chains structures were constructed in which relationships are based on mutual trust with characteristics of the metallurgical sector taken into account.

  2. An estimation framework for building information modeling (BIM)-based demolition waste by type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young-Chan; Hong, Won-Hwa; Park, Jae-Woo; Cha, Gi-Wook

    2017-12-01

    Most existing studies on demolition waste (DW) quantification do not have an official standard to estimate the amount and type of DW. Therefore, there are limitations in the existing literature for estimating DW with a consistent classification system. Building information modeling (BIM) is a technology that can generate and manage all the information required during the life cycle of a building, from design to demolition. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of research regarding its application to the demolition stage of a building. For an effective waste management plan, the estimation of the type and volume of DW should begin from the building design stage. However, the lack of tools hinders an early estimation. This study proposes a BIM-based framework that estimates DW in the early design stages, to achieve an effective and streamlined planning, processing, and management. Specifically, the input of construction materials in the Korean construction classification system and those in the BIM library were matched. Based on this matching integration, the estimates of DW by type were calculated by applying the weight/unit volume factors and the rates of DW volume change. To verify the framework, its operation was demonstrated by means of an actual BIM modeling and by comparing its results with those available in the literature. This study is expected to contribute not only to the estimation of DW at the building level, but also to the automated estimation of DW at the district level.

  3. Building a High-Precision 2D Hydrodynamic Flood Model Using UAV Photogrammetry and Sensor Network Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakub Langhammer

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the potential of the joint application of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV-based photogrammetry and an automated sensor network for building a hydrodynamic flood model of a montane stream. UAV-based imagery was used for three-dimensional (3D photogrammetric reconstruction of the stream channel, achieving a resolution of 1.5 cm/pixel. Automated ultrasonic water level gauges, operating with a 10 min interval, were used as a source of hydrological data for the model calibration, and the MIKE 21 hydrodynamic model was used for building the flood model. Three different horizontal schematizations of the channel—an orthogonal grid, curvilinear grid, and flexible mesh—were used to evaluate the effect of spatial discretization on the results. The research was performed on Javori Brook, a montane stream in the Sumava (Bohemian Forest Mountains, Czech Republic, Central Europe, featuring a fast runoff response to precipitation events and that is located in a core zone of frequent flooding. The studied catchments have been, since 2007, equipped with automated water level gauges and, since 2013, under repeated UAV monitoring. The study revealed the high potential of these data sources for applications in hydrodynamic modeling. In addition to the ultra-high levels of spatial and temporal resolution, the major contribution is in the method’s high operability, enabling the building of highly detailed flood models even in remote areas lacking conventional monitoring. The testing of the data sources and model setup indicated the limitations of the UAV reconstruction of the stream bathymetry, which was completed by the geodetic-grade global navigation satellite system (GNSS measurements. The testing of the different model domain schematizations did not indicate the substantial differences that are typical for conventional low-resolution data, proving the high reliability of the tested modeling workflow.

  4. Study of Error Propagation in the Transformations of Dynamic Thermal Models of Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loïc Raillon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Dynamic behaviour of a system may be described by models with different forms: thermal (RC networks, state-space representations, transfer functions, and ARX models. These models, which describe the same process, are used in the design, simulation, optimal predictive control, parameter identification, fault detection and diagnosis, and so on. Since more forms are available, it is interesting to know which one is the most suitable by estimating the sensitivity of the model to transform into a physical model, which is represented by a thermal network. A procedure for the study of error by Monte Carlo simulation and of factor prioritization is exemplified on a simple, but representative, thermal model of a building. The analysis of the propagation of errors and of the influence of the errors on the parameter estimation shows that the transformation from state-space representation to transfer function is more robust than the other way around. Therefore, if only one model is chosen, the state-space representation is preferable.

  5. AN IMPROVED SNAKE MODEL FOR REFINEMENT OF LIDAR-DERIVED BUILDING ROOF CONTOURS USING AERIAL IMAGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Q. Chen

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Building roof contours are considered as very important geometric data, which have been widely applied in many fields, including but not limited to urban planning, land investigation, change detection and military reconnaissance. Currently, the demand on building contours at a finer scale (especially in urban areas has been raised in a growing number of studies such as urban environment quality assessment, urban sprawl monitoring and urban air pollution modelling. LiDAR is known as an effective means of acquiring 3D roof points with high elevation accuracy. However, the precision of the building contour obtained from LiDAR data is restricted by its relatively low scanning resolution. With the use of the texture information from high-resolution imagery, the precision can be improved. In this study, an improved snake model is proposed to refine the initial building contours extracted from LiDAR. First, an improved snake model is constructed with the constraints of the deviation angle, image gradient, and area. Then, the nodes of the contour are moved in a certain range to find the best optimized result using greedy algorithm. Considering both precision and efficiency, the candidate shift positions of the contour nodes are constrained, and the searching strategy for the candidate nodes is explicitly designed. The experiments on three datasets indicate that the proposed method for building contour refinement is effective and feasible. The average quality index is improved from 91.66% to 93.34%. The statistics of the evaluation results for every single building demonstrated that 77.0% of the total number of contours is updated with higher quality index.

