• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.89-96
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• 2019

In this study, alarm sound generated as a priority alert system propagation through an elevator shaft in apartment buildings were simulated using room acoustic simulation software. The simulations were conducted on three kinds of elevator hall plan with a different number of elevators and placement. First, the elevator shaft without sound absorption material was simulated as a condition of the present. When the distance from the alarm sound generating floor became farther, alarm sound level was decreased. However, the alarm sound level three-floor distance was about 54 dB(A)~56 dB(A) which were louder than a background sound level of typical apartment buildings. Sound absorption material placement proposed by previous studies were simulated and the alarm sound levels were decreased about 12 dB~16 dB. These levels were similar or lower than the background level of apartment buildings. From these results, it can be concluded that placing sound absorption material on the surface of the elevator shaft wall can be one of the methods to control the alarm sound as regulated in NFSC.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2022

In building envelope, transparent components play an important role. The structural glazing systems are the weak element of the casing in terms of mechanical resistance, thermal and acoustic insulation. In the present work, new structural glass panels with granular aerogel in interspace were investigated from different points of view. In particular, the mechanical characterization was carried out in order to assess the resistance to bending of the single glazing pane. To this end, a special instrument system was built to define an alternative configuration of the coaxial double ring test, able to predict the fracture strength of glass large samples (400 × 400 mm) without overpressure. The thermal and lighting performance of an innovative double-glazing façade with granular aerogel was evaluated. An experimental campaign at pilot scale was developed: it is composed of two boxes of about 1.60 × 2 m² and 2 m high together with an external weather station. The rooms, identical in terms of size, construction materials, and orientation, are equipped with a two-wing window in the south wall surface: the first one has a standard glazing solution (double glazing with air in interspace), the second room is equipped with the innovative double-glazing system with aerogel. The indoor mean air temperature and the surface temperature of the glass panes were monitored together with the illuminance data for the lighting characterization. Finally, a brief energy characterization of the performance of the material was carried out by means of dynamic simulation models when the proposed solution is applied to real case studies.