Hot Arid Climates

A huge stock of existing public housing schemes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which were developed before devising and applying energy efficiency and sustainability codes and regulations, fall short of meeting the local energy use intensity (EUI) benchmarks and achieving the local agenda for sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. While energy efficiency retrofitting systems have been chiefly used by adding a thermal insulation layer over the external envelope of houses, in this research, a new trihybrid energy efficiency retrofitting method containing external thermal insulation cladding integrated with both green infrastructure (GI) and building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) is suggested as a more sustainable retrofitting system that could meet the local EUI benchmarks and significantly contribute to achieving SDGs in the public housing sector in the UAE. Accordingly, a case study house model that was widely developed in the UAE was selected and digitally modeled as a building information modeling (BIM) base model. Then, four alternative scenarios for the proposed trihybrid retrofitting method were suggested, with each consisting of different combinations of carefully selected efficient conventional retrofitting cladding materials, a GI living wall, and BIPV systems. These scenarios were digitally modeled as BIM Digital Twins and were then simulated for their anticipated thermal and energy performance by employing intentionally simple but reliable simulation tools. The scenario for the trihybrid cladding method, which consisted of added thermal insulation cladding of more than 50% of the external wall area, a green wall over the remaining 50% of the external wall area, added window films, and an extended BIPV system, managed to fully meet the optimal local EUI benchmark with a reasonable capital cost and payback period.

This paper aims to analyze vernacular architecture in the hot-arid regions of Baluchistan and Sindh to identify indigenous construction techniques and design strategies that have been part of the vernacular architectural tradition of the region. The paper aims to connect the age-old oral traditions of the remote region that have been translated into the vernacular architectural construction methodologies, dwelling layouts, and the overall identity of the region. Through a case study methodology, the research will analyze various dwelling archetypes and their construction materials found in the highlighted region, such as the Chapper House, Kothi House, Chaunro House, built using rammed earth, compressed earth blocks, bamboo, adobe. Furthermore, the research methodology also involves the analysis of relevant passive design strategies found in the identified vernacular case studies, such as verandahs, courtyards, clustering of houses, ventilation, and Jaali's, will be identified and analyzed to understand their effectiveness as vernacular design strategies in combating the challenges of the harsh desert climate. Furthermore, their potential application beyond the remote realm they are found in, and their relevance and applicability in contemporary design will also be commented on.

Effective lighting in educational buildings is crucial for occupant comfort, especially in hot arid climates where balancing daylighting with solar radiation control is challenging. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using solar control glazing and indoor roller blinds in maintaining adequate daylight illumination under dynamic solar radiation. The investigation focused on a lecture hall at Najran University (NU) in Saudi Arabia, characterized by its large windows oriented towards the south-west and north-west, situated within the region's hot arid climate. The study assesses daylight illuminance penetration for heavily tinted glazing integrated with three roller-blind configurations: fully closed, 50% closed, and no roller blinds. The study shows that during the morning, none of the workplane areas meet the minimum illuminance requirement, but in the afternoon, approximately 30% of the workplane exceeds 2000 lux, necessitating the use of electrical lighting as a result of roller-blind closure. Hourly monitoring revealed that under the Blinds-50% setting, daylight levels failed to meet recommended classroom lighting standards, while in the Blinds-100% configuration, the lecture hall remained completely dark. This study highlights the challenges and solutions for achieving optimal lighting in educational buildings within hot arid climates, emphasizing the significance of avoiding static shading systems, such as heavily tinted glass.

Effective lighting in educational buildings is
crucial for occupant comfort, especially in hot arid climates
where balancing daylighting with solar radiation control is
challenging. This study aims to investigate the
effectiveness of using solar control glazing and indoor
roller blinds in maintaining adequate daylight illumination
under dynamic solar radiation. The investigation focused
on a lecture hall at Najran University (NU) in Saudi Arabia,
characterized by its large windows oriented towards the
south-west and north-west, situated within the region's hot
arid climate. The study assesses daylight illuminance
penetration for heavily tinted glazing integrated with three
roller-blind configurations: fully closed, 50% closed, and
no roller blinds. The study shows that during the morning,
none of the workplane areas meet the minimum
illuminance requirement, but in the afternoon,
approximately 30% of the workplane exceeds 2000 lux,
necessitating the use of electrical lighting as a result of
roller-blind closure. Hourly monitoring revealed that under
the Blinds-50% setting, daylight levels failed to meet
recommended classroom lighting standards, while in the
Blinds-100% configuration, the lecture hall remained
completely dark. This study highlights the challenges and
solutions for achieving optimal lighting in educational
buildings within hot arid climates, emphasizing the
significance of avoiding static shading systems, such as
heavily tinted glass.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

