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Office Building (office + building)
Selected AbstractsCharacterization and Variability of Endotoxin and 3-Hydroxy Fatty Acids in an Office Building During a Particle Intervention StudyINDOOR AIR, Issue 1 2000Cynthia J. Hines Abstract Air and dust samples were collected on two floors of an office building during a double-blind particle intervention study to examine spatial and temporal variability of airborne endotoxin over a period of weeks, and to characterize endotoxin activity and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) content in carpet and chair dust. Air samples were collected on multiple days within and across weeks. Dust samples were collected from carpets and chairs one day per week for three weeks. Endotoxin was measured using a Limulus assay. Dust samples were analyzed for LPS by determination of 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OHFAs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) for 96 indoor air samples was 0.24 (1.6) EU/m3. Significant within-floor spatial variation of airborne endotoxin was found (P<0.0001, n=80). Temporal variability of airborne endotoxin was not significant across weeks. Mean (±SD) endotoxin levels in carpet dust (59±9.3 EU/mg dust, n=12) and in chair dust (38±7.7 EU/mg dust, n=10) were significantly different (P<0.001). Carbon chain length-dependent differences in 3-OHFA levels by dust source and floor were found. Enhanced air filtration did not significantly affect airborne endotoxin (P=0.62); however, total dust mass and total endotoxin in carpet dust samples increased significantly after enhanced surface cleaning (P<0.01). These findings suggest that spatial variability, dust source, and surface cleaning may influence building occupant exposures to endotoxin., [source] Democracy: Rising Tide or Mirage?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 2 2005Marina S. Ottaway The following is an edited transcript of the thirty-ninth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on April 22, 2005, in the Hart Senate Office Building, with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] Saudi Arabia, Enemy or Friend?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 1 2004David Aufhauser The following is an edited transcript of the thirty-fifth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on January 23, 2004, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] Symposium: Imperial Dreams: Can the Middle East Be Transformed?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 4 2003Kenneth Pollack The following is an edited transcript of the thirty-fourth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on October 3, 2003, in the Rayburn House Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] Is a Two-State Solution Still Viable?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 2 2003Stephen P. Cohen The following is an edited transcript of the thirty-second in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on April 11, 2003, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] In the Wake of War: Geo,strategy, Terrorism, Oil and Domestic PoliticsMIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 1 2003Leon T. Hadar The following is an edited transcript of the thirty,first in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on January 10, 2003, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] War with Iraq: A Cost,Benefit AnalysisMIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 4 2002Anthony H. Cordesman The following is an edited transcript of the thirtieth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on October 9, 2002, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] The Abdullah Peace Plan: Offer or Ultimatum?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 3 2002Mamoun Fandy The following is an edited transcript of the twenty,ninth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on June 14, 2002, in the Russell Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] Symposium: Is Unilateral Withdrawal the Answer for Israel?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 2 2002Stephen P. Cohen The following is an edited transcript of the twenty-eighth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on March 22, 2002, in the Rayburn House Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] The Peace Beyond the Peace: What Role for Iran and Iraq?MIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 3 2000David Wurmser The following is an edited transcript of the twenty-first in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on May 4, 2000, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] Joining the Global Rules-based Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for the GCCMIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 2 2000Cecilia Klein The following is an edited transcript of the twentieth in a series of Capitol Hill conferences convened by the Middle East Policy Council. The meeting was held on February 1, 2000, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., moderating. [source] Prediction of spatially distributed seismic demands in specific structures: Ground motion and structural responseEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 5 2010Brendon A. Bradley Abstract The efficacy of various ground motion intensity measures (IMs) in the prediction of spatially distributed seismic demands (engineering demand parameters, (EDPs)) within a structure is investigated. This has direct implications to building-specific seismic loss estimation, where the seismic demand on different components is dependent on the location of the component in the structure. Several common IMs are investigated in terms of their ability to predict the spatially distributed demands in a 10-storey office