1st Residential Building Design and Construction Conference (2013)
Whole Conference Proceedings
Whole Conference Proceedings (2013)
Authors: Various authors
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
The 1st Annual Residential Building Design and Construction Conference was held on February 20-21, 2013 in Bethlehem, PA in conjunction with the 21st Annual Pennsylvania Housing & Land Development Conference. The proceedings contain papers or slide sets mainly related to the following topics: Building Science; High Performance Buildings; Disaster Resistant Performance, Testing and Evaluation; Energy Efficiency and Retrofit; Innovative Products and Systems; Modular Construction; Innovative Architectural Forms; and Structural Materials and System Design. Two keynote speakers were invited for this conference, Sam Rashkin, Chief Architect, Building Technology Program, DOE, and Richard Seifert, Professor Emeritus, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The conference scheduled 36 presentations in 13 sessions over two days. There was also one session devoted to introducing the book: Design and Construction of High-Performance Homes: Building Envelopes, Renewable Energies and Integrated Practice. The authors of the book discussed three major aspects of the book: architectural technologies, system integrated photovoltaic, and energy and integrative design process.
Conference Program
Conference Program (2013)
Authors: Ali Memari
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Conference program for the 2013 RBDCC
Papers
Papers are listed in alphabetical order of the first author.
State-of-the-Art Review of Window Retrofit Options for Energy Saving in Single Family Dwellings
Authors: Tim Ariosto & Ali M. Memari
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
The study presented here involved the investigation of several different window retrofit solutions for energy efficiency. The criteria used to compare each system were Thermal Improvement, Thermal Comfort, Condensation Potential, Impact on Daylighting, Air Leakage, Cost, Ease of Operation, and Aesthetics. This paper introduces various methods for retrofit of existing windows, presents their attributes, and compares various options based on the stated criteria.
Whole Building Design Approach to Achieve High Performance Buildings
Authors: Monjia Belizaire
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
The goal of the “Whole Building Design Approach” is to create a successful high performance building by applying an integrated design and team approach to the project during planning and programming phases (Whole Building Design). In residential buildings, to achieve success in building a high performance building, the project must consider sustainability.
Sustainability is defined as the “quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance” (Dictionary.com). Practicing sustainability means being conscious of our actions and taking responsibility of maintaining our natural resources to protect the harmonious balance with our surroundings while taking into consideration our environmental, economic, and social values — the triple bottom line of sustainability.
Haiti Wood-Framed Housing Initiative
Authors: G.R. Boone & J.D. Kiehl
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
The January 2010 earthquake near Port-au-Prince, Haiti was devastating to the nation. The scale of the disaster led many individuals and companies in the housing industry to lend aid in the recovery and rebuilding effort as well as to seek ways to improve the integrity of structures long-term. Forest products company Weyerhaeuser provided an immediate donation of building materials for temporary housing, and committed to introduce safer products for the long-term rebuilding of Haiti. This paper describes these efforts, the results accomplished, and the lessons learned.
Housing Reconstruction and Community Recovery Following Disasters – No Easy Choices
Authors: Dana Bres & Carlos Martín
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
In the aftermath of a disaster, communities experience significant housing demands for the survivors. Although there will be many volunteer, local, state and federal organizations involved, a significant housing recovery challenge is the reality that everybody will be in charge. Property owners, investors, builders, community leaders, insurance providers, and various state and federal leaders all have a stake in the operation and success of the reconstruction effort, yet none have the absolute power necessary to direct the collective recovery. This reality is symptomatic both of the inherent chaos after disasters and of the current response system. Those involved in facilitating community recovery must understand the opportunities and constraints of the various courses of action available to leaders, residents and community advocates. This will enhance the ability to rapidly respond to the housing demands of the post disaster environment.
