Thèses sur le sujet « The construction phase of buildings »

This report was done on behalf of Uppsala municipality with the aim to investigate how much the CO2-equivalent emissions differ between different building systems during the construction phase, considering the different choice of material used in the frames. Several multi-family houses with different building systems were therefore studied and compared by using previous LCA from collected climate reports regarding each construction project. Different scenarios of the residential development in Uppsala until year 2050, including multi- and single-family houses, were further on brought forward. The impact that the choice of material had on the climate was then studied by comparing the scenarios with the climate goals set up by Uppsala municipality regarding the construction sector. This was discussed in order to investigate whether Uppsala municipality would reach the climate goals or not. The conclusion of the study is that the building systems with wooden frames in general release less CO2-equivalent emissions than the ones with concrete frames. One of the reasons for this is that the production of the materials has different amounts of waste and the fact that concrete consists of cement, which causes a lot of emissions during the production of the material. Another part of the report was to investigate if climate improved concrete could decrease the CO2-equivalent emissions from building systems with concrete frames. This was done by doing a case-study, where parts of the concrete frame for one of the building systems were replaced, which resulted in a small decrease of the emissions. It is however, in a larger perspective, important to reduce the emissions as much as possible and there is still room to continue the improvement of concrete.

Shoring systems are used as temporary support for structures under construction and their primary function is to support and transmit various types of loads. To optimize this phase it has been developed a technique known as Clearing or partial Striking; it consists in removing a percentage of shores few days after the casting such that the load is redistributed between the slab and the remaining shores. In this way the shores removed in one floor can be used to start building the upper one. It is thus really important to conceive the process in a proper way assuring that the whole system is able to support the loads acting on it. This is the reason for which there is a prudent need to understand which conditions lead to the collapse of shoring systems and what measures can impounded in the design process to mitigate the risk of failure. The aim of this thesis is to perform a progressive collapse analysis, during the construction phase of the building, by instantly removing one or several primary load bearing elements and analyzing the structure’s remaining capability to absorb the damage. The analysis have been performed varying load conditions and slab thicknesses and, once the results from standard shores cases have been obtained, calculations with load limiters have been performed. The entire study has been developed with finite elements by means of ANSYS APDL starting from a FE model developed by Alvarado (2010). The important aspect of this investigation has been the risk reduction of progressive collapse, in particular it has been analyzed the behavior performed by the structure when enhanced support systems are used. Along with the finite element study it has been taken part in a experimental study aimed at analyze the load transmission in enhanced shoring system.

Buildings represent more than 40% of final global energy consumption, among which 50%-60% of energy consumption is attributed to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The application of phase change material emulsions (PCMEs) in air conditioning systems is considered to be a potential way of saving energy because with their relatively higher energy storage capacity, they are able to reduce flow rate whilst delivering the same amount of cooling energy. PCMEs can also simultaneously act as cold energy storage to shift peak-load to off-peak time and improve coefficient of performance of systems. However, one of the main barriers affecting the application of PCME is the difficulty in maintaining stability in the emulsions without experiencing any temperature stratification during phase change process. To this end, an innovative energy efficient phase change emulsion has been developed and evaluated. The emulsion (PCE-10) which consists of an organic PCM (RT10) and water has a phase change temperature range of 4-12°C with heat capacity of twice as much as that of water thus making it a good candidate for cooling applications. Particular attention was also paid to the selection of the surfactant blends of Tween60 and Brij52 since they are capable of minimizing the effect of sub-cooling as well as ensuring stability of the emulsion. For the purpose of testing the performance of developed PCE-10 in fin-and-tube heat exchangers, series of theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out to understand the rheological behaviour and heat transfer characteristics of the developed PCE-10 in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Both experimental and theoretical results were fairly close and showed that the PCE-10 did enhance the overall heat transfer rate of the heat exchanger. In order to evaluate the potential of the integrated system, whole building energy simulation was carried out with a building simulation code TRNSYS. It was found out that the required volumetric flow rate of PCE-10 was 50% less than that of water which is equivalent to 7% reduction in total energy consumption when providing the same amount of cooling power. Despite its potential in cooling systems, the viscosity of the developed sample was found to be much higher than water which could contribute to high pressure drop in a pumping system. Its thermal conductivity was also found to be about 30% lower than the value for water which could influence heat transfer process. There is therefore the need to enhance these thermophysical properties in any future investigations.

During the evaluation of the seismic retrofitting option for risk reduction/mitigation measures to be applied over buildings, Benefit Cost Analysis is an often-used method. During this study of Benefit Cost Analysis, the condition that the earthquake can happen just after or sometime after retrofitting will be taken into consideration rather than some approaches that focus on the benefits and costs regarding the annual probability of the occurrence for possible earthquakes. The analysis will use conditional probability such that the earthquake will be assumed to occur at different periods of time (5, 10, 20 years etc.) after the mitigation measures are taken so that benefit-cost ratios and net social benefits can be observed over time using the results at these periods. Also during this study the indirect effects of earthquake such as business disruption, social disturbance will also be taken into consideration. As a final step, it is aimed to conclude with convincing financial results regarding the direct and indirect effects of the earthquake in terms of benefits and costs to encourage people and the public officials to reduce the potential vulnerability of the housing units people live by taking the necessary precautions against the earthquake.

The effectiveness of Building Information Modelling, or BIM, in the construction industry has become a hot topic of debate. Used in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry for over a decade now, its effectiveness to certain aspects and sectors of the industry is under constant review. Its implementation into the Swedish bridge construction sector is relatively new, especially when used during the production phase of a projects delivery. This paper aims to investigate how using a 3D BIM during the production phase can improve the performance of production, whilst exploring ways in which to improve the handling of 3D BIM for future projects. This is achieved by following the production phase of the Roforsbron project in Arboga, Sweden. The first of its kind to utilise 3D BIM tools throughout its entire production phase. The theoretical framework focuses on the concepts of constructability, lean construction and productivity as well as reviewing a variety of literature on the benefits and drawbacks of BIM. The empirical data has been gathered through personal involvement of the Röforsbron project, where structured and semi-structured interviews with the workforce make up the bulk of the findings. Empirical observation and practical participation of activities on-site complement the opinions of the personnel. The interviews focus on individuals’ experiences using 3D BIM and their opinions on its effect of the production of the Röforsbron. The problems affecting current production performance often stem from a lack of detailed design and planning that affect constructability. Designing with a larger consideration on how to build and addressing constructability issues early is the means in which production can improve. The Röforsbron project was successful where no rework was performed and attributed many of its savings to the use of 3D BIM. Extra resources and experienced personnel were also a factor in the success of the project. 3D BIM is shown to have the most beneficial effect on the reinforcement works, but also offers a broad range of tangible and intangible benefits to widespread aspects of a bridge project. It is concluded that 3D BIM provides an effective tool in which to improve constructability through facilitating a more detailed design and effective means of understanding through visualisation and communication.

This research investigates the bio-products/phase change material (PCM) composites for the building envelope application. Bio-products, such as wood and herb, are porous medium, which can be applied in the building envelope for thermal insulation purpose. PCM is infiltrated into the bio-product (porous medium) to form a composite material. The PCM can absorb/release large amount of latent heat of fusion from/to the building environment during the melting/solidification process. Hence, the PCM-based composite material in the building envelope can efficiently adjust the building interior temperature by utilizing the phase change process, which improves the thermal insulation, and therefore, reduces the load on the HVAC system. Paraffin wax was considered as the PCM in the current studies. The building energy savings were investigated by comparing the composite building envelope material with the conventional material in a unique Zero-Energy (ZØE) Research Lab building at University of North Texas (UNT) through building energy simulation programs (i.e., eQUEST and EnergyPlus). The exact climatic conditions of the local area (Denton, Texas) were used as the input values in the simulations. It was found that the EnergyPlus building simulation program was more suitable for the PCM based building envelope using the latent heat property. Therefore, based on the EnergyPlus simulations, when the conventional structure insulated panel (SIP) in the roof and wall structures were replaced by the herb panel or herb/PCM composite, it was found that around 16.0% of energy savings in heating load and 11.0% in cooling load were obtained by using PCM in the bio-product porous medium.

This research investigates the bio-products/phase change material (PCM) composites for the building envelope application. Bio-products, such as wood and herb, are porous medium, which can be applied in the building envelope for thermal insulation purpose. PCM is infiltrated into the bio-product (porous medium) to form a composite material. The PCM can absorb/release large amount of latent heat of fusion from/to the building environment during the melting/solidification process. Hence, the PCM-based composite material in the building envelope can efficiently adjust the building interior temperature by utilizing the phase change process, which improves the thermal insulation, and therefore, reduces the load on the HVAC system. Paraffin wax was considered as the PCM in the current studies. The building energy savings were investigated by comparing the composite building envelope material with the conventional material in a unique Zero-Energy (ZØE) Research Lab building at University of North Texas (UNT) through building energy simulation programs (i.e., eQUEST and EnergyPlus). The exact climatic conditions of the local area (Denton, Texas) were used as the input values in the simulations. It was found that the EnergyPlus building simulation program was more suitable for the PCM based building envelope using the latent heat property. Therefore, based on the EnergyPlus simulations, when the conventional structure insulated panel (SIP) in the roof and wall structures were replaced by the herb panel or herb/PCM composite, it was found that around 16.0% of energy savings in heating load and 11.0% in cooling load were obtained by using PCM in the bio-product porous medium.

