Estimating Soil Temperatures for use in Building Design

Abstract

Air conditioning costs are currently increasing at a faster rate than the initial costs of a building, and still, energy conservation is often considered a low priority objective during the design process. Alternatives in design are needed to reduce the energy requirements of maintaining a building. Using the soil as an isolater from the external environment is an alternative. This report concerns a graphical I representation of soil temperatures at a specific location through the use of the computer, and their use in estimating comfort zone depths. The soil temperatures and comfort zone depths may later be used in determining the feasibility of building underground.