Explore the use of BIM tools for assessing the holistic energy impact of buildings in different climates and building typologies.
The choice of materials affects the embodied energy, the building performance in terms of thermal comfort (being it cooling – as in hot climates – or warming – as in cold climates), the environmental impact and of course the cost for construction. The utilization phase has also implications in terms of cost for energy, as well as in environmental impacts, and depends on utilization patterns, climate, and thermal efficiency of building envelope.
The decommissioning of buildings has also repercussions in terms of energy and environmental impact. In particular, we would be keen to explore the conservation of embodied energy in reuse/recycling scenarios. As an example, suppose you have a certain embodied energy for structural concrete elements in a building, which is typically high. Then suppose that at the end of the life of the structure, the structural concrete is crushed and the obtained material is used for road sub-base, or another filling utilisation. From a mass perspective, most of the material could be recycled (even 80% of the mass can be recycled), but from the point of view of the embodied energy, a lot has been lost. Downcycling the material, the embodied energy that can be saved by avoiding quarry operations is offset by the initial embodied energy of structural concrete and the further energy that has been spent for crushing operations, whereas virgin quarry materials, or other secondary raw materials, can have a low embodied energy. The difference between the final embodied energy of recycled aggregate (crushed concrete) and the embodied energy that could be avoided by substituting the material in the final application gives a measure of how much energy is wasted in the process.
BIM tools can represent an interesting option as a ‘virtual lab’, where the building structure and envelope can be modelled, and different materials can then be applied to building parts so that the global response of the building can be evaluated. Through a parametric analysis, the best option in terms of energy savings (both embodied and consumed), cost and environmental impact can be devised, and different options can be objectively compared, evaluated and assessed. LCA approach is also fundamental in it.
Also the research mustlook into different building environment and different building structures, different utilisation, and within all these beats you can look into the materials modelling the materials into the BM environment, and changing the understanding what is the performance term or performance gave embodied energy the option at the end of life, giving you know the idea would be having a tool, which is a decision aid tool in order to send your pay I have to design this building. We are in this area. This is the application to serve the required performance, what is the best option. What is the best option present material in terms of technology that can minimise the ways to finance you over the construction of a lifetime and the condition of the building.
The study focus on embodied energy the material will happen in terms of the performance of the building over the time .The research will make a study in Saudi arabia and the main energy consumption in the country is primarily cooling. In this case is mainly for cooling heat, which is heating. So, how can we keep the cooling energy, low. What happened at the end of the life of the building, which is the best option is it like reuse certain materials or can we just completely demolish the seat, or can we use a material that we can reuse in other projects, and therefore the embodied energy of this material is kind of shared between these buildings. Also working on a number of parameters and thinking of building topologies, both in the UK and in Saudi Arabia, just for comparison between two different climates, and how these is impacted by the choice of material and by design principle and by availability of energy weeks, things like that you may probably also have to look into lifecycle assessment tools in order to get something out of it.