Prefabricating Charles Moore: Reinterpreted Saddlebags and Aediculae
Authors: C.A. Debelius, R.C. Everhart, & J.A. Russell
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Inspired by Charles Moore’s strategy of the use of Saddlebags and Aedicule elements in residential design, this paper describes a design proposal for the retrofit of existing houses in a traditional suburban neighborhood with prefabricated Renewable Energy and/or Efficient Modules (REEMs). The conception and design of the modules is a response to two concerns: 1) A 62% increase, between 1978 and 2005, in energy consumption in three of the primary components of residential energy demand: Water Heating, Air Conditioning, and Appliances and Electronics, and 2) the significant number of existing energy inefficient homes constructed prior to 2000.
Prefabricated Renewable Energy and/or Efficient systems are proposed as an effective means for reducing energy consumption in existing houses. These systems, comprised of (1) an array of Renewable Energy building skin systems (e.g., Solar PV, Solar Thermal, etc.) and (2) Renewable Energy and/or Efficient Modules (REEMs), are designed to decrease energy consumption—either by adding renewable energy capability and/or having more efficient energy systems. The prefabricated modules contain the equipment and components necessary to augment and/or replace the existing energy systems of the house.
The significance of the project, as distinguished from those proposals that focus on new construction, is the demonstration of a variety of design strategies for reducing residential energy consumption by retrofitting existing houses with mass-produced Renewable Energy and/or Efficient systems.
Air Distribution Retrofit Strategies for Affordable Housing
Authors: Jordan Dentz, Francis Conlin, Parker Holloway, & David Podorson
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
In multi-unit buildings, traditional duct sealing methods are often impractical, costly and/or disruptive because of the difficulty in accessing leakage sites. In this project, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America™ program, two retrofit duct sealing techniques—manually-applied sealants and injecting a spray sealant (Aeroseal®) in combination with manual sealing, were implemented in several duplex buildings in North Carolina. Each method was used in twenty housing units. Duct leakage to the outside was reduced by an average of 59% through the use of manual methods, and by 90% in the units where a combination of aerosol and hand sealing was used. The cost of manually-applying sealant ranged from $275 to $511 per unit and for the Aeroseal®-treated ducts the cost was $700 per unit. Modeling suggests a short simple payback of 1.2 years for manual sealing and 1.5 years for the Aeroseal® system.
Overheating in Multifamily Residential Buildings
Authors: Jordan Dentz, Kapil Varshney, & Hugh Henderson
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
In this project data have been collected for eighteen multifamily buildings from the archives of multiple companies that provide energy management systems (EMS). Overheating was found in all eighteen buildings: the overall average temperature of all buildings was well above 70°F when the EMSs were not in operation. In fifteen of the eighteen buildings, average temperatures in 100% of the apartments when EMSs were not in operation were above 70°F (ranging from 70.7°F to 87.4°F). In the remaining three buildings, average temperatures in 88% of apartments were also above 70°F (ranging from 70.3°F to 85.2°F). Likewise, when the EMSs were on, in seven of eighteen buildings, average temperatures in 100% of the apartments were above 70°F (ranging from 70.3°F to 81.1°F). In the remaining eleven buildings, average temperatures in 67% of the apartments were above 70°F (ranging from 70.0°F to 81.2°F). Based on this analysis, the estimated average increase in annual space heating energy cost for these buildings due to overheating is approximately 18.6% when the EMS is off, compared to a baseline average temperature of 70°F all the time.
