REVISED ABSTRACT

THERMAL EFFICIENCY EVALUATION

ABSTRACT OUTLINE

By researching various sensible and realistic wall assemblies, is it possible to determine which type used in residential construction is the most ideal for a climate such as Kamloops? It is hard to tell at this point, but optimistically this research will lead to a definite answer. However, exploring a topic such as this is a lot more difficult than just going to a table and looking up R-Values for various materials. There are certain factors that must be measured and compared before the research progresses. For example, exactly how do you define practical, sensible, and realistic? Certainly the wall with the best insulation and air sealing is going to be the best at preventing heat loss, but would it really be necessary to construct a tight building envelope with four feet of insulation? Unquestionably the answer is no. As the attached original graphic demonstrates, the costs would outweigh the benefits. The aim of the graphic was to clearly illustrate that more insulation isn’t always better. It is crucial that the author will clearly define a limit on the width of the assemblies in order to keep the cost affordable to the majority of the public. Doing so may be quite a matter of opinion. Just because the research will reflect the investigators definition of realistic, does not mean it will be equal to another person’s version of practicality. For comparison purposes and sensibility in this examination, no wall assembly shall be wider than 11-1/4” (the standard width for an ICF wall).

In order to clearly define the investigator’s research, all the wall assemblies must be subjected to the same conditions when being compared. The author plans to create multiple 3D models using the different wall assemblies and evaluate them by using a state of the art program called “Hot 3000”. The Hot 3000 software tool is designed to help Canada’s residential construction industry to advance the design of energy efficient and net-zero energy homes. It provides the necessary means to evaluate the energy consumption and energy savings potential at the early design stages of new houses or renovating existing ones. Hot 3000 will allow the author to investigate each individual model separately and record data on the energy efficiency of each one. Every model will contain the exact variables as the one preceding it, and following it. All models will be square shaped (approximately 2500 square feet to represent an average single family residential home) with the north wall facing true north. For practicality purposes, all models will include the same number of doors and windows (constructed identically) in matching locations. By following the above steps, the investigator will grasp a fairly accurate idea as to which realistic wall assembly is ideal for a Kamloops climate.

By knowing which type of wall is going to provide the best thermal resistance, it will be simple to drastically reduce the amount of energy that is being used by residential homes in this modern day and age. Statistics show that an average of 35% of the heat lost in a home comes through the walls. Even if the research could reduce that number to 20%, homeowners would save bundles on their heat bills each year. By designing green, there is a great opportunity to decrease the carbon footprint that is being caused by residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. The intention of sustainable design is to "eliminate negative environmental impact completely through skillful, sensitive design”. Although it may not be possible it entirely eliminate the negative impacts, everything that can be done to help reduce them should be considered. This research will hopefully serve as a stepping stone towards greener design in the future of the construction industry.

REFERENCES:
Energy Technology Perspectives 2006. (2006). Paris Cedex 15, France: International Energy Agency (IEA)

Paul S. (2005). The Home Energy Diet. Gabriola Island, BC.: New Society Publishers

Robert A. (1980). The Well-Tempered House. Toronto, ONT: Renewable Energy in Canada

Randall T., Max F. & Partners (Eds.). (1996). Environmental Design. London: E & FN Spon

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (1982). Energy Efficient Housing Construction.

Brian M., Robert A. (1981). Super Insulated Retrofit. Toronto, ONT: Renewable Energy in Canada.

British Columbia Building Code 2006. (2006). Victoria, BC: British Columbia Building Policy Section

Keeping the Heat in. (2004). Ottawa, ONT: Energy Publications

Handbook on Low-Energy Buildings and District-Energy Systems. (2006). London: Sterling, VA: Earthscan, 2006.

Green Design: a healthy home handbook. (2008). London: Frances Lincoln

Building Better Homes. (2008). Newton, CT: Taunton Press


WEB REFERENCES:
Accelerated Building Technologies (2010)
http://www.accbt.com/index.html

Oak Ridge National Labratory (2008) http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_05.html

Original Home Designs (2009)
http://www.originalhomedesigns.com/green-design/

ABSTRACT OUTLINE

This is far from finished but here is what I have to date on my abstract outline. I know it is a bit jumbled but I will continue to revise and add to it as time goes on.


ABSTRACT OUTLINE

By researching different wall assemblies, is it possible to determine which type used in residential construction is best at preventing heat loss in a climate such as Kamloops? It is hard to tell at this point but hopefully this research will lead to a definite answer. However, exploring a topic such as this is a lot more difficult than just going to a table and looking up R-Values for various materials. There are many variables that should be considered before coming to a conclusion. Such variables could include providing restrictions as to how wide the wall can be. For example, a 4’-0” wide wall of straight insulation may be great in terms of thermal resistance, but is it really practical? Not only would this cost a fortune for an entire building to be constructed, but it would also be a great habitat for mould growth. As the research comes closer to a conclusion, there will be clear guidelines as to which types of walls are practical for this investigation, and which types aren’t.

