Fabio Peron

• PhD Chemical Engineering
• Professor (Full) at Università Iuav di Venezia

Assessments of indoor microclimates are the first act of preventive conservation of cultural heritage. Interest in this subject has led to the development of an increasing number of standards and guidelines. This critical review examines the application of the main standards and guidelines for indoor microclimates for the preventive conservation of...

Climate change poses significant challenges for the renovation of historic buildings, requiring a careful balance between preservation and energy efficiency, particularly considering the forecasted rise in temperatures. This study focuses on a medieval building undergoing renovation, examining thermal behaviors based on future climate settings, wit...

Extended Reality (XR) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are two promising technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. XR refers to the collective term for immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), while BIM is a...

The contact sponge method is applied on a piece of clay brick. According to the standard, the sponge is moistened with water, applied on the surface of the material by means of a cup, and weighted before and after the application. It allows us to determine the amount of water absorbed by the porous material by unit area and unit time. After the app...

One of the last scientific activities of Ermanno Grinzato was the research on radiant heating and cooling systems. In addition to providing a novel view for thermal and thermographic testing of these systems, he had foreseen the importance of using efficient and sustainable materials. Firstly, this work introduces the issue of testing radiant heati...

In this work, we propose to monitor the diffusion of water in the porous material, both in time and space by collecting a sequence of IR images, after the application of the contact sponge. The first experimentation was done in situ during a restoration campaign. To improve the understanding of the phenomena, it was planned to carry on some experim...

Data visualization has become relevant in the framework of the evolution of big data analysis. Being able to understand data collected in a dynamic, interactive, and personalized way allows for better decisions to be made when optimizing and improving performance. Although its importance is known, there is a gap in the research regarding its design...

The control of moisture in the building sector represents a widespread issue and research topic, in terms of improving the quality of indoor space healthiness and energy performance. In Venice, rising damp and moisture phenomena are very diffused and difficult to solve, due to building structures and specific environmental conditions. All of the bu...

To improve the thermal comfort in the hall of the Angelo Hospital (Venezia) an analysis was developed by using Computation Fluid Dynamics and considering some configurations for the air-conditioning system and for the solar shading devices. The reference configuration consists of the installation of four fan coils in the area coupled with a 3 m hig...

It is well known that IRT is among the preferred instruments in the qualitative monitoring of humidity in buildings. The evaporation of water leads to a sink of thermal energy that eventually manifests as a decreasing of the temperature. The imaging and non-contact characteristics of IRT make the monitoring of this temperature decrease particularly...

The fragility of Venice and its buildings are linked to the floods, observed since ancient times and emphasized in recent years: the periodic sea level rise, accompanied by rising damp, are the main causes of the alteration. In particular, the rising damp causes a series of complex diseases in the historic buildings, such as physical decay, chemica...

In November 2018, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) introduced an amendment to the Building Regulations 2010, which outlined stricter rules banning the use of combustible materials defined by the new Building Regulation 7(2). This change had a significant impact since ear...

Results from the DAYKE-Italy project are presented. An investigation on daylighting in eight classrooms in five Italian universities was carried out through a combined approach: an ad-hoc survey administered to students to investigate how they perceive daylight in classroom, and numerical simulations (DIVA+ALFA) to calculate a set of objective metr...

Daylighting is a strategic topic to achieve sustainable buildings, so it is more and more imperative that it is implemented in architecture curricula to prepare a new generation of daylighting-oriented practitioners. In this frame, the DAYKE project (Daylight Knowledge in Europe) was set up to explore the level of knowledge about daylighting among...

The construction sector is responsible for 40% of carbon emissions, 14% of water consumption and 60% of waste production in the world, generating a state of unsustainability. In order to keep these values under control and make the most sustainable choices starting from the earliest stages of building design, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be us...

Increasing use of wooden material in new constructions and retrofit activities push to a deeper comprehension of properties and specifically thermal properties of different wood species. On one side wooden products on the market are accompanied by few and generic information on the other side analysis of literature confirms a lack of experimental d...

This report is the first of the deliverables from the IEA Annex 75 project. It documents the work of Subtask A – Technology Overview. As the title of the subtask indicates, the idea of this subtask was to create an overview of the available technologies for energy renovation and renewable energy supply at district level. The work has been carried o...

Nel presente lavoro sono proposte alcune riflessioni relative all’elaborazione di una metodologia di intervento per la valutazione ed il miglioramento della qualità globale dell’ambiente di edifici scolastici. I principali parametri che influenzano i consumi energetici dell'edificio spaziano da fattori climatici e costruttivi, alle azioni sui servi...

During the last three decades, various scientific researchers analysed the connection between natural elements and human life, both as far as well-being and productivity. This study simulates circadian lighting metrics on elderly occupants in a healthcare residence, with different types of metrics. It presents an application of some metrics that tr...

