O trabalho apresenta o estado-da-arte das fachadas-cortina executadas com placas de grês porcelanato, discutindo os principais parâmetros para a elaboração de projetos e produção desta tipologia de revestimentos. Acredita-se ser este um dos primeiros trabalhos acadêmicos elaborados no Brasil sobre o assunto, pretendendo-se contribuir quando da implantação desse sistema no país. Procura-se estabelecer os principais conceitos e definições sobre as fachadas-cortina e fachadas ventiladas, objetivando fundamentar a utilização desses termos que vêm sendo empregados sem precisão pelo meio técnico brasileiro. São abordadas as principais características e propriedades dos componentes, elementos construtivos e dispositivos empregados, como também os principais requisitos a serem considerados quando da elaboração do projeto. São destacadas as vantagens relativas desta tecnologia construtiva quando comparada aos revestimentos tradicionais aderidos, ressaltando-se sua importância como alternativa e potencialidades quando comercializado como um sistema de produção. / This report approaches the state-of-art of the porcelain tiles curtain wall. Both design and installations methods are discussed, including main features and properties of the components, elements and devices necessary. Main requirements considered to the design process are also take into consideration. It is believed that this study is one of the first academic studies developed in Brazil concerning this theme, and it is intended to contribute to the implementation of this system in the country. It aims at establishing the main concepts and the definitions on the curtain walls and ventilated facades. The prime objective is to base the correct use of these terms, since they have been used without accuracy by the Brazilian technicians. main features and properties of the components, elements and devices necessary. Main requirements considered to the design process are also take into consideration. Several advantages concerning this type of cladding are emphasized when compared with traditional coverings, standing out the comportance of the method as an interesting technology alternative.

Karst bedrock conditions and deterioration of the lock and dam structures have resulted in significant leakage through, underneath, and around Lock and Dam No. 8 on the Kentucky River. During severe droughts, the water surface in Pool No. 8 has been observed to drop below the crest of the dam, resulting in water supply shortages and water quality issues for surrounding communities reliant on the pool. Presently, the primary purpose of Lock and Dam No. 8 is water supply. Pool No. 8 is currently where the cities of Nicholasville (Jessamine County, KY) and Lancaster (Garrard County, KY) draw their water. Due to the age and condition of the structures, and the criticality of the retained water supply, the project Owner commissioned a replacement dam to be built. One major component of the replacement dam was a foundation improvement program. The foundation improvement program was designed to address the karst bedrock conditions at the site. The foundation improvements included a secant pile cutoff wall and a double-row grout curtain. The grout curtain at Lock and Dam No. 8 was evaluated based on the metrics presently available.

