Energy Consumption,Thermal Performance and Thermal Comfort in Public School Buildings in Jordan

Good learning outputs in schools require an acceptable physical environment inside schools. Whatever the climatic context that surrounds any school buildings, energy flows of different types should be provided. Concerns may include thermal environment, luminous environment and acoustics environment. Types of energy used are an important variable that contributes to thermal comfort. Physical structure of the school building is another factor to be taken into consideration. This article established a relationship between thermal comfort inside schools and types of energy flows which have been consumed to maintain the level of comfort required, controlled by the building fabric and consequent economic factors that affect energy consumption of school buildings. Different approaches were applied in order to achieve the research objectives. Field surveys, field measurements and analyzing historical data were the most approaches followed to implement this study. The final outputs of this work have a national value nationwide： establishing a relationship among thermal comfort, energy flows and building fabric is of importance. Furthermore, it is of great importance to the decision maker for educational facilities. Research will also establish a wide platform based on scientific investigations for developing climate responsive school architecture in Jordan.     

Experimental Verification to Estimate Ground Thermal Conductivity Using Spiral Coil Type Ground Heat Exchangers

This paper presents an experimental study on the evaluation of thermal response of a spiral coil type GHE （ground heat exchanger）. This GHE was installed on partially saturated landfill ground that was composed of silt and clay in the runway area of Incheon International airport. TRT （thermal response test） was conducted for more than 65 hours under continuous operation conditions. Ground thermal conductivity was derived based on line source theory, which has usually been found to be appropriate for line type GHEs such as U, W and 2U types. A reasonable method to derive ground thermal conductivity using the infinite line source theory for a spiral coil type GHE was introduced. Ground thermal conductivity from the TRT using spiral coil type GHE was compared with those from the analytical equivalent model of ground thermal conductivity.     

Extreme Adaptation to Extreme Environments in Hot Dry,Hot Sub-humid and Hot Humid Climates in Mexico

The paper discusses the results of a field study carried out in four cities in Mexico： Hermosillo, Mexicali, Merida and Colima, during the warmest seasons of 2006-2007. The survey is according to the adaptive approach of thermal comfort. The cities＇ climates are hot dry, hot sub-humid and hot humid. The respondents were inhabitants of low cost housings without air conditioning. The research was performed during warm seasons and according to ISO 10551. The measurements were processed by the common method of linear regression and also by alternative methods, useful for asymmetric climates. Individuals declared comfort at very high temperatures, either high or low humidity, therefore, the resulting neutral temperatures are higher than 30 ℃, except in Colima （28.8 ℃）. The upper limits of comfort ranges achieved temperatures up to 35 ℃. The results suggest how great is the capacity of humans to adapt to conditions as extreme as those measured in the study.     

A Study on the Architectural Application of Aerogel

As the building energy saving is more and more important, high-performing insulation like aerogel will be required in buildings to improve their thermal environment and to save building energy. This study conducted the literature survey on the aerogel blanket and presents the architectural application considering its high-insulating property. If aerogel is applied to a building as an envelope insulation, its thickness could be reduced to as half as that of existing insulation such as polystyrene foam board or glassfiber. Currently, aerogel is largely used as a thermal breaker in thermal bridges in buildings. It is still too expensive to be used as a main insulation of whole building envelopes. Thanks to the advantages of aerogel blanket such as low thermal conductivity, broad temperature range for use, excellent water repellent property and fire resistance, easiness of moving and applying, it has much possibility in the respect of its building application.     

《低压配电设计规范》GB50054-95第四章第二节之数据探讨

本文的任务 笔者此前曾发表一文《低压配电设计规范》GB50054—95第四章第二节绝缘导体的热稳定校验公式中K值之校验,发现该规范的第四章第二节有误,其一是铜的电阻率数据错误,其二规范第55页表4．2．2—1自相矛盾,其三第55页的表4．2．2—1,表4．2．2—2,K值计算公式和第12页的表4．2．2也是相互矛盾的。     

Fuel Poverty and Comfort in Modern Residential Apartments in Developing Countries： A Case from Jordan

Energy is one of the most important resources in the economy of developing countries. Jordan depends mainly on imported oil and gas at international prices. This creates a heavy burden upon Jordanian national economy, which is reflected in the same time on other sectors of the Jordanian society. The ever increasing fuel prices make it very necessary to look for new renewable energy resources. Jordan as a developing country with its fast growing urban development and construction projects will be studied. It is worthy to study the dynamic relationship between end user, fuel and comfort in the residential sector. Energy is a chronic problem in Jordan, due to lack of non renewable energy resources, the end consumer is influenced by this fact, in achieving his basic energy needs. This study tries to shed light on the fuel poverty line, definitions and parameters of fuel poverty. And to study what has been done in this regard on both international and local level. No studies have been identified in Jordan which, explore the problem of fuel poverty, especially after the vast and recent increase in fuel prices internationally and locally. This study will follow theoretical and field survey to understand the relationship between comfort, energy and building fabric. Method will depend mainly on field survey and statistical data, and necessary measurements, questionnaires will be adopted when necessary to explore comfort levels related to fuel consumption. Summary and recommendations will be concerned with how thermal comfort could be achieved within the ranges of fuel accessibility, building fabric, minimum pollution and cost.     

