Tropical design is concerned with countries where discomfort due to heat and

humidity are dominant problems.

Classifications of tropical climates :
Warm humid tropical Island
Hot dry maritime dessert
Composite tropical uplands
Characteristics of tropical climates : Warm Humid
DBT High temperature during the day, low diurnal change
RH - relatively high
Precipitation heavy rains especially during monsoon season
Sky cloudy and glaring
Characteristics of tropical climates : Hot dry
DBT very high temperature during the day, large diurnal change
RH Low and very low humidity. Fairly constant throughout the year.
Precipitation Often low or very low
Sky little or no cloud. Cold and non glaring.
Ground Sparse and often bare. Very high glare from ground.
Composite this is a mixture of warm/humid and hot/dry. It has 1/3 to 2/3 ratio of
monsoon period. Can get quite cold in winter.
Macro Climate the climate of a region and or the entire country.
Micro Climate is the climate of the site and its immediate environs.
Dry Bulb Temperature (DRB) this is the measurement of the temperature of the
air and as far as possible excludes any radiant temperature. It is always measured
in the shade.
Relative Humidity (RH) the amount of water in the air.
Hygrometer the instrument in measuring Relative Humudity.
Precipitation mainly rainfall but could also be dew.
Vane Anemometer instrument in measuring high speed winds
Kata Anemometer instrument in measuring low speed winds
The range of the comfort zone will increase in dry and continental climates where
the annual range, is higher.
Condition for Thermal Storage when the difference between average
maximum and minimum temperature during the month is over 10degrees Celsius
and there is medium or low humidity.
Window Size affects
Conduction is the flow of heat through a material by transfer from warmer to
cooler molecules in contact with each other.
Convection is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the flow if
molecules from one place to another.
Radiation is the transfer of energy through space by electromagnetic waves. It
travels through air and the rate of transfer of energy is independent of the
temperature of the air.

Evaporation and Condensation heat can also be absorbed or given out when
materials alter their state, that is from gas to liquid, and from liquid to solid and vice
versa.
Heat loss is considered as the transmission of heat from the air inside the
building to the air outside.
Heat Gain is due mainly to solar radiation at the surface and only a smaller
extent the high air temperatures.
Steady Heat State Flow assumption of a constant external air temperature and
a different constant internal air temperature which rarely exists
Sol-air Temperature is used to find the heating effect of the radiant heat load
and is defined as the temperature of the outside air.
Solar Heat factor is proportional to the inside surface rise in temperature and
this related to the radiant heat from the ceiling walls.
Thermal Capacity the amount of heat required per unit volume per degree rise
in temperature.
Time Constant is defined as the amount of time in hours for the internal
temperature of an element to change by a given percentage of the external
temperature difference when the outside temperature is changed.
Warm Humid Climates : where there are more than 9 months of the year.
Effective temperatures are within or above the comfort zone
Humidities are more that 50%
The difference between day and night temperature is less than 10 degrees
Celsius.
Hot Dry Climates : where there are more than 6 months of the year.
The effective temperatures are within or above the comfort zone
The humidities are less than 70%
The difference between day and night temperature is more than 10 degrees
Celsius.
In composite climates where the hot dry season is three months or more,
heavy walls should be used.
In warm-humid Climate the feeling of discomfort is mainly attributed to high
humidity: the presence of more water vapor in the atmosphere.
WIND FACTOR - is one factor that can negate discomfort in high humidity climate.
Approx. 2.5 to 5.0 meters per second - To experience comfort during periods of
high humidity.
Wind Gradient the variation of speed when wind speeds increase with the height
above the ground, and the smoothness of the ground surface.
Air movement though a building can also prevent an increase in internal air
temperature due to INTERNAL HEAT SOURCE.
The radiation will be greatest when wind speed is lowest, and air movement
through cavities does not affect heat transfer due to radiation.
Above 30% there is positive pressure against the windward slope of a roof.
Air movement is measured in CUBIC METER/MINUTE.
Ventilation is usually measure in AIR CHANGES/HOUR.