  6. Evaluation of Shear Wall-RC Frame Interaction of High-Rise Buildings using 2-D model Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dipali Patel

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The usefulness of structural walls in the framing of buildings has long been recognized. It is generally preferred to use shear wall in combination with moment resisting frame. In the present study, an effort is also made to investigate the shear wall-RC frame interaction using 2-D modeling of 20, 30 and 35 storey RC frame building with shear wall. In equivalent simplified 2-D model, two exterior frames with shear wall modeled as single frame with double stiffness, strength and weight. The interior frames without shear wall are modeled as a single frame with equivalent stiffness, strength and weight. The modeled frames are connected with rigid link at each floor level. Using 2-D plane frame model the lateral force distribution between Exterior frame with shear wall and Interior frame without shear wall is investigated. From the analysis, it is observed that up to bottom seven/eight storey more than 50% load is taken by frame with shear wall and the lower most three storeys take about 75% of total storey shear.

  7. Layout Optimization Model for the Production Planning of Precast Concrete Building Components

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Wang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Precast concrete comprises the basic components of modular buildings. The efficiency of precast concrete building component production directly impacts the construction time and cost. In the processes of precast component production, mold setting has a significant influence on the production efficiency and cost, as well as reducing the resource consumption. However, the development of mold setting plans is left to the experience of production staff, with outcomes dependent on the quality of human skill and experience available. This can result in sub-optimal production efficiencies and resource wastage. Accordingly, in order to improve the efficiency of precast component production, this paper proposes an optimization model able to maximize the average utilization rate of pallets used during the molding process. The constraints considered were the order demand, the size of the pallet, layout methods, and the positional relationship of components. A heuristic algorithm was used to identify optimization solutions provided by the model. Through empirical analysis, and as exemplified in the case study, this research is significant in offering a prefabrication production planning model which improves pallet utilization rates, shortens component production time, reduces production costs, and improves the resource utilization. The results clearly demonstrate that the proposed method can facilitate the precast production plan providing strong practical implications for production planners.

  8. A One-Dimensional Particle-in-Cell Model of Plasma Build-Up in Vacuum Arcs

    CERN Document Server

    Timko, H; Kovermann, J; Taborelli, M; Nordlund, K; Descoeudres, A; Schneider, R; Calatroni, S; Matyash, K; Wuensch, W; Hansen, A; Grudiev, A

    2011-01-01

    Understanding the mechanism of plasma build-up in vacuum arcs is essential in many fields of physics. A one-dimensional particle-in-cell computer simulation model is presented, which models the plasma developing from a field emitter tip under electrical breakdown conditions, taking into account the relevant physical phenomena. As a starting point, only an external electric field and an initial enhancement factor of the tip are assumed. General requirements for plasma formation have been identified and formulated in terms of the initial local field and a critical neutral density. The dependence of plasma build-up on tip melting current, the evaporation rate of neutrals and external circuit time constant has been investigated for copper and simulations imply that arcing involves melting currents around 0.5-1 A/mu m(2),evaporation of neutrals to electron field emission ratios in the regime 0.01 - 0.05, plasma build-up timescales in the order of similar to 1 - 10 ns and two different regimes depending on initial ...

  9. Building up the standard gauge model of high energy physics. 11

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajasekaran, G.

    1989-01-01

    This chapter carefully builds up, step by step, the standard gauge model of particle physics based on the group SU(3) c x SU(2) x U(1). Spontaneous symmetry breaking via the Nambu-Goldstone mode, and then via the Higgs mode for gauge theories, are presented via examples, first for the Abelian U(1) and then for the non-Abelian SU(2) case. The physically interesting SU(2) x U(1) model is then taken up. The emergence of massive vector bosons is demonstrated. After this preparation, the 'standard model' of the late 60's prior to the gauge theory revolution, based on the V-A current-current weak interactions, minimal electromagnetism, and an unspecified strong interaction, all in quark-lepton language, is set up. It is then compared to the standard gauge model of SU(3) c x SU(2) x U(1). The compelling reasons for QCD as the gauge theory of strong interactions are spelt out. An introduction to renormalization group methods as the main calculational tool for QCD, asymptotic freedom, infrared problems, and physically motivated reasons for going beyond the standard model are presented. (author). 6 refs.; 19 figs.; 2 tabs

  10. Multi-criteria decision model for retrofitting existing buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. D. Bostenaru Dan

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Decision is an element in the risk management process. In this paper the way how science can help in decision making and implementation for retrofitting buildings in earthquake prone urban areas is investigated. In such interventions actors from various spheres are involved. Their interests range among minimising the intervention for maximal preservation or increasing it for seismic safety. Research was conducted to see how to facilitate collaboration between these actors. A particular attention was given to the role of time in actors' preferences. For this reason, on decision level, both the processural and the personal dimension of risk management, the later seen as a task, were considered. A systematic approach was employed to determine the functional structure of a participative decision model. Three layers on which actors implied in this multi-criteria decision problem interact were identified: town, building and element. So-called 'retrofit elements' are characteristic bearers in the architectural survey, engineering simulations, costs estimation and define the realms perceived by the inhabitants. This way they represent an interaction basis for the interest groups considered in a deeper study. Such orientation means for actors' interaction were designed on other levels of intervention as well. Finally, an 'experiment' for the implementation of the decision model is presented: a strategic plan for an urban intervention towards reduction of earthquake hazard impact through retrofitting. A systematic approach proves thus to be a very good communication basis among the participants in the seismic risk management process. Nevertheless, it can only be applied in later phases (decision, implementation, control only, since it serves verifying and improving solution and not developing the concept. The 'retrofit elements' are a typical example of the detailing degree reached in the retrofit design plans in these phases.

