Energieffektivisering och energisnålare byggnader är idag viktiga faktorer inom byggbranschen. Det som ofta glöms bort, och där forskning saknas, är hur byggfukt påverkar energiförbrukningen. Examensarbetet avser att öka kunskaperna om byggfuktens konsekvenser genom att undersöka hur stort energibehovet är för uttorkning av byggfukt i betongkonstruktioner och undersöka om miljöcertifieringssystemen borde ta hänsyn till energiförbrukningen under produktionen då byggnader certifieras. Alla material och medium strävar efter att befinna sig i fuktmässig jämvikt med sin omgivning. För att byggmaterial ska torka ut till jämvikt krävs en förångning av byggfukt. Då ångbildning gör att materialet blir kallare ökar energibehovet för uppvärmning. I examensarbetet används fuktberäkningsprogrammen KFX03 och WUFI Pro 5.3 för att beräkna uttorkningsmängd och när den sker i betongkonstruktioner. För energiberäkningar programmerades en lathund i Excel för att snabbt och enkelt få fram energibehovet för uttorkning av en byggnad. Tre olika nyproducerade byggnader undersöktes för att uppskatta hur stor uppvärmd betongmängd nya byggnader har. Resultatet visar att energin från uttorkningen i byggnaderna gav en ökning på cirka 5 % relativt till värmeförsörjningen för 50 år, motsvarande drygt 2,5 års förbrukning. Arbetet tyder på att energiförbrukningen för uttorkning av byggfukt utgör en stor påverkan på en byggnads uppvärmningsbehov om också hänsyn tas till de olika uttorkningsförhållandena under produktion och förvaltning. Framförallt energiförluster under produktionen påverkar resultatet och kan förhöja det beräknade energibehovet. Miljö- och energicertifieringssystem borde därför i större utsträckning fokusera på energiförbrukningen under produktion än vad som görs idag. För att bättre kunna svara på i vilken utsträckning uttorkning av byggfukt påverkar energiförbrukningen bör jämförelser mellan olika vct-tal för betong genomföras samt energiberäkningar för att uppskatta energiförluster under produktion. Detta för att kunna svara på hur stor påverkan en byggnads produktionsskede har på miljön och därmed hur stor vikt skedet rimligen bör ha vid en miljöcertifiering. / Energy efficiency and low energy houses are today important factors within the building sector. What’s often forgotten, and with little or no research available, is how building moisture affect energy consumption.  The intention of the thesis is to increase the knowledge of building moistures consequence’s by investigating how large the energy is to dehydrate concrete structures and also to investigate if it should be taken in account by environmental certification when buildings are certified. All material and medium strives to be in moisture equilibrium with its environment. For building materials to dehydrate into equilibrium with its environment evaporation is required. Because evaporation makes the ambient temperature lower the energy consumption for heating increases. In the thesis the moisture calculation software’s KFX03 and WUFI Pro 5.3 are used to calculate the water quantity of dehydration and when it occurs in concrete structures. A fact sheet was programmed, in Excel, for fast and simple energy calculations of dehydration in a building. To estimate the quantity of heated concrete in new buildings three newly produced buildings where studied. The result shows that the energy for dehydrations increased a buildings heating by approximately 5 %, correspondent to roughly 2.5 years of consumption. The work indicates that building moisture has a relatively high impact on a buildings heating, when taking the different condition during construction and living in consideration. Therefore the current environment and energy certification systems should in greater regards focus on energy consumption during construction. To be able to better answer in which extent the drying of building moisture affects energy consumption comparisons should be done in concrete with different water-cement ratio and energy calculation to estimate energy losses during construction. Thus to answer how big effect a buildings construction phase has on the environment and thereby how big significance this phase should have on environment certifications.

