Field measurements of comfort, seasonal performance and cold stress in cross-laminated timber (CLT) school buildings

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the seasonal performance, occupants’ comfort and cold stress in cross-laminated timber school buildings located in the USA (Northeast region). Design/methodology/approach The Fall survey was done from October–November 2017. In the Winter, it was considered from December 2017–February 2018. The study measured environmental parameters in the chosen spaces. The research applied the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) model to determine the indexes in various seasons. Findings In the Fall, the average inside temperature was 21.2°C, the average RH was 50.7 per cent, and the mean dew-point was 9.3°C. The mean inside temperature was 20.5°C in the Winter while the mean RH was 23.9 per cent and the average dew-point was −1.9°C. The overall mean inside temperatures in both seasons were within the ASHRAE comfort temperature limits for cold seasons. During the surveys, higher average values of temperature, RH and dew-point were measured in the offices than the other spaces. Practical implications The research showed people might be subject to lower temperatures in the hall than the other spaces. Some design parameters and occupation hours may contribute to the lower temperatures reported in the hall than the different spaces. Originality/value The study proposes the WBGT of 16.0°C and 13.7°C as the stress indexes in the Fall and Winter seasons correspondingly. Last, the research suggests a WBGT of 14.9°C as the overall mean stress index within the spaces considered in this study.

Sensory and physiological assessment of spatial transient thermal environment changes at a tropical university campus

“…during summer) and vice versa, thus resulting in energy savings. Subjective thermal perception responses under transitional conditions in previous investigations (Adekunle, 2019;Attia and Engel, 1982;Chun and Tamura, 2005;Parkinson et al, 2012;Renstrom and Rahe, 2013;Wu and Mahdavi, 2014;Zhang et al, 2010aZhang et al, , 2010bZhang et al, , 2010cZhao, 2007) suggested that thermal comfort in transient conditions showed significant difference between comfort temperature before and after the transition. Depending on the subject's thermal state, both pleasant and unpleasant thermal perceptions were evidenced when exposed to dynamic ambient temperature as detected changes in skin temperature when analysed under controlled laboratory experiments.…”

Occupants’ Perceptions of Comfort, Control, and Adaptation in Colonial Revival Style Residences

“…Observations could be undertaken in several ways, including observing the behavioral patterns of occupants [59], observing thermal comfort charts [60] and indices [61], etc. [28,62,63], to understand the thermal environment. Physical observations were utilized to visually evaluate and record any significant changes or modifications within the thermal environment that could influence the residents' perceptions of comfort, control, and adaptation.…”

“…Both Adekunle and Nikolopoulou [9] and Luo et al [13] explained that occupants' understanding of thermal comfort could change depending on their experience of the thermal environment. Additionally, existing research noted among other factors [9,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], age and gender of occupants [12,15], ownership status [9], hours of occupation per day [9,16], aesthetics [17,18], building type, size, design [17], elements [18], control features [9,18], building location [17][18][19], income level [20,21], effectiveness of control [9,22], length of occupancy [9], proximity to public amenities [23], subsidized tenancy [24], seasonal change [5,11,[25][26][27][28], daylighting [29], climatic region [11,21,28], materials used for the construction of buildings [9,12,21,…”

“…The second technique requires people to adjust their behavior and habits [44]. As previously discussed, occupants will adjust their patterns of occupation [9] and expectations of comfort [38][39][40][41][42][43] based on seasonal changes [5,11,[25][26][27][28]. They will also be involved in social and cultural traditions that enhance the thermal quality of the environment [44].…”

Thermal Performance of School Buildings: Impacts beyond Thermal Comfort

“…The results of a field study about indoor thermal comfort, based on investigations in Italian classrooms show a trend characterized by a gradual change in the thermal preference from the heating season to the mid and warm season [19]. Examination of the seasonal performance, occupants' comfort and cold stress in cross-laminated timber school buildings in the USA specifically showed the impact of lower temperatures in different school spaces [20]. The existing knowledge in the field includes an investigation of the thermal comfort in non-air-conditioned schools, and proposes an expectancy factor value for the Mediterranean climate [21].…”