BUILDING ENVELOPES

Prepared by: Engr. Ranz Gabriel D. Turingan

What is a Building Envelope?
By nature, we do not expect our environment to maintain a consistent, 74-degree-Fahrenheit, 50%
humidity, climate.
Our perception of comfort is quite adaptive and is based on circumstance, the expectation of
environmental conditionals and activities. We use umbrellas when it’s raining. We dress in layers when
it’s cold. We use sunscreen when exposed to summer’s intense UV rays. And yet, we expect our homes to
provide thermal comfort and protection from the natural elements, at a consistent 74-degrees, every day.
Walls, roofs, windows, and doors all play a role, but really it’s the building envelope that makes this
possible.
At its simplest definition, the building envelope is the exterior or shell of a building that repels the
elements. At its most complex definition, it’s an engineering system that meshes elements such as
structural integrity, moisture control, temperature control, and air pressure boundaries into a single
design strategy.
It is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a
building including the resistance to air, water, heat, light, and noise transfer. It’s the part of the house that
you can draw a line around: the roof, the walls, and the foundation.
Different types of building envelopes
• Foundation or building Slab
• Walls and Ceilings
• Roof
• Doors
• Windows
• Insulation
Foundation or Building Slab
• Insulating foundations or bldg. slabs is important
for energy efficiency

• For new construction, pre-insulated and pre-cast

foundation panels or insulating concrete forms:
• Minimize heat loss through the foundation

• Protects the foundation from the effects of the freeze

thaw cycle in extreme climates
• Reduces the potential for condensation o surface in the
basement
Wall/ Ceiling Consideration

• Proper Insulation on Ceilings and walls

prevent excessive change of temperatures
between the outside and inside of a
building.
Roof Considerations

• White or reflective roofing keeps heat and

keeps buildings cool

• Ventilation should be considered to avoid

moisture build-up

• Studs, sills and other building components

can ac as thermal bridges, conducting heat
past a building’s insulation
Heat loss through Doors

• Exterior doors generally comprise a small area of building envelope

• Even though most door types may not be very well insulated, they
usually do not contribute substantially to the overall heat transfer of
the envelope
Windows

• Windows play a huge part on heat transfer on buildings.

• A deposit of microscopically thin virtually invisible, metal or metallic

oxide layers reduces the U-factor by suppressing radiative heat flow.

• To prevent heat transfer window panels are built in multiple layers

of glass
Envelope Heat Loss

The ability to hold indoor air temperature at the desired level is

affected by all three methods of heat transfer:

• Conduction

• Convection

• Radiation
Conduction

• Requires that surfaces touch for solid- solid heat transfer

• Because the different materials in an insulated assembly touch each

other, conduction heat loss occurs through solid components of the
building envelope.

• For example, heat flow by conduction from warm areas to the cooler
areas of concrete slabs, window glass, walls, ceilings, and other solid
materials.
Conductance
• The unit used for thermal transmittance (heat transfer) or conductance of a single
building material or building is often called the U-value.

• U-value are expressed in Btu’s per square foot of area per degree temperature difference.

• Windows are commonly described by their U-values

• Description of building walls, floors or ceilings, often use R-values instead of U-values. The
two terms are reciprocal

• The U-vale or conductance flows through a materials and R-value measures the
resistance, or how slowly heat flows
Convection

• Transferring hat from one place to anther by molecular movement through

fluids such as water or air.

• Heat loss by convection commonly results fro exfiltration or air leakage.

• Convective heat loss occurs hen warm air is forced out, usually fro the building
(exfiltration), by col incoming air, usually in the lower part (infiltration)

• The rate of transfer is increased when the wind blows against the building or
when the temperature difference between the inside and outside increases
Radiation

• Radiation is the heat transfer by electromagnetic waves from a

warmer to a cooler surface

• The transfer of the sun’s heat to a roof or the warmth of a standing

near glass furnace are examples of radiant heat transfer
Thermally Light and Thermally Heavy
Buildings
• Thermally Light- A building whose heating and cooling requirements
are proportional to the weather driven outside temperatures.

• Thermally Heavy- A building whose indoor temperature remains

fairly constant in the face of significant changes in the outdoor
temperature.