Material impacts on operational energy usage

Abstract

Decisions regarding materials and construction of a building are made all the time in the architectural process, but thought is not always given to how those choices may affect the buildings ultimate energy usage and the impact they may have on climate change. This thesis focuses on concrete structures and how the thermal mass and the thermal resistivity influence energy usage. The investigation was done looking at large commercial office buildings in the climates of Phoenix and Chicago. A comparison was conducted between a steel frame and concrete frame structure, showing how the differing thermal mass impact energy usage. An investigation was also undertaken to better understand thermal bridging in concrete commercial building envelopes and the impact they have.