The Unsealing of Naturally Aged Asphalt Shingles: An In-situ Survey
Authors: C.R. Dixon, D.O. Prevatt, F.J. Masters, & K.R. Gurley
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
As part of a two-year research project investigating causes of premature roofing failures in windstorms, twenty-seven naturally aged asphalt shingle roof systems on residential houses in Florida were surveyed to investigate the condition of the sealant adhesive strips on the shingles. The thermally activated sealant strip located along the leading edge of an asphalt shingle is the primary load path that resists failure of the shingle due to the wind. The non-destructive survey consisted of applying finger pressure to each shingle edge to determine whether or not the sealant strip was adhered to shingle below. The investigation identified two distinct, nonrandom, patterns of partially unsealed shingles corresponding to the method of shingle installation; vertical patterns with racked installations and diagonal patterns for diagonal installation of shingles. The total percentage of roofs with partially unsealed shingles exhibiting these patterns ranged from less than 1% for a six year old roof to over 79% for a twenty year old roof. Whereas, roofs without the distinct unsealing patterns had less than 1% of the total number of shingle strips unsealed. A statistically significant increase in the total percentage of partially unsealed shingles was observed for older roofs (7-13 and 14-20 years) when compared to newer roofs (0-6 years). Partial and full unsealing also occurred on hip and ridge cap shingles, likely attributed to poor adhesion at the onset of service life. A similar pattern of wind damage was observed in shingles reported in post-hurricane damage assessment reports. This similarity suggests that pre-storm partial unsealing condition is a strong influence in the actual wind resistance of asphalt shingle roofs.
An Introduction to Steel and Concrete Modular Construction
Authors: S. English & B. Brown
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
For many years, wood framed modular construction has been a useful and cost-effective solution in the residential market. While this type of construction has been a good solution for one- and two-family residential construction, it has been limited by factors such as available beam spans, lateral force resisting system requirements, and fire resistance, affecting its use in larger multi-story projects, such as hotels and dormitories. This presentation will explore the benefits of using steel-framed modules to achieve greater exterior opening distances, increased floor plan flexibility, LEED certification, and non-combustible occupancies. Additionally, we will discuss the concept of the off-site “Build Together” process used by one manufacturer to ensure a precise fit of components, including structural, plumbing, electric, HVAC, and fire protection systems.
Chicago Flat Type Planning: Sustainability and the 1902 Tenement House Ordinance
Authors: R. Gnat
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
This paper examines the planning flexibility and the passive ventilation and daylighting potential of the various multi-unit apartment types developed in response to the 1902 Tenement House Ordinance in Chicago. Instead of thinking about the future of sustainable multi-family housing design as built upon current planning strategies, this paper examines a historic planning precedent that may be more applicable, or appropriate, based upon the criteria of the new sustainability paradigm. Beyond explaining the history and requirements of the Ordinance, this paper illustrates how basic planning strategies adapted from the Chicago two-flat apartment building could be combined and repeated to form ever larger, taller and complex apartment buildings. Today, many “sustainable” multi-unit apartment buildings are planned in a manner that requires constant mechanical ventilation and artificial lighting even during daylight hours. This is done without asking whether a building that requires energy to be habitable should even be considered sustainable. Air-conditioning for housing was not technically or economically feasible until after 1930 so these Chicago flat type apartment buildings relied upon passive planning strategies to ventilate and light each unit. In an era of increasingly expensive energy, the advantages of planning every unit to accommodate the passive ventilation and lighting strategies inherent in these pre-air conditioned designs becomes apparent. Historical resources and field documentation were utilized to explain and illustrate the Chicago flat type planning strategy. The paper concludes that the sustainability paradigm shift is an opportunity to rethink the planning models upon which we base our multi-unit apartment building designs.
Lessons Learned from the Process of Retrofitting Existing Housing for Energy Efficiency
Authors: L.D. Iulo & B.L. Quigley
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
This paper discusses lessons learned from the design and retrofit of two existing homes for improved energy efficiency. Principle findings include the necessity for providing cost-effective, replicable solutions for the energy efficient retrofit of existing homes that address both up-front expenses and the long-term energy costs carried forth by the resident. One major conclusion is that process matters; although there are essential principles for retrofitting existing homes for improved energy-performance, actual solutions must be project specific and should be undertaken through a comprehensive process that engages the contractor from the very beginning of the project.
