Introductory Review of Energy Efficiency in Buildings Retrofits

Energy-efficient building retrofits must be approached from three perspectives: law regulation approach, financial incentives approach, and practice approach. The concepts of zero energy building and life cycle energy building are presented as the basis for energy retrofits. Multi-criteria boards to assess the decision-making process are reviewed, analysed, and categorised under an architectonic perspective. Some examples are presented, with different packages of measures, from deep to non-invasive energy retrofits. Passive and active energy generation systems, together with control and management strategies, are the physical elements identified with the potential to improve buildings’ energy efficiency. From a practice approach, this literature review identifies the concept of performance-based architectural design to optimise the planning and design of buildings’ energy retrofits. In addition, tools such as Building Information Modelling are described as part of optimisation processes, as they enable designers to rapidly analyse and simulate a building’s performance at the design stage.

Download Full-text

Implementation of Open Data Exchange between Architectural Design and Structural Analysis Models

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings11120605 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 605

Author(s):

Goran Sibenik ◽

Iva Kovacic ◽

Valentinas Petrinas ◽

Wendelin Sprenger

Keyword(s):

Structural Analysis ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Data Exchange ◽

Open Data ◽

Analytical Models ◽

Design Stage ◽

Model Based ◽

Building Models ◽

Building Information ◽

Analysis Models

Building information modelling promises model-based collaboration between stakeholders in the project design stage. However, data exchange between physical and analytical building models used for architectural design and structural analysis respectively rarely takes place due to numerous differences in building element representation, especially the representation of geometry. This paper presents the realization of a novel data exchange framework between architectural design and structural analysis building models, based on open interpretations on central storage. The exchange is achieved with a new system architecture, where the program redDim was developed to perform the interpretations, including the most challenging transformations of geometry. We deliver a proof of concept for the novel framework with a prototype building model and verify it on two further building models. Results show that structural-analysis models can be correctly automatically created by reducing dimensionality and reconnecting building elements. The proposed data exchange provides a base for missing standardization of interpretations, which facilitates the non-proprietary automated conversion between physical and analytical models. This research fills the gap in the existing model-based communication that could lead to a seamless data exchange.

Download Full-text

Information modeling of windows with the account of thermophysical characteristics

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201814404014 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 144 ◽

pp. 04014 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elena Ignatova

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Energy Efficiency ◽

Information Model ◽

Information Modeling ◽

Design Stage ◽

Building Structures ◽

Structural Elements ◽

Transfer Resistance ◽

Building Information ◽

Window Design

The task of improving the buildings energy efficiency is one of the most important tasks in the design of buildings. The buildings energy efficiency can be improved by rational choice of building structures and reduction of the heat transfer. Significant heat transfer of a building occurs through the windows. At the design stage of a building, it is necessary to estimate the magnitude of a heat transfer of different windows. Currently the designers are increasingly using the technology of building information modeling (BIM). 3D-model of the building consists of models of structural elements, which contain information about the different geometric, physical, technological and other characteristics of the structure. The aim of this work is to develop a parametric information model of the window taking into account its heat transfer resistance. In this paper the design of window units with one, two and three sashes are discussed. The value of window-reduced resistance to a heat transfer is calculated inside the window information model and is presented in the table. The method can be applied to different window design. Thermophysical parameter of the window information model can be used to assess the energy costs of operating the building.

Download Full-text

Architectural Design of Building Information Model Technology in Internet Age

Journal of Physics Conference Series ◽

10.1088/1742-6596/2066/1/012072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2066 (1) ◽

pp. 012072

Author(s):

Dong Wang

Keyword(s):

Design Process ◽

Structural Design ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Information Model ◽

Design Stage ◽

Design Quality ◽

Planning Stage ◽

Building Information Model ◽

Building Information ◽

Whole Life Cycle

Abstract As a revolutionary technology to realize the construction industry information, BIM technology has been vigorously developed in China in recent years. The whole life cycle of a construction project includes planning stage, design stage, construction stage, operation and maintenance stage, with many participating units. This paper mainly studies the architectural design of building information model technology under the Internet era. This paper analyzes and combs the traditional structural design process, and summarizes the problems and defects existing in the traditional structural design process. Combined with the characteristics of BIM technology application, the BIM technology is combined with the traditional structural design process. Taking Project A as an example, the causality analysis, the analytic hierarchy process and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method are used. The architectural design quality of Project a based on BIM technology is evaluated, and the effect of adopting BIM technology in the design of Project A is compared and analyzed.

