The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has started the first phase of a long-term plan for major research in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The industry and DOE hope this joint work will ultimately provide designers with the knowledge to design higher quality and more energy efficient structures. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was awarded the MAXLAB project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and this research is an element of that project.
ORNL’s light commercial building flexible research platforms will expose the test buildings to natural weather conditions for R&D purposes. The results are intended to advance energy efficiency solutions for new and retrofit applications. These test buildings will provide the opportunity to prove solutions in a low risk environment so they can be more readily accepted in the marketplace in actual commercial buildings.
The research will consist of two full-scale light commercial buildings. The first building to be completed will be a 2,400-sf, one-story metal building system with a gable roof. The second building will be a 3,200 square-foot, multi-story light framed building with a flat roof. MBMA will conduct research on the low-rise metal building.
Both buildings will have hundreds of very sophisticated sensors that will send data back to a central data center within the main MAXLAB research building to closely monitor heat flow through the various surfaces. The buildings will be constructed on insulated concrete foundations that include in-slab heating/cooling loops, which enable researchers to control the temperature of the fluid circulating in the loops. The slab system, which was specially designed for the experiments, will eliminate heat transfer between the ground and the test buildings. This separation of the buildings from the effects of the ground is necessary to accurately model the energy performance of the building shells and makes the research more useful for various geographic locations.
The structural frame for the metal building has been constructed on the site, and the roof and walls are currently under construction. Once construction is completed, ORNL researchers will begin setting up sensors and other scientific equipment to measure the energy performance of the building and to establish a performance baseline. The benchmark building will be insulated to a low level to establish a starting point. Future experiments will include higher insulation levels for the roof and walls and introduce other energy saving strategies that will be measured against the original benchmark performance.
Since metal buildings are used in approximately 40% of all low-rise non-residential construction, this is an important construction type to study in order to analyze, document, and show improvements in energy performance.
Energy research on buildings has previously focused on the component level, such as hot box testing, cool roof tests, air barrier tests, etc. However, whole building testing in a complete building system will allow for combined and individual impacts to be evaluated together due to the complicated interactions among the building components under controlled conditions. +
Related Stories
| Feb 18, 2014
Illinois leads Top 10 states for LEED in annual USGBC ranking
The U.S. Green Building Council has released its ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED, the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system.
| Feb 18, 2014
Study: 90% of healthcare providers say Affordable Care Act is 'step forward,' but major revisions needed
Providers are excited about opportunities to address long-term health issues in the U.S., but worries about the transition persist, according to a new study by Mortenson Construction.
| Feb 17, 2014
SmithGroupJJR President and CEO Carl Roehling appointed to serve on the AIA/AGC Joint Committee
Carl Roehling, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, president & CEO of SmithGroupJJR, has been appointed to serve on the Joint Committee of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
| Feb 17, 2014
Developer plans to 'crowdfund' extended stay hotel in Manhattan
Want to own a piece of Manhattan hotel real estate? Developer Rodrigo Nino is inviting individual investors to put up $100,000 each for his latest project, 17 John.
| Feb 17, 2014
Call for Entries: 17th annual Building Team Awards - Deadline Extended!
BD+C's Building Team Awards is the industry's only recognition program to honor projects that achieve excellence in both design/construction and collaboration of the AEC/O team. The deadline has been extended to March 14, 2014.
| Feb 17, 2014
GBI to Offer AIA Approved Course Free for 60 Days to Train New Green Globes Professionals
The Green Building Initiative™ (GBI) announced today that between Feb. 13 and April 15 it will provide free access to its online certification course for Green Globes Professionals™ (GGPs). GGPs help guide building projects in achieving Green Globes® ratings, awarded for environmentally-focused design and construction.
| Feb 14, 2014
ASHRAE, Green Grid team up on energy-efficiency guide for data centers
Vendor-neutral publication examines aspects of the popular power usage effectiveness (PUE) metric.
| Feb 14, 2014
Scrap tires used to boost masonry blocks at Missouri University of S&T
Research could lead to blocks that use waste material and have seismic and insulating benefits.
| Feb 14, 2014
Giant interactive pinwheel adds fun to museum exterior
The proposed design for the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History features a 10-foot pinwheel that can be activated by passersby.
| Feb 14, 2014
First look: Kentucky's Rupp Arena to get re-clad as part of $310M makeover
Rupp Arena will get a 40-foot high glass façade and a new concourse, but will retain many of its iconic design elements.