The effect of new building regulations on indoor radon in radonprone municipalities

Radon is an important contributor to public radiation dose and it is important to monitor levels in homes and introduce measures to reduce radon concentration levels, both overall and where levels are especially high. In Norway, new building regulations were introduced in 2010, which required balanced ventilation and preventive measures to reduce indoor radon levels, including a radon barrier toward the ground and pressure reducing features beneath the building that prevent soil gas from entering (radon sump). Investigations of randomly selected homes all across Norway have shown that houses built under these new regulations have significantly lower radon levels. However, a few municipalities in Norway are especially radon-prone and have houses with particularly high levels. It is crucial to verify the effect of the new regulations in these municipalities, which we have done in this study. Here, we show that both preventive radon measures and balanced ventilation and the building regulations of 2010 have significant effects on reducing the radon levels in the houses of the public. Noticeably for management, houses with a well-ventilated crawl space, which have been exempt from the required preventive measures, still in some cases have levels above action and maximum recommended levels

Linking Energy Poverty with Thermal Building Regulations and Energy Efficiency Policies in Portugal

Energy-poverty (EP) must be considered an energy-related issue since buildings are a central part of people’s daily lives. Thus, it has an important role in energy-related policy implementation. Even though the European Union (EU) has endorsed general energy efficiency through the Energy Efficiency Directive and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive recast, it was the Clean Energy Package for all Europeans that clearly highlighted EP. The growing concerns with EP have also been emphasised in subsequent directives and initiatives. Despite some regulatory framework and the milder climate situation, the proportion of the population experiencing thermal discomfort in southern and eastern European countries, namely in the winter season, is relatively high, reflecting the poor thermal performance of building stock, low family incomes and high energy prices, among others. The current work analysed the EP evolution in Portugal in the EU context, and the Thermal Building Regulations and Energy Efficiency Policies developed, aiming to add insight into the effectiveness of those policies concerning EP mitigation in Portugal as an EU Member state. Moreover, a critical debate on the potential to lower the EP Portuguese situation was also an objective to pursue. It is plausible to admit that reducing EP by acting on residential building stock, namely through the increase of energy efficiency and comfort, plays a key role in improving the living conditions, namely of vulnerable households and deprived areas. This will also decrease energy consumption and dependence while further promoting a smarter, sustainable and inclusive society, contributing to economic growth.

Trent Brick Panel: innovative envelope system designed according latest UK national fire and energy performance regulations

In November 2018, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) introduced an amendment to the Building Regulations 2010, which outlined stricter rules banning the use of combustible materials defined by the new Building Regulation 7(2). This change had a significant impact since early 2019, on the materials and systems that can be used in the construction sector. In 2020, the global pandemic caused by the diffusion of the COVID-19 virus represented a new challenge for the industry, with implications on programme certainty, material procurement, workforce management, moving towards offsite manufacture. The development of the Trent Brick Panel is set against this historical and social context. The envelope prototype is the opportunity for innovation that follows the turn of events. The offsite manufacturing of glass-reinforced concrete panel, mimicking several finishes, is the result of a design investigation carried out with the market-leading actors: developers, main contractors, subcontractors, engineering consultancies, architects, local authorities and warranty providers. The research aims to give an overview of the design principles, sequence and buildability study, assessed weathering performance according to CWCT Sequence B test and fire performance.

Viewpoints on Environmental Assessment of Building Certification Method - Miljöbyggnad

Production, management, use, and end-of-life of buildings has a large impact on climate change. Therefore, environmental targets are set to lower the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector. To reach these targets building regulation and voluntary environmental assessment methods (EAMs) that evaluate and certify the building’s environmental impact are put forward as tools to push the building sector towards lower GHG emissions. In Sweden, building design is governed by building regulations and the dominant EAM is ‘Miljöbyggnad’ (MB) (“Environmental building”). Today, more than 1900 buildings have been certified by MB and it has influenced the building and property sector. In this chapter the potential impact MB and the linked Swedish building regulations have on building performance, energy use and GHG emissions, will be reviewed and discussed. The analysis investigates several of the MB’s indicators, evaluate to what degree EAMs can influence the design of the building and the energy system to lower the energy use and GHG emissions based on material choices. The analysis presents important aspects that may influence the design of the building and its energy system and what challenges and possibilities the indicators, criteria and regulations can have on buildings and climate change. In addition, some modification and suggestion for improvements are presented.