Spatial Distribution of Internal Temperatures in a LGR （Light Green Roof） for Brazilian Tropical Weather

This article aims to assess the spatial distribution of the IST （internal surface temperatures） in the ceiling and DBT （dry bulb temperatures） of a LGR （light green roof） in a test cell. Cover systems known as green roofs have the potential to retain rainwater and help reduce runoff. However, the characteristic considered in this work is the insulation capacity of this kind of coverage. To evaluate the spatial distribution of temperatures in an environment with light green roof, we proposed a new method for acquisition of series of climatological data and temperatures according to spatial and temporal approaches of dynamic climatology. Climatological data were provided by an automatic weather station and temperatures were collected in a test cell with light green roof. The spatial distribution of surface temperatures and internal air temperature （DBT） are based on the concepts of a climatic episode and typical experimental day from the study of the dynamic climatology. The results led to the conclusion that the light green roof has a balanced spatial distribution of the IST and of the internal air temperature （DBT）, i.e., without substantial variations over the day. The new methodology also showed the importance of specifying the location of the sensors and automatic weather station in experimental studies on the thermal behaviour of buildings.     

Performance Evaluation of New Two Axes Tracking PV-Thermal Concentrator

The overall problem with PV （photovoltaic） systems is the high cost for the photovoltaic modules. This makes it interesting to concentrate irradiation on the PV-module, thereby reducing the PV area necessary for obtaining the same amount of output power. The tracking capability of two-axes tracking unit driving a new concentrating paraboloid for electric and heat production have been evaluated. The reflecting optics consisting of flat mirrors provides uniform illumination on the absorber which is a good indication for optimised electrical production due to series connection of solar cells. The calculated optical efficiency of the system indicates that about 80% of the incident beam radiation is transferred to the absorber. Simulations of generated electrical and thermal energy from the evaluated photovoltaic thermal （PV/T） collector show the potential of obtaining high total energy efficiency.     

On-Demand Post-Disaster Emergency Shelters

In post-disaster emergency shelter aid, various relief agencies and other actors with different backgrounds need to cooperate in a tremendously short amount of time and under very different circumstances. In this article, we describe a research project that develops and tests a new approach in which the demands for shelters in a specific situation are methodically connected with available, innovative and sustainable shelter solutions, a DSS （decision support system）. The DSS is a digital tool that translates the gathered evidence on needs, solutions and location including long-term effects of shelter provision into advice for the provision of sustainable, integral broader shelter solutions and designs. The outcome is a set of characteristics for a DSS for the provision of on-demand emergency shelters. A DSS that meets these characteristics leads to the provision of sustainable shelters that meet the needs of the users and, therefore, have higher performance in long term.     

Sustainability of Touristic Potential of the Old Van City and Castle of Van in Terms of Cultural,Historical and Natural Values

Tourism has become the world＇s fastest growing sector due to acceleration of technology and information flow in the globalized world of today, development of the modem mass transport system and increase in people＇s disposable income. Upon tourism＇s being considered as a serious development strategy in the developments of the countries, all the countries of the world have begun to accelerate their investments in this area through utilizing the natural and cultural assets of their countries （heritage） with a view to provide revenue to their economy as well as creation of jobs. This situation, which has emerged as a result of the globalization of supply and demand in tourism, has created certain problems in terms of environmental balance and the living conditions of local people as a result of poor management of the utilization of natural and cultural resources. The objective of this paper is to examine the concepts and principles germane to sustainable tourism which has significant contribution to the development of the countries, made at the macro level both in the world and in Turkey. The aim of this paper, at the micro level, is to create awareness incident to the tourism resources of the Van Region and the Old Van province and ensure the utilization of these resources through protection thereof. At the end of the study, the importance of the protection of heritage resources as well as fair use thereof in terms of increasing the competitiveness of Turkey on a global scale in tourism is addressed in the light of the overall evaluations.     

