The transient plane source technique was used to measure the thermal conductivity of construction materials at room temperatures. The samples were tested under both dry and partially wet conditions. It was found that the thermal conductivity increased significantly with increasing water content....
The authors have presented a review of steady-state and transient measurement techniques for the determination of thermal conductivity, and have introduced a new method for the determination of thermal transport properties in anisotropic building materials, known as the dynamic adiabatic technique. It was found that the technique was functional for a first estimation of thermal properties in a complex structure, but that it required long testing times....
In an effort to become more sustainable, the construction industry has been looking for ways to use less new raw materials by making use of waste by-products from industrial applications. In this study, nano-crystalline aluminum sludge was added as a filler to clay bricks. The hope was that this would not only be an environmentally friendly product, but that it would also improve the thermal properties of the bricks. The ...
Autoclaved aerated concrete was studied because it has potential to be used in the design of energy-efficient buildings. Three different samples were tested, each with a unique density. Of particular interest to this work was the thermal conductivity of the samples, as this material would be used as a thermally insulating concrete. The thermal conductivities were measured at various percentages of moisture content, and it was found that increasing moisture ...
The authors have prepared a shape-stabilized composite phase change material (ss-CPCM) using paraffin encapsulated in SiO2. SiO2 was chosen because of its low cost, such that the resultant ss-CPCM would be a feasible option for use at the commercial or industrial scale. The composite was examined using FTIR and XRD and it was confirmed that it had excellent chemical compatibility and stability. The thermal storage capability and thermal conductivity results ...
