Search results for: Saudi building code
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 5857

Search results for: Saudi building code

5377 Towards Sustainable Construction: An Exploratory Study of the Factors Affecting the Investment on Construction and Demolition Waste in Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Authors: Mohammed Alnuwairan, Mahmoud Abdelrahman

Abstract:

Based on the sustainability concept, this paper explores the current situation of construction and demolition waste (C&D) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from the source of production to final destinations. The issues that hindered the investment of recycling C&D in the context will be studied in order to identify the challenges and opportunities to improve this sector and put forward a strategic framework to reduce, reuse, recycle and minimize the disposal of this type of waste. The research, which is exploratory in nature, identified four types of organizations that were appropriate case studies. These organizations were drawn from the municipalities, city council, recyclers and manufacturers. Secondary data collection, direct observation, and elite interviewing methods were used in the case studies to facilitate comparisons with existing literature to explore opportunities to improve sustainability practices in the buildings sector. Implementation of C&D waste management and recycling in KSA is in the early stages. Resistance of virgin building material manufacturers, free usage of landfill, culture, surpluses of natural raw material, availability of land and the cost of recycling this material compared with virgin material hinders the adoption of recycled buildings martial. Although the metal material is collected and recycled but it has the lowest percentage of C&D waste in Saudi. The findings indicate that government and industry need to collaborate more closely in order to successfully implement best practices. Economic and environmental benefits can be achieved, particularly through improvements to infrastructure and legislation. Feasible solution framework and recommendations for managing C&D waste under current situation are provided. The findings can be used to extend this framework and to enable it to be applicable in other context with emerging economies similar to that found in KSA. No study of this type has been previously carried out in KSA. The findings should prove useful in creating a future research agenda for C&D waste in KSA and, possibly, other emerging countries within a similar context.

Keywords: construction and demolition waste, recycling, reuse, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 333
5376 Myanmar Character Recognition Using Eight Direction Chain Code Frequency Features

Authors: Kyi Pyar Zaw, Zin Mar Kyu

Abstract:

Character recognition is the process of converting a text image file into editable and searchable text file. Feature Extraction is the heart of any character recognition system. The character recognition rate may be low or high depending on the extracted features. In the proposed paper, 25 features for one character are used in character recognition. Basically, there are three steps of character recognition such as character segmentation, feature extraction and classification. In segmentation step, horizontal cropping method is used for line segmentation and vertical cropping method is used for character segmentation. In the Feature extraction step, features are extracted in two ways. The first way is that the 8 features are extracted from the entire input character using eight direction chain code frequency extraction. The second way is that the input character is divided into 16 blocks. For each block, although 8 feature values are obtained through eight-direction chain code frequency extraction method, we define the sum of these 8 feature values as a feature for one block. Therefore, 16 features are extracted from that 16 blocks in the second way. We use the number of holes feature to cluster the similar characters. We can recognize the almost Myanmar common characters with various font sizes by using these features. All these 25 features are used in both training part and testing part. In the classification step, the characters are classified by matching the all features of input character with already trained features of characters.

Keywords: chain code frequency, character recognition, feature extraction, features matching, segmentation

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5375 Physicochemical Studies and Screening of Aflatoxins and Pesticide Residues in Some 'Honey Pastes' Marketed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Authors: Rashad Al-Hindi

Abstract:

The study aimed at investigating and screening of some contaminants in some honey-based products. Sixty-nine 'honey paste' samples marketed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were subjected to physicochemical studies and screening of aflatoxins and pesticide residues. The physicochemical parameters studied were mainly: moisture content, total sugars, total ash, total nitrogen, fibres, total acidity as citric acid and pH. These parameters were investigated using standard methods of analysis. Mycotoxins (aflatoxins) and pesticide residues were by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) according to official methods. Results revealed that mean values of the examined criteria were: 15.44±0.36%; 74±4.30%; 0.40±0.062%; 0.22±0.05%; 6.93±1.30%; 2.53±0.161 mmol/kg; 4.10±0.158, respectively. Overall results proved that all tested honey pastes samples were free from mycotoxins (aflatoxins) and pesticide residues. Therefore, we conclude that 'honey pastes' marketed in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia were safe for human consumption.

Keywords: aflatoxins, honey mixtures, pesticide residues, physicochemical

Procedia PDF Downloads 143
5374 Circular Economy: Development of Quantitative Material Wastage Management Plan for Effective Waste Reduction in Building Construction Industry

Authors: Kwok Tak Kit

Abstract:

Combating climate change is becoming a hot topic in various sectors. Building construction and infrastructure sectors contributed a significant proportion of waste and GHGs emissions in the economy of different countries and cities. Many types of research had conducted and discussed the topic of waste management and waste management being a macro-level control is well developed in the building and construction industry. However, there is little research and studies on the micro-level of waste management, “building construction material wastage management,” and fewer reviews about regulatory control in the building construction sector. In this paper, we will focus on the potentialities and importance of material wastage management and review the deficiencies of the current standard to take into account the reduction of material wastage in a systematic and quantitative approach.

