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A. Wurm, U. Pont, F. Tahmasebi, A. Mahdavi:
"Overheating risk in buildings: A case study of the impact of alternative construction solutions and operational regimes";
in: "(Printed) Proceedings of CESB 2016: Central Europe towards sustainable building 2016 - innovations for sustrainable future", Book of (extented) abstracts; P. Hàjek, J. Tywoniak, A. Lupisek (ed.); issued by: CESB2016; Eigenverlag der CESB2016, Prague, Czech Republic, 2016, ISBN: 9788027102488, 377 - 378.

Strategies against summer overheating gain importance in the AEC-sector due to occurrence of more frequent and longer heat waves in summer time. Air Conditioning does not provide a globally sustainable solution due to high energy use and other environmental concerns. Passive methods, such as proper (window) ventilation and deployment of shading devices and operation of ventilation are considered to offer a considerable cooling potential. Moreover, buildings´ thermal mass is believed to lower the amplitudes of indoor air temperature patterns. Opinions regarding optimal construction solutions regarding avoidance of overheating differs amongst the representatives of the different construction industries (concrete, wood, drywall construction). The main reason for this circumstance may be differences in the understanding of the relevant physical phenomena and processes. Given this background, we present a case study on the influence of different building constructions as well as different ventilation and shading systems control schemes on the overheating tendency. Toward this end, we considered a set of rooms of a multi-story building, for which overheating was computed using both a simple normative method and a numeric building simulation tool. Different scenarios of ventilation operation and shading deployment and a variety of construction solutions were considered, including standard reinforced-concrete constructions, wooden frame constructions, and solid wood constructions. Constructions are considered with and without facing shells and applied wood concrete elements. The results provide a rigorous and rational framework for the discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of alternative construction solutions and operational regimes in view of overheating probability in buildings.

(keine deutsche version) Strategies against summer overheating gain importance in the AEC-sector due to occurrence of more frequent and longer heat waves in summer time. Air Conditioning does not provide a globally sustainable solution due to high energy use and other environmental concerns. Passive methods, such as proper (window) ventilation and deployment of shading devices and operation of ventilation are considered to offer a considerable cooling potential. Moreover, buildings´ thermal mass is believed to lower the amplitudes of indoor air temperature patterns. Opinions regarding optimal construction solutions regarding avoidance of overheating differs amongst the representatives of the different construction industries (concrete, wood, drywall construction). The main reason for this circumstance may be differences in the understanding of the relevant physical phenomena and processes. Given this background, we present a case study on the influence of different building constructions as well as different ventilation and shading systems control schemes on the overheating tendency. Toward this end, we considered a set of rooms of a multi-story building, for which overheating was computed using both a simple normative method and a numeric building simulation tool. Different scenarios of ventilation operation and shading deployment and a variety of construction solutions were considered, including standard reinforced-concrete constructions, wooden frame constructions, and solid wood constructions. Constructions are considered with and without facing shells and applied wood concrete elements. The results provide a rigorous and rational framework for the discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of alternative construction solutions and operational regimes in view of overheating probability in buildings.

summer overheating, construction alternatives, wood concrete, night-time ventilation, shading deployment