Page 10 RAIN May 1976 THERMOGRAPH·v New ii;ifra-red photography techniques being used to detect excessive heat loss in buildings are making invisible heat losses visible. Besides being an effective tool for reducing energy waste, the thermogram pictures produced help everyone see and believe what others have been saying about the value of· insulation, weather-stripping, curtains and entryways. Pioneered as a research tool in Sweden over the last 7 years, thermography has proven a valuable aid for det_ection of construction errors in new buildings, determining effective building and insulating practices, understanding where and how heat loss and gain actually take place in buildings, where opportunities exist for he·at savings, and what conditions actually are present in existing buildings. A Midwest utility, CENGAS, has been using aerial thermography of five communities in Nebraska and South Dakota to measure heat loss from residential and commercial buildings. Property owners will then be urged to contact the utility to find out whether their homes are adequately insulated. The. National Bureau of Standards, FEA and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Laboratory are working on refining the technique which is already being used commercially for insulation inspection services. The major drawback remains the excessive cost of equipment ($40,000) which will prevent wide application Photo and thermogram show different heat loss of regular windows (white), entrance foyer (black), storm windows (2nd floor). White area on right is from heat reradiated from sun-heated brick wall. until less expensive units are developed. Does anyone know of simpler infra-red techniques? Will direct i-r photography work? What about the i-r television used by the military in Vietnam?. For further information: "Infra Red Scanners," Popular Science, Sept. 1975, p. 86. Dramatic thermograms and ·survey of developments in the field. "Thermography Helps Save Energy," .Engineering NewsRecord, March 27, 1975, p. 11. Discusses CENGAS project and other commercial applications Thermography of Buildings, Paljak and Pettersson, 1972, from Sv~nsk Byggtjanst, Box 1403, S-111 84, Stockholm, Sweden, 40 Swedish Kroner. The basic reference manual for thermography. Describes theory and techniques and contains a catalogue of black and white and color thermograms for common wall designs and conditions. "Detecting Structural Heat Losses with Mobile Infrared Thermography," Munis, et. al., Research Reports- 326, 338 and 438, from.U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755. These three reports describe techniques developed and surveys on Pease AFB and U.S.A. CRREL. (TB) I ARCHITECTURE continued from page 7 ASHA-Rural Cap Rammed Earth Report No. 1 and H-Plan House Comments, 70 pp., 1968, Alaska State Housing Authority Remote Housing Program, Vetle Jorgensen,-Architict,, $1 from RAIN. I don't know whe,re these reports came from or what came of the program, but we have about twenty copies we can make available to people for $1 each. This report, like Bill Vanda's Solar Sustenance Project Report (RAIN, Vol. 2, No. 1, Oct. '75), is the kind of report I like to see on what people have done. Clear, concise-laying out what went well and what went wrong, what people should try next if it works and if it ' doesn't. Also shows the thin line where theory and reality o~erlap. Anyhow, ~n ~xcelle_nt report on test houses for using indigenous materials for rammed-earth construction of houses in remote areas of Alaska. (TB} sawn lumber conserves resources where you're not cutting down 800-year-old forests, but it requires good, simple design. This booklet reviews constructed designs for 30-ft. hessian cement-covered geodesic domes, market halls, bus stops, community halls, health centers and homes, along with design details, plans, • photos of completed buildings, and information on structural trusses, cement roofs and rural wood preservation. Donation to cover printing and postage would probably be appreciated. (TB) Pole Buildings in Papua New Guinea, Peter Lattey, 1974, 41 pp. from: Forest Products Research Center · P.O. Box 13 58 Boroko, Papua New Guinea Use of simple round ·poles.rather than
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