POWER CONSUMPTION COMPARISON OF FIVE BUILDING ENVELOPES IN THE NORTHERN PRAIRIE CLIMATE OF MANITOBA

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris J. Dick ◽  
Hossein Safavian ◽  
Grant Rayner
Keyword(s):  
Power Consumption ◽  
Thermal Gradient ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Structural Insulated Panels ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Concrete Form ◽  
Wood Frame ◽  
The University

The energy efficiency of a building depends on building envelope performance. The results presented in this paper are the first of a long-term building envelope research project at the Alternative Village at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Five test buildings were constructed using the following systems: two wood frames with fiberglass batt insulation and dense pack cellulose, one polyurethane structural insulated panels (PUR SIP), and two with the Stay in place PVC concrete form building system using 102mm and 204mm of concrete externally insulated with 102mm of expanded polystyrene foam. All of the buildings had a common foundation and roof system with a footprint of 23.8 m2. Blower door tests were conducted to determine air tightness. Each structure was heated with an electrical resistance heater and maintained at a constant internal temperature. The thermal gradient through the wall and power consumption were monitored. The study period discussed in this report represents the main heating season from October 2011 to April 2012 consisting of 209 days. Based on the power consumption, the PUR SIP consumed the least at 2498 kWh, while the 204 mm Stay in place PVC concrete form building used the most at 2898 kWh for the same time period. The thermal gradient through the cross section of the wood frame structures was compared through the cavity insulation and at the stud. It was found that the cellulose building provided better thermal resistance along the stud when compared to the fiberglass batt insulation.

scholarly journals On the feasibility of watertight face-sealed window-wall interfaces

2019 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 02015
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Van Linden ◽  
Nathan Van Den Bossche
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Full Scale Test ◽  
Structural Insulated Panels ◽  
Building Components ◽  
Scale Test ◽  
Wood Frame ◽  
Frame Construction

Watertightness is still a major source of concern in the performance of the building envelope. Even very small deficiencies can cause a significant amount of water leakage which may result in structural degradation or malfunctioning of the insulation. The risk of water infiltration is highest at joints between different building components and in particular at the window-wall interface due to the complexity of these joints. This paper focuses on the performance of different solutions to ensure the watertightness of the window-wall interface, e.g. self-adhesive foils, liquid applied coatings, prefabricated frames, self-expanding sealing strips. The performance of these solutions is evaluated for different wall assemblies, i.e. ETICS, masonry, structural insulated panels and wood-frame construction. Laboratory experiments were conducted on a full-scale test setup with a window of 1,01 m high and 0,56 m wide. Test results showed that it is not evident to obtain watertight face-sealed window-wall interfaces without an additional airtight layer or drainage possibilities. Water ingress was often recorded at lower pressure differences.

scholarly journals Effects of diagonal bracing on thermal insulation of wood-frame walls

BioResources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 517-528
Author(s):  
Mingbin Liu ◽  
Feng Lu ◽  
Xuedong Zhang ◽  
Xiaolin Yang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Cold Area ◽  
Wood Frame ◽  
The Heat Transfer Coefficient

The influence of various diagonal-bracings arrangements on the heat transfer coefficient of wooden walls was studied with the goal of improving the thermal insulation performance of the walls. Through the reliability verification of the theoretical value of the heat transfer coefficient, this study found that a larger proportion of wood frame area resulted in larger theoretical and test values for the heat transfer coefficient. The heat transfer coefficient of the wall with expanded polystyrene foam sheet (EPS) was 5.90% to 6.10% higher than that with extruded polystyrene foam sheet (XPS), and the tested value was 4.75% to 8.60% higher. The maximum value of the average heat transfer coefficient of 12 diagonal-braced walls was 0.366 W·m-2·K-1, which met the thermal level of the severe cold area. The test value of the heat transfer coefficient was larger than the theoretically calculated value, and the linear correlation was up to 0.978.

