Service life planning and performance requirements

Service life planning comprises a model for the determination of a reasonable expected service life for buildings and components, and it establishes a routine for the assessment of design alternatives. A design option is considered reasonable when it meets or exceeds performance requirements over time that have been drawn up specifically for the specific project. Due to this assessment reference, there is a very evident link to the concept of performance-based building. Any stakeholder involved in the value chain or in the design process of the building, as well as regulators and building users, can express performance requirements. Identified requirements, both in relevance and in quality, will vary with the stakeholder and his/her perspective of interest. As building sector manufacturers develop most products with reference to standards rather than with reference to specific requirements, there is no direct link from user requirements to the product design. Instead, the building designer has the responsibility to ensure performance requirements are met by the performance of products integrated into the design. As these design decisions also have to be made at the material and component level, a performance-based building would benefit from an established rationale that enables the communication of performance requirements across the relevant system levels in the relevant design processes. A path for the connection of the established concepts of service life planning and performance-based building is presented. The aim is to identify key elements that need to be developed for the successful linkage of performance-based building with service life planning.     

Engaging stakeholders in performance-based building: lessons from the Performance-Based Building (PeBBu) Network

Despite decades of recognition and development, performance-based thinking and practice have not been as widely adopted by industry. To address this, the Performance-Based Building (PeBBu) Networks in Europe and Australia engaged a wide variety of industry stakeholders (on both 'supply' and 'demand' sides) in advancing the application of the performance approach in building processes. The background development, activities and accomplishments of the PeBBu Networks are presented together with some lessons learned from the experience of running the Network programmes. To engage stakeholders effectively, the performance approach should be presented as a business issue rather than primarily as a technical issue. The dominant need is for clear communication of the meaning, application and benefits of the performance approach, with emphasis on actual benefits and value.     

Performance-based building and innovation: balancing client and industry needs

One reason for the interest in performance-based building is that it is commonly advocated as a powerful way of enhancing innovation performance by articulating building performance outcomes, and by offering relevant procurement actors the discretion to innovate to meet these performance requirements more effectively and/or efficiently. The paper argues that the current approach to performance-based building assumes that relevant actors have the capacity, ability and motivation to innovate from a business perspective. It is proposed that the prevailing conceptualization of PBB is too restrictive and should be broadened explicitly to accommodate the required business logic that must be in place before actors will innovate. The relevant performance-based building and innovation literature is synthesized to support the assertion. The paper concludes with an innovation-focused definition of performance-based building.     

Performance-based building regulation: current situation and future needs

Although performance-based building regulations are in use or under development in numerous countries worldwide, there remain significant challenges in adequately identifying and defining performance, in understanding and addressing diverse societal expectations, and in establishing robust performance-based regulatory systems. These challenges become intensified as the building construction market becomes increasingly global, with the resulting expectation that building regulatory instruments remain valid across borders and do not create barriers to trade, while at the same time address local and national needs without compromising local cultural and societal norms. Many of these issues are just now beginning to be explored, and there is significant opportunity and need for future research and development in these areas.     

Fire safety engineering: comparison of a new degree programme with the model curriculum

The curriculum design of a new degree programme in Building Services Engineering with Fire Engineering Specialism for the local fire engineering professionals in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is reported. The programme was approved by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and offered in September 1997 with an intake of 25 students per year. The aims are to train fire engineers who can handle not only ‘traditional’ fire engineering systems, but also perform the ‘new’ procedure of fire safety engineering hooked up with the development of ‘performance-based fire codes’ in an ‘engineering approach’. Subject contents to be included in a fire safety engineering degree programme are proposed. A comparison of this new scheme with the model curriculum in Fire Safety Engineering is made. Coverage of topic areas on fire engineering and teaching hours are compared. Differences in the curricula have been identified and discussed.     

Evolution of energy policy in the Netherlands: past, present and future

In this paper, the past, present and possible future developments of energy policy for the built environment in the Netherlands are described briefly. The focus is on the development of and necessity for introducing new policy instruments for the built environment. Over the years, energy policy has evolved gradually to create a more integrated approach to the energy efficiency of buildings and larger urban districts. However, further evolution might be inevitable due to a shift of the primary driver for 'energy' policy from energy conservation to carbon dioxide reduction. Maximum targets of carbon dioxide emissions are being developed for each sector by 2010 and each sector has the obligation to meet its defined carbon dioxide reduction goal. Severe carbon dioxide reduction goals for the built environment in the Netherlands can only be achieved by means of energy efficiency improvement and fuel substitution, replacing natural gas with lower-carbon fuels. The introduction of lower-carbon fuels raises policy questions on whether to maintain the old infrastructure at great cost or whether investment should be in a new energy infrastructure and how this transition can be managed.     

