Hygrothermal behaviour and occupant comfort in modern earth buildings

2012 ◽  
pp. 17-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.R. Hall ◽  
S. Casey
Author(s):  
Alexander Diederich ◽  
Christophe Bastien ◽  
Karthikeyan Ekambaram ◽  
Alexis Wilson

The introduction of automated L5 driving technologies will revolutionise the design of vehicle interiors and seating configurations, improving occupant comfort and experience. It is foreseen that pre-crash emergency braking and swerving manoeuvres will affect occupant posture, which could lead to an interaction with a deploying airbag. This research addresses the urgent safety need of defining the occupant’s kinematics envelope during that pre-crash phase, considering rotated seat arrangements and different seatbelt configurations. The research used two different sets of volunteer tests experiencing L5 vehicle manoeuvres, based in the first instance on 22 50th percentile fit males wearing a lap-belt (OM4IS), while the other dataset is based on 87 volunteers with a BMI range of 19 to 67 kg/m2 wearing a 3-point belt (UMTRI). Unique biomechanics kinematics corridors were then defined, as a function of belt configuration and vehicle manoeuvre, to calibrate an Active Human Model (AHM) using a multi-objective optimisation coupled with a Correlation and Analysis (CORA) rating. The research improved the AHM omnidirectional kinematics response over current state of the art in a generic lap-belted environment. The AHM was then tested in a rotated seating arrangement under extreme braking, highlighting that maximum lateral and frontal motions are comparable, independent of the belt system, while the asymmetry of the 3-point belt increased the occupant’s motion towards the seatbelt buckle. It was observed that the frontal occupant kinematics decrease by 200 mm compared to a lap-belted configuration. This improved omnidirectional AHM is the first step towards designing safer future L5 vehicle interiors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13863
Author(s):  
Yana Akhtyrska ◽  
Franz Fuerst

This study examines the impact of energy management and productivity-enhancing measures, implemented as part of LEED Existing Buildings Operations and Management (EBOM) certification, on source energy use intensity and rental premiums of office spaces using data on four major US markets. Energy management practices, comprised of commissioning and advanced metering, may reduce energy usage. Conversely, improving air quality and occupant comfort in an effort to increase worker productivity may in turn lead to higher overall energy consumption. The willingness to pay for these features in rental office buildings is hypothesised to depend not only on the extent to which productivity gains enhance the profits of a commercial tenant but also on the lease arrangements for passing any energy savings to the tenant. We apply a difference-in-differences method at a LEED EBOM certification group level and a multi-level modelling approach with a panel data structure. The results indicate that energy management and indoor environment practices have the expected effect on energy consumption as described above. However, the magnitude of the achieved rental premiums appears to be independent of the lease type.


2020 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. 102247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengjie Han ◽  
Ross May ◽  
Xingxing Zhang ◽  
Xinru Wang ◽  
Song Pan ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Best ◽  
Brian Purdey

The building that houses the Mirvac School of Sustainable Development at Bond University is the first educational building to achieve a six Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. It has won numerous awards since opening in August 2008 including being judged the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Sustainable Building of 2009. After more than two years in use a post-occupancy evaluation study was carried out to assess the performance of the building from the viewpoint of the users; both resident staff and transient students. Results for factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, noise and air quality. were compared to benchmarks established by the Usable Buildings Trust. The evaluation also assessed the occupants’ perceptions of the building’s impact on their own productivity. Users generally find the building provides a comfortable work environment although a number of areas of performance were noted as posing some concerns. These included intrusive noise in some parts of the building and some issues with glare in daylit teaching spaces. Such concerns were found to be in accord with the results of previous studies and they highlight some recurrent problems in “green” buildings designed to maximise the use of natural ventilation and natural light. These design challenges and how occupant satisfaction is to be measured and benchmarked are also discussed in the context of this comparative building study.


Author(s):  
Nevena S. Lukić ◽  
Ljiljana Đukanovic ◽  
Ana Radivojević

Infiltration has a considerable impact on both, energy efficiency and occupant comfort in buildings. Due to the complexity of the analysis of this phenomenon in buildings, the verification methods are very important for its diagnostics and evaluation. In this paper, the matter of infiltration in buildings is being considered referring to both, calculation models and methods, as well as through current standards and regulations in the EU and Serbia. Different valorization methods are presented and analyzed regarding their characteristics, applicability, and complexity. Finally, preliminary infiltration measurements with a pressurization test, conducted on selected buildings of Belgrade housing stock are presented and compared with values defined by the current regulations in Serbia. Results pointed out current problems and the need for improvements regarding the treatment of infiltration in local regulations and practice.


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