The State-of-the-Art Application of Modular Construction to Multi-Story Residential Buildings
Authors: Anthony C. Jellen & Ali M. Memari
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Modular construction methods show great potential as an alternative to traditional site-built methods and could be a means of providing much needed affordable housing in the dense, land deprived urban areas typical of US cities. The evolving field of modular construction will require significant investment in research to successfully integrate these powerful concepts into mainstream construction practice and provide the industry with the resources and tools it needs to use these cost, time, and material saving construction methods effectively in future designs. This paper aims to review both the current state-of-the-art of multi-story construction and promote its utility for high performance, sustainable multifamily dwellings in U.S. urban areas, particularly for moderate income, one- or two-person families.
Effects of Installation Method on Nail Withdrawal Capacities
Authors: Ashlie Kerr, Shelly Dean, & David O. Prevatt
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Nail withdrawal capacities are tested in accordance with ASTM D1761 and are typically estimated using the empirical equation W=6900G2.5D given in the National Design Standard for Wood Construction. A previous study by Shreyans et al found that in-situ nail withdrawal capacities were over-estimated by the NDS equation and suggested that loss of capacity may be due to the installation of the nail through the sheathing, which is not done in ASTM D1761. This paper presents an experimental study that explores the effects of installation method on the nail withdrawal capacity by testing nails installed through both Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and Plywood. Type of nail used for testing was 6d common nails with diameter of 2.87 mm (0.113 in) and length of 50.8 mm (2 in).
The effect of installation method on nail withdrawal capacity was evaluated by comparing capacities using ASTM D1761 Standard Test Methods for Mechanical Fasteners in Wood to those obtained with the nail installed through the sheathing. The effect of the nail withdrawal method was also quantified for three methods: 1) Withdrawal with the sheathing left in place, 2) Withdrawal by means of a steel plate notched to fit around the installed nail, 3) Withdrawal by direct pull using a steel jaw.
Results demonstrated that installation through the sheathing consistently reduced the withdrawal capacity; however the test setup and withdrawal methods also significantly affected the withdrawal capacities. The National Design Standard empirical formula may be non-conservative in representing the withdrawal capacities of nails in a roof setting.
Investigation for the Removal of Steel Tie Rods in a Historic Segmental Arch Floor
Authors: J. Lan, R. Gilsanz, & M. Lo
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Gilsanz Murray Steficek, LLP investigated the removal of the tie rods in the floors of the landmarked Metropolitan Life Tower in New York City when the tower was converted for residential use. The typical floor is constructed of segmental concrete arches supported on steel beams with tie rods perpendicular to the beams below the arches. GMS evaluated the removal of the rods by performing linear and nonlinear 3D finite element analysis of the floor system. Load tests were also performed at 5 locations in the building in order to confirm that the floor would perform satisfactorily. Both the analysis and the load test confirmed that the tie-rods could be removed safely.
The Need for Building Science Education
Authors: Joseph Laquatra
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
As the demand for high-performance housing grows, so does the need for improvements in building science education. Even before the energy crisis precipitated by the 1973 Arab oil embargo, building codes in America were gradually addressing energy and moisture issues in prescriptive ways that were not evidence-based. As a result, problems ensued. Builders, engineers, architects, building code officials, and others involved in the home building industry have been learning how to avoid the problems through trial and error. This has led to widespread misconceptions that persist to this day, including beliefs that buildings should not be airtight or “overinsulated.” Well-documented problems of mold-infested houses have exacerbated misunderstandings about methods for building high-performance homes.
Responsive Housing: Potential & Projected Impact
Authors: Allison Jane Mills & Kenneth J. Tiss
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Currently, the made-to-last building techniques of American housing are incongruent with personal, family, energy, and technology evolution. Why aren’t buildings designed to be flexible enough to respond to the fluctuating cadence of human inhabitance? This paper proposes a new design concept: responsive housing. Responsive housing is a theoretical building system that can be continuously adjusted at the will of the home's occupants to provide the best living conditions possible. By componentizing the major elements of a home a responsive house can be built in stages, disassembled in stages, reconfigured internally and externally, and completely relocated to a different building site. Akin to providing homeowners with a set of life-sized building blocks, this system makes each home easily customizable. Ongoing occupant-executed customization has the potential to revolutionize the current state of residential building. This paper explains how responsive housing would work and the impact it would have socially, economically, and environmentally.