某超高层结构抗震性能设计与优化

某超高层建筑主体高度236.6 m,属于超B级高层建筑,采用型钢混凝土框架-钢筋混凝土简体结构.根据该工程特点和《高层建筑混凝土结构技术规程》(JGJ 3—2010)有关结构抗震性能设计的最新要求,详述了结构抗震性能目标、针对超限的措施、结构优化过程、弹性反应谱分析以及弹性和弹塑性动力时程分析等内容.通过结构的计算分析表明,结构基本能够达到预期的抗震性能目标.     

Effective thermal conductivity of vacuum insulation panels

Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) with evacuated fumed silica as the core material and different barrier envelopes were subjected to a series of tests in a guarded hot plate apparatus. The process was conducted to determine thermal conductivity at the centre-of-panel and the edge effect, i.e. the linear thermal transmittance due to the thermal conductivity of the barrier envelope, which is many orders of magnitude higher than that of the evacuated fumed silica. Numerical simulations using a two-dimensional model were carried out in parallel and compared with measured results. In a further step, the influences of different parameters such as panel size, metal layers in the barrier envelope and the shape of the joint between two adjacent VIPs were quantified. Based on these findings, an effective thermal conductivity can be attributed to a system of VIPs. Investigations were performed within the framework of an international research programme of the IEA, Annex 39 'High Performance Thermal Insulation in Buildings and Building Systems', Subtask B.     

Partnership in building energy performance contracting

Building energy performance contracting is a business strategy to assist building owners overcome the financial barriers for improving the energy performance of their buildings. In return for the investments made into the energy-saving measures, the energy service contractors would share with the building owners the energy cost saving. Although the contractual arrangement is meant to create a win-win situation, disappointments could arise due to mismatches between the expected and actual outcomes. From a micro-economics viewpoint, the key factors contributing to the failure of a building energy performance contract are reviewed. To solve the commonly encountered problems in building energy performance contracting, it is proposed the conventional performance contract is replaced with a partnership formed jointly by the building owner and the energy service contractor, with the latter assuming the role of the performance contractor. This would unite the goals of the two parties and cultivate genuine cooperation between them. The key features for this new contractual arrangement are described along with how this arrangement could resolve typical energy performance contracting problems.     

The process of fire safety design—development ofFire Engineering Guidelines in Australia

Australia is quickly moving toward adopting performance-based regulations for building fire safety. This approach offers owners and designers more flexibility, greater opportunity for innovation, and more cost-effective construction.To help introduce a performance approach, the Fire Code Reform Centre has developedFire Engineering Guidelines, which document an agreed methodology for performance-based design and draws on earlier Australian research and similar developments in a number of countries.The guidelines are the first step in a broader research program to develop a full risk assessment methodology as the basis for fire safety design in Australia.     

Results variability in accredited building energy performance compliance demonstration software in the UK: an inter-model comparative study

In the context of performance-based building regulations, the benefits provided by building energy performance prediction tools in facilitating the exploration of innovative approaches to achieving performance requirements has been recognized. In accordance with the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD), the UK has introduced a methodology that allows the use of accredited third-party software for demonstrating compliance with energy performance criteria outlined in the relevant technical guidance for the non-domestic sector. This study investigates the issue of predictive inconsistencies between accredited tools available at the time of writing and presents the final results of an inter-model comparative analysis that examines the extent of variability in key compliance outputs. An overview of tool applicability limitations and issues associated with results variability are presented. Implications concerning the credibility of the methodology and recommendations to address current shortcomings are noted.     

工程结构基于性能的抗震设计方法研究

基于性能的抗震设计在国内外受到广泛研究,并被认为是将来抗震设计的发展方向.本文对国内外基于性能的抗震设计中的一些问题,以及常用的基于性能的抗震设计方法作了较系统的综述,初步探讨了现阶段进行结构性能抗震设计的方法和步骤.     

