The light steel framing technology requires some design adaptations in order to have an adequte thermal performance in Brazil, since it was imported from the USA, In this study, the thermal performance of a light steel frame single-family house, in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, was evaluated considering some natural ventilation strategies and the influence of soil inertia. To determine the model's thermal behaviour, the EnergyPlus simulation program was used. The following stages were carried out: characterization of the structure, its typical exposure to the weather; occupants' profile and their demands; configuration of closing system; and the evaluation of the building's thermal comfort conditions and to what extent they meet existing standards. The conclusion was made that a suitably ventilation system could significantly improve the building's thermal performance, if the local climatic conditions are duly taken into account. Likewise, depending on the land plot topography and the design characteristics, the influence of the soil thermal inertia, when associated to suitable ventilation and shading strategies, could be helpful to improve the design thermal performance.
Light Steel Framing; Thermal mass; Numerical simulation; Thermal performance
