Review of passive PCM latent heat thermal energy storage systems towards buildings’ energy efficiency

A review of human thermal comfort in the built environment

Climate change and the city: Building capacity for urban adaptation

An embodied carbon and energy analysis of modern methods of construction in housing: A case study using a lifecycle assessment framework

Successful building design is becoming an increasingly complex task, due to a growing demand to satisfy more ambitious environmental, societal and economical performance requirements. The application of climate adaptive building shells (CABS) has recently been put forward as a promising alternative within this strive for higher levels of sustainability in the built environment. Compared to conventional facades, CABS offer potential opportunities for energy savings as well improvement of indoor environmental quality. By combining the complementary beneficial aspects of both active and passive building technologies into the building envelope, CABS can draw upon the concepts of adaptability, multi-ability and evolvability. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of research, design and development efforts in the field of CABS. Based on a structured literature review, a classification of 44 CABS is made to place the variety of concepts in context with each other, and concurrent developments. In doing so, the overall motivations, enabling technologies, and characteristic features that have contributed to the development of CABS are highlighted. Despite the positive perspectives, it was found that the concept of CABS cannot yet be considered mature. Future research needs and further challenges to be resolved are therefore identified as well.

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Climate adaptive building shells: state-of-the-art and future challenges

Climate change, thermal comfort and energy: Meeting the design challenges of the 21st century

Embodied and operational carbon dioxide emissions from housing : A case study on the effects of thermal mass and climate change

A major anticipated impact of climate change on the built environment in the United Kingdom is an increase in the occurrence of overheating in buildings, due to reduced efficacy of the traditional and still widely used method of cooling buildings - comfort ventilation with outside air. As outside temperatures become higher, the potential to provide cooling with comfort ventilation falls off. This paper examines how serious this impact may be under the UKCIP02 climate change scenarios and investigates the implications of two types of adaptive solution: passive cooling measures, as traditionally used in countries with warmer climates, and mechanical cooling ('air conditioning'). A qualitative assessment is made through consideration of building design weather years 'morphed' under the UKCIP02 scenarios. A quantitative investigation is then made through dynamic thermal modelling of three notional case study office buildings under morphed weather years for London, Manchester and Edinburgh for the UKCP02 Medium-High emissions scenario. It is demonstrated that in London, buildings relying on comfort ventilation are likely to become increasingly vulnerable to serious overheating and that advanced passive or mechanical cooling measures will be needed. For Manchester, projected overheating risks in buildings relying on comfort ventilation are still significant but less than for London, whereas for Edinburgh overheating risks are low under the climate scenario data used. The implications of these findings for building design in the UK are discussed.

Thermal Comfort: Climate Change and the Environmental Design of Buildings in the United Kingdom

In 2005, lean thinking was trialled to improve processes in the construction phase of a highways maintenance project. The trial was undertaken by a partnering framework; those involved were already working in a collaborative environment, and it was thought this would be conducive to introducing lean thinking. The scheme involved resurfacing and deep patching of two four lane carriageways and the provision of concrete protection to eight bridge piers. During the construction phase, a buffered programme, four-week look-ahead programmes and weekly programme plans were used to: undertake constraints analysis; measure planned activities completed each week; and analyse root causes of delay. On completion, the Project Team were interviewed on the successes and failures of using lean thinking on the project. Both problems and benefits were encountered in applying lean to the project. There were some issues with the way that lean was presented and certain improvements to the process were identified so that lean could be continued on other schemes undertaken within the framework, including: ensuring a better understanding of lean thinking and its application in a highways context; adopting some of the analyses as a formal process and measurement tool; and investigating principles of lean thinking outside programme management.

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Lean construction trial on a highways maintenance project

The Construction Management Framework (CMF) is a contract established by the Highways Agency in the United Kingdom, where collaborative working is used within a framework setting to deliver the best value in highways major renewals and improvements schemes. This research aims to establish the effectiveness of the CMF in achieving this aim. It aims to define best value as it is understood collectively by the participants in the framework, and evaluate the performance measurement used in terms of its relevance and suitability to deliver the best value. The research also looks at perceptions of the performance of the CMF by those companies included in the framework, and the benefits and disadvantages of using this type of arrangement in highway work. Data collected from the client were compared to that given by the contractors, supply chain, and construction managers of the CMF; results showed a perception by those involved in the framework that construction management is suited to the type of work it is currently used for, and there is potential for similar CMFs to be used elsewhere in the construction industry. However, the research also found that there is a need to improve the performance measures so that value is properly reflected in the goals of the CMF; and the presentation of evidence that demonstrates the benefits that can be gained using this procurement route.

Michael Holmes

Papers

Climate change, thermal comfort and energy: Meeting the design challenges of the 21st century

Embodied and operational carbon dioxide emissions from housing : A case study on the effects of thermal mass and climate change

Thermal Comfort: Climate Change and the Environmental Design of Buildings in the United Kingdom

Lean construction trial on a highways maintenance project

Delivering best value in highways major maintenance schemes: case study