Shape optimization of a concrete floor systems for sustainability, acoustical, and thermal objectives

Broyles, Jonathan M.; Brown, Nathan C.; Hartwell, A.J.; Alvarez, E.G.; Ismail, M.A.; Norford, L.K.; Mueller, C.T.

doi:10.1201/9781003023555-134

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…54 Lastly, incorporating accurate acoustic objectives can aid in multi-disciplinary studies aimed to determine the overall best performing designs. 55…”

Section: Implications In Building Acousticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the dynamic response for scaled models of shaped concrete floor slabs

2023

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The dynamic response of building structures is an essential design consideration in building acoustics. However, building design is increasingly driven by sustainability goals. Floors can be optimized to reduce material consumption and corresponding carbon emissions, yet geometric changes may cause sound insulation and vibration problems. Although the dynamic performance of traditional floors is well established, the performance of non-traditional shapes is less understood. Before trusting the results of building simulations encompassing optimized floors, the dynamic results should first be validated experimentally. This paper details a numerical finite element analysis method to ascertain the dynamic response of four shaped concrete slabs, with experimental modal analysis used to validate the numerical results. The material properties in the numerical model are updated to match the experimental results. The findings support a computational framework for determining the dynamic response of shaped structures that can then be implemented in future large-scale building models.

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“…54 Lastly, incorporating accurate acoustic objectives can aid in multi-disciplinary studies aimed to determine the overall best performing designs. 55…”

Section: Implications In Building Acousticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the dynamic response for scaled models of shaped concrete floor slabs

2023

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“…While designing purely for structural efficiency presents a pathway towards low-carbon concrete construction, this can also diminish the secondary performance characteristics of concrete floor structures. This toolset can be used for the design and analysis of complex concrete elements, and enables the design of structures subject to secondary performance criteria such as thermal and acoustic energy transmission (Broyles et al 2022) (see Figure 6). The flexibility of this toolset also allows for the sampling of a vast design space in order to use ML techniques like predictive modelling for the real-time prediction of complex solutions like shaped concrete beam designs.…”

Section: Digital Toolset For Accessible Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reshaping concrete

Ismail

2023

ENQ

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Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) struggle to meet the demand for affordable housing in their growing cities. There are several reasons for this, but a major constraint is the high cost of construction materials. In LEDCs, material costs can constitute 60 to 80 percent of the total cost of residential construction. Nonetheless, their construction mimics the materially inefficient practices of the More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs), which were developed to reduce labor over material costs. As a result, prismatic beams and flat slabs are often used despite their structural inefficiency. The mounting use of steel-reinforced concrete structures in LEDC cities also raises concern for the environmental costs of construction; construction accounts for 20-30 percent of LEDC carbon emissions. This research addresses these challenges with a flexible and accessible methodology for the design and analysis of materially efficient concrete elements that may reduce the economic and environmental costs of urban construction. Designed for the constraints of LEDCs, structural elements are optimized to reduce the embodied carbon associated with the concrete and reinforcing steel while resisting the required loads of a standard building structure. The optimization method includes a novel approach to 3D-shape parameterization, as well as a decoupled analytical engineering analysis method that accounts for the key failure modes and constraints of reinforced concrete design. This method is then built into an open-source toolkit, combined with machine learning for real-time analysis and visualization, and tested using lab- and full-scale prototypes. The goal of this research is to present several generalizable methods that are applicable and accessible to LEDC building designers. These methods can enable the design of concrete elements for multiple performance criteria such as structural behavior, acoustic transmission, and thermal mass. They can also enable an accessible design practice through machine learning, real-time iterative workflows, and visualization tools that include the end-user in the architectural design process. This paper provides a high-level overview of ongoing research that explores how materially efficient design methods might enable sustainable development through low-cost, low-carbon concrete structural systems for affordable housing in LEDCs.

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“…Salles E Portugal et al studied concrete versus cork flooring materials for their environmental impact [12]. Broyles et al conducted design optimization of concrete floor slabs for embodied carbon and acoustic performance [13,14]. Tomas M. Echenagucia et al researched the acoustic optimization of a concrete structure for a concert hall space [15].…”

Section: Introduction 789mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trade-Offs in Embodied Carbon and Acoustic Insulation for Mass Timber Floor Assemblies

Leonard,

Eddin,

Prichard

et al. 2023

World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023)

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Mass timber structural systems are increasingly used in the design of low and mid-rise buildings. One of the primary motivators for using mass timber structures is their low embodied carbon emissions (EC), which reduces a building's carbon footprint. Despite this advantage, a criticism of mass timber structures in multi-story buildings is often poor air-borne and impact sound insulation. In response, this paper studies common mass timber floor assemblies for their EC and sound insulation performance. EC data is used along with previous experimental acoustic data to evaluate how acoustic insulation affects the sustainability of mass timber floors. This study found that there is no clear relationship between EC and acoustic insulation; while high-EC assemblies exist, there are many low-EC assemblies at all levels of acoustic insulation. Trade-offs instead occur in the types of assemblies that can achieve performance goals and their depth or visible finish. While other factors such as cost or structural requirements may control assembly selection, designers seeking to reduce EC should consider room design needs and select acoustic insulation strategies with favorable EC-toacoustic insulation ratios.

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Shape optimization of a concrete floor systems for sustainability, acoustical, and thermal objectives

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Evaluation of the dynamic response for scaled models of shaped concrete floor slabs

Evaluation of the dynamic response for scaled models of shaped concrete floor slabs

Reshaping concrete

Trade-Offs in Embodied Carbon and Acoustic Insulation for Mass Timber Floor Assemblies

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