Problem statement: Persian gardens which are registered on UNESCO heritage list share similar patterns and design characteristics. Enjoying a geometrical design, enclosure, order, visual symmetry, axial order and centrality are among the main characteristics of every Persian garden. The Persian gardens are always divided into four sectors, with water playing an important role for both irrigation and ornamentation. The Persian garden, as a metaphor of paradise, is usually known as the tradition of arid zones and hot and dry climates; while due to the greenery and rich natural environment of mild and humid climate, this kind of design is not considered a necessity in such areas. Research objective: This paper, however, rejects such inclusivity and discusses that the Persian garden design principles have also been employed in other climatic regions of Iran as well. Accordingly, the current paper introduces a number of historical gardens in mild and humid climatic zone of Iran, which have applied the same design principles as Persian gardens. Research method: The paper seeks to clarify if Persian gardens can be exclusively found in hot and arid parts of Iran; and if not, what are the ways in which one can design a Persian garden in the mild and humid parts of Iran. The paper uses a qualitative method to explore the understanding and interpretation of users about the notion of garden in the studied area, and to identify the mutual characteristics of designing garden in central and northern parts of Iran. Conclusion: The paper further discusses if application of Persian garden design principles is responsive in northern Iran. "Dar Al-Hokoumah of Guilan", "Safa Garden" and "Nasseriye Gardens" in Rasht, "Abbasabad Garden" in Behshar as well as several historical houses in Amlash are among the cases to approve the adaptability of Persian garden design principles in a different climate than hot arid central part of Iran.

Problem statement: Persian gardens which are registered on UNESCO heritage list share similar patterns and design characteristics. Enjoying a geometrical design, enclosure, order, visual symmetry, axial order and centrality are among the main characteristics of every Persian garden. The Persian gardens are always divided into four sectors, with water playing an important role for both irrigation and ornamentation. The Persian garden, as a metaphor of paradise, is usually known as the tradition of arid zones and hot and dry climates; while due to the greenery and rich natural environment of mild and humid climate, this kind of design is not considered a necessity in such areas. Research objective: This paper, however, rejects such inclusivity and discusses that the Persian garden design principles have also been employed in other climatic regions of Iran as well. Accordingly, the current paper introduces a number of historical gardens in mild and humid climatic zone of Iran, which ha...

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

In recent years, the increase in the need for energy and the rapid depletion of energy resources have revealed that energy control in buildings is of vital importance. This situation requires energy efficiency not only in new buildings but also in existing building stocks. For this reason, passive strategic measures affecting thermal comfort and energy efficiency in historical buildings built in Gaziantep in the late 18th and early 19th centuries have been evaluated in this study. First, the cultural, technological and natural images of the region that are effective in the development of these strategies were identified. The reflection of these images on architectural design and the parameters affecting energy use as a result were revealed. In order to examine the effect of passive strategy measures in the spaces, a field study was carried out on a selected Gaziantep traditional residential building. For the field study, measurements were taken from the selected building and the street every hour during the day. These measurements have been made under the following conditions: sunny inside the courtyard, sunny outside the courtyard, shade inside the courtyard and shade outside the courtyard. Afterwards, all measurements have been compared. As a result, it is concluded that the courtyard systems that form the cultural, technological and natural image of the region have a great effect on thermal comfort.

Gender expresses the social and cultural identity of men and women in society. It has balance or not, considering various factors such as cultural, religious and social beliefs, norms and values, the level of women and men's liberties in the family and society, the structure of power (patriarchy and maternity) and the degree of their cooperation in providing livelihoods. The purpose of this paper is to study definition of gender in the northern cities of Iran and, in particular, to compare this concept in two cultures of Guilan and Mazandaran in the Qajar era. Although it seems that the Qajar houses of Guilan and Mazandaran are very similar to each other because of the climatic similarity of the two regions; but the comparative study reveals differences in the shape and organization of the space, the degree of privacy, the manner and degree of controlling private and public realms; which is due to the importance of gender components in the formation of traditional housing. The present research claims that limits of privacy and the methods of creating visual and physical barriers in the Qajar houses of Guilan and Mazandaran have been distinguished from one another due to different ways of life in these two regions. This paper first considers cultural differences to measure this claim. Then, it studies the effect of gender identity components on the physical structure and spatial structure of the houses by the selection of eight case examples from the middle class houses in the historical context of cities in Guilan and Mazandaran provinces. The results of the analysis show that life style, livelihood, social relations, religion, security and women's veil have influenced the concept of gender and the difference of this concept in the cultural structures of the two communities has caused obvious differences in the ways for making privacy.