Thermal, Moisture and Energy Performance of a Hempcrete Test Structure in the Northern Prairie Climate of Manitoba, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 600 ◽  
pp. 475-482
Author(s):  
Kris J. Dick ◽  
Jeremy Pinkos
Keyword(s):  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Conventional Material ◽  
Wood Frame ◽  
The University ◽  
Industrial Hemp

The processing of industrial hemp, cannabis sativa, results in three basic constituents seed, fibre, and hurd. Within Manitoba the main focus is with seed and oil products. When considering the entire plant approximately 60-70% is the predominantly cellulose woody core called the hurd. A combination of hemp hurd, a binder and water in various proportions is used in the construction of buildings referred to as hempcrete. Hempcrete is used as an environmental barrier providing resistance to heat transfer and to manage moisture of the building envelope. Engineering and architectural designers practicing in the field of non-conventional material applications have clearly indicated a need for design data. This paper presents a portion of research data collected over the past 18 months from a 23.8 m2 (256 ft2) test building on the campus of the University of Manitoba at the Alternative Village. The design temperatures for this location range from-35°C to +32°C. The structure was built using 300 mm thick pre-fabricated hempcrete panels. In addition to indoor and exterior ambient conditions, the temperature is monitored at 40 locations within the envelope - at the interior, middle and exterior providing a profile through the wall system. Similarly, the relative humidity is monitored within the wall and used in conjunction with a sorption isotherm to estimate the moisture content within the assembly. The building is kept at a constant temperature during the heating season with the energy consumption monitored continuously. This building is one of several on the test site that are all identical in terms of size and configuration. This paper will provide a comparison between the thermal, moisture and energy performance of the hempcrete structure and a conventional wood frame, batt-insulated building that represents the vernacular construction in Manitoba.

scholarly journals Is Call Karma Real? Resident After-Hours On-Call Imaging at the University of Saskatchewan: An Assessment of Call Volumes Including Inter-Resident Variability

2021 ◽  
pp. 084653712110263
Author(s):  
James Huynh ◽  
David Horne ◽  
Rhonda Bryce ◽  
David A Leswick
Keyword(s):  
Mean Shift ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Body Regions ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
After Hours ◽  
Disproportionate Number ◽  
The University ◽  
Changes Over Time

Purpose: Quantify resident caseload during call and determine if there are consistent differences in call volumes for individuals or resident subgroups. Methods: Accession codes for after-hours computed tomography (CT) cases dictated by residents between July 1, 2012 and January 9, 2017 were reviewed. Case volumes by patient visits and body regions scanned were determined and categorized according to time period, year, and individual resident. Mean shift Relative Value Units (RVUs) were calculated by year. Descriptive statistics, linear mixed modeling, and linear regression determined mean values, differences between residents, associations between independent variables and outcomes, and changes over time. Consistent differences between residents were assessed as a measure of good or bad luck / karma on call. Results: During this time there were 23,032 patients and 30,766 anatomic regions scanned during 1,652 call shifts among 32 residents. Over the whole period, there were on average 10.6 patients and 14.3 body regions scanned on weekday shifts and 22.3 patients and 29.4 body regions scanned during weekend shifts. Annually, the mean number of patients, body regions, and RVUs scanned per shift increased by an average of 0.2 (1%), 0.4 (2%), and 1.2 (5%) (all p < 0.05) respectively in regression models. There was variability in call experiences, but only 1 resident had a disproportionate number of higher volume calls and fewer lower volume shifts than expected. Conclusions: Annual increases in scan volumes were modest. Although residents’ experiences varied, little of this was attributable to consistent personal differences, including luck or call karma.

A machine learning approach to estimate the strain energy absorption in expanded polystyrene foams

2021 ◽  
pp. 0021955X2110210
Author(s):  
Alejandro E Rodríguez-Sánchez ◽  
Héctor Plascencia-Mora
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Energy Absorption ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Compressive Loading ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Stress Strain ◽  
Ground Truth Data ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene Foam

Traditional modeling of mechanical energy absorption due to compressive loadings in expanded polystyrene foams involves mathematical descriptions that are derived from stress/strain continuum mechanics models. Nevertheless, most of those models are either constrained using the strain as the only variable to work at large deformation regimes and usually neglect important parameters for energy absorption properties such as the material density or the rate of the applying load. This work presents a neural-network-based approach that produces models that are capable to map the compressive stress response and energy absorption parameters of an expanded polystyrene foam by considering its deformation, compressive loading rates, and different densities. The models are trained with ground-truth data obtained in compressive tests. Two methods to select neural network architectures are also presented, one of which is based on a Design of Experiments strategy. The results show that it is possible to obtain a single artificial neural networks model that can abstract stress and energy absorption solution spaces for the conditions studied in the material. Additionally, such a model is compared with a phenomenological model, and the results show than the neural network model outperforms it in terms of prediction capabilities, since errors around 2% of experimental data were obtained. In this sense, it is demonstrated that by following the presented approach is possible to obtain a model capable to reproduce compressive polystyrene foam stress/strain data, and consequently, to simulate its energy absorption parameters.

