scholarly journals Appropriate Housing Typologies, Effective Land Management and the Question of Density in Muscat, Oman

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12751
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Scholz
Keyword(s):  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Gulf State ◽  
Housing Needs ◽  
Commuting Distances

The Sultanate of Oman has been undergoing massive changes in the last 50 years. The Gulf State transformed from a very traditional and isolated country into a wealthy and modern state. After Sultan Said was enthroned in 1970, the young Sultan Qaboos, who passed away in 2020, began to modernise Oman’s economy and society. Today, widespread, single-family houses are the prevailing residential building type, with an urban sprawl characterised by mono-functional zoning and a dependency on motorized individual transport with long commuting distances. All these conditions have been strongly supported by governmental planning policies. Since this urban sprawl causes unsustainable land consumption, this study addresses options for urban development and housing typologies aiming at a compact city with a higher density. However, the term density has to reflect local cultural and climatic conditions and, in time of the pandemic as special focus of this issue, has to be critically discussed and reviewed. Thus, this study identifies, as a base line study in Muscat Capital Area, Omani residents’ housing needs by an online questionnaire survey focusing on housing layouts, features and locational preferences, exploring alternatives to the current situation. Findings are that housing needs do not necessarily demand a single-family building but can be achieved better by different housing layouts, at the same time supporting social distances measures via outdoor options during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Performance and Economical Analysis of Different Insulating Materials Used to Reduce the Heat Load of an Existing Residential Building

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 155-166
Author(s):  
Radwa Amr El-Awadly ◽  
Ahmed A. Abdel-Rehim
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Glass Ceramic ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
System Size ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Economical Analysis ◽  
June July

The energy consumption from the residential sector is an important element which has an impact on the total energy consumption in any country. The heating and air conditioning loads can be reduced through many means. Using thermal insulation in buildings does not only contribute in reducing the required air conditioning system size, but also in reducing the annual energy cost for the whole building. In this case, the energy saving varies according to the building type, the climatic conditions at which the building is located as well as the type of the insulating material used. In the present study, an existing single family house has been studied by applying two main solutions to insulate the walls and the roof using six different materials on the exterior walls that have the most heat gain, such as silica aerogel, polystyrene foam boards (XPS), spray cork, glass ceramic, cool coating enforced by phase change material (PCM), and straw boards. The study took place in El-Shorouk city, Egypt. The energy analysis was estimated by using TRNSYS simulation for the total internal house loads in summer season (June, July, and August) to be 13410 kW. The prototype house is about 300 m2 on two floors and a roof. The results showed that the aerogel has the best insulation followed by XPS then straw boards and glass ceramic which have efficiencies of 48.33%, 38.36%,36.46% and 34.38%. Because of its economical and environmental aspects, straw boards were selected to apply further investigations to indicate the relative efficiencies for the offered solution with the corresponding cost analysis.

scholarly journals The calculation of building cooling under emergency conditions to ensure their heating reliability

Vestnik MGSU ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 496-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg D. Samarin
Keyword(s):  
Cooling Rate ◽  
Heat Supply ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Initial Period ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Basic Equations ◽  
Building Cooling ◽  
Air Exchange

Introduction. Continuation of research in the area of premise cooling rate calculation with the aim of obtaining dependencies, which are sufficiently accurate and take into account the most of the factors essential for the problem, but at the same time having an engineering form, is still relevant. The purpose of the study is the search for a dependence of the temperature in the building premises on time in the initial period after heat supply shutdown at emergency mode. Exponential nature of this dependence is considered as a scientific hypothesis. Materials and methods. The basic equations connecting the most important components of a heat flow in a cooling room under condition of the termination of heat supply from heating devices are used and analysed in the study. A numerical model of non-stationary thermal regime of the ventilated room is implemented on the base of the solution of a differential equations system of heat conduction and heat transfer on the surfaces of the room. Results. An analytical expression is obtained for the room cooling rate when the heat supply is disconnected, which has the form of an exponential function of square root of time since the accident. The cooling time before the condensation on the inner surface of the enclosure is determined by the example of a currently existing residential building under climatic conditions of Moscow, accounting the structural characteristics of the building and normalized fresh-air flow rate. Conclusions. It is shown that the building cooling in the initial period is influenced mainly by the ratio of the heat flux associated with unorganized air exchange and the heat loss to the environment through “light” enclosure. It was found that the decrease of natural air exchange in the building cooling process leads to a certain slowdown in the decrease of temperature, but it is not decisive. It is understood that the use of airtight light opening fillers, for example, in plastic casement, under normal conditions aggravating the sanitary and hygienic situation in the premises, under emergency conditions increases the available time interval for the restoration of heat supply.

scholarly journals Calculation of indoor air temperature using dimensionless parameters for integrated climate control systems

Vestnik MGSU ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 486-492
Author(s):  
Oleg D. Samarin
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Infinite Series ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Dynamic Control ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Heat Stability ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Automation System ◽  
Maximum Deviation ◽  
Climate Control

Introduction. It is noted that the improvement of the technology for calculating the thermal regime of premises in the conditions of automation of climate systems is still relevant. The aim of the work is to find a universal dependence of the air temperature in the building premises on time in conditions of a jump in heat access or heat loss for the integral law of regulating the compensatory heat flow from microclimate systems. In the form of a scientific hypothesis, we consider the statement about the power nature of such a dependence with the presence of a maximum and an asymptotic tendency to zero. Materials and methods. The study involves the use of basic equations that relate the most significant components of heat flows in rooms serviced by microclimate systems equipped with integrated controllers under conditions of abrupt changes in thermal disturbances. The method of dimension analysis is used to identify dimensionless complexes that are essential for obtaining engineering dependencies, as well as software calculation of sums of infinite series with a given accuracy, numerical solution of nonlinear equations, and the method of power series economization. Results. An analytical expression is found for changes in room temperature under integrated control of climate equipment under conditions of a jump in heat availability, which has the form of an infinite series in degrees of a dimensionless parameter that characterizes the properties of the room and the automation system. A simplified expression for the deviation of air temperature is obtained and a formula for the required control time is derived, as well as its estimation is given on the example of one residential building in the climatic conditions of Moscow. Conclusions. It is shown that the dependence of the air temperature in a room serviced by microclimate systems with integrated controllers on time is represented in a universal dimensionless form, suitable for any objects regardless of their specific characteristics. The previously discovered relationships for the moment of maximum deviation and the value of the dynamic control error depending on the air exchange of the room, the transmission coefficient of the controller and the room’s own heat stability are confirmed and refined.

scholarly journals Turkish Public Perceptions About Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-30
Author(s):  
Cuneyt Yenigun ◽  
Saranjam Baig
Keyword(s):  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Shopping Malls ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Social Facts ◽  
Gulf State ◽  
The World ◽  
Turkish People ◽  
General Elections

Oman has long lasting peaceful relations with its neighbours and the world. It is a small size Arabian Gulf state with very rich natural resources. Relations between Oman and Turkey was very pleasant in 15-19th centuries. A century of interrupted relations has started to resurrect in the recent years with the new economic, political treaties and socio-cultural relations between two nations. Turkey and its policies, TV serials, and political leaders are very well known in Oman, whereas Oman is not very familiar to the Turkish people. In this research, to understand the level of Oman’s image in Turkey, a survey was orchestrated on more than 500 respondents and striking findings demonstrate that Oman is not well-known well in Turkey. The survey was conducted physically in the shopping malls in Istanbul and virtually via online questionnaire. Social representation of the survey overlaps on the Turkish social facts. In comparison with Europeans and Asians, the Turkish public knows Oman more than double of the world public opinion. For example, the location of Oman is known 51.9% in Turkey, but 38.2% in the world; the existence of general elections in Oman is known in Turkey on the level of 32.7%, whereas in Europe 16.3%. This study, as a primary resource, shares and interprets the result of conducted survey and then suggests some policy alternatives to Oman to be known better in Turkey and the world as a public diplomacy tool.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION GROWTH WITH CHANGING LAND-USE PATTERN AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Arunima Dasgupta
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Rapid Urbanization

Given that urbanization is considered as one of the most signicant anthropogenic alteration of the overall environment, the present study attempts to understand spatial-temporal characteristics of urban population growth and its implications on land-use as well as understanding their relationship with environmental degradation with special focus on the Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. Urbanization is one of the major driving forces behind the development of today's land-use and land cover system. A large number of contemporary urbanization has been characterized as urban sprawl namely in an extensive form of land-use for urban uses that have environmentally detrimental effects. There are indications of Urban sprawl and city expansion in our Study Area of Kolkata indicating expansion of settlements and built-up area and thus causing environmental degradation in the city area. The process of urbanization always had signicant implications that can affect cumulative changes in demographic characteristics and/or transformation of the physical environment; unplanned, unsystematic and rapid urbanization can cause intense impacts on various environmental aspects, specically on land and air and water. A thorough understanding of the dynamic relationship between urbanization and its generated land-cover changes thus becomes completely essential for managing environmental changes and enabling sustainability of the environment and its resources.

Evaluating the Environmental Impact Score of a Residential Building Using Life Cycle Assessment

2021 ◽  
pp. 142-159
Author(s):  
Manish Sakhlecha ◽  
Samir Bajpai ◽  
Rajesh Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Growing Economy

Buildings consume major amount of energy as well as natural resources leading to negative environmental impacts like resource depletion and pollution. The current task for the construction sector is to develop an evaluation tool for rating of buildings based on their environmental impacts. There are various assessment tools and models developed by different agencies in different countries to evaluate building's effect on environment. Although these tools have been successfully used and implemented in the respective regions of their origin, the problems of application occur, especially during regional adaptation in other countries due to peculiarities associated with the specific geographic location, climatic conditions, construction methods and materials. India is a rapidly growing economy with exponential increase in housing sector. Impact assessment model for a residential building has been developed based on life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. The life cycle impact assessment score was obtained for a sample house considering fifteen combinations of materials paired with 100% thermal electricity and 70%-30% thermal-solar combination, applying normalization and weighting to the LCA results. The LCA score of portland slag cement with burnt clay red brick and 70%-30% thermal-solar combination (PSC+TS+RB) was found to have the best score and ordinary Portland cement with flyash brick and 100% thermal power (OPC+T+FAB) had the worst score, showing the scope for further improvement in LCA model to include positive scores for substitution of natural resources with industrial waste otherwise polluting the environment.

scholarly journals The delayed effects of flooding a residential building – case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
pp. 03009
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Straż
Keyword(s):  
Residential Building ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Geotechnical Parameters ◽  
Delayed Effects ◽  
In Situ Conditions ◽  
Formation Of Cracks ◽  
High Level

The work describes the case of a single-family residential building, which suffered a breakdown due to flooding. Flooded water in the nearby watercourse, did not reach the building directly, but in its vicinity, but raised to a very high level the local groundwater table, which reached locally, even above ground level. This condition was maintained over a longer period of time, causing the soil moisture to rise, and thus its geotechnical parameters deteriorated. The consequence of this, the building underwent an uncontrolled and uneven settlement, which was accompanied by the formation of cracks on the walls. The effects of failure were presented and an attempt was made to identify possible causes of failure. Own study of the substrate was carried out in "in situ" conditions and verification of laboratory tests, and their results are presented on relevant charts and tables.

Life cycle assessment of a single-family residential building in Canada: A case study

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiqian Zhang ◽  
Shen Tan ◽  
Yizhong Lei ◽  
Shoubing Wang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Single Family
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