Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). "Fire engineering research thesis August 2009." Includes bibliographical references (p. 411-421). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Currently there is a growing pressure on energy efficiency for new buildings in the UK and worldwide. This has arisen partly due to the increasing awareness of the public for sustainable building construction. In addition, there is pressure on building materials manufacturers, due to new government regulations and legislations that are targeting energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions in new buildings. This research work reports on unfired clay building materials (unfired clay bricks) technology for sustainable building construction. The technology aims at the reduction of the high energy input, especially that arising from firing clay bricks in kilns. The research has investigated the use of lime or Portland cement as an activator to an industrial by-product (Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag-GGBS) to stabilise Lower Oxford Clay (LOC). Portland cement was used in the formulation of the unfired clay brick tests specimens predominantly as a control. The development of an unfired clay brick in this current work is considered by the researcher as a significant scientific breakthrough for the building industry. Another breakthrough is the fact that only about 1.5% lime was used for GGBS activation. This is a very low level of usage of lime that is not comparable to, or sufficient for, most road construction applications, where far less strength values are needed and where 3-8% lime is required for effective soil stabilisation. Hence, the final pricing of the unfired clay brick is expected to be relatively low. Industrial scale brick specimens were produced during two separate industrial trials. The first trial was at Hanson Brick Company Ltd, Bedfordshire, UK, while the second was carried out at PD Edenhall Ltd, Bridgend, South Wales, UK. The results clearly demonstrate that all key parameters such as compressive strength, thermal properties and durability were within the acceptable engineering standards for clay masonry units. From the environmental and sustainability analysis results, the unfired clay material has shown energy-efficiency and suggests a formidable economical alternative to the firing of clay building components. This study is one of the earliest attempts to compare fired and unfired clay technology, and also to combine energy use and CO2 emission for unfired clay bricks relative to those bricks used in mainstream construction. This is an attempt to come up with one parameter rating. The overall results suggest that the spinoff from this technology is an invaluable resource for civil engineers and other built environment professionals who need quick access to up-to-date and accurate information about the qualities of various building and construction materials.

In the UK, boom periods of construction combined with typical building styles of the day, have resulted in a large stock of ageing office buildings at risk of structural vacancy and obsolescence. Despite their lack of insulation, high air infiltration, and solar gain, many such buildings from the 1960s-1970s are still in use today. Moreover, with UK buildings replaced at a rate of less than 2% a year, the majority of today's buildings will still be in use in 2050. Due to the impact of the facade on such aspects as thermal performance and aesthetics, façade retrofit is seen as a key solution to the problem of today’s ageing office building stock. Unfortunately, façade retrofit comes with a complex decision-making process. The cost and long-term nature of the investment means that façade decisions are strategic, while the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry is prototypical and multidisciplinary. Decision theory suggests the use of normative decision-making methods to arrive at a well-reasoned course of action; therefore, this thesis aims to discover how decision-making can be improved to support façade selection in non-domestic building retrofit. A state-of-the-art literature review of office building façade retrofit decision-making only returned nine case studies, of which six reported real-life façade retrofit selection. One real-life and one theoretical case demonstrated the use of normative decision-making in the form of the payback period method, while one theoretical case used multi-criteria analysis. Many sources of information were revealed as guiding the façade selection process in general. To examine the actuality of façade selection in practice, an exploratory study was conducted. This study involved (1) semi-structured interviews on the topic of façade selection with thirty UK AEC industry members from twelve professions, and (2) a case study of an over-clad 1970s office building, involving in-depth interviews with two UK AEC industry experts, a documentary evidence review, and post-retrofit thermography. Three semi-structured interviewees revealed the use of normative decision-making, in the form of the payback period method, while information sources were greatly used in general. The exploratory case, however, revealed only a minimal use of information and no normative decision-making. To determine the representativeness of the exploratory case study, an in-depth study of façade retrofit decision-making was conducted. This study involved (1) a specific literature review to set the context of UK university building façade retrofit decision-making and (2) four exemplifying case studies of real-life university building façade retrofit. The university estate features many ageing buildings from the 1960s-1970s that exhibit the same typical building style as the UK’s ageing office stock. The specific literature review found five cases of university façade retrofit decision-making, of which three reported real-life façade retrofit selection. Normative decision-making was revealed in theory, with the two theoretical cases of university façade retrofit using the payback period method. The exemplifying case studies involved eight UK AEC industry experts, a documentary evidence review, and post-retrofit thermography. The case buildings ranged from the late 1950s/early-1960s to the 1970s, with three being over-clad, and one over-clad and re-clad. The exemplifying case study findings support the exploratory case study findings. The key actors in façade retrofit decision-making are the architect, client, and planner. Numerous information sources are used to support the façade selection process, relating chiefly to performance, cost, aesthetics, and collaboration, and the use of normative decision-making is not evident. From the research findings, it appears the process of façade retrofit selection functions naturally within the realm of the architectural profession. Architects appear to be making initial façade design decisions based on ideas resulting from cognition and drawing on past experience, which become more detailed as the project progresses. The façade selection process is supported by the voluntary use of numerous information sources, many of which are quantitative in nature. This thesis did not find evidence of normative decision methods being used in the current practice of façade retrofit selection. Thus, the recommendations proffered are not characteristic of normative theory, but instead opt to support the façade retrofit selection process by reinforcing current process via the following points: (1) use expertise in the form of advisor-led information sources to guide the façade retrofit selection process; (2) maximise communication by encouraging an ongoing dialogue between AEC industry members involved in façade selection, involving specialist external bodies at an early stage, and documenting the façade selection process; and (3) aid the energy efficiency resulting from building retrofit by engaging stakeholders during design, construction, and in-use, especially in regards to proposed new energy efficiency practices. This thesis contributes to the knowledge of non-domestic façade retrofit decision-making in actual building design practice. Having found only limited evidence of normative decision-making being used in the non-domestic façade retrofit selection process, it appears that efforts to develop multi-criteria decision-making tools for use in this area may be misguided.

