Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín)

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    Technical conditionings to consider in the process of designing constructive systems of innovative façades
    (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - Escuela Universitaria de Arquitectura Técnica, 2009-06-25) Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Vidaurre-Arbizu, M. (Marina); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín); Gutiérrez-Fernández, M.Á. (Miguel Ángel)
    Previously to the study, the analysis or the design of new constructive systems of façade it is fundamental having a relation of those aspects that may condition or influence in their life cycle. The aspects should be considered at the beginning of the elaboration process of constructive systems and in a later stage to assess the obtained results. The aim of this communication is to develop a complete relation of conditionings that ensures that those aspects, which can affect notably the life cycle of the constructive systems, are taken into consideration from the beginning of the process.
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    Importance of incident solar radiation on the design of façades
    (EF Economic Forum, Solar Buildings Skins - 5TH Energy Forum, 2010-12-03) Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Vidaurre-Arbizu, M. (Marina); Esteban-Valencia, I. (Iñaki); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín); Gutiérrez-Fernández, M.Á. (Miguel Ángel)
    Analyzing and measuring the difference of incident solar radiation due to the facing of the building façades and the influence of the surrounding area.
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    Prototype Thermoelectric Climate System for its Use in Residential Buildings
    (2010-11-03T07:58:47Z) Martín-Gómez, C. (César); Rivas, A. (Alejandro); Ramos-González, J. (Juan Carlos); Eguaras-Martínez, M. (María); Mambrilla-Herrero, N. (Natalia); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín)
    The School of Architecture of the University of Navarra has begun a project which consists in constructing a prefabricated module, consisting of a simplified inhabited housing unit, and monitoring over the course of one year the behavior of a thermoelectric installation that provides service to this module. The principal objective of the project is to quantify the response capacity of a thermoelectric climate control system applied to a prototype, and evaluate its energy and economic costs in the case that the system were applied in an apartment building. The development of this project represents the application in the field of construction of a technology that already is in use in other areas, fundamentally the military and aerospace. Therefore, we do not seek to demonstrate the performance of Peltier cells per se, but rather to evaluate how they function when applied to the residential area, and to analyze both the positive and negative aspects of their use. In this regard, it must not be forgotten that Spanish regulations also require the evaluation of the maintenance needs of climate control equipment, and, in this regard, Peltier cells offer an important advantage: Despite the fact that the initial investment is greater than with a conventional method of climate control, the maintenance costs are nearly zero. For these reasons, an objective of the project is to estimate the construction and amortization costs of the application of this technology in the residential area.
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    Influence of the Water Vapour Permeability of Airtight Sheets on the Behaviour of Facade
    (2020) Arriazu-Ramos, N. (Nerea); González-Martinez, P. (Purificación); Sánchez-Ostiz, A. (Ana); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín)
    The air-tightness of the thermal envelope of buildings is one of the measures to reduce their energy demands in order to achieve global warming reduction targets. To this end, airtight sheets with different water vapour permeability characteristics are used. The different products studied are highly dispersed in terms of equivalent air thickness values, leading to confusion. After the analysis carried out, it is concluded that all airtight sheets are vapour barriers. To clarify whether or not these sheets are necessary as vapour barriers, a condensation analysis was carried out on 13 different facades for 3 climate zones with severe winters as defined in Spanish regulations. The results reveal that interstitial condensation occurs in only 7 of the 39 case studies, with the traditional facades of brickwork with render causing the greatest problems if the appropriate products are not used. In these cases, airtight sheets with water vapour barrier characteristics must be applied on the interior face of the insulating material. In all other cases (32), the airtight sheets must be permeable to water vapour if it is looked for a more breathable wall to water vapour and a better control of the interior humidity conditions.
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    Analysis of passive solar systems of Norman Foster's EDF Building, Bordeaux
    (EF Economic Forum, Solar Buildings Skins - 5TH Energy Forum, 2010-12-03) Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Vidaurre-Arbizu, M. (Marina); Esteban-Valencia, I. (Iñaki); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín); Gutiérrez-Fernández, M.Á. (Miguel Ángel)
    In the regional headquarters of EDF (Electricite de France) in Bordeaux, designed by Foster and Partners and built in 1996, the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) system and the facades form an ensemble aiming to ensure an efficient thermal behaviour. The design of the louvers that protect against solar radiation is optimized according to the orientation of the facades. In addition, the building has a centralized computer system for the management of HVAC installations and a series of automation and control sensors supporting them. A computer analysis of the louvers is made, in order to assess the suitability of the selected design to achieve the energy saving targets proposed by the architects. The site visits and interviews with users allowed us to know their level of satisfaction with the implemented energy-saving systems and with the performance of the entire building.