Keywords: quantitative measurement, material wastage management plan, waste management, uncalculated waste, circular economy

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5373 The Connection between the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values and Ethical Principles in Clinical Psychology

Authors: Matej Stritesky

Abstract:

The research deals with the connection between the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values and the ethical principles in psychology, on which the meta-code of ethics the European Federation of Psychological Associations is based. The research focuses on ethically problematic situations in clinical psychology in the Czech Republic. Based on the analysis of papers that identified ethically problematic situations faced by clinical psychologists, a questionnaire of ethically problematic situations in clinical psychology (EPSCP) was created for the purposes of the research. The questionnaire was created to represent situations that correspond to the 4 principles on which the meta-code of ethics the European Federation of Psychological Associations is based. The questionnaire EPSCP consists of descriptions of 32 situations that respondents evaluate on a scale from 1 (psychologist's behaviour is ethically perfectly fine) to 10 (psychologist's behaviour is ethically completely unacceptable). The EPSCP questionnaire, together with Schwartz's PVQ questionnaire, will be presented to 60 psychology students. The relationship between principles in clinical psychology and the values on Schwartz´s value continuum will be described using multidimensional scaling. A positive correlation is assumed between the higher-order value of openness to change and problematic ethical situations related to the principle of integrity; a positive correlation between the value of the higher order of self-transcendence and the principle of respect and responsibility; a positive correlation between the value of the higher order of conservation and the principle of competence; and negative correlation between the value of the higher order of ego strengthening and sensitivity to ethically problematic situations. The research also includes an experimental part. The first half of the students are presented with the code of ethics of the Czech Association of Clinical Psychologists before completing the questionnaires, and to the second half of the students is the code of ethics presented after completing the questionnaires. In addition to reading the code of ethics, students describe the three rules of the code of ethics that they consider most important and state why they chose these rules. The output of the experimental part will be to determine whether the presentation of the code of ethics leads to greater sensitivity to ethically problematic situations.

Keywords: clinical psychology, ethically problematic situations in clinical psychology, ethical principles in psychology, Schwartz theory of basic values

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5372 Design of a Plant to Produce 100,000 MTPY of Green Hydrogen from Brine

Authors: Abdulrazak Jinadu Otaru, Ahmed Almulhim, Hassan Alhassan, Mohammed Sabri

Abstract:

Saudi Arabia is host to a state-owned oil and gas corporation, known as Saudi ARAMCO, that is responsible for the highest emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) due to the heavy reliance on fossil fuels as an energy source for various sectors such as transportation, aerospace, manufacturing, and residential use. Unfortunately, the detrimental consequences of CO₂ emissions include escalating temperatures in the Middle East region, posing significant obstacles in terms of food security and water scarcity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels by 50 %, this study focuses on designing a plant that will produce approximately 100,000 metric tons per year (MTPY) of green hydrogen (H₂) using brine as the primary feedstock. The proposed facility incorporates a double electrolytic technology that first separates brine or sodium chloride (NaCl) into sodium hydroxide, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas. The sodium hydroxide is then used as an electrolyte in the splitting of water molecules through the supply of electrical energy in a second-stage electrolyser to produce green hydrogen. The study encompasses a comprehensive analysis of process descriptions and flow diagrams, as well as materials and energy balances. It also includes equipment design and specification, cost analysis, and considerations for safety and environmental impact. The design capitalizes on the abundant brine supply, a byproduct of the world's largest desalination plant located in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the design incorporates the use of available renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, to power the proposed plant. This approach not only helps reduce carbon emissions but also aligns with Saudi Arabia's energy transition policy. Furthermore, it supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11) and Climate Action (Goal 13), benefiting not only Saudi Arabia but also other countries in the Middle East.

Keywords: plant design, electrolysis, brine, sodium hydroxide, chlorine gas, green hydrogen

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5371 A Review on the Use of Salt in Building Construction

Authors: Vesna Pungercar, Florian Musso

Abstract:

Identifying materials that can substitute rare or expensive natural resources is one of the key challenges for improving resource efficiency in the building sector. With a growing world population and rising living standards, more and more salt is produced as waste through seawater desalination and potash mining processes. Unfortunately, most of the salt is directly disposed of into nature, where it causes environmental pollution. On the other hand, salt is affordable, is used therapeutically in various respiratory treatments, and can store humidity and heat. It was, therefore, necessary to determine salt materials already in use in building construction and their hygrothermal properties. This research aims to identify salt materials from different scientific branches and historically, to investigate their properties and prioritize the most promising salt materials for indoor applications in a thermal envelope. This was realized through literature review and classification of salt materials into three groups (raw salt materials, composite salt materials, and processed salt materials). The outcome of this research shows that salt has already been used as a building material for centuries and has a potential for future applications due to its hygrothermal properties in a thermal envelope.