Esta tese se refere ao estudo do edifício do Museu Paulista, identificando as características da técnica construtiva tradicional de alvenarias, quanto ao sistema estrutural e os materiais empregados. Descreve as circunstâncias históricas, a evolução do emprego da taipa para o emprego do tijolo, e a inserção do edifício do Museu Paulista na cidade de São Paulo em meados do século XIX. Analisa as características que diferenciam um edifício histórico de um edifício moderno relativo às soluções estruturais e a natureza dos materiais. O sistema estrutural tem como elementos principais paredes e pés-direitos, arcos e abóbadas, colunas e pilastras, pisos de assoalho e abobadilha, e fundações. Os materiais são analisados quanto à presença de umidade constante, devido à inexistência de impermeabilização das fundações, a presença de sais solúveis, a porosidade dos materiais, a presença de microrganismos, e a relação com o tipo de tinta utilizada na pintura. Através do levantamento do histórico das intervenções, verifica-se que entre elas há aquelas que causaram danos ao edifício, pelo fato de não considerar as características específicas que o definem. Através de ensaios exploratórios, se reconstitui os traços das argamassas e identificam processos de danos / This thesis refers to the study of the building of Museu Paulista and identifies the characteristics of the traditional masonries constructions techniques that involves the structural systems and the materials used. It describes the historical circumstances and of the evolution of taipa to brick and the inclusion of the building of Museu Paulista in the city of São Paulo in the middle of XIX th Century. It also analyses the characteristics that differs one history and modern build structural solutions and the nature of materials. The main structural systems are constituted by walls, right feet, arch and vault, pilaster and colums, wooden floor, abobadilha, and foundation. The materials are analysed in the several aspects such as the presence of constant humidity, that occurs when there isnt the impermeabilization of the foundations; presence of solubles salts; the porosity of materials; the presence of microorganism and the type of paint used in the painting. Through the history intervations it is verified that amount them there are some generated caused damage to the building due the fact that the specified characteristics were not taken account of. Through the exploratories essays it is reconstructed the composition of the mortars and the identification of the damages process.

