Análisis comparativo de la energía incorporada total específica. Caso de estudio: edificación residencial unifamiliar y multifamiliar Cuenca – Ecuador

Abstract

In the world and in Ecuador, housing continues to be one of the fundamental needs for human development and the enjoyment of a dignified life in accordance with the Ecuadorian constitution; It is also a human right according to the international standards of the United Nations (Gago Lorenzo, 2008). It is essential to build housing solutions that meet quality standards and technical parameters and can solve this housing need, but simultaneously the theoretical debate on the low-density city versus the high-density city is presented. In this discussion, most authors are in favor of a compact and densified city (Cabrera Jara et al., 2015) (Hermida et al., 2015); However, these studies do not consider the environmental and energy impact that occurs with construction, which is one of the activities that generates the greatest pollution worldwide. Recently, Latin American countries have introduced technological advances in construction systems and materials due to the reduction of construction costs; However, these new processes involve high levels of embodied energy. This research analyzes densified construction from the point of view of environmental and energy impact, considering the materials and construction systems used during the last decade. The analysis is carried out by comparing two case studies: a single-family housing building and a multi-family housing building, both cases located in the city of Cuenca-Ecuador. The Total Embodied Specific Energy (STEE) is quantified and the Total Specific Weight (STW) of the two case studies is addressed, the construction elements and materials have been classified into: Structure, Envelope and Finishes. The results of this research serve as an additional point of view of some of the environmental and energy aspects implicit in the construction of a compact and high-density city.