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Types and uses of vaults and timbrel vaults in Interior Alentejo: Data for a typological study
Published in João Mascarenhas-Mateus, Ana Paula Pires, Manuel Marques Caiado, Ivo Veiga, History of Construction Cultures, 2021
The research presented here encountered four common vaulting solutions, two occasional types as well as sporadic hybrid geometrical applications. The most common type in the Alentejo traditional house is the groin type, by a wide margin, followed by the barrel, trough and segmental types. The lunette and sail types, although not rare, were reported in smaller numbers but still account for a transversal presence across the study area. The most frequent timbrel vaults in traditional housing are the low rise type, such as the trough and the segmental types, even while counting was restricted by the above-mentioned difficulty of identifying vaults rendered with lime-plaster. The literature had previously stated that the most common types of timbrel vaults were barrel and trough (Keil 1961) or simply barrel vaults (Santos & Rocha 2000) but had provided no sample or other numerical references. Even given the long time span lapsing, this research partly confirms the 1961 claims if, by barrel,the ‘Arquitectura popular em Portugal’ study means not only semi-cylindrical but also segmental vaults.
Moisture modeling and durability assessment of building envelopes
Published in Jan L.M. Hensen, Roberto Lamberts, Building Performance Simulation for Design and Operation, 2019
Aytaç Kubilay, Xiaohai Zhou, Dominique Derome, Jan Carmeliet
The values of relative humidity and temperature determined at location B for different renders are used for the analysis of wood decay. The alpha value reaches 1 in mid-October for the lime mortar render and in the beginning of February for the lime plaster render (Figure 8.21). The alpha value for the wall envelopes with the other three renders remains 0. Mass decay is considerably large at location B for the walls rendered with lime mortar and lime plaster, with mass loss of 43.7% and 20.2% in one year, respectively. By comparison, the mass loss rate is null for the other renders. In this case study, the moisture conditions in the wooden beam are strongly affected by the type of exterior render. Moisture problems are likely in wall envelopes with capillary active renders such as lime mortar and lime plaster, which do not provide sufficient rain protection.
Construction technology for tropical regions
Published in Mike Riley, Alison Cotgrave, Michael Farragher, Building Design, Construction and Performance in Tropical Climates, 2017
The overriding characteristics of structural forms in tropical regions need to cope with heat, heavy rains, tropical storms and cyclones, and earthquakes. In three of these phenomena the plastic state of the structure needs to be coded in terms of adequate deflection of the components and connections. Traditionally in hot and dry climates, loadbearing structures have been adopted because of their inert capabilities under extremes of hot and cold temperatures. Historically, the ziggurat and Ur in Iraq and the Egyptian pyramids are obvious massive monolithic structures that defied the structural techniques and labour skills of the age. Loadbearing structures are evident in Africa in the Adobe block idiom at Mali and Djenné, Sudan, and include intricate methods of wall/roof support and in-built decorative rodier palm (Borassus aethiopum) sticks, called toron that project 600 mm from the edifices and provide permanent access to maintain the earthen structure. Towers and pillasters act as buttresses to the massive Adobe block walls which are mortared with earth and sand and rendered with mud.
Serviceability of facade claddings
Published in Building Research & Information, 2018
A. J. Prieto, A. Silva, J. de Brito, J. M. Macias-Bernal
Based on the sample analysed, an average ESL for painted facades of 10 years was obtained. This agrees with the values proposed by Silva et al. (2016). For this type of cladding, the average age of the case studies within the sample analysed is eight years, and 28% of the sample has already reached the end of its service life, thus requiring an immediate or short-term intervention. For ceramic claddings, the average ESL obtained was 54 years, similar to the values proposed by Shohet & Paciuk (2004), Galbusera et al. (2015) and Silva et al. (2016). For ceramic claddings, the average age of the case studies is 35 years, and 25% of the sample has already reached the end of its service life. Finally, for rendered facades, an average service life of 19 years was obtained. This is congruent with the values proposed in the literature (Shohet & Paciuk, 2004; Silva, de Brito, & Gaspar, 2011, 2016). The average age of the rendered facades analysed is 17 years, and 36% of the sample has already reached the end of its service life, which implies that an immediate maintenance action should be considered.
Feasibility Study of Wave Power in Ghana
Published in International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, 2022
Samuel Kofi Tulashie, Raphael Odai, Adeola Michael Dahunsi, Sandra Atisey, Jacking Amenakpor
The worldwide call for energy is rising speedily, since there is rapid population growth, specifically in developing countries. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy demand could increase by more than 50% by 2030 in the absence of public policies in this area (International Energy Agency 2011). This demand for energy across the globe has also been an emerging factor in a lot of environmental problems. Energy security concerns can arise as more users always need ever more energy resources and higher consumption of non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions, commonly carbon dioxide (CO2), which give rise to global warming. Fossil fuels are non-renewable, unsustainable, and also pollute the environment. Burning coal, for example, releases toxic particles like sulphur dioxide and heavy metals into the atmosphere. These compounds lead to many serious side effects, such as acid rain and respiratory damage in humans. Pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels have been linked to diseases like cancer and asthma in several scientific studies. The particles released from burning fossil fuels also have negative effects on our planet as a whole. Simultaneously, the number of societies (Ghana) without access to routine electricity remains excessively high (International Energy Agency 2011). Therefore, there is the need to move from these conventional energy sources to renewable energy sources such as ocean wave energy which is a copious renewable resource and believes to be one of the most environmentally friendly ways to generate energy. It does not render any waste that will damage the environment. It is also believed to be one of the lowest-cost renewable energy sources (Drew, Plummer, and Sahinkaya 2009). The wave energy is more predictable than other forms of energy, offering a better likelihood of being dispatched to an electrical grid system, essentially always in motion and are never interrupted, it is a reliable source compared to others (Drew, Plummer, and Sahinkaya 2009). The Hubbert model of resource utilisation states that when it is first realised that a resource is useful, the utilisation of that resource begins slowly. This is because efficient procedures for utilising and the appropriate infrastructure has to be developed. But once the appropriate infrastructure has been developed resource utilisation increases. When the resource becomes scarce, utilisation decreases and eventually stops