Abstract:
With rising global temperatures, depleting natural resources, and unsustainable energy supply, energy-efficient construction is becoming necessary. Concrete being the most utilized construction material in the world can be modified in several ways to achieve the purpose, like improvement in its thermal properties. One of the methods to mitigate the energy losses is by incorporating PCMs in it. However, the use of PCMs comes with its own disbenefits of deteriorating the structural performance and durability of concrete. Major effects include substantial reduction in the mechanical strength, deficient fire-resistance of concrete, and corrosion of reinforcement. Along with that no practical application of PCMs in buildings causes a lack of information on the performance of PCM-concrete combination.
This research was conducted to study a novel and an affordable technique to incorporate PCM (Paraffin wax) in concrete. We used macro-encapsulation process, using commercially available gelatin capsules coated with graphite and epoxy resin. PCM was added in a variety of percentages by weight of cement and then compared with a control sample to understand the affect in thermal and mechanical properties with varying percentage of PCM. However, loss in compressive strength of concrete was observed to a great extent making the concrete not suitable for structural members but suitable for non-structural envelope members of a building.
Along with strength measurements, thermal properties were also assessed under which the concrete showed interesting results. The thermal conductivity was lowered considerably with respect to control samples and the encapsulation technique ensured no leakage of the paraffin wax in the concrete matrix.
Lastly, a BIM-based analysis was done on Autodesk Revit to simulate the performance of our PCM incorporated concrete under various weather conditions around the calendar. The Revit model showed that the peak cooling loads of the model were reduced, and a much lower cost of utility was speculated.
Future research areas have been identified in the end which can be studied to make PCM incorporated concrete using our encapsulation technique can be an innovative solution to produce an affordable and energy efficient built environment.
