Extract

Keeping indoor temperature condition lower than outdoor condition is recommended in hot
climate. Primarily ventilated buildings with low thermal mass should be employed. The indoor maximum
can be close to the outdoor maximum and normally even higher due to internal heat gains. Heat gain
through the walls plays a vital role in maintaining thermal comfort inside the building envelope.
Selection of materials for wall components is very important for the achievement of good thermal
comfort. In this paper, assessment of thermal transmittance of various building materials such as burnt
brick, concrete, cellular concrete and timber which are widely used in the construction sector, is made
along with some insulating materials that include expanded polystyrene, foam concrete, rockwool,
glasswool and soft board of varying thickness. Numerical calculation of thermal transmittance of these
materials is made based on density, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity etc., which
represent the rate of transfer of heat (in Watts) through one square meter of a structure divided by the
difference in temperature across the structure. The results will be very useful for architects and
practising engineers.

Keywords: Thermal conductivity; Specific heat capacity; Thermal transmittance; Building wall materials.

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