building, which is measured in terms of maximum interstorey drift ratios and maximum floor accelerations. It is found that the ability of an IM to efficiently predict a specific EDP depends on the similarity between the frequency range of the ground motion that controls the IM and that of the EDP. An IMs predictability has a direct effect on the median response demands for ground motions scaled to a specified probability of exceedance from a ground motion hazard curve. All of the IMs investigated were found to be insufficient with respect to at least one of magnitude, source-to-site distance, or epsilon when predicting all peak interstorey drifts and peak floor accelerations in a 10-storey reinforced concrete frame structure. Careful ground motion selection and/or seismic demand modification is therefore required to predict such a spatially distributed demands without significant bias. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Effects of Values on Worries Associated With Acute Disaster: A Naturally Occurring Quasi-Experiment,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Dwight D. Frink On April 12, 1995, a bomb exploded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, destroying a federal office building, killing 168 people, and upending American notions of safety and security in the heartland. Using data collected before, immediately after, and 1 year after the bombing from 3 samples living within 25 miles of the explosion in a naturally occurring quasi-experiment, research examined effects of values on people's worries in the context of a macrolevel traumatic event. High self-transcendence and conservation values correlated with higher macro-worries immediately after vs. before the explosion, but these worries were lower 1 year later. Findings indicate that values emphasizing broader social perspectives were associated with higher macrolevel worries, while values emphasizing one's own life and welfare were not. [source] Thermoaktive Bauteilsysteme mit integrierten Phasenwechselmaterialien , eine SimulationsstudieBAUPHYSIK, Issue 1 2007Doreen Kalz Dipl.-Ing. Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Analyse und Evaluierung von thermoaktiven Bauteilsystemen (TABS) und einem Nachtlüftungskonzept hinsichtlich des thermischen Raumkomforts auf Grundlage einer modellbasierten Simulationsstudie. Das Gebäude- und Anlagenmodell wurde in der Simulationsumgebung ESP-r mit Meßdaten aus Experimenten in einem Niedrigenergie-Bürogebäude validiert. Die Untersuchung umfaßt: Betonkerntemperierung (BKT), Kapillarrohrmatten ohne und mit 20% mikroverkapselten latenten Wärmespeichermaterialien (PCM) im Deckenputz. Zentrale Ergebnisse sind: Die Konditionierung mit Kapillarrohrmatten ermöglicht ein zufrieden stellendes Raumklima vergleichbar mit BKT, die Verwendung von PCM trägt entscheidend zur Reduzierung der Raumtemperaturen bei und der optimale Schmelzbereich des PCM-Speichers liegt in dieser Untersuchung bei 19 bis 22 °C. Thermo-active building systems using phase-change materials , a simulation study. The objective of this study aims at analyzing and evaluating thermo-active building systems as well as a night ventilation concept with respect to thermal interior comfort by means of a simulation study. Preliminary experiments in a low-energy office building facilitate the calibration of the simulation model in ESP-r. In particular, the analysis was carried out for (i) concrete core conditioning, (ii) grid conditioning without and (iii) with 20% of micro-encapsulated latent heat storage materials (PCM) applied to the ceiling. The central conclusions of this study are: (1) Grid conditioning provides a satisfactory room condition comparable with concrete core conditioning, (2) the application of PCM contributes to a reduced operative room temperature, and (3) in this study PCM with a melting range of 19 to 22 °C is most favorable. [source] Surface dust contamination and perceived indoor environment in office buildingsINDOOR AIR, Issue 5 2004E. Pesonen-Leinonen First page of article [source] Characterization of the electrical energy consumption of a building for the dimensioning of a solar-hydrogen energy systemINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2010S. Véjar Abstract The photovoltaic (PV) applications where the dimensioning is effected through the daily energy balance criteria obtained by the estimation of the energy consumption depending on the power and time of use of the electrical apparatus are limited to autonomous PV systems with well-defined end use. Applications where one would like to electrify complex end use, such as office buildings, schools, hospitals, laboratories, residential units, etc., quantifying the daily energy consumption is difficult mainly due to two aspects. First, there will be great number of a variety of electrical appliances and second the proportionate electrical consumption of each one of them is unpredictable. For this reason it is necessary to establish a methodology that permits one to quantify precisely the daily energy consumption pattern to predict the energetic functioning of the PV system whose size may be determined by this procedure. In this work we describe a methodology for the energetic quantification of the installed equipments by using a Power Quality Analyzer to obtain the historical global energy consumption, daily energy consumption (kWh,day,1, kVAh,day,1) and the energy quality for the dimensioning of the PV system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A review on energy, economical, and environmental benefits of the use of CHP systems for small commercial buildings for the North American climateINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 14 2009P. J. Mago Abstract The use of combined heating and power (CHP) systems to produce both electricity