Sierra Bonita: Innovative Use of Long Span Metal Deck Slabs and Shored Construction
Authors: Joseph Mugford, Karl Rubenacker, John Lantry, & Ramon Gilsanz
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Sierra Bonita is a mixed use building providing affordable housing for people living with disabilities. The five story building is located in West Hollywood, CA and was completed in 2010. A 6 inch reinforced metal deck slab system spans 20 feet between supporting steel framing. The supporting framing consists of 43 foot long beams and 60 foot long girders supported by columns at the building perimeter and at the four corners of the central building atrium. Occupant induced floor vibrations as well as service and creep deflections were taken into account in the design process. Finite element modeling using SAP2000 was used to predict the response of the structure from walking induced vibrations. Testing was later performed during construction in conjunction with The Pennsylvania State University to confirm the acceptability of the structural response. Service and creep deflections were mitigated using slab reinforcement, camber, wood joist shores and loose steel shores. This paper presents our approach to the design of this system, including modeling techniques; use of construction sequencing and shoring; and a comparison of in service vs. design results.
Adoption of Innovative Products in the US Housing Industry: Builders’ Practices 2000-2010
Authors: P. Nikkhoo, A.R. Sanderford, A.P. McCoy, C.T. Koebel, C. Franck, & H. Rahmandad
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Researchers and policymakers have struggled with the lack of technological innovation in the US housing industry (Koebel 1999). While housing is arguably no different in nature than other industries, several unique factors have been established as causing risk and uncertainty in the context of innovative construction technology (McCoy et al. 2009). Previous intervention strategies borrow from other industries to explain prior adoption and diffusion patterns and do not address the divergence of recent residential construction technologies. Where homebuilding innovation has traditionally experienced slower rates of adoption, some green building technologies exhibit accelerated patterns. In order to understand underlying reasons for resistance, it is important to not only understand uncertainty and risk, but also articulate use of innovation in the residential built environment. Towards this goal, the authors examine and highlight broad patterns of innovation use (adoption) by builder firms within clusters of products (i.e. traditional versus innovative) for six energy efficient (EE) products, across recent years.
Concrete Building Systems: Disaster Resilient Solutions for Safer Communities
Authors: T. Peng, L. Lemay, & B. Cody
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Over the past few decades, there was an exponential increase in human and material losses from disaster events. 2011 was a record-setting year for loss of life and property in virtually every part of the country. 2012 has produced another set of tragic, record-setting convective storms and wildfires. While the green building movement has traditionally focused on the environmental aspects of buildings, communities must now address the need for resilience while rebuilding to meet the challenge of the next natural disaster. This paper presents a four step process for resilient construction including adopting a basic building code, promoting market driven resilience programs, adopting more robust resilience standards and building with more robust materials such as concrete. It provides an overview of concrete building systems that have the mass and hardness to resist high winds and flying debris of tornadoes and the devastating effects of flood, fire and earthquakes.
Identification of Structural Issues in Design and Construction of Multi- Story Modular Buildings
Authors: Issa J. Ramaji & Ali M. Memari
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
As the modular construction industry tries to find new markets in multi-story buildings, additional challenges are faced along the way that needs to be addressed. This paper initially introduces different types of modular multi-story or high-rise construction systems. The structural systems including gravity and lateral load resisting systems are then discussed. The challenges that structural designers face in addressing load path continuity and gravity and lateral load transfer between adjacent structural components are reviewed. Approaches for system and building modeling needed for structural analysis as well as relevant building code requirements are discussed. Furthermore the challenges in design and detailing of different structural members and components/systems are evaluated. The paper also provides an overview of any special structural safety issues for design and construction. Finally, the paper outlines the R&D needs for advancing the technology of multi-story modular building design and construction.
