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Building Performance Aspects (Brain Dump) G#21255

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Building Performance Aspects Brain Dump

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Building Performance Aspects Brain Dump
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LinkedIn Competition invitation

Building Performance Analysis – book promotion contest
To promote my new book on Building Performance Analysis (Wiley, 2018) I am organizing a book contest.
In order to participate, please visit my website at www.bldg-perf.org and have a look at the page with various building performance aspects.
For the contest, I am looking for you to identify a new building performance aspect that is not yet included in my overview, or to suggest an edit that helps me to improve the current listing. The winner will get a free copy of the book, posted to wherever he/she is based.
The book promotion contest runs until 24 April 2019, noon (GMT).
Terms and conditions of the contest are posted on the website.
I look forward to hear from you, and learn about new performance aspects I have missed so far!

Competition results

The winners were announced and when GBE asked if their entries will be made visible Pietre said the chapter list will be updated and made public on the same website page

GBE Competition Entry

Carried out in a rush to meet the deadline then some additional notes added later when time was available.


Overview of Various Building Performance Aspects

Buildings have to do a lot of things.
These things buildings do are typically named building functions; building performance then measures how well the building carries out that function.
As functions typically are defined as doing something (provide thermal comfort, maintain occupant safety, etc) their formulation requires a verb.
Performance aspects are the categories that require attention, without the verb.
There is no final overview of performance aspects, and it is important to keep in mind that most buildings have their own specific reason for being and corresponding performance aspects.
The list below is a collection of performance aspects gathered over the years; verbs that help to turn the aspect into a building functions are added in brackets.
Suggestions for new additions are always welcome.