  11. Multi-criteria decision model for retrofitting existing buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bostenaru Dan, M. D.

    2004-08-01

    Decision is an element in the risk management process. In this paper the way how science can help in decision making and implementation for retrofitting buildings in earthquake prone urban areas is investigated. In such interventions actors from various spheres are involved. Their interests range among minimising the intervention for maximal preservation or increasing it for seismic safety. Research was conducted to see how to facilitate collaboration between these actors. A particular attention was given to the role of time in actors' preferences. For this reason, on decision level, both the processural and the personal dimension of risk management, the later seen as a task, were considered. A systematic approach was employed to determine the functional structure of a participative decision model. Three layers on which actors implied in this multi-criteria decision problem interact were identified: town, building and element. So-called 'retrofit elements' are characteristic bearers in the architectural survey, engineering simulations, costs estimation and define the realms perceived by the inhabitants. This way they represent an interaction basis for the interest groups considered in a deeper study. Such orientation means for actors' interaction were designed on other levels of intervention as well. Finally, an 'experiment' for the implementation of the decision model is presented: a strategic plan for an urban intervention towards reduction of earthquake hazard impact through retrofitting. A systematic approach proves thus to be a very good communication basis among the participants in the seismic risk management process. Nevertheless, it can only be applied in later phases (decision, implementation, control) only, since it serves verifying and improving solution and not developing the concept. The 'retrofit elements' are a typical example of the detailing degree reached in the retrofit design plans in these phases.

  12. The Development of the New ITU-R Model for Building Entry Loss

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudd, Richard; Medbo, Jonas; Lewicki, Fryderyk

    2018-01-01

    The ITU-R has recently published a new Recommendation giving a method for the estimation of building entry loss at frequencies between 100 MHz and 100 GHz. This paper describes the derivation and form of the new model and highlights work that remains to be done in this area....

  13. Map algebra and model algebra for integrated model building

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schmitz, O.; Karssenberg, D.J.; Jong, K. de; Kok, J.-L. de; Jong, S.M. de

    2013-01-01

    Computer models are important tools for the assessment of environmental systems. A seamless workflow of construction and coupling of model components is essential for environmental scientists. However, currently available software packages are often tailored either to the construction of model

  14. Increasing security of supply: The search for stable models of financing for new nuclear build in the European Union

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heffron, Raphael James

    2009-01-01

    Full text: This research assesses models for financing of new nuclear build in European Union (EU) member states to find the most stable form. The countries examined in this study are France, the United Kingdom, Finland and Romania. The results attest that due to various historical, political, competition, and electricity market structural conditions Romania has emerged with the most secure and stable model for financing of new nuclear projects. This paper begins with an assessment of the effects on the nuclear sector from energy, environment and competition legislation in the EU. Then the political and economic climate of the afore mentioned EU member states is completed. Following this an overview of the market structure of the electricity sector in those respective countries is conducted. Then the key research on the models of financing of new nuclear build is explored, contrasted and analysed. The research concludes that there are four main models for financing new nuclear projects in Europe. Each model has transcended from different political and economic forces, and consequently each model has met with varied levels of success. Electricity market structures while operating to the same legal requirements, have been dissimilar in their evolution. The combination of the above factors has led to different models for financing new nuclear build. Upon further analysis it is concluded and demonstrated that the Romanian financing model is the most suitable and provides an example for any new nuclear build aspiring nations in the EU and beyond. (author)

  15. Models for Building Knowledge in a Technology-Rich Setting: Teacher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory MacKinnon

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Technology offers promising opportunities for creating new types of classroom learning environments. This paper describes three technology models used by teacher education interns: electronic portfolios, negotiative concept mapping, cognote-supported electronic discussions. As implemented in the current study, these models invoke graduated attributes of knowledge building and as such serve as a useful continuum of examples of the potential of technology to assist in promoting progressive knowledge construction. A description of the models is followed by a discussion of the relationship of these classrooms to Knowledge-Building principles. Résumé La technologie offre des possibilités prometteuses pour la création de nouveaux types d’environnements d’apprentissage en classe. Le présent article décrit trois modèles technologiques utilisés par les stagiaires en enseignement : portfolios électroniques, cartographie conceptuelle de négociation, discussions électroniques avec codage. Tels que mis en œuvre dans le cadre de la présente étude, ces modèles font appel à des attributs hiérarchiques de coélaboration des connaissances et constituent donc en eux-mêmes un continuum utile d’exemples illustrant comment la technologie peut aider à encourager l’élaboration progressive des connaissances. Une description des modèles est suivie d’une discussion portant sur la relation de ces classes avec les principes de coélaboration des connaissances.

