Energy Efficiency and Thermal Characterization of Eco-Friendly Wood Fiber Masonry Blocks

Abstract

A pressing need exists to produce masonry blocks that are more sustainable and energy efficient since the concrete industry is responsible for more than 5% of the worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. Producing masonry blocks that have a higher thermal insulation capacity can reduce energy consumption. In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted to explore the energy efficiency and thermal characterization of a new alternative masonry unit that were manufactured using waste (wood fiber) and by-product (fly ash) materials. Two different tests were performed, according to both ASTM standards C1363-11 and D5334-14, to determine the thermal conductivity factor, energy saving, and thermal insulation for the entire masonry unit and the new alternative material itself. A guarded hot box was fabricated to simulate a real insulation case. The results indicated that producing masonry units using fly ash and wood fiber instead of the conventional materials clearly influenced the energy consumption. Specimens produced out of fly ash and wood fiber reduced the energy consumption by 64% compared to a conventional masonry unit. A modified thermal needle probe procedure was used to find the thermal conductivity of the fly ash-wood fiber as a material, not a unit. The new material exhibited a clear reduction in thermal conductivity compared to many commonly used standard construction materials. The mechanical characterization and dimension requirements were reported to show that the new ecofriendly masonry units met the ASTM requirements for non-load-bearing concrete masonry units.

Meeting Name

16th International Brick and Block Masonry Conference, IBMAC 2016 (2016: Jun. 26-30, Padova, Italy)

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Bearings (machine parts); Brick; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Characterization; Concrete industry; Concretes; Energy conservation; Energy efficiency; Energy utilization; Environmental protection; Fibers; Fly ash; Global warming; Insulation; Thermal conductivity; Thermal insulation; Wood; Wood products; Alternative materials; Carbon dioxide emissions; Concrete masonry units; Conventional materials; Experimental investigations; Mechanical characterizations; Reduce energy consumption; Thermal characterization; Masonry materials; Blocks; Concrete; Fly Ash; Wood Fibers

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-1-138-02999-6

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2016 CRC Press, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jun 2016

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