The main research areas are:
Indoor Environment and Energy
- Indoor environment and productivity
- Energy efficiency and management
- Building efficiency and sustainability
Building System and Diagnostics
- Total building performance and diagnostics
- Building science and technology
- Maintainability of buildings
- Facade engineering and technology
Total Building Performance (TBP)
Research is focused on three main areas – healthy buildings, productivity and energy. These are based on niche research strengths established through research accomplished over the last 10 years, international trends and our role in spearheading research for the tropics.
The research focus is in key areas supporting the nation’s strive for excellence in the indoor environment characterized by environmental quality and energy efficiency, whilst boosting productivity and sustainability. Much of the TBP core areas’ previous research has been directed at achieving integrated approaches to delivering such indoor environments, and the next few years’ efforts would be focused on developing tools, methodologies and products in furtherance of the contributions already made. This is particularly evident in the introduction of a Total Building Performance approach in the design, tendering and post-occupancy evaluation phases, as well as an indoor air quality audit and management methodology, both of which have been successfully applied to the industry.
The research programme aims at developing models for indoor environmental performance, occupant perception and productivity within the tropical context. This will yield new knowledge, which will be harnessed for quality and efficiency improvements whilst contributing to the international scientific community. Strategic partners will include relevant governmental and statutory bodies and private industry partners, especially those with an international perspective.
The deliverables, with emphasis on the tropical setting, will be in four areas:
- Indoor Air Quality Audit and Management for the Tropics
- Total Building Performance and Assessment for the Tropics
- Model of Impact of Indoor Environment on Productivity and Perception in the Tropics
- Techniques for Improving Efficiency and Sustainability in the Tropics
The planned research projects are clustered into three major groupings – Indoor Environment and Productivity (IEP), Energy Efficiency and Management (EEM), and Façade Technology and Sealants (FTS)
Completed Research Projects
Study
of the Root Resistance of Roofing Membranes and Coating
for Rooftop Greening in the Tropics
- A Study of the Urban Heat Island in Singapore.
- A Study of the Use of Performance-based Simulation Tools for Building Design and Evaluation in Singapore
- An Integrated Building Assessment Method using the Total Building Performance Approach
- An Integrated Index for Measurement of Total Building Performance: Groundwork for Development of Software.
-
An International Collaborative Programme for the Study of
Day Light Attenuation in the Window Glazing in Urban Environment
- Critical Heat Flux Exposure to Radiant Heat Ignition of Solid Wood
- Development
of an Energy Efficient Air-conditioning System with Zonal
Ventilation Control for Improved Indoor Air Quality
- Development of Environmental Assessment Criteria and Protocols for Residential and Commercial Developments
- Durability
of Polyurethane Sealant for External Joints Under Tropical
Conditions
- Energy and Building Performance Assessment and Classification of Commercial Buildings in Singapore
- Evaluation of Displacement Ventilation Systems in the Tropics.
- Evaluation of
Energy Efficient Personalized Air Units for Enhanced Ventilation
in Tropics.
- Filtration and Ventilation: An Experimental Evaluation of their Impact on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Consumption.
- Integration of CAD and Thermal Simulations Through Industry Foundation Class (IFC) Product Model
- Investigations into the Establishment of an Intelligent Laboratory for Sustainable Built Environment
- Life Cycle Costing for Facade Maintenance
- Maintainability under Tropical Conditions.
-
Mapping of Industry Building Product Model for Detailed
Thermal Simulation and Analysis.
- Modeling
of the Air Quality and Ventilation in Indoor Environment.
- Natural Ventilation of HDB
Hawker Centres and Its Impact on Thermal Comfort
- Productivity and Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ)
-
SEMPER-II: Digital Building Models for Intranet Collaborative
Design Computing
-
Study of Rooftop Gardens in Singapore.
- Study of Water Leakage Problems in External Walls
- Thermal Performance Of Facade Materials & Design & The Impacts On Indoor & Outdoor Environment
- Airborne Particulate Matter Distribution and Health Implications on Occupants in High-Rise Building in Singapore
- Associations Between Ventilation, Indoor Contaminants and Allergens, and the Allergenic Reactions and Respiratory Symptoms of Children in Child Care Centres in Singapore
- Benchmarking Industrial Building Energy Performance
- Development of a Business Model for Building Energy Performance Services in the ASEAN Region
- Development of Assessment Protocol for Sustainable City
- Development of Comprehensive Database for Building Energy Performance Benchmarking in the ASEAN Region
- Draft Perception and Acceptance by Tropically Acclimatized Subjects in Transient and Steady State Situations
- Field Environmental Chamber Evaluation Of Energy Efficiency Potential Through Innovative Air-Conditioning Systems In The Tropics
- Impact of Indoor Environment on Perceived Air Quality, SBS Symptoms, Work Performance and Productivity
- Impact of Vegetation on Environmental Conditions and Energy Efficiency of Industrial Facilities
- Optimization of Compartmental Coil Performance of a Newly Developed Air-Conditioning System
- Study of the Root Resistance of Roofing Membranes and Coating for Rooftop Greening in the Tropics
- Life Cycle Costing for Facade Maintenance
On-going Research Projects
| Title of Project | Principal Investigators |
| Associations Between Ventilation, Indoor Contaminants and Allergens, and the Allergenic Reactions and Respiratory Symptoms of Children in Child Care Centres in Singapore | Tham Kwok Wai |
| Correlating Exposure to Allergens and Phthalates in Dust with Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children. | Tham Kwok Wai |
| Development of Building Energy Efficiency Labeling System | Lee Siew Eang |
| Development of Urban Climatic Mapping Technique for the Impact Study of Urban Development | Wong Nyuk Hien |
| Identifying Salivary Biomarkers as Objective Health Measures in Indoor Environmental Assessments and Productivity | Tham Kwok Wai |
| NMR for Flame Retardancy Characterization in Char | Chew Yit Lin Michael |
| Development of Enviornmental Noise Performance Criteria and Evaluation Protocol for the Planning and Design of HDB Apartments | Lee Siew Eang |
| Evaluation of Performance Characteristics of Newly Developed Ceiling Mounted Personalised and Mixing Ventilation Systems | Chandra Sekhar |
| Performance Evaluations of Vertical Greenery Systems for Building Walls | Wong Nyuk Hien |
| Climatic Mapping of Business Park for Environmental Quality Assessment | Wong Nyuk Hien |
| Evaluation of Performance of the Newly Developed Enhanced Displacement Ventilation in Office Environment in the Tropics | Cheong Kok Wai |