Download Full-text

Developing a BIM-Based MUVR Treadmill System for Architectural Design Review and Collaboration

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11156881 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 6881

Author(s):

Calvin Chung Wai Keung ◽

Jung In Kim ◽

Qiao Min Ong

Keyword(s):

Architectural Design ◽

Human Locomotion ◽

Virtual Space ◽

Design Stage ◽

Design Review ◽

Team Members ◽

Physical Constraints ◽

Simulated Environment ◽

Set Up ◽

High Level

Virtual reality (VR) is quickly becoming the medium of choice for various architecture, engineering, and construction applications, such as design visualization, construction planning, and safety training. In particular, this technology offers an immersive experience to enhance the way architects review their design with team members. Traditionally, VR has used a desktop PC or workstation setup inside a room, yielding the risk of two users bump into each other while using multiuser VR (MUVR) applications. MUVR offers shared experiences that disrupt the conventional single-user VR setup, where multiple users can communicate and interact in the same virtual space, providing more realistic scenarios for architects in the design stage. However, this shared virtual environment introduces challenges regarding limited human locomotion and interactions, due to physical constraints of normal room spaces. This study thus presented a system framework that integrates MUVR applications into omnidirectional treadmills. The treadmills allow users an immersive walking experience in the simulated environment, without space constraints or hurt potentialities. A prototype was set up and tested in several scenarios by practitioners and students. The validated MUVR treadmill system aims to promote high-level immersion in architectural design review and collaboration.

Download Full-text

Predicting Impacts of Climate Change on Northward Range Expansion of Invasive Weeds in South Korea

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10081604 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1604

Author(s):

Sun Hee Hong ◽

Yong Ho Lee ◽

Gaeun Lee ◽

Do-Hun Lee ◽

Pradeep Adhikari

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

South Korea ◽

Habitat Suitability ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Southern Region ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Invasive Weeds ◽

Northern Regions ◽

Suitable Habitats ◽

Control And Management

Predicting the distribution of invasive weeds under climate change is important for the early identification of areas that are susceptible to invasion and for the adoption of the best preventive measures. Here, we predicted the habitat suitability of 16 invasive weeds in response to climate change and land cover changes in South Korea using a maximum entropy modeling approach. Based on the predictions of the model, climate change is likely to increase habitat suitability. Currently, the area of moderately suitable and highly suitable habitats is estimated to be 8877.46 km2, and 990.29 km2, respectively, and these areas are expected to increase up to 496.52% by 2050 and 1439.65% by 2070 under the representative concentration pathways 4.5 scenario across the country. Although habitat suitability was estimated to be highest in the southern regions (<36° latitude), the central and northern regions are also predicted to have substantial increases in suitable habitat areas. Our study revealed that climate change would exacerbate the threat of northward weed invasions by shifting the climatic barriers of invasive weeds from the southern region. Thus, it is essential to initiate control and management strategies in the southern region to prevent further invasions into new areas.

Download Full-text

Energy Rating of Buildings to Promote Energy-Conscious Design in Israel

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings11020059 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 59

Author(s):

Abraham Yezioro ◽

Isaac Guedi Capeluto

Keyword(s):

Design Process ◽

Architectural Design ◽

Residential Building ◽

Green Building ◽

Energy Performance ◽

Basic Unit ◽

Design Stage ◽

Design Decision ◽

Rating Systems ◽

New Buildings

Improving the energy efficiency of existing and new buildings is an important step towards achieving more sustainable environments. There are various methods for grading buildings that are required according to regulations in different places for green building certification. However, in new buildings, these rating systems are usually implemented at late design stages due to their complexity and lack of integration in the architectural design process, thus limiting the available options for improving their performance. In this paper, the model ENERGYui used for design and rating buildings in Israel is presented. One of its main advantages is that it can be used at any design stage, including the early ones. It requires information that is available at each stage only, as the additional necessary information is supplemented by the model. In this way, architects can design buildings in a way where they are aware of each design decision and its impact on their energy performance, while testing different design directions. ENERGYui rates the energy performance of each basic unit, as well as the entire building. The use of the model is demonstrated in two different scenarios: an office building in which basic architectural features such as form and orientation are tested from the very beginning, and a residential building in which the intervention focuses on its envelope, highlighting the possibilities of improving their design during the whole design process.