Prescriptive Details for Wind Resistant Envelopes based on Observations of Newly Built Homes Damaged in 2011 Tornados
Authors: Bryan Readling & Edward Keith
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Damage observations conducted by APA after recent tornados focused on homes built within the last 10 years. Unfortunately many of the damaged homes were built in compliance with existing building codes and were robustly constructed minus a few relatively inexpensive techniques that provide structural continuity. In nonhurricane areas, now assigned with design wind-speed as low as 85 mph, this indicates a need for building practices that take advantage of the inherent strengths of roof, wall and floor assemblies in tornado-prone areas.
To this end APA engineers compiled a set of reinforcement techniques for each of the common weak points along the load path resulting from code-minimum attachment schedules, and commonly used construction techniques. The resulting publication Building for High Wind Resistance in Light-Frame Wood Construction, APA form M310 was published in August 2011.
Instrumental in offering these recommendations is recent testing at APA performed to determine the design capacity of shearwalls subjected to simultaneous shear and uplift forces. Recommendations are prescriptive and apply to many homes otherwise constructed to IRC minimums. The aim was optimization of material assemblages already commonly in-use, while minimizing the effect on cost. Recommendations apply when a higher degree of safety is desired for resisting severe straight-line winds and tornados on the lower end of the EF-scale.
Residential Damage Patterns Following the 2011 Tuscaloosa, AL and Joplin, MO Tornadoes
Authors: D.B. Roueche & D.O. Prevatt
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Two of the most powerful tornadoes in 2011, occurred in Tuscaloosa, AL on April 27th, and in Joplin, MO on May 22nd. These tornadoes caused a significant amount of damage ($13 billion), and resulted in an estimated 175 fatalities. Despite decades of damage reports on violent tornadoes, little is known regarding the structural loading imposed on buildings by these events. However, non-engineered residential property suffered the worst damage as documented by two damage survey teams. The post-tornado damage surveys documented the structural performance of houses, and spatial distribution of residential damage within the tornado wind field. The data include damage observations from over 1600 homes that were assigned degrees of damage (DOD) ratings using the EF-Scale procedure. Publicly available information such as the age, construction materials and size of the homes were also collected.
An analysis of the failure patterns was performed on the combined dataset to quantify the magnitudes and distributions of tornado loads on buildings, relating the damage to distance from the centerline of the tornado, orientation of the structure and variation along each tornado path. The study presents correlations among major failure mechanisms; i.e. between roof removal and ensuing wall collapse, and between roof sheathing loss and resulting failure of gable-end walls. The paper presents common failure patterns related to specific construction practices that increase the vulnerability of houses to tornadoes. These field studies and analyses are being used to inform the development of full-scale structural testing wall components with the goal of developing structural retrofits and improved design practices for tornado-resilient houses.
Wind Uplift Capacity of Foam-Retrofitted Roof Sheathing Subjected to Water Leaks
Authors: D.B. Roueche, J. Eixenberger, D.O. Prevatt, K.E. McBride, & F.J. Masters
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
A well-known source of damage to houses in hurricanes occurs when water bypasses failed roof coverings that allow water to enter the interior through joints in the wood roof decks. Closed-cell spray-applied polyurethane foam (ccSPF) sprayed to the underside of the roof functions as a secondary water barrier to mitigate this damage, in addition to its primary function as a thermal barrier. Recent studies at the University of Florida revealed that ccSPF also significantly increases the wind uplift resistance of a wood roof deck due to its strong bond to wood substrates. This presentation describes a research project that investigated the effects of incidental water leakage on the strength of the ccSPF-to-wood bond and on moisture retention characteristics in a wood roof.
The two-phased study consisted of the construction and long-term testing of full-scale roof attics exposed to outdoor environmental conditions in Gainesville, FL, and bench-type studies using small-scale roof deck samples. Each roof attic was retrofitted using ccSPF, self-adhered membrane underlayment and/or air gaps between the sheathing and ccSPF. Numerous ½ in. diameter holes (leak gaps) cut into the roofing created sources of water leaks, and we continuously monitored moisture content in the wood in real-time through a web-based application. The wind uplift capacity of roof panels (ultimate failure pressure), were determined at the end of each exposure period. Concurrently, small-scale testing was conducted to measure the tensile strength of the wood-to-ccSPF bond for samples exposed to up to 16 weeks of intermittent water sprays. The moisture distribution in 6 in. x 6 in. wood (OSB and plywood) roof deck samples was also determined, representing common construction patterns such as vertical or horizontal sheathing joints, and the configurations of full-scale retrofit systems.
