THERMAL PERFORMANCE COMPARISON ON FLOORING MATERIALS

New building materials and technologies that provide thermal comfort are expected to gain popularity in the recent past. Hence, efforts to incorporate new building material solutions are needed to protect potential populations from the threats of thermal stress that cause an increase in temperatures due to climate change. The earth is identified as the most effective building material to improve the thermal comfortability inside the building. Among several building construction materials, the flooring material provides a more effective role with respect to thermal comfort in a building. This paper present the evaluation and comparison work carried out to investigate the thermal performance of newly invented soil based flooring material with other common floorings in Sri Lanka. Temperature measurements were taken on the top surface of flooring materials and were compared the surface temperature of each other and indoor air temperature. The results reveal that the soil floor shows a lesser temperature at a significant level than the other floorings. Hence, it can be proved that the building construction materials play an important role and earth is the best sustainable material with respect to the indoor thermal comfortability thus, end-user.

Profitability Analysis of Small and Medium Scale Salt Enterprises, Misamis Oriental, Philippines

The study analyzed the profitability of small and medium scale salt enterprises in Alubijid and El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. It determined salt production practices; assessed the profitability of salt production; and identified the problems encountered in salt production. Forty-two salt producers in the area were personally interviewed using a pre-tested interview schedule. Descriptive and cost and returns analysis, rate of return on investment (ROI), and ANOVA were employed. Results revealed that the production practices of the salt producers are dictated by the flooring materials of salt beds and the type and volume of salt produced were highly dependent on the flooring materials and on weather. It was concluded that salt production is a profitable enterprise and the salt beds with transparent polyethylene plastic as flooring material were the most profitable, despite having the most labor-intensive production process. Recommendations include usage of transparent polyethylene plastic as flooring material and teaching appropriate technology for seawater filtration to address the problem on degraded quality of seawater with the local government unit (LGU) taking the lead. Also, a soft loan program be put up for buying flooring materials so that more members of the lakeshore community can engage in the salt making.

A Review on Application of Formaldehyde in Cement-Based Materials

Formaldehyde is environment contamination, which causes irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat with concentration above 1.0ppm. But still, it is used as a construction material as an admixture and furthermore to make paints, adhesives, pressed wood, and flooring materials, etc. This paper reviews the impact of formaldehyde in the cement on flow, strength, and durability properties. In this most of the researchers studied the water reducing nature of formaldehyde-based cementitious materials (FBCM) because of its repulsive property, that can ensure improved workability and provides good mechanical strength. Finally, the challenges in the application of formaldehyde in cement-based materials are discussed to conclude some future scope in the field of the construction industry to use formaldehyde in cement.

DESIGNING PUBLIC SQUARES TO OPTIMIZE HUMAN OUTDOOR THERMAL COMFORT: A CASE STUDY IN SAFRANBOLU

Within the scope of the study, thermal comfort analysis was performed using the ENVI-met program of the Misak-ı Milli Square in Safranbolu, and it was determined that the thermal comfort perception of the square as slighty warm-warm. For this reason, a new design proposal has been submitted for the square. In the proposal, the green ratio and the number of trees was increased, the type and location of the trees was changed. The flooring materials was replaced with a stone covering with a higher albedo and new functional suggestions were made for the square. As a result of the thermal comfort analysis of the new proposal, the thermal comfort perception in the square was neutral and the thermal dissatisfaction rate was reduced below 14.5%. In result of the study, it was underlined that the ratio of green areas and the tree type, number and location that constitute it and the choice of flooring materials are important parameters in providing the thermal comfort of the square.

Effect of Impact Velocity, Flooring Material, and Trochanteric Soft-Tissue Quality on Acetabular Fracture during a Sideways Fall: A Parametric Finite Element Approach

A low-energy acetabular fracture, as a result of falling from standing height, is common among elderly patients and the number of cases is increasing rapidly in developed countries. Several biomechanical factors contribute to the incidence, severity, and type of acetabular fractures, such as body configuration at the impact moment or bone and soft-tissue quality. The current parametric study developed a comprehensive finite element model of the pelvic girdle and simple representation of the whole body and investigated the effects of impact velocity, conventional indoor/outdoor flooring material, and trochanteric soft-tissue stiffness on an acetabular fracture. Our results show that whereas the impact velocity has a substantial influence on the incidence and type of acetabular fracture, the effects of conventional flooring materials and trochanteric soft-tissue quality are not remarkable. It seems that other factors such as the quality of bone (healthy vs. osteoporotic), the thickness of trochanteric soft-tissue, and body configuration at the impact are more critical in the occurrence and type of the acetabular fracture. These results can be valuable in the prevention of acetabular fractures and the design of protective measures such as hip pads or novel flooring materials.

The Brinell Method for Determining Hardness of Wood Flooring Materials

We hypothesize that the ability to recovery the depth of the indentation increases with increasing the hardness of the flooring material. The research was carried out for ten lignocellulosic flooring materials: merbau, oak, maple, red oak, laminated HDF (high-density fiberboard), innovative plywood, beech, pine, peasantry, iroko. The hardness was examined using the Brinell method, and additionally, the elastic indentation of the indenter was measured during the hardness test. On this basis, the permanent (plastic) and temporary (elastic) component of total deformation was determined. Different ability to recovery was found. The harder materials were the higher percentage of elastic indentation in total indentation depth. Moreover, it was found that the measurement of the indentation diameter in wood materials is characterized by high uncertainty and measurements based on the depth of the indentation are more unambiguous and of greater practical importance, especially when testing hard lignocellulosic flooring materials.

Selected Properties of Overlaid Magnesium Based Composite Panels for Flooring

The objective of this work was to evaluate some of the mechanical and physical properties of the flooring materials manufactured from panels having magnesia substrate overlaid with oak veneer (Querqus alba) and linoleum sheets. Commercially manufactured panels were used in this work. Bending characteristics, internal bond strength, thickness swelling, and surface quality of the samples were evaluated. The highest modulus of elasticity (MOE) value of 4406 MPa for the sample type-A2 was loaded in the direction of the substrate followed by 3478 MPa for linoleum covered samples which were loaded in the same direction. Internal bond strength values of the panels did not show any significant differences from each other. Dimensional stability of the specimens in the form of thickness swelling for both 2-h and 24-h water soaking tests resulted in values ranging from 0.11 to 0.19%. The surface quality of the samples was not substantially influenced as a function of water exposure. Based on the results in this work magnesium substrate overlaid with oak veneer and linoleum panels could have potential to be used as flooring material with accepted properties.