中美超限高层建筑性能化抗震设计方法对比分析

为了系统比较中美超限高层建筑基于性能的抗震设计方法,介绍了美国太平洋地震工程研究中心主导实施的“高层建筑推进计划”项目,探讨了该项目的主要成果（PEER-2010）《高层建筑基于性能的抗震设计指南》,并结合算例将其建议的基于性能抗震设计方法与中国GB 50011-2010《建筑抗震设计规范》和GB 50010-2010《高层建筑混凝土结构技术规程》中规定的基于性能抗震设计方法进行对比。研究结果表明:PEER-2010与我国规范中分别建议的超限高层建筑性能化抗震设计方法在性能目标划分、地震动选择、荷载输入及对地基与结构相互作用的考虑上均存在差异。PEER-2010对性能目标的划分相对更宽松,建议的下一代选波方法能够考虑长周期超高层建筑的选波问题,并对考虑地基与上部结构相互作用有着较为明确的规定。     

Building typologies as a tool for assessing the energy performance of residential buildings - A case study for the Hellenic building stock

Successful strategies towards minimizing the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the building sector require knowledge on the energy-related characteristics of the existing building stock. Despite the numerous studies on energy conservation applications in buildings, current knowledge on the energy-related characteristics of the building stock still remains limited. Building typologies can be a useful instrument to facilitate the energy performance assessment of a building stock. This work is based on a harmonised structure for European building typologies (TABULA) developed for residential buildings, but the methodology may be extended to the tertiary sector as well. National typologies are sets of model buildings with characteristic energy-related properties representative of a country's building stock. The model buildings are used as a showcase for demonstrating the energy performance and the potential energy savings from typical and advanced energy conservation measures (ECMs) on the thermal envelope and the heat supply system. The proposed Hellenic residential building typology is presented for the first time along with an assessment of various ECMs that are used for an estimate of the energy performance of building stock in Greece in an effort to meet the 9% indicative national energy savings target by 2016.     

High-performance weather-protective flashings

Typical problem areas associated with weather-protective flashing are identified, based on a comprehensive investigation of building damage cases in Norway. A total of 175 assignment reports associated with damaged flashing for the period between 1963 and 2001 are analysed. The investigation clearly shows that certain faults and deficiencies are recurring items. Windowsill/weatherboard flashings comprise as much as 41% of the building damage cases associated with weather-protective flashing. Damage in connection with parapet flashing comprises 27% of all cases included in this investigation. With few exceptions, instances of damage are located in Norway's coastal areas. Existing flashing solutions in the Norwegian Building Research Institute's Building Research Design Sheets have been further developed, based on the results from the analysis. Improved high-performance flashing solutions are presented for a number of typical problem areas. An illustrated summary of problems frequently encountered with different flashing variants is also presented. Finally, recommended best-practice flashing solutions for a number of typical problem areas are provided. The results will be implemented in the Building Research Design Sheets, and will also be used as a basis for the carrying out of new field studies and laboratory investigations.     

A socio-technical system framework for risk-informed performance-based building regulation

Building regulatory systems have been evolving in recent decades, first with a transition to a functional or performance basis, and more recently with the introduction of new societal objectives, including those related to sustainability and climate change resiliency. Various policy and technical challenges have been identified with this evolution, including the lack of a common basis for establishing performance expectations, quantified performance metrics, and robust mechanisms to incorporate new objectives in a manner that effectively integrates a diversity of stakeholder input and results in regulatory requirements that do not compete with long-standing objectives. Among the mechanisms being explored to facilitate a managed evolution is the use of risk as a basis for performance, and modifications within the building regulatory environment to enable this. It is posited that framing the building regulatory system as a socio-technical system (STS) will highlight the complex interactions that exist between regulators and the market, the roles stakeholders play in characterizing risk for use in building regulation, and what steps are required to shift to a risk-informed performance-based building regulatory system, taking into account different legal structures and regulatory approaches that exist between jurisdictions.     

基于性能的矿山钢井架抗震设计方法探析

基于性能的矿山钢井架抗震设计方法,对于建成安全高效矿井有着非常重要的现实意义,该文介绍了如何选定地震动水准、性能目标和性能设计指标等性能设计要求,可为矿山钢井架基于性能的抗震设计提供有意义的参考。     

日本基于性能结构抗震设计方法的发展

1995年兵库县南部(神户)地震中建筑物的破坏表明,对每一幢建筑物以满足性能要求进行结构设计是十分必要的.作者介绍了由日本国建设省组织的联合研究开发项目(1995～1998)以及近期按基于性能设计修订的建筑标准的工作情况.     

基于性能的碳纤维加固设计理论

将基于性能的设计思想与碳纤维加固设计方法相结合,提出了基于性能的碳纤维加固设计理论。该理论将碳纤维加固设计的性能目标分为6个等级,通过不同的试验结果确定了在不同等级的性能目标条件下碳纤维的可利用应力水平。通过一个算例比较了在不同设计性能目标条件下碳纤维的用量,结果表明,不同条件下碳纤维的用量相差很多,这说明在加固设计中应该根据不同的性能目标确定不同的碳纤维加固水准,这样可以大大降低工程加固的成本。同时算例表明,该理论是一种简单、实用、可行的设计方法。