Bingyu Xu is a doctoral researcher at the Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering at UCL. She has studied Building Environment and Energy Engineering in her undergraduate. In 2020-2021, she completed the MSc in Smart Building and Digital Engineering at UCL. Bingyu started her PhD research in 2022, focusing on historic solid brick building characterization and material property data development.
PhD Title:
The development of a geo-located database of material properties for historic solid brick buildings in London
Brief description of the project:
In the UK, the construction of new buildings each year is limited, while a significant number of existing buildings are constructed with brick and stone, many of which have solid walls. These solid-wall buildings contribute to approximately 30% of energy consumption and 36% of carbon emissions. To address this, retrofitting these buildings is crucial, and one effective method is adding insulation. In 2021, around 91% of solid-wall buildings lacked insulation, and London alone has 1.5 million uninsulated buildings. The hygrothermal properties of materials greatly influence their interaction with insulation and the effectiveness of insulation measures. Analyzing the material properties of walls is essential in determining the best approach for wall insulation, ensuring proper and efficient installation. This analysis can enhance the energy efficiency of buildings, reduce energy costs, and improve indoor comfort and air quality. However, there is currently a lack of hygrothermal material property data, and a comprehensive understanding of the material properties of solid brick buildings in the UK is absent. Therefore, her research focuses on characterizing building materials, collecting and analysing data for solid brick buildings. The ultimate goal is to establish a geo-located database that can assist building owners, architects, designers, and consultants in systematically understanding solid brick wall buildings in London. This database will facilitate the retrofitting of these buildings to achieve the net-zero target before 2050 in London.
Supervisors: Prof Anna Mavrogianni and Dr Valentina Marincioni