In the transition from a traditional urban society in Iran to a modern one, there has been an epistemological transfer of the concept of the urban landscape and residents’ perception of the city. The urban management of traditional cities and intervention in the decisions used to be community-based driven from a social system. After the transition, urban management was replaced by experts and executives chosen based on their power/knowledge in modern cities. Mahalle1 or neighborhood, as one of the most important pillars of the traditional city and the basis of the formation of the city under small groups, created a platform for social intervention and increased the sense of belonging of its inhabitants, and turned into the homeland of each individual. With contemporary developments and fundamental changes in the political, social, cultural, and economic system, and the transition to modern society, new concepts such as region and district replaced the concept of the neighborhood with specialization-oriented divisions. This intervention in the city and its social construction gave way to the political construction of urban spaces under the influence of the central government. At present, researchers and managers are seeking to revive concepts such as neighborhoods in thoughts and actions. The purpose of this study is to examine the landscape of the neighborhood of Shiraz during the transition from a traditional city to a contemporary city. The research seeks to answer the fundamental question of whether the formation of urban spaces in the Qajar period based on the neighborhood system, led to social demarcation known as a neighborhood? Did the divisions of the neighborhood affect the perceptions of the residents and the reproduction of the space? To answer the research question, documentary research was conducted to identify the turning points in the transition from traditional to contemporary Shiraz. Then a phenomenological approach was employed to examine the citizens’ perception of the traditional city of Shiraz based on available documents, poems. The results indicate that the view of the traditional city and the lived experiences of the inhabitants until the end of the Qajar period is different from today’s Shiraz. The reason is that in specialized studies and actions, only the physical aspect of Shiraz’s historical context is considered. These studies have been limited to the visual works of the abandoned arts from macro to micro-scale. In addition, they have overlooked the lived experiences of the old residents. However, the revival of popular concepts such as neighborhood and protection of historical context requires a phenomenological look at the form and meaning of the city and needs the researcher to attend a similar atmosphere to the audience’s one and deeply deal with the phenomena of a traditional city such as the neighborhood.

According to statistics provided by the Iranian Statistics Center,40% of energy consumption is related to the housing sector. Windows as a component of exterior wall, Responsible for 20-30% of all energy infiltration. Therefore, the purpose of this study, is to optimize residential windows in cold and dry climate of Tabriz in order to reduce energy consumption. The research method is based on simulation with two methods "parametric optimization" and "genetic algorithm". The research tool is Design Builder software. So, the amount of annual gas consumption in the case study was received from the National Iranian Gas Company and then the basic research model is modeled in software and after converting the unit from kWh to m 3 and validating the obtained results from simulation, in the next step, the type of glazing and frame are changed and then the sensitivity is analyzed by the two mentioned methods. The results showed that by replacing windows with triple glazedglazing with low emission coating filled with argon, krypton and xenon gas and UPVC frame with clear double glazed-glazing filled with argon gas and iron frame, annual gas consumption for heating decreased by 52.43%, 55.34% and 56.60% and the heat loss from the windows is reduced by 7.97%, 9.54% and 10.49%, respectively.

The evaporation from water reservoirs has become a global issue, due to climate change, limited water resources, and population growth. In this research, three emulsions of octadecanol/Brij-35 (4:1), hexadecanol/Brij-35 (4:1), and a combination of the alcohols with Brij-35, octadecanol/hexadecanol/Brij-35 (2:2:1), were used in water. One-way ANOVA was applied to compare the mean of evaporation in different chemical and physical methods, and factorial ANOVA was used to investigate the main and interactional effects of different meteorological parameters on the rate of evaporation. Results showed that two physical methods of the canopy and shade balls performed better than the chemical methods, with reductions of 60 and 56 percent in evaporation, respectively. Among the chemical methods, the octadecanol/Brij-35 emulsion had a better performance with a 36 percent of reduction in evaporation. One-way ANOVA results showed that among the chemical methods, only the octadecanol/Brij-35 had no signi cant difference with shade balls with a 99 percent probability level (P < 0.01). On the other hand, factorial ANOVA showed that the temperature and relative humidity had the highest effect on evaporation. Octadecanol/Brij-35 monolayer had a lower performance than two physical methods at low temperatures but after increasing temperature, its performance improved. This monolayer had a good performance at low wind speed compared to physical methods; however, with increasing the wind speed, its performance was severely affected. For temperatures of over 37°, the evaporation rate increased more than 50 percent when the wind speed had changed from 3.5 m/s to more than 8.7 m/s.

