Thermal comfort analysis of fired-clay brick, cement-sand block and cement stabilized earth block masonry house models

Fired-clay brick, cement-sand block and cement stabilized earth blocks are the most commonly used material for masonry construction in Sri Lanka. Strength, durability and cost are three major factors that influence the selection of material for wall construction. Even though Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, the benefits of insulating the external walls of the house are often not considered. Apart from thermal comfort of the internal environment, there is concern regarding increase in energy consumption. However, in recent years, as awareness of sustainable and green building concepts increased, interest in using sustainable and thermal comfort materials for house construction has increased. Because external walls play a major role in thermal insulation, there is a need to select suitable wall materials that can be energy efficient and reduce cooling load. Therefore, the present study aims to understand thermal comfort in house units constructed with commonly used wall material such as fired brick, cement-sand block and cement stabilized earth block. Temperature and humidity inside and outside house models were observed to compare the impact of masonry materials on thermal comfort. To compare the thermal comfort performance of the house models, three thermal comfort analysis models: steady-state comfort model, adaptive criteria model and deterministic models were used according to the British Standard European Norm (BS EN) 16798, CIBSE TM52 and ANSI/ASHRAE 55. Results show that house units constructed with cement stabilized earth blocks and fired-clay bricks are significantly more comfortable in terms of temperature and humidity variations. Energy-efficient house units thereby minimized energy consumption through reduction in indoor temperature. Therefore the cement stabilized earth block and fired-clay brick house model are found to be a suitable choice for construction.

Automated summary

Fired-clay brick, cement-sand block, and cement stabilized earth block are commonly used materials for masonry construction in Sri Lanka. This study compares their thermal comfort performance by observing temperature and humidity variations in house models constructed with these materials. The results show that units constructed with cement stabilized earth blocks and fired-clay bricks provide significantly more comfortable thermal conditions, reducing energy consumption.