Functional, Energy and Seismic Retrofitting in Existing Building: An Innovative System Based on xlam Technology

In recent years significant investments were made in retrofitting of existing buildings with the aim to realize a strong functional, energy and seismic refurbishment. This is a complicated challenge: the technical and economic feasibility of intervention must be correctly defined and most of interventions are not standardized or coordinated or properly managed. Given the awarenessrelatedto environmental sustainability topics, this studyfocusedon the developmentof systems andtechnologiesbased on the useof natural and environmentally sustainable materials. The paper is focused on the xlam panel that is integrated into an existing building (outside or inside the external wall) in order to improve the static and structural tightening. The system is designed for modularization and standardization for giving simplicity and speed of assembly and low cost providing also. Through a three-dimensional and numerical model, simulations were carried out to verify and to optimize the energy behaviorof the chosenmaterials and to identifythe best combinationon thermal performancecomparedwith the costsandenvironmental impactsof the product. The valuesand the results obtainedwere testedexperimentallyin the laboratoryby the constructionof a prototype

historical buildings retrofit the city hall of the city of motta di livenza tv

Abstract Issues related to energy saving, environmental sustainability and safety in case of seismic events are more and more the focus of attention of public opinion and the various actors of the construction sector. The Italian housing stock needs a strong energy adjustment, functional and seismic. The majority of buildings dating back to before the entry into force of the laws on energy saving of 1976 and first of the orders on the seismic design of 2003. The intervention on private buildings is favored by various financial systems and various facilities but to intervention on the public housing stock it is not easy. Most of the public buildings are identified as historical and therefore listed by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Historical constraints, facades and fine decorations and inhomogeneity of the construction techniques and materials used make it very difficult to intervene in these buildings. The article will analyze a case study: the city hall of the municipality of Motta di Livenza (TV). This historic building, listed by the Super-intendent, has been subject to an energy audit that defines what are the best measures of energy efficiency and their economic sustainability. The search result will define which are the most cost-effective interventions to associate with the project of seismic improvement already underway. The case study is a real example of finding a balance between the need for seismic and energy intervention, constraints placed by the Superintendent, the data constraints by decorations and valuable items cannot be modified and the need for improvement of interior comfort

Application of Different Circadian Lighting Metrics in a Health Residence

During the last three decades, various scientific researchers analysed the connection between natural elements and human life, both as far as well-being and productivity. This study simulates circadian lighting metrics on elderly occupants in a healthcare residence, with different types of metrics. It presents an application of some metrics that try to quantify the effects of natural light on the human being. Circadian Action Factor, Circadian Stimulus, and Equivalent Melanopic Lux are considered. Starting from the spectral power distribution parameter, the three metrics are compared. The final aim is to build up a standard technique to represent the effect of key design choices on the accomplishment of endorsed circadian framework boost for healthcare residences occupied by elderly people

Key Parameters Featuring BIM-LCA Integration in Buildings : a Practical Review of the Current Trends

The construction sector is responsible for 40% of carbon emissions, 14% of water consumption and 60% of waste production in the world, generating a state of unsustainability. In order to keep these values under control and make the most sustainable choices starting from the earliest stages of building design, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be used. This consists of an analysis of the environmental impacts of a product, activity or process throughout all phases of the life cycle. The fundamental problem of implementing this analysis process in the construction sector is the difficulty in managing the fragmented building information that covers all aspects of buildings life stages in an integrated way. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach offers the possibility of managing a complex information system in an integrated manner. The BIM-LCA integration solutions proposed in recent years made LCA analysis faster, cheaper and usable by more professionals. This paper proposes an analysis of the state of the art of the research published in the last ten years regarding the integration of BIM-LCA as a methodology whereby the BIM approach can support and simplify data management for LCA analysis. The aim was to present the work methodologies tested so far and to describe all the factors that were considered in applying the BIM-LCA integration. The novelty of this review consists of identifying a series of more recurrent parameters and measures used by most researchers deriving a trend of possible and consolidated workflows. The result is, therefore, to present evidence of a general heterogenous framework and to define the common and widespread approaches identifying the main features

European projects on district energy-renovations and Italian best practices

Buildings are the major source of greenhouse gas releases: lowering their energy consumption and emissions is particularly challenging for the existing building stock. This topic was examined at an individual building level in the International Energy Agency\u2019s EBC Annex 56. However, the increasing request of nearly zero energy buildings highlight another important topic: the need of an increase in energy production for satisfying the required amount of renewable energy sources. This task could be solved at the district level for the existing buildings, even if it is a complex issue. This work presents a general introduction on the topic of Urban and Regional Integrated Energy Planning, with a focus on the regional and supraregional process to create and manage energy plans. After the first introductory part, the method is explained through a description of its main phases and the tools used. The subsequent section presents a general overview on the European projects that deal with the problem of district regeneration; the ones that are more related to the topic of this work are considered in a deeper way through tangible applications in Italian cities. The study of already done examples will help in the definition of benefits and drawbacks, with the aim to defining newer and better energy planning procedures