BIPV in the Refurbishment of Minor Historical Centres： The Project of Integrability between Standard and Customized Technology

The proposed research is aimed to define some BIPV （building integrated photovoltaics） paradigms for the refurbishment of historical contexts, by defining strategic criteria related to linguistic-architectural and technological-constructive aspects of solar systems （including case-studies in specific application contexts）. This research could, once perfected and shared, be used within operative tools （guidelines, case studies, etc.） really applicable to common scale, e.g., in today＇s post-earthquake reconstruction in L＇Aquila, for defining possible solar implementation possibilities in sensitive areas according to an innovative and sustainable method of intervention.     

Effective Utilization of Concrete Sludge as Soil Improvement Materials

The amount of muddy soil generated from various kinds of construction sites is always problematic. It is very difficult to treat muddy soil because of its low strength and high water content. But, the reuse of muddy soil is necessary to reduce the total amount of industrial wastes. Surplus concrete is also in a similar situation. Coarse and fine aggregates are removed from surplus concrete as an intermediate treatment, however, concrete sludge still remains. The authors propose a reuse method that involves the muddy soil being mixed with concrete sludge as an improvement material. The possibility of the utilization of concrete sludge was investigated through laboratory experiments. As a result, it was found that the unconfined compressive strength of the improved soil mixed with concrete sludge increased as the curing proceeded.     

Sustainable Intervention Plans for Igbo Cultural Region of Nigeria

The Igbos are one of the major tribes of Nigeria. Over the years, their distinct way of living have further accentuated their culture. The paper discusses the Igbo cultural landscape region which comprises of rural autonomous communities made up of clusters of kindred and villages. In spite of the existence of the townships serving as trade, political and administrative centers for more than one century, the rate of urbanization has been very slow thereby affecting the development of the communities physically, economically and socially at astonishing rates consuming farmlands and traditional community boundaries. This paper is aimed at creating awareness on the unique regional growth pattern in Igbo land heavily dependent on cultural and natural heritages for purpose of determining adaptable regional planning strategies for such vibrant cultural region. It has examined the key issues and suggested a way forward to a more sustainable development of the region.     

Comparison of Crack Width and Space between SCC and Conventional Concrete Beams

Concrete is a material which is in wide use in engineering especially in construction engineering and road infrastructure facilities. Development trends for high rise constructions, modern skyscrapers indicate that building such constructions with normal concretes and low consistency is impossible, therefore there is a need for concrete with high processes because of great amount of reinforcement in cross-section of concrete elements. Solution for such construction is self-compacting concrete because of its ability to fill good formworks without compaction and vibration. Considering this fact, researches for cracks, mechanical characteristics of concrete and deformations have been conducted worldwide. In this paper, we conducted an experimental research to determine the cracks on beams of self-compacting concrete and compared it with conventional concrete. The experimentally-obtained results will be presented for both types of concrete for： module of elasticity, compression strength, crack with and cracks spacing for duration failure testing time t = 400 days.     

Deterioration of Concrete by the Oxidation of Sulphide Minerals in the Aggregate

Cases of degradation of concrete associated to iron sulphides in aggregates were recently recognized in the Trois-Rivi6res area, Canada. The aggregate used to produce concrete was an anorthositic gabbro containing various proportions of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite. Quantitative microanalysis on sulphide minerals show that pyrrhotite contains small amount of Ni, Co, Cu and As substituting for Fe in the mineral structure. Considering element substitution, x value in the chemical formula （Fe~.xS） was calculated to 0.099 in the pyrrhotite studied. Petrographic examination of damaged concretes showed the presence of oxidized pyrrhotite. The observation of polished samples shows, in several cases, that the pyrite is intact while the pyrrhotite presents evident signs of oxidation. In the presence of water and oxygen, pyrrhotite oxidizes to form iron oxyhydroxides and sulphuric acid. The acid then reacts with the phases of the cement paste and provokes the formation of gypsum and ettringite. These minerals were observed by SEM-EDS （scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer） and their precipitation causes a volume increase that creates expansion and cracking of the concrete.     

Influence of Hydrostatic Pressure on Compressive Strength of Self-consolidating Concrete

The design of unique chamber, in which the SCUWC （self-consolidating underwater concrete） can be tested under the impact of the hydrostatic pressure from 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa, is presented in the paper. The results of the preliminary tests of the effect of the hydrostatic pressure on the compressive strength of SCUWC were shown. The impact of the hydrostatic pressure on the compressive strength values of test specimens has been confirmed. There has been an increase in the strength of the specimens taken from the upper parts of the concrete samples. As it can be seen from the preliminary research, the differences in compressive strength are related to the differences that occur in the size and distribution of air voids in the samples taken from upper and lower parts of the test specimens. On the basis of the carried out investigations of the compressive strength, it can be concluded that the hydrostatic pressure has a favorable effect on the compressive strength of the tested specimens of SCUWC. Increase of the compressive strength is observed mostly in the upper layers of the samples. Preliminary analysis of the quantity and distribution of air pores in the samples of concrete subjected to pressure 0.5 MPa confirms the positive impact of the hydrostatic pressure on the layers close to the surface indicated by the absence of large air voids above 1,500μm and by reducing the quantity of air pores of size above 300μm.     

