Thermal performance of insulated concrete block in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE): continuous monitoring and IR assessment

Abstract

Among the popular construction materials used in the UAE are Insulated Concrete Blocks (ICB). This block is a combination of a unique block design and insulating inserts that enable this block to be highly energy efficient. This paper aims at investigating the thermal performance of this block during different climatic seasons. An experimental model was constructed in the emirate of Sharjah, mainly using this block. Its thermal behaviour was thoroughly studied over the course of one year by using Continuous Method (CM) and the Infrared Technique (IR) method. The main thermal parameters were focused on the Decrement Factor (DF), the Temperature Differences Ratio (TDR) and the Time Lag (Tg). It was found that the ICB does not perform similarly in all seasons, and/or in all orientations. The results show that ICB will perform best in Autumn with an average DF of 0.23, and with an average TDR of 0.56. The biggest value in terms of the Tg is found in Spring with 14.85h. Wind fluctuations can also affect these three parameters. In addition to wind, rain also affects the thermal performance of the ICB. Calibration between the CM and IR methods will be discussed, and detailed analysis will be provided.

Keywords

• insulated concrete block
• performance
• building envelope
• experimental
• uae