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Thermophysical Properties of Compressed Earth Blocks Incorporating Natural Materials

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  • Chiara Turco

    (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory (ARISE), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Av. da Universidade, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal)

  • Mohammadmahdi Abedi

    (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory (ARISE), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Av. da Universidade, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
    Fibrenamics, Institute of Innovation on Fibre-Based Materials and Composites, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Av. da Universidade, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal)

  • Elisabete Teixeira

    (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory (ARISE), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Av. da Universidade, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal)

  • Ricardo Mateus

    (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory (ARISE), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, Av. da Universidade, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal)

Abstract

Building materials are responsible for significant CO 2 emissions and energy consumption, both during production and operational phases. Earth as a building material offers a valuable alternative to conventional materials, as it naturally provides high hygrothermal comfort and air quality even with passive conditioning systems. However, disadvantages related to high density, conductivity, and wall thickness prevent its effective inclusion in the mainstream. This research explores enhancing the thermophysical properties of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) by using locally sourced natural materials. The study is framed in the Portuguese context and the natural materials involved are wheat straw (WS) as a by-product of wheat harvesting, cork granules (CGs) from bottle caps, and ground olive stone (GOSs) residues from olive oil production. Blocks were produced with different mixtures of these materials and the thermal response was examined in a hot box apparatus. Best results include a 20 and 26% reduction in thermal conductivity for mixtures with 5v.% CG and 10v.% GOS, respectively, and an associated reduction in bulk density of 3.8 and 5.4%. The proposed approach therefore proves to be effective in improving the key thermophysical characteristics of CEBs. The article includes a comparative analysis of the experimental data from this study with those from the literature. The study contributes to the growing knowledge of sustainable materials, providing insights for researchers and practitioners looking for innovative solutions for low-carbon and energy-efficient materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiara Turco & Mohammadmahdi Abedi & Elisabete Teixeira & Ricardo Mateus, 2024. "Thermophysical Properties of Compressed Earth Blocks Incorporating Natural Materials," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:9:p:2070-:d:1383716
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Huang, Lizhen & Krigsvoll, Guri & Johansen, Fred & Liu, Yongping & Zhang, Xiaoling, 2018. "Carbon emission of global construction sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 1906-1916.
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