Analysis of the design of an educational building based on the construction guidelines of ABNT NBR 15220:2005

Abstract

The design of a building must use constructive guidelines recommended for the local climate that will be implemented, using constructive materials that contribute to the best thermal performance of the building, to meet the criteria of thermal comfort and energy efficiency. This study aimed to analyze whether the design of the Engineering Building of the Federal University of Catalão, built in the city of Catalão, Goiás, fits the guidelines proposed in NBR 15220 (2005), as well as to evaluate its thermal performance. For the elaboration of this research, the climate of the city of Catalão was initially identified, which is in Bioclimatic Zone 6, identifying the constructive guidelines recommended for this climate. It was identified that the most efficient bioclimatic strategies to be employed in this project are natural ventilation and shading. After reviewing the solar chart, a proposal was made to add horizontal blade louvers as a protection for the facade facing the west and to reduce the areas of the openings, to adapt to the recommendations of NBR 15220 (2005). Six project models were developed, with different constructive material solutions for the wrapping and opening sizes. Then, simulations were carried out using the Energyplus software, to verify the thermal performance of the current building and the proposed solutions. It was found that the best design option resulted in an internal reduction of 2.44 ºC in the hottest time of day, in the hottest period of the year, in relation to the current design. Finally, the consumption of electricity was simulated, and it was found that for the best design solution, the annual savings of electricity in the cooling system ranged from 17.16% to 41.35%.