Gorse, C; Glew, D; Miles-Shenton, D and Farmer, D (2015) Addressing the thermal performance gap: Possible performance control tools for the construction manager. In: Raiden, A and Aboagye-Nimo, E (eds.) Proceedings of 31st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2015, Lincoln, UK.
Abstract
Construction practice has failed to deliver buildings that consistently meet their expected thermal performance; however, examples of good practice do exist. Buildings can be designed and built within acceptable tolerances and meet nearly zero carbon standards. Unfortunately, due to the negative implications associated with the performance gap there have been attempts to divert attention from measurement, with some being critical of methods that were used to identify the variance in building performance. However, the tools have proven reliable and the practice of thermal measurement which was once limited to scientists is finding its place in industry. Measurement is becoming more accepted and different tools are being used to assess thermal performance. The tools can add value to inspections, building surveys and assist with quality control. Construction professionals, not least construction managers, are gaining valuable insights through research undertaken and observations gained. The tests reviewed provide new methods of capturing evidence on building performance, thus allowing valuable information on the quality of design, workmanship and process to be gained. Use of thermal measurement and analysis tools should result in further improvements to building performance. The data from major performance evaluation projects are reviewed and presented.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building performance; quality assurance; zero-carbon buildings |
| Index terms: | workmanship, building survey, building performance, performance evaluation, thermal performance, good practice, construction professional, becoming, performance gap, quality assurance, inspection, variance, construction manager, evidence, quality control |
| Subjects: | evaluation and assessment methods, energy systems, project delivery, performance management, professional development, performance measurement, measurement and scaling, contractual condition, profession, quality assurance, professional practice, philosophical process |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Quality Management, Contract Administration |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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