In the quest for improving building energy efficiency raising the level of performance of the building enclosure has become critical. As the thermal performance of the building enclosure improves so does the overall energy efficiency of the building. One key component in determining the energy performance of the building enclosure is windows. Windows have an integral role in determining the energy performance of a building by allowing light and heat from the sun to enter into a space. Energy efficient buildings take advantage of this free solar energy to help offset heating energy consumption and electric lighting loads. However, windows are traditionally the least insulating component of the modern building assembly. With excessive use, larger window areas can lead to greater occupant discomfort and energy consumption from greater night-time heat loss, higher peak and total cooling energy demand from unwanted solar gains, and discomfort glare. As a result, windows must be carefully designed to not only minimize heat loss, but also effectively control solar gains to maintain both a thermally and visually comfortable environment for the appropriate climate region and orientation. In this thesis, a complete analysis of window assemblies for commercial office buildings is presented. The analysis is divided into three sections: the Insulated Glazing Unit (IGU), the Curtain Wall Section (frames), and the overall energy performance of a typical office building. The first section investigates the performance characteristics of typical and high performance IGUs, specifically its insulating value (Ucg), its solar heat gain properties (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, SHGC), and its visual transmittance (VT) through one-dimensional heat transfer and solar-optical modeling. Mechanisms of heat transfer across IGUs were investigated giving insight into the parameters that had the most significant effect on improving each performance characteristic. With a through understanding of IGU performance, attainable performance limits for each of property were generated from combining of different glazing materials, fill gases, and coatings. Through the right combination of materials IGU performance can be significantly altered. The U-value performance of IGUs ranges from 2.68 W/m2K (R-2.1) for a double-glazed, clear, air filled IGU to 0.27 W/m2K (R-21) for a quint-glazed, low-E, xenon filled high performance IGU. The second part of the thesis looks at the thermal performance of curtain wall sections that hold the IGU through two-dimensional heat transfer modeling. Similar to the IGUs, heat transfer mechanisms were studied to by substituting different materials to determine which components are crucial to thermal performance. From this analysis improvements were made to typical curtain wall design that significantly reduces the overall heat transfer within the frame section, producing a high performance curtain wall section. With simple modifications, a high performance curtain wall section can reduce its U-value by as much as 81% over a typical curtain wall section, going from 13.39 W/m2K to 2.57 W/m2K. Thus significantly reducing the U-value of curtain wall systems, particularly for smaller windows. The final part of the thesis examines the impact of typical and high performance windows on the energy performance of perimeter offices of a high-rise commercial building located in Southern Ontario. An hourly simulation model was set up to evaluate both the annual and peak energy consumption of a typical perimeter office space. The office faced the four cardinal directions of north, east, south, and west to evaluate the effect of orientation. The model also included continuous dimming lighting controls to make use of the available daylight. The effect of exterior shading on perimeter space energy performance was also investigated with both dynamic and static exterior shading devices. The results of the simulations revealed that window properties have very little influence on the energy performance of a high internal heat gain office, that is typical of older offices with less energy efficient office equipment and lighting and a higher occupant density. Conversely, window properties, particularly the insulating value of the window, has a greater effect on the energy performance of a mid to low internal heat gain office that is typical of most modern day commercial buildings. The results show windows with lower U-values yet higher SHGC are preferred over windows of similar U-values but with lower SHGC. The results also indicate that both static and dynamic shading have very little effect on energy performance of mid to low internal heat gain offices. From this analysis optimal window areas in the form of window-to-wall ratios (WWR) are presented for each orientation for mid to low internal heat gain offices. The optimal WWR for south-facing facades are between 0.50 to 0.66, and 0.30 to 0.50 for east-, west-, and north-facing facades, while for high internal heat gain perimeter spaces window areas should be kept to a minimum.

There has been, and will continue to be, tremendous growth in the use and distribution of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As LNG poses the hazard of flammable vapor cloud formation from a release, which may result in a massive fire, increased public concerns have been expressed regarding the safety of this fuel. In addition, regulatory authorities in the U.S. as well as all over the world expect the implementation of consequence mitigation measures for LNG spills. For the effective and safer use any safety measure to prevent and mitigate an accidental release of LNG, it is critical to understand thoroughly the action mechanisms. Water spray curtains are generally used by petro-chemical industries to prevent and mitigate heavier-than-air toxic or flammable vapors. It is also used to cool and protect equipment from heat radiation of fuel fires. Currently, water spray curtains are recognized as one of the economic and promising techniques to enhance the dispersion of the LNG vapor cloud formed from a spill. Usually, water curtains are considered to absorb, dilute, disperse and warm a heavier-than-air vapor cloud. Dispersion of cryogenic LNG vapor behaves differently from other dense gases because of low molecular weight and extremely low temperature. So the interaction between water curtain and LNG vapor is different than other heavier vapor clouds. Only two major experimental investigations with water curtains in dispersing LNG vapor clouds were undertaken during the 1970s and 1980s. Studies showed that water spray curtains enhanced LNG vapor dispersion from small spills. However, the dominant phenomena to apply the water curtain most effectively in controlling LNG vapor were not clearly demonstrated. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of water spray curtains in controlling the LNG vapor clouds from outdoor experiments. A research methodology has been developed to study the dispersion phenomena of LNG vapor by the action of different water curtains experimentally. This dissertation details the research and experiment development. Small scale outdoor LNG spill experiments have been performed at the Brayton Fire Training Field at Texas A&M University. Field test results regarding important phenomena are presented and discussed. Results have determined that the water curtains are able to reduce the concentration of the LNG vapor cloud, push the vapor cloud upward and transfer heat to the cloud. These are being identified due to the water curtain mechanisms of entrainment of air, dilution of vapor with entrained air, transfer of momentum and heat to the gas cloud. Some of the dominant actions required to control and disperse LNG vapor cloud are also identified from the experimental tests. The gaps are presented as the future work and recommendation on how to improve the experiments in the future. This will benefit LNG industries to enhance its safety system and to make LNG facilities safer.