Keywords: salt, building material, hygrothermal properties, environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 143
5370 Climate Physical Processes Mathematical Modeling for Dome-Like Traditional Residential Building

Authors: Artem Sedov, Aigerim Uyzbayeva, Valeriya Tyo

Abstract:

The presented article is showing results of dynamic modeling with Mathlab software of optimal automatic room climate control system for two experimental houses in Astana, one of which has circle plan and the other one has square plan. These results are showing that building geometry doesn't influence on climate system PID-controls configuring. This confirms theoretical implication that optimal automatic climate control system parameters configuring should depend on building's internal space volume, envelope heat transfer, number of people inside, supply ventilation air flow and outdoor temperature.

Keywords: climate control system, climate physics, dome-like building, mathematical modeling

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5369 Wind Tunnel Tests on Ground-Mounted and Roof-Mounted Photovoltaic Array Systems

Authors: Chao-Yang Huang, Rwey-Hua Cherng, Chung-Lin Fu, Yuan-Lung Lo

Abstract:

Solar energy is one of the replaceable choices to reduce the CO2 emission produced by conventional power plants in the modern society. As an island which is frequently visited by strong typhoons and earthquakes, it is an urgent issue for Taiwan to make an effort in revising the local regulations to strengthen the safety design of photovoltaic systems. Currently, the Taiwanese code for wind resistant design of structures does not have a clear explanation on photovoltaic systems, especially when the systems are arranged in arrayed format. Furthermore, when the arrayed photovoltaic system is mounted on the rooftop, the approaching flow is significantly altered by the building and led to different pressure pattern in the different area of the photovoltaic system. In this study, L-shape arrayed photovoltaic system is mounted on the ground of the wind tunnel and then mounted on the building rooftop. The system is consisted of 60 PV models. Each panel model is equivalent to a full size of 3.0 m in depth and 10.0 m in length. Six pressure taps are installed on the upper surface of the panel model and the other six are on the bottom surface to measure the net pressures. Wind attack angle is varied from 0° to 360° in a 10° interval for the worst concern due to wind direction. The sampling rate of the pressure scanning system is set as high enough to precisely estimate the peak pressure and at least 20 samples are recorded for good ensemble average stability. Each sample is equivalent to 10-minute time length in full scale. All the scale factors, including timescale, length scale, and velocity scale, are properly verified by similarity rules in low wind speed wind tunnel environment. The purpose of L-shape arrayed system is for the understanding the pressure characteristics at the corner area. Extreme value analysis is applied to obtain the design pressure coefficient for each net pressure. The commonly utilized Cook-and-Mayne coefficient, 78%, is set to the target non-exceedance probability for design pressure coefficients under Gumbel distribution. Best linear unbiased estimator method is utilized for the Gumbel parameter identification. Careful time moving averaging method is also concerned in data processing. Results show that when the arrayed photovoltaic system is mounted on the ground, the first row of the panels reveals stronger positive pressure than that mounted on the rooftop. Due to the flow separation occurring at the building edge, the first row of the panels on the rooftop is most in negative pressures; the last row, on the other hand, shows positive pressures because of the flow reattachment. Different areas also have different pressure patterns, which corresponds well to the regulations in ASCE7-16 describing the area division for design values. Several minor observations are found according to parametric studies, such as rooftop edge effect, parapet effect, building aspect effect, row interval effect, and so on. General comments are then made for the proposal of regulation revision in Taiwanese code.

Keywords: aerodynamic force coefficient, ground-mounted, roof-mounted, wind tunnel test, photovoltaic

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5368 Detecting Heartbeat Architectural Tactic in Source Code Using Program Analysis

Authors: Ananta Kumar Das, Sujit Kumar Chakrabarti

Abstract:

Architectural tactics such as heartbeat, ping-echo, encapsulate, encrypt data are techniques that are used to achieve quality attributes of a system. Detecting architectural tactics has several benefits: it can aid system comprehension (e.g., legacy systems) and in the estimation of quality attributes such as safety, security, maintainability, etc. Architectural tactics are typically spread over the source code and are implicit. For large codebases, manual detection is often not feasible. Therefore, there is a need for automated methods of detection of architectural tactics. This paper presents a formalization of the heartbeat architectural tactic and a program analytic approach to detect this tactic in source code. The experiment of the proposed method is done on a set of Java applications. The outcome of the experiment strongly suggests that the method compares well with a manual approach in terms of its sensitivity and specificity, and far supersedes a manual exercise in terms of its scalability.

Keywords: software architecture, architectural tactics, detecting architectural tactics, program analysis, AST, alias analysis

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5367 The Application of Data Mining Technology in Building Energy Consumption Data Analysis

Authors: Liang Zhao, Jili Zhang, Chongquan Zhong

Abstract:

Energy consumption data, in particular those involving public buildings, are impacted by many factors: the building structure, climate/environmental parameters, construction, system operating condition, and user behavior patterns. Traditional methods for data analysis are insufficient. This paper delves into the data mining technology to determine its application in the analysis of building energy consumption data including energy consumption prediction, fault diagnosis, and optimal operation. Recent literature are reviewed and summarized, the problems faced by data mining technology in the area of energy consumption data analysis are enumerated, and research points for future studies are given.

