Review of the use of phase change materials (PCMs) in buildings with reinforced concrete structures

Phase change materials are capable of storing and releasing energy in the form of heat in determined temperature ranges, so to increase a building"s thermal inertia, stabilize its indoor temperatures and reduce its energetic demand. Therefore, if we used these materials we could have more energetically efficient buildings. Nevertheless, are these materials most appropriate to be used in buildings? Could the incorporation of phase change materials in buildings with concrete structures be generalized? This article aims to carry out a review of these phase change materials from construction professionals" points of view, study their applications for buildings with reinforced concrete structures and the key points for these applications, draw conclusions and provide recommendations useful for all professionals within the sector who are considering the application of these materials.Revisión crítica del uso de materiales de cambio de fase en edificios con estructuras de hormigón armado. Los materiales de cambio de fase son capaces de almacenar y liberar energía en forma de calor en un determinando rango de temperaturas, y así aumentar la inercia térmica de un edificio, estabilizar las temperaturas en el interior y reducir la demanda energética. En consecuencia, si utilizáramos estos materiales podríamos tener un parque de edificios más eficientes energéticamente. No obstante, ¿estos materiales son apropiados para usarse en edificios? ¿Se podría generalizar la incorporación de materiales de cambio de fase en edificios con estructuras de hormigón? Este artículo tiene como objetivos hacer una revisión del estado del arte de estos materiales de cambio de fase desde el punto de vista de los profesionales de la construcción, estudiar las aplicaciones en edificios con estructuras de hormigón armado y los puntos clave para estas aplicaciones, extraer conclusiones y recomendaciones útiles para los profesionales del sector que se planteen la utilización de estos materiales.This research was partially funded by the Spanish government (ENE2011-28269-C03-02). The authors would like to acknowledge the support received from the Concrete Technology Research Group of Barcelona Tech (UPC). The authors would also like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to the research group GREA (2009 SGR 534) and the research group DIOPMA (2009 SGR 645)

Importación de espárragos verdes frescos de Perú a España

El presente proyecto es la conclusión del XIV Máster en Comercio Internacional, impartido por la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Su objetivo es servir de guía a la realización de operaciones de importación de espárragos frescos verdes de origen y procedencia Perú a España. La parte de financiación es una de las más sensibles del proyecto, en su elaboración se considero los temas de negociación, contratación, análisis de coste beneficio y gestión financiera de la empresa. La gestión de asuntos financieros es una tarea fundamental para una empresa con fondo propio limitado. Cómo funciona el flujo de tesorería, a cuánto tiempo se amortiza la inversión, son cuestiones que en nuestro caso importan más, a cierto nivel, que el beneficio. Con respecto a la gestión financiera en la operación planteada, la mayor limitación enfrentada es la costumbre en la forma de pago del sector. Por eso en el trabajo se analiza los costes y riesgos, dando soluciones a través de línea de financiación y forma de pago. El análisis financiero del proyecto se basa en datos reales logrados con mucha investigación, para ello se entrevisto con funcionarios de entidades financieras, proveedores y compradores del sector, entre otros

MSWI bottom ash for thermal energy storage: An innovative and sustainable approach for its reutilization

The management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a very important issue that must be dealt by the perspective of the 3 Rs (Reuse, reduce, recycle. MSW incineration bottom ash (BA) accounts for 85-95% of the total solids that remained after incineration. Finding suitable alternatives for its revalorization is very attractive, especially in terms of environmental sustainability. Thermal energy storage (TES) is a complementary technology of renewable energy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the thermophysical properties of weathered BA (WBA) in order to find suitable alternatives for its valorisation. Several samples of WBA were collected from a waste-to-energy facility located in Tarragona (Spain). This facility sieved to different size fractions. Each size fraction was characterized with respect its physicochemical properties and the energy density (ren) was calculated. The results obtained showed that this residue is a suitable alternative candidate material for TES as it presents an energy density of 1461.2 kJ m 3 K 1 for the 1-2 mm fraction. In addition, the low cost of this type of residue (0.6V per t) and its high production rate per year makes it an attractive and sustainable alternative for TES

A framework for integrating sustainability estimation with concepts of rules of building measurement

BIM promises improvement in project delivery efficiencies such as reduction in costs and errors and timely completion. Benefits are also expected in sustainable construction aspect with research efforts being extended to sustainable design and assessment. These efforts are still been explored for the purposes of unifying quantification methodologies, the standardisation of system boundaries, terms of references and sustainability measures. Embodied energy and CO2 are two common measures that have been widely used in the construction sector. Although a number calculation system exists, they are not useful to the iterations that occur at the early stages of the project life cycle. At the procurement stage, professionals often rely on schedules and bill of quantities with no reference to sustainability credentials. It is therefore important to integrate sustainability measure with concepts in standard measurement methods. As such, we propose a framework to integrate sustainability credential with the concepts in rule of building measurement. We conclude that this framework can be applicable to any rule of building measurement and it is implementable in a computer programmable environment

Ecoetiqueta de serveis i aprofitament dels recursos hídrics i energètics als establiments hotelers de Sitges

Aquest projecte té com a objectiu l'estudi de l'estat ambiental dels hotels del municipiEste proyecto tiene como objetivo el estudio del estado ambiental de los hoteles delThis project aims to study the environmental conditions of the hotels in Sitges and th