[en] In the years 2005 to 2008, the Radon situation and the relevant processes in different public buildings have been investigated. The results confirm that the Radon concentrations in times of using can be quite different from that of non-using periods. This is mainly caused by the differing conditions of air changement. Because of the narrow connection between the interior Radon concentration and air changement it is obvious to consider in complex the Radon situation together with measures for interior hygiene and energy saving. (orig.)

[en] In accordance with federal legislation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has conducted a project to demonstrate use of its Energy Conservation Voluntary Performance Standards for Commercial and Multi-Family High-Rise Residential Buildings; Mandatory for New Federal Buildings; Interim Rule (referred to in this report as DOE-1993). A key requisite of the legislation requires DOE to develop commercial building energy standards that are cost effective. During the demonstration project, DOE specifically addressed this issue by assessing the impacts of the standards on (1) construction costs, (2) builders (and especially small builders) of multi-family, high-rise buildings, and (3) the ability of low-to moderate-income persons to purchase or rent units in such buildings. This document reports on this project

[en] This report documents the involvement of the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) in hazard mitigation, particularly in relation to earthquakes. It encompasses the history of the Uniform Building Code^TM (U.B.C) provisions as they apply to earthquake hazard mitigation. Also discussed is Executive Order 12699. Conference membership services and benefits are reviewed and the future of ICBO, building codes and hazard mitigation are examined. The U.B.C. seismic provisions make a vast contribution to the design of buildings for seismic safety

[en] The ITER site has not yet been determined. Nevertheless, to develop a construction plan and a cost estimate, it is necessary to have a detailed layout of the buildings, structures and outdoor equipment integrated with the balance of plant service systems prototypical of large fusion power plants. These services include electrical power for magnet feeds and plasma heating systems, cryogenic and conventional cooling systems, compressed air, gas supplies, demineralized water, steam and drainage. Nuclear grade facilities are provided to handle tritium fuel and activated waste, as well as to prevent radiation exposure of workers and the public. To prevent interference between services of different types and for efficient arrangement of buildings, structures and equipment within the site area, a plan was developed which segregated different classes of services to four quadrants surrounding the tokamak building, placed at the approximate geographical centre of the site. The locations of the buildings on the generic site were selected to meet all design requirements at minimum total project cost. A similar approach was used to determine the locations of services above, at and below grade. The generic site plan can be adapted to the site selected for ITER without significant changes to the buildings or equipment. Some rearrangements may be required by site topography, resulting primarily in changes to the length of services that link the buildings and equipment. (author)

[en] Short communication

[en] Termites are one of the social insects living in large colonies that can cause economic loss. The objective of this study was to estimate foraging territory of infested subterranean termites on building structure. A mark-recapture study was conducted on eight Coptotermes gestroi colonies located at selected infested building structures in Penang, Malaysia. From the foraging study, the population of C. gestroi was estimated to be within the range of 106,592±6,968 to 4,185,000±2,127,328. Additionally, the foraging territory was from 13 to 300 m"2 of the infested building structures. Meanwhile the maximum foraging distance was from 4 to 30 m of the infested structures. The results indicated that each of the building structures was infested by a single colony. This study also showed that the triple mark recapture technique used to estimate the population size of the termite colony was capable of providing rough estimates of foraging population of C. gestroi. (author)

[en] As a preparation to a new photovoltaic covenant for the period 2001-2007 the Photovoltaic (PV) Steering Group ordered Ekomation to map the market potential (in Megawatt) for grid-connected PV systems of the most important market segments in the Netherlands. Two workshops were organized in which the most important parties (both supply-side and demand-side of the market) were involved in the discussion on the desired market strategy up to the year 2007, the most important market segments and the tools, required for market development. Results of the quantitative and qualitative market survey and the workshops are presented and discussed in this report. 20 refs

[en] Short communication. 2 tabs

[en] Radon coming from the soil accumulates in dwelling places and it often exceeds the level 200-400 Bq/m³ recommended in the countries of the EU. The effectivity of the processes for decreasing radon concentration in four built-up single-floor houses in Hungary was examined. The intensity of ventilation and the effects of insulating materials and under floor airing were examined in detail. Intensive ventilation resulted in nearly 50% while the bitumen felt insulation resulted in 60% decrease in radon concentration. Applying a 10 W fan for subfloor ventilation the average radon concentration decreased by approximately 70%. (author)

[en] This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is one of a series of reports concerning municipal development in various cities in Switzerland. The four city districts involved include Basel (Gundeldinger Feld), Lausanne (Bellevaux), Lucerne (Basel-/Bernstrasse) and Zurich (Werdwies). This paper takes a look at business aspects in the four districts and examines the factors that influence the sustainable development of these districts. The functioning of each of the four districts in relation to their parent cities is discussed both in historical and present-day contexts. Economic aspects and the possibilities for future development are discussed, as are sustainability factors. The criteria for the four districts are compared. The influence expected with respect to projects in the four areas is discussed