Modernization has brought about steady increase in the consumption of goods and services by human societies across the globe, which mostly driven by both population growth and the change of individual living standards. This, of course, leads to an ever-increasing waste production that ends up in landfills and very often as a source of pollution on natural ecosystems, especially in the low and middle-income countries where waste management is almost inexistent. The management of waste streams is a huge challenge for developed countries as well, where societal and environmental impacts are visible despite massive investments in waste management. One of the most problematic waste materials is plastic, which can remain in nature for over 100 years without degradation, leading to serious environmental concerns. As one of the most significant innovations of the 20th century, plastic is a widely used and cost-effective material for many applications. After their useful lifetimes, their management is problematic. Thus, robust and innovative approaches of managing such waste material are needed in order to mitigate the problem. One of the innovative approaches of tackling the menace cause by plastic waste is through its incorporation into the construction materials. This thesis seeks to address this problem by exploring the use of melted plastic wastes (High Density Poly Ethylene, HDPE and Low Density Poly Ethylene, LDPE) as binder in developing new construction materials (mortar with melted plastic as the only binder, MPB and Plastic Waste Crete, PWC) as an alternative to partially replace traditional concrete and mortar, or finding other engineering uses for this type of waste. Worldwide, about 190 m3 of concrete is poured every second, which translates to 6 billion m3 per year and making it, one of the most widely used manufactured materials. However, the production of concrete requires water and cement. Cement is expensive, and its production contributes to the emission of environmentally polluting gases. Replacing this binding element with recycled plastic derivatives would have significant economic and environmental benefits. In addition to the elimination of cement cost, this will result in water savings, which is especially important for areas without fresh water scarcity. Some researchers have used plastics in concrete and mortars as additives and/or replacement for fine and coarse aggregates. In addition, different types of plastics have been used in bitumen as an additive to reduce construction cost and improve sustainability by adding value to wastes materials. However, there is paucity of technical information about the use of the melted HDPE and LDPE plastic wastes as the only binding phase in concrete- or mortar-like materials. Moreover, many parameters such as preparation conditions, field variables, constituent elements, and final applications have impacts on the performance of construction materials Thus, the key objective of this PhD research is to develop the mortar with plastic binder (MPB) and PlasticWasteCrete (PWC) by using molten HDPE and LDPE plastic wastes as the only binder as well as to investigate the engineering properties of these new types of construction materials. The plastic contents of 45%, 50%, 60% and 65% and HDPE to LDPE ratios of 40/60, 50/50, and 60/40 were selected for the experimental tests. Clean river sand was used as the only aggregate for the MPB, while both sand and gravel were used for the PWC. Various tests were then performed on prepared MPB and PWC samples at different curing times from early to advanced ages to assess their engineering properties. These tests were conducted in accordance with the ASTM standards to evaluate the mechanical properties (compressive strength and splitting tensile strength), permeability and density of the MPB and PWC materials. Additional tests were carried out to analyze the products at the microstructural level (optical microscope, SEM, MIP and thermogravimetric analysis) to gain an insight into the microstructural properties of the developed materials and how that affect their engineering properties. The compressive strength tests revealed the optimal plastic content for the MPB and PWC with the best strength performance. The average compressive strength values for various optimal formulations after 28 days were found to be in the range of 9 to 18 MPa. The splitting tensile strength for the new materials from 1 to 28 days of curing time, were found to be between 1 and 5 MPa. The average hardened density of the MPB and PWC is about 2 g/cm3, which makes them lightweight material according to RILEM classification. In addition, various absorption tests (capillary and immersion) were performed on different MPB and PWC samples, and the obtained results showed that they are porous materials having lower rate of absorption than the traditional cementitious materials (mortar, concrete). This observation was supported by the results from both MIP and SEM analyses. Finally, thermogravimetric analysis provided interesting details on the thermal decomposition of the new materials, with significant changes or mass loss for these products being observed only at temperatures higher than 300°C. The findings from this study suggest MPB and PWC made with melted plastic waste as the only binder have a promising potentials for use in construction. The research conducted in this PhD study offers a good understanding of the engineering properties of the materials as well as the optimal formulations that yield best performance in terms of strength and durability. In summary, it provides useful technical information and tools on the MPB and PWC that will contribute in setting guidelines on the optimal applications of these products in the field of construction in order to have safe, durable and cost-effective structures. Résumé Avec la modernisation de nos sociétés, les habitudes ont considérablement changé, ainsi, on observe une forte consommation des biens et services, due à l’augmentation de la population et l’amélioration de leurs conditions de vie. Ce qui conduit à une augmentation considérable des quantités des déchets qui terminent leurs cycles au niveau des décharges ou dans les océans/fleuves devenant ainsi une source de source de pollution des écosystèmes naturels, surtout dans les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire avec des systèmes défaillants ou moins performants de gestion des déchets. La gestion des flux de déchets est aussi un défi pour certains pays développés, où les impacts sociaux et environnementaux sont visibles en dépit des investissements massifs dans ce secteur. Parmi ces déchets, nous avons les plastiques, l’une des innovations du 20e siècle avec des qualités versatiles et coût faible, se trouve partout dans nos vies quotidiennes. Après leur utilisation, les plastiques deviennent des déchets qui peuvent rester dans la nature plus de 100 ans sans aucune dégradation, avec des conséquences néfastes sur l’Homme et l’environnement. Ainsi, une approche robuste et innovante de gestion de ces déchets est nécessaire afin d'atténuer leurs impacts. L'une des approches innovantes pour réduire l’impact causé par les déchets plastiques consiste à les incorporer dans les matériaux de construction. Ainsi, le problème est abordé dans cette thèse en développant des technologies permettant de recycler les plastiques fondus comme liant dans les nouveaux matériaux de construction (MPB et PWC), afin d’offrir une alternative pour remplacer partiellement le béton / mortier traditionnel. Le béton est l’un des matériaux les plus utilisés au monde, avec environ 190 m3 coulés chaque seconde, correspondant à 6 milliards de m3 par an. Cependant, la production de béton nécessite de l'eau et du ciment. Le ciment coûte cher et sa production contribue à l'émission de gaz polluants l'environnement. Le remplacement d'une partie du béton traditionnel par un matériau à base des déchets plastique aura des avantages économiques, sociaux et environnementaux importants. Allant dans ce sens, certains chercheurs ont utilisé les plastiques dans le béton et le mortier comme additifs et / ou substituts des matériaux granulaires tels que le sable et le gravier. Aussi, différents types de plastiques ont été utilisé dans le bitume comme additif pour réduire les coûts de construction et améliorer la durabilité, ainsi contribuer à donner de la valeur aux déchets. Cependant, jusqu'à présent, il existe peu d’informations techniques sur l'utilisation de déchets plastiques (HDPE et LDPE) fondus comme seuls liants pour développer de nouveaux types de matériaux de construction. En plus, plusieurs facteurs (les conditions de préparation, les éléments constitutifs, les applications finales, etc.) ont un impact sur les caractéristiques des matériaux de construction. Ainsi, l'objectif de cette recherche doctorale est de développer des nouveaux matériaux de construction (MPB et PWC) en utilisant les déchets plastiques fondus (HDPE et LDPE) comme seul liant, puis déterminer les propriétés caractéristiques de ces matériaux afin de trouver la formulation optimale conduisant à la meilleure résistance. En plus de l'élimination du coût du ciment, cette technologie permet aussi de faire des économies d'eau, bénéfique surtout pour les zones avec des difficultés d'accès à l’eau potable. Cela contribuera à la réduction des coûts de la construction en utilisant les produits innovants comme alternative au béton / mortier conventionnel. Un vaste programme expérimental, comprenant des tests à petite et grande échelle, a été développé afin d'atteindre les objectifs de cette étude de doctorat. La campagne expérimentale a comporté différentes étapes comprenant la sélection des matériaux, la détermination de la formulation optimale et les conditions appropriées pour la préparation des matériaux susmentionnés. Par la suite, pour une meilleure compréhension du comportement technique et des propriétés du produit final, divers tests ont été effectué sur les matériaux préparés à différents temps de durcissement. Ces tests ont été menés conformément aux normes ASTM pour évaluer les propriétés mécaniques (résistance à la compression et à la traction), la perméabilité et la densité des nouveaux matériaux. Les expériences ont été approfondies en analysant les produits au niveau microstructural (microscope optique, SEM, MIP et analyse thermique) pour avoir un aperçu des propriétés microstructurales des matériaux développés et essayer de comprendre les relations avec leur comportement mécanique. Les essais de compression ont permis de trouver la teneur en plastique optimale pour les matériaux (MPB et PWC) avec les meilleures valeurs de résistance. Les résistances moyennes à la compression à 28 jours pour diverses formulations étaient comprises entre 9 et 18 MPa. La résistance à la traction par fendage des nouveaux matériaux entre 1 et 28 jours se situait entre 1 et 5 MPa. La densité moyenne du béton et mortier écologique est proche de 2 g / cm3, ils peuvent donc être considérés comme des matériaux légers selon la classification RILEM. De plus, divers tests d'absorption (capillaire et par immersion) ont été réalisé sur différents échantillons de MPB et PWC, les résultats obtenus ont montré qu'il s'agit de matériaux poreux ayant un taux d'absorption plus faible que les matériaux traditionnels contenant du ciment. Plusieurs analyses microstructurales ont été réalisées sur différents échantillons des nouveaux produits (MPB et PWC) et les matériaux cimentaires traditionnels ont été utilisés pour renforcer notre compréhension. Enfin, l'analyse thermique a fourni des détails intéressants sur la décomposition thermique de ces nouveaux matériaux ; des changements significatifs avec une perte de masse considérable ont été observés seulement pour des températures supérieures à 300 ° C. Les résultats de ces essais permettent d'acquérir une bonne compréhension des propriétés techniques des nouveaux matériaux (MPB et PWC) ainsi que de déterminer les teneurs optimales en plastique conduisant aux meilleures performances en termes de résistance et de durabilité. Ainsi, les recherches menées dans cette étude de doctorat fournissent des informations techniques et des outils utiles sur le MPB et le PWC; et contribueront à installer des bases pour guider les applications optimales de ces nouveaux produits dans le domaine de la construction afin d'avoir des structures sûres, durables et rentables.

