Awawdeh, S A (2010) The potential of building regulations to improve the energy efficiency of high-rise residential buildings in the Gulf Countries. PhD thesis, Queen's University Belfast, UK.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of building legislation as a means of increasing energy efficiency of high-rise residential buildings in the Gulf countries. This was achieved at three stages in addition to a critical analysis of the available literature, which identified the range of techniques that could be considered in the buildings energy codes in the region to reduce the energy required for coding. The first stage employed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews; it targeted representatives of governmental bodies and design teams in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The study explored the impact of the building energy regulation on promoting energy efficiency in buildings. It investigated the design teams’ attitudes to the building regulation, and the role building legislation plays in changing the behaviour of the design teams. Finally, it addressed the attitudes of governmental representatives and design teams to energy efficiency. The second stage of the study employed the simulation tool to assess and evaluate the current building regulations that aim to conserve energy in Gulf countries. The study also explored the possibility of improving the existing building code. Based on the analytical study of the simulation a number of measures were proposed to be considered in the building energy code, and a formula for using overall thermal transfer value as a second alternative approach for building energy code in the region was developed. The third stage of the study used questionnaires to gauge the industry response on the proposed regulation, in order to identify the measures that are economically and practically feasible to the community.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building regulation; government; legislation; regulation; residential; efficiency; interview; simulation; energy efficiency |
| Index terms: | high-rise residential building, efficiency, building regulation, energy efficiency, qualitative approach, overall thermal transfer value, regulation, questionnaire, simulation tool, building code, energy code, legislation, interview, Dubai, design team |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, construction type, analytical methods, professional practice, legal systems, sustainability and energy, Geography, research methods, performance management, political science, thermal systems, regulatory law, environmental law |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Governance, Construction Technology, Research Practice, Quality Management, Legal Issues, Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here