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ASSIGNMENT TITLE:

LOW CARBON BUILDING DESIGN

Student Name: Balasubramanian Venkiteswaran

Enrolment Number: P12234047

Module Title: Energy in Buildings

Module Code: ENGT5112

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SL NO CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER

01. Executive summery 03

02. Introduction 03

03. Aim 04

04. Architecture 04

04.1 Fig 1 Total View 04

04.2 Fig Elevation 05

04.3 Fig Main Structure and design 05

05. Facts and Figures 06

06. Environmental Features 06

07. Sustainability 07

08. Energy and its impacts 07

8.1 Fig Heat map 09

8.2 Fig Glass used 10

09. Interior 10

9.1 Fig Internal Furnishing 11

10. Local Ecology of UAE 11

10.1 Phase 1 11

10.2 Phase 2 12

10.3 Chat of comparison 12

11. Problems and Solutions 13

12. Conclusion 13

13. Bibliography 14

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01. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The construction of buildings now a day are based on customer needs and to have all the

basic features to attract the clients as well as the design features and the comfortless are also

considered as the major things due to more security threats on occupants the structures are

made very strong The new generation buildings are concerned about lots of factors like

materials, design, sustainability, construction, and IT technologies. Here I am going to

explain about my own work experience the massive structure called Burj Khalifa the

world’s tallest tower at the moment located in United Arab Emirates, How the design reduces

the carbon foot print , the energy efficiency in lighting, the cooling system and how the

building is related to echo friendly In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the

construction technology associated with buildings and will present a case analysing the

architecture and construction technology applied in a skyscraper. Moreover, we will also

discuss different building systems associated with the design, construction and echo

friendliness of the buildings.

02. INTRODUCTION

The building is located in the United Arab Emirates which is 828 Meters high as well as 5.67

million square feet across and consist of 160 floors The construction is done in such way that

on a Y shaped structure with three wings which gives stable configuration moreover the

building has twenty six helical levels which decreases the cross section area of the tower as

its spirally skywards. The tower consists of 37 offices, 900 residential apartments, 160 Guest

rooms, 144 private residences and a floor area of 334,000 Square meters. Tower needs 50

Mega Volt Ampere at its peak time which equivalent to a large township more over which

uses a water of 946,000 litres of water a day as the United Arab Emirates a hot country where

the temperature goes up to 50 degree centigrade the tower require cooling which is 12,500

tons on a hot sunny day.

03. AIM

The aim of this assignment is to rug light on different methods and procedures in terms of

carbon foot print employed in constructing buildings, particularly high rise structures and

also evaluate the use of these procedures in a famous building built in UAE.

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04. ARCHITECTURE

The way the tower is designed in such a way that triple- loaded footprint, an abstraction of

Hymenocallis flower. The tower is arranged around a central core , the modular Y shaped

with wings in each side makes the tower more stable which consists of 26 such floor plates

which reduces the floor cross section towards the top. The reason which is built in such a

manner that to increase the view of the Arabian Gulf and the bottom of the tower is in the

shape of the onion domes which indicates the Islamic architecture. Over 45,000 square meter

cube of concrete which composes more carbon foot print for their manufacture more over

330,000 the steel which is used is also contribute the carbon foot print. In the concrete core

wall construction the pump used which is the highest pumping ever done in history because

heavy machinery pumps are used so that more energy is burned so that it also contributed

carbon the excavation work started in 2004 and finished in 2010 which took 22 million man

power hours so we need to consider the transportation which contributes carbon emission

Fig 4.1 total View

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Fig 4.2 Elevation

Fig.4.3

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05. FACTS AND FIGURES

The Burj Khalifa was open on January 4th

2010 it’s the world’s tallest tower at the moment

more over that the height is 828 Meters the building is previously known as the Burj Dubai,

The tower consist of several special features such as most number of the elevators and fastest

as well 64km/hr , the highest outdoor observation desk, It consist of 162 floors which is been

cladded with 28,261glass panel outside the tower, The concrete used for paving is 2,065 Km

long .

06. ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

The modernized tower has the best advanced feathers where the implementations of

renewables on its construction since the Dubai’s wealth in stock fuel is more still they are

really concerned about the sustainable features for hot water purpose they are using solar

panels which is capable of heating 140,000 litres of water every day which is distributed

among the commercial and domestic purposes. This can save nearly 3200 kilowatts per day

and approximately 690 megawatt hour energy per year. The construction group Emmar are

highly concerned about the usage of renewable energy in the urban areas. On the roof of the

tower there are 375 collectors which are capable of collecting 140,000 litres of water which

can be heated in seven hours of time. As the temperature is more humid on the Middle East

area they made ensure that the supply of fresh air through the thermal wheels where ever

possible in the building.

