Architecture, Building and Planning - Research Publications

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    The Embodied Energy Assessment of Various Building Assemblies in Residential Building Construction
    Rauf, A ; Attoye, D ; Crawford, R ; Ahmed, S ; Azhar, S ; Saul, A ; Mahaffy, K (CITC Global, 2022)
    Energy consumption in the construction and building industry is associated with significant depletion of natural resources, release of greenhouse gases emissions and related environmental impacts worldwide. An understanding of the direct and indirect, operational, and embodied, as well as life cycle consumption patterns due to building architecture plays a major role in reducing the negative impact of buildings. A review of existing literature shows that there is much less research on the impact of embodied energy and there is a need to provide a clear basis to substantiate its veracity. Previous studies on embodied energy have mainly focused on the overall embodied energy of different building types. However, there is limited focus on the embodied energy associated with various assemblies in a building. In efforts to reduce the embodied energy of buildings, it is important to understand the energy associated with various assemblies in a building. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate the life cycle embodied energy (LCEE) consumed by various building assemblies in a residential building to provide relatable data for professionals. The findings indicate two levels of interest; firstly, life cycle embodied energy of the case study was found to be 13096.47 GJ with the initial embodied energy being 7390.5 GJ (56%) and the recurrent embodied energy was 5690.01 GJ (43%). Secondly, the study presents the embodied energy impacts of various building assemblies and revealed that while the wall assembly was highest, responsible for 25% of the LCEE, the floors contributed 18% and the roof, 6%. The study reveals the significance of embodied energy consciousness in envelope design, as well as the design and specification of building assemblies.
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    Trends in residential sustainability measures in the state of Victoria
    Crawford, R ; Paton-Cole, V ; Turnbull, R ; Fitzgerald, E ; Michalewicz, A ; Garber, J (IOP Publishing Ltd, 2022)
    Buildings require a significant quantity of energy and water during their operation. Solar water heaters and rainwater tanks have become increasingly common to reduce the demand for fossil-fuel based energy and mains water within buildings. Since 2006, the Victorian Building Authority has required either a rainwater tank or solar water heater to be installed in any new house built in Victoria, Australia. This research analyses the trend in adoption of these two systems using data from building permits issued from 2006 to 2019. This shows that despite an initial preference for rainwater tanks, solar water heaters have been the preferred choice. This preference was found to be greatest for projects costing from $200k-$600k and for allotment areas smaller than 500 m2. Preference for rainwater tanks tended to increase in line with an increase in project cost and allotment area, and this preference was found to be most common in metropolitan areas. This study provides insight into the opportunities for further adoption of solar water heaters and rainwater tanks, including using information at the LGA level to develop specific business opportunities or to inform policy, such as alternative water efficiency solutions for households where allotment area may limit rainwater tank adoption.
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    Trends in Residential Building Materials in the State of Victoria
    Paton-Cole, V ; Crawford, R ; Turnbull, R ; Fitzgerald, E ; Michalewicz, A ; Garber, J (IOP Publishing Ltd, 2022)
    As the population in Victoria continues to grow, there has been a corresponding increase in building approvals across the State. Houses characterised as low-rise residential buildings often take the largest share of these approvals, with incessant residential building activities being driven by record low interest rates. Low-rise residential buildings comprise various building forms that use a number of specified construction materials to construct the building envelope and other structural and non-structural elements. As materials used for constructing residential building envelopes continue to evolve, these materials must be fit for purpose, and satisfy design criteria and performance requirements, while being aesthetically pleasing. This research analyses the trend in construction materials used in building envelopes of low-rise residential buildings using data from building permits issued between 1996 to 2019. The trend analysis shows that traditional double brick wall systems and suspended timber floors have reduced in popularity for houses built in the 21st century. The analysis also shows that brick veneer wall cladding systems built over slab-on-ground footings is the dominant construction form while the roof cladding material is influenced by geographical location. Insights from the data analysis indicate very little innovation has emerged in materials for residential building envelopes despite its crucial role in providing thermal comfort for inhabitants. Results from this research will serve as a basis to provide quantitative assessment of the trend in materials resource; provide insights about the impact of new building envelope products on existing industries; and perspectives on materials for future building envelopes.
