Acoustic Classification of Buildings: Impact of Acoustic Performances of a High Energy-Efficient Building on Quality and Sustainability Indicators
According to similar experiences of other countries, also Italian standards are defining procedures about acoustic classification of buildings, aiming at the determination of indoor acoustic comfort. Acoustic parameters influence building quality in different ways and amounts: the aim of the paper is to attest acoustic performances of buildings, taking into account different noise sources and people expectations. A voluntary certification model was proposed to assess indoor overall quality, which includes a specific Acoustic Performance index (AP) concerning human protection against noise into buildings. According to existing standards, noise measurements were carried out in order to assess acoustic performances of walls, facades, floors and systems in a high energy-efficient multifamily building as a case study. The paper shows a feasible approach to perform indoor acoustic comfort and to support sustainable buildings: a comparison was carried out between impact of acoustic performances on proposed assessment of building quality and on certification of building environmental sustainability introduced by law at regional level.
Life cycle assessment of buildings and electric lighting energy consumptions
Life Cycle Assessment procedures are being used more and more by designers and consultants in the evaluation of the overall environmental impacts of a building throughout its entire life (“from cradle to grave”). Though many studies have demonstrated that the highest impacts of a building are due to its space heating and airconditioning consumption, the impacts due to the construction phase and therefore the choice of materials, including glazing systems, are not negligible. The University of Perugia is carrying out a research, funded by the Italian Ministry for Environment, on the role of the building sector on greenhouse gas emissions; within this research, methodologies are being tested to help spread the knowledge of LCA procedures in Italy. The paper illustrates the aims and methodologies of LCA studies, and presents thanks to two different case studies – the contribution of electrical lighting consumption and the influence of an increase (or decrease) of transparent surfaces to the impacts during the entire life cycle of the buildings.
Centrifuge modelling of effects of shield tunnels on existing tunnels in soft clay
With the rapid development of the subway network,the phenomena of shield tunnels going across the adjacent tunnels are becoming more and more common.The interaction between shield tunneling and nearby tunnels is more complicated than the ordinary shield tunneling in intact soil strata.Based on the project of Shanghai Bund Passage crossing Metro Line 2,the method of centrifuge modeling together with the field measurement is employed to study the effects shield tunneling on nearby strata and existing tunnels.In centrifugal model tests,the effects simulation techniques considering the unloading of excavation,ground loss and grouting are developed to analyze the longitudinal settlement of the shield tunnel and the existing tunnel induced by the shield tunneling.Besides,the deformation distribution and settlement curves of the existing tunnels during shield construction are studied by using the monitoring data.