I dagsläget finns en stor mängd byggnader i Sverige där fasaden består av puts direkt anliggande mot antingen lättbetong eller tegel. Dessa fasader kan skapa problem för brukaren p.g.a. fukttransport via putsen direkt in i konstruktionen. Problemen som kan uppstå som följd av dessa konstruktioner är inte bara estetiska utan kan även påverka inomhusmiljön. Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka om det gick att med ny teknik visa de resultat som framkommit från erfarenheter från praktiskt arbete samt undersöka hur en renovering påverkar de fasader som består av puts direkt mot lättbetong eller tegel. Arbetet har utförts med hjälp av simuleringsprogrammet Wufi Pro för att sedan analyserats med hänsyn till fukttransporter och vatteninnehåll. Resultaten som framkommit påvisar en förhöjd risk för problem med de ursprungliga fasaderna samt slutsatsen att en renovering enligt ett av de två förslagen är att föredra. / Today there’s a great deal of buildings in Sweden where the facade is constructed by plaster directly connected to either aerated concrete or masonry brick. These facades could create problems for the user on accord of the moisture transport via the plaster directly into the construction. The problems that could follow these types of facades aren’t just esthetical but could also affect the indoor environment. The purpose with this study was to examine if it would be possible using today’s technology to show the results coming from past experiences by practical work, and at the same time examine how a remodel affects the facades that consists of plaster directly on aerated concrete or masonry brick. The work has been conducted with the simulation program Wufi Pro, later to be analyzed  according to moisture transport and water content. The results that came from this has shown an increased risk for problems with the original facades and at the same time that a remodel according to one of the two proposed remodel ways to prefer.

Although foamed bitumen has been widely applied in pavement construction some of its aspects are still not yet understood. In this study, some of these aspects including: effects of the foaming process on binder chemistry, characterization of foamed bitumen and development of a rational method to optimize foam characteristics, evaluation of aggregate particle coating within foamed bitumen treated materials, and development of a gyratory compaction procedure for laterite gravels treated with foamed bitumen were addressed. The effects of the foaming process on bitumen chemistry were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Also, foam characteristics of three binders were established and a rational method to optimize foam characteristics proposed. Aggregate particle coating with foamed bitumen was studied using the concepts of surface energy and Rice density. In addition a gyratory laboratory compaction procedure for laterite gravels treated with foamed bitumen was established using the modified locking concept. Infrared techniques have shown that foaming does not cause any changes in the binder chemistry, suggesting that foaming may be a physical process. Further, foam characteristics are greatly influenced by binder viscosity. Also, the equiviscous temperature seems to produce foam with optimum foam characteristics. Rice density results showed that aggregate size fraction, binder expansion ratio and viscosity influenced aggregate particle coating. Surface energy results revealed that foamed bitumen exhibited better coating attributes than neat bitumen. A new compaction procedure for laterite gravels treated with foamed bitumen based on the modified locking point was developed. / QC 20110427

Paper materials have a long history of use in packaging products, although traditional paper-based packaging is limited in its shape and design. In order to enable more advanced paper-based packaging, various 3-D forming processes for paper materials have been studied. Since 3-D forming processes typically include the application of moisture and/or temperature, the effects of moisture and temperature on the mechanical response of paper have also been investigated. In Paper A, an experimental study of the combined effects of moisture and temperature on the uniaxial mechanical properties of paper was conducted. These experiments provided new insights into how moisture and temperature affect both the elastic and plastic properties of paper materials. These experiments also provided the framework from which the effects of moisture and temperature were modelled in Paper C. In Paper B, an explicit finite element model of the paperboard deep-drawing process was developed. An orthotropic material model with in-plane quadrant hardening was developed and verified for paper. The simulation results matched the trends from experimental deep-drawing up to when micro-scale wrinkling occured. Since most experimental failures occur prior to wrinkling, this model provided quantitative understanding of failure in the paperboard deep-drawing process. In Paper C, an explicit finite element model of paper hydroforming, utilizing the same material model for paper materials as in Paper B, was developed and verified. The simulation results matched well with experimental results, and a parametric study with the finite element model produced quantitative understanding of the hydroforming process for paper materials. Additionally, drying was identified as an important phenomenon for determining the extent of formability of paper materials. / Papper har länge använts som förpackningsmaterial men traditionella pappers- och kartongförpackningar är begränsade i form och design. Olika 3-D formnings processor har studerats för att möjliggöra mer avancerade pappersbaserade förpackningar. Effekterna av fukt och temperatur på pappers mekaniska egenskaper har också undersökts eftersom fukt och temperatur har stor betydelse för slutresultatet i 3-D formningsprocesser. I Artikel A har den kombinerade effekten av fukt och temperatur på de uniaxiella mekaniska egenskaperna av papper undersökts experimentellt. Dessa experiment visar hur fukt och temperatur påverkar både elastiska och plastiska egenskaper hos papper samt ligger till grund för modelleringen av inverkan av fukt och temperatur i Artikel C. I Artikel B har en explicit finita element modell för djupdragning av kartong utvecklas. En ortotropisk materialmodell baserad på en rektangulär flytyta har utvecklats och verifierats för kartong. Simuleringen följde trenderna i experimenten fram till den punkt där mikroskopiska rynkor bildas. Resultaten från analyserna med modellen ger kvantitativ förståelse för materialbrott i djupdragningsprocessen eftersom de flesta experimentella materialbrott inträffar innan mikroskopiska rynkor bildas. I Artikel C har ett explicit finita element modell av hydroformning av papper baserad på materialmodellen från Paper B utvecklats och verifierats mot experimentell hydroformning av papper. En parameterstudie med finitaelement-modellen producerade kvantitativ förståelse för hydroformningsprocessen för papper. Dessutom identifieras torkning som ett viktigt fenomen för att fastställa graden av formbarheten för pappersmaterial. / <p>QC 20150907</p>