The evaporation from water reservoirs has become a global issue, due to climate change, limited water resources, and population growth. In this research, three emulsions of octadecanol/Brij-35 (4:1), hexadecanol/Brij-35 (4:1), and a combination of the alcohols with Brij-35, octadecanol/hexadecanol/Brij-35 (2:2:1), were used in water. One-way ANOVA was applied to compare the mean of evaporation in different chemical and physical methods, and factorial ANOVA was used to investigate the main and interactional effects of different meteorological parameters on the rate of evaporation. Results showed that two physical methods of the canopy and shade balls performed better than the chemical methods, with reductions of 60 and 56 percent in evaporation, respectively. Among the chemical methods, the octadecanol/Brij-35 emulsion had a better performance with a 36 percent of reduction in evaporation. One-way ANOVA results showed that among the chemical methods, only the octadecanol/Brij-35 had no signi cant difference with shade balls with a 99 percent probability level (P < 0.01). On the other hand, factorial ANOVA showed that the temperature and relative humidity had the highest effect on evaporation. Octadecanol/Brij-35 monolayer had a lower performance than two physical methods at low temperatures but after increasing temperature, its performance improved. This monolayer had a good performance at low wind speed compared to physical methods; however, with increasing the wind speed, its performance was severely affected. For temperatures of over 37°, the evaporation rate increased more than 50 percent when the wind speed had changed from 3.5 m/s to more than 8.7 m/s.

The evaporation from water reservoirs has become a global issue, due to climate change, limited water resources, and population growth. In this research, three emulsions of octadecanol/Brij-35 (4:1), hexadecanol/Brij-35 (4:1), and a combination of the alcohols with Brij-35, octadecanol/hexadecanol/Brij-35 (2:2:1), were used in water. One-way ANOVA was applied to compare the mean of evaporation in different chemical and physical methods, and factorial ANOVA was used to investigate the main and interactional effects of different meteorological parameters on the rate of evaporation. Results showed that two physical methods of the canopy and shade balls performed better than the chemical methods, with reductions of 60 and 56 percent in evaporation, respectively. Among the chemical methods, the octadecanol/Brij-35 emulsion had a better performance with a 36 percent of reduction in evaporation. One-way ANOVA results showed that among the chemical methods, only the octadecanol/Brij-35 had ...

It is an established fact that huge quantities of water are lost from lakes, reservoirs and soils by evaporation. This assumes greater significance in arid and semi-arid regions around the globe when a general scarcity of water is compounded by high evaporation loss from the open water surfaces of lakes and reservoirs. The use of surface covering by a monomolecular film to reduce evaporation loss from large open water surfaces offers the greatest promise among all currently available techniques. This is the only system that retains the water surface in a state that does not interfere with other uses of the body of water such as boating, navigation recreation, fish, and wildlife propagation. Various experiments and field trials worldwide have proven conclusively that the fatty alcohols and their emulsions effectively retard water evaporation and result in saving to the tune of about 20% to 50%. An experiment was carried out at the Aji Reservoir (India) using a mixture of Cetyl and Stearyl alcohol that confirmed 19.26% saving in evaporation loss. During this six-month trial, about 0.18 mcum of water was saved which otherwise might have evaporated.

This paper illustrates analyzing the feasibility of developing solar power system in existing educational building by converting it from electric energy to solar energy. This study depending on the fact that educational building has a lot of free spaces that could be used especially that Egypt is enjoying average sunshine hours between 6-12 daily so the development potentials of Solar Energy appear very obvious adding to that the relatively higher cost of fossil energy and its bad impact on the environment. Three methods were combined to ascertain building properties and determine which place were the most suitable for BAPV installations which are analysis study, physical simulation and empirical study The methodology is then tested by applying the steps on the building. Then a cost analysis had been performed to give actual values for the amount of money saved by retrofitting and installing BAPV systems. Energy simulation program-Design Builderwas used to analyze the energy performance of the case study building and compare it to the retrofitted case to show the amount of electricity saved. Research Hypothesis the research hypothesis centered on whether using solar energy in existing educational building can reduce electricity consumption while considering the BAPV cost in order to get the best output of the Return on investment especially that educational building construction rate had been rapidly increasing in the last 10 years according to the strategy of Egypt vision 2030.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

In order to adopt Superpave mix design method for use in Libya, the road and bridge authority launched a comprehensive research program to collect actual field data about pavement temperature, air temperature, solar radiation and wind speed for one year. An 11 research stations were installed across the country to cover different climatic and geographic regions. Each station was designed and setup to monitor, measure and record field data every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day during one colander year. This paper represents the research work and results obtained from one of those stations; Ghadams region, located at the west of the country. A great deal of data were collected and analyzed. High and low pavement temperatures were obtained and used for the determination of the asphalt binder grade (PG) according to Superpave mix design method. A temperature prediction models was developed for the region, that could be used to predict pavement temperatures using available weather data. The developed models were compared to SHRP and LTPP models and proved to be more accurate, while the later models found to be very conservative.