Supply planning is one of the key steps in an apartment building constructionproject, due to the repetitive nature of these projects where the constructionpace therefore has a crucial importance. However, if the working forceplanning and the materials planning are often acknowledged as important,the equipment supply planning can happen to be considered as secondary.Therefore less effort has been put in the tools used to make this planning.This master thesis is the result of a work in collaboration with the methodsdepartment at Eiffage Construction Habitat, one of the most important Frenchconstruction companies. It presents the implementation of a tool that automatesan important part of the equipment supply planning in order to gain efficiencyduring this planning process and to be able to focus deeper on the keyissues of the project. This tool allows to drastically reduce the time spentduring the supply planning for the equipment of the structural phase, bothregarding vertical works (walls and columns) and horizontal works (floors,beams and balconies). Along with making the planning more efficient, itallows to standardize the output documents and facilitate the work of theother departments with whom the methods department collaborates. Resultingfrom a case study and an internal survey, the implemented tool relies onthe Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications technology, allowing to staywithin the users’ range of mastered software, therefore improving the adoptionpotential of the tool. The results analysis showed a great satisfaction from theusers, both regarding the abilities of the tool and its form.
Resursplaneringen är ett av de viktigaste stegen i ett projekt för byggandeav flerbostadshus på grund av den repetitiva karaktären hos dessa projektdär bygghastigheten därför har en avgörande betydelse. Men om arbetskraftsplaneringenoch materialplaneringen ofta ses som viktiga kan planeringenav utrustningsförsörjningen råka betraktas som sekundär. Därför har mindreansträngningar lagts på de verktyg som används för att göra denna planering.Detta examensarbete är resultatet av ett arbete i samarbete med metodavdelningenvid Eiffage Construction Habitat, ett av de viktigaste franska byggföretagen.Arbetet presenterar implementeringen av ett verktyg som automatiseraren viktig del av planeringen av utrustningsförsörjningen för att få effektivitetunder denna planeringsprocess och för att kunna fokusera djupare på deviktigaste frågorna i projektet. Detta verktyg gör det möjligt att drastisktminska den tid som spenderas under leveransplaneringen för konstruktionsfasensutrustning, både när det gäller vertikala arbeten (väggar och pelare)och horisontella arbeten (golv, balkar och balkonger). Tillsammans med atteffektivisera planeringen möjliggör det att standardisera utdata och underlättaarbetet för de andra avdelningar som metodavdelningen samarbetar med.Till följd av ett studiefall och en intern undersökning är det implementeradeverktyget beroende av Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications-tekniken,vilket gör det möjligt att hålla sig till denprogramvara som användarnashar tillgång till och kan behärska, , vilket förbättrar möjligheter för attverktyget ska accepteras och använda verktyget. Resultatanalysen visade enstor tillfredsställelse från användarna, både vad gäller kan leverera och hurgränssnittet till användaren är utformat.

Syfte: Studien avser energiförbrukning i produktionsfasen och fokuserar på hur kommunikationen kring energiförbrukningen kan minska den. Mycket fokus läggs idag på att minska en byggnads energiförbrukning under förvaltningsskedet, medan det finns saknat fokus kring produktionsfasens energiförbrukning. En av de största svårigheterna med en hållbar utveckling i byggsektorn är att varje projekt är unikt, vilket gör det svårt för inblandade parter att lära sig från tidigare erfarenheter och dela kunskap mellan olika projekt och aktörer, varvid vikten av en fungerande kommunikation ökar. Målet med denna studie är därför att minska byggproduktionens miljöpåverkan gällande energiförbrukning, genom att förbättra kommunikationen mellan inblandade parter. Metod: Denna studie är utförd som en fallstudie för ett specifikt projekt hos en av Sveriges största bygg- och fastighetsutvecklingsföretag. Metoder för att besvara studiens frågeställningar och samla empiri är litteraturstudier, dokumentanalys av interna dokument och intervjuer med inblandade parter i produktionsfasen. Resultat: Då den mesta kommunikationen kring miljöfrågor sker centralt och det finns en osäkerhet kring vems ansvar miljöfrågan ligger under ett projekt, leder till att det blir en personfråga och påverkas av hur stort intresse involverade personer har i miljö och hållbarhet. Resultatet visar att det i dagsläget läggs lite fokus på energiförbrukning under produktionsfasen. Byggtorkning är det moment med högst energiförbrukning och har därmed störst potential att minska dess koldioxidutsläpp. Konsekvenser: Studien visar att personligt intresse för miljö, prioritering samt tilldelning av resurser kan minska på energiförbrukningen under ett projekt. Genom att detta omfattas av KMA-samordnarens arbetsuppgifter innebär det att frågan adresseras och att energibesparingar kan göras. Begränsningar: Studien begränsas till större entreprenadföretag och studerar enbart energiförbrukningen från arbetsmomenten grundläggning, stombyggnad och yttre stomkomplettering i produktionsfasen på en platsbyggd betongstomme. Studien tar sålunda inte hänsyn till energiförbrukning av den tillfälliga fabriken. Respondenter till intervjuer har valts utifrån sakkunnighet och involveringsgrad i energieffektivisering på byggarbetsplatsen.
Purpose: The study addresses energy consumption in the production phase and focuses on how communication about energy consumption can reduce it. Most focus is currently on reducing the energy consumption of a building during the operation phase, while there is a lack of focus on the energy consumption in the production phase. One of the biggest difficulties with sustainable development in the construction industry is that each project is unique, making it difficult for parties involved to learn from previous experiences and share knowledge between different projects and actors, thereby increasing the importance of a working communication. The aim of this study is therefore to reduce the environmental impact of the construction phase concerning energy consumption, by improving communication between parties involved. Method: This study is performed as a case study for a specific project at one of the largest construction and property development companies in Sweden. Methods to answer the questions of the study and gather empirical data are literature studies, document analysis and interviews with parties involved in the production phase. Findings: Since most of the communication is handled centrally and there is an uncertainty about whose responsibility the environmental issue is during a project, it becomes a personalized question and depending on the personal interest for the environment and sustainability is for the people involved. The results show that there is currently a lack of focus on the energy consumption during the production phase. The drying of the concrete structure is the phase with the highest energy consumption and therefore has the greatest potential for reducing its carbon dioxide emissions. Implications: The study shows that personal interest for the environment, prioritization and allocation of resources can reduce energy consumption during a project. By including this in the QHSE-coordinator's tasks, implies in addressing the issue and energy savings can be made. Limitations: The study is limited to major contractors and only studies the energy consumption from the work stages foundation, framing and lock up in the production phase of a site-built concrete frame. The study does not therefore consider the energy consumption of the temporary factory. Respondents to the interviews have been selected based on expertise and involvement in energy efficiency at the construction site.

De flesta produktionsbranscher i Sverige har haft en positiv teknisk utveckling med digitaliserade verksamheter, och därmed effektivare processer. Byggbranschen är den bransch som det har tagit mycket längre tid för att implementera digitaliserade arbetssätt och metoder, och beskrivs oftast som en konservativ bransch. Denna utveckling har dock accelererat under senare år, och BIM (Buliding Information Modelling) har blivit allt mer känt inom byggindustrin.Syftet med arbetet var att undersöka hur mycket BIM egentligen används i byggbranschen, och vilka de rådande orsakerna är till varför det inte används hos alla aktörer. Metoden som har tillämpats i studien utgörs av en förstudie i form av en enkät, där olika aktörer har beskrivit hur BIM tillämpas i deras verksamhet samt vilka de verkliga problemen är för utvecklingen av BIM. Utifrån enkätsvar har en djupare studie utförts i form av intervjuer av olika aktörer.Resultatet visar att det snarare är okunskap, användarvänlighet och bristfällig samverkan som motverkar utveckling av BIM-processen. För att komma ifrån det konservativa så behöver dessa faktorer angripas, om effektivare processer ska tillföras branschen.Slutsatsen om varför BIM inte används dras av resultaten ovan. Processen används till en viss del, men inte i den utsträckning som det teoretiskt är avsett. Den sträcker sig inte ut över hela byggprocessen, och är mest utvecklad i projekteringsskedet. Processen tillämpas fram till övergången mellan de olika skedena, och beror på bristfälliga kravställningar och samarbeten mellan aktörer och beställare. En lösning är att öka BIM-kunskapen och utveckla en gemensam plattform för alla aktörer i alla skeden, där kravet på BIM ska vara en självklarhet i projekten. Detta genom en framtagen implementeringsmodell anpassad efter de svar och önskemål som förekommit i studien.
Most production sectors in Sweden have had a positive technical development with digitized operations, and thus more efficient processes. The construction industry is the industry that has taken much longer to implement digitized working methods and methods, and is usually described as a conservative industry. However, this development has accelerated in recent years, and BIM (Buliding Information Modeling) has become increasingly known in the construction industry. The purpose of the work was to investigate how much BIM is actually used in the construction industry, and what the prevailing reasons are why it is not used by all actors. The method used in the study consists of a preliminary study in the form of a survey, where different actors have described how BIM is applied in their operations and what the real problems are for the development of BIM. Based on questionnaire responses, a deeper study has been conducted in the form of interviews by different actors. The result shows that it is rather ignorance, user friendliness and inadequate collaboration that counteract the development of the BIM process. To get rid of the conservative, these factors need to be addressed if more efficient processes are to be supplied to the industry.The conclusion about why BIM is not used is deducted from the results above. The process is used to a certain extent, but not to the extent that it is theoretically intended. It does not extend throughout the entire construction process, and is most developed in the design phase. The process is applied to the transition between the different stages, and is due to insufficient demands and cooperation between actors and developer. One solution is to increase BIM knowledge and develop a common platform for all actors at all stages, where the requirement for BIM should be a matter of course in the projects. This through an implemented implementation-model adapted to the responses and wishes that have been found in the study.

