Effective thermal conductivity of lightweight porous concrete:theoretical models and application

Abstract

Abstract Lightweight porous concrete blocks have become one of the preferred energy-saving envelope materials for modern buildings due to their good thermal insulation performance. This paper reviews the extensive literature on different theoretical models for the effective thermal conductivity of porous concrete blocks. The advantages and limitations of different models, including the pore structure, fractal theory, and thermal conductivity models, are summarized. The applicability and challenges of each lightweight porous concrete model are discussed in detail. It can be concluded that more research on lightweight porous concrete blocks is necessary to improve the theoretical thermal conductivity model by incorporating parameters related to indoor thermal and humid environments.