Keywords: data mining, data analysis, prediction, optimization, building operational performance

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5366 Simulation of Reflectometry in Alborz Tokamak

Authors: S. Kohestani, R. Amrollahi, P. Daryabor

Abstract:

Microwave diagnostics such as reflectometry are receiving growing attention in magnetic confinement fusionresearch. In order to obtain the better understanding of plasma confinement physics, more detailed measurements on density profile and its fluctuations might be required. A 2D full-wave simulation of ordinary mode propagation has been written in an effort to model effects seen in reflectometry experiment. The code uses the finite-difference-time-domain method with a perfectly-matched-layer absorption boundary to solve Maxwell’s equations.The code has been used to simulate the reflectometer measurement in Alborz Tokamak.

Keywords: reflectometry, simulation, ordinary mode, tokamak

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5365 Investigation on the Energy Impact of Spatial Geometry in a Residential Building Using Building Information Modeling Technology

Authors: Shashank. S. Bagane, H. N. Rajendra Prasad

Abstract:

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has currently developed into a potent solution. The consistent development of BIM technology in the sphere of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has enhanced the effectiveness of construction and decision making. However, aggrandized global warming and energy crisis has impacted on building energy analysis. It is now becoming an important factor to be considered in the AEC industry. Amalgamating energy analysis in the planning and design phase of a structure has become a necessity. In the current construction industry, estimating energy usage and reducing its footprint is of high priority. The construction industry is giving more prominence to sustainability alongside energy efficiency. This demand is compelling the designers, planners, and engineers to inspect the sustainable performance throughout the building's life cycle. The current study primarily focuses on energy consumption, space arrangement, and spatial geometry of a residential building. Most commonly residential structures in India are constructed considering Vastu Shastra. Vastu designs are intended to integrate architecture with nature and utilizing geometric patterns, symmetry, and directional alignments. In the current study, a residential brick masonry structure is considered for BIM analysis, Architectural model of the structure will be created using Revit software, later the orientation and spatial arrangement will be finalized based on Vastu principles. Furthermore, the structure will be investigated for the impact of building orientation and spatial arrangements on energy using Green Building Studio software. Based on the BIM analysis of the structure, energy consumption of subsequent building orientations will be understood. A well-orientated building having good spatial arrangement can save a considerable amount of energy throughout its life cycle and reduces the need for heating and lighting which will prove to diminish energy usage and improve the energy efficiency of the residential building.

Keywords: building information modeling, energy impact, spatial geometry, vastu

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5364 A Structured Mechanism for Identifying Political Influencers on Social Media Platforms Top 10 Saudi Political Twitter Users

Authors: Ahmad Alsolami, Darren Mundy, Manuel Hernandez-Perez

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Social media networks, such as Twitter, offer the perfect opportunity to either positively or negatively affect political attitudes on large audiences. A most important factor contributing to this effect is the existence of influential users, who have developed a reputation for their awareness and experience on specific subjects. Therefore, knowledge of the mechanisms to identify influential users on social media is vital for understanding their effect on their audience. The concept of the influential user is based on the pioneering work of Katz and Lazarsfeld (1959), who created the concept of opinion leaders' to indicate that ideas first flow from mass media to opinion leaders and then to the rest of the population. Hence, the objective of this research was to provide reliable and accurate structural mechanisms to identify influential users, which could be applied to different platforms, places, and subjects. Twitter was selected as the platform of interest, and Saudi Arabia as the context for the investigation. These were selected because Saudi Arabia has a large number of Twitter users, some of whom are considerably active in setting agendas and disseminating ideas. The study considered the scientific methods that have been used to identify public opinion leaders before, utilizing metrics software on Twitter. The key findings propose multiple novel metrics to compare Twitter influencers, including the number of followers, social authority and the use of political hashtags, and four secondary filtering measures. Thus, using ratio and percentage calculations to classify the most influential users, Twitter accounts were filtered, analyzed and included. The structured approach is used as a mechanism to explore the top ten influencers on Twitter from the political domain in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: twitter, influencers, structured mechanism, Saudi Arabia

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5363 Rural Education in Saudi Arabia School Leaders’ and Teachers’ Experiences and Perceptions

Authors: Emad Matar Alotaibi

Abstract:

In line with other Arabic countries, Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing large scale school reform in response to key factors brought about by globalization. While there is a growing body of research exploring these systemic changes in urban environments, there is very little published research regarding rural schools. In fact, rural schools are still under-examined globally comparing to their urban and suburban counterparts over a range of reform dimensions. In Saudi Arabia, there are around 1128 rural areas that contain about 3200 schools. Several challenges face rural schools, especially in relation to recruitment, retention, and professional development opportunities for teachers and school leaders. However, there is very little in depth research which explores these issues “on the ground”. The aim of this research is fill this knowledge gap and explore teachers’ and leaders’ perceptions and experiences of working in rural schools in KSA. In Saudi Arabia, there is a growing body of research into school leadership. However, there is very little published research specifically exploring rural schools. By using an in-depth case study approach and adopting an analytical framework based on the interlinking concepts of leadership practices, culture, and CPD, this study offers and significant and original contribution to knowledge in this area. This study also will adopt a qualitative multiple case studies, which is going to employ semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis.