The bearing capacity of a road decreases greatly during spring thaw, when the previously frozen road begins to thaw. The extent of this decrease can be evaluated by making Falling Weight Deflectomter (FWD) measurements on the road, measuring the deflection of the road when an impact load is applied to it. The bearing capacity of the road can then be evaluated by backcalculating the layer modules with backcalculation programs, or through more simple calculations based on the deflection basin indices. Both analyses were carried out in this thesis with data from FWD measurements which were carried out on county road Lv 126 in Southern Sweden during the year 2010. The temperature and moisture content of the road were monitored during the same time. The aim with the thesis was to compare the two ways of analyses, and to find out if there is some relationship between them and the measured environmental data. The results showed that the base course layer and subbase decreased in stiffness during spring thaw about 50% while the decrease in the subgrade was 20%, compared to the backcalculated summer and autumn value. The results of the simple calculations from the deflection basin indices were well comparable to the backcalculation results. By comparing the backcalculated stiffness values to the moisture content measurements it was stated that the stiffness decreased as the moisture content increased.

Historically, energy use in the operational phase has accounted for most of a building’s climate impact. This has been changed in recent decades because there has been a focus on developing energy-efficient buildings. A larger part of a building’s climate impact is caused by material manufacturing and production. To reduce a building’s climate impact alternative insulation materials can be used, for example hemp fibre insulation which is an organic and non-toxic material. The aim of this study is to find out if hemp fibre insulation can be implemented as a standard insulation material. By examining what factors are vital when choosing an insulation material this work intends to find out if the insulation properties of hemp insulation can fulfill the requirements by the constructor. To fulfill the aim, a combination of interviews, surveys and theoretical studies was used. The most crucial aspects when choosing insulation material are fire resistance, thermal conductivity and health aspects for the construction workers. The benefits with hemp insulation are primarily the negative emissions of carbon dioxide seen from a life cycle perspective, the possibility to cultivate the product within Sweden, its reusability and recyclability and that the insulation material are free from hazardous substances. The disadvantages are higher thermal conductivity, higher market price, lower fire resistance and limited accessibility on the Swedish market. Due to the disadvantages, it is difficult to implement hemp insulation as a standard insulation material today. The conclusions are that the environmental impact is not decisive for an entrepreneur today when choosing insulation material. However, it will most likely become a more essential factor in the future. Improving the building sector’s knowledge regarding hemp insulation, will presumably increase the usage of it. Although, for hemp insulation to become a competitor in the future, it is substantial to increase its fire resistance and the accessibility on the Swedish market. The development of the material and the market may be a contributing factor to achieve the global and national environmental goals.

