Ciclo de mejora para la innovación docente aplicado en materias de un área técnica arquitectónica

La presente comunicación consiste en el relato completo de la experiencia docente del diseño y los resultados de la aplicación de un Ciclo de Mejora (CDM) en distintos temas de una asignatura del Área Técnica Arquitectónica. La viabilidad de la metodología empleada y la secuencia específica de actividades son analizadas con objeto de obtener las conclusiones precisas para lograr la mayor efectividad del aprendizaje de este tipo de materias en las que prevalecen los contenidos procedimentales y el estudio de casos y problemas. El CDM ha sido monitorizado en su integridad como un estudio específico de casos dentro del Proyecto de Excelencia del Plan Estatal 20013-16 titulado La Formación Docente del Profesorado Universitario. Progresos y Obstáculos de los Participantes en un Programa Basado en Ciclos de Mejora de su Práctica

A New Affordable Masonry System Based on Unfired Clay Sandwich Panel

Nowadays, construction is one of the main sectors that produces waste and consume more materials and energy, so there is a growing need for alternative construction technologies that allow us to modify this situation. In this context, this paper presents the development of an innovative proposal for an industrialized outdoor enclosure. This solution is based on a constructive system with prefabricated insulated sandwich panels, produced on the basis of a new eco-efficient composite material, based on raw stabilized clay. In this way, it is possible, prioritize environmental issues to significantly reduce the environmental impact generated during the manufacture of the piece. The use in the construction of buildings material such as stabilized raw clay can be an alternative to achieve buildings of nearly zero energy consumption. They are known both from a thermal comfort and ability to regulate temperature and humidity, as well as being materials that contain much less embodied energy. This study is a comparative analysis of building systems, as well, as a serie of selected patent systems and copyrighted materials. On the other hand, it also analyzes their enforcement against the values established by the Spanish building code

Exploring the Interplay between CAD and FreeFem++ as an Energy Decision-Making Tool for Architectural Design

The energy modelling software tools commonly used for architectural purposes do not allow a straightforward real-time implementation within the architectural design programs. In addition, the surrounding exterior spaces of the building, including the inner courtyards, hardly present a specific treatment distinguishing these spaces from the general external temperature in the thermal simulations. This is a clear disadvantage when it comes to streamlining the design process in relation to the whole-building energy optimization. In this context, the present study aims to demonstrate the advantages of the FreeFem++ open source program for performing simulations in architectural environments. These simulations include microclimate tests that describe the interactions between a building architecture and its local exterior. The great potential of this mathematical tool can be realized through its complete system integration within CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software such as SketchUp or AutoCAD. In order to establish the suitability of FreeFem++ for the performance of simulations, the most widely employed energy simulation tools able to consider a proposed architectural geometry in a specific environment are compared. On the basis of this analysis, it can be concluded that FreeFem++ is the only program displaying the best features for the thermal performance simulation of these specific outdoor spaces, excluding the currently unavailable easy interaction with architectural drawing programs. The main contribution of this research is, in fact, the enhancement of FreeFem++ usability by proposing a simple intuitive method for the creation of building geometries and their respective meshing (pre-processing). FreeFem++ is also considered a tool for data analysis (post-processing) able to help engineers and architects with building energy-efficiency-related tasks

Ultrasonic, Molecular and Mechanical Testing Diagnostics in Natural Fibre Reinforced, Polymer-Stabilized Earth Blocks

The aim of this research study was to evaluate the influence of utilising natural polymers as a form of soil stabilization, in order to assess their potential for use in building applications. Mixtures were stabilized with a natural polymer (alginate) and reinforced with wool fibres in order to improve the overall compressive and flexural strength of a series of composite materials. Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and mechanical strength testing techniques were then used to measure the porous properties of the manufactured natural polymer-soil composites, which were formed into earth blocks. Mechanical tests were carried out for three different clays which showed that the polymer increased the mechanical resistance of the samples to varying degrees, depending on the plasticity index of each soil. Variation in soil grain size distributions and Atterberg limits were assessed and chemical compositions were studied and compared. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) techniques were all used in conjunction with qualitative identification of the aggregates. Ultrasonic wave propagation was found to be a useful technique for assisting in the determination of soil shrinkage characteristics and fibre-soil adherence capacity and UPV results correlated well with the measured mechanical properties

On the Influence of Shade in Improving Thermal Comfort in Courtyards

This study analyzes the thermal performance of courtyards in traditional buildings in the city center of Córdoba (South of Spain), one of them displaying a shading component, to determine the influence of this precise element. The courtyards have been monitored simultaneously during a summer period when temperatures during the day reached over 45 °C. The obtained data was contrasted, and we confirmed that the shading element provided an improvement of the thermal performance of the courtyard which doubled the thermal leap between outdoor and inside the courtyard temperatures when the shading element was installed, in comparison to the courtyard without shade. Therefore, the tempering effect of courtyards can be significantly improved by means of using these simple elements

Use of Natural-Fiber Bio-Composites in Construction versus Traditional Solutions: Operational and Embodied Energy Assessment

During the last decades natural polymers have become more and more frequent to replace traditional inorganic stabilizers in building materials. The purpose of this research is to establish a comparison between the most conventional building material solutions for load-bearing walls and a type of biomaterial. This comparison will focus on load-bearing walls as used in a widespread type of twentieth century dwelling construction in Europe and still used in developing countries nowadays. To carry out this analysis, the structural and thermal insulation characteristics of different construction solutions are balanced. The tool used for this evaluation is the life cycle assessment throughout the whole lifespan of these buildings. This research aims to examine the environmental performance of each material assessed: fired clay brick masonry walls (BW), concrete block masonry walls (CW), and stabilized soil block masonry walls (SW) stabilized with natural fibers and alginates. These conventional and new materials are evaluated from the point of view of both operational and embodied energy