Keywords: leadership practice, school culture, continuing professional development, rural school

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5362 Feature Engineering Based Detection of Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in Source Code Using Deep Neural Networks

Authors: Mst Shapna Akter, Hossain Shahriar

Abstract:

One of the most important challenges in the field of software code audit is the presence of vulnerabilities in software source code. Every year, more and more software flaws are found, either internally in proprietary code or revealed publicly. These flaws are highly likely exploited and lead to system compromise, data leakage, or denial of service. C and C++ open-source code are now available in order to create a largescale, machine-learning system for function-level vulnerability identification. We assembled a sizable dataset of millions of opensource functions that point to potential exploits. We developed an efficient and scalable vulnerability detection method based on deep neural network models that learn features extracted from the source codes. The source code is first converted into a minimal intermediate representation to remove the pointless components and shorten the dependency. Moreover, we keep the semantic and syntactic information using state-of-the-art word embedding algorithms such as glove and fastText. The embedded vectors are subsequently fed into deep learning networks such as LSTM, BilSTM, LSTM-Autoencoder, word2vec, BERT, and GPT-2 to classify the possible vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we proposed a neural network model which can overcome issues associated with traditional neural networks. Evaluation metrics such as f1 score, precision, recall, accuracy, and total execution time have been used to measure the performance. We made a comparative analysis between results derived from features containing a minimal text representation and semantic and syntactic information. We found that all of the deep learning models provide comparatively higher accuracy when we use semantic and syntactic information as the features but require higher execution time as the word embedding the algorithm puts on a bit of complexity to the overall system.

Keywords: cyber security, vulnerability detection, neural networks, feature extraction

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5361 Developing Integrated Model for Building Design and Evacuation Planning

Authors: Hao-Hsi Tseng, Hsin-Yun Lee

Abstract:

In the process of building design, the designers have to complete the spatial design and consider the evacuation performance at the same time. It is usually difficult to combine the two planning processes and it results in the gap between spatial design and evacuation performance. Then the designers cannot complete an integrated optimal design solution. In addition, the evacuation routing models proposed by previous researchers is different from the practical evacuation decisions in the real field. On the other hand, more and more building design projects are executed by Building Information Modeling (BIM) in which the design content is formed by the object-oriented framework. Thus, the integration of BIM and evacuation simulation can make a significant contribution for designers. Therefore, this research plan will establish a model that integrates spatial design and evacuation planning. The proposed model will provide the support for the spatial design modifications and optimize the evacuation planning. The designers can complete the integrated design solution in BIM. Besides, this research plan improves the evacuation routing method to make the simulation results more practical. The proposed model will be applied in a building design project for evaluation and validation when it will provide the near-optimal design suggestion. By applying the proposed model, the integration and efficiency of the design process are improved and the evacuation plan is more useful. The quality of building spatial design will be better.

Keywords: building information modeling, evacuation, design, floor plan

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5360 [Keynote Talk]: Thermal Performance of Common Building Insulation Materials: Operating Temperature and Moisture Effect

Authors: Maatouk Khoukhi

Abstract:

An accurate prediction of the heat transfer through the envelope components of building is required to achieve an accurate cooling/heating load calculation which leads to precise sizing of the hvac equipment. This also depends on the accuracy of the thermal conductivity of the building insulation material. The proper use of thermal insulation in buildings (k-value) contribute significantly to reducing the HVAC size and consequently the annual energy cost. The first part of this paper presents an overview of building thermal insulation and their applications. The second part presents some results related to the change of the polystyrene insulation thermal conductivity with the change of the operating temperature and the moisture. Best-fit linear relationship of the k-value in term of the operating temperatures and different percentage of moisture content by weight has been established. The thermal conductivity of the polystyrene insulation material increases with the increase of both operating temperature and humidity content.

Keywords: building insulation material, moisture content, operating temperature, thermal conductivity

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5359 Role of Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism on the Onset of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Saudi Patients

Authors: Ebtissam Saleh Al-Meghaiseeb, Abdulaziz Al Masood, Abdulrahman Al-Robayan, Reem Al-Amro, Misbahul Arfin, Abdulrahman Al Asmari

Abstract:

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism on the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Saudi patients. Methods: APOE gene was genotyped to evaluate the frequencies of the alleles and genotypes in Saudi subjects, including IBD patients (n=200) and matched controls (n=200), using APOE StripAssayTM kit (ViennaLab Labordiagnostika GmbH, Vienna, Austria). Results: The frequencies of alleles and genotypes of APOE differed in patients and controls. The APOE allele ε2 and ε4, genotype ε2/ε3 and ε2/ε4 were significantly higher in the IBD patients than the healthy controls. The frequencies of ε3 allele and ε3/ε3 genotype were higher in the control group as compared to patients. The higher prevalence of allele ε2 and ε4 allele in patients compared to that in controls suggested that ε2 and ε4 alleles may increase the risk of IBD. Results also indicated that APOE ε4 allele was associated with early age at onset of IBD. On the other hand, the decreased frequencies of ε3 allele and ε3/ε3 genotype in patients as compared to those in the controls suggested a protective effect of APOE ε3 for IBD susceptibility. In this study, the frequency distribution of APOE alleles and genotypes was not affected by the gender or type of IBD (familial or sporadic). Conclusion: This study indicates that APOE polymorphism plays a significant role in developing IBD and early age of onset in Saudi patients. However, further studies with large-size sample are warranted to confirm this relationship.

