Energy geostructures

Summary

Energy geostructures are a technology that couples the structural role of foundations with the heating/cooling role of geothermal heat exchangers. The goal of the course is to provide an understanding of the structural, geotechnical and energy behaviour.

Content

Keywords

Energy geostructures – design – thermo-mechanics

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

Any EPFL bachelor degree

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Describe the thermal and mechanical behavior of energy geostructures referring to the latest scientific advances.
• Advise on how the exploit the energetic, geotechnical and structural design of energy geostructures.
• Use the standards in force at the European level (i.e. the Eurocodes) for the design of energy geostructures.
• Design energy geostructures with participal exercices covering all the key steps involved in this process.
• Recognize the potential of this technology based on practical examples of recent projects carried out around the world.

Transversal skills

• Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
• Collect data.
• Take feedback (critique) and respond in an appropriate manner.
• Use both general and domain specific IT resources and tools
• Make an oral presentation.
• Write a scientific or technical report.

Teaching methods

Powerpoint ; discussion ; in-class exercises ; group project

Expected student activities

Attend lectures ; participate in exercises ; home study ; project group work

Assessment methods

• Written exam (theoretical questions and exercises) : 45% of the final mark
• 5 assigned exercises : 25 % of the final mark
• Design project : 30% of the final mark (20% design project report, 10% design project presentation), group work

Supervision

Resources

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

No

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/CIVIL-444

Prerequisite for