Cold In-Place Recycling as a Sustainable Pavement Practice

Pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction methods with CIR （cold in-place recycling） are alternatives that can effectively reduce the high stresses and waste produced by conventional pavement strategies. An attempt was made to predict the performance, particularly low-temperature cracking resistance characteristics of CIR mixtures. These were prepared with the mix design procedure developed at the URI （University of Rhode Island） for the FHWA （Federal Highway Administration） to reduce wide variations in the application of CIR mixtures production. This standard was applied to RAP （reclaimed asphalt pavement） to produce CIR mixtures with CSS-Ih asphalt emulsion as the additive. By adjusting the number of gyrations of the SGC （Superpave gyratory compactor） for compaction, the field density of 130 pcf was represented accurately. To secure a base line, HMA （hot mix asphalt） samples were produced according to the Superpave volumetric mix design procedure. The specimens were tested using the IDT （indirect tensile） tester according to the procedure of AASHTO T 322 procedure at temperatures of-20, -10 and 0 ℃ （-4, 14, and 32°F, respectively）. The obtained results for the creep compliance and tensile strength were used as input data for the MEPDG （mechanistic empirical pavement design guide）. The analysis results indicated that no thermal or low-temperature cracking is expected over the entire analysis period of 20 years for both HMA and CIR mixtures. Thus, it appears that CIR is a sustainable rehabilitation technique which is also suitable for colder climates, and it is recommended to conduct further investigation of load-related distresses such as rutting and fatigue cracking.     

Structural Retrofitting of Old Illyria Hote

Illyria hotel （formerly Bozhur） was built during the sixties in the heart of the actual Kosovo＇s capital Prishtina, according to former old Yugoslav standards in a Modernist architectural style. It represents a massive structural system with brick walls up to 54 cm thick and ＂avramenko＂ type reinforced concrete floors. The investor＇s aim was to add another two floors on the top of the existing ones and to build two level underground parking floors, a health spa centre, whilst at the vicinity of the existing building （the northern side） to erect a new 17 story-high brand new hotel and administration building. The retrofitting of the structure as well as construction of the new structure has been done in full accordance with the new structural Eurocodes＇ recommendations. 3D FEM （finite element method） modeling was used for the analysis and design, using ETABS v 9.5 nonlinear and ARSAP 2010 （Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2010）. Response spectrum design according to EC 8,3.2.2.4 has been used for seismic analysis and design with a reference peak ground acceleration on type A ground Of AgR = 0.25 g.     

Dynamic Characteristic of the Medium Span Concrete Footbridges

Concrete footbridges, due to their mass, stiffness and damping, are perceived as strucaires more resistant to vibration caused by dynamic action of the users. In order to verify the dynamic behaviour of concrete footbridges, a series of field tests and numerical analyses have been carried out. In the paper, the results of the dynamic field tests of three medium span concrete footbridges with different structural systems （frame, beam and arch footbridges） and their dynamic characteristics （mass, stiffness and damping） are presented. The field tests were carried out for different types of vibration excitation caused by walking, running and jumping persons. Furthermore, the vibrational comfort criteria for footbridges are shortly described and verified for examined structures. The study were supplemented by numerical calculation of natural mode shapes and frequencies of the structures using the 3D FEA （finite element analysis） models with elastic supports elements in order to ensure the compatibility of the calculated and measured mode shapes of the footbridges.     

Design and Management of Building＇s Resources

The developed modem control systems and buildings management resource systems would be effective if they are based on previously established optimal conditions during the building design. This is one of the key issues for a responsible architecture. The focus of this paper is on sustainable design methods and techniques for saving resources and their management throughout the building lifecycle. The main subject of the present article is the characteristics of these methods and their fundamental role in sustainable resource management during the building operation. The results which are based on conducted case studies of European and international practice in the construction of sustainable buildings are implemented here. Key features of a comprehensive approach for design and construction are outlined via comparative analysis, as well as various systems for the evaluation of sustainability for already constructed buildings. The mostly used criteria and indicators for sustainability are systematized, including those related to resource consumption. By analyzing a specific example, the role of sustainable design methods is justified as an important prerequisite for effective management of building resources in the process building maintenance. According to the conducted studies, during the longest life cycle period of a building, by implementation of control systems and resource management of building, the costs are successfully optimized. Specific directions that prove the effectiveness of such systems are systematized in the paper. Innovative approaches, complex methods and measures for design and management of buildings resources are presented as results of this study.