BPA originals

BPA originals

Additions

Examples of changes or considerations

1 Occupant satisfaction (provide)
Brief (set, meet or exceed)
Schedule of expectations (meet or exceed) (don’t forget the things they never dreamt they could have nor ask for)
Schedule of Requirements/Accommodation (provide)
Criteria for success (establish values and meet them)
2 Continuity of service (provide)
Reliability (ensure)
Continuity of resource (provide ensure) appropriate materials and systems
Design Life (set and meet)
Durability (provide)
See Also 60 and 61 Maintainability (enable) Design for ease of disassembly and replacement
Safe Access (provide) Access, restraint safety lines
Access, clean, replacement, gantry/cradles/ladders
See 72 Service Life (manage) O&M Docs, FM Specs
HAPM and Spon CLM Component Life Manuals
3 Thermal comfort (maintain)
a air temperature (control)
Heat emitting equipment (control) (outside of scope? If so why?)
Human and animal heat gains (passive-active 100-2000 watts/person)
Air convection (control)
Thermal gradient (avoid?) warm feet, cool head
Heat loss (permit in summer, prevent in winer) to upper floors via stairwell
Warm air (control) entry, control movement across building and exit
Passive heat loss (minimise)
Passive stack ventilation/heat gain/loss (control)
Air leakage (infiltration/exfiltration) of hot/cold air
Heat bypass (prevent) via uninsulated cavities
Thermal bridges (minimise) via less insulated building fabric
b radiant temperature (control)
Internal opaque surface temperature (achieve)
Internal glazing surface temperature (achieve)
Solar gains through glazed (permit/control/prevent)
Thermal mass (exploit/enable) To absorb radiant heat into building fabric
Solar gains (Prevent in summer/Permit in winter/Divert to other uses) through opaque building fabric
Solar gains (absorb with thermal mass/purge with ventilation)
Internal radiant heat sources (control)
External radiant heat losses (minimise) prevent radiating out through glazed areas
Emissivity (minimise) through glazing and from building fabric
c air velocity (control) =3e? See 3e
Air direction (control) Outlets
Air volume (control) capacity
Air concentration (prevent, direct, control or disperse) Outlet profiles
Air noise (avoid) Flow concentration, vibration, whistling
Air pressure (control) Prevent external/ internal air infiltration/ exfiltration
d. relative humidity (control) =13? See 13
Moisture management (exploit) By use of Surface materials
Hygro-scopicity (exploit) Surface/ intersticial materials
Moisture permeability (exploit) vapour open building fabric
Moisture management (exploit) vapour closed building fabric
Relative Humidity (Control) By passive/active/mechanical ventilation or Air-conditioning
Moisture content (control) vapour open surfaces
Saturation (avoid/minimise) sheltering overhangs, drips, rain-screens, DPMs DPCs
Drying (enable/maximise) solar drying, warming, evaporation, transpiration, moisture transport towards surfaces
Precipitation rejection (enable) Non-absorbent engineering brick, glass or metal surface materials, Pressure equalisation rain-screen and other claddings
Precipitation absorption (minimise/permit/enable evaporation) Absorbent masonry and mortar joints, timber cladding
Evaporative cooling (prevent in winter/permit in summer) living green roofs and walls
e. air speed (control) =3c? See 3c
f. overheating (prevent) Overheating (control) Controls with attitude
Overheating via glazing (Prevent in summer, Control, Permit in winter) Solar glazing, awnings, reflective glass, glass properties
Overheating via opaque fabric (Prevent in summer) Solar shading
Under-heating (prevent) Controls
g. undercooling (prevent control)
Overcooling (prevent control)
Thermal Pollution (prevent) Considerate disposal of exhaust heat
h. wind chill (prevent)
Windwash heat losses (prevent) Eaves Baffles, membranes, closed cell insulation, closed surface insulation, dense materials
Moisture Vapour Ventilation heat losses (prevent/minimise) material choices at ventilation void faces: Foils/airtight breather membranes
Air ex/infiltration thermal discomfort (prevent) airtightness membranes, tabes, grommets
Pollution ingress/egress (prevent) gas tight membranes
4 Acoustical comfort (maintain)
a speech intelligibility (provide) surface material qualities
b reverberation time (control) surface material qualities
Acoustic Absorption (provide) surface material qualities
Acoustic isolation (enable) prevent passage through fabric, underlay, sprung floors
Acoustic Bypass (prevent) via cavities
Acoustic Flanking (prevent) bypass partition via cavities or external air
Acoustic ???
Acoustic Insulation
External Noise (exclude) Building fabric density/material qualities, airtightness, dense insulation
Internal noise egress (prevent) Building fabric density/material qualities
5 Visual comfort (maintain)
a glare (prevent) =16? See 16
Light fittings, solar controls
b flickering (prevent) moving parts, flickering sources Controllers and chokes on neon and fluorescent lights, (permit dappled light tree leafs and water reflection?)
High Contrasts (minimise) between glazed and opaque
6 Olfactory comfort
Biophilia (all senses served) choice of material for their smells
a odour (control)
VOC generation (minimise) Material choices
Bacteria build up (prevent) Anti bacterial surfaces, easy-clean surface profiles
Natural anti-bacterial (control) Material and surface choices and services installations
Mould (prevent) Control humidity and moisture content
Spores (prevent development) Ventilate, moisture absorbent surfaces
x Tactile comfort
x. Tactile (offer) Communication (enable) Tactile pavement
Tactile signage
Touch point communication, handrail messages
Biophilia (all senses served) Finishing materials for their textures
Choice of materials for their response temperature
7 Indoor air quality (maintain)
