Chinwe Isiadinso, Steve Goodhew, Julian Marsh and Mike Hoxley
The purpose of this paper is to report research conducted in the UK's East Midlands region which explores optimising practice for low carbon building through an architectural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report research conducted in the UK's East Midlands region which explores optimising practice for low carbon building through an architectural award system.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore the complexity of the contexts, philosophies and demonstrations involved in best practice for low carbon buildings, a mixed research approach was adopted through an online survey and interviews with 13 experts.
Findings
The research provides practical means to evaluate low carbon buildings and suggests an approach where aesthetic design and technical compliance are given similar weightings. It also presents the opinions of construction professional practitioners and academics on best practice for low carbon buildings.
Research limitations/implications
The research focuses on investigating the judging criteria and opinions of construction professionals who have, in the past, strongly identified with sustainable building design practice.
Practical implications
As this research and other studies show, there is a need for a simple methodology and the use of existing tools to evaluate best practice for low carbon buildings.
Originality/value
The value of the paper lies in its purpose to establish a precedent for judging low carbon buildings through an architectural award system. Although there is a plethora of literature, tools and environmental assessment systems that point towards best practice, this research aims to highlight the underlying principles and combine these with practical methods that can enable the construction industry to achieve low carbon buildings.
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Colin Williams, Steve Goodhew and Richard Griffiths
The purpose of the paper is to explore the structural feasibility of substituting traditional thick joint mortars with earth slurry mortars modified with varying amounts of sand…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to explore the structural feasibility of substituting traditional thick joint mortars with earth slurry mortars modified with varying amounts of sand. Thin jointing of earth blocks would reduce the cost of sustainable earth construction.
Design/methodology/approach
Compressive strength of earth‐block cubes was determined. Flexural strength was measured using the BRE electronic bond wrench, which enables block couplets to be tested quickly and accurately. Three samples of earth block, one from southwest England and two from East Anglia, together with nine examples of earth slurry mortar jointing were studied, including the effect of reinforcing the joint and or the block using hessian.
Findings
The 28‐day cube characteristic compressive strengths were determined for Appley soil, Norfolk lump and Beeston soil, the last with 0 per cent sand, 25 per cent sand and with 25 per cent sand with hessian. The flexural strengths of Appley and Beeston earth slurries were determined, along with Thermalite thin jointed cement and cement mortar for comparison. The Beeston soil flexural strength increased with increasing sand content. Earth slurry with 40 per cent sand and hessian present in the joint gave the greatest strength. It is important to use blocks and slurry mortars of the same soil. Extruded and compressed earth blocks are best suited to slurry jointing.
Originality/value
This work successfully demonstrates the structural feasibility of carefully reducing the thickness of earth mortars when constructing sustainable earth block walling. Characteristic flexural strengths are suggested where the test results were sufficiently consistent, and of a magnitude likely to be useful in design.
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Richard Griffiths and Steve Goodhew
Dwellings constructed before 1920 often had solid brick walls with poor thermal performance. Today there is a drive to reduce both energy demand and carbon dioxide production. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Dwellings constructed before 1920 often had solid brick walls with poor thermal performance. Today there is a drive to reduce both energy demand and carbon dioxide production. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that mixtures of chopped hemp straw with lime based binders added to the external surface of brick walls can substantially reduce the air to air thermal transmittance, or U‐value W/m2 K, and that these mixtures provide a sustainable remedial treatment for solid brick walls. The aim is to achieve wall U‐values as good as, or better than, the current UK Building Regulations design value of 0.30 W/m2 K.
Design/methodology/approach
Several Microsoft Excel spread sheets have been constructed to determine the steady state and transient thermal properties of various brick walls. These spread sheets are validated by comparing their output with the published thermal data to be found in the CIBSE Design Guide. The sustainable aspects of a number of different externally hemp‐lime insulated Victorian brick walls are described and discussed.
Findings
The U‐values and the transient thermal properties of solid brick walls with thickness 110 mm, 220 mm and 340 mm are presented. The transient properties include the admittance, decrement factor and lag time. These walls are then considered with various added external layers of hemp‐lime ranging in thickness from 50 mm to 300 mm. Some solid brick walls have an added air cavity, created with studding and plywood sheathing, before the layer of hemp‐lime. Walls with external tile hanging for sites with high exposure to driving rain are also discussed.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the advantages of the energy saving and carbon dioxide sequestration achieved by adding 200 mm of a hemp‐lime binder insulation to the exterior of Victorian brick walls of terraced dwellings.