In Libya a large network of thousands of kilometers of highways and airfields was constructed during the last three decades. Unfortunately, many of these pavements have suffered from early distress in form of surface cracks appearing at pavement outer edges and along the white and yellow road markings. Preliminary diagnoses of these cracks indicated that they are non load-associated thermal cracks caused by the
action of the severe environment. The basic purpose of this study was to investigate the problem of rapid hardening and aging of bituminous materials in hot arid regions.  An experimental program has been carried
out follow up the process of hardening by monitoring the loss of volatile components and measuring the viscosity of the bitumen.  Test samples were taken from selected sites where this phenomenon is experienced,
to find out the effect of hardening due to aging and exposure to solar radiation at different depths from the surface and at different ages. 
The Rheometer test was used to measure the viscosity of the bitumen binder.  Two further tests for monitoring the hardening of the bitumen binder were carried out. These included a chemical analysis to measure the loss of volatile components of the binder using the Gas chromatography technique, and the measurement of the apparent viscosity of the bitumen using the sliding plate viscometer.  Finally, conclusions and recommendations drawn from this work are summarized.

Premature cracking of bituminous highway pavements has been observed in hot arid climates such as the Middle East, Australia and Southern USA. In these climates, rapid evaporation of volatile components of bitumen occurs. This results in the binder stiffness increasing, making the bituminous mix susceptible to shrinkage cracking in the large temperature ranges that occur in these climates.

Diurnal extremes of temperature in hot, arid climates have resulted in premature surface cracking of asphalt pavements even in the absence of heavy traffic. Empirical models for the evaluation of pavement temperatures exist but are limited in scope and can only be used in applications similar to those for which the original data was obtained.

Energy consumption in the building sector has become a global concern. Among the most energy-intensive equipment: air conditioning units, especially in hot countries. This paper investigates this rise of energy consumption for a case study of a laboratory located at the National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunisia. The key idea of this paper is to look for an optimal solution to reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioner while ensuring occupant’s comfort. For this purpose, firstly a laboratory dynamic thermal model is designed. Then, a Hysteresis control is adopted to ensure thermal comfort and to maintain the ambient temperature within a range predefined by the user. To achieve an outcome compatible with expectations, the thermal transfer through laboratory wall’s envelope constituents, considering loads effects on air conditioner functioning and, meanwhile, the energy balance of the system are analyzed. Then, a comparative study of different solutions to improve the ene...

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

Energy consumption in the building sector has become a global concern. Among the most energy-intensive equipment: air conditioning units, especially in hot countries. This paper investigates this rise of energy consumption for a case study of a laboratory located at the National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunisia. The key idea of this paper is to look for an optimal solution to reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioner while ensuring occupant’s comfort. For this purpose, firstly a laboratory dynamic thermal model is designed. Then, a Hysteresis control is adopted to ensure thermal comfort and to maintain the ambient temperature within a range predefined by the user. To achieve an outcome compatible with expectations, the thermal transfer through laboratory wall’s envelope constituents, considering loads effects on air conditioner functioning and, meanwhile, the energy balance of the system are analyzed. Then, a comparative study of different solutions to improve the ene...

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

Premature surface cracking of asphalt concrete pavements is known to be a problem in hot arid climates such as the Middle East, Australia and the Southern USA. Cracking often occurs within as little as two years after construction even in absence of significant traffic loading. A possible reason for this behaviour is early hardening of the asphalt binder due to rapid evaporation of the volatile components, together with daily thermal stress cycles under the diurnal temperature fluctuation. Samples of asphalt concrete were obtained from highways in the southern part of Libya; a region with particularly hot climate. The samples were taken from pavements ranging from 0 to 8 years old.

In Libya a large network of thousands of kilometers of highways and airfields was constructed
during the last three decades. Unfortunately, many of these pavements have suffered from early distress in
form of surface cracks appearing at pavement outer edges and along the white and yellow road markings.
Preliminary diagnoses of these cracks indicated that they are non load-associated thermal cracks caused by the
action of the severe environment. The basic purpose of this study was to investigate the problem of rapid
hardening and aging of bituminous materials in hot arid regions.  An experimental program has been carried
out follow up the process of hardening by monitoring the loss of volatile components and measuring the
viscosity of the bitumen.  Test samples were taken from selected sites where this phenomenon is experienced,
to find out the effect of hardening due to aging and exposure to solar radiation at different depths from the
surface and at different ages. 
The Rheometer test was used to measure the viscosity of the bitumen binder.  Two further tests for
monitoring the hardening of the bitumen binder were carried out. These included a chemical analysis to
measure the loss of volatile components of the binder using the Gas Chromatography technique, and the
measurement of the apparent viscosity of the bitumen using the sliding plate viscometer.  Finally, conclusions
and recommendations drawn from this work are summarized.

