A rational evaluation of thermal protection alternatives for shelter

Abstract An important objective of shelter is to modify the natural climate to produce a thermal environment that meets certain specified needs of man. A methodology is demonstrated for the quantitative evaluation of thermal protection alternatives that can account for environmental factors, structure factors and occupancy factors. Over fifty design alternatives which represent iterations on three basic constructions are examined in connection with the achievement of low cost shelter in a climate characterized by severe summers and less than mild winters. The three basic constructions were solid concrete block, hollow concrete block and wood frame. Digital computer programs were used to calculate the solar inputs, shape moduli, and diurnal temperature distributions.