The Scenario is exactly opposite to United Kingdom here we are trying to preserve heat

inside the building and there they are trying to provide the cold loss inside the building for

that purpose the designers have looked in to a special performance glazing glass with low

emissivity which protects the tower with advanced thermal protection where the temperature

between 35°C – 45°C during the summer which is between April and October. The use of

energy monitors and electronic meters with advanced system which stabilizes the on-going

optimisation of electrical energy. The implementation of Building Management System

which monitors all the electrical as well as the mechanical systems of the whole tower which

includes ventilation, lighting, power system and security systems etc. where the software

installed controls, optimize, monitor and report so that it will be easy for the engineer to

stabilize the whole tower form the over consumption so that we can save lots of energy.

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The most important factor regarding the cooling is the stack effect and due to the influence of

the BMS reduces the need for mechanical pressurisation.

”Reportedly, HCFC-123 refrigerants are used to cool the Burj Khalifa, which has a

significantly lower global warming potential than similar projects using HFC-134a in

surrounding areas, one source reports” (Hvac.com.au, 2010)

07. SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability in this tower means creating designs that become object whose value will also

have a meaning in the future which is been explained by the Mr Sasha lvanovich the director

of the Singapore architects more over that he said it takes less space so that more

environmental sustainable “A sustainable building has to be justified economically” said Dr

Sabah Al Rayes

“Skyscrapers such as Burj Khalifa are inherently sustainable because they accommodate a

large number of people on a small footprint, which helps save agricultural land from

development and reduce carbon emission associated with commuting to and from suburbs.

They also offer efficient vertical and horizontal transportation systems, encouraging the use

of public transit and creating increasingly walkable cities. Super tall buildings can also be

formed to further decrease their environmental effect and become "super-sustainable." These

structures can take advantage of the faster wind speeds at higher altitudes and drive wind

toward building-integrated turbines to generate power. Because they are less likely to have

shadows cast on them, high-rises also make efficient use of building-integrated photovoltaic

systems to absorb solar power and generate energy. And deep foundations make them ideal

for geothermal heating and radiant cooling systems” (Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects,

2010)

08. ENERGY AND ITS IMPACTS

There are several sources of energy use electrical, mechanical, civil and some other factors

Electricity:40,000 kilowatts of electrical consumption is be reported on the peak times of the

tower which is equivalent of 500,000 100-watt light bulbs burning at the same time which

means we can power up a city easily

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Raw materials used in this tower are nearly 40,000 tons of steel which is sufficient to connect

a quarter areas round the earth. The transportation for this also have to considered because it

also have to considered in the energy consumption

Space utilization is very poor in this building where the top 30 floors are used as a storage

due to lack of area as it gets steeper domestic and commercial purpose and the condensed

water from the air condition are utilized for the plants in the garden. As everyone know in an

year the UAE got a good amount of sunlight so why can’t they install the solar panels for the

electricity in the practical point its will consume more space but a some considerable amount

attest have to be on their design which will make the energy consumption is a big question

for the designers ?

Burj Khalifa comprises a hotel, offices and residential accommodation, all constructed in

compliance with Dubai’s Green Building Code to ensure a high level of sustainability.

Tridonic products have played a key role in achieving this. For example, LED modules

TALEXXchain P511 and TALEXXconverter have been used for signage throughout, as well

as on the viewing platform at the top of the hotel, to ensure reliable, low maintenance lighting

with low energy consumption.

Within the Armani Hotel, extensive use has been made of low voltage lighting, and to ensure

maximum efficiency this has been combined with Tridonic Possum transformers.

In offices and corridors a range of Tridonic PC fixed output electronic ballasts have been

used. These feature the innovative Intelligent Voltage Guard, which constantly monitors the

mains voltage to the control gear to protect it against possible damage due to over or under-

voltage. (Tridonic, 2011)

The grounds of the Burj Khalifa cover an area of 11 ha and much of the exterior lighting has

been fitted with magnetic ballasts from Tridonic. These include OGS 250 & OGS 400 large

magnetic ballasts controlling 250 and 400 W street lamps for paths around the area of the

building, lighting the roads and entrance areas of the building. Lighting in the service area

uses EC magnetic ballasts, with impedance matched to the lamp type.Through its use of

various Tridonic products, the Burj Khalifa clearly demonstrates that energy efficiency and

low cost of ownership can be combined with high performance lighting that adds real value

to both, interior and exterior environments. (Tridonic, 2011)

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Water used Around 250,000 gallons of water a day where on UAE the Dubai Electricity and

water authority is running several pumps in the desalination plant to filter water here by more

energy is consumed Cooling is done by the central district water plant from which the tower

is normally serviced. In the case of a problem, the system can be switched to use water from

one of the other cooling plants to service the tower. The central water plant uses a massive ice

reservoir as a thermal storage system. Ice slurry is created on the top The only advantage

which is which can be considered as an energy saving measure is that the solar water heating

for the which requires more energy to make ice in the Persian Gulf humid climate .The

