Investigating the potential impact of energy-efficient measures for retrofitting existing UK hotels to reach the nearly zero energy building (nZEB) standard

The existing non-residential building stock can generally be considered energy inefficient. The ECUK 2017 report states that the final energy consumption for commercial buildings remained static. The 2010 recast Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) has set out a requirement for commercial and residential buildings to be nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs) by 2020. Despite this, within the UK a definition does not exist at the national level for commercial nZEBs (new or existing). This paper utilises the EU zebra2020 data tool to set a standard based on the existing UK nZEB commercial building stock. The aim of this paper is to investigate and assess the potential of various energy efficient measures (EEMs) and their contribution to reducing energy consumption, primary energy consumption (PEC), and CO2 emissions whilst taking into consideration the energy and cost-savings of those measures. The analysis is carried out using Thermal Analysis Simulation software (Tas, Edsl). The model validation obtained a performance gap of less than 5%. The results show that it is possible to achieve the nZEB standard for older UK hotel buildings if several measures are implemented and the initial selection of EEMs is carefully investigated. Based on the results reaching the nZEB target should first take into consideration improving the building fabric and/or building envelope elements to lower the energy demand. Once the energy demand of the building is lowered the incorporation of a renewable/microgeneration system is essential to meeting the nZEB target

Investigate the influence of Polypropylene as fine aggregate replacement on the mechanical and thermal properties of the concrete mix

The consumption of natural resources in various industrial sectors has caused significant environmental issues to the atmosphere through emission and energy cost due to the extraction and transportation of the materials, along with the availability and long-term damage to the natural resources. In order to address this issue, various solutions have been provided to reduce the amount of consumed natural resources by replacing them with alternative materials such as plastic waste and plastic, as a burden to the environment, is one of those materials being well explored by other researchers due to its worldwide applications and destructive impacts on nature. The industrial sectors, as massive consumers of natural resources and producers of plastic waste, have shown a continuous responsibility towards innovative alternatives for natural resources. In this regard, plastic materials such as Polyvinyl, Polystyrene, Polyethylene and Polypropylene have been investigated to replace coarse and fine aggregates in the construction without compromising the performance of the concrete mix. This study aims to investigate the influence of Polypropylene as a fine aggregate replacement on the compressive and tensile strength of concrete cylinder samples after 28 days of curing and assess the impact of temperature on thermal properties of the 28 days cured samples

An investigation into the tension lap splices

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of lap joint length on structural performance under ultimate load using both nonlinear numerical analysis and laboratory experiments. Three-dimensional (3D) finite element models were employed for the numerical simulations, which were carried out using LUSAS software. A typical four-point bending system was modelled in order to analyze the impact of lap length. In total, 24 cases of lap length were studied across three concrete grades: C30, C45, and C60. The study also examined the influence of beam depth, shear link spacing, and concrete grade on lap joint performance. In order to validate the reliability of the 3D model, experimental data from RC beam test specimens were used

Impact of conservatory as a passive solar design of UK dwellings

The prime goal of professionals in the built environment is to build cost-effective, environmentally sustainable buildings. This work focuses on the viability of passive solar design strategies of conservatories in the UK in mitigating the impact of future climate change. It further shows that passive solar energy utilisation in building design can contribute to the reduction of dwelling energy consumption and enhancement of indoor thermal comfort. Synergetic passive design strategies that optimise solar energy gains through thermal simulation analyses of varying future climatic conditions, occupant behaviour, building orientation, thermal mass, advance glazing, appropriate ventilation and shading, which influence the potential thermal performance of the conservatory, are devised. The balanced energy benefits of reduction in energy consumption through the application of passive solar design principles for space heating in winter and the challenge of reducing excessive solar gains in summer are analysed using the Cibse TM52 adaptive thermal comfort criteria. The results show that judicious integration of passive solar design strategies in conservatories, with increasing conservatory size in elongated south-facing orientation with an aspect ratio of at least 1·67, could decrease energy consumption, enhance thermal comfort and help to mitigate the impact of climate change when the conservatory is neither heated nor air conditioned

Method comparison analysis of dwellings' temperatures in the UK

The credibility and confidence in usage of a simulation program must be underpinned by an acceptably robust validation process. Over the years, various techniques have been employed to validate thermal simulation programs of buildings to facilitate continuous improvement of software development and acceptability. This study introduces the Bland–Altman method comparison analysis as a simulation validation tool to statistically evaluate the agreement between monitored temperatures and predicted thermal analysis simulated operating temperatures of detached dwellings in the UK. The findings of this work give the indication that there is very strong agreement between the monitored temperatures and the thermal simulation analysis results

Development and evaluation of composite insulated beams.