EVALUASI KINERJA STRUKTUR DUAL SYSTEM DENGAN BELT TRUSS

In structural engineering applications, the limit of building deflection or interstory drift is an important issue. In high-rise buildings that are more than or equal to 60 floors in the current era, systems are used in the structure of the building. The function of the Belt Truss is to reduce the deflection that occurs in the building by converting the building's overturning moment into the axial force of the exterior column. The Belt Truss structure itself can use reinforced concrete structures and steel structures. Because the Belt Truss structure is an innovation in the world of structural engineering, the parameter values for earthquake loads are not listed in the applicable Building Planning Standards. The standard for earthquake-resistant building regulations requires the parameters of Response Modification Factor (R), Overstrength Factor (Ωo), and Deflection Magnification (Cd) for determining earthquake loads. Because the parameters on the Belt Truss structure are not listed in the Standard for Earthquake Resistant Building Regulations, a study of the earthquake load parameters on the Belt Truss structure was carried out. The method used in this research is a literature study using Pushover Load Analysis according to ATC - 40 and FEMA 356. Keywords: Belt Truss, Dual System; ATC – 40; FEMA 356; Response Modification Factor (R); Overstrength Factor (Ωo); and Deflection Magnification (Cd) AbstrakDalam aplikasi rekayasa struktur gedung, batasan defleksi bangunan atau interstory drift adalah masalah penting. Pada bangunan tinggi yang lebih dari atau sama dengan 60 lantai pada era sekarang sudah menggunakan sistem pada struktur bangunan tersebut. Fungsi dari Belt Truss tersebut berguna untuk mengurangi defleksi yang terjadi pada bangunan dengan mengkonvesi momen guling bangunan menjadi gaya aksial kolom eksterior. Struktur Belt Truss sendiri materialnya bisa menggunakan struktur beton bertulang dan struktur baja. Karena struktur Belt Truss merupakan inovasi pada dunia rekayasa struktur, maka nilai parameter beban gempa tidak tercantum pada Standar Peraturan Perencanaan Bangunan yang berlaku. Standart Peraturan Bangunan tahan gempa diperlukan parameter – parameter Faktor Modifikasi Respon (R), Faktor Kuat Lebih (Ωo), dan Perbesaran Defleksi (Cd) untuk penentuan beban gempa. Dikarenakan parameter pada struktur Belt Truss tidak tercantum pada Standar Peraturan Bangunan Tahan Gempa, maka dilakukan penelitian parameter-parameter beban gempa pada struktur Belt Truss tersebut. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah studi literatur dengan menggunakan analisa Beban Dorong Pushover Analysis sesuai ATC - 40 dan FEMA 356.

Physical Properties of Sustainable Concrete Bricks with Glass and Polyethylene Terephthalate Scales Wastes as Replacements for Coarse Aggregate

In order to improve the sustainable construction in Peru, throughout the recycling of non-biodegradable materials, a study of the influence of glass and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes in the physic properties of concrete bricks was carried out. They were made with a 1:5:2 cement, fine aggregate, and waste relation. Three proportions were studied named P-01, P-02, and P-03. Each proportion had a different content of glass and PET wastes, as a result, it was found that the average brick’s absorption was increased with PET wastes and it was reduced with glass wastes. On the other hand, the compressive strength value increased with glass wastes and it was reduced with PET wastes. Finally, it was found that P-02 was the most efficient concrete brick proportion to develop a sustainable construction, obeying the requirements of the Peruvian national building regulations.