Strategies for improved micro-climates in high-density residential developments in tropical climates

Abstract

High-density residential developments on outskirts of cities with a large number of detached multistorey houses on small blocks of land are actively promoted as a solution to urban migration in many countries. Such a concentration of houses can have adverse effects on the micro-climate due to the presence of a large number of roofs which have a tendency to warm the surrounding air, leading to heat island effects. The use of insulated roof slabs provides an alternative that may enable the creation of green cover at roof level. In this research, the performance of different insulation thicknesses has been evaluated, indicating that a minimum thickness of 25 mm would be desirable in tropical climatic conditions. The effect of creating green cover was determined with actual models. It is proved with comparative studies that shading screens can be used to simulate the presence of green cover with computer simulations. This is important in predicting the performance of insulated roof slabs for buildings of different layouts.