Thermal optimization of curtain wall façade by application of aerogel technology

The paper illustrates the use of aerogel technology in façades to reduce thermal bridging and limit condensation. Additionally by mitigating local thermal bridges the indoor climate, especially draught and molds creation, can be eliminated as the surface temperature increases and prevents these negative factors. Curtain walls, in comparison to opaque wall, are often not designed in an energy efficient way and can be large contributors to heat loss of buildings. This is common for curtain walls in Asia and North America, where the energy requirements are not as demanding as in Europe. Building envelopes have many details which can easily introduce thermal bridge due to limited space of insulation or incorrectly solved construction detail. The heat flow through a poor thermally-performing detail, e.g. exposed concrete slab, could account for over 40% of the heat loss of the façade. The contribution of a well-insulated slab could be less than 10%. Unfortunately, traditional insulation techniques are often not suitable due to limited installation space. This paper discusses several case studies whereby the performance of a reference case is compared to a case with a thermally optimized façade implementing Building Insulation Blanket (BIB), which uses silica based aerogel technology. The thermal conductivity of BIB can be as low as 0.015W/mK, and together with its high flexibility and fire resistance enables new design possibilities. The use of BIB in the case studies, contributed to the reduction of overall curtain wall thermal transmittance up to 30%. Additionally condensation risk was significantly reduced

Interview with Aharon Appelfeld

Nancy Rozenchan traduz para o português a entrevista de Benny Mer com Aharon Appelfeld

Heat transfer and air movement behaviour in a double-skin façade

Theoretical and practical evaluation of a naturally ventilated double skin façade has been undertaken. The study has shown that the double skin façade (DSF) system is capable of supplying adequate ventilation to various levels with little or no additional heating during winter thus saving the bulk percentage of the heating load on the building. However there was an element of overheating in the DSF which may have contributed to an additional cooling load on the building. Even though the operational strategy of mixing return air with trapped air in the cavity helped to minimise the overheating effect, there was still some considerable level of temperature increase in the DSF. Effective thermal management control strategies and systems are therefore encouraged in the design and operation of DSFs

Cosa fare del male che si è guardato in faccia?

Aharon Appelfeld, one of the most important Israeli writers, reflects on the multiform nature of evil that those who experienced the Holocaust, as he did, had to face, and he discusses how this experience can be communicated, even in its sensuality, only through literature. Literature – differently form philosophy, historiography, and all other disciplines – “has the capacity to lead the atrocious experience back into the circle of life, to move it from the category of history to the category of art, because only art has the power to get the suffering out of the abyss”