This thesis examines the condition of the “Curtain Dress” of Gone With the Wind (GWTW) with the purpose of advising a conservation plan that would allow its exhibit in 2014 as part of the 75th anniversary of the film. The dress has been stored since 1981 in the Harry Ransom Center (HRC) at the University of Texas at Austin as part of the David O. Selznick (DOS) Collection. The project addresses the book, the film, the creation of the dress, and what happened to it after filming was over. A collaborative team was formed including HRC staff, a conservator, and graduate students from the Textiles and Apparel Division at the University of Texas at Austin. The author of this study provided historical context, document analysis, construction evaluation, and fiber testing. A timeline for the book, film, and garment was established; communications from Selznick referencing the dress were analyzed; construction details were photographed and documented for reference; and colorimetry and spectroscopy techniques were used for fiber analysis. / text

In the quest for improving building energy efficiency raising the level of performance of the building enclosure has become critical. As the thermal performance of the building enclosure improves so does the overall energy efficiency of the building. One key component in determining the energy performance of the building enclosure is windows. Windows have an integral role in determining the energy performance of a building by allowing light and heat from the sun to enter into a space. Energy efficient buildings take advantage of this free solar energy to help offset heating energy consumption and electric lighting loads. However, windows are traditionally the least insulating component of the modern building assembly. With excessive use, larger window areas can lead to greater occupant discomfort and energy consumption from greater night-time heat loss, higher peak and total cooling energy demand from unwanted solar gains, and discomfort glare. As a result, windows must be carefully designed to not only minimize heat loss, but also effectively control solar gains to maintain both a thermally and visually comfortable environment for the appropriate climate region and orientation. In this thesis, a complete analysis of window assemblies for commercial office buildings is presented. The analysis is divided into three sections: the Insulated Glazing Unit (IGU), the Curtain Wall Section (frames), and the overall energy performance of a typical office building. The first section investigates the performance characteristics of typical and high performance IGUs, specifically its insulating value (Ucg), its solar heat gain properties (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, SHGC), and its visual transmittance (VT) through one-dimensional heat transfer and solar-optical modeling. Mechanisms of heat transfer across IGUs were investigated giving insight into the parameters that had the most significant effect on improving each performance characteristic. With a through understanding of IGU performance, attainable performance limits for each of property were generated from combining of different glazing materials, fill gases, and coatings. Through the right combination of materials IGU performance can be significantly altered. The U-value performance of IGUs ranges from 2.68 W/m2K (R-2.1) for a double-glazed, clear, air filled IGU to 0.27 W/m2K (R-21) for a quint-glazed, low-E, xenon filled high performance IGU. The second part of the thesis looks at the thermal performance of curtain wall sections that hold the IGU through two-dimensional heat transfer modeling. Similar to the IGUs, heat transfer mechanisms were studied to by substituting different materials to determine which components are crucial to thermal performance. From this analysis improvements were made to typical curtain wall design that significantly reduces the overall heat transfer within the frame section, producing a high performance curtain wall section. With simple modifications, a high performance curtain wall section can reduce its U-value by as much as 81% over a typical curtain wall section, going from 13.39 W/m2K to 2.57 W/m2K. Thus significantly reducing the U-value of curtain wall systems, particularly for smaller windows. The final part of the thesis examines the impact of typical and high performance windows on the energy performance of perimeter offices of a high-rise commercial building located in Southern Ontario. An hourly simulation model was set up to evaluate both the annual and peak energy consumption of a typical perimeter office space. The office faced the four cardinal directions of north, east, south, and west to evaluate the effect of orientation. The model also included continuous dimming lighting controls to make use of the available daylight. The effect of exterior shading on perimeter space energy performance was also investigated with both dynamic and static exterior shading devices. The results of the simulations revealed that window properties have very little influence on the energy performance of a high internal heat gain office, that is typical of older offices with less energy efficient office equipment and lighting and a higher occupant density. Conversely, window properties, particularly the insulating value of the window, has a greater effect on the energy performance of a mid to low internal heat gain office that is typical of most modern day commercial buildings. The results show windows with lower U-values yet higher SHGC are preferred over windows of similar U-values but with lower SHGC. The results also indicate that both static and dynamic shading have very little effect on energy performance of mid to low internal heat gain offices. From this analysis optimal window areas in the form of window-to-wall ratios (WWR) are presented for each orientation for mid to low internal heat gain offices. The optimal WWR for south-facing facades are between 0.50 to 0.66, and 0.30 to 0.50 for east-, west-, and north-facing facades, while for high internal heat gain perimeter spaces window areas should be kept to a minimum.