La transferencia de resultados de la investigación en esculeas de arquitectura: un ejemplo, la pavimentación de la plaza del Pan de Sevilla, la piel sensible

En el ámbito de la transferencia de resultados de investigación, presentamos un resumen de la participación de un grupo de profesores de la escuela de Sevilla en un proyecto ganador del concurso público para la remodelación (rehabilitación) de una zona amplia del centro histórico de la ciudad. Dicho proyecto, denominado “la piel sensible”, contempla la dignificación de un espacio público maltratado por el uso y abuso de vehículos y perdido para el transeúnte. El objetivo era recuperar estos espacios y, al mismo tiempo, transmitir al ciudadano el sentido histórico de los cambios en el trazado y la utilización de plazas y entornos monumentales de una ciudad carente de las necesarias zona peatonales. El estudio encargado de la materialización de la intervención ha resultado ser el propio ganador del concurso. Esto favorece la comprensión del alcance del proyecto cuya complejidad radica en disponer sólo de los materiales de pavimentación para transmitir todo el contenido histórico y transformaciones sufridos por los lugares en los que se intervendrá. La primera fase del proyecto contemplaba un ámbito reducido, la Plaza del Pan, un espacio de paso para el ciudadano, muy bloqueado para el peatón tanto por el aparcamiento de vehículos, como por la dificultad de tránsito dado el estado de la pavimentación y las diversas barreras arquitectónicas. La dimensión de este lugar se perdía por la abundancia de obstáculos visuales y su utilización como plaza pública se ceñía al paso de cofradías en la Semana Santa. Se trataba, pues, de recuperar este ámbito como plaza, como lugar público y como espacio arquitectónico, para lo cual se disponía sólo del material de pavimentación y de la lógica reordenación del tráfico rodado. El trabajo realizado en el proyecto “La piel sensible” busca conjugar la historia del sitio con una referencia claramente visual en el pavimento, tarea muy complicada ya que las solicitaciones técnicas de este revestimiento serán las que, a priori, marcarán la adecuación de estos materiales. Se puede “jugar” con los materiales, con la textura, con el formato, con el acabado superficial, pero no con las características admisibles, con los detalles constructivos, con la ejecución; máxime teniendo en cuenta que, en demasiadas ocasiones, el revestimiento de lugares públicos ha fracasado estrepitosamente. Debido a los antecedentes en el centro de la ciudad en zonas de especial relevancia y a lo arriesgado de algunos aspectos del proyecto, el estudio solicitó la asesoría y el apoyo técnico de investigadores de la escuela de Arquitectura de Sevilla, colaboración que se ha concretado en dos proyectos OGICYT desarrollados en los años 2005 y 2006 en los cuales se ha trabajado en las siguientes líneas: - Búsqueda del material más adecuado para las solicitaciones constructivas propias y características de la Plaza del Pan (orientación, uso, factores climáticos, soleamiento, mantenimiento). - Dimensionado del formato más adecuado para la pavimentación, definición y obtención de parámetros resistentes. - Adecuación de los sistemas y secciones constructivas dado el despiece y las características del proyecto

A ferrocement patent for emergency housing: the technological hut

This article focuses on the comparison between the Spanish architects de La Hoz (Madrid,1924) and José María García de Paredes (Seville, 1924) projects for ‘ultra-cheap’ housing in Cordoba,how it evolved from a British patent named Ctesiphon, and the study of some of existing building serected following this construction system. The aim of this article is to stablish the evolution of the system from the original patent into a new possibility for low-income social housing. This system was used to erect new developments in the 1950s that would relocate people living in huts during thedictatorship era in Spain, thus new “technological huts” were proposed and erected. The research process includes an analysis of the documents and literature available of the patent and the projects themselves, and in situ tests (infrared thermography and samples extraction) will allow to establish the relation between its original inventor, the dissemination of his works in publications from thatera, and the Spanish company that subsequently, as a concession of the original patent, introduced that system in Spanish architecture. Analysis of the original patent document allows to study the primitive system as it was invented and for what uses it was conceived. Thus, such a methodology supports an establishment of the technical innovations achieved in order to adapt the system to the Andalusian environment at that time and its use for housin

Intervención psicológica en los juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe - Mayagüez 2010

Suplemento de artículos seleccionados con revisión del Congreso Andaluz de Psicología de la Actividad Física y el Deporte (13 : 2011 : Sevilla). Editores : José Carlos Caracuel ; Rocío Bohórquez.This paper presents an intervention model for major sports events, during which it is normally not easy for significant numbers of psychologists to work with similar intervention strategies. The importance of these Games to Puerto Rico -the event organizer - periodization of the event, academic formation of the psychologists intervening in the project as well as the different phases in it are explained. Direct and indirect interventions are presented along with field experiences to increase their relevance. The multidisciplinary scope of the programme shows the importance of including a variety of agents in the event, which goes beyond individual work with athletes

Energy explorer: Explorador de energías renovables utilizando realidad aumentada

Este proyecto toma ventaja de la realidad aumentada (AR) como medio digital de información sobre energías renovables en la región del usuario. En nuestro caso todo México. También muestra el potencial en KW o MW útiles para la decisión e inversión. Nuestro interés se centra sobre datos de energía de viento, solar y geotérmica, estos datos son desplegados en una amigable aplicación para Smartphone con realidad aumentada que permite conocer donde están localizados en escala geoespacial