a smoke, fumes, stale air (dispose of)
Smoke (detect and warn) Encourage outdoor smoking, Controls with attitude, MVHR: Boost button and bypass button
Building fabric off-gassing (prevent) Choice of materials, adhesives, stains, paints, oils
Raised RH (control) Ventilation, moisture management surface materials, hygroscopic materials
Overheating of air (minimise) Tree shading in urban areas, less adjacent hard surfaces externally, light coloured masonry, avoid sun traps, control entry of hot external air, limit transfer from hot side of building to colder side, door closers, insulated partitions and upper floors
b. fresh air (provide)
Ventilation (provide/control) Passive, active or mechanical, controls with attitude
8.   Structural integrity (maintain) Combine with 38? See 38
Adequacy (ensure) to meet all relevant requirements
Moisture ingress leading to rot (prevent) of embedded non-durable materials
Moisture ingress/egress/interstitial entrapment (+cold leading to frost damage) Weaker mortar to protect stone/brick
combined with cold Careful with over-insulating internally
Service Passage (enable) without loss of structural integrity
Zoning to avoid notching in vulnerable zone
Service batten zone rather than notching
9.   View to the outside
a. outside world (provide connection with) Views, views of sky, or natural landscape, or manmade landscape, views of wildlife, vies of sunlit landscape
Biophilia (offer views) (inside as well as outside), natural material surfaces, to see, smell, touch
Eye relaxation (enable)
b. Circadian rhytm (support) Appropriate lighting temperature/timing, Matching not clashing with work/rest patterns
SAD Seasonal Affected Disorder (prevent) Thermal comfort at windows with views out, to avoid need for curtains for thermal comfort
Correct artificial lighting temperature/timing
10 Identity (provide) =1a? See 1a
11 Privacy (provide)
Acoustic Privacy (provide) Materials, elemental assemblies,
Visual Privacy (provide) screening, blinkering,
Modesty (provide) Low level glazing, glass bridges, glass or see through stairs/balustrades
Access Privacy (control/exclude) See also 63 and 70 and 74
12. Inclusivity (support)
Access (enable) w Readable routes
Egress (enable) Readable routes
Routes visible in smoke conditions
Safe Sanctuary (provide) Enable communications, non-combustible, no-molten droplets, no-smoke generation, low surface spread of flame
Non-special treatment (enable) No Worse treatment (avoid) avoid short flights and special lifts
avoiding back entrances
Interpretation (provide) wayfinding signage/surface distinctions/services
Biodiversity inclusion (permit/accommodate) Bats Birds Some insects
Vertigo (avoid) Glass facades, stairs, floors, balustrades
Alternative means/routes (provide) Avoiding stairs, lifts, bridges
13. Relative humidity (control) =3d? See 3d
14. Vibration (protect from/limit) change frequency/isolate) See 4
15. Noise (protect from/limit) /baffle/isolate) See 4 & 11
16. Glare (protect from/limit) =5a? see 5a
17. Precipitation (keep out) =4dx? See 4d
18. Ground/surface water (keep out) Permeable pavement,
Levels (care at disabled access), Thresholds
Ground water (exclude) Tanking, DPM and DPC continuity
Flood water (Keep out/Resist) valves, floatation skirt, gates, barriers, watertight grommets, raising electrical controls and outlets above flood level
Ground gas (keep out) Radon, Methane, GPM GPC
19. Unwanted visitors/vermin (keep out) Bats may be unwanted by some but prevention is against the law Vermin resistant construction materials?
No plastics in drains/vents
Access for bats and birds and bugs (provide) Dedicated ways in beyond external insulation or without compromising external envelop performance integrity
Accommodation for bats and birds and bugs (Provide) Dedicated roosts and boxes without compromising external envelop
20. Outdoor pollutants (keep out) NB: time is running out so I will focus on the 4th column for now Filtration and airtightness
Gas tightness DPM and DPC
21. Electricity/gas/water (provide uninterupted supply of) =2? See 2
Minimise demand, Insulate, thermal breaks, airtightness
Maximise control, increase efficiency
Increase use of renewables
Back up systems
Partial rent-in equipment
22. Drainage/sewerage (provide safe and adequate) Surface water separated from foul water
Foul drain falls to suit low flush WCs
Use Main Sewers if available
Autonomous systems if no main sewers
23. Wayfinding (support) Proximity detection and actuation, audible targets to braille signage. Signage,
pavement textures,
touch point signalling
24. Wind flow around building (control) Shelter (provide)
Eddy current (avoid by design)
Downdraft (divert/protect)
Canopies
soften or avoid corners
Landscape planting
Landscape construction walls, levels,
25. Condensation (prevent) Health (maintain)
Rot (Prevent)
Frost damage (prevent)
Frost Heave (minimise)
Spores (prevent germination)
Mould (prevent development)
Passive ventilation
Hygroscopic materials
Moisture Mass surface materials
Vapour open or Vapour closed construction with appropriate property materials
26. Contamination (prevent) Air infiltration minimised
Filters on ventilation systems
Flood valves/gates/ barriers
Flood resistant materials
Avoid EA’s sacrificial materials approach
27. Complaints (minimize number of) = part of 1 See 1
Robust materials, Robust construction
Appropriate materials with correct performance characteristics, no compromises, no fails, test everything.

 


© GBE NGS ASWS BrianMurphy aka BrianSpecMan
26th April 2019 – 11th May 2019

Building Performance Aspects Brain Dump
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© GBE NGS ASWS BrianMurphy aka BrianSpecMan
10th May 2019

Building Performance Aspects Brain Dump
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© GBE NGS ASWS BrianMurphy aka BrianSpecMan
10th May 2019

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