It is urgent to act currently on the problems of overconsumption of energy as well as the environment and the economy. Energy is a direct mechanical source of many devices of an artificial thermal environment of the modern habitat. To cope with the consequences of the exceed consumption of domestic use, architecture takes part by focusing on the old constructive and functional solutions. The researchers are interested even fascinated by ancient and vernacular architecture; its buildings are a masterpiece of urban planning in matters of environment. Our study has clearly chosen as an example The Mzab valley; a qualitative and retrospective analysis which aims to describe and classify all the solutions and traditional climate strategies developed by the Mzabites to produce a real thermal comfort and a residential heritage to fight against climatic solicitations. We have checked and observed in parallel if these strategies are convergent or divergent with the recommendations and the ne...

This paper analyzes the effect of prototypical apartments' orientation on indoor thermal comfort as a case study. The appartments are in a residential building block in October 6 th city in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Field measurements of indoor air temperature (T a,in) and relative humidity (RH in) were monitored in three hour intervals in the winter season of 2013 during one week in January. Outdoor measurements for the ambient temperature and relative humidity were obtained from the Meteorological Authority in the same period. The indoor measured data of air temperature and relative humidity were used to specify the comfort zone of each apartment in different orientations in the reference case by using ASHRAE psychrometric chart. This is considered the first part of the study and the second part will be conducted in the summer season to discuss the indoor thermal comfort for the reference case. a visual survey was conducted in order to analyze the construction materials and façade features of the buildings. Personal observations, field measurements and ASHRAE psycrometric chart analyses show that there is significant thermal discomfort inside the apartments, while changing the orientation had an insignificant effect on improving thermal conditions during the survey period Index Terms-Thermal comfort, hot-arid climates, residential buildings,

The extremely high rate of evaporation from surface water bodies in arid and semi-arid regions greatly reduces optimal utilization of water reservoirs. Therefore, techniques to reduce evaporation are greatly needed. During the last decades, a large number of dams (68 dams)were constructed and distributed over the entire country. Hence, preserving and protecting the stored waterby reducing evaporation is strategic future task of the Algerian state. Experiment was conducted in Touggourt during summer with four Colorado evaporation pans and weather station. Two fatty alcohols emulsion were selected and applied to reduce the evaporation in different pans. The first pan (OP) was filled with water without adding emulsion,while in the second pan (P2, Hexa)Hexadecanol emulsion was added at the concentration of 0.15g/m2. For the third pan (P3, Hexa/Octa)amixture of Hexadecanol/Octadecanol emulsion was added at the same concentration (0.075g Hexa:0.075g Octa)and for the fourth pan (P4, Octa) ...

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

Preliminary communication Traditional and vernacular housing was developed in close relation between the functional needs of the occupants, the culture, climate, and other aspects of the living and built environment. Over the course of the last decades, most developing countries, including Libya, have experienced a rapid economic growth and increase in population, leading to the increase in construction of contemporary single family houses influenced by western models. The paper analyses aspects of thermal comfort in traditional single family houses in mountain (city of Gharyan) and desert regions (old city of Ghadames) in Libya with an aim to investigate advantages of the vernacular concepts in contemporary design. The study will establish valorisation criteria by researching structures, materials, internal arrangement, roof, openings and other aspects that influence sustainability. The results will be used in the fields of architecture, urban design and building industry in Libya, since the knowledge of traditional concepts and elements sustained through a long period of time will be valuable in building healthy homes and saving non-renewable energy in contemporary structures.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

This paper analyzes the effect of prototypical apartments' orientation on indoor thermal comfort as a case study. The appartments are in a residential building block in October 6 th city in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Field measurements of indoor air temperature (T a,in) and relative humidity (RH in) were monitored in three hour intervals in the winter season of 2013 during one week in January. Outdoor measurements for the ambient temperature and relative humidity were obtained from the Meteorological Authority in the same period. The indoor measured data of air temperature and relative humidity were used to specify the comfort zone of each apartment in different orientations in the reference case by using ASHRAE psychrometric chart. This is considered the first part of the study and the second part will be conducted in the summer season to discuss the indoor thermal comfort for the reference case. a visual survey was conducted in order to analyze the construction materials and façade features of the buildings. Personal observations, field measurements and ASHRAE psycrometric chart analyses show that there is significant thermal discomfort inside the apartments, while changing the orientation had an insignificant effect on improving thermal conditions during the survey period Index Terms-Thermal comfort, hot-arid climates, residential buildings,

to address SouthEast Queensland's emerging urban water issues with a focus on water security and recycling. The program will bring new research capacity to SouthEast Queensland tailored to tackling existing and anticipated future issues to inform the implementation of the Water Strategy.

Generally, in architectural literature, scholars argue that there are lots of factors that affect on type of architecture. One of the most important factors is impact of kind of climate on architecture type. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of climatic factors on construction and local architecture in hot and arid regions with special focus on Varzaneh city. A Jame mosque, which is the most important building in the city, is selected for case study. According to the findings in this study, this mosque was climatically designed in accordance with the economic and social context of the region.