Purpose: There are clear benefits with BIM in the design phase, but also barriers and challenges that limit the implementation of BIM in the design phase. At present, there are no requirements for BIM in Sweden, which differs from several international countries. The aim of the report is to examine the current use of BIM in the design phase in Sweden. The report is executed in hope of contributing to an increased BIM integration in the design phase and contribute with increased knowledge about how the development of BIM can increase. Method: The research method in this study is a survey. To achieve the aim of the report and answer the research questions, data are collected via a questionnaire that is covered by both quantitative and qualitative questionnaire questions in combination with a literature study. The questionnaire has been sent out to architects, designers and constructors at various engineering- and architectural companies in Sweden. Findings: Today's use of BIM in the design phase is assumed to be high and most of the participants in the survey are aware of the benefits of BIM and how it can make the workflow in the design phase more effective. Factors that prevent the implementation of BIM are assumed to go hand in hand with factors that contribute to an increased use of BIM and thus need to be considered for the use of BIM to increase. Implications: Sweden's low degree of digital development in the construction sector does not reflect the current use of BIM in the design phase at architectural- and engineering companies in Sweden. Common uses that architect- and engineering companies apply with BIM are collision controls, information management and visualization. By increasing knowledge and informing customers about the benefits of BIM, the use of BIM is assumed to increase. A further recommendation that assumes increased use of BIM is a requirement for BIM in public construction in Sweden. Limitations: The report is limited to examining the use of BIM in the design phase and only examines architectural- and engineering companies in Sweden. The respondents consist of architects, designers and constructors. The results are representative for the report but cannot be applied to all architectural- and engineering companies in Sweden as the selection method is not generalizable.
Syfte: Det finns tydliga fördelar med BIM i projekteringen men även hinder och utmaningar som begränsar implementering av BIM i projekteringsskedet. I Sverige finns i dagsläget inga krav på BIM vilket skiljer sig från flera internationella länder. Målet med rapporten är att undersöka dagens användning av BIM i projekteringsskedet i Sverige. Studien genomförs i förhoppning om att bidra till en ökad BIM-integrering i projekteringsskedet samt bidra med ökad kunskap om hur utvecklingen av BIM kan drivas framåt. Metod: Forskningsmetoden i denna undersökning är en survey. För att besvara rapportens frågeställningar och uppnå målet sker datainsamling via en enkät som omfattas av både kvantitativa och kvalitativa enkätfrågor i kombination med litteraturstudie. Enkäten har skickats ut till arkitekter, projektörer och konstruktörer på olika ingenjörs- och arkitektföretag runt om i Sverige. Resultat: Användningen av BIM i projekteringsskedet antas vara hög i dagsläget och majoriteten av medverkande i undersökningen känner till fördelarna med arbetssättet och hur det kan effektivisera arbetsgången i projekteringsskedet. Faktorer som hindrar implementering av BIM antas gå hand i hand med faktorer som bidrar till en ökad användning av BIM och behöver därmed beaktas för att användningen av BIM ska öka. Konsekvenser: Sveriges låga grad av digital utveckling inom byggsektorn speglar inte användandet av BIM i projekteringsskedet på arkitekt- och ingenjörsföretag i Sverige i dagsläget. Vanligt förekommande användningsområden med BIM i projekteringsskedet bland arkitekt- och ingenjörsföretag är kollisionskontroller, samgranskning, informationshantering och visualisering. Genom att öka kunskapen om BIM i beställarledet och informera om nyttan med arbetssättet antas användningen av BIM stiga. Vidare rekommendation som antas leda till en ökad användning av BIM är en kravställning på arbetssättet inom offentligt byggande i Sverige. Begränsningar: Rapporten är avgränsad till att undersöka användningen av BIM i projekteringsskedet och undersöker endast arkitekt- och ingenjörsföretag runt om i Sverige. Enkätrespondenterna utgörs av projektörer, arkitekter och konstruktörer. Resultaten är representativa för undersökningen men kan inte tillämpas på alla arkitekt och ingenjörsföretag i Sverige eftersom urvalstekniken inte är generaliserbar.

A causa del largo utilizzo di acciaio e calcestruzzo per la costruzione degli edifici, il settore delle costruzioni è responsabile di un terzo delle emissioni globali di gas serra in atmosfera. Il presente lavoro di tesi mira a valutare le emissioni di anidride carbonica dovute alla costruzione di un edificio con materiali convenzionali e a confrontarle con le emissioni dello stesso edificio se fosse in legno laminato: in particolare vengono analizzati tre principali scenari: nel primo si analizza l’edificio costruito con materiali convenzionali, nel secondo vengono sostituiti da materiali convenzionali sostenibili, nel terzo viene eliminato il calcestruzzo e al suo posto vengono inseriti pannelli di legno laminato. Viene utilizzato il software One Click LCA prodotto dalla Bionova, che, valutando le fasi di estrazioni di materie prime, lavorazione, produzione, trasporto e messa in opera, permette di quantificare l’anidride carbonica immessa in atmosfera in seguito a tali processi. Dai risultati emerge un netto miglioramento sin dal secondo scenario in cui le emissioni si riducono del 47%, al terzo scenario dove si abbassano del 75% rispetto al valore iniziale: per questo motivo, un’analisi LCA dovrebbe essere sempre effettuata durante la progettazione di un edificio.

This doctoral thesis titled Effectiveness of marketing activities in preparatory phase of construction life cycle deals with the possibility of more effective marketing activities in preparation for construction. The main goal of the thesis is to analyze the current state of the use of marketing activities from the view of a building contractor and building users, to propose a methodology of indicators suitable for assessing the effectiveness of marketing activities in preparatory phase of construction life cycle. Effectiveness is assessed from the perspective of selected entities operating in the Czech construction market - building contractor and building user.

A présent, les bâtiments résidentiels et commerciaux sont en phase de devenir le secteur le plus consommateur d’énergie dans de nombreux pays, comme par exemple en France. Diverses recherches ont été menées de manière à réduire la consommation énergétiques des bâtiments et augmenter leur confort thermique. Parmi tous les différentes approches, la technologie du stockage de chaleur latent se distingue par une très bonne capacité à stocker la chaleur afin de réduire les écarts entre la disponibilité et la demande d’énergie. Dans le cadre de l’un de nos projets, nous avons l’intention d’intégrer au design des murs des bâtiments un type de brique transparente remplie de matériaux à changement de phase (MCP). Les MCP à l’intérieur de la brique sont soumis à des changements de phase liquide-solide. Cette thèse s’attaque à la problématique du processus de fusion au sein de la brique. Au cours de cette thèse, une méthode expérimentale non-intrusive a été développée afin d’améliorer les techniques expérimentales existantes. La vélocimétrie des images des particules (VIP) et la fluorescence induite par laser (FIL) ont été couplées pour étudier la convection naturelle et la distribution de la température. Puisqu’aucun thermocouple n’a été inséré au sein de la brique, le processus de la fusion a été considéré sans perturbation. Les résultats montrent que cette conception expérimentale a un avenir prometteur, même si elle reste à améliorer. Par la suite, nous présentons deux simulations numériques. Ces simulations se fondent sur la méthode de Boltzmann sur réseau à temps de relaxation multiple (LBM MRT), employée pour résoudre le champ de vitesse, et sur la méthode de différences finies, pour obtenir la distribution de la température. La méthode d’enthalpie a quant à elle été utilisée pour simuler le changement de phase. Les simulations en deux dimensions et trois dimensions ont toutes deux été réalisées avec succès. Point important, ces simulations numériques ont été développées en langage C pour tourner spécifiquement sur un processeur graphique (GPU), afin d’augmenter l’efficacité de la simulation en profitant de la capacité de calcul d’un GPU. Les résultats des simulations concordent bien avec les résultats de nos expériences et avec les résultats analytiques publiés
The domestic and commercial buildings are currently becoming the major sector that consumes the biggest share of the energy in many countries, for example in France. Various researches have been carried out in order to reduce the energy consumption and increase the thermal comfort of builds. Among all the possible approaches, the latent heat storage technology distinguishes itself because of its excellent heat storage ability which can be used to efficiently reduce the discrepancy between the energy consumption and supply. In one of our project, we intend to integrate a type of transparent brick filled with phase change material (PCM) into the buildings' wall design. The PCM inside the brick undergoes the solid-liquid phase change. This dissertation addresses the important issues of the melting process inside the brick. In this dissertation, a non-intrusive experimental method was proposed to improve the existing experiment technique. The particle image velocimetry (PIV) and the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) were coupled to investigate the natural convection and the temperature distribution. Because there was no thermocouple installed inside the brick, the melting process was thus considered to be less impacted. The results showed that this experimental design has a promising future, yet still needs to be improved. Two sets of efficient numerical simulations were also presented in this dissertation. The simulations were based on the thermal lattice Boltzmann method (TLBM), where the natural convection got solved by the LBM and the temperature equation was solved by the finite difference scheme. The enthalpy method was employed to simulate the phase change. Both the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional configurations were successfully simulated. Moreover, the simulation programs were specifically developed - using the C language - to be run on the graphic processing unit (GPU), in order to increase the simulation efficiency. The simulation results demonstrated a good agreement with our experimental results and the published analytical results

Dans le but de réduire la consommation d’énergie et d’augmenter la part des énergies renouvelables, la conception optimale des futurs bâtiments (bâtiments intelligents) apparaît comme un facteur important. Cette thèse vise donc à développer des modèles, des méthodes innovantes d’aide à la conception pour ces bâtiments. Notre nouvelle approche de conception est une optimisation globale et simultanée de l’enveloppe, des systèmes énergétiques et de leurs stratégies de gestion dès la phase d’esquisse, qui prend en compte plusieurs critères de coût (investissement et exploitation) et de confort (thermique, visuel et aéraulique). Le problème d’optimisation multi-objectif est donc un problème de couplage fort de grande taille avec de nombreuses variables et contraintes, qui induisent des difficultés lors de sa résolution. Après avoir fait des analyses sur des cas tests, une méthode d’optimisation d’ordre 1 est choisie, en association à des modèles analytiques dérivés formellement de manière automatique. Notre méthodologie est appliquée à la conception de maisons individuelles, et plus particulièrement des maisons à énergie positive. Les résultats obtenus par cette approche globale apportent des informations importantes aux concepteurs pour l’aider à faire des choix en phase amont du processus de conception
In order to reduce the energy consumption and to increase the use of renewable energy, the optimal design of future buildings (smart-buildings) appears as an important factor.This thesis aims to develop models, innovative methods aiding decision-making during the design of buildings. Our approach of design is a global and simultaneous optimization of envelope, energy systems and their management strategies from the sketch phase, which takes into account multi-criterions of costs (investment et exploitation) and comforts (thermal, visual, aeraulic). The multi-objective optimization problem is so a strong coupling problem of large scale with a lot of variables and constraints, which leads to difficulties to solve.After the tests, an optimization method of order 1 is chosen in combination with analytical models formally derived automatically. Our methodology is applied to the design of individual houses, especially positive energy houses. The results of this global approach provide important information to designers to help make choices from the preliminary phase of the design process

This doctoral thesis "The effectiveness of marketing activities in the preparatory phase of the life cycle of construction" deals with the possibility of more effective marketing activities in preparation for construction. The main goal of the thesis is, based on the analysis of the current state of the use of marketing activities from the view of a building contractor and building users, to propose a methodological indicators suitable for assessing the effectiveness of marketing activities in the preparatory phase of the life cycle of the building.The theoretical part is an overview of the current state of knowledge in areas related to efficiency, marketing, product life cycle and construction. In the practical part is to find out which marketing activities and effectiveness criteria are used in the preparatory phase of the life cycle of the building. The findings on the relationship to the use of individual elements of marketing activities and effectiveness criteria from the perspective building contractor and building users are summarized. Subsequently it is evaluated achieved financial efficiency of construction companies and assessed its link to relationship marketing activities. For a comprehensive evaluation are also used results of the analysis of selected financial indicators. Based on the findings is designed methodical indicator for assessing the effectiveness of marketing activities in the preparatory phase of the life cycle of the building. In conclusion, barriers and opportunities for application of the methodology of creation and use of indicators in practice are evaluated.

