PHPP - Party Floors??

Jezza2k3

Hi all,

I'm using the PHPP software to assess the retrofit/upgrade of a terrace of apartment units. The terrace is two storey building with individual units on ground and first floor.
Working on a ground floor unit the software allows for inputs for the external walls and the partition walls, however there does not seem to be any way of treating the partition floor/ceiling. Do I just assume a zero heat loss through the ceiling and omit this element from the calculations?
Does anyone have experience of this situation or know of how I may treat this?
Similarly for the first floor unit, how do I treat the partition floor?

Hope you guys can help.

Thanks.

beyondpassive

Hi Jez,

Can you clarify if you mean Partition walls, such as block walls between say bedrooms in an apartment or Party Walls, the usually 215 block fire rated walls between Apartments?

Jezza2k3

Hi beyond passive,

Sorry, I meant the party walls and party floors between the individual apartment units. I am aware of how these walls and floors are constructed, but am unsure how to input information for the party floor/ceiling into the areas sheet on the PHPP software. There is an input group for party walls between neighbours but there does not seem to be an input group relevant to the party floors/ceilings between vertical neighbours.

Cheers,

Jez.

BryanF

I may be wrong but i think there's a PHPP program for commercial/ residential block. seems like there isnt the scope in the standard version, why not contact the PH institute.

Is this a terrace of houses converted to apartments or a retro of an apartment block?

Jezza2k3

Cheers BryanF,

I'll look into that. The building I'm assessing is a retrofit of a 1960's 2 storey council apartment block.

Cheers,

Jezza.

beyondpassive

PHPP generally deals with the entire apartment building rather than the individual apartments. So an apartment building on a street could have 2 or 3 boundary conditions described as party walls with rejoining properties.

I worked on the specification design for a passive a mixed use building and used the partywall group 18 classification for floors. Although it gets the heat flow direction wrong, the Heat Zone (I) is correct so it was accurate enough for designing an individual apartment.