  16. Research utilization in the building industry: decision model and preliminary assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watts, R.L.; Johnson, D.R.; Smith, S.A.; Westergard, E.J.

    1985-10-01

    The Research Utilization Program was conceived as a far-reaching means for managing the interactions of the private sector and the federal research sector as they deal with energy conservation in buildings. The program emphasizes a private-public partnership in planning a research agenda and in applying the results of ongoing and completed research. The results of this task support the hypothesis that the transfer of R and D results to the buildings industry can be accomplished more efficiently and quickly by a systematic approach to technology transfer. This systematic approach involves targeting decision makers, assessing research and information needs, properly formating information, and then transmitting the information through trusted channels. The purpose of this report is to introduce elements of a market-oriented knowledge base, which would be useful to the Building Systems Division, the Office of Buildings and Community Systems and their associated laboratories in managing a private-public research partnership on a rational systematic basis. This report presents conceptual models and data bases that can be used in formulating a technology transfer strategy and in planning technology transfer programs.

  17. Comparison of different approaches of modelling in a masonry building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saba, M.; Meloni, D.

    2017-12-01

    The present work has the objective to model a simple masonry building, through two different modelling methods in order to assess their validity in terms of evaluation of static stresses. Have been chosen two of the most commercial software used to address this kind of problem, which are of S.T.A. Data S.r.l. and Sismicad12 of Concrete S.r.l. While the 3Muri software adopts the Frame by Macro Elements Method (FME), which should be more schematic and more efficient, Sismicad12 software uses the Finite Element Method (FEM), which guarantees accurate results, with greater computational burden. Remarkably differences of the static stresses, for such a simple structure between the two approaches have been found, and an interesting comparison and analysis of the reasons is proposed.

  18. Occupant behavior in building energy simulation: towards a fit-for-purpose modeling strategy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gaetani, I.; Hoes, P.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2016-01-01

    Occupant behavior is nowadays acknowledged as a main source of discrepancy between predicted and actual building performance; therefore, researchers attempt to model occupants' presence and adaptive actions more realistically. Literature shows a proliferation of increasingly complex, data-based

  19. Fire modeling for Building 221-T - T Plant Canyon Deck and Railroad Tunnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oar, D.L.

    1994-01-01

    This report was prepared by Hughes Associates, Inc. to document the results of fire models for building 221-T Canyon Deck and Railroad Tunnel. Backup data is contained in document No. WHC-SD-CP-ANAL-010, Rev. 0

  20. An Empirical Model for Build-Up of Sodium and Calcium Ions in Small Scale Reverse Osmosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subriyer Nasir

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available A simple models for predicting build-up of solute on membrane surface were formulated in this paper. The experiments were conducted with secondary effluent, groundwater and simulated feed water in small-scale of RO with capacity of 2000 L/d. Feed water used in the experiments contained varying concentrations of sodium, calcium, combined sodium and calcium. In order to study the effect of sodium and calcium ions on membrane performance, experiments with ground water and secondary effluent wastewater were also performed. Build-up of salts on the membrane surface was calculated by measuring concentrations of sodium and calcium ions in feed water permeate and reject streams using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS. Multiple linear regression of natural logarithmic transformation was used to develop the model based on four main parameters that affect the build-up of solute in a small scale of RO namely applied pressure, permeate flux, membrane resistance, and feed concentration. Experimental data obtained in a small scale RO unit were used to develop the empirical model. The predicted values of theoretical build-up of sodium and calcium on membrane surface were found in agreement with experimental data. The deviation in the prediction of build-up of sodium and calcium were found to be 1.4 to 10.47 % and 1.12 to 4.46%, respectively.

  1. The Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System: Experiences on Building a Collaborative Modeling Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overeem, I.; Hutton, E.; Kettner, A.; Peckham, S. D.; Syvitski, J. P.

    2012-12-01

    The Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System - CSDMS- develops a software platform with shared and coupled modules for modeling earth surface processes as a community resource. The framework allows prediction of water, sediment and nutrient transport through the landscape and seacape. The underlying paradigm is that the Earth surface we live on is a dynamic system; topography changes with seasons, with landslides and earthquakes, with erosion and deposition. The Earth Surface changes due to storms and floods, and important boundaries, like the coast, are ever-moving features. CSDMS sets out to make better predictions of these changes. Earth surface process modeling bridges the terrestrial, coastal and marine domains and requires understanding of the system over a range of time scales, which inherently needs interdisciplinarity. Members of CSDMS (~830 in July 2012) are largely from academic institutions (˜75%), followed by federal agencies (˜17%), and oil and gas companies (˜5%). Members and governmental bodies meet once annually and rely additionally on web-based information for communication. As an organization that relies on volunteer participation, CSDMS faces challenges to scientific collaboration. Encouraging volunteerism among its members to provide and adapt metadata and model code to be sufficiently standardized for coupling is crucial to building an integrated community modeling system. We here present CSDMS strategies aimed at providing the appropriate technical tools and cyberinfrastructure to support a variety of user types, ranging from advanced to novice modelers. Application of these advances in science is key, both into the educational realm and for managers and decision-makers. We discuss some of the implemented ideas to further organizational transparency and user engagement in small-scale governance, such as advanced trackers and voting systems for model development prioritization through the CSDMS wiki. We analyzed data on community

  2. Numerical modelling in building thermo-aeraulics: from CFD modelling to an hybrid finite volume / zonal approach; Modelisation numerique de la thermoaeraulique du batiment: des modeles CFD a une approche hybride volumes finis / zonale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bellivier, A.

