Course detail

Basics of Building Physics

FA-ZSF-KEAcad. year: 2023/2024

Thermal engineering in buildings, acoustics, day lighting and insolation.
In the study programmes “Architecture and Urban Design” the course is part of the technical courses.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Petr Suchánek, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Engineering (US)

Offered to foreign students

The home faculty only

Entry knowledge

Not applicable.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

To be awarded the credit, students submit all assigned works from individual seminars. Students who are awarded credit may take the written exam.
Evaluation is based on the successful passing of the exam. Only the students who have passed the credit may take the exam. The exam is in the form of written test. To pass the exam successfully, students must gain at least 50 % of all points.
Monitoring of compulsory attendance in the seminars and submission of required seminar works, substitutive dates of seminars or lectures are agreed with students in advance. Submitted assignments are regularly consulted and approved by the teacher.
Upon the agreement with the teacher, the absences in the classroom can be compensated via online participation.

Aims

Designing and evaluation of construction elements in terms of thermal, water vapour, acoustic, and light parameters. Designing disposition and volume of a building in order to ensure optimal interior climate, and minimal energy demand in operation.
  • Ability to design an optimal construction and disposition or volume solution of a building in terms of thermal and humidity, acoustic and light processes while respecting the architectural, constructional, and physical requirements.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

MCMULLAN, Randall. Environmental Science in Building. Macmillan, 1992. ISBN: 978-0333576762. (EN)
RYAN, Daniel. Drawing Climate. Visualising Invisible Elements of Architecture. Detail, 2021. ISBN: 978-3035623604. (EN)

Recommended reading

EN ISO 52003-1:2017: Energy performance of buildings - Indicators, requirements, ratings and certificates. 2017 (EN)
EN ISO 12354-1:2018: Building acoustics - Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements - Part 1: Airborne sound insulation between rooms. 2018. (EN)
EN ISO 12354-2:2018: Building acoustics - Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements - Part 2: Impact sound insulation between rooms. 2018. (EN)
EN ISO 12354-3:2018: Building acoustics - Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements - Part 3: Airborne sound insulation against outdoor sound. 2018. (EN)
EN ISO 12354-4:2018: Building acoustics - Estimation of acoustic performance of buildings from the performance of elements - Part 4: Transmission of indoor sound to the outside. 2018. (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BE_A+U Bachelor's, 2. year of study, winter semester, compulsory
  • Programme NE_A+U Master's, 1. year of study, winter semester, elective
    specialization --- (do 2022) , 1. year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
    specialization --- (do 2022) , 2. year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Seminar

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Petr Suchánek, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Division of field into individual disciplines and definition of mutual relations. Building thermal technology – introduction, boundary conditions, basic parameters, and physical characteristics of materials
  2. Steady thermal conditions, one-directional spread of heat in constructions, interior thermal conditions, thermal requirements according to the Czech National Standard ČSN 730540, U-value in ideal profile of a construction
  3. Two-dimensional heat transfer in construction and temperature evolution in construction, U-value with the influence of thermal bridges, water vapour cycle, yearly balance
  4. Thermal bridges evaluation, optimization of construction detail design in terms of heat transfer, analysis of examples
  5. Non-steady temperature field, thermal room stability in winter and summer, design of shading elements and parameter optimization for windows and doors in terms of interior environment
  6. Thermal evaluation of building envelope, classification of buildings in terms of U-value of building envelope, optimization of thermal losses in buildings
  7. Acoustics – introduction, general principles, the importance of acoustics in construction industry. Physical principles of sound propagation. Standards and regulations
  8. Urban acoustics – sound wave propagation in outdoor space, estimation of basic quantities. Traffic noise, its classification, basic calculation principles, boundary conditions, equal-loudness contour design of land-use complexes. The highest acceptable levels of noise in outdoor space
  9. Building acoustics – airborne sound insulation. Methods of construction evaluation and the limits of airborne sound insulation. Optimization of materials selection for dividing constructions in terms of airborne sound insulation
  10. Building acoustics –impact sound insulation. Methods of evaluation for horizontal structural elements and floor construction design optimization. Heavy and light floating flooring
  11. Space acoustics – defining the design of space and its parameters. Constructional principles for the design of form and volume of space, selection of absorptive and reverberating materials. Sound absorption and reverberation coefficient
  12. Day lighting and insolation – principles for space assessment in terms of daylighting, basic principles, and boundary conditions to ensure insolation
  13. Final summary of topics across the individual disciplines. Emphasizing the mutual relations and incompatibility of individual requirements in order to optimize the interior environment in buildings