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    Embodied and Operational Energy of a Case Study Villa in UAE with Sensitivity Analysis
    Rauf, A ; Attoye, DE ; Crawford, R (MDPI, 2022-09)
    Extensive focus on operational energy research has positively impacted both academia and policymakers, facilitating new strategies that reduce the energy consumed by building occupants. Much less emphasis has, however, been given to embodied energy. Consequently, although studies now show that embodied energy can be responsible for up to 50% of a building’s life cycle energy, little is known about the embodied energy associated with the construction of buildings, materials, and components in the study context. The aim of this study is to investigate the current scenario in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by calculating the embodied energy of a residential villa, and estimating the initial, recurrent, and demolition and disposal embodied energies over a 50-year building life span. A detailed assessment of the embodied energy associated with the construction of the case study villa was carried out using an input–output hybrid approach, followed by a sensitivity analysis focused on variations related to the energy associated and consumed, as well as the adoption of renewable energy sources. The findings show that the initial embodied energy was 57% of the life cycle embodied energy and 19% of the life cycle energy of the villa while the recurrent embodied energy was 43% of the life cycle embodied energy and 14% of the life cycle energy of the villa. The life cycle embodied energy of the villa, over a 50-year life span was 36% of the life cycle energy. This paper also highlights the impact of adding a solar PV system and lists multiple areas for future studies related to embodied energy and its benefit to stakeholders in the building industry.
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    Investing in social housing during a pandemic
    Raynor, K ; Pert, A ; Bentley, R ; Crawford, R ; Wiesel, I ( 2020)
    Australia needs a National Housing Strategy, as well as consistent funding and policy mechanisms, to reverse our long-term declines in social housing.
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    Guest editorial: Smart villages, rural infrastructure and sustainable development
    Doloi, H ; Crawford, R ; Varghese, K (EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD, 2022-05-11)
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    A review of existing policy for reducing embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings
    Skillington, K ; Crawford, RH ; Warren-Myers, G ; Davidson, K (ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2022-09)
    The building sector is a significant contributor to global energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions and thus has a major role in combating climate change. To date, efforts to address this issue have focussed on reducing energy demand during building operation, resulting in significant reductions in this area. However, recent studies have shown that substantial improvements to operational energy efficiency have increased the relative significance of indirect or embodied energy demands and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Subsequently, policies addressing this next frontier of energy and emissions reductions are emerging. To understand different approaches and inform future development, this study reviews existing policy mechanisms targeting embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector for four countries – Australia, Canada, USA and United Kingdom. The study found that voluntary instruments dominate the policy landscape, with regulatory measures largely absent at national levels and confined to inconsistent application across lower levels of governance. Signals of change emerging from the analysis include growing private sector investment and increasing quantitative targets for reduction. The study concludes with the challenges facing this sector of energy governance, alongside recommendations for regulated caps, mandatory LCA reporting, prerequisite requirements in voluntary instruments, data accessibility and resolving methodological inconsistencies.
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    Hybrid life cycle assessment at the neighbourhood scale: The case of Ydalir, Norway
    Lausselet, C ; Crawford, RH ; Brattebø, H (Elsevier BV, 2022-06)
    The focus of this study is Ydalir, a neighbourhood in Norway currently in the early planning stages. Ydalir aims to produce its energy locally based on renewable sources, has passive house standards or higher for all its buildings, uses timber or other materials with low embodied greenhouse gas emissions (EGHGE) as its main building materials and prioritises low emissions solutions for the mobility of its inhabitants. Because of those characteristics, the EGHGE related to the operational phases at Ydalir will be low and the relative importance of the EGHGE related to the materials will increase. The EGHE at Ydalir should thus be quantified in a comprehensive manner. Hybrid life cycle assessment (hLCA), which combines process-based life cycle assessment (pLCA) with economic input-output (IO) data is well-suited for this task because a better system boundary completeness is achieved while maximizing the use of typically more reliable process data. Regionalized (Norway) hybrid EGHGE coefficients are compiled for all the main construction materials. The proportion of the IO data (10–78%, average of 34%, and median of 24%) demonstrates the signification truncation associated with traditional pLCA. The EGHGE related to the construction materials, the transport needed along the value chains and to the construction site, and the use of fossil fuels along the value chains (in particular coal) is significant and must be addressed as part of a holistic approach to reducing the EGHGE of our buildings and neighbourhoods, in- and out-land.