Multifunctional construction elements lower buildings' energy needs

Alexandre Mudry, Dolaana Khovaly and Thomas Keller won the Best Paper Award for their research. A.Herzog/EPFL - Engineers at EPFL have studied the use of construction slabs that serve both as structural building elements and floor heating systems. Made of composite materials, these slabs could deliver heating performance on par with conventional radiant heating but consume less energy. Buildings have a big appetite for energy. They account for almost half of Switzerland's energy consumption during both their construction and use, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. A great deal of research is being done on strategies for reducing buildings' environmental footprints; one such approach involves the use of multifunctional construction elements. "With current construction methods, each building element performs a single function," says Dolaana Khovalyg, a tenure-track assistant professor at ENAC and head of the Thermal Engineering for the Built Environment Laboratory (TEBEL) in the Smart Living Lab .