Irrigated agriculture is the largest user of freshwater in a world experiencing increased water scarcity and water demands. Variable rate irrigation (VRI) aims to use water efficiently in crop production, resulting in good yields and water conservation. With VRI, the grower is able to employ custom irrigation rates for different parts of a field. Adoption of VRI has been limited due to the complexity of matching irrigation to spatiotemporal crop water needs and the cost/benefit economics of VRI equipment. The goal of this study was to quantify spatiotemporal variability of VWC in a field that has uniform soil type and discuss the driving factors that contribute to that variability. Soil samples were acquired at 66 and 87 locations during the 2019 growing season at two study sites. Soil samples from 32 and 48 locations within each study site were selected to be analyzed for soil texture properties. The USGS Web Soil Survey was also referenced. Both, the USGS data and the data collected for this project showed very uniform soils across both fields. The objectives of this study were i) to show variability of VWC within fields that contain uniform soil texture using univariate Local Moran’s I (LMI) and ii) to compare static VRI zones based on spatial patterns of readily available field data that might serve as surrogates for VRI zones created from measured variation of soil volumetric water content (VWC). Management zones created using readily available field data had reasonable correlations with VWC. In both study sites, elevation was found to be the best variable for delineating VRI zones that imitate measured VWC.

The objective of this experiment was to determine if nutrient utilization and energy partitioning by lactating dairy cows would differ in response to dietary corn grain (CG) types [steam-flaked corn (SFC) vs. high-moisture corn (HMC)] and to test if the types of CG would interact with slow-release urea (SRU) on lactational performance and energy utilization. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (32 ± 8.2 days-in-milk) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square with one square consisting of ruminally cannulated cows. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to test 4 dietary treatments: SFC without SRU, SFC with SRU, HMC without SRU, and HMC with SRU. The experimental diets contained 60.5% dry matter (DM) of forages, whereas 12.9% or 14.4% DM of SFC or HMC was added in the diets, respectively. The SRU was supplemented at 0.46% DM, replacing a mixture of soybean meal and canola meal in a 50:50 ratio. Feeding HMC decreased intakes of DM, crude protein, and fiber compared with SFC. Supplementation of SRU did not affect intakes of DM and nutrients, whereas it tended to increase intakes of DM or increased crude protein intake under SFC but no effect under HMC, leading to CG ×SRU interactions on DM and crude protein intakes. Neither type of CG nor SRU supplementation affected milk production except that cows fed HMC-based diets tended to decrease energy-corrected milk yield compared to those fed SFC-based diets. Utilization of HMC in the diet had a tendency to increase dairy efficiency based on milk yield over SFC utilization. Cows fed HMC diets gained more body weight (BW) than those fed SFC diets, whereas supplementing SRU tended to reduce BW gain regardless of type of CG. Cows fed HMC diets shifted more net energy into BW compared with those fed SFC diets, whereas supplementing SRU tended to decrease a portion of net energy partitioned into BW gain under both SFC and HMC diets. Dietary treatments exerted minor impacts on ruminal fermentation profiles. Feeding HMC diets decreased fecal N excretion compared with SFC diets. In addition, supplementing SRU increased fecal N excretion under SFC, but it was decreased by SRU with HMC, leading to an interaction between CG and SRU. These collective results demonstrate that feeding HMC with SRU can be a practical option in high-forage lactation diets to maintain or improve nutrient and energy utilization efficiency and minimize negative environmental impacts.

This Doctoral thesis is focused on optimizing the design of modern wooden structures. Because this theme is very comprehensive, the work analyzes the distribution of moisture through the building envelope in detail. In the introduction are summarizes the knowledge of the physical processes in the constructions, there are also the properties of wood as a material and basic information about system of timber structures. The next section describes used methodology and experimental measurements realized on an experimental timber house EXDR1. There is specified the principle of measurement based on the SWOT analysis, the use measuring devices or possible solutions in the field of numerical modeling too. Main results and conclusions of the dissertation for technical practice including possibilities of further research are summarized in the final section.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第19032号 / 農博第2110号 / 新制||農||1031(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H27||N4914(農学部図書室) / 31983 / 京都大学大学院農学研究科地域環境科学専攻 / (主査)教授 谷 誠, 教授 北山 兼弘, 教授 本田 与一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM