Rehau Ground-Source Workshop

27 April 2010 - 10.40 to 11.00hrs

NHBC Guidance on Geothermal Piles and Development of GSHPA Guides

Duncan Nicholson
Ove Arup and Partners Ltd London

Contents
Part 1 National House Building Association NHBC Foundations Guide (NF21) Efficient design of Piled Foundations for Low-Rise Housing
(http://www.nhbcfoundation.org/)

Part 2 Ground Source Heat Pump Association Closed Loop Vertical Boreholes Guide Design, Installation and Materials Standards
(http://www.gshp.org.uk/)

PART 1 NHBC Piling Guide - Contents

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction Performance of low rise housing foundations Choice of foundations Site investigations Pile design and construction# Environmental impact of foundation solutions 6.6 - Use of geothermal piles 7. Conclusions Appendix K Discussion of the use of geothermal piles for low-rise housing

NOTE: Energy Pile is a Cementation Skanska trade mark. Use Geothermal pile.
http://www.skanska.co.uk/en/Services/Pilingfoundations/Support/Patents--trademarks/

Publish Feb 2010

Appendix K: - Contents
Based on Arup study for Roger Bullivant Ltd Legislation - Code for Sustainable Homes Emission targets House Insulation heating energy requirements Geothermal pile design
Geotechnical pile capacity Geothermal design

Comparison with other heating systems

Carbon Costs

Contractual responsibilities

Code for Sustainable Homes

Launched 2006 Assessment process and performance standards National standard for sustainable design and construction Interim code levels for energy and CO2 emissions targets

Domestic Carbon Emission Targets

140

Part L
120 Total Carbon Emissions (% of 2008)

100

London Plan
80

Code 3 Code 4

60

40

20

Zero Carbon 2016

0 1995

Code 6
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Standard Terrace House Insulation

Heat and hot water demands Code3/4 Code 6

IES software - predicts hourly heat needs over annual cycle.

Ground Modelling
Geotechnical design based on mini piles long and thin London Clay profile Geothermal modelling of ground temperature using GLHEPro (3D)

Geothermal Model GLHE Pro 3D Pile Layout

Pile Layout for 11 terraced houses not exact

Ground Temp. Modelling Code 3/4 Terrace

Initial ground temperature

Minimum acceptable ground temperature Monthly ground temperatures Internal Ground temp stabilise after 10yr - above 2oC

Ground Temp. Modelling Code 6 Terrace

Initial ground temperature

Minimum acceptable ground temperature

Monthly ground temperatures for Code 6 terraced housing Ground temperatures stabilise after 10 years - above 5oC

Code Levels Using Energy Piles (CO2)

Geothermal piles with immersion top-up = Code 3 Geothermal piles without immersion top-up = Code 4 Unlikely that geothermal piles achieve code 5 and 6 unless site renewable electricity is available for heat pump

Cost Comparison - Installation

Both housing types high efficiency gas boilers prove cheaper than energy piles Geothermal piles cheaper than biomass boiler system Operational costs lower recovery time.

Pile design issues Effect of heating pile?

Max Heat pump sets: Hourly temp fluctuations? (Delta T = 10 C)? Seasonal temp fluctuations? (T = 30 to -5 C C)?
Building Load effect on pile F of S?

Pile expansion/ contraction?

T = 10 C

Hourly fluctuations Seasonal fluctuations

Shaft friction effects:- Shear stress? - Radial stresses? - Cyclic loads? - Freezing? - W/C change? Thermal Properties :- Soils ? - Concrete?

Ground uplift? c1, 1'

Concrete Stress

c2, 2'

Stress concentrations next to pipes?

c3, 3'

Designers Responsibilities
Geothermal Pile Design H and V Design
Geothermal Designer Geotechnical Designer

SI data Pile loads

FOS = 2 2.5

Constraints

Heat demand Heat transfer - piles Heat storage ground Heat pump spec -5 to 30 C C

Large t

Expansion Consolidation Freezing Shaft friction Concrete stress

Combined Pile load test Response test

Back analysis of geothermal pile reponse / load test

0m

Pile load and thermal test data. (Laloui Paper) Temperature-time history (24 days). Axi-symmetric model of single pile / soil. Dyna 3D Coupled thermal mechanical consolidation analysis, including: Thermal conduction and expansion, Pore pressure generation, Non linear soil material behaviour.
Pile Interface

26m

Model continues to 52m

Sample results

Thermal expansion pile top displaces 3mm upwards (movement magnified in image). The soil resists the upward movement, Pile in axial compression ( Max stress - 6MPa)

Temperature-time input to pile Heat for 12 days (applied uniformly within pile)

Conclusions on NHBC Guide Geothermal Piles

Design - Code for Sustainable Homes Emission targets and Code requirements House heating energy requirements Geothermal pile design
Geotechnical design - Load capacity and factor of safety Geothermal design

Comparison with other heating systems

Carbon Costs

Contractual responsibilities

PART 2 Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA) provides: Information to Clients

Standards for Industry Specifications / Guides on installation techniques Competency standards - GSHP designers / installers
Training Opportunity to influence Government energy policy And many other benefits

Further details from www.gshp.org.uk

GSHPA Techncial Committee - Objectives

Closed Loops vertical Borehole Standards (Draft)
Installation testing Plastic pipes and connections Pipe fluid Workshops

Geothermal pile Guide (Very Draft) Competency and training Technical Seminar 21/1/10
(Down load - http://www.gshp.org.uk/) Desk study stage Open Systems Closed Boreholes Geothermal piles (half the day)

AGM and Meeting 28/6/10 Renewable Heat Incentive

International Standards
IGSHPA - Design and installation standards (Global) ASHRAE (2007) Handbook

ARI 325 (open loop) (American) ARI 330 (closed loop) (American)
CSA 448 - Design and Installation of Earth Energy Systems (Canadian) VDI 4640 - Parts 1-4 (German) Part 1 Thermal use of the underground - Fundamentals, approvals, environmental aspects (2008) Part 2 Thermal use of the underground - Ground source heat pump systems (2001) Part 3 Utilization of the subsurface for thermal purposes - Underground thermal energy storage (2001) Part 4 Thermal use of the underground - Direct uses (2004)

SIA D0190 (2005) Swiss Drilling Standards (Swiss) French Drilling Standard (French) BS EN 15450:1997 (British) Design of heat pumping systems

GSHPA Closed Loop Vertical Boreholes Design, Installation and Materials Standards
Regulations Design and installations Design methods and Compliance Thermal response tests Exchanger materials and sizing Pipe jointing methods Grout Placement and backfilling Flush, purge and pressure test Indoor piping and values Antifreeze Design drawings and records Submissions

Draft:
Reviewed by GSHPA members

GSHPA - Conclusions
GSHPA Trade body
Technical subcommittee

Many International Standards Need for UK approach and improved specifications Closed Loop Borehole guide is a start

Competency
Designers Installers

Thank you for your attention