Low thermal transmittance ceramic product design for masonry systems in hot tropical climates

Abstract

Ceramic products for masonry in a clay region such as the department of Norte de Santander must respond to high temperature thermal conditions that can reach an average of 40°C at the maximum extreme points, therefore, the enclosure systems must provide thermal resistance to the heat accumulated on the exterior surface of the envelope and its internal structure, preventing it from being transmitted to the interior surface and generating undesired thermal loads for the building, From this perspective, there are techniques from the design of construction parts that can avoid high thermal transmittance, such as the implementation of geometries that obstruct direct thermal bridges, the increase in the number of walls that heat must pass through, the increase of air volume with respect to mass through air chambers and the dissipation of energy through external ventilated chambers, a synergy of this group of strategies can constitute a thermo-resistant system that responds efficiently to hot tropical climates. This research evaluates the potential of redesigning traditional standard block-type ceramic pieces of the ceramic cluster of Norte de Santander, evaluating their level of efficiency with thermal behavior analysis through simulations of temperature distribution and heat flow considering temperature conditions of 33°C as average maximum and a solar radiation of 796.80Wh/m2 typical of the local climate. The results show a 4°C reduction in the transferred temperature by implementing a new model with respect to traditional products, therefore, the design processes in new ceramic pieces demonstrate positive thermal responses for the envelope in hot tropical climates.