The purpose of this thesis is to approach a partial theoretical understanding of the design of lamella structures and to determine the economic merit of the lamella structure as a structural steel hangar. A survey revealed no literature that discusses the design of lamella past the concept that the lamella could be designed as independent arches. In this thesis the analysis and design of the main structural steel members are attempted. In the analysis of the hangar it is assumed that the intersecting arches will not interact under load. The effect of the error of this assumption is minimized by furnishing partial support to the free edge of the lamella system by the use of an arch that spans the structure at the transverse edge. The effect of this edge arch is to cause the maximum stresses to occur in the interior of the lamella system where the interaction is minimized by the symmetry of the system. The method of analysis is a combination of graphic statics and virtual work. Graphic statics was used to determine the pressure line of the arches and virtual work summations were used to determine the redundant loads and reactions. At the conclusion the structure is compared on a tonnage of steel basis, with a structure of the same approximate size composed of steel rigid frames. / Master of Science

Insignificant diurnal variations make the reliance on thermal inertia to ameliorate the thermal discomfort in the hot humid region impossible. Natural ventilation, therefore, is not only important, but the velocity of air that gets into the living area is crucial. Various ways of creating negative pressure (a process of increasing the interior air speed) are examined. The performance of roof types with different horizontal openings in enhancing interior air movement was investigated in an open throat wind tunnel. The results indicate a significant difference in the interior air velocity with roof type A opening type 1 (see fig. 27 and fig. 28). The thesis explores other ways of creating climate adapted architecture in providing acceptable comfort level in the hot humid climate. Warm humid climates are defined, and data for one example (Lagos, Nigeria) are analysed. Comfort zones are established relative to the region being investigated and the methods of limiting interior heat gain are described. The effects of orientation, cross ventilation and material choice are discussed. / Master of Architecture

This study presents the results of a modeling effort to explore the role that sustainable roofing technologies play in impacting the rooftop energy balance, and the resultant net sensible heat flux into the urban atmosphere with a focus on the summertime urban heat island. The model has been validated using data from a field experiment. Roofing technologies explored include control dark membrane roof, a highly reflective (cool) roof, a vegetated green roof, and photovoltaic panels elevated above various base roofs. Energy balance models were developed, validated with experimental measurements, and then used to estimate sensible fluxes in cities located in six climate zones across the US. To evaluate the impact on urban air temperatures, a mesoscale meteorological model was used. Sensible flux profiles calculated using a surface energy balance were used as inputs to the mesoscale model. Results for a 2-day period in Portland, OR are analyzed. Average findings indicate that the black roof and black roof with PV have the highest peak daily sensible flux to the environment, ranging from 331 to 405 W/m2. The addition of PV panels to a black roof had a negligible effect on the peak flux, but decreased the total flux by an average of 11%. Replacing a black roof with a white or green roof resulted in a substantial decrease in the total sensible flux. Results indicate that if a black membrane roof is replaced by a PV covered white or a PV covered green roof the corresponding reduction in total sensible flux is on the order of 50%. Mesoscale modeling results indicate peak daytime temperature reduction of approximately 1°C for both white and green roofs. However, there is a nighttime penalty on the order of 0.75°C for the green roof case, which has been attributed to the additional thermal storage of a green roof. Findings also reveal that the addition of PV panels to a roof has a nighttime cooling effect. This is most pronounced on a white roof, with magnitudes of 1°C. The methodology developed for this analysis provides a foundation for evaluating the relative impacts of roof design choices on the urban climate and should prove useful in guiding urban heat island mitigation efforts.

