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ISSN 1561-3003 (Electronic)

2013, Number 2

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Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol 2013; 51 (2)

Characterization of physical environment in concrete houses,

Barceló PC, Guzmán PR, Ramírez SJC, Calderón BJ, Sao RL

Language: Spanish
References: 17
Page: 161-173
PDF size: 143.77 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Background: The growing increase in population has caused a quantitative deficit of houses which has been approached from different constructive solutions. One of these is the house of multifamily buildings made of concrete, known as FORSA.
Objectives: to characterize, from a sanitary point of view, physical environments of FORSA houses of multifamily buildings in "La Coronela" settlement in Havana.
Methods: to achieve this characterization, different risk factors were studied such as microclimate, cover and enclosure temperatures and wind penetration, nonionizing radiation fields of extremely low frequency (ELF), light climate and noise during a week corresponding to the wet season of the year 2010 and another corresponding to the dry season of the year 2011. Nine houses of multifamily buildings of three and five floors were selected. They were located in low and high levels, with or without eaves and with different facade orientations.
Results: there was moderate warmth in the two seasons studied, which was somewhat warmer in the houses of five floor multifamily buildings. The level of the houses and the presence of eaves seemed to offer no significant effect on the indoor climate. The external wind hardly penetrated indoors. The magnetic component of ELF field did not transgress the reference values of the World Health Organization. Natural lighting was appropriate but not the artificial one; whereas the reflection coefficients of floors were higher. The sound level breached the current sanitary standard NC 26 of 2012.
Conclusions: the environment inside FORSA houses in the settlement "La Coronela" presents a slightly uncomfortable climate for residents, regardless the levels of houses and the presence of eaves.


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