    2004-05-15

    For 3D modelling of thermo-aeraulics in building using field codes, it is necessary to reduce the computing time in order to model increasingly larger volumes. The solution suggested in this study is to couple two modelling: a zonal approach and a CFD approach. The first part of the work that was carried out is the setting of a simplified CFD modelling. We propose rules for use of coarse grids, a constant effective viscosity law and adapted coefficients for heat exchange in the framework of building thermo-aeraulics. The second part of this work concerns the creation of fluid Macro-Elements and their coupling with a calculation of CFD finite volume type. Depending on the boundary conditions of the problem, a local description of the driving flow is proposed via the installation and use of semi-empirical evolution laws. The Macro-Elements is then inserted in CFD computation: the values of velocity calculated by the evolution laws are imposed on the CFD cells corresponding to the Macro-Element. We use these two approaches on five cases representative of thermo-aeraulics in buildings. The results are compared with experimental data and with traditional RANS simulations. We highlight the significant gain of time that our approach allows while preserving a good quality of numerical results. (author)

  3. Building crop models within different crop modelling frameworks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adam, M.Y.O.; Corbeels, M.; Leffelaar, P.A.; Keulen, van H.; Wery, J.; Ewert, F.

    2012-01-01

    Modular frameworks for crop modelling have evolved through simultaneous progress in crop science and software development but differences among these frameworks exist which are not well understood, resulting in potential misuse for crop modelling. In this paper we review differences and similarities

  4. Building alternate protein structures using the elastic network model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Qingyi; Sharp, Kim A

    2009-02-15

    We describe a method for efficiently generating ensembles of alternate, all-atom protein structures that (a) differ significantly from the starting structure, (b) have good stereochemistry (bonded geometry), and (c) have good steric properties (absence of atomic overlap). The method uses reconstruction from a series of backbone framework structures that are obtained from a modified elastic network model (ENM) by perturbation along low-frequency normal modes. To ensure good quality backbone frameworks, the single force parameter ENM is modified by introducing two more force parameters to characterize the interaction between the consecutive carbon alphas and those within the same secondary structure domain. The relative stiffness of the three parameters is parameterized to reproduce B-factors, while maintaining good bonded geometry. After parameterization, violations of experimental Calpha-Calpha distances and Calpha-Calpha-Calpha pseudo angles along the backbone are reduced to less than 1%. Simultaneously, the average B-factor correlation coefficient improves to R = 0.77. Two applications illustrate the potential of the approach. (1) 102,051 protein backbones spanning a conformational space of 15 A root mean square deviation were generated from 148 nonredundant proteins in the PDB database, and all-atom models with minimal bonded and nonbonded violations were produced from this ensemble of backbone structures using the SCWRL side chain building program. (2) Improved backbone templates for homology modeling. Fifteen query sequences were each modeled on two targets. For each of the 30 target frameworks, dozens of improved templates could be produced In all cases, improved full atom homology models resulted, of which 50% could be identified blind using the D-Fire statistical potential. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  5. Hybrid Model-Based and Data-Driven Fault Detection and Diagnostics for Commercial Buildings: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frank, Stephen; Heaney, Michael; Jin, Xin; Robertson, Joseph; Cheung, Howard; Elmore, Ryan; Henze, Gregor

    2016-08-01

    Commercial buildings often experience faults that produce undesirable behavior in building systems. Building faults waste energy, decrease occupants' comfort, and increase operating costs. Automated fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) tools for buildings help building owners discover and identify the root causes of faults in building systems, equipment, and controls. Proper implementation of FDD has the potential to simultaneously improve comfort, reduce energy use, and narrow the gap between actual and optimal building performance. However, conventional rule-based FDD requires expensive instrumentation and valuable engineering labor, which limit deployment opportunities. This paper presents a hybrid, automated FDD approach that combines building energy models and statistical learning tools to detect and diagnose faults noninvasively, using minimal sensors, with little customization. We compare and contrast the performance of several hybrid FDD algorithms for a small security building. Our results indicate that the algorithms can detect and diagnose several common faults, but more work is required to reduce false positive rates and improve diagnosis accuracy.

  6. Modeling of two-storey precast school building using Ruaumoko 2D program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamid, N. H.; Tarmizi, L. H.; Ghani, K. D.