The villas of Costozza (Vicenza, Italy), built in 16th century, give an example of bioclimatic architecture actual even today. These villas are connected to a large underground cavities network present inside the nearby hills, that can dissipate heat to the ground and provide cool air in summer. Here is analysed Villa Aeolia, still in operation, mo...

The valorization and sustainable management of historic centers is a topic relevant to the cultural identity and heritage of European cities. A rational strategy to preserve the centers must consider both energy and environmental retrofitting, even if this is a complex issue requiring interdisciplinary approaches, dedicated diagnostic procedures, a...

We describe plans for the development of the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO), a next-generation instrument with sensitivity to the very-high-energy (VHE) band to be constructed in the Southern Hemisphere. SWGO will provide wide-field coverage of a large portion of the southern sky, effectively complementing current and future instr...

In the case of regenerative processes, design can receive significant benefits from information that can be obtained by applying the life cycle assessment methodology. The LCA (life cycle assessment) approach can be implemented both for a single building material and for the whole building. An effective and efficient real application of this method...

The indoor microclimate of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova (Italy) was analysed first in the ‘80s. The early study operates in the best way for what concerns the choice of measurement devices and their positioning. Starting from 1995 a Scientific-technical Board coordinates the various initiatives commissioned for the surveys of a conservation of th...

Buildings are the major source of greenhouse gas releases: lowering their energy consumption and emissions is particularly challenging for the existing building stock. This topic was examined at an individual building level in the International Energy Agency’s EBC Annex 56. However, the increasing request of nearly zero energy buildings highlight a...

The geothermal cooling system of six 16th century villas in Costozza (Vicenza, Italy) is analysed and modelled using computational fluid dynamics and referring to in-field monitoring data. The system passively cools the villas in summertime by means of underground ducts connected to the caves present in the nearby hills. It still perfectly works in...

AICARR JOURNAL - SPECIALE PRIN NZEB NZEBnet: La piattaforma collaborativa per lo sviluppo e l’implementazione degli edifici a energia quasi zero

Modern Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) systems must be designed by taking into account the ground thermal properties, in order to properly plan the capability of the heat pumps to transfer calories through the Ground Source Heat Exchangers (GSHE) to the subsoil (and vice versa). [...]

During the last 15 years, several studies have investigated the relationship between environmental signals, such as light and human reaction, both in terms of health and productivity parameters. This paper presents a sample application of the Circadian Action Factor (a cv) and Circadian Stimulus (CS) metrics with the aim of determining the potentia...

This paper aims to study the daylight behaviour into internal spaces by dynamic lighting simulations, it considers the relationship between lighting level and the indoor spaces design, character and appearance by the evaluation of several daylight metrics. This study considers two types of approaches for daylight calculation: the conventional Dayli...

The paper describes methods and outcomes of an experimental procedure for calculating the energy demand of urban areas and buildings using a bottom-up approach. The procedure was developed in the framework of the European transnational project IDEE funded by the Interreg IV Italy-Austria programme. The devised methodology uses, on the one hand, GIS...

This study analyses a new hybrid construction system, the CGFP - Concrete Glulam Framed Panel - that merges the two mostly used materials in frame technology. It is a prefabricated composite wall made of a reinforced concrete slab and a glulam frame. The strength and stiffness of CGFP have been investigated by load-displacements tests and thermal p...

The main part of Italian building stock was built before the energy and seismic regulations, so most of buildings need comprehensive refurbishment to achieve the performance required by laws that are in force. This paper presents an experimental study for an energy and structural upgrade methodology, applied to an existing school building in the no...

Many countries request to adopt measures for improving the buildings energy efficiency, for reducing the carbon emissions and for increasing the renewable energy use. The paper presents tools and procedures to support decision making according to the IEA-EBC Annex 56 project, “Cost-Effective Energy and Carbon Emissions Optimization in Building Reno...

Electric radiant heating panels are frequently selected during the design phase of residential and industrial heating systems, especially for retrofit of existing buildings, as an alternative to other common heating systems, such as radiators or air conditioners. The possibility of saving living and working space and the ease of installation are th...

Naturally ventilated buildings have great potential in terms of comfort and energy saving. However their design is difficult, as the effectiveness of the ventilation is affected by many parameters. Through a parametric CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations, graphical tools are generated to evaluate, adopting a comparative approach, the ven...

The paper presents the results of the research and monitoring activities carried out at Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy, between 2009 and 2014. A team of academic and technical personnel of the Iuav University designed and carried on the programme. The aim was to acquire knowledge and data to establish a clear picture of the preservation state of t...