By knowing which type of wall is going to provide the best thermal resistance, it will be simple to significantly reduce the amount of energy that is being used by residential homes in this modern day and age. This report is only going to examine the thermal resistances of varying wall assemblies in the local construction industry. Statistics show that an average of 35% of the heat lost in a home comes through the walls. Even if the research could reduce that number to 20%, homeowners would save bundles on their heat bills throughout each year. By designing green, there is a great opportunity to decrease the carbon footprint that is being caused by residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. The intention of sustainable design is to "eliminate negative environmental impact completely through skillful, sensitive design”. Although it may not be possible it entirely eliminate the negative impacts, everything that can be done to help reduce them should be considered. This research will hopefully serve as a stepping stone towards greener design in the future of the construction industry.

DOUBLE STUD WALL

Today I decided to draw a double stud wall as an original graphic since many people do not know what one is. Take a look! The offset of the 2 x 4 studs helps reduce the amount of thermal breaks throughout a wall assembly. The only downside is an increase in cost, but you always get what you pay for!

INFRARED HOUSE

I thought it would be neat to see post a picture of an infrared house. Many of you have probably seen these before. For those who haven't, the infrared shows where most of the heat is being lost (green=least, yellow=medium, and red=worst). As predicted, windows are the worst. However, it is quite apparent that the studs provide very little thermal resistance. That is just one more reason for me to consider doing more reasearch on a double stud wall!

STEEL THERMAL EFFICIENT PANEL

While researching materials and products available to help create a thermally efficient building envelope, I happened to stumble across a product called Steel Thermal Efficient Panels (S.T.E.P.'s). This innovative technology virtually eliminates the transfer of temperature from one side of the framing component to the other side. The result is a thermally efficient, high-performance building technology that is strong, lightweight, energy efficient and economical. As far as I know, it is state of the art and only available from a company called Accelerated Building Technologies. I don't know exactly how practical it would be to use this technology in residential construction but I plan on finding out. A video of this product and how it is made can be found at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEqXFrxM1-E . Check it out!

LOOKING AHEAD

This post is just to serve purely as an update to my followers as to what they can expect from my research and my blog in the near future. First, my next post will likely contain which types of walls I plan on comparing in terms of thermal resistance. Hopefully I will have original graphics to go with them. Next, I plan on posting my abstract and more graphics. After that, I will most likely keep doing research up to the point of the Green Building Conference in Vancouver during the summer which I hope to attend. I hope that helps! I would also like to thank those who have given me input and commented on my blog. Your opinions are greatly appreciated!

THESIS

After much thought I believe I have finally found a thesis statement worth posting on my blog. I know it is not perfect, nor will it probably be the last attempt I make at a thesis for this applied research project. Well, here it goes:

"How can we determine which type of practical wall assembly used in residential construction is the best at preventing loss of heat in a climate such as Kamloops?"

It probably needs a little fine tuning so comments are welcome!

INSULATION TYPES

Recently I decided to conduct research on the different insulation types and summarize their advantages, disadvantages, and best applications. Here's what my references helped me conclude:

Fibreglass (Batt and Loose)
Advantages:
-Low cost per R
-Relatively non-flammable
-Resistant to moisture damage
-No setting
-Comes in most sizes and quantities
Disadvantages:
-Awful to handle
-Respiratory difficulties
Best Applications:
-Cavity walls
-Attic space

Fibreglass (Rigid)
Advantages:
-Light easy to handle
-Breathes, permitting vapour to pass through
-Resistant to moisture damage
-Relatively non-flammable
-Low cost per R
-Can be used as exterior sheathing
Disadvantages:
-Needs strapping for application to outside walls
-Compressible
Best Applications:
-Shutters
-Exterior walls
-Roofs

Cellulose
Advantages:
-Recycled materials
-Low cost per R
-Small particles blow into most cavities
-Resists air flow
-Not affected by normal water-vapour
Disadvantages:
-Absorbs heavy moisture
-Settles
-Possible fire problems is retardant not properly applied
Best Applications:
-Blow in existing cavities
-Attics

Urea Formaldehyde
Advantages:
-High initial R
-Low flammability
-Non-settling
-Fills cavity
Disadvantages:
-High vapour permeability
-Linear shrinkage leads to low R effectiveness
-Environmental problems; Formaldehyde can emit gas
Best Applications:
-Cavity walls