    2015-05-01

    The long-distant earthquake loading from Sumatra and Java Island had caused some slight damages to precast and reinforced concrete buildings in West Malaysia such as cracks on wall panels, columns and beams. Subsequently, the safety of existing precast concrete building is needed to be analyzed because these buildings were designed using BS 8110 which did not include the seismic loading in the design. Thus, this paper emphasizes on the seismic performance and dynamic behavior of precast school building constructed in Malaysia under three selected past earthquakes excitations ; El Centro 1940 North-South, El Centro East-West components and San Fernando 1971 using RUAUMOKO 2D program. This program is fully utilized by using prototype precast school model and dynamic non-linear time history analysis. From the results, it can be concluded that two-storey precast school building has experienced severe damage and partial collapse especially at beam-column joint under San Fernando and El Centro North-South Earthquake as its exceeds the allowable inter-storey drift and displacement as specified in Eurocode 8. The San Fernando earthquake has produced a massive destruction to the precast building under viscous damping, ξ = 5% and this building has generated maximum building displacement of 435mm, maximum building drift of 0.68% and maximum bending moment at 8458kNm.

  7. Modeling of two-storey precast school building using Ruaumoko 2D program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamid, N. H.; Tarmizi, L. H.; Ghani, K. D.

    2015-01-01

    The long-distant earthquake loading from Sumatra and Java Island had caused some slight damages to precast and reinforced concrete buildings in West Malaysia such as cracks on wall panels, columns and beams. Subsequently, the safety of existing precast concrete building is needed to be analyzed because these buildings were designed using BS 8110 which did not include the seismic loading in the design. Thus, this paper emphasizes on the seismic performance and dynamic behavior of precast school building constructed in Malaysia under three selected past earthquakes excitations ; El Centro 1940 North-South, El Centro East-West components and San Fernando 1971 using RUAUMOKO 2D program. This program is fully utilized by using prototype precast school model and dynamic non-linear time history analysis. From the results, it can be concluded that two-storey precast school building has experienced severe damage and partial collapse especially at beam-column joint under San Fernando and El Centro North-South Earthquake as its exceeds the allowable inter-storey drift and displacement as specified in Eurocode 8. The San Fernando earthquake has produced a massive destruction to the precast building under viscous damping, ξ = 5% and this building has generated maximum building displacement of 435mm, maximum building drift of 0.68% and maximum bending moment at 8458kNm

  8. Modeling of two-storey precast school building using Ruaumoko 2D program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamid, N. H.; Tarmizi, L. H.; Ghani, K. D. [Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2015-05-15

    The long-distant earthquake loading from Sumatra and Java Island had caused some slight damages to precast and reinforced concrete buildings in West Malaysia such as cracks on wall panels, columns and beams. Subsequently, the safety of existing precast concrete building is needed to be analyzed because these buildings were designed using BS 8110 which did not include the seismic loading in the design. Thus, this paper emphasizes on the seismic performance and dynamic behavior of precast school building constructed in Malaysia under three selected past earthquakes excitations ; El Centro 1940 North-South, El Centro East-West components and San Fernando 1971 using RUAUMOKO 2D program. This program is fully utilized by using prototype precast school model and dynamic non-linear time history analysis. From the results, it can be concluded that two-storey precast school building has experienced severe damage and partial collapse especially at beam-column joint under San Fernando and El Centro North-South Earthquake as its exceeds the allowable inter-storey drift and displacement as specified in Eurocode 8. The San Fernando earthquake has produced a massive destruction to the precast building under viscous damping, ξ = 5% and this building has generated maximum building displacement of 435mm, maximum building drift of 0.68% and maximum bending moment at 8458kNm.

  9. Validation of Point Clouds Segmentation Algorithms Through Their Application to Several Case Studies for Indoor Building Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macher, H.; Landes, T.; Grussenmeyer, P.

    2016-06-01

    Laser scanners are widely used for the modelling of existing buildings and particularly in the creation process of as-built BIM (Building Information Modelling). However, the generation of as-built BIM from point clouds involves mainly manual steps and it is consequently time consuming and error-prone. Along the path to automation, a three steps segmentation approach has been developed. This approach is composed of two phases: a segmentation into sub-spaces namely floors and rooms and a plane segmentation combined with the identification of building elements. In order to assess and validate the developed approach, different case studies are considered. Indeed, it is essential to apply algorithms to several datasets and not to develop algorithms with a unique dataset which could influence the development with its particularities. Indoor point clouds of different types of buildings will be used as input for the developed algorithms, going from an individual house of almost one hundred square meters to larger buildings of several thousand square meters. Datasets provide various space configurations and present numerous different occluding objects as for example desks, computer equipments, home furnishings and even wine barrels. For each dataset, the results will be illustrated. The analysis of the results will provide an insight into the transferability of the developed approach for the indoor modelling of several types of buildings.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, Yuling; Xia, Xiaohua

    2017-01-01

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

  11. Model for Determining Geographical Distribution of Heat Saving Potentials in Danish Building Stock

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Petrovic

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Since the global oil crisis in the 1970s, Denmark has followed a path towards energy independency by continuously improving its energy efficiency and energy conservation. Energy efficiency was mainly tackled by introducing a high number of combined heat and power plants in the system, while energy conservation was predominantly approached by implementing heat saving measures. Today, with the goal of 100% renewable energy within the power and heat sector by the year 2035, reductions in energy demand for space heating and the preparation of domestic hot water remain at the top of the agenda in Denmark. A highly detailed model for determining heat demand, possible heat savings and associated costs in the Danish building stock is presented. Both scheduled and energy-saving renovations until year 2030 have been analyzed. The highly detailed GIS-based heat atlas for Denmark is used as a container for storing data about physical properties for 2.5 million buildings in Denmark. Consequently, the results of the analysis can be represented on a single building level. Under the assumption that buildings with the most profitable heat savings are renovated first, the consequences of heat savings for the economy and energy system have been quantified and geographically referenced. The possibilities for further improvements of the model and the application to other geographical regions have been discussed.

