Evaluation of occupant's adaptive thermal comfort behaviour in naturally ventilated courtyard houses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiman Pilechiha ◽  
Alireza Norouziasas ◽  
Hoorieh Ghorbani Naeini ◽  
Kasmir Jolma
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
Hourly Basis

PurposeIn vernacular buildings, many climatic and passive solutions have been used to create indoor thermal comfort. Seasonal occupant movement is an example of a traditional response to increasing thermal comfort. This article investigates the influence of these user behaviours on thermal comfort in courtyard houses.Design/methodology/approachParametric models of three different scenarios of courtyard houses are simulated. The courtyard houses are located in Shiraz, Iran, and share the same orientation and construction materials. To enhance the accuracy of the study, the indoor adaptive thermal comfort (ATC) analysis is performed with three different window-to-wall ratios (WWR) of 25, 50 and 75%. The ACT analysis is performed on an hourly basis for summer and winter scenarios.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the indoor ATC is 8.3% higher in winter than in the summer in the seasonal zones. During the summer, the amount of ATC is relatively sustained in all zones. Unlike common beliefs, seasonal movement can enhance the ATC, especially during winter, specifically in the northern part of the courtyard. In northern zones, the seasonal movement of occupants improves the indoor ATC from 10.1 to 23.7%, and in southern zones, the improvement is from 2.2 to 4.8%.Originality/valueThis research presents a new numerical investigation into occupants' seasonal movements in courtyard houses during summer and winter. It provides a precise pattern to show how much this seasonal movement can affect the habitant's ATC.

Evaluation of compression-recovery and thermal characteristics of multilayer bedding textiles

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-643
Author(s):  
Sedat Özer ◽  
Yaşar Erayman Yüksel ◽  
Yasemin Korkmaz
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Thermal Characteristics ◽  
Air Permeability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thermal Comfort Properties

PurposeDesign of bedding textiles that contact the human body affects the sleep quality. Bedding textiles contribute to comfort sense during the sleep duration, in addition to ambient and bed microclimate. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of different layer properties on the compression recovery and thermal characteristics of multilayer bedding textiles.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, woven and knitted multilayer bedding textiles were manufactured from fabric, fiber, sponge and interlining, respectively. Different sponge thickness, fiber and interlining weight were used in the layers of samples. Later, the pilling resistance, compression and recovery, air permeability and thermal conductivity of multilayer bedding textiles were investigated.FindingsThe results indicated that samples with the higher layer weight and thickness provide better compression recovery and lower air permeability properties. It was also found that knitted surfaces show the higher air permeability than the woven surfaces depending on the fabric porosity. Layer properties have insignificant effect on the thermal conductivity values.Originality/valueWhile researchers mostly focus on thermal comfort properties of garments, there are limited studies about comfort properties of bedding textiles in the literature. Furthermore, compression recovery properties of bedding textiles have also a great importance in terms of comfort. Originality of this study is that these properties were analyzed together.

A benchmarking approach to the progress of green materials and systems’ use in the UAE construction industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aly Elgayar ◽  
Salwa Mamoun Beheiry ◽  
Alaa Jabbar ◽  
Hamad Al Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Green Materials ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Regulatory Guidelines

Purpose Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced several green regulatory guidelines, federal decrees, and a considerable number of environmentally friendly initiatives. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the top green materials and systems used currently in the UAE construction industry as per the new laws dictate as well as see if professionals are switching over to incorporate more green materials, systems, and/or designs. Design/methodology/approach The work involved reviewing internationally popular green materials and systems for construction, developing a questionnaire based on the literature review, surveying professionals in the seven UAE emirates, and ranking the findings based on the relative importance index. Findings Findings found the top used green materials and system in the UAE’s construction industry. As well as identified that there is a communication gap between the design and implementation phases that is possibly hindering the use of more green materials and systems. Originality/value This study sets a baseline to measure the UAE’s progress over the coming years in terms of integrating more green construction materials, systems, methodologies, and trends.