Gröna tak är en gynnsam lösning till urbaniseringens negativa effekter, som exempelvis minskad biologisk mångfald, sämre luft och problem med dagvattenhantering. Sedumtak, ängstak och biotoptak är några av de olika typer av gröna tak som finns. Sedumtaket har många fördelar och passar bra till Sveriges nordliga klimat. Syftet med denna studie är att studera hur bibliotekets sedumtak på Högskolan i Gävle har fungerat under en tidsperiod på 18 år, samt anledningen till valet av det gröna taket. Frågeställningarna ska besvaras med hjälp av en litteraturstudie kombinerat med intervjuer.  Litteraturstudien framhåller att det finns flertalet fördelar med gröna tak såsom god dagvattenhantering, ökning av fåglar och insekter, bättre luftkvalitet, minskad energianvändning i byggnader, minskar den urbana värmeöeffekten och att det är estetiskt tilltalande. Fördelarna blir mest märkbara i urbana miljöer med brist på grönytor och i sydligare klimat. Underhållsbehovet av gröna tak beror på flera faktorer. I Sverige är extensiva taksystem vanligast, vilket är den tunnaste tjockleken av gröna tak. Denna typ kräver minst underhåll och kostnader. Underhållet sker med gödsling, bevattning och ogräsrensning vid behov.  Det resultat som gick att komma fram till från intervjuerna var att bibliotekets gröna tak främst valdes på grund av att det var estetiskt tilltalande och passade bra in i omgivningen. En tävling anordnades av Akademiska Hus för att ta fram det bästa förslaget på det nya biblioteket där tre olika arkitektkontor deltog. Det vinnande förslaget blev biblioteket med det gröna taket ritat av Tirsén och Aili Arkitekter (idag Stark Arkitekter) som fångade intresset för många. Från att det gröna taket byggdes till idag, har knappt något underhåll behövts och det underhåll som har utförts har varit enligt planerna. I början, under takets garantitid, framkom det däremot att det slarvats med underhållet på grund av brist på kunskap. Förutom några mindre avvikelser i underhållet och att det gröna taket har krävt noggrannare projektering samt ett mer komplicerat grundarbete, har taket fungerat precis som planerat.  Den slutsats som går att dra utifrån arbetet är att ett grönt tak kan vara ett bra alternativ om rätt förutsättningar för taket finns. Fördelarna med ett grönt tak är många, däremot inte lika påtagliga i ett nordligare klimat eller i en icke urban miljö. Litteraturstudien visar att rätt typ av grönt tak kräver minimalt med underhåll. Intervjuerna bekräftar även att detta stämmer på bibliotekets gröna tak. Det gröna taket har fungerat enligt planerna utan några komplikationer och kommer att fortsätta göra, om taket sköts på liknande sätt som det har gjort från att det byggdes. / Green roofs are a favorable solution to the negative effects of urbanization, such as reduced biodiversity, poorer air and problems with stormwater management. Sedum roofs, meadow roofs and biotope roofs are some of the different types of green roofs available. The sedum roof has many benefits and is well suited to Sweden’s northern climate. The purpose of this study is to study how the library’s sedum roof at the University of Gävle has functioned over a period of 18 years, as well as the reason for choosing the green roof. The questions must be answered using a literature study combined with interviews. The literature study highlights that there are several benefits of green roofs such as good stormwater management, increase in birds and insects, better air quality, reduced energy use in buildings, reduced heat island effects and that it is aesthetically pleasing. The benefits are most noticeable in urban environments with a lack of green spaces and in more southerly climates. The maintenance requirement of green roofs depends on several factors. In Sweden, extensive roof systems are most common, which is the thinnest thickness of green roofs. This type requires the least maintenance and costs. Maintenance takes place with fertilization, irrigation and weeding if necessary. The result that can be drawn from the interviews is that the green roof of the library was mainly chosen because it was aesthetically pleasing and fitted in well with the surroundings. A competition was organized by Akademiska Hus with the reason to produce the best proposal for the new library, which three different architectural offices participated in. The winning proposal was the library with the green roof designed by Tirsén and Aili Arkitekter (today Stark Arkitekter) which caught the interest of many. From the construction of the green roof to today, hardly any maintenance has been required and the maintenance that has been required has been according to the plan. In the beginning, during the roof's warranty period, it emerged that maintenance was neglected due to a lack of knowledge. Apart from some minor deviations in maintenance and the fact that the green roof has required more careful planning and more complicated foundation work, the roof has worked exactly as planned. The conclusion that can be drawn from the work is that a green roof can be a good alternative if the conditions are right. A green roof's benefits are many, but not as obvious in a more northern climate or in a non-urban environment. The literature study shows that the right type of green roof requires minimal maintenance and the interviews also confirm that this is true according to the green roof of the library. The green roof has performed as planned without any complications and will continue to do so if the roof is maintained in a similar manner as it has been since it was built.

Low slope roofs are roofs with an inclination between 1:16 and 1:4 and have been constructed and preferred for many years due to the benefits they present. The goal of the present work is to study the following problems of low slope roofs, as they are suggested by previous relevant theses and the current needs of the market. Moisture transfer in low slope roofs with constant exposure to high levels of relative humidity. Is protection against corrosion required for steel beams placed directly under the external membranes? If yes, what kind of protection is that? Roof drainage on low slope roofs The study of the first subject was based on simulations of this type of structures in order to see how external moisture affects the moisture level and the potential for corrosion on steel beams. The main goal was to conclude whether we can actually build inverted roofs with steel plates or beams lying right under the roof membrane and what kind of protection is more appropriate to apply, in case it is required. According to the literature review conducted on roof structures, corrosion and corrosion protection, as well as the results of the simulations, the main factor defining the corrosion potential is the indoor environment. Moreover, paint coating seems to be the indicated anticorrosive protection. Regarding drainage, the study focused on the literature review of the current situation, the solutions applied, the existing regulations and guidelines regarding the type of systems used (full flow or gravity, internal or external), the construction of drainage valleys (inclined or horizontal) and the placement and dimensioning of drains and overflows, in order to create a short handbook with issues to be considered by the roof engineer. The main conclusions are that drain valleys are suggested to be constructed completely horizontal, in order to facilitate the cooperation between drains, and that full-flow systems are more efficient than gravity ones and should be preferred, as long as the roof is not exposed to solid material and prone to its accumulation around drains (e.g. roofs covered with vegetation or stone ballast, with overhanging or nearby trees).

