Page 55 - Analysis and Design of Energy Geostructures

CHAPTER 2

Energy geostructures

2.1 Introduction
Along with the ancient use of soils and rocks as heat reservoirs, the employment of
geostructures (e.g. piles, walls and tunnels) as structural supports represents an effective
historical means to meet human activity needs. Energy geostructures are an innovative
technology that couples the structural support role of conventional geostructures to
the heat exchanger role of shallow geothermal systems for any type of built
environment.
This chapter addresses the technology of energy geostructures as a breakthrough
means for contributing to the sustainability of human activity needs via the establish-
ment of low-carbon buildings and infrastructures. Features, uses and capabilities of
energy geostructures are addressed, examples of applications worldwide are presented,
and an overview of the phenomena governing the behaviour of this technology is
proposed.
To this aim, the energy geostructure technology is described first: in this context the
purpose is to highlight the roles of energy geostructures, the materials involved and
other relevant features of this technology. Next energy geostructure operation modes are
presented: the purpose of this part is to illustrate possible uses of energy geostructures

for heat exchange and storage purposes. Then so-called ground source heat pump systems
and underground thermal energy storage systems are described: in this framework the aim is
to propose relevant aspects related to the composition and operation of such systems.
Afterward the application and development of energy geostructures are discussed: the aim of
this part is to propose typical features characterising applications of such technology
and expand on three energy geostructure projects that involve an energy pile founda-
tion, energy tunnel linings and energy walls. Later physical phenomena and approaches to
analysis and design are expanded: in this section the aim is to highlight key physical
phenomena that characterise energy geostructures and to propose approaches for
describing such phenomena in analysis and design. Finally questions and problems are
proposed: the purpose of this part is to fix and test the understanding of the subjects
covered in this chapter by addressing a number of exercises.

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Analysis and Design of Energy Geostructures
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816223-1.00002-3 All rights reserved. 25