Download Full-text

Care for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in a Random Sample of Community Family Practices in Ontario, Canada

International Journal of Family Medicine ◽

10.1155/2012/734202 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gina Agarwal ◽

Janusz Kaczorowski ◽

Steve Hanna

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Diabetes Care ◽

Diabetes Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Chart Audit ◽

Pressure Reading ◽

International Data ◽

One Year ◽

Control And Management

Objective. Diabetes care is an important part of family practice. Previous work indicates that diabetes management is variable. This study aimed to examine diabetes care according to best practices in one part of Ontario. Design and Participants. A retrospective chart audit of 96 charts from 18 physicians was conducted to examine charts regarding diabetes care during a one-year period. Setting. Grimsby, Ontario. Main Outcome Measures. Glycemic screening, control and management strategies, documentation and counselling for lifestyle habits, prevalence of comorbidities, screening for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and use of appropriate recommended preventive medications in the charts were examined. Results. Mean A1c was within target (less than or equal to 7.00) in 76% of patients (ICC = −0.02), at least 4 readings per annum were taken in 75% of patients (ICC = 0.006). Nearly 2/3 of patients had been counselled about diet, more than 1/2 on exercise, and nearly all (90%) were on medication. Nearly all patients had a documented blood pressure reading and lipid profile. Over half (60%) had a record of their weight and/or BMI. Conclusion. Although room for improvement exists, diabetes targets were mainly reached according to recognized best practices, in keeping with international data on attainment of diabetes targets.

Download Full-text

The Use of BIM Technology in Analyzing Building Energy and EconomicFeasibility of Solar Panel

Indonesian Journal of Environmental Management and Sustainability ◽

10.26554/ijems.2021.5.2.58-66 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Muhammadiya Rifqi ◽

Heni Fitriani ◽

Puteri Kusuma Wardhani

Keyword(s):

Power Plants ◽

Energy Use ◽

Electrical Energy ◽

Building Energy ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Information Modeling ◽

Office Buildings ◽

Design Stage ◽

Solar Panels ◽

Building Information

Buildings contribute more than 40% of world energy consumption, so it is feared that it will cause energy problems in thefuture, especially in the construction sector. One solution to reducing this problem is by analyzing energy use at the initialdesign stage and utilizing solar energy as one of the solar power plants (PLTS) in office buildings. To analyze the use ofenergy in buildings, Building Information Modeling (BIM) was used. The purpose of this research is to analyze the annualenergy level of office buildings in Palembang using BIM software, namely Autodesk Revit. The number of solar panels aswell as the amount of energy were also identified using web-based software (HelioScope) resulting the economic feasibilityas indicated by the installation of solar panels as a component of PV mini-grid. The results showed that the use of BIMtechnology in analyzing building energy can provide a detailed description of the building model at the design stage. Revitanalysis indicates that the building consumed electrical energy per year for about 3,647,713 kWh with a roof area of 1,657m2. In addition, based on the HelioScope analysis, the use of renewable energy from the installation of PLTS was 152,900kWh/year. Meanwhile, for economic feasibility analysis, the installation of PLTS in office buildings can provide a positive NetPresent Value (NPV), indicating a feasible project.

Download Full-text

Potential for the use of information systems in the management of construction waste

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201819604081 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 196 ◽

pp. 04081 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Aleksandr Aleksanin

Keyword(s):

Information Systems ◽

Information Technologies ◽

Information Modeling ◽

Planning System ◽

Design Stage ◽

Resource Saving ◽

Construction Waste ◽

Space Planning ◽

Planning Decisions ◽

Building Information

At the present stage of the development of the construction industry, based on the principles of sustainable development, special attention should be paid to the formation of construction waste. Reserves for improving the level of efficiency of waste management can be found in the application of modern information technologies and their adaptation to resource-saving problems. The use of information systems is advisable at all stages of the life cycle of a building. Today, the technology of building information modeling (BIM) is actively developing, which can significantly reduce the amount of waste generation in construction. This is possible with its implementation at the design stage, in order to avoid irrational design decisions, collisions, etc. Information systems for data transmission allow rapid exchange of information between project participants, promptly warn about changes in space-planning decisions, materials, structures and equipment. At the stage of operation, in the presence of the information model of the building, it is possible to create a planning system for the organization of works of major overhaul or reconstruction. This article also proposes a description of the functions that an information system must have aimed at coordinating the management of construction waste in the region.

Download Full-text