Key Engineering Materials Vol. 632

Abstract: Insulation is considered one of the effective solutions to achieve energy savings in buidings. Better insulation having low thermal conductivity contributes significantly to new construction and retrofitting existing buildings. The Energy Conservation Building Code and National Building Code of India define the prescriptive and mandatory requirements for the U-factor and R-values for different climates but the way to achieve these values is left to the designers. As none of the walling and roofing assemblies in buildings fulfill the criteria for overall thermal transmittance, the study deals with determining the thermal conductivity of sustainable walling materials and prefab roofing technologies as well as insulating materials using Guarded Hot-Plate Apparatus. The MATLAB program is developed for computing the U-values and for predicting the desired retrofit insulation thicknesses to make different materials and roofing assembly combinations comply the Code requirements in different climatic regions of India. The results of the study are used for computing the performance with and without insulation using DesgnBuilder software for improving energy efficinecy of the buildings in composite climate in India.

Abstract: A descriptive analysis and some definitions of clays are provided at the beginning of the chapter; after that the most common earthen materials are introduced. A list of the most common worldwide building techniques and physical parameters is provided. The main building regulations are reported in a brief summary.At the end of the chapter, according to the main important studies, hygrothermal and physical performances of earthen building materials are discussed.

Abstract: The scope of the paper is to understand the compliance of the prescriptive requirement of Energy Conservation Building Code, 2007, ECBC-2007. It also reveals information of product and application that comfortably exceed the thermal requirement while maintaining high standard of Fire-safety and acoustic values. The environmental objective is also met by the product/application and that helps to satisfy requirement of project’s Green certification.

Abstract: Skylight roofing construction isa practical complement to electric lighting even in various climatic conditions. However, a purely energy efficient building that ignores what the environment can contribute, particularly in tropical regions, will consume more energy. This problem can be found in landed houses specifically in Malaysia due to high impact of solar radiation and the length of the daylight period all year round. The lack of understanding the potential of skylight design is one of the main challenges. This paper aims to examine several passive glazing materials in the form of glass and plastic as well as dimensions and orientations under the Malaysian environmental conditions to determine the efficiency of this skylight construction design. The study was carried out by computer simulation to specify the thermal and daylighting loads in a specific room size. The resultsshow the significance of polycarbonate glazing as an efficient skylight material in the tropical houses. This materialdelivers well distributed natural light with less heat impact. This study provides useful quantitative and qualitative information for building professionals and architects in the tropics.

Abstract: Building construction has gone for tremendous changes during the last decade. The total building architecture including construction system and external finish has improved tremendously. Now a days even residential houses are tailor made to individual requirements. As we all know with the improvement in quality of life, earnings, living style, the building construction methodology and construction materials have got modified to suit the life style of people. Previously in residential houses use of room air conditioner was a rare commodity, but now it has become very common. In fact now we find that air conditioning has become a necessity. The art of living has changed and human comfort is given a lot of importance. Buildings including residential houses hence consume lot of energy now a days. Buildings world over consume more than 40% of the Energy Generated followed by Industry (32%) and Transportation (28%). With the increase in electronic gadgets in the houses along with air conditioning and heating system energy consumption becomes enormous. It is in this context of energy consumption and human comfort the function of Thermal Insulation in buildings has become an important construction element. Thermal insulation is directly linked to human comfort and reducing energy consumption that is creating Energy Conservation.

Abstract: It is around 10 years that the straw buildings have reappeared on the Europe construction market. Often self-built, these buildings sometimes made only with straw bales and soil aroused interest for their energy and sustainability performance. As there is no feedback existing on this kind of “alternative” construction, it is necessary to verify if straw bale buildings performances can meet today's energy requirements. The purpose of this study is to analyze different aspects of the thermal and energy performance of these buildings using the example of ECO46, an administrative load bearing straw bale building in Lausanne (Switzerland). The conductivity and heat capacity of the straw material were investigated through literature review to find a range of possibilities. Subsequently a dynamic thermal model was created, using the extracted thermal properties, by means of Pleiades+Comfie software. The model was calibrated against two sets of measurements in summer and winter. The results permit to compare the consumption of this building with some standard administrative Swiss buildings. Finally, life cycle assessment (LCA) of ECO46 using SimaPro software was carried out to show the evolution of energy consumption from a building constructed in 1975 to the current construction and to evaluate the main environmental impacts of straw bale building. The result shows that straw bale buildings could be a sustainable solution in the future of construction for its low embodied energy level and its excellent thermal performance if it is well built.

Abstract: Heat and moisture transfer in a room is critical for the indoor comfort.This first chapter introduces the basic concepts of heat and moisture transfer in buildings, dealing with the main theoretic fundamentals.It focuses on the most common parameters, used to analyze heat and moisture transfer in buildings.Furthermore this section takes into account a numerical model to calculate the simultaneous heat and moisture transfer in building materials.It is demonstrated that both the microstructure and physical parameters, e.g. density and porosity, may influence greatly the hygrothermal behaviour of the building materials. This is the reason why this chapter also gives prominence to the porous materials.

Abstract: Energy conservation is one of the critical issues facing society today. Our civilization depends on energy for its sustenance. However, energy resources are finite and the ever increasing demands being made for diminishing supplies increases the cost of energy putting it beyond the reach of a large part of society. Renewable energy concepts for new communities offer exciting possibilities for new forms of living. Since India is blessed with abundant sunshine, we can plan and organize our settlements for utilizing renewable energy resources and implementing innovative concepts for shelter, transportation, etc.

Abstract: Buildings are an integral part for development in any sector of economic growth and they consume resources not only during their construction but also for operation throughout their life. The design, construction, operation, maintenance, and ultimately the removal of buildings consume large amounts of energy, water, and building materials, and generate large quantities of waste, and pollute the air and water. The amount of resources consumed, waste generated can be judged from the fact that in any development project, the component of construction is quite large.The Indian construction industry has accounted for approximately 50% of the country's capital outlay in successive Five Year Plans, and projected investment continues to show a growing trend. Out of 48 million tonnes of solid waste generated in India, C&D (construction and demolition) waste makes up 25% annually. Despite this the use of recycled material in construction is not much, which can largely be attributed to various factors like lack of awareness on the part of designers/engineers, lack of awareness campaigns and appreciation of using recycled materials, unorganized market of recycled construction material, absence of a proper solid waste management system in urban areas, lack of tax incentives and poor implementation of legislation on the use of recycled materials. It is high time that the above said issues about the use of recycled material in construction in our country be addressed so as to achieve economy in construction coupled with easing burden on natural resources thereby resulting in cleaner environment.