Thermal comfort in traditional buildings composed of local and modern construction materials

Abstract In recent years, there is a renewed interest towards the passive cooling features of ancient building architectures, which are cost effective, eco-friendly and best suited for the local climate. On the other hand, the modern construction materials, such as cement and steel, are highly durable. Thermal comfort of eight vernacular buildings that use modern construction materials to improve the structural durability was monitored in July 2014. The buildings are located in Hyderabad, India. They have many passive cooling features that include air cavities in the structures to reduce heat transfer, high thermal mass to reduce temperature fluctuation and induced ventilation to remove heat from the indoor. All the passive cooling features investigated were found to have an appreciable influence on the thermal comfort of the indoor space. The ventilated air gaps in the roof reduced the average temperature of the roof interior surface by 1.2 °C. The diurnal temperature fluctuation of the indoor air reduced by 0.9 °C in a building with a higher thermal mass compared to a building with thin walls and roof. All the eight buildings were found to be comfortable most of the time with a slight discomfort during late night and morning hours. The maximum CO 2 recorded was 550 ppm. This indicates that the buildings were adequately ventilated.

[1]  Richard P. Clarke,et al.  Study of full-scale elements of a ferrocement roof system for Caribbean application , 2010 .

[2]  Peter Walker,et al.  Compressive strength of extruded unfired clay masonry units , 2009 .

[3]  Ernst Worrell,et al.  Cement and Energy , 2013 .

[4]  M. Hatamipour,et al.  Passive cooling systems in buildings: Some useful experiences from ancient architecture for natural cooling in a hot and humid region , 2008 .

[5]  H. B. Nagaraj,et al.  Role of lime with cement in long-term strength of Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks , 2014 .

[6]  Abdul Hadi Nawawi,et al.  Environmental Prospective of Passive Architecture Design Strategies in Terrace Houses , 2012 .

[7]  B. Givoni.  Passive and Low Energy Cooling of Buildings , 1994 .

[8]  Christopher Heard,et al.  Solar performance of hemispherical vault roofs , 2003 .

[9]  Simon J. Rees,et al.  The potential for office buildings with mixed-mode ventilation and low energy cooling systems in arid climates , 2013 .

[10]  Kenneth Ip,et al.  Shading performance of a vertical deciduous climbing plant canopy , 2010 .

[11]  P. S. S. Srinivasan,et al.  A performance of hollow clay tile (HCT) laid reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roof for tropical summer climates , 2007 .

[12]  Marco Manzan,et al.  Genetic optimization of external fixed shading devices , 2014 .

[13]  E. Peterson,et al.  Effect of Roof Solar Reflectance on the Building Heat Gain in a Hot Climate , 2008 .

[14]  Fuxin Niu,et al.  Performance of a coupled cooling system with earth-to-air heat exchanger and solar chimney , 2014 .

[15]  Ulrich Knaack,et al.  25 Years of cooling research in office buildings: Review for the integration of cooling strategies into the building façade (1990–2014) , 2017 .

[16]  Omid Nematollahi,et al.  Reduction of energy consumption using passive architecture in hot and humid climates , 2015 .

[17]  F. Nicol,et al.  Derivation of the adaptive equations for thermal comfort in free-running buildings in European standard EN15251 , 2010 .

[18]  Nyuk Hien Wong,et al.  Thermal sensation responses in hot, humid climates: effects of humidity , 2006 .

[19]  S. C. Sekhar,et al.  Thermal comfort and IAQ characteristics of naturally/mechanically ventilated and air-conditioned bedrooms in a hot and humid climate , 2011 .

[20]  C. Deb,et al.  Evaluation of thermal comfort in a rail terminal location in India , 2010 .

[21]  Stephen Sharples,et al.  Will multi-facade systems reduce cooling energy in fully glazed buildings? A scoping study of UAE buildings , 2013 .

[22]  Peter Walker,et al.  Strength and Erosion Characteristics of Earth Blocks and Earth Block Masonry , 2004 .

[23]  S. Sekhar,et al.  Indoor air quality and thermal comfort studies of an under-floor air-conditioning system in the tropics , 2002 .

[24]  Mukesh Khare,et al.  Sick building syndrome—A case study in a multistory centrally air-conditioned building in the Delhi City , 2007 .

[25]  A. Michael,et al.  Natural ventilation for cooling in mediterranean climate: A case study in vernacular architecture of Cyprus , 2017 .

[26]  H. S. Bagiorgas,et al.  Experimental and theoretical investigation of a nocturnal radiator for space cooling , 2008 .

[27]  R. L. Sawhney,et al.  Effect of construction materials on embodied energy and cost of buildings—A case study of residential houses in India up to 60 m2 of plinth area , 2014 .

[28]  Rodrigo Escobar,et al.  Thermal and lighting behavior of office buildings in Santiago of Chile , 2012 .