Expanded Polystyrene (Beadboard)
Advantages:
-Cheapest foam
-Breathes
-Easy to use
-Moisture resistant
Disadvantages:
-Low R Value
-Flammable
-Not a vapour barrier
-Degrades under exposure
Best Applications:
-Insulating exposed floors
-Ceilings

Extruded Polystyrene
Advantages:
-Waterproof
-Vapour barrier
-High R value
-Low outgassing
Disadvantages:
-U.V. degradation
-Flammable
-Costly
Best Applications:
-Exterior or interior of masonry walls and foundations
-Sheathing
-Under slabs

Urethane
Advantages:
-High initial R
-Applies on irregular surface
Disadvantages:
-Highly flammable
-Outgassing of fluorocarbons
-High cost
-Diminishing R value
Best Applications:
-Coolers, etc.

Vermiculite
Advantages:
-Fire Resistant
Disadvantages:
-Causes compression of other materials
-Absorbs moisture
-High cost
Best Applications:
-Attics
-Floors

GREEN DESIGN

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the poll on the right side of my page. It is just to find out how much people value green design. Don't be afraid to vote, your answer is completely confidential!

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Proposal:
Summary statement of proposed research:
In this day and age there is a lot of research focusing on energy conservation. Nevertheless, we still need more. I was quite shocked to discover the lack of knowledge in our world towards modern day green buildings. Green buildings are structures that harm the environment as little as possible, using such strategies as passive solar energy, water recycling, local and natural construction materials, and renewable energy. By building green, we can all significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and on the building occupants. Since building green is such a colossal topic, I will try to focus on just one area of it. I would like to conduct my research on energy efficiency of different wall assemblies with the anticipation of finding the most “green” wall structure.

Purpose:
The purpose of my proposed research is to determine which type of practical and affordable wall assembly used in residential construction is the most efficient in preventing loss of heat. Obviously a 10’-0” wall of pure insulation would be the most efficient, but this wouldn’t be very practical. Also, if the insulation got wet, it would lose all its insulating properties and become an excellent habitat for mold growth. Therefore, I must be cautious in categorizing which assemblies are realistic and cost effective.

Goals and Objectives of the project:
Hopefully the research that is conducted will give a definite conclusion as to which wall assembly is the most efficient. Ideally, if my research is successful it will be brought forward to the public and be incorporated into residential construction techniques. If this were to happen, the energy savings around the world could be substantial. One of the main goals of any aspiring architect is to find methods to design in a more sustainable way. By doing this research, I will have started to make a contribution toward eliminating the negative impact of buildings on the environment. If everyone made a contribution towards a global goal such as living greener, we could be living in a much cleaner environment.

Methodology and analytical approach:
I will start my research by establishing the most common types of wall assemblies currently used in residential construction, and then I will research the advantages, disadvantages, and best applications of each wall assembly. Once that is complete, an in-depth analysis of insulation properties will need to be conducted. This will play a huge factor in determining which wall assembly is the most efficient. I plan on using my skills in AutoCAD to create original graphics of these wall assemblies which will be easily interpreted by anyone who wishes to read my research. I hope that I will also have the opportunity to do some of my own material testing if time, money, and resources permit me to do so. Interviews with local architects and engineers will provide me with unbiased information that I can use to help me determine the answer to my thesis. I also have the full intent of speaking with builders regarding the ease of construction of the various wall assemblies in order to find out how practical they are. All of the above information will help give me a better understanding in determining the conclusion to my report.

Previous Studies/Related Information:
Researchers have previously analyzed different wall assemblies in the attempt to determine their impact on the environment, including energy consumption. Currently there isn’t enough scientific evidence that points to one specific wall assembly as being substantially better than another. However, there are plenty of biased sources around that may lead you to believe certain types of walls are better than others. Well, this may not be true. I plan on thoroughly investigating the subject thoroughly and systematically to come up with a definite answer that researchers may have not yet determined.

Plans for dissemination of work:
(Note that attending all conferences at this point is not confirmed)
January 2010- Used for clarifying topic and determining thesis of research
February 2010- Begin research and online research blog
March 2010- Continue researching
April 2010- Attend USC Construction Management Symposium for Sustainability
May- Start putting research together into report format
June 2010- Attend Canada Green Building Council National Conference
July 2010-November 2010- Complete bulk of organizing data
December 2010-January 2011- Attend Green Building Conference, and conclude the remainder of the report
February 2011- Present my report at TRU Undergraduate Research Conference

WELCOME!

Hello everyone, welcome to my blog! The purpose of my applied research project is going to be to determine which type of wall assembly is the most efficient in preventing loss of heat. Let me know what you think and there will soon be more details to follow, including the research proposal.