Effects of the use and soil cover on the hygrothermal comfort

Author(s)

Isadora Mendes da Silva

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2012-08-31

Examining board members

Demóstenes Ferreira da Silva Filho; Lucila Chebel Labaki; Sergio Oliveira Moraes

• Advisor: Demóstenes Ferreira da Silva Filho

Abstract

Given the importance of obtaining an urban design based on the microclimate and the possibility of the use of trees as a factor in mitigation of urban distress, this study evaluated the effect caused by three different spatial arrangements of urban forests and the use and occupation on soil in temperature and humidity of the environment in surroundings area. The research was conducted in the city of Rio Claro / SP. The configurations chosen for analysis were a fully forested avenue (S), a square (P) and a section from a periurban forest (H) in a area with predominantly residential buildings. Fieldwork was conducted in three consecutive days during the dry and rainy season. The air temperature and humidity were obtained by data loggers distributed over 200m in the streets that branched to the north, south, east and west from the tree cluster. The variable speed and wind direction were recorded by the meteorological station of CEAPLA. Thermal images of the surrounding areas were obtained with a thermographic camera. Questionnaires were applied to the green areas frequenters. Characterized the urban fabric by supervised classification made from multispectral image of high resolution two-view satellite World. Buffers with 20m were generated around the points where the data loggers remained possible to correlate the percentage of coverage with temperature and humidity of the point. Maps were generated in the ArcMap display showing the spatial distribution of temperature, amplitude and relative humidity at the sites. At the study sites, warmer periods in the surroundings showed temperatures and humidity ranged 2 °C to 4 °C and 3% RH to 15% RH. Usually in similar environments the spatial variability of temperature and humidity isn\'t high and the factors that influence this change are the local wind and solar radiation. The minimum temperature and maximum humidity were located closer to the forested area. Statistical analyzes show that when considering the distance variable in the overall analysis, this is considered decisive to influence of the tree cluster in the surroundings, however when the analysis is specific for each site the distance is no longer significant in the H and P sites and significant only in the place S between 40 and 80m distance. Some coverage, especially asphalt and canopy tree, show correlation between the variation of humidity and temperature points. Analysis of the questionnaires show a relationship between reported comforts with the exposure to the sun. A qualitative observation of thermal images indicate that the material of smaller reflectance as asphalt, overheat due to solar radiation, reaching, in the hottest hours at 70 ° C and contributes to discomfort. The most inexpensive and effective way to solve this problem is to promote the shading of surfaces by means of trees deploying green corridors in the urban area with good species of leaf density and ample canopy. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/14414-3 - EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTS SPACES ARRANGEMENTS AT RIO CLARO/SP URBAN FOREST REGARDING HYGROTHERMAL COMFORT
• Grantee: Isadora Mendes da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master