This treatise is a study of the methodology and the thought processes followed when buildings are designed, in order to determine to what extent, if any, designers consider the need for buildings to be maintained long after they walk off site and part with the project. The concept of taking future maintenance requirements into account as part of the design process is referred to as “designing for maintenance” (DFM). It can be assumed that, from a professional perspective, designers must keep the client’s needs in mind when designing. Facilities managers face the challenge of balancing a budget with maintaining a functional building – a dream building would be a maintenance-free building. Armed with the knowledge of DFM it is hoped that future buildings will be designed in a manner that will facilitate maintenance, thereby achieving significant savings on the life cycle costing of buildings. Buys (2004) suggests that designers should adopt a more open-minded approach toward maintenance during the design stages of buildings. Maintenance, with reference to access, methods, material and funding, could benefit from this approach, with a positive effect on the life cycle costing of a building. In order of priority when starting a building project, the design process is at the top of the list. Because this process happens right at the outset of a project, it is important to address the level of maintenance awareness that goes into designing, at this stage. The research concludes that one of the methods which could have a permanent effect on designers’ awareness of DFM would be to include it in the subjects taught at schools where designers are trained. This idea was discussed with a number of lecturers in this field and they were all in favour of this approach. There is a perception that built environment practitioners and professionals such as architects and contractors in the various fields related to the built environment, often engage in their particular task as if they exist in isolation from the project as a whole and from the rest of the project team. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that all built environment aspects are interwoven and interlinked, and that all are part of a larger context. With reference to the built environment as a whole, no action or element exists in isolation from a larger web of activity. The challenge, to nurture within students an awareness of the range and interconnectedness of elements and processes that contribute to the holistic idea, rests with the educators in the design fields, because it is clear that the final impact of any project relies to a large extent on what was specified by the designers in terms of materials and construction methods. The impact of the world’s six billion inhabitants on the environment is clearly a critical issue but does little to influence the actions of most design professionals. Documented experiences should serve as valuable tools to guide designers towards making more educated decisions on building design. Built environment professionals should educate themselves about the range of issues involved in the analysis, design and production of the built environment and the interaction between these factors.

No description available.

A study was performed to gain an understanding of the feasibility of an Earth Coolant Tube for use in cooling and heating air for residences and industry. It was concluded that previous studies did not include the effect of coolant tube depth or coolant tube operation over long periods of time. A numerical methods approach using finite difference form of the general energy conduction equation was used to evaluate these effects. It was concluded that a coolant tube 1 foot in diameter and 100 feet long could provide as much as 1/6 ton of refrigeration for a 4 month time period. It was also concluded that for coolant tube performance. This study also presents estimates on expected rates of energy transfer for coolant tubes, and recommends a simplified approach for designing coolant tubes.

The purpose of the study was to analyze the materials used in industry and school plant building in order to determine the types and designs of buildings which will best meet the needs of our schools both today and in the future.

In developed nations, 20-40% of greenhouse gas emissions and more than one-third of energy consumption are attributable to buildings. Among various available strategies, the building sector has the greatest potential for carbon emission reduction. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) took early action to promote sustainable designs in buildings and has become the most well-known rating system in the field of building sustainability. However, little research has evaluated the effects of LEED on occupant pro-environmental behavior. To examine this, a Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) was conducted in a traditional, green featured, and LEED certified building case to compare the similarities and differences in environmental awareness, perceptions, and perceived ease or difficulty of pro-environmental behaviors, as well as to assess the degree to which pro-environmental behaviors were exhibited by occupants. This was used to determine if the aforementioned factors influence occupant behavior in different building cases. Ease or difficulty of pro-environmental behaviors and environmental awareness were found to be significant factors in influencing pro-environmental behavior in the LEED certified and green featured building cases. In addition, being in a LEED building appears to influence occupant pro-environmental behavior in a positive way. Also, there is evidence to suggest that being in a green featured building appears to influence occupants to exhibit pro-environmental behavior as well. These findings are valuable for owners and designers that want occupants in their buildings to exhibit pro-environmental behavior. / Master of Science / Climate change is an issue that has risen to national and global importance with the increase of rising sea levels, temperature and precipitation, and extreme weather events. To combat the issue of climate change, changes in building design through the avenue of green rating systems have been used to encourage the building sector to reduce energy consumption and thus, a building’s environmental impact. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is one of the most well-known green rating systems used to rate energy efficient buildings. However, the effect of LEED on occupant pro-environmental behavior has been less studied in understanding how occupant behavior impacts energy consumption in a traditional, green featured, and LEED certified building case. This thesis aims to explore if occupying different buildings influence occupants to exhibit proenvironmental behaviors. For this study, I investigated whether occupant’s environmental awareness, perceptions, perceived ease or difficulty of set behaviors and pro-environmental behavior differed between different building cases. This thesis concludes that being in a LEED certified and green featured building appear to influence occupants to exhibit pro-environmental behavior, more so than being in a traditional building.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries