Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Quality of the building'

Proteins play a crucial roll in all biological processes. The wide range of protein functions is made possible through the many different conformations that the protein chain can adopt. The structure of a protein is extremely important for its function, but to determine the structure of protein experimentally is both difficult and time consuming. In fact with the current methods it is not possible to study all the billions of proteins in the world by experiments. Hence, for the vast majority of proteins the only way to get structural information is through the use of a method that predicts the structure of a protein based on the amino acid sequence.

This thesis focuses on improving the current protein structure prediction methods by combining different prediction approaches together with machine-learning techniques. This work has resulted in some of the best automatic servers in world – Pcons and Pmodeller. As a part of the improvement of our automatic servers, I have also developed one of the best methods for predicting the quality of a protein model – ProQ. In addition, I have also developed methods to predict the local quality of a protein, based on the structure – ProQres and based on evolutionary information – ProQprof. Finally, I have also performed the first large-scale benchmark of publicly available homology modeling programs.

QC 20130221

During the past few decades, the term intelligent building envelope has emerged as a building skin designed to meet increasingly varying and complex demands related to user comfort and energy and cost efficiency. The concept is described by a multitude of definitions that range from the use of innovative components and a high-tech visual expression to the rational design, use and maintenance of the building envelope.

Within the scope of this Ph.D., intelligent behaviour for a building envelope has been defined as adaptiveness to the environment by means of perception, reasoning and action, allowing the envelope to solve conflicts and deal with new situations that occur in its interaction with the environment, i.e., the local climate and site, and the individual user needs.

This definition is used to analyse the functions an intelligent building envelope can be expected to perform in the context of daylighting quality, or an optimisation of the indoor luminous environment to the requirements of the individual building occupant. Of particular importance is the co-operation between artificial intelligence and the material, form and composition of envelope elements, allowing the envelope to learn the occupant’s needs and preferences, to choose the most appropriate response in each situation, to make long-term strategies, to anticipate the development of environmental conditions, and to evaluate its own performance.

Simultaneously, it is found that adaptive envelope solutions in no manner reduce the need for envelope design meticulously adjusted to local climate and site and to individual user needs, developed in close co-operation between architects, engineers and manufacturers. All of the sources consulted during the course of this Ph.D. stress time and time again how difficult it is to control the operation of the envelope components according to the local environment, and, simultaneously, how important it is to do so.

This research attempt, as its title witnesses, aims to build interdisciplinary approaches and to bridge gaps within management. Management and more specific, management of industrial organizations is a scientific discipline that consists of many different fields of interest. In industrial organizations, different parties of people, such as managers, engineers and workers are asked to communicate and collaborate towards common organizational targets and goals. This is were this research finds fertile ground, and tries to bridge the gaps between the quality management philosophy and corporate culture and the evolving, value adding functions and processes of logistics.

In particular, the gaps between quality management and logistics were bridged by a demonstration of the applicability of quality management practices –tools and methodologies- in a logistics context. This was conducted by an extensive exploratory research by means literature analysis of both management disciplines. The present situation, put in academic literature, was investigated and thoughtful reflections and suggestions for further use of quality management practices within logistics were provided.

All the quality management tools and methodologies examined were found, with one or another way, to be employed in logistics processes. Numerous examples demonstrating the universality of quality management concepts and techniques were identified. When it comes to the specific management area of logistics, eight quality management practices were found particularly useful, with three of them, namely Service Quality, SPC and Benchmarking to be well known, and to some extent, mature within logistics. However, empirical research, of qualitative and quantitative nature, is needed to confirm the trends recognized here.

The suggestions and reflections provided throughout this work indicate actions to be taken by logistics managers, in order to apply well known and widely accepted, cost saving and quality improvement, practices to their operations. In addition, these suggestions and their potential, constitute a challenging field for further research were new, applicable to logistics, quality management tools and methodologies can be found and ones that already exist can be enhanced.

The originality of this work can be found in that it thesis tries to bring conceptually closer two management areas that although have many values in common are not perceived as working on the same track, towards the same goals. This research adds value in the way that illustrates, in an extensive and formal way, that there should be no barriers within management.

In a case study, expected building performance in respect to indoor air quality and thermal conditions in a large judicial facility in North America was evaluated retrospectively at the end of the schematic design and substantial completion phases. A process for evaluation of building performance at schematic design is developed from existing procedures for building diagnostics in operating buildings. Criteria for evaluation of expected building environmental quality at schematic design as available from standards and guidelines are presented.

The results of the study show that building diagnostics at schematic design can be an effective mean of prevention of occupant health problems. Further findings indicate that the assurance of indoor environmental quality can be improved, if the criteria for expected building performance are defined and complied with from early on. It is concluded that implementation of building diagnostics in early project phases can reduce the likelihood of adverse health effects in operating buildings.
Master of Science