In Italy, currently most schools require improvements to energy performance and indoor air quality. On the other hand, school buildings require structural assessment and strong renovation interventions to maintain their service functionality. Moreover, the use of spaces should be reviewed and redesigned to be more compatible with modern educational...

Renovation and retrofitting of residential buildings is a subject of great concern in Italy: most of the existing building stock is completely inappropriate in terms of structural rigidity in the event of earthquakes and with respect to the objectives of energy efficiency set by European law. This research presents the design of an innovative syste...

The energy policies of the European Union (EU) encourage the member states to convert building stock into nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB) and national public authorities to adopt exemplary actions. Directive 2010/31/EU (EPBD recast) introduces the concept of nZEB as a building that has a very high energy performance and its energy need is cover...

Nowadays resources are running out quickly, it’s necessary to consider how the construction industry influences the environment using different materials and sources during all the building’s life cycle. For this reason, in every transformation phases it’s necessary to consider concepts as sustainability and green buildings. These are diffused from...

Issues related to energy saving, environmental sustainability and safety in case of seismic events are more and more the focus of attention of public opinion and the various actors of the construction sector. The Italian housing stock needs a strong energy adjustment, functional and seismic. The majority of buildings dating back to before the entry...

Direct measurements of gravel thermal properties are usually quite challenging to be performed in laboratory, due to the very coarse sediments size. As a consequence, the reference thermal values provided by literature for gravels are quite limited and dispersed. A guarded hot plate Taurus Instruments TLP 800, usually used for measuring the thermal...

Methods for building envelope inspection are well known since 70's. However, measurement instruments and software improve, making methods for building envelope inspection susceptible to further improvements. In particular, the present paper deals with building envelope assessments performed via heat flux meters and reports the outcomes of a monitor...

The improvement of environmental performance in building construction could be achieved by prefabrication. This study quantifies and compares the environmental impacts of a Concrete Glulam Framed Panel (CGFP): the basic configuration of this precast component consists in a Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) frame structure supporting a thin reinforced co...

This paper presents a case study of a sustainable certification of a building renovation. The new LEED® rating system, GBC Historic BuildingTM protocol, proposed by Green Building Council Italy and addressed to Italian historical heritage, was applied to the High School “A. Canova” in Treviso, chosen because it was built before 1945 and it required...

Modern architecture is characterized by the use of large glazed surfaces. New technologies ensure thermal insulation by multiple glazing units so that, maintaining good solar gains, highly glazed buildings can achieve good energy performance during the heating season. More complicated is the management of the energy performance during the cooling s...

The poster proposes a new methodology to measure the thermal conductivity of gravels, which involves a representative volume of geological material and solves the issues connected with the poor physical contact between soil and measuring sensors due to the large interstitial voids. A modified guarded hot plate instrument, usually used for testing w...

Nowadays in the European framework the good practices for high-performing buildings realization and retrofitting are copious, but what emerges is the lack of information and data sharing about them. There are indeed no official sources for notes deriving from this kind of buildings and, moreover, there is shortage of quantitative and comparable dat...

L’utilizzo di tendaggi per la correzione acustica di ambienti confinati è una prassi molto diffusa soprattutto in situazioni dove è difficile poter intervenire in modo drastico sulle superfici riflettenti mediante l’installazione di elementi fonoassorbenti non removibili (ad esempio edifici storici con pareti affrescate, statue, ecc ). La definizio...

In recent years significant investments were made in retrofitting of existing buildings with the aim to realize a strong functional, energy and seismic refurbishment. This is a complicated challenge: the technical and economic feasibility of intervention must be correctly defined and most of interventions are not standardized or coordinated or prop...

The objective of this research is to identify a tool of analysis applicable to school buildings that, through simple input information, can make immediate assessment reduction of energy consumption for heating and associated reduction of CO2emission, as a result of improvements. The definition of a methodology of analysis allows to evaluate prelimi...

In order to ensure acoustic comfort of living spaces, nowadays façade systems having high performance are required. Within such context the glazing systems play a key role in achieving high levels of sound insulation. The characteristics of sound insulation of such systems can be determined by analytical methods that make use of experimental charac...

The acronym BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) refers to the installation of photovoltaic systems which, in addition to convert solar energy into electrical energy, have a high level of architectonical integration with the built environment, becoming a real architectural cladding to be installed over the buildings in place of traditional enve...

Wood is the oldest building materials and still now it plays an important role in the construction sector. There are many general advantages in using timber for building purposes. First of all, it is an environmentally friendly, easily recyclable material; it has a low weight in relation to strength, which is advantageous for transport, handling an...

The European Directive on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (Directive 2010/31/EU) has introduced the need to transform buildings to nearly zero energy (NZEB) by 2020. Existing buildings represent the major part of the building stock and an interesting challenge is to transfer it toward NZEB. Energy retrofit is even more significant in Italy, where ex...

