Five projects improve understanding of how to use PCM to reduce building cooling energy. Firstly, a post-installation energy-audit of an active cooling system with PCM tank revealed an energy cost of 10.6% of total cooling energy, as compared to an identical tankless system, because PCM under%cooling prevented heat rejection at night. Secondly, development of a new taxonomy for PCM cooling systems allowed reclassification of all systems and identified under-exploited types. Novel concept designs were generated that employ movable PCM units and insulation. Thirdly, aspects of the generated designs were tested in a passive PCM sail design, installed in an occupied office. Radiant heat transfer, external heat discharge and narrow phase transition zone all improved performance. Fourthly, passive PCM product tests were conducted in a 4.2 m3 thermal test cell in which two types of ceiling tile, with 50 and 70% microencapsulated PCM content, and paraffin/copolymer composite wallboards yielded peak temperature reductions of 3.8, 4.4 and 5.2 °C, respectively, and peak temperature reductions per unit PCM mass of 0.28, 0.34 and 0.14 °C/kg, respectively. Heat discharge of RACUS tiles was more effective due to their non-integration into the building fabric. Conclusions of preceding chapters informed the design of a new system composed of an array of finned aluminium tubes, containing paraffin (melt temperature 19.79 °C, latent heat 159.75 kJ/kg) located below the ceiling. Passive cooling and heat discharge is prioritised but a chilled water loop ensures temperature control on hotter days (water circulated at 13 °C) and heat discharge on hotter nights (water circulated at 10 °C). Test cell results showed similar passive performance to the ceiling tiles and wallboards, effective active temperature control (constant 24.6˚C air temperature) and successful passive and active heat discharge. A dynamic heat balance model with an IES% generated UK office’s annual cooling load and PCM temperature%enthalpy functions predicted annual energy savings of 34%.

This creative project responds to the lack of information currently available to the laypeople who own terra cotta buildings. Lafayette investors own several grand, white glazed terra cotta buildings downtown. Much of this building stock suffers from poor repairs and patches using inappropriate materials that have worsened the problems.The current condition of these important buildings indicates a lack of appreciation for these historic resources, a misunderstanding of the building envelope and its component failures, a misunderstanding of the terra cotta material, a confusion between the treatment of terra cotta and other types of masonry, the inability to diagnose causes of terra cotta failures, misguidance on restoration methods, financial limitations and confusion about where to even begin with the restoration project.This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for owners of terra cotta buildings. Providing the history of terra cotta, this guide asserts the value of maintaining this precious material. An explanation of the complete building envelope explains why theterra cotta building requires both interior and exterior maintenance. A survey of the terra cotta manufacturing process demonstrates why terra cotta behaves as it does and why it requires specific repair methods and materials. An overview of evaluation methods demonstrates the importance of hiring professionals to work on the project. A list of recommended professionals will get the building owner started on getting quotes for bidding the project out. An overview of potential funding sources and grants may supplement funding the project. An explanation of local requirements clarifies how to comply with local ordinances and finally, a comprehensive glossary provides a reference for terms used in this text and relative to planning, construction, engineering and preservation projects. / Department of Architecture

Sustainable development issues and environmental concerns continue to gain headlines as demand within Canada’s residential construction industry escalates. Current construction practices adhere to traditional methods of construction, with inherent weaknesses such as high labour costs, negative environmental impact during and after construction, and minimal technological advancement. Many programs exist to rate building environmental performance, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Built Green, which are primarily performance-based, not practice-based evaluations. Considerable research has supported these performance ratings; however, there has been very little research in construction practice ratings. Hence, the purpose of the research presented in this thesis is to bridge this gap by proposing a construction practice rating program in order to challenge builders’ claims of being sustainable. Although rating programs should include measurements of both performance and practice—given that great performance does not equal great practice, particularly if the standard of performance achievement is low, current programs are based on performance alone. The goal of this thesis is to enhance the sustainability of the residential construction practice through the incorporation of sustainability evaluation rating tools. To achieve this goal, a framework has been developed which encompasses sustainability rating tools that include an integrated construction practice rating program, an application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions quantification, and implementation of a mathematical linear optimization model as a tool that minimizes cost while incorporating user-defined preferences and numerous environmental criteria under a green building rating system. CO2 emissions of various house construction stages are quantified and utilized in a 3D BIM. Application of the proposed framework is demonstrated in a case study with findings that show the weak results of sustainability ratings for a particular home builder. Hence, the findings in this research demonstrate a residential builder’s ability to measure his sustainability efforts and enhance construction practices based on a rating analysis. The introduction of BIM for quantifying emissions in the construction process is found to be of significant value. / Construction Engineering and Management

