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Coras construction folder

The document outlines a research project focused on comparing timber frame and concrete block passive houses, highlighting their construction benefits, energy efficiency, and environmental impact. It details the aims of the project, including improving practical and IT skills, and constructing a 3D model. Additionally, it discusses key elements of passive homes, such as air tightness, mechanical heat recovery ventilation, and insulation, supported by experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of insulation materials.

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Cora Tyrrell
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5 views

Coras construction folder

The document outlines a research project focused on comparing timber frame and concrete block passive houses, highlighting their construction benefits, energy efficiency, and environmental impact. It details the aims of the project, including improving practical and IT skills, and constructing a 3D model. Additionally, it discusses key elements of passive homes, such as air tightness, mechanical heat recovery ventilation, and insulation, supported by experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of insulation materials.

Uploaded by

Cora Tyrrell
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Construction 2020

Introduction:
After considering all three options of whether to do a furniture
project; a heritage project or a research project I have decided to do
a research project. I did not do materials technology wood for my
junior cert so I feel a furniture project would not be a suitable choice
for me. My practical skills would not be of the standard required for
a leaving cert furniture project. I have excellent research skills and I
felt they would be best suited to either a heritage or a research
project. After researching heritage projects and research I realised
that I would rather do a research project. I felt a research project
would be more beneficial to my coursework and my practical skills
than a heritage project.

I considered many project options before deciding on doing my


project on a passive house. I chose to do my research project on a
passive house as I am very interested in the construction of passive
houses and the advantages a passive house offers. In my opinion
passive houses are eco friendly, energy saving houses and I wanted
to highlight all the benefits of building a passive house. I chose to
compare and contrast a timber frame passive house and a concrete
passive house. I decided this would give me more knowledge about
passive houses and which build is more environmentally friendly. I
feel a research project would also contribute to some of the theory
on my leaving cert construction course and would improve my
drawing skills.
Construction 2020

Design Brief:
Compare and contrast the similarities and the differences between a
timber frame and a concrete block passive house. Research project
should be accompanied by a model of a cut section through both a
timber frame and a concrete frame house.

Aims and Objectives:


 My aim is to expand and develop my knowledge of these
areas of construction.
 To improve my practical skills.
 To improve my IT skills.
 To improve my drawing skills.
 To construct a 3D cut section of a timber frame and a
concrete frame passive house.
 To compare and contrast the two structures.
 To compare various different types of building materials
and methods in my project.
 To complete research in this chosen area and show my
results in a detailed brief.
 To make a model that can be used to by students to
contribute to their learning about passive houses.
Construction 2020

Research and Investigation


Benefits of Building a Passive House:
 Low energy bills with passive homes
 Minimising heat loss while maximising heat gain
 Property value increases
 Healthy home with an improved indoor air quality
 Warmer home due to eliminating draughts

Key elements in Passive Homes:


Air tightness:
-Joints and walls must be taped and sealed using a sealant tape to
ensure air tightness. Areas of use would be around windows, doors,
wall joints. A popular sealant tape is SIGA Corvum 12/48 and it costs
€41.12 a roll. Air tightness is essential to prevent the leakage of
warm moist air that could damage
construction.

The sealant tape around a window frame


in a passive house.
Construction 2020

Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation:


-For this system to work efficiently the house must be airtight.
-Stale warm air is extracted from heated rooms like the kitchen/
living room.

-The air is brought to the heat exchanger and the heat is extracted to
warm the fresh air coming in.

-The fresh heated air is distributed to rooms around the house.

-This transfer of heat takes place in the exchanger.

-93% of the heat from


the stale air is
recovered.

-The two airs never mix.


Construction 2020

-Filters need regular replacement, usually every six months so they


should be installed downstairs for easy access.

-This means there is a continuous supply of warm fresh air and the
temperature of the house can be controlled.

-This reduces dependency on fossil fuels.

MHRV unit
Construction 2020

energy conservation:

-ideally the MHRV unit should be located within the thermal


envelope of the dwelling - this reduces the likelihood of heat loss
through the supply air ducting from the MHRV unit to the living
spaces

- the unit should be located so as to minimise the length of ducts -


supply and extract rooms should be grouped - for example, in the
house shown in part (b) the extract rooms are grouped.

maintenance:

- the unit should be located in an accessible area to facilitate routine


maintenance - for example, the exhaust air filter and the outdoor air
filter would typically need to be replaced annually. In cities where air
quality is poorer the filters may need to be replaced every few
months.

noise:

-the MHRV unit should be located where the noise generated by the
fans will not cause a disturbance - the Passive House standard
requires that the sound produced by the MHRV unit does not exceed
25 decibels

aesthetics:

-the MHRV unit is an appliance - like a washing machine or tumble


dryer - it may be preferable to locate it in a utility room or within a
cabinet in the kitchen.

