| Popis: |
Several studies have shown that the use of upcycled materials for construction is a viable intervention for delivering affordable and adequate housing in low-income communities. However, information regarding in-situ performance of buildings made from upcycled materials is scarce in the literature. This paper compares the thermal performance of a building with walls made of sand-filled plastic bottles (Bottle House) with two other conventional buildings, one made of mud bricks (Mud House) and another made of sandcrete blocks (Cement House). In order to obtain the thermal sensation vote (TSV) of the occupants, thermal comfort questionnaires were developed based on ISO 7730 standard using the seven-point ASHRAE thermal sensation scale. Also, a Testo 480 multifunction meter which comprised of an anemometer, radiant globe thermometer, air thermometer, and Relative Humidity probe, was used to concurrently calculate the predicted mean vote (PMV). From the results of the thermal sensation votes (TSV) based on occupant’s survey, mean vote from participants of -2.0, 2.0 and 2.5 were observed for the bottle house, mud house and cement house respectively. In comparison, using the extended PMV thermal comfort model better suited for non-air-conditioned buildings in warm climates, adjusted PMV mean values of 1.9, 2.1 and 2.1 were recorded for the bottle house, mud house and cement house respectively. The TSV and PMV results both indicate that occupants of the bottle house felt more thermally comfortable when compared to occupants in the other dwellings. The results of this paper will provide evidence on the prospects of upcycling plastic waste for construction and its impact on occupant’s thermal comfort when compared to conventional building materials. |