The Earth's health is deteriorating and will deteriorate even more rapidly unless people adopt eco-friendly policies. Green building has long been a concept but it has not yet been universally applied in practice. The concept of sustainability emerged in the 1970s and can be associated with the energy crisis and environmental pollution concerns. This research is aimed at investigating whether building “green” is more demanding than non-green buildings in terms of cost and the use of green materials against traditional materials; whether professionals in the construction industry are knowledgeable in terms of green buildings; and lastly, to determine whether green buildings are contributing significantly to the environment. The literature reviewed and results of quantitative research amongst professionals from the Island of Mauritius formed the basis of the study. The study revealed that green building is expensive relative to traditional buildings considering. However, the concepts employed (for example: lower energy use, less waste disposal, lower water usage, and sustainable design) provide green buildings with long term savings. Furthermore, the scarcity of natural materials makes it expensive. The study also showed that contractors and professionals have a preference for traditional materials over green materials thus making them more familiar with traditional materials. Contractors and professionals are believed to understand green materials only on a limited basis. This may be attributed to the specific environmental issues involved; however, the research revealed that the professionals are familiar with the basic concepts of green buildings. Lastly, the research showed that green building is still at its infancy but the benefits of green buildings are understood; resulting in green buildings having a good growth potential. The study should be valuable to construction industry professional and clients.

The skyline of many 'world cities' are defined and punctuated by tall buildings. The drivers for such dominant skylines range from land scarcity and social needs; high real estate values; commercial opportunity and corporate demand, through to metropolitan signposting. This fascination with tall buildings started with the patrician families who created the 11th Century skyline of San Gimignano by building seventy tower-houses (some up to 50m tall) as symbols of their wealth and power. This was most famously followed in the late 19th Century with the Manhattan skyline, then Dubai building the world's highest building, then China building some eighty tall buildings completed in the last 5 years, then UK building Europe's highest tower, the Shard and finally back to Dubai, planning a kilometre tall tower, potentially realising Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 'Impossible Dream' of the 1920's and Frank Lloyd Wright's 1956 'Mile High Illinois'. This ambition to build higher and higher continues to challenge the Architects, Engineers and Builders of tall buildings and is expected to continue into the future. The tall building format is clearly here to stay.

Buildings have a significant impact on the environment due to the energy required for the manufacture of construction materials. The method of assessing the energy embodied in a product is known as energy analysis. Detailed office building embodied energy case studies are very rare. However, there is evidence to suggest that the energy requirements for the construction phase of commercial buildings, including the energy embodied in materials, is a significant component of the life cycle energy requirements. This thesis sets out to examine the current state of energy analysis, determine the national average energy intensities < i.e. embodied energy rates < for building materials and assess the significance of using national average energy intensities for the energy analysis of a case study office building. Likely ranges of variation in the building material embodied energy rates from the national averages are estimated and the resulting distribution for total embodied energy in the case study building simulated. Strategies for improving the energy analysis methods and data are suggested. Detailed energy analysis is shown to be a useful indicative method of quantifying the energy required for the construction of buildings.

New tunnels are continually constructed beneath the surface of large and developed cities due to the lack of surface space. These new tunnels will undoubtedly interact with existing surface and subsurface assets, such as building foundations, pipelines and other buried structures. There will be a two-way interaction whereby the tunnel construction affects the existing structure by inducing displacements in the underlying soil, and the structure influences tunnelling induced displacements via its weight and stiffness. The design of tunnels should include the consideration of this soil–structure interaction to avoid significant damage or failure to the existing structures due to the effect of the newly constructed tunnel. The research presented in this thesis focuses on tunnel–building interaction, and more specifically on buildings with shallow foundations. Previously, numerical methods have been used to study specific scenarios or to obtain design charts for use by geotechnical engineers. The proposed design charts have various limitations. For instance, they are suggested for specific types of soils, the 3D nature of buildings is disregarded to a great extent, and most importantly, several main parameters that influence the behaviour of a building when affected by tunnelling have not been accurately considered. In this research, the 3D behaviour of buildings is investigated with a focus on the main parameters that affect the deformation of a building in reality. These parameters are determined based on mathematical relationships of the stiffness of a structural member. Furthermore, computationally efficient methods are proposed to estimate building bending stiffness that can be readily used by engineers. The focus of this work is the effect of tunnelling on concrete framed buildings. The research deals with three main areas: [i] the estimation of the bending stiffness of a building’s superstructure and foundation, [ii] the analysis of tunnel–soil–building interaction using realistic ground displacements achieved from the field or experimental studies, and [iii] the behaviour of a 3D building (weightless and weighted) in a soil–building system during the construction of a tunnel. Finite element analysis (ABAQUS 3D) is used to investigate these problems. In research area [i], the building superstructure and the foundation are treated separately. Approaches are proposed in which the building response to tunnelling is related to the bending of a beam and empirical-type relationships are developed to predict building bending stiffness. These approaches are somewhat unconventional, but it is shown that they capture the real 3D response of buildings and foundations to tunnelling induced ground displacements more accurately than previously proposed methods. The approaches are relevant to scenarios where the building is perpendicular to the tunnel axis. Additionally, two cases of tunnel–building relative position are considered: (1) a case where a tunnel is constructed outside the building plan area (i.e. the tunnel axis and the nearest edge of the building to the tunnel do not overlap by more than half of the tunnel cross-section), which is called the ‘cantilever approach,’ and (2) a scenario where the tunnel is located under the building centreline, which is called the ‘fixed–ended approach.’ It should be noted that a detailed understanding of how structural elements of a building contribute to the stiffness of the entire building system is missing in the literature. The results of research area [i] show that the contribution of the building storeys to the global building bending stiffness is not uniform; the lower storeys have a larger contribution than the upper ones. Furthermore, buildings are mainly represented by 2D beams or frames in the current methods of building stiffness estimation. The proposed methods of this thesis (cantilever and fixed–ended methods) present accurate estimations of the true bending stiffness of 3D buildings subjected to tunnelling induced ground movements. In addition, the length of the building subjected to deflections, the length that is not affected by deformations, and the cross sectional flexural rigidity play the main role in the estimation of bending stiffness. These parameters are strongly interconnected, and should be considered together in the analysis of tunnel–building interaction. The results of this research show that the bending stiffness of a building decreases dramatically as the length affected by ground displacements increases. In contrast, the length of the building that is unaffected provides resistance to the building against rotation, which in turn increases the bending stiffness. This is because the unaffected length determines the boundary condition of the building, which is an important parameter in determining the bending stiffness. Research area [ii] aims to provide a method to overcome issues arising when using numerical analyses to investigate tunnelling and its impact on structures, since ground displacements predicted with conventional numerical methods are generally wider and shallower than those observed in practice. A two-stage numerical technique is proposed to estimate the effect of building stiffness on ground displacements due to tunnelling. In the first stage, greenfield (no existence of structures) soil displacements are applied to the soil model and the nodal reaction forces are recorded. In the second stage, the effect of tunnelling on a structure is evaluated by applying the recorded nodal reactions to an undeformed mesh. Results show that by using this technique, the role of the soil constitutive model is removed from the process of evaluating tunnelling induced ground displacements; it is only used in the evaluation of the soil–structure interaction. A realistic prediction of the structural stiffness effect can therefore be achieved due to the application of realistic ground displacements. For research area [iii], the response of weightless and weighted 3D buildings to tunnelling in a global soil–building system is considered. For the weightless case, the degree of stiffness contribution of the foundation and the superstructure to the bending resistance of the building is investigated. Buildings in the literature are assumed to act as a single entity when affected by tunnelling. Results of this research show that the effect of the foundation stiffness has the most significant contribution to the global building resistance to soil deformations while the contribution of the superstructure stiffness is less significant. Using insights from these results as well as those of research area [i], an equivalent beam method is proposed to model 3D buildings as 2D beams in plane strain analyses. The equivalent beam considers the effect of parameters influencing bending stiffness of a member, and the non-uniformity of stiffness contribution of building storeys to the global building bending stiffness. For the weighted buildings, a study is presented about the approach used to design a building, and the assumptions made in the analysis and design stages prior to the construction of a tunnel. The design parameters most affected by the tunnel construction are determined and examined numerically. It is explained that there is a strong relationship between the weight and bending stiffness of a building.

Five projects improve understanding of how to use PCM to reduce building cooling energy. Firstly, a post-installation energy-audit of an active cooling system with PCM tank revealed an energy cost of 10.6% of total cooling energy, as compared to an identical tankless system, because PCM under%cooling prevented heat rejection at night. Secondly, development of a new taxonomy for PCM cooling systems allowed reclassification of all systems and identified under-exploited types. Novel concept designs were generated that employ movable PCM units and insulation. Thirdly, aspects of the generated designs were tested in a passive PCM sail design, installed in an occupied office. Radiant heat transfer, external heat discharge and narrow phase transition zone all improved performance. Fourthly, passive PCM product tests were conducted in a 4.2 m3 thermal test cell in which two types of ceiling tile, with 50 and 70% microencapsulated PCM content, and paraffin/copolymer composite wallboards yielded peak temperature reductions of 3.8, 4.4 and 5.2 °C, respectively, and peak temperature reductions per unit PCM mass of 0.28, 0.34 and 0.14 °C/kg, respectively. Heat discharge of RACUS tiles was more effective due to their non-integration into the building fabric. Conclusions of preceding chapters informed the design of a new system composed of an array of finned aluminium tubes, containing paraffin (melt temperature 19.79 °C, latent heat 159.75 kJ/kg) located below the ceiling. Passive cooling and heat discharge is prioritised but a chilled water loop ensures temperature control on hotter days (water circulated at 13 °C) and heat discharge on hotter nights (water circulated at 10 °C). Test cell results showed similar passive performance to the ceiling tiles and wallboards, effective active temperature control (constant 24.6˚C air temperature) and successful passive and active heat discharge. A dynamic heat balance model with an IES% generated UK office’s annual cooling load and PCM temperature%enthalpy functions predicted annual energy savings of 34%.