Building sector consumes 40% of the total energy consumption worldwide. This number is much higher in Egypt. It reached 52% of total energy sold in 2014 with an annual average growth of 5.2%. Public buildings energy consumption; in turn; has a great effect on total energy consumption. In Egypt public buildings represent 40% of the Egyptian building sector. They can give a large potential in reducing total national energy demand and solve a part of energy problem in Egypt. Moreover, they can generate energy to be nearly zero energy building or even zero energy building "off grid connection buildings" in an ambitious plan. Using renewable energy techniques (such as; solar cells& wind turbines) is also considered an optimum solution in this field. This paper targets zero energy public building in Egypt. It suggests an intensive design methodology which based on three major phases: first-is to design an energy efficient public building, second-is to reduce the building energy consumption to the minimum, then the third-tends to produce energy and cover the building needs. To check the efficiency of the proposed methodology, an experimental study is applied on an office building model as case study of public building in Egypt. Design Builder simulation program is used to calculate and compare the building energy consumption in the three successive phases. After applying "the intensive methodology for designing zero energy public buildings" on the proposed office building model, energy consumption indicates initial energy reduction and the consumption became 245232.39 kWh/yr. (28kWh/m2.). Once again, at the end of the consequential phases, the installed photovoltaic panels succeeded in producing 107923.2 kWh/year, and an array of 408 microwind turbines added 138964.8 kWh/yr-the sum of the energy produced comparable with the mentioned consumption conclude mathematically zero needs. At the end, the experiment shows that becoming near zero energy building, or zero energy building, or even energy building plus can be practically true in the upcoming near future. Moreover, calculations and comparisons support using the intensive methodology in designing zero energy public building in Egypt.

As a common space, urban entrance is the first place that introduces a city to its visitors and it is imprinted in the memory of people. This study aims to provide a detailed analysis of physical development and activity patterns along the main entrance of Rasht, Iran. Utilized data in this research comes from a questionnaire survey through which 707 land lots along the main entrances were studied. A number of statistical methods including nonparametric test of Kruskal-Wallis and cross-correlation analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings indicated that entrance axes in Rasht present a low density pattern, in the form of single row shops with ‎sporadic low rise buildings and uneven distribution of activities mainly by auto-‎related shops and services.‎ ‎ dala‎aeatsysy‎aaaaataD a significant difference in the development of physical elements such as density of land lots, lot size, building age, quality of structure and land use/activity pattern among the main entranc...

One of the most significant sources of water wastage in Australia is loss from small storage dams, either by seepage or evaporation. Over much of Australia, evaporative demand routinely exceeds precipitation. This paper outlines first, methodologies and measurement ...

This paper analyzes the effect of prototypical apartments' orientation on indoor thermal comfort as a case study. The appartments are in a residential building block in October 6 th city in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Field measurements of indoor air temperature (T a,in) and relative humidity (RH in) were monitored in three hour intervals in the winter season of 2013 during one week in January. Outdoor measurements for the ambient temperature and relative humidity were obtained from the Meteorological Authority in the same period. The indoor measured data of air temperature and relative humidity were used to specify the comfort zone of each apartment in different orientations in the reference case by using ASHRAE psychrometric chart. This is considered the first part of the study and the second part will be conducted in the summer season to discuss the indoor thermal comfort for the reference case. a visual survey was conducted in order to analyze the construction materials and façade features of the buildings. Personal observations, field measurements and ASHRAE psycrometric chart analyses show that there is significant thermal discomfort inside the apartments, while changing the orientation had an insignificant effect on improving thermal conditions during the survey period Index Terms-Thermal comfort, hot-arid climates, residential buildings,

Statement of the problem: Understanding how mental maps are used by new learners of architecture can help us gain familiarity with their mental thinking and externalize their mental knowledge. This ultimately paves the way for structuring and organizing the ideas of new learners. Research Objective: The purpose of this study is to raise awareness about the mental representations of new learners of architecture during nature-inspired design processes and to develop a consensus map of mental models and to improve the design thinking of new learners. Research method: This field study is qualitative in nature, and with respect to its purpose, it is applied. In this study, first, the documents and opinions of experts were scrutinized then architecture learners' mental maps were elicited using the ZMET technique (Zaltman's proposed technique to get to the unconscious structure of individuals). Conclusion: Analyzing the mental maps of new learners shows that nature has been able to influence their architectural design process. The results revealed that learners were inspired by nature in their architectural designs, 26% used it for semantic analysis. The results of interviews with the new learners showed that 21% of them mostly used nature in structural and geometric patterns. The patterns were used by 36% for finding and creating ideas, which account for a big share of the design process.These results highlight the necessity of promoting nature-inspired design in architectural studios and future studies.