scholarly journals Actions, attitudes and beliefs of occupants in managing dampness in buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Blay ◽  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Alex Opoku
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Moisture Movement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proof Construction

PurposeDampness in buildings affects the health of occupants, structural stability and energy efficiency of buildings. Solutions to managing dampness focus on promoting the use of damp-proof construction materials, enhancing methods to avoid the introduction of moisture during construction and creating the awareness on the health effect of dampness. These solutions are incomplete without the identification of behaviours that occupants require to manage dampness. Given that dampness is characterised by the availability of a source, a route for the moisture to travel and driving force for moisture movement, the occupants can be said to play a significant role in contributing to dampness. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachAs a result, this study seeks to examine the behaviours of occupants manifested to manage dampness in residential buildings. To achieve the aim, a qualitative research method was employed, under which interviews were carried out. Occupants in households in the northern and southern parts of England were interviewed to identify the actions, attitudes and beliefs in managing dampness.FindingsThe findings revealed actions such as aeration and the use of anti-damp sprays. From the findings, dampness instilled attitudes such as anger, moodiness and unhappiness. In addition, dampness instilled cleaning habits in occupants due to the lack of comfort moulds create and the awareness of its health impact.Research limitations/implicationsThis research also contributes to existing debates on dampness reduction specifically in residential buildings.Originality/valueThe identification of these behaviours creates the awareness for occupants on their roles in managing dampness and how dampness affects their behaviours in addition to the health impact.

Comparing user satisfaction of older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings in Australia

Facilities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyu Xu ◽  
Riza Yosia Sunindijo ◽  
Eveline Mussi
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
Acoustic Comfort ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to assess the level of occupants’ satisfaction, comparing older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings in Sydney, Australia, aiming to identify their comfort factors deficiencies in terms of design and construction solutions/strategies (e.g. spatial arrangements, materials, thermal comfort). Design/methodology/approach A post occupancy evaluation survey was used to assess the occupant satisfaction with three on-campus accommodation buildings in The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney. One of the selected buildings is an older building opened for occupation in 1996, and the other two are more recent on campus accommodations buildings. The survey included 11 post occupancy evaluation elements identified through literature review which were categorised into three dimensions: technical, functional and behavioural. Findings The results show that the satisfaction levels with thermal and acoustic comfort were below standards for both older and newer buildings. In addition, the older building used in this study was rated low in terms of: indoor air quality, lighting, maintenance and management, vertical transportation facility, room layout and furniture quality, building layout and aesthetics and level of privacy. Such factors related to both functional and behavioural dimensions were of greater satisfaction in newer buildings. Practical implications Findings suggest the high priority of strategies that address and improve the thermal and acoustic comfort of older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings if the intention is to enhance students’ satisfaction, especially considering the impact that these facilities have on students’ performance. Thermal performance in different seasons and adaptive thermal comfort activities should be considered in the design of new on-campus accommodation buildings and the retrofit of existing old buildings. Originality/value On-campus accommodation is an important facility that supports student learning outcomes and helps students adapt in a new learning environment. A post occupancy evaluation study to assess the adequacy of this facility is still lacking because previous studies have generally focussed on class rooms and work spaces in the education sector. This research compares the user satisfaction of older and newer on-campus accommodation buildings in Australia, to highlight deficiencies and areas for improvement in the design of existing and future buildings.

