THERMAL-ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF LOAD-BEARING CONCRETE MASONRY IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN HOT, DRY CLIMATES

This paper addresses the thermal performance of load-bearing concrete masonry wall assemblies for residential application under hot, dry climatic conditions. A comparative study between the thermal response of conventional infilled frame construction and load-bearing masonry construction is performed. Both construction types are thermally modeled using a computer simulation technique in which a dynamic thermal analysis is performed, taking into account pertinent physical characteristics including the thermal mass of building materials. Hourly weather data representative of hot, dry climatic conditions are employed to simulate hourly indoor temperature levels. The results are analyzed in light of current thermal comfort assessments and show that load-bearing concrete masonry walls exhibit thermal qualities that are generally superior to those exhibited by conventional infilled reinforced concrete frame with brick masonry. It is therefore concluded that the use of load-bearing concrete masonry walls constitutes a promising energy-conserving strategy in residential buildings in hot, dry climatic zones.