Decline in supplies of old growth wood coupled with increased demand for structural timber by the construction industry led to creation of engineered timber products (EWPs) comprising wood waste. The author designed, fabricated and tested composite insulated beams (CIBs) which are foam filled sandwich panels constructed from EWPs. CIBs in many cross-sections and materials were limit-tested for structural performance, long-term durability, thermal and dynamic behaviours. Varaiation in material properties was overcome by statistical sorting of beams with different stiffness. Some types of CIB were found to provide better structural performance than equivalent timber and glulam I-beam sections and the CIBs maintained a high strength to weight ratio. A parametric study based on Eurocode 5 determined the governing design criteria for CIBs. The study showed that in identical loading conditions CIBs offer longer spans than conventional EWP I-beams, together with lower beam depths for similar spans.Injected polyurethane foam improved long-term durability, bearing capacity and damping ratio of beams, but reducedthermal loss and reduced weakening effect of a web opening on shear strength of beams

Comparative study of sustainable drainage systems

The use of sustainable drainage systems (Suds) forms an important part of the requirement to conserve natural resources in an age of ever-increasing consumption. This paper explores the options available in the design of drainage systems, by virtue of a project to design two systems for a greenfield site with office and car parking. One design is a conventional piped setup and the other is a 'sustainable' drainage system. The design approach is not biased towards the conventional or sustainable system, but aims to seek out best practice in terms of economics and simplicity of design for each type. This computer-based software simulation study of the two drainage systems includes an introduction to Suds, with a description of the principles and techniques involved. There is further information on who is driving the requirements for implementation and the methods used to do so. This background will then inform the comparative study of drainage system designs

A review of the span-to-depth ratio methods of design

Concrete flat slabs structures are economic and the most popular form of concrete used in multi-storey structures. Deflection of slabs is a principal criterion in design, it governs thickness, which in turn has significant economic impact. Deflection is usually controlled by limiting span/depth ratio. This paper reviews the history of the span-to-depth method of design. Span/depth ratios are based on knowledge of deflection and in recent years, advances have been made in modelling deflection. Yet, the actual performance of reinforced concrete flat slabs in the field remains largely unknown. Rarely have models been calibrated against actual construction projects. Part of the wider research study aims to document the deflection of a concrete slab in a large residential block. The intention is to note any serviceability issues and to compare design models and assumptions with reality. The other part of the research is to look at current design limits. Limits on deformation were set many decades ago, when the forms of construction, partitions, finishes, cladding and service were very different from what they are now. Perhaps, the current limits are too conservative. In order to justify change, and enable more sustainable and economic designs, knowledge of the background to current limits and of current performance is needed. Part of that is to review the span-to-depth method of design

The progressive collapse behavior of precast floor-to-floor connections using longitudinal and transverse ties

This paper involves a fundamental study of a numerical method for progressive collapse resistance design of floor-to-floor joints in precast cross-wall structures. It presents a 3D numerical study of a floor-to-floor system with longitudinal and transverse ties. The model is also used to derive the post-bond behavior and the mechanism of forming catenary action concerning the bond behavior in precast cross-wall structures. The obtained results indicated the adequacy and applicability of the code specifications in British Standard, Euro Codes, and DoD 2013. Discrepancies in the tie-force between the numerical results and codified specifications have suggested an inappropriate use of the current TF method, hence, an improved model based on the numerical results has been proposed to address this concern. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first numerical study to investigate the behavior of floor-to-floor joints following the removal of wall support in typical precast cross-wall structures when considering bar fracture and pull-out failure mode