Evaluation of vernacular and new housing indoor comfort conditions in cold climate – a field survey in eastern Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-226
Author(s):  
Fatma Kürüm Varolgüneş
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Mechanical Systems ◽  
General Information ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare vernacular and new houses in terms of indoor occupant satisfaction and thermal and visual comfort in a region with cold climatic conditions. In line with the data obtained, the contribution of passive design techniques to comfort in housing indoor will be revealed. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the comfort conditions to be provided in a residence were determined and evaluated in Bingol with the help of questionnaires applied on vernacular and new houses. The information gathered from the occupants and the survey study was mainly designed for three purposes: (i) acquiring general information about houses; (ii) acquiring general information about occupants; and (iii) inquiring about the physical comfort satisfaction of the occupants (thermal comfort and visual comfort). Findings Although the average occupant satisfaction in terms of thermal performance in vernacular houses in summer and winter is 3.91, this average is 2.01 for new houses. The average of the general visual comfort of occupants in vernacular houses is 3.59, whereas this rate is 2.63 in new houses. According to the data obtained, occupant satisfaction was higher in vernacular houses than in new houses. In general, the new settlement area is designed and positioned independently of climate and environmental conditions. This situation increases the need to use mechanical systems to provide indoor thermal comfort conditions. The increase in the need for mechanical systems leads to a significant increase in energy expenditures, as well as deterioration of health conditions in places. Research limitations/implications To ensure occupant satisfaction, indoor thermal comfort conditions and healthy environments, vernacular houses should be an example for the design and building of new houses in terms of orientation, environment relations, space dimensions and space usage in accordance with the character of the region and material selection. Originality/value There has not been a serious research on bioclimatic, socioeconomic and cultural sustainability of the vernacular architecture of Bingol. Therefore, this region has been preferred as the study area.

scholarly journals Theoretical Study on the Relationship of Building Thermal Insulation with Indoor Thermal Comfort Based on APMV Index and Energy Consumption of Rural Residential Buildings

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 8565
Author(s):  
Jinzhe Nie ◽  
Yuxin Pang ◽  
Congcong Wang ◽  
Han Zhang ◽  
Kuichao Yin
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Energy And Environment ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
Insulation Thickness ◽  
The Relationship

In the field investigation of rural dwellings, it was found that thermal feelings are significantly different with varied envelopes even under the same indoor air temperature, and this paper explores the phenomenon in simulation. Based on building thermal investigations in several villages of North China, a typical energy and environment simulation model for rural residences was developed using DeST, and the hourly parameters of temperature and humidity were used to calculate the adaptive thermal comfort (APMV) of the rooms. The results show that the main reason for the different thermal comfort at the same air temperature is the large difference in the inner surface temperature. By adjusting the insulation thickness of the envelope structure, the relationship between it and the APMV value is obtained. By adjusting the insulation thickness of the enclosure structure and getting the correlation between it and the APMV value, it is obtained that when the heat transfer coefficient of the enclosure structure meets 0.5 W/ (m2−K), the indoors can be in thermal comfort. This paper considers that the indoor air temperature cannot represent the APMV to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort, and the APMV value should be used to evaluate the thermal comfort of the renovated building and calculate the corresponding energy saving rate.

Performance analysis of PCM curtain for thermal comfort

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubham Srivastava ◽  
Abhishek Srivastava ◽  
Sanya Jain ◽  
Nandan Kumar ◽  
Chandra Shekhar Malvi
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Constant Heat ◽  
Content Type ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Modelling Assumptions

Purpose This study aims to analyse the variations of thermal comfort inside a building space by using different curtains. Design/methodology/approach Phase change materials (PCMs) such as wax, sand and mixture of sand and wax were used with cotton curtain to compare the results of PCM curtains with the performance of normal cotton curtain against constant heat exposure. Heat exposure was provided with halogen to simulate the solar radiation. Further simulation was performed on ANSYS and experimental results were compared with the simulation results. In addition to this, the results were analysed for optimized performance by calculation root mean square error. Findings It was found that PCM used curtains that have better performance than normal curtain. Furthermore, sand curtain was proved as the best curtain and mixture of sand and wax curtain could replace the sand curtain where there is limitation of weight; also, there was less error between experimental and simulation was reported for sand curtain as compare to other curtains. Research limitations/implications Layers of different PCMs were used before cotton curtain and in modelling assumptions such as one-dimensional heat transfer, uniform thermal conductivity. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no such study that was performed earlier.