Problem statement: Persian gardens which are registered on UNESCO heritage list share similar patterns and design characteristics. Enjoying a geometrical design, enclosure, order, visual symmetry, axial order and centrality are among the main characteristics of every Persian garden. The Persian gardens are always divided into four sectors, with water playing an important role for both irrigation and ornamentation. The Persian garden, as a metaphor of paradise, is usually known as the tradition of arid zones and hot and dry climates; while due to the greenery and rich natural environment of mild and humid climate, this kind of design is not considered a necessity in such areas. Research objective: This paper, however, rejects such inclusivity and discusses that the Persian garden design principles have also been employed in other climatic regions of Iran as well. Accordingly, the current paper introduces a number of historical gardens in mild and humid climatic zone of Iran, which have applied the same design principles as Persian gardens. Research method: The paper seeks to clarify if Persian gardens can be exclusively found in hot and arid parts of Iran; and if not, what are the ways in which one can design a Persian garden in the mild and humid parts of Iran. The paper uses a qualitative method to explore the understanding and interpretation of users about the notion of garden in the studied area, and to identify the mutual characteristics of designing garden in central and northern parts of Iran. Conclusion: The paper further discusses if application of Persian garden design principles is responsive in northern Iran. "Dar Al-Hokoumah of Guilan", "Safa Garden" and "Nasseriye Gardens" in Rasht, "Abbasabad Garden" in Behshar as well as several historical houses in Amlash are among the cases to approve the adaptability of Persian garden design principles in a different climate than hot arid central part of Iran.

Problem statement: Accelerated physical developments in the last century have led to the inefficiency of contemporary residential open spaces in Tabriz. However, in the realm of Iranian culture, especially in Tabriz, residential open spaces, have formed their patterns over time. The qualitative study of such embodiments can reveal the remaining capacities to address and resolve the challenges. Research objective: This study investigates the patterns of open spaces in Tabriz houses over the times, intending to deepen the architects' understanding of recent accelerated changes and to identify a meaningful relationship between them. Besides, the study tries to present an appropriate method for this kind of researches. Research method: This research is qualitative with an interpretive approach and data-driven method. First, by reviewing the relationship between the concept of pattern and other influential components, a theoretical configuration for integrated analysis is explained by the QCA method. Then the data collected from the samples are organized and put into this configuration and finally, the findings are discussed. Conclusion: In the qualitative analysis of consecutive categories of Tabriz houses (historical, middle and contemporary), there are three modes for the transition of identified conceptual patterns: Continuous (emergence as before), change of position (continuity of emergence but in different forms) and total change (elimination or replacement in the relationship between man and the environment). According to the analysis, the change in the combination of constraints in the outcome with environmental concepts has led to a change in how the patterns emerge and thus, transition. An overall assessment of this transition also reveals that environmental concepts derived from conceptual patterns have undergone fewer changes than they appear to be (sub-patterns) and making the place in the open spaces of houses in Tabriz, despite the precipitous external changes, has a relatively stable essence and is slowly evolving.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

Preliminary communication Traditional and vernacular housing was developed in close relation between the functional needs of the occupants, the culture, climate, and other aspects of the living and built environment. Over the course of the last decades, most developing countries, including Libya, have experienced a rapid economic growth and increase in population, leading to the increase in construction of contemporary single family houses influenced by western models. The paper analyses aspects of thermal comfort in traditional single family houses in mountain (city of Gharyan) and desert regions (old city of Ghadames) in Libya with an aim to investigate advantages of the vernacular concepts in contemporary design. The study will establish valorisation criteria by researching structures, materials, internal arrangement, roof, openings and other aspects that influence sustainability. The results will be used in the fields of architecture, urban design and building industry in Libya, since the knowledge of traditional concepts and elements sustained through a long period of time will be valuable in building healthy homes and saving non-renewable energy in contemporary structures.

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings.

The extremely high rate of evaporation from surface water bodies in arid and semi-arid regions greatly reduces optimal utilization of water reservoirs. Therefore, techniques to reduce evaporation are greatly needed. During the last decades, a large number of dams (68 dams)were constructed and distributed over the entire country. Hence, preserving and protecting the stored waterby reducing evaporation is strategic future task of the Algerian state. Experiment was conducted in Touggourt during summer with four Colorado evaporation pans and weather station. Two fatty alcohols emulsion were selected and applied to reduce the evaporation in different pans. The first pan (OP) was filled with water without adding emulsion,while in the second pan (P2, Hexa)Hexadecanol emulsion was added at the concentration of 0.15g/m2. For the third pan (P3, Hexa/Octa)amixture of Hexadecanol/Octadecanol emulsion was added at the same concentration (0.075g Hexa:0.075g Octa)and for the fourth pan (P4, Octa) ...