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• Multi-objective optimisation of prefabricated building envelope was conducted. • An optimisation framework and a library of building components were developed. • Life cycle cost, thermal comfort and daylight illuminance are objective functions. • The constraints are total volatile organic compound, thermal and sound insulation. • The sets of optimal solutions in Pareto fronts for 6 climate zones are presented. The ever-increasing attention towards implementation of environmentally sustainable buildings necessitates the predictions of energy consumption and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) during early design stages. Prefabrication of buildings changes the construction process and components which affects building performance. Better understanding the effects of envelope components on energy performance and IEQ will inform design decisions leading to the creation of more sustainable buildings. In this article multi-objective optimisations of building envelope were carried out by coupling TRNSYS (Transient System Simulation Tool) and jEPlus + EA (EnergyPlus simulation manager for parametrics + Evolutionary Algorithms). The objective functions to be minimised were thermal discomfort hours (TDH), daylight unsatisfied hours (DUH) and life cycle costs (LCC) while maintaining acceptable sound transmission levels and indoor air quality. The decision variables were envelope components of a prefabricated house. Applications for six different climate zones corresponding to eight locations in Australia were investigated. The optimal solution sets were unique for each climate zone. The optimal solutions achieved 27–31% savings in LCC compared to the baseline. The reductions for TDH varied from 6% to 55% among the locations. As a result of trade-offs, the selected compromised solutions in each climate could achieve better reductions for either TDH, LCC or both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that soundproofing solutions company Pyrotek Soundguard has taken a brief from international consulting firm Heggies, to help ensure 16 locos bought in Denmark by Independent Railways of Australia comply with local noise standards. The locos are a substantial addition to Railways' fleet, which includes a wide range of rolling stock and locomotives from light, short haul engines suitable for branch line work to long haul main line engines suitable for intrastate services.

The article reports that there are over 300 properties along Australia's Pacific Motorway that will be sound-proofed after a damning report found by bureaucrats that misled residents over traffic noise. Ombudsman David Bevan said the Department of Main Roads has promised residents in 1996 that traffic noise would not increase after the M1 was resurfaced but sound has increased by about nine decibels. Homes may need to be fitted with air-conditioning and glazed windows for sound proofing.