Buildings and Environment

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Classes have a traditional format, which is essentially driven by the exposure of the subjects with the support of PowerPoint presentations and other multimedia means including films, being also devoted to the analysis and solving of practical problems for application of the theoretical knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

The aim is to develop potential for practical application related to different interactions between buildings and the environment. The study of fundamental notions about solar radiation and the atmospheric wind leads to different perspectives which can be used and focused on the built environment. This UC provides skills to address different areas, all with great relevance to the project definition, as the bioclimatic design of buildings, the rational use of energy and the sustainable development. The air quality in urban areas, the environmental comfort, the planning of urban spaces of leisure, climate change, the exposure to episodes of heat stress, the prevention of the associated hazards and their effects on health are other examples of content addressed in the discipline.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Sun-Earth astronomical relationships; characterization of solar radiation, meteorological data, measuring devices; fraction of insolation; calculation of the solar radiation incident on horizontal and inclined surfaces (ground albedo; direct, diffuse and reflected components). Applications: solar thermal collectors and passive solar design. Building with climate. Atmospheric boundary layer. Modeling techniques of wind loads in buildings: wind tunnels and computational fluid dynamics. Typical flow patterns around buildings. Wind effects on building ventilation. Air quality in urban areas. Interaction with buildings. Influence of the location of the source. Simulation models. Urban climatology.

The heat island. Energy balance. Environmental comfort: the aerothermal perspective. Climate change and sustainable development. Extreme thermal episodes: heat and cold waves. Prevention and risk assessment: the thermal performance of the built environment and the protection of the occupants.

Head Lecturer(s)

Nuno Albino Vieira Simões

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Resolution Problems: 100.0%

Bibliography

Iqbal.M., An Introduction to Solar Radiation, Academic Press, 1983

S. Eskinazi, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics of our Environment, Academic Press, 1975.

M. Santamouris Energy and Climate in the Urban Built Environment, James and James, London, 2001

E. Plate, Engineering Meteorology, Elsevier, 1982.

K. Wark e C.F. Warner, Air Pollution, Its Origin and Control, Harper Collins, 1981.

D.A. Quintela, Apontamentos sobre Energética do Meio Ambiente, 1990.