Construction of the test cells at the University of Tasmania's Launceston campus is an extension of the School of Architecture's No Bills and Best Five Star Houses Project. This project aims to test the accuracy of the methods being used to determine 'energy efficiency' and to demonstrate high thermal performance timber construction.
The cells are simplified test houses about the size of a double garage, each 6 x 6 m square externally. Simpler, cheaper and easier to build than full houses, they can be constructed and provide research data before the No Bills and Best Five Star Houses are complete.
The test cells will be complete and providing data from mid-July 2006. Their configuration is:
- Test Cell 1: Unenclosed timber framed subfloor with a light weight plywood clad wall and truss roof with sheet metal roof sheet
- Test Cell 2: Timber framed subfloor, with brick veneer walls, and truss roof with sheet metal roof sheet.
- Test Cell 3: Standard slab on ground with brick veneer walls, and truss roof with sheet metal roof sheet.
The cells are directly comparable to similar test cells funded by the Brick and Paver Association at Newcastle University.
Complete with cladding, internal painting and carpet, The cells will otherwise be empty. Initially, they will not have windows but will be built so that windows and extra insulation can be added at a later time. Each will have a heater.
The building will be monitored for their thermal performance continually. The data will be used to assess and inform the CSIRO's AccuRate thermal performance modelling program. AccuRate recently became the standard reference modelling program for the Building Code of Australia.
The cells will also be the base for a long term facility for testing particular construction assemblies and products.
Monitoring overview
The thermal performance of each test cells will be monitored continually from this winter until autumn 2007. The cells will be heated. So, sensors will be used to control the heating, determine temperature variation in various parts of the room and measure heat movement through the cells' fabric.
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Design overview
The cells are designed to efficiently test the thermal performance of a range of construction options while ensuring that the results are directly comparable to similar testing being conducted in other parts of the country.
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Research overview
The Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation, the Australian Greenhouse Office, building material suppliers and others have provided funding for University of Tasmania to conduct the No Bills and Five Star Houses Project. The construction and monitoring of the three test cells is an extension of that project.
The research program for the test cell will initially run for twelve months. However, the cells will be available for experimentation over the next decade.
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update: August 29, 2006
The Hon Senator Eric Abetz, Federal Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation formally opened the three thermal performance test cells at the University of Tasmania's Launceston campus on August 29 last.
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Construction is now under way
The test cells are being built by contracted local builders using standard building material and construction systems. Construction began in early June and is scheduled to be completed by mid-July.
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