Questions tagged [building-physics]
The application of physics to the built environment, particularly with regard to the movement of heat, air, moisture, pollutants and light through buildings.
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Linearization of long wave radiation equation
I am basing my reduced order building model on the equations proposed in the article “A methodology for generating reduced-order models for large-scale buildings using the Krylov subspace method” ...
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Thermodynamics question - Why does my apartment get colder when the weather gets warmer?
I'm in North Dakota, and over the last several years, I've noticed a trend. Whenever we have a cold snap (the weather gets below 0 degrees F), my apartment stays relatively warm (68-70 degrees F). But ...
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Mechanics of an elevator bed/platform in a Tiny House
I'm building a Tiny House that will have a platform that moves about 1 meter up and down. Given that I have little to no experience using pulleys, cogwheels or any of the like, I'd like some feedback ...
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Why can thin sponge lining soundproof earmuffs but not walls?
Every webpage that I can find says that sponge is bad soundproofing material for walls because it's light and physics says that materials with more mass isolate better.
So my question is how come thin ...
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Building orientation - how come both summer and winter solstice used for a facade?
I am planning to build a shed atop my terrace. I was analyzing the sun path to determine the overhang length, facade height etc, but got stuck with a conflict as below.
The summer sun's location peaks ...
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Gravitational forces of a building
In trying to understand the gravitational forces of a building, I have devised a thought experiment:
A building is floating in space. The building's mass is asymmetrically distributed. Inside it also ...
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Is destratification ventilation more efficient at ceiling level?
This question is more of a practical physics question. In buildings with heating systems, heated air tends to rise and create air temperature stratification - hottest air near the ceiling, coldest air ...
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Will a platform only supported by a column in the center fall? (Excluding weather)
My friend told me that without wind, a building with a platform that only has a column supporting it would be balanced and not fall, given that there is no wind. I said that the platform would fall ...
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How much do I need to trickle my faucet in cold weather (as a function of x,y,z)? [closed]
I am told that, in cold weather, I should let my faucet trickle a little to prevent pipes from freezing, especially if some portion of my above-ground pipes are likely to get cold.
Are there any rules ...
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What is the difference between architecture of buildings in zero gravity and on Earth? [closed]
how is the architecture of buildings in zero gravity (space) different from buildings on Earth. like there is no concept of floor and ceiling in zero gravity so how are the buildings or spaceships ...
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How does the tuned mass damper on Taipei 101 work?
I'm interested in how the tuned mass damper on the top floors of Taipei 101 works, particularly how do engineers ensure that it dampens oscillation rather than making it worse.
The damper can be ...
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What's the required compressive strength and density for a material out of which to build a pyramid of a given angle and height?
I've got a pyramid (really a wall with inclined edges), that for our purposes is infinite in length. It is 1 kilometre high, and the edges have an internal angle of 60 degrees. Here's a cross-section:
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When a skyscraper sways in the wind, in which direction is the motion?
Skyscrapers sway in the wind (Source here). Which direction, relative to the wind, do they sway, ignoring effects of other buildings nearby?
I can imagine wind from the North blowing a skyscraper's ...
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'Drummy' sound when striking with a hammer
In building there is a common test for masonsry structures that involves striking the structure with a hammer and listening to the resulting sound. If the sound is ringing the structure is fine but if ...
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Proportion of heat or energy passing through a window by radiation vs conduction
I'm trying to understand how modern window films or coating (so-called "Low-E" coatings) can improve the "R" value of the window just by reflecting internal room radiant energy (presumably long-wave ...