This master thesis investigated the influence of prefabrication rate of buildings on the embodied environmental impacts. Through a comparative attributional LCA four different Swedish buildings were investigated to explore the influence of PR on the environmental impacts in the categories Cumulative Energy Demand, Global Warming Potential, Water Consumption, Fossil Resource Scarcity, and Mineral Resource Scarcity. The reference buildings had prefabricated rates of 14, 26, 38 and 91%. The results indicate that a higher prefabricated rate (PR) can lead to a lower impact in these categories to some extent; mainly due to a lower amount of total concrete material per square meter, dependent on the construction method used. The most influential materials in the comparison where cement and steel. An initial improvement of several impacts was seen when the PR of concrete buildings increased from 14% to 38%, with one reason being increased material efficiency of concrete. When further increasing PR, it is not certain that impacts necessarily continue to improve, as no clear difference was shown between the buildings with PR of 91% and 38%. This seems to point towards that any clear relationship between PR and the chosen impact categories breaks down or flattens out for higher prefabricated rates, and that the most beneficial solution often could be a semi-prefabricated construction method. This is concurrent with previous results in the current body of literature on LCA of construction and prefabricated rates. Instead, for additional reduction of environmental impacts after this point, other factors such as material choice and could become increasingly important. Additionally, the question of which impact category to prioritize arises.
Denna masteruppsats undersöker betydelsen av andelen prefabricerad betong i byggnader och dess påverkan på den inbyggda miljöpåverkan. En jämförande bokförings-LCA gjordes av fyra svenska referensbyggnader för att undersöka prefabrikationsgradens inverkan i fem kategorier av miljöpåverkan: kumulativ energiförbrukning, global uppvärmning, vattenförbrukning, och förbrukning av minerala och fossila naturresurser. Referensbyggnaderna hade prefabricerade andelar av 14, 26, 38 och 91%. Resultaten indikerar att en högre grad av prefabricering kan leda till en lägre påverkan i de undersökta kategorierna i viss mån, inte minst på grund av en lägre total förbrukning av betong per kvadratmeter BTA, beroende på vilken konstruktionsmetod som används. De mest betydelsefulla råmaterialen fanns vara cement och stål. En initial förbättring i flertalet kategorier syntes när prefabrikationsgraden ökade från 14 till 38%, mycket tack vare den lägre betongförbrukningen. När prefabrikationsgraden steg ytterligare till 91% syntes ingen tydlig förbättring, och det kan inte anses klarlagt att en högre prefabrikationsgrad nödvändigtvis har lägre miljöpåverkan. Detta indikerar att den mest fördelaktiga lösningen ofta kan vara en semi-prefabricerad lösning, vilket överensstämmer med resultaten i tidigare studier på området. För ytterligare reducering av miljöpåverkan efter en viss grad av prefabricering framstår andra faktorer såsom materialval som allt viktigare.

Presented in this thesis are the results from two distinct investigations on the behaviour of lightweight framing systems for buildings. One investigation concerns the characterisation of cold-formed steel sections of novel shape for the design of columns in modular construction, and this is reported in the first part of thesis. The second new investigation is for a theoretical analysis to determine the elastic critical buckling load for shear-flexible frames of fibre reinforced polymer sections. This work is detailed in the second part to the thesis. Modular 2000 Ltd. fabricated the column specimens that were characterized for the research on lightweight steel modular construction. To determine the reSistance of nine different column types a series of nominal concentric strength tests were conducted on specimens of 2.7 m length having a new E-section shape. The novelty to the shape is that it has no flat elements and is continuously curved in plan. Open E-sections are of S350 structural grade steel, are nominally 100x43 mm in plan, and have wall thicknesses of either 1.5 or 2 mm. Various bracket and enclosure combinations were the variables in the nine column types tested. These were connected to the E-sections by MIG plug-welding. Except for the 100x40x1.5 mm C-enclosure of S350, the other attachment components were of steel grade CR4, at 1.5 mm thickness. There were five column types with E-sections of 2.0 mm thickness and four with 1.5 mm thickness. Reported are the salient results from 54 strength tests, where the mode of failure was global buckling about the minor-axis of the E-column. To also determine the local buckling strength, and the effective area, a small series of stud column tests were performed on 200 mm long specimens of the 1.5 mm open E-section only. To support the understanding gained from the series of full-sized physical tests on E-columns, a programme of theoretical work is presented which is used to determine the design strengths of the column types and to predict the elastic and inelastic critical loads of a curved panel. Theory is also used to find a plasticity reduction factor for the E-section, which is required to "establish the effective area for local buckling. BS 5950-5: 1998 gives a code of practice for the design of cold-formed thin gauge sections. This current guidance is specific to steel sections comprising Simple shaped members that are of flat elements bounded either by free edges or by bends. The new results from the combined theoretical and eXperimental studies to characterise E-columns are evaluated and used to make recommendations on how SS 5950-5: 1998, and, in particular, Section 6 for members in compression, can be used with E-sections to design modular units. In the second part of the thesis the author shows how a static analysis for plane frames of shear-flexible members, written by a previous Warwick University PhD student, can be modified to calculate the elastic critical buckling load for overall instability. The modified sframe programme provides a practical analysis tool that, importantly, includes non-linearity by way of second-order P-L1 effects with shear-flexible functions and semi-rigid joint action. In conventional frame analysis shear-flexibility is ignored when members are of isotropic material (steel), and by way of a preliminary parametric study the author shows why the influence of shear deformation on reducing the buckling load of shear-flexible frames should not be neglected when the material is of fibre reinforced polymer. By studying the change in critical load in simple frame problems it is found that there is an interaction between shear-flexibility and the torsional stiffness given to the beam-to column joints. Moreover, the study on the instability of shear-flexible frames provides evidence to suggest that the relative stiffness values for joint classification boundaries are likely to be lower than those for steel frames by Eurocode 3 (BS EN 1993-1: 2005). This is an important finding for when a structural Eurocode or other code of practice is drafted for lightweight framed structures of fibre-reinforced polymer materials. Although the work presented in this thesis is from two distinct investigations the deliverables are important to the sustainable development of lightweight framing systems for buildings.

The thesis is focused on alternative solutions development project. The thesis defines a construction contract, the construction phase of financing. It also describes the types of developers, contractual relationships between the parties to development projects and methods of construction. In the practical part of this work is focused on solving a particular variant of a development project.

The aim of this thesis is to introduce the given topic "Construction cost over the life cycle of the building" and to show the overview of the development of the cost and price data on a specific example. The thesis is mainly focused on the valuation of the building in its phases. The theoretical part includes an elaboration of the life cycles of the building into various stages based on available information and documents, such as the budget of the building, operating expenses and real estate valuation issues.

The purpose of this research is to propose a Target Costing principles-based frame work for publically funded Green Buildings. Target Costing, a concept from manufacturing, includes a variety of principles and techniques, all of which have the same ultimate goal: to control costs and to increase value to bring the most satisfaction to the end users. This study investigates the current practice when programming and designing the Hunt Library, a LEED-Silver certified and publically funded building at North Carolina State University (NCSU), and proposes some improvements to this practice based upon the fundamentals of Target Costing. The feasibility of the proposed framework was examined in this research through interviews with key project participants, e.g., owner representatives, user groups, design team, and construction manager. The results from this research were gathered to create a Green Building specific Target Costing application framework which includes a flow chart, and a list of barriers and solutions.

This work investigates the thermal performance of buildings in Cyprus and application of a particular passive technology; Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for the ultimate aim of reducing indoor air temperatures and energy supplied for the cooling season.PCMs for passive building applications are emerging technology and have not been tested for the buildings of Cyprus neither by computer simulations nor by practical applications. In this work, particular PCM end product; wallboard, having phase change temperature of 26 oC is employed together with various construction materials and simulated for buildings of Cyprus. Description of the current state in Cyprus has been carried out in terms of low energy building studies, widely used building fabric and building statistics. There is a huge gap in Cyprus in the field of energy performance and thermal comfort of buildings, which creates big room for research. Climatic design of buildings has been abandoned resulting in poor thermal comfort and increased energy consumption. There is still no regulation in place regarding the thermal performance of buildings in North Cyprus.Recent weather data of different Cyprus locations has been investigated and compared with the simulation weather data files that are employed in this work. The author has demonstrated that Finkelstein-Schafer statistics between recent weather data of Cyprus and simulation weather data files are close enough to obtain accurate results.Dynamic thermal simulations has been carried out by using Energy Plus, which is a strong and validated thermal simulation program that can model PCMs. Simulations are done for two different building geometry; “simple building” and “typical building” by employing different construction materials. Simple building is a small size box shaped building and typical building is a real existing building and selected by investigation of the building statistics.Simulation results showed that with this particular PCM product, indoor air temperatures and cooling energies supplied to simple building is reduced up to 1.2 oC and 18.64 % when heavier construction materials are used and up to 1.6 oC and 44.12 % when lighter construction materials are used. These values for typical building are found to be 0.7 oC, 3.24 % when heavier construction materials are used and 1.2 oC, 3.64 % when lighter construction materials are used. It is also found that, if thinner walls and slabs are used in the buildings the effectiveness of the PCM lining increases in significant amount.