Theoretical and experimental study of width effects on horizontal flame spread over extruded and expanded polystyrene foam surfaces

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Jiang ◽  
Huahua Xiao ◽  
Yang Zhou ◽  
Weiguang An ◽  
Weigang Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Flame Spread ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene Foam

Maternal care and environmental enrichment influences on serotonin knockout mice with implications for a gene x stress model of autism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Briana M. Kille
Keyword(s):  
Serotonin Transporter ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Repetitive Behavior ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Maternal Genotype ◽  
The University

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Previous research has shown a genetic variant in the serotonin transporter gene (Slc6a4) can increase the severity of a person's reaction to stress. This variant interacts with environmental stressors resulting in poorer health outcomes. Previous studies have also found that stressing pregnant mothers who carry the variant can result in an increased likelihood of autism diagnosis for the child. This maternal genotype x prenatal stress interaction has been modeled in the serotonin transporter knockout (SERT KO) mouse--dams genetically modified to mimic humans carrying the short allele were stressed during pregnancy resulting in offspring showing altered social behavior, repetitive behavior, and anxiety behavior. The first study included in this dissertation attempted to replicate this model while using a foster dam paradigm to avoid potential maternal care confounds. Surprisingly, the results showed that equalizing maternal care equalized several group differences in behavior. It is theorized that this is due to elimination of the neonatal insult from poor maternal care that would correspond to a human prenatal insult during a previously identified critical time period. The second study explored the potential effects environmentally enriched home cages on anxiety like behaviors of SERT KO mice. The study showed that all animals, regardless of genotype, showed fewer anxiety like behaviors in the open field assay. Together, these studies expand on our understanding of environmental influence on SERT KO mice used in translational studies.

scholarly journals Energy Performance Assessment of Waste Materials for Buildings in Extreme Cold and Hot Conditions

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Rashid ◽  
Fadi Alnaimat ◽  
Bobby Mathew
Keyword(s):  
Date Palm ◽  
Concrete Block ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Waste Materials ◽  
Geopolymer Concrete ◽  
Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Rubber Tire ◽  
By Products

In this article, thermal performance of different waste materials and by-products of industrial processes is investigated experimentally. A geopolymer concrete block with 7.5 cm thickness and cross-sectional area of 5 × 5 cm was considered as a reference model to measure heat transmission across the two opposite surfaces while all four remnant surfaces were perfectly insulated. For all other samples, a sandwich concrete block was developed by taking two pieces of the geopolymer concrete with 2.5 cm thickness each on either side and insulation material of 2.5 cm thickness in between. The sandwich materials investigated were air cavity, expanded polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, rubber tire, date palm, PCM-30, and PCM-42. Experimental investigations revealed that the investigated green materials and industrial by-products have comparable insulation performance with respect to the traditional insulations such as expanded polystyrene foam. It is found that polyurethane foam and date palm can reduce indoor cooling demand by 46.6% each in hot conditions while rubber tire can reduce indoor heating demand by 59.2% in cold climatic conditions at the maximum. The research results confirm and encourage the effective utilization of waste materials in building walls for reducing indoor air-conditioning demand in the extreme climatic conditions.

Effect of polymer foam anisotropy on energy absorption during combined shear-compression loading

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmine Mosleh ◽  
Kelly Vanden Bosche ◽  
Bart Depreitere ◽  
Jos Vander Sloten ◽  
Ignaas Verpoest ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Absorption ◽  
Transverse Shear ◽  
Axial Loading ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Polymer Foam ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene Foam ◽  
Shear Loads ◽  
Loading Direction ◽  
Compression Behaviour

Polymeric foams are extensively used in applications such as packaging, sports goods and sandwich structures. Since in-service loading conditions are often multi-axial, characterisation of foams under multi-axial loading is essential. In this article, quasi-static combined shear-compression behaviour of isotropic expanded polystyrene foam and anisotropic polyethersulfone foam was studied. For this, a testing apparatus which can apply combined compression and transverse shear loads was developed. The results revealed that the shear and compression energy absorption, yield stress and stiffness of foams are dependent on deformation angle. The total energy absorption of the anisotropic polyethersulfone foam is shown to be direction dependent in contrast to isotropic expanded polystyrene. Furthermore, for similar relative density, polyethersulfone foam absorbs more energy than expanded polystyrene foam, regardless of deformation angle. This study highlights the importance of correct positioning of foam cells in anisotropic foams with respect to loading direction to maximise energy absorption capability.

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