[esp-r] draft layout of common constructions file format

[Jon Hand]

I have drafted a syntax for holding common constructions (MLCs) for ESP-r. It introduces
a version number, date stamp, categories with documentation, documentation for
individual constructions and a tag data format which should be easier to parse.

The format allows the names of MLC to be phrases up to 32 characters with documentation
up to ~248 character (the remainder of the line).  It also allows for the optical properties name
and pointers to 'reversed' MLC to be up to 32 characters.  As with the materials categories,
categories can have one to one-less-than-the-max-number-of-items. 

In a direct translation from current MLC files the names will and attributes will be 12 characters.
New entries or conversions after editing would support longer names but would not be
usable with older versions of ESP-r.

Commas are used to separate tokens which are potentially phrases with spaces. If you look
in the examples below I have been trying a comma-single-space separator which is
a bit more human readable than a pure comma separated list of tokens. Otherwise
spaces are used for separation.

The newer format zone geometry file is able to handle phrases for constructions names
and optical names and the zone constructions file should require little or no alteration
to use construction names phrases.

There might be further attributes which would be useful to include in the MLC file.  One could be
to add an *outer and an *inner line of attributes for each item which could hold the solar and visual
and perhaps colour (rgb) attributes at the outer and inner face. These would be instantiated
via a scan of the materials. Such entities would remove the need for scanning materials 
properties and RGB values would allow for exporting Radiance models which could
be colour rather than just grey-scale.  

To support acoustic analysis one would need names for acoustic properties for
the overall construction as well as each layer.  These could be fitted into the scheme.

Comments please....

Regards, Jon Hand

An example of the format is shown below....

*Constructions 1
*date,Sat Jun 23 12:15:16 2012
# construction defined in ./multicon.dba
# based on materials ./material.db3.a
*doc ESP-r MLC Constructions including required materials for UK code complience. Additional infomation and documentation uses standard assumptions which should be updated as required.
1  # number of classifications
#  
# Constructions have the following attributes:
# *item class index, type (OPAQ|TRAN), name (phrase up to 32 char), documentation (remainder of the line)
# *attrib optical name (up to 32 char), key phrase SYMMETRIC or NONSYMMETRIC or another MLC name
# *layer thickness (m) material name (up to 32 char), material documentation (remainder of the line)
# *gap   thickness (m) 3 or 5 resistance values, name (remainder of the line)
# *enditem
# 
# *class class index, number of items, description (32 char)
# followed by a line of class documentation
# *endclass  signals the end of the class of constructions
#  
*class 1 4 Walls
Class ( 1) Exterior walls includes a range of constructions. Based on data traditionally distributed with ESP-r.
#  
*item 1 OPAQ, extern_wall, older brick block external wall  
*attrib OPAQUE, NONSYMMETRIC
*layer  0.1000  Lt brown brick, Light brown brick
*layer  0.0750  glasswool, Glasswool (generic)
*gap    0.0500  0.170 0.170 0.170, air
*layer  0.1000  breeze block, Breeze block
*enditem
*item 1 OPAQ, insulated metal panel, insulated metal panel achieving U 0.46
*attrib OPAQUE, NONSYMMETRIC
*layer  0.0040  grey cotd alum, Grey coated aluminium
*layer  0.0800  glass fibre quilt, Glass Fibre Quilt
*layer  0.0040  wt cotd alum, White coated aluminium
*enditem
*item 1 OPAQ, Wall_NI_noti, Northern Ireland Notional wall for UK code
*attrib OPAQUE, NONSYMMETRIC  
# mat ref thickness (m) mat descr & air gap R
*layer  0.1020  Brick outer leaf, Brick (UK code)
*layer  0.0900  Mineral wool batt 100mm, Insulation (Mineral wool batt default 100mm)
*layer  0.1000  Concrete med density (1800), Blockwork (UK code)
*gap    0.0220  0.180 0.180 0.180, air
*layer  0.0130  Plasterboard (UK code), Plasterboard (UK code)
*enditem
*item 1 OPAQ, AWI_06 IBO, Wall type AWI_06 from the IBO reference manual    
*atrib QPAQUE, NONSYMMETRIC 
*layer  0.0250  weatherboard, Weatherboard (source does not clarify what it is)
*gap    0.0500  0.050 0.050 0.050, air
*layer  0.0160  MDF, MDF based on info in IBO PassivHaus (diffusion is a guess)
*layer  0.1000  celulose fiber flakes, cellulose fibre insulation flakes from IBO Pass
*layer  0.1000  celulose fiber flakes, cellulose fibre insulation flakes from IBO Pass
*layer  0.1000  celulose fiber flakes, cellulose fibre insulation flakes from IBO Pass
*layer  0.0180  OSB, OSB wood based on the SBEM database
*layer  0.0500  lambswool felt insulation, lambswool insulation felt from IBO PassivHa
*layer  0.0250  white gypboard, White paintedd Gypboard
*enditem
*endclass
#  
*class 2 2 Partitions & doors
Class ( 2) Internal partitions and doors. Based on data traditionally distributed with ESP-r.
*item 2 OPAQ, intern_wall, Plaster board over concrete block partition
*attrib OPAQUE, SYMMETRIC
# mat ref thickness (m) mat descr & air gap R
*layer  0.0120  perlite plasterboard, Perlite plasterboard
*layer  0.1500  breeze block, Breeze block
*layer  0.0120  perlite plasterboard, Perlite plasterboard
*enditem
*item 2 OPAQ, door, Solid Oak door
*attrib OPAQUE, SYMMETRIC
*layer  0.0250  oak, Oak (radial cut)
*enditem
*endclass
#  
*class 3 4 Glazing
Class ( 3) A variety of glazing products which are matched to optical properties.
*item 3 TRAN, double_glazing, 6mm uncoated inner and outer glass with air fill
*attrib DCF7671_06nb, SYMMETRIC     
# mat ref thickness (m) mat descr & air gap R
*layer  0.0060  plate glass, Plate glass with placeholder single layer optics
*gap    0.0120  0.170 0.170 0.170, air
*layer  0.0060  plate glass, Plate glass with placeholder single layer optics
*enditem
*item 3 TRAN, fictitious, almost-not-there construction used between zones
*attrib SC_fictit, SYMMETRIC     
*layer  0.0040  fict, fictitious material (almost not there) with matching single laye
*enditem
*item 3 TRAN, tripglz_1.8, non-coated tripple glazing with air spaces
*attrib trip_glz_18, SYMMETRIC     
*layer  0.0060  clear float, 4mm clear float glass with optics from UK national method
*gap    0.0120  0.170 0.170 0.170, air
*layer  0.0060  clear float, 4mm clear float glass with optics from UK national method
*gap    0.0120  0.170 0.170 0.170, air
*layer  0.0060  clear float, 4mm clear float glass with optics from UK national method
*enditem
*item 3 TRAN, tripglz_1.08, low-e coated tripple glazing with air spaces
*attrib trip_gl_kai, NONSYMMETRIC    
*layer  0.0060  clear float, 4mm clear float glass with optics from UK national method
*gap    0.0120  0.367 0.367 0.367, low-e and air
*layer  0.0060  clear float, 4mm clear float glass with optics from UK national method
*gap    0.0120  0.371 0.371 0.371, low-e and air
*layer  0.0060  clear float, 4mm clear float glass with optics from UK national method
*enditem
*endclass
*end