The use of thermal energy storage in buildings is well understood but contemporary buildings with highly insulated, lightweight construction have low thermal inertia. This causes them to respond rapidly to external temperature changes, which results in significant internal temperature fluctuations and overheating. This research addresses this problem by developing a thermal interactive wall-lining through the inclusion of phase change materials. Phase change materials (PCMs) not only absorb sensible heat but also absorb and release latent heat during phase transition. This research set out to determine if it is possible to locate phase change materials on the surface of a room and if they can effectively improve the thermal performance of a room. Using the scientific method the suitability of different types of PCMs was investigated for inclusion within a vinyl matrix. Experiments evaluated the maximum quantity of PCM loading and thermal analysis identified the largest potential heat storage capacity for the phase change wall-lining. Following successful laboratory experiments a pilot scale prototype phase change wall-lining was manufactured and tested. The test involved an experiment comprising two thermally matched chambers to evaluate the thermal performance of the phase change wall-lining in a controlled environment. The results demonstrated the phase change wall-lining can reduce internal temperatures by more than 2°C and delay the time taken to reach extreme temperatures. The effect of different air flow rates on the ability to charge and discharge the phase change wall-lining have been evaluated to identify the required operating criteria for use in buildings. This research has developed an innovative phase change wall-lining that reduces internal peak temperatures, minimises diurnal temperature fluctuations by storing excess heat and improves the thermal comfort. The outcomes provide a greater understanding of the interaction between air and PCMs when located on the surface of a room, and indicate that such materials have the potential to improve thermal performance of new and existing buildings.

The study presented in this thesis is an attempt towards a better understanding of the coupled lateral-torsional response of buildings subject to seismic ground motion. Some of the problems identified in the past studies are thoroughly investigated and some new areas of study are explored. Some of these problems encountered in the literature include (a) the existence of several definitions of uncoupled torsional to lateral frequency ratio (b) an arbitrary selection of structural parameters in a parametric analysis resulting in a physically inadmissible structure and (c) the effect of nonlinearity. Because of the simplified models with either eccentricity in one direction or the ground motion applied in only one direction, the effects of a bi-directional loading have not been investigated in detail. These effects may include the relative differences in the amplitude or phase components of the individual accelerograms and their orientation with respect to the building. The phase properties of accelerograms are of particular interest and these have not received much attention in the past. Using analytical methods such as Chasle's[16] and Gerschgorin's[39] theorems, the equation of motion of a bi-eccentric system is derived and all of the existing problems regarding the definition of structural parameters and their bounds are studied in depth. To facilitate nonlinear parametric study, a paraboloid non-linear elastic stiffness model is proposed. Fourier spectral methods are used to study the frequency domain characteristics of the accelerogram pair. The difference in phase and amplitude of the component frequencies in each direction are studied for their effects on the response. For phase difference, cross-correlation function is used as a comparative statistical indicator. USA earthquake records obtained from US National Geophysical Data Centre are grouped into four soil types and the analysis is performed for each group in order to explore the soil-dependency of the aforementioned effects on the response. Computer programs are written in FORTRAN for both parametric and numerical model analyses. The latter can handle any number and orientation of columns with the assumed nonlinear stiffness properties. Newmark's and Runge-Kutta methods of numerical integration with adaptive step size control have been used to calculate parametric and the hysteretic responses of the system. The response to harmonic ground acceleration is used as a preliminary investigation into the response to actual accelerogram frequency components. The study has developed relationships for different definitions of the uncoupled torsional to lateral frequency ratio. Detailed derivation of the Equation of Motion has clarified the confusion that produced different definitions in the past studies. Graphical descriptions of the admissibility bounds on system parameters are produced. The variation in the response quantities is studied for a range of amplitude and phase contents of the applied ground acceleration. The difference in phase and amplitude in x and y ground accelerations have been found to affect the response quite significantly. More generally, the relationship of these differences to the torsional mode amplification has been observed. The effects of structural frequency and eccentricity parameters are also studied. Graphs showing the relationship between, the angle of incidence of the accelerogram with respect to the principal axis of the building, and the phase difference in the accelerogram pair, have been produced. The proposed analysis involving the bi-directional ground acceleration on a bi-eccentric system is an improvement on the current methods employed in design practice. Further work is, however, required before simplified design recommendations can be made and some proposals for future research are given at the end of this thesis.

Trends in the construction of deep excavations include deeper excavations situated closer to buildings. This research provides insight into mechanisms of soil-structure interaction for piled buildings adjacent to deep excavations to be used in the design and monitoring of deep excavations in urban areas. Most methods to assess building response have originally been developed for tunnelling projects or buildings with shallow foundations. Monitoring data of the construction of three deep excavations for the North South metro Line in Amsterdam, The Netherlands have been used to validate these methods specifically for piled buildings. In all three of the Amsterdam deep excavations studied, the largest impact on the ground surface and buildings is attributed to preliminary activities instead of the commonly expected excavation stage. The in situ preliminary activities caused 55-75% of the surface settlement and 55-65% of the building settlements. Surface settlements measured behind the wall were much larger than the wall deflections and reached over a distance of 2-3 times the excavated depth away from the wall. The shape of the surface settlements found resembles the hogging shape as defined by Peck (1969). For the excavation stage only, the shape of the displacement fits the profile proposed by Hsieh and Ou (1998). Most prediction methods overestimate the soil displacement at depth. An analytical method has been established and tested for the behaviour of piled buildings near excavations. This method includes the reduction of pile capacity due to lower stress levels, settlement due to soil deformations below the base of the pile and development of negative (or positive) skin friction due to relative movements of the soil and the pile shaft. The response of piles in the case of soil displacements depends on the working load of the pile, the percentages of end bearing and shaft friction of the pile, the size and shape of the soil settlements with depth and the distribution of the maximum shaft friction with depth. A method is derived to determine the level for each pile at which the pile and soil settlement are equal. Buildings in Amsterdam built before 1900 and without basement are most sensitive to soil displacements. For all other buildings, the pile settlement depends mainly on the working load. The actual damage experienced in buildings depends also on the relative stiffness of the building compared to the soil. Cross sections in Amsterdam have been evaluated and it is concluded that the Goh and Mair (2011) method provides a realistic, although rather large range of possible modification factors for the deflection of buildings next to excavations, deforming in hogging shape. For the incidents that happened at Vijzelgracht some well known damage indicators have been evaluated.

L’exploitation des énergies renouvelables est une voie nécessaire afin de lutter contre le réchauffement climatique, et afin d’anticiper la raréfaction des matières premières. Le mur capteur/stockeur solaire appliqué aux bâtiments à très basses consommations d’énergie s’inscrit dans cette volonté d’une transition vers les énergies renouvelables. Dans le cadre de ces travaux de thèse, l’énergie solaire est stockée dans des matériaux à changement de phase qui permettent un stockage de chaleur latente plus dense que le stockage sensible des matériaux de construction traditionnels. Cette énergie est restituée à l’ambiance intérieure par la circulation d’air neuf à travers l’élément de stockage. Un mur capteur/stockeur solaire a été développé en s’appuyant sur une revue bibliographique préalable des différents travaux scientifiques menés pour des problématiques similaires. Le dispositif a été expérimenté en environnement réel dans un premier temps, intégré à l’enveloppe d’un petit bâtiment en bois fortement isolé. La quantité de chaleur captée par le mur peut atteindre 2 kWh.m-2.jour-1, pour une quantité de chaleur restituée à l’air de 1,5 kWh.jour-1. Le dispositif a été testé en conditions maîtrisées de laboratoire. Une attention particulière a été portée à la mesure de température au sein même du MCP, afin d’analyser le comportement thermique de ce dernier. Deux phénomènes ont été observés : le recouvrement de la phase liquide sur la phase solide et l’homogénéisation des températures en phase liquide. Le comportement thermique du MCP dépend des interactions entre trois flux : le flux de charge (apport solaire), le flux de décharge (énergie restituée à l’air) et un flux vertical induit par le recouvrement de la phase liquide sur la phase solide. Par ailleurs, un modèle numérique dynamique du mur capteur a été développé en volumes finis. Ce modèle permet de simuler l’effet de serre du mur capteur, le stockage de chaleur et les phases de solidification et de fusion du MCP, et la restitution de chaleur à l’air entrant dans le bâtiment. Les résultats numériques alors obtenus ont été confrontés aux données expérimentales. Le modèle a été validé pour la température d’air soufflée (en sortie du mur capteur). L’écart entre valeurs expérimentales, sur des périodes journalières, est en moyenne de 0,6°C pour la température d’air soufflé et est inférieur à 10 % pour l’énergie fournie à l’air préchauffé. Ces différences sont inférieures aux incertitudes de mesures et à l’incertitude du calcul énergétique. Le modèle ainsi validé peut être couplé au code de simulation thermique dynamique du bâtiment TRNSYS
Use of renewable energy is a necessary way to fight global warming and to anticipate scarcity of raw materials. The solar/storage wall used in buildings with lower energy consumption meets this evolution to renewable energy sources. In this thesis, solar energy is stored in a phase charge material (PCM), which provides latent storage. The latent storage is higher than sensible storage in usual building materials. This energy is restored to indoor air, by circulation and heating of inlet air through the wall storage element. In this thesis work, the solar storage wall was developed, based on previous published works dealing with similar systems. An experiment has been carried out with the solar storage integrated in a small wood building with a high insulation. The solar energy recovered by the wall reaches 2 kWh.m-2.day-1 and 1,5 kWh.day-1 was restored to air. In a second experiment, a prototype was developed to be used in controlled laboratory conditions. Special attention was given to PCM temperature measures to analyze the PCM thermal behavior. Two phenomena were observed: (i) liquid phase recovering solid phase, (ii) temperature homogenization in liquid phase. The PCM thermal behavior depends on interactions between three energetic flows: the charge flow (solar energy recovered), the restored flow (energy restored to the inlet air) and a vertical flow created by the liquid phase recovering. Furthermore, a numerical dynamic model for the solar storage wall was developed. It is based on a finite volume approach. This model simulates: (i) the ground effect in a solar wall, (ii) the thermal energy storage and phase changes, and (iii) heat recovery energy to air inlet. Numerical results were compared to experimental values. The model was validated for air temperature for daily cycle defined with a charge period (during sunning) and a continue air heating. The difference between numerical values and experimental values are lower than 0.6°C in mean temperature, and 10% in energy. This difference is lower than measurement uncertainties and energy calculation error margins. So the model is valeted and can be coupled with the dynamic thermal simulation code: TRNSYS