Idag ökar man isoleringen alltmer i takkonstruktion för att spara energi. Ökad mängd isolering minskar temperaturen över takets yttre delar och höjer den relativa fuktigheten där.  Dessutom finns risk att fuktigt material byggs in mellan alltmer täta skikt vilket leder till att det tar längre tid för byggfukten att torka. Detta resulterar i en ogynnsam fuktfördelning med höga relativa fuktigheter över konstruktionen där risken för mikrobiell påväxt ökar. Syftet med denna studie är att utreda hur fuktomlagring sker baserad på inbyggnadsfuktkvoten i välisolerade parallelltak. För att göra riskbedömning av olika takkonstruktioner har fuktsimuleringar gjorts i Wufi 2D där resultat analyserats i Wufi Bio för bedömning av risknivå för mikrobiell påväxt. Resultaten indikerar klart skillnad mellan val av ventilerad och oventilerad takkonstruktion. Det råder även en skillnad mellan val av isoleringsmaterial, takets färdigställandedatum, takets exponeringsriktning och takets utvändiga ytskikt. Slutsatsen är att det råder en större risk för mikrobiell påväxt hos oventilerad takkonstruktion, takkonstruktion som färdigställs under höst (den 1 oktober) jämfört med vår (den 1 april), takkonstruktion som är exponerad mot norr jämfört med söder samt takkonstruktion med utvändigt ytskikt av plåt istället för sedum. / Today there's an increase in the use of insulation in roof constructions in order to save energy. Increased amount of insulation allows temperature drops in the outer layers of the roof resulting in higher relative humidity in the surrounding construction.  There is also a risk that moist materials are built-in between tight layers which contributes to longer drying processes in order for the moisture to successfully dry out. This also contributes to an unfavorable divide in moisture with high relative humidity settling on top of the construction where risk of microbial growth is the greatest. The aim of this study is to investigate how moisture behaves based on the mounting quota of moist in well insulated parallel roof constructions. To make a risk assessment of different roof constructions, different simulations have been created in Wufi 2D where results are further analyzed in Wufi Bio for final assessment on whether there is an apparent microbial advantage. The result help shimmer light on the differences between ventilated and unventilated roof constructions. There is also an evident importance in choice of insulation materials, the finish-date for the roof, exposure vulnerability and the outer coating of the roof. The conclusion is that there is a greater risk of microbial damages in unventilated roof constructions when comparing the roof construction that is finished first of October in comparison to first of April, the roof construction that is exposed to north rather than south and to the roof construction with outer surface layer of tin rather than sedum.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Highly reflective roofing systems have been analyzed over several decades to evaluate their ability to meet sustainability goals, including reducing building energy consumption and mitigating the urban heat island. Studies have isolated and evaluated the effects of climate, surface reflectivity, and roof insulation on energy savings, thermal load mitigation and also ameliorating the urban heat island. Other sustainable roofing systems, like green-roofs and solar panels have been similarly evaluated. The motivation for the present study is twofold: the first goal is to present a method for simultaneous evaluation and inter-comparison of multiple roofing systems, and the second goal is to quantitatively evaluate the realized heating and cooling energy savings associated with a white roof system compared to the reduction in roof-top heat flux. To address the first research goal a field experiment was conducted at the International Harvester Building located in Portland, OR. Thermal data was collected for a white roof, vegetated roof, and a solar panel shaded vegetated roof, and the heat flux through these roofing systems was compared against a control patch of conventional dark roof membrane. The second research goal was accomplished using a building energy simulation program to determine the impact of roof area and roof insulation on the savings from a white roof, in both Portland and Phoenix. The ratio of cooling energy savings to roof heat flux reduction from replacing a dark roof with a white roof was 1:4 for the month of July, and 1:5 annually in Portland. The COP of the associated chillers ranges from 2.8-4.2, indicating that the ratio of cooling energy savings to heat flux reduction is not accounted for solely by the COP of the chillers. The results of the building simulation indicate that based on energy savings alone, white roofs are not an optimal choice for Portland. The benefits associated with cooling energy savings relative to a black roof are offset by the winter-time penalty, and the net benefit from adopting white roof technology in Portland is small. That said, there are other potential benefits of white roofing such as impact on urban heat islands and roof life that must also be considered.

