Building designs in countries like the United Kingdom are currently checked manually against a frequently changing and increasingly complex set of building regulations. It is a major task for designers and those bodies that are charged with enforcing building regulations. As a result, there can often be ambiguity, inconsistency in assessments and delays in the overall construction process. This scenario indicates the need for automated building regulation compliance checking, which is an easier and valid option. As part of this, a critical review is carried out of the building code compliance checking related efforts undertaken in different countries, including Australia, Singapore, Australia, Norway and USA. Furthermore, it is determined that the use of Building Information Models (BIM) and the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) standard is imperative for automated compliance checking in England and Wales. Most of the initiatives mentioned above focuses on creating object based rules and mapping the entities encapsulated within them to the international building model schema. The schema is designed to support the needs of an international user and takes little consideration of national semantics (e.g. UK practice and culture). Hence, the research focuses on creating UK building regulation specific data model schema. The analysis of Part-B1 through knowledge formalisation has resulted in identification of over 120 semantic entities. Using the output, a Part-B1 data model schema has been developed using EXPRESS-G language. Thus, an England and Wales building regulation specific, semantically rich, object model schema appropriate for the requirements of automated compliance checking has been developed. The data model schema development results into a document modeling method. This method was developed in a manner such that it would be applicable to model any building regulation technical document. The development of a document modeling method acts as a contribution to the knowledge as building experts, rule authors and computer programmers can use it for data modeling. The said methodology was implemented on a sample legislative document to validate its usefulness. Also through the research work, concepts such as knowledge formalisation and a clause filter system were coined and successfully utilised to overcome the issues related to unsuitability of building regulations. This work accounts as a contribution to knowledge due to its novelty. A clause filter system was developed primarily to extract appropriate information suitable for automated compliance checking. On the basis of various key findings, a detailed framework for automated compliance checking of the UK building regulations is delivered through the research work.

Sustainability requires a new pathway and our industry must evolve to be a contributor to finding the right answer, rather than delivering the trusted solutions that have served us well in an industry of unconstrained resources. Aspiration of initiating a dialogue about our professional responsibility: the dialogue must engage with matters beyond engineering and find relevance in the disparate academic research, to drive the pragmatic decision making required by industry. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Architecture / unrestricted

Delays are a common feature of construction projects and frequently lead to disputes between the parties. In resolving these disputes it is essential to have a robust methodology for analysing delays. It is argued that current understanding of available delay analysis methodologies is inadequate and hindered by taxonomic confusion. There is a need for guidance on available delay analysis methodologies and an explanation of how these are implemented, and, as a result, models have been proposed that aid practitioners in the selection of a defendable and most appropriate delay analysis method under the specific circumstances of a project. This suggests an element of choice over the method to be selected: for example, the Society of Construction Law recommended the Time Impact Analysis methodology for undertaking a retrospective delay analysis. The question is whether this or any such methodology is necessarily appropriate. There is general confusion over the selection of delay analysis methodologies. Here, it is proposed that this confusion can be reduced and delay analysis improved by an analysis of the latest research on the status of delay analysis in the UK, an analysis of common law guidance on methodology, an assessment of professional and research literature on delay analysis and research into what is being currently undertaken by experts in the field of delay analysis. This has been done using a mixed methods approach that included: (i) analysis of a questionnaire survey by the CIOB to understand the current state of time management in the UK construction industry; (ii) analysis of the industry guidance on delay analysis methodologies; (iii) a comprehensive review of related English Case Law; and (iv) an analysis of 27 case studies comprising programming expert reports that were presented as evidence in arbitrations. These multiple sources enabled the researcher to ascertain, in the case of each delay analysis methodology: (a) the dominant method actually used in disputes; (b) the details of its application; (c) the reasons for its selection; and (d) its level of accuracy and subsequent acceptability. The research demonstrates that when time claims are accompanied by cost claims there is a dichotomy in the choice of appropriate methodology. There is a clear preference for prospective analysis of time issues, but a retrospective approach for claims that involve finance. At the same time, when a claim contains both elements, the courts appear to prefer a single approach, namely, the retrospective approach. This has resulted in the recommended method of undertaking delay analysis by the Society of Construction Law being not supported by English common law and ultimately to an increase in confusion within the Industry. Given the courts’ fundamental opposition to a method that better accords with forensic logic, it is expedient to recommend a ‘best of the rest’ method for delay analysis rather than adopt a formulaic approach to selecting the appropriate delay analysis methodology. Case study reviews have shown the Windows Analysis methodology is widely used and this is also widely accepted as the most accurate and appropriate methodology, although less well known than other less appropriate delay analysis methodologies. Apart from its theoretical significance, the research should improve construction practitioners’ understanding of delay analysis, and provide clarity on the evidence required to support a claim for an extension of time. It has the potential to reduce disputes over selection criteria and promote harmony between the construction and the legal professions over the appropriate method of resolving delay claims.

