Solutions for Exposed Structural Concrete Bridged Elements for a More Sustainable Concrete Construction in Hot Climates

Abstract

New energy-efficiency regulations have been established and applied in many Gulf countries to improve building energy performance. Thermal bridging reduces the building envelop performance, and this is not a focus of these regulations. This paper investigates the concrete construction of residential housing in hot climates and identifies more sustainable concrete construction methods. Both experimental and numerical methods are used to identify the impact of thermal bridging. Using finite element analysis, the impact of solar radiation on a building’s thermal bridging was analyzed. It is identified as an essential element for accurate modelling of bridging across concrete in a hot climate. The FE model was evaluated against monitored data and assessed using common statistical indicators. The results show that the heat loss across uninsulated cast in situ structural elements is more than double the heat loss across portions of insulated walls. Moreover, neglecting solar radiation on the westerly façade can result in errors of >50%. Additionally, the impact of thermal bridging is increasingly evident when accounting for solar radiation. Modelling studies show that the impact of thermal bridging could be reduced by up to 73% by covering the structural elements with external insulation. Compliance with the various codes of the different Gulf states can be achieved through externally insulating with between 40 and 80 mm, and this is shown to have wide-ranging benefits in enhancing building energy efficiency.