Roger Fay

An analysis of the embodied energy of office buildings by height

Aims to compare the energy embodied in office buildings varying in height from a few storeys to over 50 storeys. The energy embodied in substructure, superstructure and finishes elements was investigated for five Melbourne office buildings of the following heights: 3, 7, 15, 42 and 52 storeys. The two high‐rise buildings have approximately 60 percent more energy embodied per unit gross floor area (GFA) in their materials than the low‐rise buildings. While building height was found to dictate the amount of energy embodied in the “structure group” elements (upper floors, columns, internal walls, external walls and staircases), other elements such as substructure, roof, windows and finishes seemed uninfluenced.

Building materials selection: greenhouse strategies for built facilities

This paper aims to consider the embodied energy of building materials in the context of greenhouse gas emission mitigation strategies. Previous practice and research are highlighted where they have the potential to influence design decisions. Latest embodied energy figures are indicated, and the implications of applying these figures to whole buildings are discussed. Several practical examples are given to aid building designers in the selection of building materials for reduced overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental assessment of rammed earth construction systems

Present concerns for sustainable development have led to a revival of traditional building practices using natural or recycled resources. There is a perception that buildings constructed from such materials are environmentally benign. This perception is questionable, as often no evaluation is undertaken to assess the associated environmental impacts. Rammed earth is one such construction technology that has seen renewed interest in recent years. The energy required to manufacture materials (i.e. embodied energy) is a significant component of the life cycle energy associated with buildings. This paper assesses the embodied energy of rammed earth construction relative to brick veneer and cavity brick construction. Rammed earth was found to have significantly less embodied energy than cavity brick construction (to which it is closer in thermal performance), but was approximately equivalent to brick veneer construction. Topics of further research identified include thermal performance and strategies for reducing the embodied energy of cement used for earth stabilisation.

Costs of improving the thermal performance of houses in a cool-temperate climate

To minimize the energy needed to heat and/or cool houses, the Building Code of Australia requires that new houses meet a minimum level of thermal performance. A star rating system is used to indicate the level of thermal performance a house achieves. Ratings range from 0 to 10 stars. Theoretically, the more stars, the less the energy required for space heating and/or cooling. Currently, most states and territories in Australia require a minimum 5 star performance. However, a minimum 7–8 star rating is likely in the near future. This article examines the capital cost and design implications of significantly improving the thermal performance of brick veneer houses in a cool-temperate climate. The results show that the cost of achieving a certain level of thermal performance varies significantly depending on the methods and materials used, although improvements in thermal performance can be made for little or no cost.

The cost effectiveness of housing thermal performance improvements in saving CO2-e

To reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the energy needed to heat and/or cool houses, the Building Code of Australia requires that new houses meet a minimum level of thermal performance. A star rating system is used to indicate the level of thermal performance a house achieves. Ratings range from 0 to 10 stars. Currently, all states and territories in Australia require a minimum 5- or 6-star performance; however, this is likely to be increased incrementally in the next decade. Increasing a houses thermal performance generally increases its embodied emissions. However, this is rarely considered when assessing the cost effectiveness (in saving CO2 emissions) of thermal performance measures. This article examines the cost effectiveness of incremental thermal performance improvements, taking into account their embodied emissions. The results show that the cost effectiveness of achieving a certain level of thermal performance varies significantly depending on the methods and materials used.

Evidence-based facilities design in health care: a study of aged care facilities in Australia

Many facilities for people with dementia have been built with little translation of the substantial body of evidence available to inform design. Knowledge translation has been described as a four-stage process: awareness, agreement, adoption and adherence. This paper identifies where knowledge translation fails in the design of aged care facilities for people with dementia. Ten aged care facilities were audited using the Environmental Audit Tool. Senior managers and architects involved in the facility design were then interviewed to ascertain their knowledge of evidence-based principles of dementia design, their agreement with the principles and the nature of the obstacles they had encountered in their implementation. All architects claimed at least partial awareness of the design principles. Five facility managers claimed full awareness. Those facilities designed with the input of managers who were fully aware of the principles were of significantly higher design quality. There was little agreement on the significance of other obstacles. Once aged care providers are aware of the principles, they appear to find ways to implement them. If the next generation of residential aged care facilities is to be suitable for people with dementia, the facility managers must be made aware of the available design principles, architects encouraged to be more active in sharing their knowledge and ways found to improve the exchange of knowledge between the parties.

A preliminary analysis of subfloor ventilation data: bridging the gap between theory and experiment

AccuRate, the building performance simulation program developed by Australias Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, consists of a set of physics-based models. Recent research seeking to validate the AccuRate program using experimental data suggests that the subfloor model may be inaccurate. This study experimentally investigates the ventilation component of that subfloor model. In this article, the University of Tasmanias thermal performance test site is analysed to show that its centre test cell is suitable for ventilation testing. Subfloor ventilation data are then shown to generally match AccuRates theoretical prediction. The data are further explored to find nuances resulting from obstructions from surrounding buildings. The data are also benchmarked against subfloor ventilation studies from Australia and the UK. Although this study does not purport to fully validate the AccuRate subfloor model, it does greatly contribute to the amount of published experimental subfloor ventilation data from an Australian building and climate.