scholarly journals Comfort signatures: How long-term studies of occupant satisfaction in office buildings reveal on-going performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 663-690
Author(s):  
Roderic Bunn ◽  
Ljiljana Marjanovic-Halburd

Occupant surveys reveal how people in buildings perceive their internal environments. The Soft Landings extended handover process, which requires project teams to focus more on operational outcomes, has led to the use of occupant surveys during a three year Soft Landings aftercare period to provide a means of checking whether the desired outcomes have been met. However, little is known of the longitudinal perceptions of occupant satisfaction in buildings, and the relationships between those perceptions and the many environmental, seasonal and functional comfort variables that act upon occupant satisfaction. This paper reports the results of time-series surveys on two office buildings. Occupant satisfaction scores have been compared with the technical, organisational and functional contexts in the work environments, such as density, workgroup sizes, and cellular and open-plan layouts, to determine whether changes in these parameters have significantly altered levels of perceived occupant comfort and productivity. The research found stability in some contexts but statistical declines in others. Conclusions are made regarding the key operational factors that may contribute to changes in occupant satisfaction over time. Factors that might constitute limits to office carrying capacity are discussed. Practical application: The growing use of the Soft Landings approach to building procurement and handover, with greater emphasis on designing for improved operational outcomes, is creating a demand to understand more about occupant needs and expectations. The central government equivalent – Government Soft Landings – is similarly placing a requirement on public sector construction projects to deliver buildings with improved environmental and functional outcomes. Delivering these expectations requires construction professionals to develop skills in building performance evaluation, particularly in understanding the primary drivers that lead to high occupant perceptions of comfort, health, productivity and wellbeing. This research provides real-world evidence to clients and their design advisors on the key factors for ensuring long-term occupant satisfaction, while for building management professionals the research identifies some organisational risk factors that may lead to a fall in satisfaction during long-term operation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lech Sitnik

One of the many important challenges of the modern world is the greenhouse effect of CO2. It is necessary to implement solutions that will eliminate it. Since the easiest way to eliminate the greenhouse effect is to reduce hydrocarbons fuel consumption, it is important to evaluate the fuel (energy) consumption in long term operation. The article presents a proposal for the use of the so-called vehicle energy footprint. The method of creating such a trace is presented and illustrated with specific results of data analyzes. The data is publicly available, which means that the presented method can be independently verified. It has also been shown that the use of the method not only organizes the analyzes, but also leads to information that cannot be obtained with other methods. It therefore seems that an attractive tool has been developed for future applications.


2014 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Barrie J. Wills

A warm welcome to our "World of Difference" to all delegates attending this conference - we hope your stay is enjoyable and that you will leave Central Otago with an enhanced appreciation of the diversity of land use and the resilient and growing economic potential that this region has to offer. Without regional wellbeing the national economy will struggle to grow, something Central Government finally seems to be realising, and the Central Otago District Council Long Term Plan 2012-2022 (LTP) signals the importance of establishing a productive economy for the local community which will aid in the economic growth of the district and seeks to create a thriving economy that will be attractive to business and residents alike. Two key principles that underpin the LTP are sustainability and affordability, with the definition of sustainability being "… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (21) ◽  
pp. 65-73
Author(s):  
Monika Gwoździk

The paper presents results of studies on the crystallite sizes of oxide layer formed during a long-term operation on 10CrMo9-10 steel at an elevated temperature (T = 545° C, t = 200,000 h). This value was determined by a method based on analysis of the diffraction line profile, according to a Scherrer formula. The oxide layer was studied on a surface and a cross-section at the outer and inner site on the pipe outlet, at the fire and counter-fire wall of the tube. X-ray studies were carried out on the surface of a tube, then the layer’s surface was polished and the diffraction measurements repeated to reveal differences in the originated oxides layer.


1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Bryers ◽  
Robert R. Sharp

Exposure of plasmid recombinant microorganisms to an open environment, either inadvertently or intentionally, requires research into those fundamental processes that govern plasmid retention, transfer and expression. In the open environment, a majority of the microbial activity occurs associated with an interface, within thin biological layers consisting of cells and their insoluble extracellular polymer, layers known as biofilms. Current toxic wastewater or wastegas treatment reactors exploit bacterial biofilm systems for certain system operating advantages. Using recombinant bacteria within a biofilm reactor to degrade xenobiotic wastes requires finding a suitable host to harbor and express the desired plasmid phenotype. Suitable host characteristics include: the ability to produce copious amounts of biofilm, resistance to waste-related injury and toxicity, and the ability to retain and express the desired plasmid during long term operation. This paper reports on a laboratory evaluation of factors governing plasmid retention and the expression of trichloroethene (TCE) degradative capacity in both suspended and biofilm cultures.


Author(s):  
Vyacheslav A. Denisov ◽  
Aleksandr Yu. Kostyukov ◽  
Roman N. Zadorozhniy

One of the most promising technologies for restoring machine parts and cylinder liners is electric spark treatment as the most versatile technology that provides high-quality restoration of worn parts with wear up to 0.5 mm. (Research purpose) The research purpose is in developing a technology for restoring various cylinder liners by means of electric spark processing, selecting optimal modes and electrode materials that allow improving the quality of repair and increasing the post-repair life of the sleeve. (Materials and methods) It was taken into account when conducting research aimed at restoring the geometric parameters of the sleeve, that the coating must have sufficient adhesion strength to the surface of the sleeve under mechanical, thermal loads and long-term operation. Laboratory studies of the adhesion strength of electric spark coatings on the separation (adhesive) and on the cut, as well as tribotechnical studies of interfaces were conducted. Authors have found by analyzing the results of operational tests of restored and new cylinder liners the prospects for using electric spark treatment of worn parts, including diesel engine liners. (Results and discussion) It was shown by laboratory studies of the adhesion strength of electric spark coatings with a 0.2 mm thick BrMKc 3-1 electrode to the working surface of cylinder liners that their separation strength (adhesive) was 20-40 megapascals, and the shear strength (cohesive) was 50-80 megapascals. It was found that this provides the required functional strength of coatings with maximum operational load. The article presents the results of comprehensive research in graphs and tables. (Conclusions) The research conducted in the CCP "Nano-Center" of the FSAC VIM and operational tests in the 2nd bus fleet of Moscow confirmed the principal possibility of effectively restoring cast iron liners (blocks) using the technology of electric spark processing.


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