Hygrothermal performance of natural bamboo fiber and bamboo charcoal as local construction infills in building envelope

Natural bamboo fiber (BF) and bamboo charcoal (BC) resources are available in tropical and subtropical regions in which bamboo forests are widely distributed and exhibit the potential to act as sustainable local building materials. In this study, a hygrothermal properties test and a building component and enclosed space simulation were performed to determine the adaptability of applying BF and BC as construction infills in building envelopes with local climate and building conditions. Hygrothermal properties test results indicated that the relation between BF hygrothermal properties and ambient relative humidity could be generally defined with exponential equations. Both the moisture storage and transport properties of the BC increased when compared with those of uncarbonized bamboo panels. Hygrothermal performance simulation results indicated that the BC arranged in the upstream side of the moisture flow improved the hygric performance of the BF layer, weakened the moisture and heat flow through exterior walls, improved the indoor hygrothermal environment, and reduced the HVAC demand. The application of BF and BC as local building materials was beneficial for both bamboo resources utilization and the building physical performance improvements in the bamboo producing area. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.