Windows:
-Passive windows have a u-value lower than 0.8w/m2k.
Construction 2020

-For best performance use triple


glaze windows with low e glass
and argon gas as it has a lower
thermal conductivity than air.

-Frames must be insulated to


prevent the leakage of heat and
to ensure air tightness.

-Install larger south facing windows for maximum solar gain.

-Skylights allow three times more light


and heat than dormers.

• The U-value of Passive House windows lower than 0.8 W/m²K with
triple glazing
Construction 2020

• Design for reduced north facing glazing

• The use of larger areas of glazing on the south elevation to


maximise the amount of sunlight available especially in the short
days of winter

• Three panes of glass separated by special low-conductivity spacers

• High solar energy transmittance of glass (g ≥50) which allows solar


radiation to penetrate the glass and contribute towards heating of
the dwelling

• A low emissivity (low-e) soft coat on panes which reduces solar


radiation back out through the glass

• The frame must be well insulated and also be thermally broken.

• Windows may be outward opening to maximize room space

• Triple glazing ensure excellent sound insulation from outside noise

• Design to prevent overheating in summer - blinds, brise soleil,


overhangs, awnings, deciduous trees to south etc. which allow low
sun to enter in winter but prevent the high sun entering in summer

Foundations:
Construction 2020

• Well insulated Passive Slab foundations when building a Passive


house.

• Steel reinforcement is used in the ring beam and floor slab to


distribute loads and prevent cracking in the concrete.

• Foundations wrapped in expanded polystyrene used (EPS) 100 mm

400 mm in thickness to prevent cold bridge and continuous heat loss


through the foundations into the surrounding ground

• Services incorporated into foundation to avoid unsightly waste


pipes on side of house

• Internal load-bearing walls are built on a thickened floor slab on


EPS

300 mm so there are no internal foundations

• Less concrete is required because there are no internal foundations

• For insulated foundations, compacted washed hard core 18 –


35mm of

400 mm to 600 mm in depth of blinded with 3 – 8 mm sand blinding


under EPS

• Drainage channel inserted to avoid frost heave in winter

• Hard core should be clean and free from organic matter to allow
moisture pass through unimpeded

• Lower carbon footprint of the house.

• The heat losses are greatly reduced with all cold bridges
eliminated.

Experiment 1:
Construction 2020

Aim: To compare the conductivity/ resistivity of various materials

Materials: Equal sized rods of various materials (glass, aluminium,


zinc, iron, copper, wood and plastic), Vaseline, small drawing pins,
metal container with holes and stoppers for inserting the rods,
boiling water.

Method:

1. Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram below.


2. Vaseline is put on the end of each rod. A small drawing pin is
then attached to each rod by the Vaseline.
3. Boiling water is then poured into the metal container, covering
the inside ends of the rods
4. The rod which first drops its drawing pin is the best conductor.
All the rods can then be placed in order as their nails drop off.
5. Record the results.

Results: The metal rods were the best conductor of heat and
the first tack to fall off.
The wood and plastic rods were the best resister of heat as the
tack was the last to fall.
Conclusion: Metal wall ties are not the best materials to use in
house as they reduce the overall u value of the house because
they are such a good conductor of heat.

Experiment 2 and 3:
Construction 2020

Aims: Part 1- To show that insulation restricts the rate at which


heat energy is exchanged with its surroundings.
Part 2- To show that increasing thickness of the insulation
decreases the heat loss.
Apparatus: Two cans of equal size(with covers), two
thermometers, boiling water, roof insulation.
Method: Part 1;
1. One can is wrapped in insulation. The other is left without
any insulation.
2. Put a thermometer in each can and pour equal amounts
of boiling water into both.
3. Put the cover or cork on each can.
4. Complete the insulating by placing insulation on the top
of the lid.
5. Record your results in a table below.
Part 2;
1. Both cans are insulated in this experiment but a
thicker layer is placed around the second can.
2. Follow the same procedure as steps 2,3,4,5 above.
Results:

Time(minutes) Temperature
Non Insulated Can with more
insulated can insulation
can
0 100 100 100
2 80 85 90
4 55 70 80
4 35 60 76
Conclusion: The hot water in the can without
insulation had the biggest drop in temperature. This
Construction 2020

shows the effect insulation has on heat loss in a


house. The more insulation used the less the water
temperature drops over time.
- This shows that increasing the amount of
insulation used in a passive house will help
reduce heat loss.

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