Glasses which has been fixed in the tower is specially manufactured which is reflective in

nature which won’t allow the heat to come in but the light so the illuminations so good in this

building Sky Sourced Ventilation: Cooler air temperatures, reduced air density, and reduced

relative humidity at the top of the building allow for “sky-sourced” fresh air. When air is

drawn in at the top of the building, it requires less energy for air conditioning, ventilation,

and dehumidification

“Mechanical system used is seven double storey height mechanical floors house the

equipment that brings the Burj Khalifa to life. Distributed around 30 storeys, the mechanical

floors houses the electrical substations, Water tanks, Pumps and air handling units etc, that

essential for the operation of the tower and the comfort of its occupants” ( Burj Khalifa,

2011)

Fig 8.1 Heat map

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The figure clearly states that the usage of energy in Burj Khalifa among the all the building

the tower uses energy at its maximum to stop the inflriation rate to make it cool in the humid

condition.

GLASS USED FOR PREVENT LOSS FROM INSIDE FIG 8.2

During the last four decades the energy leak through the glass have been gradually increased

in this tower the glasses used are specially manufactured. The Structure is highly durable and

capable so that the glazing installed silicones are the unrivalled technology to provide

protection from Ultraviolet light, temperature and the weather resistance so they are specially

manufactured form the Zurich of triple glazing which gives the maximum protection. The

high performance structural silicone sealants ensure lowest possible gas loss rates from the

glazing and these are manufactured in European standards EN 1279, The overall loss of gases

1% per year that means after three decades also more than 80% of the insulating gas will be

there so there by maximum protection is provided

09. INTERIOR

The interior of the wall is mainly based on the Gypsum wall rather than the main walls in

order to reduce the whole building weight. The Thermal insulation is done at such a way that

between the two boards in the cavity they have placed the rock wool to protect the cold loss

more over that the screws are specially manufactured and all the accessories are provide by

the company with fully furnished including all the sockets and points to avoid the drilling

further.

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All the rooms have well day light availability so that to avoid the electrical usage and the

lighting provided are well efficient ones and a proper advanced electronic monitors are

provided. Good loft insulation is also provided with a rock wool and false ceiling with central

cooling system.

Fig 9.1 Internal Furnishing

10. LOCAL ECOLOGY AND SURROUNDINGS OF UAE

United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s fastest developing countries in terms of economic

so that the demand of energy is more. The UAE has been ranked with one of the highest per

capita Ecological Footprints in the world. (WWF, 2006) from this they have planned to

reduce by two phases

10.1 Phase 1

On the first phase the ecological foot print was verified and the results were found that

domestic uses contribute more than half a percentage and a quarter by the industries and 10

percentages by the government sector. The government have decided to act on this by

combination of several polices by 2030 which will be effectively reducing by 40% (WWF,

2006)

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10.2 PHASE 2

The second phase started in 2012 and is focusing on developing science-based environmental

policies to help reduce the UAE’s carbon dioxide emissions and per capita ecological

footprint by several steps they are

1. Developing energy efficiency standards for residential lighting;

2. Conducting a socio-economic assessment of the policies outlined in the scenario model

created in Phase 1, targeting the energy and water sector of the UAE;

3. Verifying the UAE’s Ecological Footprint and communicating the results to policymakers.

(WWF, 2012)

From the graph the UAE is the primary country which has more carbon foot print

Fig 10.3 Chat of comparison

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11. PROBLEMS AND SOLUTION

The main problem the tower is facing is the lacking of renewable technology as well as the

sewage system which indirectly produces atmospheric pollution as well as the carbon foot

print. The tower is not directly connected to the central drainage every day the trucks have to

manually collect the drainage and travel out of the Dubai city.

From the studies from the Yale University pointed out that the sky scrapers have adversely

effected the climate on area will change by increasing smog and decreasing precipitation

which cause in increase in thunderstorm. As Dubai is a most modernized city with lots of

towers so in the coming year’s climate change is a major threat for this city. To avoid this

problem they have to go for renewable solution As the Persian gulf climate is sunny most of

the days in an year so that the designers could have suggest more solar power to the building

and the policy of the government have to be more tight to make the world more greener as

from the one end we are patching up the greenness around the world by eradicating the stock

fuel in order to achieve sustainability. The tower has also green irrigation project which

partially irrigates with the water which is collected from condense collection of water from

the cooling system which is approximately 15 million gallons which can be modified to a

fully irrigated one by recycling the waste water from the occupants

12. CONCLUSION

The tallest man made free standing structure have altogether achieved the energy saving

measures more than 30 percentage by daylight efficiency as well as solar water heating their

participation of the tower on the earth hour contributed its role among the world so this

building is said to be a low carbon building more over that like a coin has two sides on the

flip side they must be more concerned about the carbon foot print towards the environment

not only showing their name in the book by creating a massive structure but also if they have

provided more greener atmosphere this could have been even more success tower and also

the space utilization could have been more effectively designed so that the utilization of space

could have been more economical and greener way.

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13. BIBLIOGRAPHY

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