Currently there is a growing pressure on energy efficiency for new buildings in the UK and worldwide. This has arisen partly due to the increasing awareness of the public for sustainable building construction. In addition, there is pressure on building materials manufacturers, due to new government regulations and legislations that are targeting energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions in new buildings. This research work reports on unfired clay building materials (unfired clay bricks) technology for sustainable building construction. The technology aims at the reduction of the high energy input, especially that arising from firing clay bricks in kilns. The research has investigated the use of lime or Portland cement as an activator to an industrial by-product (Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag-GGBS) to stabilise Lower Oxford Clay (LOC). Portland cement was used in the formulation of the unfired clay brick tests specimens predominantly as a control. The development of an unfired clay brick in this current work is considered by the researcher as a significant scientific breakthrough for the building industry. Another breakthrough is the fact that only about 1.5% lime was used for GGBS activation. This is a very low level of usage of lime that is not comparable to, or sufficient for, most road construction applications, where far less strength values are needed and where 3-8% lime is required for effective soil stabilisation. Hence, the final pricing of the unfired clay brick is expected to be relatively low. Industrial scale brick specimens were produced during two separate industrial trials. The first trial was at Hanson Brick Company Ltd, Bedfordshire, UK, while the second was carried out at PD Edenhall Ltd, Bridgend, South Wales, UK. The results clearly demonstrate that all key parameters such as compressive strength, thermal properties and durability were within the acceptable engineering standards for clay masonry units. From the environmental and sustainability analysis results, the unfired clay material has shown energy-efficiency and suggests a formidable economical alternative to the firing of clay building components. This study is one of the earliest attempts to compare fired and unfired clay technology, and also to combine energy use and CO2 emission for unfired clay bricks relative to those bricks used in mainstream construction. This is an attempt to come up with one parameter rating. The overall results suggest that the spinoff from this technology is an invaluable resource for civil engineers and other built environment professionals who need quick access to up-to-date and accurate information about the qualities of various building and construction materials.

Mitigation of progressive collapse after an initial failure has become a primary concern of engineers in recent years. Often alternative load paths are sought to redistribute load from the damaged area. It has been recognised for some time that the omission of compressive membrane action (CMA), also termed ‘arching action’, can lead to a significant underestimation of load capacity. An investigation has been conducted to ascertain whether the additional load carrying capacity from CMA can provide an inherent alternative load path to aid robustness. A series of scaled specimens with industry standard detailing have been designed for an experimental investigation. Reinforced concrete elements were modelled in the double span scenario once an intermediate column has been removed. The test rig used allows the central support to be removed followed by the application of a point load applied at midspan; the system is determinate including measurement of the horizontal reaction. Subsequent to the flexural response two modes of membrane action are induced, initially compressive until tensile membrane extends load capacity at high values of deflection. The response during the latter tensile phase is outside the scope of this research. Comparisons of experimental data with analytical methods inclusive of CMA have demonstrated that whilst conservative the method by Merola (2009) provides a reasonable prediction. This method has been utilised in a study of a series of flat slab structures with a range of column spacings. The inherent restraint stiffness provided by the surrounding slab and frame has been quantified using FEA and has allowed for the extent to which CMA can improve the robustness of a structure to be determined.

From a sustainable development perspective, buildings should be designed to be as energy-efficient as possible, as the contribution of buildings to total energy consumption has steadily increased, reaching between 20% and 40% in the developed countries. One of the main challenges for achieving this goal is to develop more cost-effective systems and processes for energy renovation and modernising of the building stock of Europe. This challenge is addressed in this thesis. The research presented herein has had the overall purpose to identify and explore obstacles in the design process of constructing more energy-efficient buildings. Three research questions have guided the research work: (1) How can life cycle cost be used to predict the cost benefits of energy efficient buildings?; (2) How can the handling of energy performance requirements in the design process for buildings be improved?; (3) How do client requirements, political governance and regulations affect the design of energy performance in buildings? The research is based on literature reviews, interviews and surveys, as well as case and computational studies. A computational study was performed with three different building types situated in Finland using three different energysaving design concepts for each building. Energy consumption and construction costs were analysed for each case and the financial viability was analysed using the discounted payback method. Individual interviews were carried out to determine to what extent life cycle cost calculations are used in the construction sector and how energy performance is taken into account in model-based design processes for buildings. A decision-making framework and an axiomatic design model for a performance-based design process was then developed and the conceptual model was compared with a real case of low energy design in Sweden. Finally, a survey explored energy conservation strategies in the design of buildings in Germany and Sweden and a longitudinal investigation of key policy instrument regarding energy conservation in Germany and Sweden was conducted to support the main findings of the survey. The main results of the research work show that: * There is no evidence that the design of energy performance is considered differently in the design process for buildings in Sweden and Germany, even if regulations and building codes differ between the two countries. However, the somewhat steeper reduction in space heating in Germany compared with Sweden could be due to the stricter regulation in the building codes in Germany over the last decade. * The transparency of the design and the associated decision-making about energy performance can be improved by using the requirement management model developed, which is based on axiomatic principles and the proposed decision-making framework for evaluating, structuring and detailing the requirements from the conceptual to the detailed design stages. * Energy performance design can give cost benefits over a specific time for a building, as measured by the resulting life cycle costs. In general, life cycle cost analysis can be a tool for evaluating cost benefits over time and provide support for the decision-makers, but the challenges and uncertainties of its use have to be taken into account in the decision-making process. To conclude, the "energy gap" between regulations and what is technologically possible can be reduced to a certain extent by facilitating the energy design process with a performance-based design process and decision-making tools that support the evaluation of life cycle performance. However, it seems that regulation is a more important driver for the development of technology for low energy housing than market forces so the regulatory limit should therefore be set with respect to what is possible and not with respect to current practice.

Godkänd; 2013; 20121121 (jutsch); Disputation Ämne: Byggproduktion/Construction Engineering Opponent: Professor Johnny Kronvall, Strusoft AB/Malmö högskola, Malmö Ordförande: Professor Ove Lagerqvist, Institutionen för samhällsbyggnad och naturresurser, Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Torsdag den 7 februari 2013, kl 10.30 Plats: F1031, Luleå tekniska universitet

Analyse de l'évolution des materiaux et des techniques ainsi que des consequences induites par celles-ci sur la conception du bati. Importance du concept de masse (ou inertie) quant a son influence sur le comportement thermique du batiment vis a vis du rayonnement solaire. Etat des connaissances sur les materiaux presentant un changement de phase, utilisables dans les parois du batiment. Modelisation physique, experimentation sur modeles reduits et a l'echelle 1; methodes numeriques de traitement du signal

The poor quality of public buildings in the Botswana construction industry has been surrounded by controversy and strongly held opinions. The work reported here attempts to indicate some salient issues affecting the quality management system, with particular reference to the construction phase. Three propositions are addressed by the work. First that quality problems related to public building processes in Botswana are primarily due to an inappropriate project organizational structure. Secondly, that the traditional building procurement system provides a poor quality management system. The third proposition is that the traditional building procurement system does not facilitate derived quality levels as defined by the contract drawings and specifications. Five objectives of this study are identified and various issues which are fundamental to the research are reviewed. The first is the way in which the Botswana public building sector is organized, focussing on the building construction process. The second is the review of quality management theories both in the manufacturing and construction industries. The third is the relationship between the project management structure and project quality management, and the quality of building. The fourth is the proposal of a conceptual framework of an appropriate quality management system. Finally, recommendations about how to deal with organization of public building projects in order to select appropriate quality management systems are given. Information is obtained on the research areas through the use of the following methods: 1. Consultations with quality management practitioners and review of the Quality Management literature. 2. Questionnaires to architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, construction firm executives, contracts managers, site managers, trade foremen and skilled tradespersons, on quality management problems and procurement systems. 3. Case studies investigating approaches to site quality management in general and the adequacy of quality management documents. 4. Semi structured interviews investigating public building clients views on the quality management system and project procurement systems. The data collected are analysed using triangulation (qualitative and quantitative methodologies) methodology and the main results are reported below. The primary conclusion to be drawn is that the quality management system purported to be in use in the Botswana public building sector differs significantly from that recommended in the theory, resulting in poor quality buildings. This is primarily due to the use of an inappropriate building procurement system. In general the traditional building procurement system in the Botswana public building sector is used as a 'default system'. There are indications to suggest that it is used merely because the clients and consultants have failed to consider the issue of appropriateness. An appropriate quality management model for the construction phase is proposed with a proviso that the Botswana public building sector should establish appropriate methods of selecting appropriate procurement systems as a prerequisite in formulating appropriate quality management systems for various projects.

The aim of this study was to provide information about the effects of construction materials on thermal comfort in residential buildings using Ecotect 5.0. Three residential buildings, each of different construction in the province of Yozgat, Turkey were used as study material to this end. At the end of this study, the effects of materials on thermal comfort have been explained by graphical and statistical analysis. Pertinent literature reports that the thermal responses of occupants depend to some extent on the outdoor climate in naturally ventilated buildings with operable windows. Furthermore, an adaptation occurs in these buildings regarding the occupants&
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previous thermal experiences, the availability of control, and shifts in expectations. The study therefore focused on collecting data on both indoor and outdoor air temperature and humidity to show the comfort level in such buildings. By collecting data on 3 houses constructed of different materials the author aimed to show the effects of materials on thermal comfort. The analyses were further extended with computer simulations, which enabled restriction of the parameters on construction materials. The study has shown that in naturally ventilated residential buildings, construction materials affect both thermal comfort and thermal performance of the buildings. Buildings with traditional construction material showed a better performance in achieving the preferred thermal comfort while decreasing energy costs.

The green building market has seen tremendous growth in the past decade. Organizations such as the US Green Building Council have emerged to become a dominant leader in the building industry. Although the green building rating systems are cross-disciplinary, much of the focus has been directed towards design-related input. General Contractors play an important role in delivering successful sustainable construction projects. If an integrated project delivery method is chosen, the General Contractor may offer insightful preconstruction assistance by providing ideas on green construction methods and materials. As sustainable building practices become more prominent in the construction industry, General Contractors must remain knowledgeable on current green building standards in order to stay competitive. Two of the most important aspects of business for a General Contractor involve time and money. Through qualitative literature review and quantitative results from a case study, this research analyzes time and cost in sustainable construction projects from a General Contractor's perspective. The research also examines whether the management of a sustainable construction project is substantially different than a non-sustainable construction project for a General Contractor. Finally, because the green building process involves multiple parties, the collaboration effort from all parties involved in a green building project will be studied.