A numerical investigation on the impacts of voids combinations on natural ventilation of high-rise residential building

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamza Laloui ◽  
Noor Hanita Abdul Majid ◽  
Aliyah Nur Zafirah Sanusi
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Air Velocity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Living Unit ◽  
Ventilation Performance

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impacts of introducing voids combinations on natural ventilation performance in high-rise residential building living unit. Design/methodology/approach This study was carried out through field measurement and computational fluid dynamics methods. The parameters of the study are void types and sizes, and a wind angle was used to formulate case studies. Findings The results indicate that the provision of a single-sided horizontal void larger by 50% increase the indoor air velocity performance up to 322.37% to 0.471 m/s in the living unit and achieves the required velocity for thermal comfort. Originality/value Passive design features are the most desirable techniques to enhance natural ventilation performance in the high-rise residential apartments for thermal comfort and indoor air quality purposes.

Assessing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in tropical African offices using the adaptive approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 396-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meshack O. Efeoma ◽  
Ola Uduku
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
West African ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Design Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
African Climate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to adduce the most appropriate thermal comfort assessment method for determining human thermal comfort and energy efficient temperature control in office buildings in tropical West Africa. Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the Adaptive Thermal Comfort Standard, from its research evolution to its contemporary use as an environmental design assessment Standard. It compares the adaptive component of ASHRAE Standard 55 and the European CEN/EN 15251. It begins by reviewing relevant literature and then produces a comparative analysis of the two standards, before suggesting the most appropriate Adaptive Thermal Comfort Standard for use in assessing conditions in tropical climate conditions. The suggested Standard was then used to analyse data collected from the author's pilot research into thermal conditions, in five office buildings situated in the city of Enugu, South Eastern Nigeria. Findings – The paper provides insight as to why the ASHRAE adaptive model is more suitable for thermal comfort assessment of office buildings in the tropical West African climate. This was demonstrated by using the ASHRAE Thermal Comfort Standard to assess comfort conditions from pilot research study data collected on Nigerian office buildings by the author. Originality/value – The paper compares the adaptive component of ASHRAE Standard 55 with CEN/EN 15251, and their different benefits for use in tropical climates. It suggested the need for further research studies and application of the ASHRAE Adaptive Thermal Comfort Standard in the tropical West African climate.

Materials consumption, indoor thermal comfort and associated energy flows of urban residential buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Peng ◽  
Wu Deng ◽  
Yuanda Hong
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Insulating Materials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Comfort Levels ◽  
Energy Flows

Purpose From the 2000s onward, construction practices of urban residential buildings in China have shown a material transformation from clay brick to aerated concrete block. Moreover, the consumption of insulating materials for buildings has been increasing due to the new requirements in building energy-saving standards. This transformation and the increased consumption of insulating materials might have a vital impact on a building’s thermal comfort and its associated energy flows. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the indoor thermal performance of urban residential buildings built with different materials and further discuss the correlations between indoor thermal comfort and the associated energy input. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated four residential buildings selected from four residential communities located in the cold climate zone of China. The Integrated Environment Solutions program was used to evaluate the thermal comfort levels and to quantify the operational energy consumption of the case study buildings. Additionally, the University of Bath’s Inventory of Carbon and Energy database was used to estimate the embodied energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Findings The study found that materials transition and increasing consumption did not necessarily improve indoor thermal comfort. However, the materials transition has significantly decreased the embodied energy consumption of urban residential buildings. Furthermore, the increased utilization of insulating materials has also decreased the heating and cooling energy consumption. Therefore, overall, the environmental impacts of urban residential buildings have been reduced significantly. Practical implications In the future, residential buildings completed in the 1990s will need regular maintenance, such as adding insulation. Residential buildings completed based on the latest energy-saving requirements should optimize their ventilation design, for example, by increasing the ventilation rate and by reducing solar heat gains in the summer. Originality/value This paper investigates the effects of the materials change on thermal comfort levels and the environmental impacts of urban residential buildings in the cold climate zone of China, as these have not been the focus of many previous studies.

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