Thesis (Master of Construction (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / This study examines the influence of a green building concept on the value of a building. Comprehensive literature was carefully reviewed to provide an overview on the concept of green building and its influence on the value of a building, subject to its overall benefits in South Africa. Several studies have been conducted giving guidelines for the determination of the best capitalisation rates needed for valuing green building properties. However, the information is still inadequate in providing evidence of the relationship between green building features and its influence on the value of a building, leaving most buildings with green features undervalued. This is a peculiar concern this research seeks to bring to notice and with its limited scope proffer possible recommendations and conclusions. A quantitative approach was adopted, facilitating the collection of data through the use of a questionnaire survey that involved randomly selected construction professionals in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The motive behind the adoption of the quantitative method is to facilitate a reliable manner of satisfying the established aim and objectives for determining current practices in valuing green buildings. The above description paved the way for the use of theoretical, statistical and mathematical techniques for computation and interpretation of data to support objective reasoning and measures. Data was analysed with the application of descriptive and inferential statistical analysis tools, wherein the mean values and one-way analysis of variance were carefully determined. The findings demonstrate that the benefits of green building are critical for enhancing a building’s value. The benefits are divided into tangible and intangible benefits to classify impact on a building value. The classification of the impact cut across reduction of the consumption of energy and water, lowering operating cost and developing flexible design options. Some of the significant features of the green building include water metering, a photovoltaic solar panel system, electrical sub-metering, high performance building façade and skylight and borehole water. Further findings indicate that kitchen and water-closet (WC) water efficient fittings is ranked highest with a mean value (MV) of 3.91, followed by megawatt photovoltaic solar plant with an MV of 3.79, and water metering for monitoring and leak detection with an MV of 3.74. In light of the MVs, it is evident that these features significantly influence the value of a green building. Subsequently, the features are classified as: eco-friendly materials and energy conservation feature; water saving and renewable energy feature; safety feature; natural day light and control feature; sun shade and light feature; water management and flooring feature, and special utility feature. Information as gathered in the study demonstrate that the current practices engaged in valuing green building projects do not specifically differ among construction participants, although the perceptions of construction professionals regarding the most significant green building features that enhance the value of a building is on the average. Modalities towards promoting the concept and value of green building require resolute actions that should be implemented by the Green Building Council of South Africa. This concerns the creation of new growth strategies to escalate the awareness and implementation of a green building concept. Based on the benefits and significant features of green building, as determined through respondent affirmatives, this study broadens the view of construction professionals on the influence of a green building concept on the value of a building in South Africa.

