Thermal Properties of Building Materials and Construction Technologies

Buildings consume a significant amount of energy and thus, contribute to climate change. According to Energy Statistics, that residential and commercial structures consume nearly a third of the total electricity produced over a year. To reduce India’s building energy consumption, the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), was developed and launched by the Ministry of Power (MoP) and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Government of India, to set the minimum energy efficiency requirement for new commercial buildings.

Ministry of Power (MoP) has launched ECO Niwas Samhita, which is the Energy Conservation Building Code for residential buildings (ECBC-R). The future implementation of these codes aims to reduce energy consumption in the infrastructure sector by promoting energy efficiency in the design and construction of commercial and residential buildings. The residential envelope transmittance value (RETV) is the parameter which accounts for the heat conduction through walls/windows and solar heat transmission through window glazing. RETV is largely dictated by the material's thermal conductivity or overall thermal transmittance value of the external wall and roof.

The ‘Thermal Properties of Building Materials and Construction Technologies’ document contains four distinct kind of information.

1.      Thermal conductivity of walling materials primarily used in masonry structures. The thermal conductivity of materials such as fired clay bricks, fly ash bricks, calcium silicate bricks, and expanded clay bricks. The database also provides bulk density, water absorption, and volumetric heat capacity data.

2.      Overall thermal transmittance or U values of non-homogeneous walling technologies. This section includes the U values of conventional, non-conventional alternative walling technologies as well as industrial prefabricated walling technologies. This contains walls such as Rattrap Bond Wall, Reinforced EPS Core Panel Systems, Glass fibre reinforced Gypsum Panel – Unfilled, Laterite Block Wall, and Un stabilized Adobe Wall.

3.      Overall thermal transmittance or U values of non-homogeneous roofing technologies. This section includes the U values of conventional, non-conventional alternative roofing technologies such as Flat PUF-insulated roof panels with PPGI sheet, Timber + Double-sided Mangalore tile roofing, Bamboo + Double-sided Mangalore tile roofing, and Thatch roof.

4.      Thermo-Physical Properties of generic Construction Materials. This section contains thermal conductivity, bulk density and specific generic materials such as acrylic, bamboo, stones from various locations, insulation, and boards.

The work for (1) was conducted by Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy (CARBSE), CEPT University in partnership with Greentech Knowledge Solutions Pvt. Ltd. And supported by Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation. The work for (2) and (3) was conducted by the Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy (CARBSE), CEPT University and supported by the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.  The work for (4) was conducted by the Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy (CARBSE), CEPT University under the aegis of Indo-U.S. Joint Clean Energy Research & Development and supported by Dept. of Science and Technology, Government of India.