Industrial living is caused much people do live and work in closed and confined places; offices and residential buildings. This is why in this new world more fresh air which is generally provided by forced ventilation plays a vital role in living of human being. Furthermore because of many different indoor pollutants, like radon and artificial pollutants, the amount of fresh air and in turn the energy consumption has increased. This energy consumption related to ventilation has reached up to about 30 percent of energy used of building section. So making interaction between indoor air quality (IAQ) and optimization of energy saving is a necessary work.  Radon as a natural pollutant is occurred in environment and in many countries threatens people health whereas is called the second causes of cancer. For reducing radon concentration in residential building at the acceptable level forced ventilation is used usually. Ventilation can improve IAQ but in the other side would increase the energy consumption in building sector and just now the contribution of ventilation exceeds up 50 percent of building sector's share. The aim of this thesis is to study the impact of ventilation on indoor radon by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to achieve indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Application of CFD as a new technology, because of its cost and time savings, and on the other side, of its flexibility and precision is  increasingly grown and can be used as a very important and valuable tool for the prediction and measurement of radon distribution in a ventilated building . Currently, measurement techniques and proposed standards and regulations of indoor pollutants and ventilation, particularly related to indoor radon cannot be able to provide a secure, safe and energy efficient indoor climate. This is why the indoor airflow distribution is very complex and with changing building geometry and operation condition, the treatment of air flow pattern, substantially would be changed, whereas the rules are usually independent of the buildings features. Furthermore, the indoor standards and regulations are based on average amount of pollutants in a room, whereas the pollutant distributions aren't identical and are varied throughout the room. Then the current techniques aren't so exactly valuable and acceptable.

From different methods which is privilege to control pollutants, ventilation method is applicable in existing buildings. Designing effective ventilation can reduce radon concentration to very level low with regarding energy conservation remarks.

This thesis presents results from simulation studies on ventilation and radon mitigation in residential buildings, in view points of indoor air quality and energy savings. The CFD technique is applied to predict, visualize and calculate of mixture radon-air flow. The distribution of indoor radon concentration, air velocity and room temperature also have considered together for achieving indoor air quality and energy saving. The results are also compared with the experimental data and related previous works.

It was found that with increasing ventilation rate, the radon concentration is decreased, but the location of ventilation system is also important. From the simulation results, it is observed that within the ventilated room, there are some zones, which are good for living and somewhere is more polluted. The traditional radon detectors basically show the average value of radon content in 1m­³ of air. That is why detector measuring is not exact and safe.

Simulation results proved that floor heat can be supported ventilation effect and speed up the mixture movement. Floor heating reinforces the buoyancy effect, which is useful to reduce radon content in the floor (seating area) and then lower ventilation rate can be applied.

I byggproduktionen behövs noggranna förberedelser för att undvika störningar och kvalitetsfel. En form av styrnings- och planeringsverktyg är arbetsberedningar och egenkontroller som vi i detta examensarbete har undersökt. Syftet har varit att se hur de fungerar och att finna förbättringsmöjligheter för dem. I arbetet gjordes en intervjustudie som visade att anställda på Peab tycker att arbetsberedningarna är ett mycket bra hjälpmedel i produktionen och att användandet fungerar ganska bra i nuläget. Enligt medarbetarna finns det dock mycket som kan utvecklas och förbättras. På företaget tycker personalen även att egenkontrollerna är något bra men själva användandet fungerar inte särskilt bra ute i produktionen.

För att förbättra och utöka användandet av arbetsberedningarna krävs att tjänstemännen får en ökad förståelse och vilja att använda dem. När det gäller egenkontrollerna är det däremot hantverkarnas inställning som är bekymret, de ser inte kontrollen som något viktigt utan mer som ett moment som ödslar deras tid. Studien visar att egenkontrollen, om den används på rätt sätt, kan öka hantverkarnas engagemang och få dem att ta större ansvar för det de utför.

The purpose of this work is to contribute to a process formaking buildings with good function and to avoid prematurefaults.

The design, construction and installation of low-slopedroofs are important parts of creating a durable building. Mostof the leakages in low-sloped roofs occur where materials withdifferent thermomechanical properties are joined together. Withbetter knowledge about these joints, the expected service lifecould better be estimated. Common roofing materials onlow-sloped roofs are roof membranes.

To avoid damages and to minimise energy consumption thedetection of air and water leaks is essential. It can bedifficult to localise a leak in e.g. a roof since water canflow far within the construction. Leakage detection can beapplied both as a quality assurance method after installationof low-sloped roofs and as field inspection methods. Theleakage detection can also be extended to terrace slabs and thewhole building envelope.

To investigate the strength of jointsbetween sheet metaland roofing membranes, several small-scale tests and somelarge-scale tests were performed. The test methods weredeveloped to match the loads that can be expected on this kindof joints.

A number of water leak-detection methods were evaluatedthrough application on test roofs. Some of the methods todetect leaks on low-sloped roofs can also be used to detect airleakage in other parts of the building envelope. To develop andevaluate air leak-detection procedures, selected methods wereused in two case studies.

The circumstances regarding welding of the material jointswere found to have great impact on the strength. The roofshould be designed so no long-term strain will appear since acomparatively low stress may damage the joint over time.

The performance of the leak-detection methods depends on theroofing material. All methods tested were an improvementcompared to visual inspections. Different recommendedapproaches for leakage detection and quality control is given.The case studies show that air leakage detection could beperformed with good accuracy. The potential difference methodcould without doubt be a tool for leakage localisation inwaterproofing layers both on roofs and in terrace slabs.

Keywords:Roofing, roof membrane, durability,waterproofing, leakage, wind-load, non-destructive testing,NDT, BSL4, BSL3, air leakage, building envelope