THE ITPE TECHNIQUE APPLIED TO STEADY-STATE GROUND-COUPLING PROBLEMS.

A NEW ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE CALLED INTERZONE TEMPERATURE PROFILE ESTIMATION (ITPE) IS PRESENTED AND APPLIED TO DETERMINE THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL STEADY-STATE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION WITHIN EARTH AROUND A BUILDING. THE SOLUTIONS OF THE GOVERNING HEAT CONDUCTION EQUATIONS ARE DERIVED FOR 2 COMMONGROUND-COUPLING GEOMETRIES: SLAB-ON-GRADE FLOORS AND RECTANGULAR BASEMENTS. A WATER TABLE AT CONSTANT TEMPERATURE IS ASSUMED TO EXIST AT A GIVEN DEPTH BELOW THE SOIL SURFACE. THE SOLUTIONS PRESENTED ARE THE FIRST ANALYTIC SOLUTIONS FOR THESE GEOMETRIES CAPABLE OF CONSIDERING THE EFFECTS OF BOTH INSULATION AND THE PRESENCE OF A WATER TABLE ON HEAT FLOW FROM THESE GEOMETRIES.