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Temperature Gradient across Masonry Walls under Transient Conditions: Case Studies from a Warm Humid Climate

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Abstract

The transient thermal behavior of masonry walls from the warm-humid climate of Kerala, India was investigated in this study. The surface and core temperature of three different solid masonry walls were monitored under real-time climatic conditions. An instrumental set-up called ‘Architectural Evaluation System’ was custom fabricated for continuously recording the required parameters. Field study data assimilates the temperature gradient pattern at different positions of the solid masonry wall and analyses the influence of thermos-physical properties of the wall material on the heat transfer. Temperature gradient graphs during the heating period and non-heating period were studied to derive heat transfer patterns of solid masonry walls in a warm humid climate. The external surface temperature profiles fluctuated from 25 to 46 °C, influenced by the solar radiation and the thermal properties of the wall surface. The internal surface temperature and core temperature profiles of all three solid masonry walls fluctuated within a narrow range of high temperature from 28 to 33 °C, indicating a high thermal storage capacity for the wall, and lack of effective night-time cooling. The study adds to the existing field study data and also aids in deciding the optimal wall thickness for energy efficient building design.

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Abbreviations

LB:

Laterite block

BRK:

Burnt brick

CB:

Concrete block

AES:

Architectural evaluation system

DBT:

Dry bulb temperature

RH:

Relative humidity (%)

U:

Thermal transmittance (W/m2K)

f:

Decrement factor

ϕ:

Time lag (h)

T:

Temperature

AC:

Air conditioned

NV:

Naturally ventilated

L:

Thickness

k:

Thermal conductivity (W/mK)

out:

Outdoor

in:

Indoor

se:

Exterior surface

si:

Interior surface

c:

Core

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The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture and Planning, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, 673601, India

    V. M. Joshima

  2. Department of Architecture and Planning, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, 673601, India

    M. A. Naseer

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Appendix A

Appendix A

The solar radiation for concrete block wall, burnt brick wall and Laterite block wall are given in Table 4.

Table 4 Measured data
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Joshima, V.M., Naseer, M.A. Temperature Gradient across Masonry Walls under Transient Conditions: Case Studies from a Warm Humid Climate. J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. A 103, 663–675 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-022-00633-5

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