IEA IBC Annex 56 methodology provides the basis for the assessment and evaluation of energy related renovation options of residential building stock, first and foremost with respect to cost, energy use and carbon emissions. Furthermore, it allows also for a broader approach going beyond cost effective reduction of carbon emissions and energy use by...

High sound insulation façade requirements in contemporary buildings, led to the development of high-performance multilayer glazing systems. In this work a combined experimental and analytical approach has been adopted to predict the sound transmission loss of systems made of glass and PVB layers, which are used in several engineering areas (buildin...

The acronym BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) refers to the installation of photovoltaic systems which, in addition to convert solar energy into electrical energy, have a high level of architectonical integration with the built environment, becoming a real architectural cladding to be installed over the buildings in place of traditional enve...

In Italy, as in the rest of Europe, serious land degradation processes are occurring, mostly due to rural abandonment, urbanization and infrastructure development. In particular Veneto, the region around Venice, has undergone considerable land use and land cover change in the last decades. This work integrates field observations and numerical simul...

This paper focuses on parametric design-­based visualization methods to represent building performance at the neighborhood scale in the perspective of an integrated design‑support system. The goal of the developed methodology is to convey the relative effectiveness of different design alternatives according to a wide range of building performance i...

The subflorescence and efflorescence phenomena are widely acknowledged as the major causes of permanent damage to fresco wall paintings. They are related to the occurrence of cycles of dry/wet conditions inside the walls. Therefore, it is essential to identify the presence of water on the decorated surfaces and inside the walls. Nondestructive test...

In order to ensure acoustic comfort of living spaces, nowadays façade systems having high performance are required. Within such context the glazing systems play a key role in achieving high levels of sound insulation. The characteristics of sound insulation of such systems can be determined by analytical methods that make use of experimental charac...

The conductive heat flux can be modeled by a vector: in a real anisotropic material, the contribution of each directional components is not easy to measure. The transient plane source technique, also known as Hot-Disk, stands as a valid device for the measurement of thermal diffusivity in this kind of materials if some geometric requirements are me...

In recent years living walls have increasingly spread, thus becoming a diffuse architectural envelope cladding technology. Consequently, a more precise understanding of their thermal behavior and impact on the building energy balance are needed. One of the most important effects provided by the use of living walls is the shading of the building env...

In Europe, the criteria for designing new buildings are regulated by a set of European Directives and national laws having as a goal the creation of net zero energy buildings by the year 2020. Moreover, according to 2010/31/EU Directive after 31 December 2018, new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities must be nearly zero-energy buildin...

The facade of Palazzo Ducale in Venice is tiled with marble stone of two different colours. Some years ago, one marble tile abruptly splintered with successive falling down of some pieces. After this event, many techniques have been applied to monitor the facade, especially by strain gauges positioned in suspicious zones. IR thermography has been a...

IR thermography has been applied in the retrofit of an old church to be utilized, after the suitable restoration activity, as a concert hall. The church was built in Asolo (North -East Italy) presumably around the XIII century and it is dedicated to San Gottardo. Very little is known about the church, therefore it is interesting to discover as much...

Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) are relatively new structures for architectural green cladding that embed a curtain of plants (Living Wall – hereafter LW) or grass (Grass Wall – hereafter GW) fixed on building facades and nurtured by an automated watering system. An eMergy evaluation (EE) of both LW and GW was performed aimed at assessing potential...

The necessity to control the indoor microclimate conditions inside the Camera Picta requested to perform detailed investigations by means of permanent measurements of the air temperature, air humidity, and surfaces temperatures and computer simulations. The measurements have been implemented by IR thermography investigations and by local air veloci...

The control of the microclimate inside a building hosting cultural heritage is an important issue and the management should be carefully performed. Moreover in spaces like churches frequented by people also comfort, indoor air quality and fire safety have to be considered. From the point of view of good engineering practices, the values of the afor...

In questo lavoro vengono riportati i risultati di una campagna di misura del coeffi-ciente di assorbimento di risonatori di Helmholtz. Lo scopo della sperimentazione è la valutazione della variazione della frequenza di risonanza e dell’assorbimento in funzione dei parametri geometrici che caratterizzano questa tipologia di assorbitori. Le misurazi...

Living Walls, a type of vertical greenery system, are relatively light structures for architectural green cladding. They embed a thick curtain of plants nurtured by an automated watering system. Three Living Wall field tests are presented for investigating potential effects of the energy behavior on building envelopes. In particular, Living Walls w...

Applications of Infrared Thermography in buildings surveys are not limited to the identification of the temperature distribution and heat losses on building envelopes. As it is well known from NDT testing in industrial applications, active IR thermographic methods such as heating-up/cooling-down or lock-in thermography improve the results in many i...