In order to obtain credit for an eco-roof in building energy load calculations the steady state and time-varying thermal properties (thermal mass with evapotranspiration) must be fully understood. The following study presents results of experimentation and modeling in an effort to develop dynamic thermal mass performance metrics for eco-roof systems. The work is focused on understanding the thermal parameters (foliage & soil) of an eco-roof, further validation of the EnergyPlus Green Roof Module and development of a standardized metric for assessing the time-varying thermal benefits of eco-roof systems that can be applied across building types and climate zones. Eco-roof foliage, soil and weather parameters were continuously collected at the Green Roof Integrated PhotoVoltaic (GRIPV) project from 01/20/2011 to 08/28/2011. The parameters were used to develop an EnergyPlus eco-roof validation model. The validated eco-roof model was then used to estimate the Dynamic Benefit for Massive System (DBMS) in 4 climate-locations: Portland Oregon, Chicago Illinois, Atlanta Georgia and Houston Texas. GRIPV30 (GRIPV soil with 30% soil organic matter) was compared to 12 previously tested eco-roof soils. GRIPV30 reduced dry soil conductivity by 50%, increased field capacity by 21% and reduced dry soil mass per unit volume by 60%. GRIPV30 soil had low conductivity at all moisture contents and high heat capacity at moderate and high moisture content. The characteristics of the GRIPV30 soil make it a good choice for moisture retention and reduction of heat flux, improved thermal mass (heat storage) when integrating an eco-roof with a building. Eco-roof model validation was performed with constant seasonal moisture driven soil properties and resulted in acceptable measured - modeled eco-roof temperature validation. LAI has a large impact on how the Green Roof Module calculates the eco-roof energy balance with a higher impact on daytime (measured - modeled) soil temperature differential and most significant during summer. DBMS modeling found the mild climates of Atlanta Georgia and Houston Texas with eco-roof annual DBMS of 1.03, 3% performance improvement above the standard building, based on cooling, heating and fan energy consumption. The Chicago Illinois climate with severe winter and mild spring/summer/fall has an annual DBMS of 1.01. The moderate Portland Oregon climate has a below standard DBMS of 0.97.

As coberturas verdes fazem parte da arquitetura vernacular há séculos como solução para regulação térmica das edificações, retardando a transferência de calor para o ambiente interno e, no inverno, retardando as perdas de calor dos ambientes internos para o exterior da edificação (International Green Roof Association - IGRA). Em se adotando cobertura verde em edificações supõe-se haver economia no consumo de energia para se obter condições de conforto térmico nos ambientes. Baseado nessa suposição foi realizada uma pesquisa experimental onde, por meio de um estudo comparativo entre dois tipos de cobertura: a verde e a de telhas cerâmicas comprovou-se o potencial de economia de energia. A análise do comportamento térmico das coberturas verdes foi realizada por meio de coleta de dados de variáveis ambientais, durante um período de 10 meses, de um protótipo instrumentado, construído no Departamento de Engenharia de Construção Civil da Escola Politécnica da USP, São Paulo. Os dados levantados foram comparados com os dados de um segundo protótipo de mesmas dimensões e igualmente instrumentado, com cobertura cerâmica, sob as mesmas condições ambientais. A comparação dos resultados e análises em dias e episódios representativos de cada estação comprovaram a eficiência das coberturas verdes para retardar o ganho térmico da edificação. Espera-se que os resultados sejam incentivadores à larga aplicação dos telhados egetados, o que trará diversas vantagens para população. / Green roofing is been a part of the vernacular architecture for centuries as solution for constructions thermal regulation. It is known that they delay the heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the building, and during winter, they delay the heating loss from the inside to the outside of the building (International Green Roof Association - IGRA). By adopting green roofs in buildings, one assumes that there is economy in energy consumption to obtain conditions of thermal comfort in inner environments. Based on this assumption, an experimental research was accomplished where, through a comparative study between two types of roofing systems: green and ceramics, it was determined this energy saving potential of green roofs. The analysis of the green roofing thermal behavior was realized through data collection of environmental variables, during the period of ten months, from an instrumented prototype constructed at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo. The collected data was compared to those of a second prototype with the same dimensions and equally instrumented, with ceramics roofing, under the same environmental conditions. The data comparison and analysis of specific days in each season, proved the green roof efficiency on retarding the building thermal gain. One expects that the results will encourage the application of green roofs, which will bring several advantages to the population.