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    A thorough protocol to study and develop constructive systems of façades
    (Universidad de Cantabria, E.T.S. de ingenieros de caminos, canales y puertos de Santander, 2010-10-26) Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Vidaurre-Arbizu, M. (Marina); Esteban-Valencia, I. (Iñaki); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín); Gutiérrez-Fernández, M.Á. (Miguel Ángel)
    In the Department of Construction Science, we have developed and documented a specific model of systematized process in order to carry out activities of R&D&I oriented to a detailed design of constructive systems of innovative façades. This specific model will be used as a guide for the study, analysis, design and evaluation of the proposed solutions for façades. This model of systematized process of research provides a general idea of the set of stages and activities in the processes of R&D&I, with a graphical map and a documentary structure that describes how all the process works, step by step, facilitating its comprehension and application. The protocol details the key procedures within the global process. This protocol allows elaborating the programme of necessities derived from the conditionings, requirements and demands related to every specific façade, assisting with the definition of the technical characteristics of its parts and components to approach the conceptual and graphical design of constructive solutions, in successive stages. This protocol provides the means to analyze and evaluate every particular design of façade and the process of R&D&I that has been followed, so that it allows to justify and demonstrate the fulfilment of the requirements and demands that concern every stage of the complete life cycle of façades, and to identify fields that could be improved in the R&D&I process, in order to apply corrective actions. This protocol is complemented by some Supporting Technical Documents, where the scientific and technical criteria and the information from compulsory regulations that are necessary to take decisions in the design progress, are developed. On the whole, it is a useful tool that allows rapid availability of knowledge and rigorous information related to the process of R&D&I, to the constructive systems of façades and to the activity of the diverse agents involved in the building process.
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    General and specific conditionings to consider in the process of designing constructive systems of innovative façades
    (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - Escuela Universitaria de Arquitectura Técnica, 1999-06-25) Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Vidaurre-Arbizu, M. (Marina); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín); Gutiérrez-Fernández, M.Á. (Miguel Ángel)
    The Building Department of the School of Architecture of the University of Navarra is developing for some time a research line related to the development of constructive systems of innovative façades. One of the developed tools in this research line refers to those factors that could determine or influence the final constructive solution. It is also important to take into account the whole life cycle of the new system, its relation to other constructive systems of the building and its influence in the global building process. A thorough relation of the diverse types of conditionings, which should be considered in the design of façades, has been developed as a guide to identify those that explicitly or implicitly will be necessary to take into account in each case study. Several families of conditionings have been categorized. This complete relation of conditionings allows identifying and defining the main objectives to be considered in each case. These objectives help to define the specific demands (exigencies) that should be solved by the façade constructive system. In this communication we intend to show the importance of these conditionings as a way to study and design these new façades. These conditionings serve as a starting point for the elaboration of a specific programme of necessities related to façade systems. The detailed study of the conditionings allows advancing in the study, analysis, design or assessment of the new constructive systems of façades we expect to develop by means of conceptual and experimental research.
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    Prototype thermoelectric climate system for its use in residential buildings.
    (International Thermolectric Society, 2010-06) Martín-Gómez, C. (César); Rivas, A. (Alejandro); Ramos-González, J. (Juan Carlos); Eguaras-Martínez, M. (María); Mambrilla-Herrero, N. (Natalia); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín)
    The School of Architecture of the University of Navarra has begun a project which consists in constructing a prefabricated module, consisting of a simplified inhabited housing unit, and monitoring over the course of one year the behavior of a thermoelectric installation that provides service to this module. The principal objective of the project is to quantify the response capacity of a thermoelectric climate control system applied to a prototype, and evaluate its energy and economic costs in the case that the system were applied in an apartment building. The development of this project represents the application in the field of construction of a technology that already is in use in other areas, fundamentally the military and aerospace. Therefore, we do not seek to demonstrate the performance of Peltier cells per se, but rather to evaluate how they function when applied to the residential area, and to analyze both the positive and negative aspects of their use.
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    Industrialized Sunspace Prototype with Solar Heat Storage. Assessment of Post-Occupational Behaviour in Adaptive Facades.
    (TU Delft Open, 2015) Echeverría-Trueba, J. B. (Juan B.); Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Domingo-Irigoyen, S. (Silvia); Monge-Barrio, A. (Aurora); Fernández-Bandera, C. (Carlos); González-Martinez, P. (Purificación); Sánchez-Ostiz, A. (Ana); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín)
    The thermal performance of two passive solar components has been investigated. An attached sunspace with horizontal heat storage and another one with vertical thermal storage were designed in order to optimize the use of solar gains and its storage and distribution in an industrialized component. These sunspaces have been tested under real conditions, comparing their thermal performance with two commonly used components in residential buildings in Spain: a window and a double window making up an attached sunspace. Different series of experimental measurements were conducted in two test-cells exposed to outdoor conditions in Pamplona (Northern Spain). As a result, nine scenarios during winter 2011 and six during summer 2012 have been carried out, comparing all of the prototypes two by two with different use modes. Results show that a sunspace with heat storage takes advantage of the solar energy and improves the indoor thermal performance of the adjacent room during winter in a better way than a window or a simple sunspace, and that it also offers better performance in summer. The best results in winter and summer were obtained when an appropriate use of the component was performed, in concordance with outdoor conditions. Several thermal control keys for the use of these components are suggested.
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    La investigación e innovación técnica en una Escuela de Arquitectura
    (General de Ediciones de Arquitectura, IV Jornadas Internacionales sobre investigación en arquitectura y urbanismo - 4I A+U, 2011-06-01) Ramos-Ruiz, G. (Germán); Vidaurre-Arbizu, M. (Marina); Esteban-Valencia, I. (Iñaki); Torres-Ramo, J. (Joaquín); Gutiérrez-Fernández, M.Á. (Miguel Ángel)
    Compared with other productive economic sectors of society, the building sector shows that technological and industrial production techniques are incorporated slowly, which explains in part the slow overall development. This is due mainly to the deep economic crisis that the sector experience cyclically, and the lack of continued research activities. Within this area, the Construction Science Department of the School of Architecture at the University of Navarra has developed a protocol for the development of new technologies to improve and optimize the performance of facade systems, contributing at the same time to the sustainability of material and environmental resources, and the reduction of the final costs of buildings and the costs derived from its service stage.