The air gap method is a modification of the common way of building indoor walls and floors. The aim of the method is to make a construction, less fragile to water damage, with air gaps where moisture can be removed with a thermally driven air flow, caused by a heating cable. The thesis includes a number of experimental studies of this method. Temperature and convective air flow in a vertical air gap was studied and it was noted how air flow increased with raised power of the heating cable. The air flow for one meter of wall varied between 50 m3/day (13 air changes per hour) and 140 m3/day (36 air changes per hour). The lower value was caused by a temperature difference in the range 0.2-0.3 oC. Without heating no air flow was found. In studies of moisture and RH in wet “slab on ground” constructions, it was noted how the slab in the room with the air gap method dried to a much higher extent than the slab in the room built in an ordinary way. It was also noted that moisture was transported from the air gap in the floor and up through the air gap in the wall. In the room with the air gap construction, the RH values beneath the floor was at a lower level (and below 75 % RH) than the RH values beneath the floor of conventional construction. Mould does not grow below 75 % RH. In the study of a flooded intermediate floor it was noted how the thermally driven convective air flow evidently speeded up drying of the construction. Mould growth was only noted in the case where the heating cables were turned off. / Spaltmetoden är en modifiering av det reguljära sättet av att bygga innerväggar och bjälklag. Syftet med metoden är att skapa en byggnadskonstruktion som är mindre skör med avseende på fuktskador. Detta görs med spalter där fukt kan avlägsnas genom ett termiskt drivet luftflöde som orsakas av en värmekabel. Denna avhandling innehåller ett antal experimentella studier på metoden. Spaltmetoden har studerats med avseende på 1. Samband mellan temperatur och luftflöde, 2. Uttorkning och RF nivåer i golvkonstruktioner samt 3. Översvämning av ett mellanbjälklag 1. Samband mellan temperatur och luftflöde Temperatur och konvektivt luftflöde har studerats i en vertikal spalt och resultatet visar att luftflödet ökar med ökad effekt hos värmekabeln. Luftflödet i en vägg med en meters bredd varierade mellan 50 kubikmeter/dag (13 luftväxlingar per timme) och 140 kubikmeter/dag (36 luftväxlingar per timme). Det lägre flödet orsakades av en temperaturskillnad på 0,2-0,3 oC mellan luftspalt och rum. När värmekabeln var avstängd så registrerades inget luftflöde. 2. Uttorkning och RF nivåer i golvkonstruktioner ovan betongplatta Detta experiment visade att fukt har transporterats från spalten i golvet genom spalten i väggen ut i rumsluften. I spaltkonstruktion var RF inuti golvkonstruktionen lägre (och understeg 75 % RF), jämfört med den konventionella konstruktionen, (mögel växer inte under 75 % RF). Det har också registrerats att betongplattan som hörde till spaltmetoden torkade ut snabbare än betongplattan som var inbyggd i ett gängse rum. 3. Översvämning av ett mellanbjälklag I studien där ett mellanbjälklag blev översvämmat noterades att spaltmetoden förkortade torktiden från 21 dagar till 13 vid den fuktigaste mätpunkten. Mögelväxt noterades endast då värmekabeln hade varit frånslagen. / QC 20101101

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept.of Architecture, 2000. / Bibliography: leaves 172-182.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002. / "A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" Bibliography : leaves 205-221.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2008. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-135). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2009. / Vita: p. 340. Thesis director: Dennis J.D. Sandole. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 12, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 327-339). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Nur Yazdani, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 28, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 180 pages. Includes bibliographical references.