and heat is increasing rapidly due to their high potential of reducing primary energy consumption (PEC), cost, and emissions in domestic, commercial, and industrial applications. In addition to producing both electricity and heat, CHP systems can be coupled with vapor compression systems to provide cooling. This paper analyzes a natural gas engine CHP system together with a vapor compression system for different American climate zones. Performance is measured in terms of operational costs, PEC, and carbon dioxide emissions as a percent of a reference building. The objective of this paper is to compare the performance of a CHP system operating 24,h a day with a system that only operates during typical office hours. Furthermore, the system is optimized based on reducing PEC, minimizing costs, and reducing emissions. In addition, the benefits of CHP systems based on the Energy Star program and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program are presented. Results show that, in general, it is more beneficial to operate the CHP system during typical office hours than to operate the system 24,h a day. Also, the CHP system performance strongly depends on the location where it is installed. In addition to reductions in cost, primary energy, and emissions, CHP systems can help achieve the Energy Star label for commercial office buildings and help obtain LEED points that go toward achieving LEED certification status. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Prevalence of building-related symptoms as an indicator of health and productivityAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2006Raimo Niemelä PhD Abstract Background The prevalence of building-related symptoms (BRS) is commonly used to characterize the indoor air quality in office buildings. To analyze the costs of building renovation and the improvement of the indoor environment, it is useful to quantitatively relate the prevalence or intensity of BRS to productivity. The intent of this study is to summarize the links between the BRS and productivity, and demonstrate this linkage in two case buildings. Material and Methods A literature was surveyed for studies that measured simultaneously the prevalence or intensity of BRS and subjectively reported or objectively measured productivity. Case studies in two office environments were performed. An association between the prevalence of BRS and productivity of workers in a call center and in an insurance office were investigated. In the first case study, the productivity was expressed using the direct productivity metrics, namely the number of telephone contacts during active working hours while in the second case, the productivity was assessed by using the data concerning sick leave rates. Results Employees who report more BRS also have more often absences which relate to indoor environment quality (IEQ). Their productivity is lower than those who have better IEQ in their offices. Despite uncertainties related to the data concerning recorded sick leave and self-reported productivity, the number of studies showing an association between BRS and productivity or sick leave suggests that such a relationship exists. The present case studies also demonstrated an association between the BRS and the direct productivity. Based on the data from the call center, a reduction of 10%-units in the prevalence of general symptoms (such as fatigue, headache, nausea, etc.) corresponded with a gain of 1.5% in performance. Based on the findings in the insurance company, a reduction of 10%-units in the prevalence of irritation symptoms corresponded with a decrease of 0.7% in the short-term absenteeism. Conclusions A review of 23 studies suggests that a linkage exists between typical BRS and productivity indicators such as task or work performance or absence from work. Quantitative associations between BRS and productivity were demonstrated in two office environments. Quantitative associations between BRS and economic metrics enable cost-benefits analysis. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Acoustic comfort in office buildings with double skin glass façadesBAUPHYSIK, Issue 5 2009Volker Huckemann Dipl.-Ing. Schall; Sound protection and acoustics Abstract In the Project TwinSkin at the IGS Institut für Gebäude- und Solartechnik (Institute for Building Services and Energy Design) Brunswick/Germany, nine office buildings with double skin glass façades (DSF) were i.a. acoustically evaluated. Double skin façades (DSF), in comparison with other kind of façades, are frequently promoted to provide higher sound insulation from external noise, especially road traffic noise. DSF offer the advantage of operable windows or doors to the cavity, which provide occupant comfort; however, than questions about the impairment of acoustic comfort arise. The objective was to thoroughly analyse the apparent sound insulation properties of DSF in the extended frequency range from 50 to 5000 Hz. Measurements were performed according to the standard EN ISO 140-5 for different operation conditions of the openings and single number quantities were calculated. Additionally their respective spectrum adaptation terms (C and Ctr) were considered. A remarkable influence of DSF design on the sound insulation properties was found. The results show high levels of weighted apparent sound reduction up to 60 dB, but also there were results from only 35 dB to 40 dB. Multi storey façades tend to better sound insulation performance in relation to the other types of DSF, an average of 13 dB higher values were found. Esthetical favourable arrangements of DSF can provide substantial negative influence on sound insulation. Akustischer Komfort in Bürogebäuden mit Doppelglasfassaden. In dem Projekt TwinSkin am IGS Institut für Gebäude- und Solartechnik Braunschweig wurden neun Bürogebäude mit Doppelglasfassaden (DGF) akustisch bewertet. Glasdoppelfassaden bieten gegenüber anderen Fassadenarten einen erhöhten Schutz der hinter der Fassade liegenden Räume vor von außen eindringendem Lärm, insbesondere Straßenverkehrslärm. Zudem können bei DSF Fenster oder Türen in den Fassadenzwischenraum geöffnet werden, was möglicherweise den Nutzerkomfort erhöht, aber Fragen über die Beeinträchtigung des akustischen Komforts entstehen lässt. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, die vorhandene Schalldämmung von DSF im erweiterten Frequenzbereich von 50 bis 5000 Hz gründlich zu analysieren. Die Messungen wurden nach EN ISO 140-5 für die verschiedenen Betriebsbedingungen der Öffnungen durchgeführt und es wurden Einzahlangaben berechnet. Zusätzlich wurden die jeweiligen Spektrum-Anpassungswerte (C und Ctr) berücksichtigt. Es wurde ein bemerkenswerter Einfluss des DSF-Designs auf die Schalldämmungseigenschaften gefunden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen ein hohes Schalldämm-Maß bis zu 60 dB, aber es wurden auch Ergebnisse von nur 35 dB und 40 dB gemessen. Mehrgeschossige Fassaden weisen im Vergleich zu den anderen Arten von DSF eine bessere Schalldämmung auf, wobei im Durchschnitt 13 dB höhere Werte gefunden wurden. Ästhetisch bevorzugte Gestaltungen der DSF können dagegen einen erheblichen negativen Einfluss auf die Schalldämmung haben. [source] Qualitätsprüfung für Energieausweis-SoftwareBAUPHYSIK, Issue 3 2009Klaus Fehlauer Prof. Dr. Dr. Energieeinsparung; Technische Regelwerke Abstract Nach der Einführung der Energieeinsparverordnung 2007 (EnEV 2007) beauftragte das Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (BBR) ein Forschungsprojekt, um die am Markt verfügbare Software zur EnEV 2007 einer Qualitätsprüfung zu unterziehen. Der Zweck des Projektes war die Prüfung hinsichtlich einer korrekten Nachweisführung und Energiepassausstellung sowie die Erarbeitung von Methoden zur Qualitätsprüfung und -sicherung mit dem Ziel, Transparenz bei den am Markt vorhandenen Softwarelösungen zu schaffen. Darüber hinaus sollte durch die Bereitstellung von Testmodulen die Möglichkeit geschaffen werden, vorhandene Softwareprodukte durch das Aufdecken von Mängeln stetig weiter zu entwickeln, um so die Qualität der Produkte auf hohem Niveau dauerhaft zu sichern. Es wurden 15 Softwareprogramme für Nichtwohngebäude und 13 Programme für Wohngebäude für die Bedarfsberechnung nach DIN 4108-6 und DIN V 4701-10 und für Verbrauchsausweiserstellung untersucht. Im Rahmen dieser Veröffentlichung wurden schwerpunktmäßig die Ergebnisse für die Bedarfsberechnungen auf Basis von DIN V 18599 für den Nichtwohngebäudebereich vorgestellt. Quality tests for Energy Passport software. Shortly after the introduction of the 2007 Building Energy Conservation Ordinance (EnEV 2007), the German Institute for Applied Information Technology in Construction (IAIB) was commissioned by the German Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) to carry out quality tests for the EnEV 2007 software available on the market. The specified project aims were to check calculation and Energy Passport issuing procedures and the development of quality assurance methods with the aim of creating transparency regarding the software solutions available on the market. 15 software programs for office buildings and 13 software programs for residential buildings were examined with regard to the determination of energy demand according to DIN V 18599 and with regard to energy consumption. [source] Die Ermittlung des Jahresnutzkühlenergiebedarfs in Bürogebäuden mit dem Berechnungsverfahren nach Energieeinsparverordnung 2007 bzw.BAUPHYSIK, Issue 2 2009DIN V 1859 Energieinsparung; Technische Regelwerke Abstract Die seit 2007 gültige Energieeinsparverordnung (EnEV) schreibt für Bürogebäude eine gesamtheitliche Bilanzierung des Energiebedarfs vor, so dass neben dem Heizwärmeverbrauch und dem Energieverbrauch für Lüftungsanlagen erstmals auch der Kühlenergieverbrauch und der Stromverbrauch für Beleuchtung zu berücksichtigen ist. Die vorliegende Studie fokussiert auf den Jahreskühlenergieverbrauch von Büroräumen, welcher neben den Rechenregeln nach EnEV 2007 bzw. DIN V 18599 auch mit Hilfe der Algorithmen in der VDI 2067 oder mittels dynamischer, thermischer Simulationen ermittelt werden kann. Hierzu wird der Jahreskühlenergiebedarf für einen typischen Büroraum mit unterschiedlichen Fassadentypen nach den verschiedenen Verfahren berechnet, um Unterschiede aufzuzeigen. Abschließend wird exemplarisch der Einfluss des dem jeweiligen Verfahren zugrundeliegenden Außenklimas aufgezeigt. Determining the annual cooling energy demand for office buildings using the calculation procedure according to the 2007 Building Energy Conservation Ordinance or the DIN V 18599 standard. The German Building Energy Conservation Ordinance (EnEV), which has been in force since 2007, requires a holistic balance of the energy demand for office buildings, so that for the first time energy used for cooling and electricity used for lighting must be taken into account besides energy used for thermal heat and ventilation systems. This study focuses on the annual energy consumption for cooling offices which can be determined not only according to the calculation rules laid down in the EnEV 2007 or DIN V 18599 standards but also with the aid of algorithms specified in VDI 2067 or by means of dynamic thermal simulations. Here the annual energy demand for cooling a typical office with different types of facade is calculated by means of various calculation procedures in order to highlight the differences and deduce which types of facade react particularly sensitively. An example is used to illustrate the influence of the prevailing outdoor weather conditions for each procedure. [source] | ||||||||||