In the past decade, the grouting industry has made significant technological advancements in real-time monitoring of flow rate and pressure of pumped grout, stable grout mix design, and with grout curtain concepts dealing with placement and orientation. While these practices have resulted in improved construction practices in the grouting industry, current design guidelines for grout curtains are still predominately based on qualitative measures such as engineering judgment and experience or are based on proprietary methods. This research focused on the development of quantitative guidelines to evaluate the effectiveness of a grout curtain in porous media using piezometric and hydraulic flow data. In this study, a laboratory-scale physical seepage model was developed to aid in the understanding and development methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of a grout curtain. A new performance parameter was developed based on a normalization scheme that utilized the area of the grout curtain and the area of the improved media. The normalization scheme combined with model-based Lugeon values that correspond to pore pressure and flow rate measurements at different soil unit weights and grout curtain spacings, produced a mathematical equation that can be used to quantify the effectiveness of a grout curtain. This study found a relationship that takes into account soil unit weight, grout curtain spacing and a new performance parameter that can be used to help predict the effectiveness of a grout curtain.

Thesis is concerned with the proposal of dark tourism development project. The proposed project locates in Znojmo region. Znojmo region has a considerable potential to develop varied forms of tourism, where falls within also dark tourism. Thesis purpose introduces two ways: First, the feasibility study realizes the potential in Znojmo region. Second, the feasibility study constructs the competent product, which contributes to region development. The product of project presents a nature trail "Tour behind the iron curtain" in National park Podyjí. Market analysis and demand analysis were implemented in the feasibility study. Financial analysis of the project and total costs effectiveness were interpreted in other period. Lastly all aspects of hazard were explored in the project including a total evaluation for investment grant.

The improvement of curtain wall thermal performances and the optimisation of the issues connected with this technology can lead to a sensible reduction of the energy consumption of the building as well as to an increase level of occupant comfort and longer durability of the façade. The aim of this work is to improve the curtain wall technology especially as far as the connection between the glass and the frame is concerned, since it is the part that mainly affects the performances of the whole façade. This project focuses on the different aspects of the thermal performance of curtain wall systems in order to achieve a higher thermal performance, meeting the objectives of lowering energy demand, improving durability and enhancing indoor comfort. In order to develop new high performance curtain wall connections and to test their level of performance compared with the state of the art ones, two methods were deployed: a numerical and an experimental one. FEM analysis was performed with the software THERM (LBNL) analysing the profile of surface temperatures and the U-values of the details. In the FEM analysis, different materials and geometries were studied. The experimental characterisation of the thermal energy performance of the studied design options was performed by means of thermometric measurements in a climatic cell. The purpose of the experimental analysis was the verification of the effective improvement of the performance in the new details and the comparison with the simulation, aiming at the validation of the simulation model.

The aim of this diploma thesis is a design of a new mental health center. The mental health center is a brand new low-treshold element in the system for people with mental ilness. The building is located in Prague, Hrdlořezy, district of the Capital City of Prague. The building is a detached house, it has three floors, and one partial underground level. On the first floor, there is an entrance hall, administrative facilities, a bed unit, a dining area and last but not least, space for group and individual therapies. On the second and third floor, there are again bed units, administrativ facilities, but also space for leisure activities. The basement of the building consists of the technical backround of the building together with storage space. The proposed building is made up of cubic masses forming a rectangular floor plan with large undercovered atrium penetrating the center of the entire building. The building is designed as a monolithic reinforced concrete skeleton [frame on a base slab]. The skeleton infill masonry is designed from clay blocks. The roofing of this building is designed with a flat green vegetation roof.