Thermal insulation performance of aerated lightweight concrete

Abstract

Building envelopes that insulate buildings against heat and cold are receiving increasing attention as a promising passive energy-efficient measure in building construction. The experimental study reported here evaluates the thermal insulation performance of aerated lightweight concrete of different densities produced by incorporating either 100% sand or 100% soil as filler. Experimental aerated lightweight concrete wall panels (750 mm long, 750 mm wide and 40 mm thick) were cast and tested. Both soil-based and sand-based (control) aerated lightweight concrete panels were cured in a room with a prevailing temperature of approximately 29°C. The temperature gradient for soil-based aerated lightweight concrete panels was found to be superior to that of control aerated lightweight concrete panels of comparable density. The results indicate the potential improvement of soil-based aerated lightweight concrete in terms of thermal insulation compared with sand-based aerated lightweight concrete.

Editorial

“…In fact, soil could be considered the more environmentally friendly and sustainable construction material, if the exploitation of sand resources and its excavation and haulage over distances are taken into account. Ng et al (2011) evaluate the thermal insulation performance of aerated lightweight concrete of different densities produced by incorporating either 100% sand or 100% soil as filler. Their results show that the temperature gradient for soil-based aerated lightweight concrete panels was better than that of sand-based aerated lightweight concrete panels of comparable density.…”