  12. Modelling heavy metals build-up on urban road surfaces for effective stormwater reuse strategy implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Nian; Zhu, Panfeng; Liu, An

    2017-12-01

    Urban road stormwater is an alternative water resource to mitigate water shortage issues in the worldwide. Heavy metals deposited (build-up) on urban road surface can enter road stormwater runoff, undermining stormwater reuse safety. As heavy metal build-up loads perform high variabilities in terms of spatial distribution and is strongly influenced by surrounding land uses, it is essential to develop an approach to identify hot-spots where stormwater runoff could include high heavy metal concentrations and hence cannot be reused if it is not properly treated. This study developed a robust modelling approach to estimating heavy metal build-up loads on urban roads using land use fractions (representing percentages of land uses within a given area) by an artificial neural network (ANN) model technique. Based on the modelling results, a series of heavy metal load spatial distribution maps and a comprehensive ecological risk map were generated. These maps provided a visualization platform to identify priority areas where the stormwater can be safely reused. Additionally, these maps can be utilized as an urban land use planning tool in the context of effective stormwater reuse strategy implementation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Finite element modeling for integrated solid-solid PCM-building material with varying phase change temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, D.; Fung, A.S.; Siddiqui, O. [Ryerson Polytechnic Univ., Toronto, ON (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

    2008-08-15

    Solid-solid phase change materials (SSPCMs) are used to enhance thermal storage performance and reduce indoor temperature fluctuations in buildings. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) was used to investigate the thermal properties of different types of SSPCMs. An effective heat capacity method was used to develop the model. An integrated PCM-building material was analyzed in relation to temperature and heat flux profiles. Governing equations for the heat transfer process were composed of Navier-Stokes momentum equations; a mass conservation equation; and an energy conservation equation. Effective heat capacity was described as a linear function of the latent heat of fusion on both the heating and cooling processes. Data from the simulation were then compared with an experiment suing drywall, concrete and gypcrete samples. Heat flux across the surfaces and temperatures on the surfaces of the materials were measured. Data were used to validate the finite element model (FEM). Results of the study suggested that heat flux profiles are an effective means of understanding phase change processes. It was concluded that PCMs with lower phase change temperatures lengthened energy releases and improved thermal comfort in the building. 12 refs., 2 tabs., 14 figs.

  14. Towards a topological reasoning service for IFC-based building information models in a Semantic Web context

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beetz, J.; Leeuwen, van J.P.; Vries, de B.; Rivard, H.; Cheung, M.M.S.; Melhem, H.G.; Miresco, E.T.; Amor, R.; Ribeiro, F.L.

    2006-01-01

    One of the classic problems identified in the interdisciplinary use of Building Information Models (BIM) is the different representation requirements regarding topology (Eastman 1999). Although this problem has been addressed in several modeling efforts (Augenbro 1995) the most widely spread BIM to

  15. Transformation Model with Constraints for High-Accuracy of 2D-3D Building Registration in Aerial Imagery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoqing Zhou

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel rigorous transformation model for 2D-3D registration to address the difficult problem of obtaining a sufficient number of well-distributed ground control points (GCPs in urban areas with tall buildings. The proposed model applies two types of geometric constraints, co-planarity and perpendicularity, to the conventional photogrammetric collinearity model. Both types of geometric information are directly obtained from geometric building structures, with which the geometric constraints are automatically created and combined into the conventional transformation model. A test field located in downtown Denver, Colorado, is used to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method. The comparison analysis of the accuracy achieved by the proposed method and the conventional method is conducted. Experimental results demonstrated that: (1 the theoretical accuracy of the solved registration parameters can reach 0.47 pixels, whereas the other methods reach only 1.23 and 1.09 pixels; (2 the RMS values of 2D-3D registration achieved by the proposed model are only two pixels along the x and y directions, much smaller than the RMS values of the conventional model, which are approximately 10 pixels along the x and y directions. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to significantly improve the accuracy of 2D-3D registration with much fewer GCPs in urban areas with tall buildings.

  16. Energy Savings Modeling and Inspection Guidelines for Commercial Building Federal Tax Deductions for Buildings in 2016 and Later

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deru, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Field-Macumber, Kristin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2016-09-01

    This document provides guidance for modeling and inspecting energy-efficient property in commercial buildings for certification of the energy and power cost savings related to Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) enacted in Section 1331 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005, noted in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notices 2006-52 (IRS 2006), 2008-40 (IRS 2008) and 2012-26 (IRS 2012), and updated by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015. Specifically, Section 179D provides federal tax deductions for energy-efficient property related to a commercial building's envelope; interior lighting; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); and service hot water (SHW) systems. This document applies to buildings placed in service on or after January 1, 2016.