As the environmental impacts of the energy usage of the world today becomes more and more evident, enhancement of energy performance of the already existing building stock becomes more urgent. Buildings belonging to the cultural heritage are often the ones that are most difficult to deal with in this context. The subject of this thesis is the use of building simulation of historic buildings. The task here is to identify and when necessary develop simulation tools and methods that are suitable for planning of retrofitting strategies in historic buildings, and to identify and analyze what demands such tools and methods would have to fulfill, in what contexts different simulation strategies are suitable, how the demands on the tools might be met and what results and how the results would facilitate the decision making process in the most optimal way. A powerful means to acquire such analyses is the use of whole-building simulation. In the case of historical buildings there are several aspects to take into consideration, determining the choice of simulation tool and method. This thesis includes Investigation of the variability of the demands on simulation tools and methods that the historic buildings pose, and its implication on complexity of the simulation process, and suggestion of a complexity index tool. Investigation of the whole-building simulation process and how it complies with the demands identified, and how the exergy concept can be used, exemplified by a case study. Identification of a need for a tool and method for a large amount of cases not easily covered by abundantly available tools and methods Suggestion of a tool and method to address these cases, and presentation of a case study where the suggested tool and method have been applied, with good agreement between the simulated and measured values. One important feature of the suggested tool is the Very Small Wall-part Method, that includes the assessment of especially damage prone points into the whole-building simulation model, otherwise unable to accommodate these points. Another is the damage risk assessment feature where a mould risk prediction tool is presented. / <p>QC20120920</p>

QC 20110617

The world’s energy use in buildings (residential and commercial) accounts for around 40% of the worldwide energy consumption, and space heating is the responsible for half of the energy need in the building sector. In Europe, only a small share (less than 10%) of existing buildings was built after 1990. Most of the building stock does not satisfy the recent energy technical standards; in addition there is a very low trend to construct new buildings in the last years. Renovation of the existing buildings is a feasible option to reduce the energy need in Europe, but finding the optimum solutions for a renovation is not a simple task. Each design parameter differently influences the final energy need of buildings and, furthermore, the different variables are differently correlated each other. Building refurbishment will benefit from a tool for the selection of the best measures in term of energy need. This work, through a global sensitivity analysis, aims at determining the contribution of the design parameters to the building energy demand and the correlation between the different variables. The considered parameters are related to the improvement of the thermal transmittance of both the opaque envelope and the windows, the solar transmittance of the glazing surfaces, the window size, the thermal inertia of the internal walls and the external sunshades for windows. Several dynamic simulations have been performed varying the design parameters from different starting conditions. Finally, due to the large number of cases elaborated, an inferential statistical analysis has been performed in order to identify the predominant factors and the correlation between the design parameters in a global context.

Building energy simulation has become a useful tool for predicting cooling, heating and electrical loads for facilities. Simulation models have been validated throughout the years by comparing simulation results to actual measured values. The simulations have become more accurate as approaches were changed to be more comprehensive in their ability to model building features. These simulation models tend to require considerable experience in determining input parameters and large amounts of time to construct the models. As a result of the large number of man-hours required, simplified models have been sought and used. Simplified models are particularly useful for conducting preliminary assessments of energy conservation measures. These simplified models often use linear relationships in order to estimate conditions such as infiltration, energy usage, and temperature gradients. Studies have been performed in order to validate popular models such as ASHRAE's Bin or Modified Bin methods. A useful measure would be to determine the accuracy of a simplified model to establish error bounds. Having a simplified model and establishing its error bounds, technical estimations from such models could be used in selected applications with more confidence. The error bound relative to DOE-2 predictions, for a proposed simplified model denoted IEC, for estimating a commercial building's cooling load are presented along with two actual-building test cases for validation purposes. The sensitivity of the error to various building parameters such as minimum make-up air, cooling capacity oversize, and internal equipment load was investigated. The error bound was determined to be within ±15 per cent for both cases and almost all variations. / Master of Science

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This thesis presents an analytical method based on classical matrix methods for computing the dynamic response of elastic-plastic multi-storey building frames. The method developed is comparatively simple and is of much use for building frames having large number of storeys. By this method, response of multi-storey build­ings could be calculated on high-speed digital computers of high storage capacity. The computer program developed saves huge storage locations and thus makes it possible to analyze multi-storey frames which till now were con­sidered as very difficult. Dynamic response of a two-storey and six-storey frame are shown to demonstrate the utility of the method. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)