Simulates heat losses from residential foundations (basements and slabs-on-grade) to assess the energy impact of design and insulation strategies. First, two steady-state and one transient two-dimensional finite-element calculations are performed. BASECALC then accounts for three-dimensional effects around corners and processes the finite-element results with weather data to predict energy and heat losses. Applications include developing more accurate basement algorithms for building-simulation programs, research, establishing building- and energy-code requirements for basement and slab-on-grade insulation, assessing and demonstrating the performance of new products and novel insulation placements, and validating and calibrating basement heat-loss predictions from building-simulation programs.
Keywords
foundations, basements, slab-on-grade, residential buildings
Validation/Testing
N/A
Expertise Required
Basic familiarity with Windows applications. General knowledge of foundation design and building physics. Understanding of heat flows through foundations helpful.
Users
More than 100.
Audience
Building- and energy-code writers and enforcers, researchers, building-simulation software developers and users, insulation and building-component manufacturers, builders.
Input
Menu-driven interface allows the user to quickly and efficiently describe how the basement or slab-on-grade is constructed, where insulation is placed, what type of insulation is used, and to select ground properties and weather. The complete set of input data is displayed on a single screen with a basement cross-section to allow quick checking.
Output
Users may view the results numerically, in equation form, or compare the results of several runs graphically. Results are given in terms of above-grade and below-grade heat and energy loss as a function of time. The HOT2000 program will accept BASECALC outputs to allow the modelling of custom foundations within HOT2000.
Computer Platform
-compatible 386 or higher (Pentium recommended), minimum 8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended), 55 MB hard-disk space, VGA monitor, Windows 3.x, 95 or NT.
Programming Language
Visual Basic for interface, FORTRAN for calculations
Strengths
Detailed finite-element-based heat-loss method utilizing the principle of superposition to account for unsteady ground temperatures. User-friendly interface and on-line help. Bilingual: French and English. Numerical, graphical, and parametric output. Models both above-grade and below-grade heat losses, including the effects of thermal bridging between the basement and the main-floor envelope. Validated against the National Research Council of Canada's Mitalas method. Allows analysis of complex and important insulation configurations with code implications. Batch processing for multiple runs. Includes libraries of common insulation and construction materials.
Weaknesses
Current version does not account for interactions between the foundation and the rest of the building (i.e. assumes steady basement-air temperature). Current version does not explicitly model heated floor slabs. Computer run times in the order of 10-60 minutes on a Pentium.
Contact
Availability
The software, including weather data for 40 North American cities and on-line help, is available free of charge from the web site.
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