Most of the time people stay in confined environments and thus are highly exposed to accumulated indoor pollutants.Indoor environmental pollution has been identified as one of the most prevalent causes for health prob...Most of the time people stay in confined environments and thus are highly exposed to accumulated indoor pollutants.Indoor environmental pollution has been identified as one of the most prevalent causes for health problems,such as sick building syndrome.ese health problems have been magnified with the introduction of energy efficient building concepts,coupled with limited fresh air supply,which has compromised the effective means of air purification.Further,the frequent use of chemical substances for numerous purposes contributes to indoor air pollution.erefore,investigation of alternative techniques to improve indoor environmental quality has been extensively studied in the last two decades.In Sri Lanka,there is a potential for studying indigenous techniques to improve indoor air quality.However,verification of such techniques and quantification of their impacts has not been given much attention.The research focus of this paper is to identify those material substances that can be used to absorb pollutants and lessen their harmful impacts and thereby improve air purification.A chamber study was used to quantify air purification using different material substances and considering the following parameters:total volatile organic compound(TVOC)and Carbon Monoxide(CO)levels.Further,the results obtained in the chamber study were assessed for its projection to real applications by comparison with a study conducted in an actual indoor space.The outcome of the study has revealed that the indigenous knowledge of Sri Lanka can be used to improve indoor air quality.展开更多
Increased demand for affordable housing and the limited availability of flat terrain for its construction are two major problems facing the provision of houses of acceptable quality in many countries around the world....Increased demand for affordable housing and the limited availability of flat terrain for its construction are two major problems facing the provision of houses of acceptable quality in many countries around the world.There is limited research integrating the utilization of a stepped approach to sloping terrain with appropriate housing models to minimize slope instability potential.This paper introduces a new semi-tiered housing model where the footprint of the house is located on tiers prepared with short vertical cuts of 1.5-2m.Such vertical cuts are found to be stable with laterite soil which is a commonly available type of soil in the tropics.The excess soil generated from cut material was transformed into cement stabilized rammed earth,which is a cost effective material with low embodied energy.This is an ideal candidate for the construction of retaining walls and foundations,and such applications are demonstrated with adequate details.Further,many other types of sustainable building materials are highlighted with a case study of this housing model in a scheme of 13 housing units in Sri Lanka.The attention to detail required in construction and the applicability of alternative building materials and methods to improve the sustainability of such houses have been discussed in detail.These semi-tiered houses have the potential to address many of the current construction challenges.展开更多
文摘Most of the time people stay in confined environments and thus are highly exposed to accumulated indoor pollutants.Indoor environmental pollution has been identified as one of the most prevalent causes for health problems,such as sick building syndrome.ese health problems have been magnified with the introduction of energy efficient building concepts,coupled with limited fresh air supply,which has compromised the effective means of air purification.Further,the frequent use of chemical substances for numerous purposes contributes to indoor air pollution.erefore,investigation of alternative techniques to improve indoor environmental quality has been extensively studied in the last two decades.In Sri Lanka,there is a potential for studying indigenous techniques to improve indoor air quality.However,verification of such techniques and quantification of their impacts has not been given much attention.The research focus of this paper is to identify those material substances that can be used to absorb pollutants and lessen their harmful impacts and thereby improve air purification.A chamber study was used to quantify air purification using different material substances and considering the following parameters:total volatile organic compound(TVOC)and Carbon Monoxide(CO)levels.Further,the results obtained in the chamber study were assessed for its projection to real applications by comparison with a study conducted in an actual indoor space.The outcome of the study has revealed that the indigenous knowledge of Sri Lanka can be used to improve indoor air quality.
文摘Increased demand for affordable housing and the limited availability of flat terrain for its construction are two major problems facing the provision of houses of acceptable quality in many countries around the world.There is limited research integrating the utilization of a stepped approach to sloping terrain with appropriate housing models to minimize slope instability potential.This paper introduces a new semi-tiered housing model where the footprint of the house is located on tiers prepared with short vertical cuts of 1.5-2m.Such vertical cuts are found to be stable with laterite soil which is a commonly available type of soil in the tropics.The excess soil generated from cut material was transformed into cement stabilized rammed earth,which is a cost effective material with low embodied energy.This is an ideal candidate for the construction of retaining walls and foundations,and such applications are demonstrated with adequate details.Further,many other types of sustainable building materials are highlighted with a case study of this housing model in a scheme of 13 housing units in Sri Lanka.The attention to detail required in construction and the applicability of alternative building materials and methods to improve the sustainability of such houses have been discussed in detail.These semi-tiered houses have the potential to address many of the current construction challenges.