Keywords: APOE, polymorphism, IBD, saudis

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5358 Comparing Occupants’ Satisfaction in LEED Certified Office Buildings and Non-LEED Certified Office Buildings: A Case Study of Office Buildings in Egypt and Turkey

Authors: Amgad A. Farghal, Dina I. El Desouki

Abstract:

Energy consumption and users’ satisfaction were compared in three LEED certified office buildings in turkey and an office building in Egypt. The field studies were conducted in summer 2012. The measured environmental parameters in the four buildings were indoor air temperature, relative humidity, CO2 percentage and light intensity. The traditional building is located in Smart Village in Abu Rawash, Cairo, Egypt. The building was studied for 7 days resulting in 84 responds. The three rated buildings are in Istanbul; Turkey. A Platinum LEED certified office building is owned by BASF and gained a platinum certificate for new construction and major renovation. The building was studied for 3 days resulting in 13 responds. A Gold LEED certified office building is owned by BASF and gained a gold certificate for new construction and major renovation. The building was studied for 2 days resulting in 10 responds. A silver LEED certified office building is owned by Unilever and gained a silver certificate for commercial interiors. The building was studied for 7 days resulting in 84 responds. The results showed that all buildings had no significant difference regarding occupants’ satisfaction with the amount of lighting, noise level, odor and access to the outdoor view. There was significant difference between occupants’ satisfaction in LEED certified buildings and the traditional building regarding the thermal environment and the perception of the general environment (colors, carpet and decoration. The findings suggest that careful design could lead to a certified building that enhances the thermal environment and the perception of the indoor environment leading to energy consumption without scarifying occupants’ satisfaction.

Keywords: energy consumption, occupants’ satisfaction, rating systems, office buildings

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5357 Analysis of Noise Environment and Acoustics Material in Residential Building

Authors: Heruanda Alviana Giska Barabah, Hilda Rasnia Hapsari

Abstract:

Acoustic phenomena create an acoustic interpretation condition that describes the characteristics of the environment. In urban areas, the tendency of heterogeneous and simultaneous human activity form a soundscape that is different from other regions, one of the characteristics of urban areas that developing the soundscape is the presence of vertical model houses or residential building. Activities both within the building and surrounding environment are able to make the soundscape with certain characteristics. The acoustics comfort of residential building becomes an important aspect, those demand lead the building features become more diverse. Initial steps in mapping acoustic conditions in a soundscape are important, this is the method to determine uncomfortable condition. Noise generated by road traffic, railway, and plane is an important consideration, especially for urban people, therefore the proper design of the building becomes very important as an effort to bring appropriate acoustics comfort. In this paper the authors developed noise mapping on the location of the residential building. Mapping done by taking some point referring to the noise source. The mapping result become the basis for modeling the acoustics wave interacted with the building model. Material selection is done based on literature study and modeling simulation using Insul by considering the absorption coefficient and Sound Transmission Class. The analysis of acoustics rays is ray tracing method using Comsol simulator software that can show the movement of acoustics rays and their interaction with a boundary. The result of this study can be used to consider boundary material in residential building as well as consideration for improving the acoustic quality in the acoustics zones that are formed.

Keywords: residential building, noise, absorption coefficient, sound transmission class, ray tracing

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5356 The Role of Universities in Saudi Arabia in Environmental Awareness

Authors: Hamad Albadr

Abstract:

With the growth that has occurred in the orientation of universities from liability cognitive and maintain the culture of the community to liability functional creating graduates to work according to the needs of the community development; representing the university in today's world, the prime mover of the wheel of development in the community and find appropriate solutions to the problems they are facing and adapt to the demands of the changing environment. This paper deals with the role of Saudi universities as institutions, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the extent of its responsibility to the environmental awareness of the community members in various segments, where it will use the research methodology descriptive and analytical, to gather information, data and analysis answers the study sample consisting of 1500 people from the staff of the Saudi universities: The members of the faculty, and members of the administrative and technical bodies, and current students, 500 of them are responsible for employment in the labor sector and graduates. Where will review the paper to identify the extent to which the objectives of the academic programs in Saudi universities to the needs of the community, and the extent to which the course content submitted to the characteristics of the local environment for the community and how he benefited them to ensure its conformity with the changing needs of society, and how to address the research presented in academic programs to the needs of society and its problems , and the extent to which graduate students to deal enough of social responsibility and commitment to community service and the preservation of the environment, and the availability of a clear policy to serve the community with the academic programs, and how to encourage faculty, staff and students to participate in community service. And the availability of counseling services for school students for vocational guidance, scientific, environmental, and the contribution of Academic Programs publishes scientific and technical culture and the environmental community members.