While ccSPF remains highly effective as a structural retrofit despite significant wetting, elevated moisture content occurs within the wood substrate. Successful techniques were demonstrated to mitigate moisture retention, such as use of self-adhered waterproofing membrane or including an underside-deck air gap within the ccSPF retrofit layer that resulted in substantial reduction (90% and 80%, respectively) in moisture contents within the sheathing. The study has led to recommendations for the installation and maintenance of ccSPF-retrofitted residential roofs, and the use of similar wood-foam composite systems in wood-framed buildings.
A New Paradigm for Residential Construction in Regions of High Seismicity
Authors: M. Sarkisian, E. Long, D. Shook, & A. Diaz
Publication Date: 1/1/1900
Description:
21st Century construction will be deeply connected to the concepts of sustainability. To date, sustainable design has mostly focused on the carbon emissions associated with the operation of buildings; however the total life-cycle carbon associated with the construction is rarely, if ever, considered. Additionally, in regions of high seismicity, the carbon associated with seismic damage resulting in demolition, repair and reconstruction can be significant. Costbenefit comparisons, probable seismic damage, and consideration of operational downtime are especially important in considering building system selection for all disciplines. In what follows, a case study on a future condominium development to be located in downtown San Francisco, California, which includes two residential buildings base isolated on a common ground level with a Triple Friction Pendulum™ system is discussed. The Environmental Analysis Tool™ is used to calculate life-cycle environmental and fiscal impacts.
Critical Look into ®ISOMAX (Zero Energy Use Structures) Construction
Authors: Michael T. Sebright & David Berg
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
The intention of this paper is to discuss the opportunities of implementing in the ®ISOMAX Building Technology (Unknown, 2012) as a means to achieving Zero Energy Use Structures. ®ISOMAX is a fully integrated building system that collects solar heat energy and stores the heat in the earth just under the building. The system uses circulating fluid to transfer heat between the earth storage and the building envelope. The process allows the entire envelope of the building to take advantage of the collected energy by running the fluid, warmed or cooled, to move heat into or out of the insulated concrete wall and the roof. As Energy Reconsidered continues to prepare this technology for introduction into the American marketplace the team is engaging in dialogue with the construction industry to gather support for advanced modeling and prototype testing opportunities.
Concrete in Residential Construction
Authors: Pragati Singh & Andrew Scanlon
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
Concrete is widely used in residential construction for footings, walls, and slabs on ground. This paper provides a summary of the requirements needed to achieve high quality concrete in residential constructions. Aspects include concrete materials, proportions, mixing, placing, consolidation, finishing and curing. Some of the problems that can occur in concrete discussion are discussed and suggestions for avoiding these problems are mentioned.
Modular Green Roof Systems in Mid-rise Multifamily Residential Units
Authors: T.D. Vo, D.O. Prevatt, D. Agdas, & G.A. Acomb
Publication Date: 2/20/2013
Description:
This paper presents the results of a full-scale research project undertaken to assess scour losses/gains for modular tray green roof specimens placed on a mock-up building, and identify important factors to consider for wind design criteria. Visual assessment of the experimental results showed that usage of vegetation, parapet height, wind direction, and test duration were the predominant factors affecting scour resistance of the growth media in tested specimens. Statistical analysis results indicated that the differences in soil losses measured among Phase 2’s test trials were more significant than those in Phase 1. This was attributed to the lack of parapet, cornering wind conditions, and longer test duration found in Phase 2. Findings presented in this paper constitute a benchmark for future research to improve the knowledge gap that exists in green roof wind design.