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Alan Abela, Mike Hoxley, Paddy McGrath and Steve Goodhew
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2002/91/EC introduced various obligatory requirements intended to achieve the reduction of use of energy resources in…
Abstract
Purpose
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2002/91/EC introduced various obligatory requirements intended to achieve the reduction of use of energy resources in buildings. This directive had to be transposed into national legislation by the EU member states. Concurrently the European Committee for Standardisation developed a number of technical standards to assist member states to define the methodology for the calculation of the energy performance of buildings. The purpose of this paper is to present a comparative review of the relationship between the European directive and the standards, and the different country legislation and methodologies that have been implemented in Malta, Italy, Spain and Cyprus.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is based on a review of national legislation in the four states. Reference is also made to publications by the Concerted Action for the EPBD and to related publications by the national bodies responsible for the implementation of the EPBD. These include the Ministry for Economic Development in Italy, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in Cyprus, the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs in Malta, and the Ministries of Industry Tourism and Commerce and of Housing in Spain.
Findings
This paper analyses and compares the implementation of the directive using the above‐mentioned sources. In so doing, it focuses on general principles rather than on the specific technical requirements for the calculation method in the various states. The paper then considers the implementation of these general principles within each state before finally drawing conclusions about whether legislation relating to the original Directive 2002/91/EC is meeting its objectives and the implications relating to the requirements of the recast Directive 2010/31/EC.
Research limitations/implications
The introduction of the directive in the states considered has taken place slowly and gradually over the last three to four years. There are few publications relating to the actual implementation of the directive, and this limits the possibility of comparison of sources.
Originality/value
The relationship between the EPBD and the milder climate experienced in the Mediterranean is considered to be of great importance, particularly since world temperatures are slowly rising. However, it is acknowledged that insufficient research has been carried out on the energy performance of buildings in this region. This paper investigates the existing legal structures that have been put into place to implement the EPBD and the effectiveness of this implementation to date.
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C. McGilligan, P. de Wilde and S. Goodhew
This article seeks to investigate the interconnections between the expectations of the impact of energy certificates issued within the UK domestic building sector through the…
Abstract
Purpose
This article seeks to investigate the interconnections between the expectations of the impact of energy certificates issued within the UK domestic building sector through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the actual number and financial implications of the energy saving measures (ESMs) achieved.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology uses two previously published surveys and compares these with a third independent survey by the authors focusing upon the discrepancies between planned action and implemented action, introducing the term human factor element (hfe).
Findings
The article concludes that annual carbon savings arising from implementation of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) may be as low as 73.4 ktC over the five year term of the Kyoto Protocol even though 44 per cent of energy saving measure costs of £200 million are recouped within the same time period and savings will continue for up to 40 years. Achieving annual savings of only 14.7 ktC by 2010, such a figure represents a mere 0.3 per cent of the annual domestic 4.8 MtC savings announced by the government in its 2006 Climate Change Programme.
Practical implications
Since the principal determinant in the uptake of ESMs is initial cost, it is considered that the EPBD is likely to remain an under‐performing instrument in the promotion of energy sufficiency until such time as other complementary provisions are introduced.
Originality/value
Sheds light upon the likely financial impact upon energy efficiency in domestic buildings by energy certificates.
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Fabio Fonti, Massimo Maoret and Robert Whitbred
We extend the literature on network perception by introducing a novel view of how this perception is structured. We propose the concept of Cognitive Aggregated Social Structures…
Abstract
We extend the literature on network perception by introducing a novel view of how this perception is structured. We propose the concept of Cognitive Aggregated Social Structures (CASS) as a framework to capture perceptions of opaque networks – that is, networks where relations are difficult to observe due to their features, their members, and the characteristics of the environment in which they operate. We argue that actors simplify their perception of opaque network structures via “chunking,” that is, by cognitively representing network ties as between categories of actors rather than between specific network members. We test the validity of the CASS construct and its predictive power by showing how these representations affect actors’ perceptions of relevant network outcomes. Using data from a major inter-organizational technology consortium, we show that perceived density among “chunks” in the knowledge transfer network is positively related to perceived consortium performance. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the strategic management literature, highlighting potential contributions to strategic formulation and implementation, category emergence, industry evolution, and cognitive barriers to entry.