Keywords: universities in Saudi Arabia, environmental awareness, academic programs, environmental community

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5355 Improvement of Ventilation and Thermal Comfort Using the Atrium Design for Traditional Folk Houses-Fujian Earthen Building

Authors: Ying-Ming Su

Abstract:

Fujian earthen building which was known as a classic for ecological buildings was listed on the world heritage in 2008 (UNESCO) in China. Its design strategy can be applied to modern architecture planning and design. This study chose two different cases (Round Atrium: Er-Yi Building, Double Round Atrium: Zhen-Chen Building) of earthen building in Fu-Jian to compare the ventilation effects of different atrium forms. We adopt field measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of temperature, humidity, and wind environment to identify the relationship between external environment and atrium about comfort and to confirm the relationship about atrium H/W (height/width). Results indicate that, through the atrium convection effect, it makes the natural wind guides to each space surrounded and keeps indoor comfort. It illustrates that the smaller the ratio of the H/W which is the relationship between the height and the width of an atrium is, the greater the wind speed generated within the street valley. Moreover, the wind speed is very close to the reference wind speed. This field measurement verifies that the value of H/W has great influence of solar radiation heat and sunshine shadows. The ventilation efficiency is: Er-Yi Building (H/W =0.2778) > Zhen-Chen Building (H/W=0.3670). Comparing the cases with the same shape but with different H/W, through the different size patios, airflow revolves in the atriums and can be brought into each interior space. The atrium settings meet the need of building ventilation, and can adjust the humidity and temperature within the buildings. It also creates good ventilation effect.

Keywords: traditional folk houses, atrium, tulou, ventilation, building microclimate

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5354 Measurement and Research of Green Office Building Operational Performance in China: A Case Study of a Green Office Building in Zhejiang Province

Authors: Xuechen Gui, Jian Ge, Senmiao Li

Abstract:

In recent years, green buildings in China have been developing rapidly and have developed into a wide variety of types, of which office building is a very important part. In many green office buildings, the energy consumption of building operation is high; the indoor environment quality needs to be improved, and the level of occupants’ satisfaction is low. This paper conducted a one-year measurement of operational performance of a green office building in Zhejiang Province. The measurement includes energy consumption of the building's one-year operation, the quality of the indoor environment and occupants’ satisfaction in different seasons. The energy consumption is collected from the power bureau. The quality of the indoor environment have been measured at different measuring points including offices, meeting rooms and reception for the whole year. The satisfaction of occupants are obtained from questionnaires. The results are compared with given standards and goals and the reasons why occupants are dissatisfied with the indoor environment are analyzed. Regarding energy consumption, the energy consumption of the building operational performance is much higher than the standard. Regarding the indoor environment, the temperature and humidity meet the standard for most of the time, but fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration is pretty high. Regarding occupants satisfaction, occupants have a higher expectation for indoor air quality even when the indoor air quality is well and occupants prefer a relatively humid environment. However the overall satisfaction is more than 80%, which indicates that occupants have a higher tolerability.

Keywords: green office building, energy consumption, indoor environment quality, occupants satisfaction, operational performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 153
5353 Towards Optimising Building Information Modelling and Building Management System in Higher Education Institutions Facility Management: A Review

Authors: Zhuoqun Sun, Francisco Sierra, A. Booth

Abstract:

With BIM rapidly implemented in the design and construction stage of a project, researchers begin to focus on improving the operation and maintenance stage with the aid of BIM. Since the increasing amount of electronic equipment installed in the building, building management system becomes mainstream for controlling a building, especially in higher education institutions that can play an important role in terms of reducing carbon emission and improving energy efficiency. Currently, an approach to integrate BIM and BMS to improve HEIs facility management has not been established yet. Thus, this paper aims to analyse the benefits, issues, and trends of BIM and BMS integration and their application in HEIs. A systematic literature review was carried out on SCOPUS by applying the PRISMA methodology. 73 articles have been chosen based on keywords, abstracts, and the full content of the articles. The benefit and existed issues from the articles are analysed. The review shows the need to develop a tool to improve facility management through BIM BMS integration.

Keywords: BIM, BMS, HEIs, review

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5352 Effect of Porous Multi-Layer Envelope System on Effective Wind Pressure of Building Ventilation

Authors: Ying-Chang Yu, Yuan-Lung Lo

Abstract:

Building ventilation performance is an important indicator of indoor comfort. However, in addition to the geometry of the building or the proportion of the opening, the ventilation performance is also very much related to the actual wind pressure of the building. There are more and more contemporary building designs built with multi-layer exterior envelope. Due to ventilation and view observatory requirement, the porous outer layer of the building is commonly adopted and has a significant wind damping effect, causing the phenomenon of actual wind pressure loss. However, the relationship between the wind damping effect and the actual wind pressure is not linear. This effect can make the indoor ventilation of the building rationalized to reasonable range under the condition of high wind pressure, and also maintain a good amount of ventilation performance under the condition of low wind pressure. In this study, wind tunnel experiments were carried out to simulate the different wind pressures flow through the porous outer layer, and observe the actual wind pressure strength engage with the window layer to find the decreasing relationship between the damping effect of the porous shell and the wind pressure. Experiment specimen scale was designed to be 1:50 for testing real-world building conditions; the study found that the porous enclosure has protective shielding without affecting low-pressure ventilation. Current study observed the porous skin may damp more wind energy to ease the wind pressure under high-speed wind. Differential wind speed may drop the pressure into similar pressure level by using porous skin. The actual mechanism and value of this phenomenon will need further study in the future.