An Integrated Energy and Environmental Audit Process for Historic Buildings

The valorization and sustainable management of historic centers is a topic relevant to the cultural identity and heritage of European cities. A rational strategy to preserve the centers must consider both energy and environmental retrofitting, even if this is a complex issue requiring interdisciplinary approaches, dedicated diagnostic procedures, and specific tools. Within this context, this paper proposes an integrated method for energy and environmental analysis specifically devoted to historical building retrofit. Attention is focused on cases in which building management is not interested in renovation or in a deep conservation project, but instead in green management and maintenance overhaul. The basis of the procedure is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) rating protocol. The global goal was the definition of an intervention strategy indicating the principal direction of action. The first step is identifying critical issues in the operation of the building through energy diagnosis and dynamic thermophysical simulations. The second step is defining a panel of appropriate retrofit measures. The third step is choosing between alternatives to increase the sustainability performance following an environmental assessment scheme. Ca\u2019 Rezzonico in Venice (Italy), a 17th-century palace, nowadays the seat of a museum, was used as a case study to apply the proposed methodology

The Rising Damp in Venetian Masonry : Preliminary Results Comparing Laboratory Tests and Dynamic Simulations

The control of moisture in the building sector represents a widespread issue and research topic, in terms of improving the quality of indoor space healthiness and energy performance. In Venice, rising damp and moisture phenomena are very diffused and difficult to solve, due to building structures and specific environmental conditions. All of the buildings and artefacts in the city are presently wall structures filled with bricks, which lean on relatively permeable soil, are exposed to an environment rich in saline aerosols, and are continuously lapped by floods and brackish water. The aim of this research was to analyze typical Venetian masonry walls affected by rising damp through the application of non-destructive methods, in order to understand and assess the behavior of construction materials in specific boundary conditions. The data given by non-destructive monitoring in mock-up masonries were compared with dynamic simulations to estimate the hygrothermal behavior and analyze the effect on different parameters, such as the physical properties of new and historical materials (i.e., density, thermal conductivity, etc.), the presence and type of plasters, and the kinds of traditional treatment applications. The evaluation of experimental data, supported by simulations provides to the literature an empirical comprehension of rising damp phenomena in real masonry toward careful heritage conservation

Integration of LCA tools in BIM toward a regenerative design.

In the case of regenerative processes, design can receive significant benefits from information that can be obtained by applying the life cycle assessment methodology. The LCA (life cycle assessment) approach can be implemented both for a single building material and for the whole building. An effective and efficient real application of this methodology requires the integration of LCA databases and analysis routines in commonly used simulation tools such as energy performance simulation and Building Information Modelling (BIM). The integration of LCA tool significantly impacts the design efficacy especially in reducing environmental impact of the construction industry. This paper reviews the integrated LCA tools in simulation software currently available for BIM platforms and will explore the possibilities given to restorative design informed by LCA analysis, through a test on two construction typologies for a case study

The Energy Improvement of School Buildings: Analysis and Proposals for Action

The objective of this research is to identify a tool of analysis applicable to school buildings that, through simple input information, can make immediate assessment reduction of energy consumption for heating and associated reduction of CO2emission, as a result of improvements.The definition of a methodology of analysis allows to evaluate preliminarily the energy performance of the whole school building identifying the most problematic buildings and dividing into groups based on the construction and geometry. In the first phase all buildings have been filed through information obtained from survey and documentation of archives, then two analyses were performed to compare the energy performance of the whole sample.For the initial analysis it was applied a methodology proposed by ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic development) and designed specifically for school buildings; in the second analysis it was calculated the energy performance index for winter heating and compared with the appropriate limit value.Subsequently a sample of buildings was well selectedafter splitting the school building into homogeneous groups. The buildings have been translated into a mathematical model of the building system calibrated on actual energy consumption and dynamic conditions were simulated in order to accurately quantify the impact of the various proposed actions.The results of all combinations of intervention, obtained from the latter analysis, have been used to develop a tool that identified the type of building and construction technology in order to estimate the immediate reduction of consumption and the CO2emitted.The methodology was applied to the school building of the municipality of Castelfranco Veneto, simulating two scenarios: the first plan to interventions under the PAES (Action Plan for Sustainable Energy) for public buildings while the second considers the possibility of performing all the improvements recommended by the instrument in relation to the entire academic heritage of the city

Building renovation : Which kind of guidelines could be proposed for policy makers and professional owners?

IEA IBC Annex 56 methodology provides the basis for the assessment and evaluation of energy related renovation options of residential building stock, first and foremost with respect to cost, energy use and carbon emissions. Furthermore, it allows also for a broader approach going beyond cost effective reduction of carbon emissions and energy use by taking into account co-benefits achieved in a renovation process. Besides impact indicators for primary energy use, carbon emissions and costs it also provides a methodological framework for integrating at least embodied energy use for renovation measures as part of a lifecycle impact assessment. The methodology and resulting fundamentals for renovation standards have to be applicable to different climatic and country specific situations. The Guideline for policy makers proposed by the Annex 56 gives useful information and suggestions to the drafting of legislative and administrative measures, at the national or local level, for reducing the amount of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in renovation of residential buildings. The reachable saving targets must be defined in agreement with the actors in the energy market, as the owners and / or the managers of buildings, but policy makers must be aware of their responsibility in defining cost effective levels for nearly zero energy or emissions building renovation, using a life cycle perspective, and the relevance of preparing adequate financial packages to support ambitious levels for building renovation. Furthermore, the Guideline for professional owners shall report outlines key drivers for building retrofit and use and the resulting impacts on energy consumption. This Guideline shall describe building and energy efficiency trends specific to the residential building sectors