  17. Integrative structure modeling with the Integrative Modeling Platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Benjamin; Viswanath, Shruthi; Bonomi, Massimiliano; Pellarin, Riccardo; Greenberg, Charles H; Saltzberg, Daniel; Sali, Andrej

    2018-01-01

    Building models of a biological system that are consistent with the myriad data available is one of the key challenges in biology. Modeling the structure and dynamics of macromolecular assemblies, for example, can give insights into how biological systems work, evolved, might be controlled, and even designed. Integrative structure modeling casts the building of structural models as a computational optimization problem, for which information about the assembly is encoded into a scoring function that evaluates candidate models. Here, we describe our open source software suite for integrative structure modeling, Integrative Modeling Platform (https://integrativemodeling.org), and demonstrate its use. © 2017 The Protein Society.

  18. Experimental and analytical studies of a deeply embedded reactor building model considering soil-building interaction. Pt. 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, H.

    1983-01-01

    The paper describes the dynamic charachteristics of a deeply embedded reactor building model obtained from the forced vibration tests, earthquake observations and simulation analysis. The earthquake records of the structure and the surrounding soil were examined by using soil-building interaction model as used in the analyses of the forced vibration tests. It is considered that the response of the structure will be influenced by the seismic behaviour of the soil layer as the seismic wave is input to the bedrock of the soil-structure interaction model in the earthquake response analysis. Therefore, dynamic properties of the soil layer during earthquakes were investigated in detail, and applied to the seismic simulation analysis using soil-structure interaction model. Many earthquake records have been obtained since June, 1976 when the earthquake observation system was first established. From these, eight of them which had comparatively large acceleration values were used to investigate the transfer properties of soil layer. Besides, transfer functions computed using in-situ measurement shearing wave velocity showed good agreement with those of the earthquake records. The records of the Miyagiken-oki earthquake of February 20, 1978 (magnitude 6.7) was selected as an example for performing simulation analysis. The simulation analysis are as follows: (1) In the seismic simulation analysis using soil-structure interaction modal, computed results will be in good agreement with the observed ones, when the transfer function of soil layer is properly estimated. (2) Judging from the transfer function of soil layer with the characteristics that the modal damping value decreases gradually at a higher modal frequency, it is found that ddamping of soil-layer can be simulated more adequately by introducing external damping system together with structural damping. (orig./HP)

  19. The Role of Model Making as a Constructivist Learning Tool to Enhance Deep Learning in a Building Technology Module

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Una Beagon

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores how the use of model making assignments in a Building Technology module encourages deeper learning of a particular topic compared to traditional lecture style teaching using 2D drawings or 3D models. It also investigates how student engagement can be improved as a result of creating a ‘constructivist environment’. The assessment tool, which involved students building a model of a window jamb and cill, was designed to encourage creativity and included elements of best practice such as reflection and development of written communication skills which are important graduate attributes for employability. Quantitative analyses based on surveys carried out amongst the students indicated that, students generally enjoyed making the model and felt, as an activity improved their attention levels. Furthermore, results showed that students felt more confident about recalling the specific detail as a result of the model making exercise compared to creating 2D drawings or merely observing a 3D model. Student feedback confirmed that model making goes some way to bridge the gap between lecture material and an understanding of how buildings are constructed on site.

  20. Uncertainty analysis of pollutant build-up modelling based on a Bayesian weighted least squares approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haddad, Khaled; Egodawatta, Prasanna; Rahman, Ataur; Goonetilleke, Ashantha

    2013-01-01

    Reliable pollutant build-up prediction plays a critical role in the accuracy of urban stormwater quality modelling outcomes. However, water quality data collection is resource demanding compared to streamflow data monitoring, where a greater quantity of data is generally available. Consequently, available water quality datasets span only relatively short time scales unlike water quantity data. Therefore, the ability to take due consideration of the variability associated with pollutant processes and natural phenomena is constrained. This in turn gives rise to uncertainty in the modelling outcomes as research has shown that pollutant loadings on catchment surfaces and rainfall within an area can vary considerably over space and time scales. Therefore, the assessment of model uncertainty is an essential element of informed decision making in urban stormwater management. This paper presents the application of a range of regression approaches such as ordinary least squares regression, weighted least squares regression and Bayesian weighted least squares regression for the estimation of uncertainty associated with pollutant build-up prediction using limited datasets. The study outcomes confirmed that the use of ordinary least squares regression with fixed model inputs and limited observational data may not provide realistic estimates. The stochastic nature of the dependent and independent variables need to be taken into consideration in pollutant build-up prediction. It was found that the use of the Bayesian approach along with the Monte Carlo simulation technique provides a powerful tool, which attempts to make the best use of the available knowledge in prediction and thereby presents a practical solution to counteract the limitations which are otherwise imposed on water quality modelling. - Highlights: ► Water quality data spans short time scales leading to significant model uncertainty. ► Assessment of uncertainty essential for informed decision making in water