Keywords: multi-layer facade, porous media, wind damping, wind tunnel test, building ventilation

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5351 Hybrid Renewable Power Systems

Authors: Salman Al-Alyani

Abstract:

In line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the Saudi Green initiative was announced aimed at reducing carbon emissions by more than 4% of the global contribution. The initiative included plans to generate 50% of its energy from renewables by 2030. The geographical location of Saudi Arabia makes it among the best countries in terms of solar irradiation and has good wind resources in many areas across the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is a wide country and has many remote locations where it is not economically feasible to connect those loads to the national grid. With the improvement of battery innovation and reduction in cost, different renewable technologies (primarily wind and solar) can be integrated to meet the need for energy in a more effective and cost-effective way. Saudi Arabia is famous for high solar irradiations in which solar power generation can extend up to six (6) hours per day (25% capacity factor) in some locations. However, the net present value (NPV) falls down to negative in some locations due to distance and high installation costs. Wind generation in Saudi Arabia is a promising technology. Hybrid renewable generation will increase the net present value and lower the payback time due to additional energy generated by wind. The infrastructure of the power system can be capitalized to contain solar generation and wind generation feeding the inverter, controller, and load. Storage systems can be added to support the hours that have an absence of wind or solar energy. Also, the smart controller that can help integrate various renewable technologies primarily wind and solar, to meet demand considering load characteristics. It could be scalable for grid or off-grid applications. The objective of this paper is to study the feasibility of introducing a hybrid renewable system in remote locations and the concept for the development of a smart controller.

Keywords: battery storage systems, hybrid power generation, solar energy, wind energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 161
5350 Clinch Process Simulation Using Diffuse Elements

Authors: Benzegaou Ali, Brani Benabderrahmane

Abstract:

This work describes a numerical study of the TOX–clinching process using diffuse elements. A computer code baptized SEMA "Static Explicit Method Analysis" is developed to simulate the clinch joining process. The FE code is based on an Updated Lagrangian scheme. The used resolution method is based on an explicit static approach. The integration of the elasto-plastic behavior law is realized with an algorithm of Simo and Taylor. The tools are represented by plane facets.

Keywords: diffuse elements, numerical simulation, clinching, contact, large deformation

Procedia PDF Downloads 343
5349 Comparative Study of Various Wall Finishes in Buildings in Ondo State, Nigeria

Authors: Ayodele Oluwole Alejo

Abstract:

Wall finishes are the term to describe an application over a wall surface to provide a suitable surface. Wall finishes are smelt, touched and seen by building occupiers even colour and design affects the user psychology and the atmosphere of our building. Building users/owners seem not to recognize the function of various wall finishes in building and factors to be considered in selecting them suitable for the type and purpose of proposed buildings. Therefore, defects such as deterioration, dampness, and stain may occur when comparisons of wall finishes are not made before the selection of appropriate materials at the design stage with knowledge of the various factors that may hinder the performance or maintenance culture of proposed building of a particular location. This research work investigates and compares various wall finishes in building. Buildings in Ondo state, Nigeria were used as the target area to conduct the research works. The factors bearing on various wall finishes were analyzed to find out their individual and collective impact using suitable analytical tools. The findings revealed that paint with high percentage score was the most preferred wall finishes, whereas wall paper was ranked the least by the respondent findings, Factors considered most in the selection of wall finishes was durability with the highest ranking percentage and least was the cost. The study recommends that skilled worker should carry out operations, quality product should be used and all of wall finishes and materials should be considered before selection.

Keywords: building, construction, design, finishes, wall

Procedia PDF Downloads 115
5348 Numerical Investigation of Seismic Behaviour of Building

Authors: Tinebeb Tefera Ashene

Abstract:

Glass facade systems have gained popularity in recent times. During an earthquake, building frames suffer large inter-story drifts, causing racking of building facade systems. A facade system is highly vulnerable and fails more frequently than a building with significant devastating effects. The usage of Metallic yield damper connections (Added Damping Stiffness) is proposed in this study to mitigate the aforementioned problems. Results showed as compared to control, usage of Metallic yield damper connections (Added-Damping-And-Stiffness) exhibited a reduction of connection deformation and axial force; differential displacement between frame and facade; and facade distortion by 44.35%, 43.33%, and 51.45% respectively. Also, employing proposed energy-absorbing connections reduced inter-story link joint drift by 71.11% and mitigated detrimental seismic effects on the entire building facade system.

Keywords: damper, energy dissipation, metallic yield, facades

Procedia PDF Downloads 34