Compressive characteristics of resin translucent cement mortar (RTCM) used in the external walls to rationalize the energy spent inside the building

Abstract

Translucent concrete (TC) is a green and sustainable material allows the light to transmit through itself by means of plastic optical fibers (POFs) or resin material embedded in concrete components. This study highlights the compressibility characteristics of resin translucent cement mortar (RTCM) and the possibility of using this material in the construction of external walls to rationalize energy expenditure within the building spaces to create a green sustainable environment inside the building. Compressive strength characteristics of RTCM, compared to that of translucent concrete containing POFs, is investigated in this paper. Furthermore, it is required to identify a theoretical approach for using RTCM in external walls of the building and its relationship to energy conservation, and then determining the effects of its use through a practical study on a test sample with using Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) program in the field of energy to measure the amount of energy expenditure. It’s found that adding a small amount of epoxy resin (ER) to the plain mix will raise the compressive strength, any extra amount of the ER will reduce the compressive strength. Finally, the study proved the possibility of using RTCM, with high efficiency, instead of bricks in the external walls of the building because of its ability to rationalize the energy spent in the building compared to the bricks.