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Questions tagged [building-physics]

The physics of buildings, specifically thermal conduction, convection, & radiation; heating and cooling; ventilation; transmission and management of water vapour & pollutants

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What is the purpose of these diversions in a natural gas line?

The campus where I work has a long covered walkway (~.5 mile) which has several labeled pipes running under the roof (chilled water, fuel oil, air...). All of the pipes run dead straight except for the natural gas lines, which have little loops…
Gretchen
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What is the most efficient means of warming a building with a high ceiling?

Consider a large auditorium, a church, or some other very large, essentially one roomed building with a high ceiling. Suppose that the building has many entrances which enable cold air in/hot air out and traffic in and out of the building is…
Paul
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Where to insulate Underfloor air distribution system in a temperate climate

I have a proposed underfloor air distribution system (UFAD) for a one level office in a temperate climate. Typically the demand for heating and cooling in this climate is about even for offices. However the building is well insulated and has a fair…
pandita
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Is a single large impact better than several small impacts for breaking ice

I'm designing a device that uses impact to remove ice from sidewalks. I have a question about how to best design the impact mechanism. I can design it to deliver several light impacts or fewer harder impacts. The energy will be the same in both…
henradrie
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How would you move a sail boat with no wind or paddles

If I stood on a sailing ship and had a very strong pair of lungs (possibly motorized) then if I blew the sail would I be able to move the ship forwards?
Owensteam
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Recoil of hydraulic lift/elevator

I noticed that when a group of people enter in an hydraulic lift/elevator often when the last person steps in the lift/elevator has a small but noticeable recoil: the lift goes down a few mm then it compensates. This creates a recoil. It seems…
Luca
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What approaches are there for demolishing a structure and how is an approach chosen?

From my office on the 21st floor of a building in Vancouver, BC two parking garages in the process of being demolished are visible. A third is just out of view a few more blocks away. One of these structures is being taken down by a team consisting…
cclark
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Modeling rigid body dynamics: Trouble with equations, encountering nonsense answers

Hi, I am working on modeling a simple rigid body dynamic system through a certain range of motion. Here is the picture of the system. I am trying to solve the system for the variables $x_1'', y_1'', x_2'',y_2''$, the acceleration variables for…
Adam Reddy
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What is the minimum height of a chimney needed in a camper?

Like a lot of people nowadays, I'm fitting a log fire into the back of a camper van but can't find the minimum height above the roof for the chimney. Ideally, it should be as low as possible for aerodynamic and roof clearence purposes. Building regs…
Mike
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Cooling tower for nuclear power plants

Cooling towers for nuclear power plants often have the shape of a hyperboloid. At first glance, I thought that an obvious reason for this would be the smaller sectional area, meaning the tower would be less exposed to wind. However, I did a quick…
Philipp Imhof
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Where to start when studying Architectural Engineering by myself?

I have this idea of creating my own curriculum for studying Architectural Engineering. I aim at talking with actual architectural engineers in my surroundings and ask them for advice on the topics I should study and help me with advancing. By…
Lesley
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Recreating Focaults Pendulum

I am having issues building a recreation of Focaults Pendulum (basic, inexpensive, undergrad project). At this point, I am going to purchase aircraft cable or suspension cable unless someone can recommend a slightly flexible rod. I am going to use…
Fixieis
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Tower crane with a cabin on ground level

Pardon me for kind of a stupid question, but I keep wondering. Traditionally, tower cranes' cabins are located at the top of the tower. I can understand why it have been necessary up to ~1990s, when it was the only way for a human to get reliable…
GreyCat
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Why don't we make bricks out of coffee grounds?

Okay, so I've noticed that a lot of people grind coffee, and a lot of companies grind it on an industrial scale. Having produced some of the drink we called coffee, a huge proportion of the mass of the beans is simply thrown away, discarded. It's…
AJFaraday
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What would happen if the air conditioning failed in a skyscraper for an extended period?

I'm writing some fiction which involves the AC in a modern glass curtain skyscraper (50-80 floors?) in an American city failing for a period of weeks, maybe even for up to two months. Could anybody attempt to predict the type of conditions which one…
Reverend Speed
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