Exploring the thermal behaviour and thermo-mechanical properties of Ferula Communis reinforced plaster and mortar composites: An integrated experimental and numerical approach

Abstract

This research investigated the effect of adding Ferula Communis to building materials. Four ratios of this additive (2, 4, 6, and 8%) were used to replace gypsum in plasterboard and sand in mortar. Based on thermo-physical characterisation, it was observed that increasing the Ferula Communis content in the basic materials improved their thermal properties and lightness. However, despite this promising enhancement, increasing the additive’s concentration negatively impacted the composites’ mechanical performance. Thus, it was found that incorporating 8% of the aggregate into the plaster and 6% into the mortar decreased their mechanical strength by 44.62% and 91.2% during bending, respectively. Additionally, compression experiments of the mortar matrix showed an approximate reduction of 87.93%. According to these results, 4% aggregate in mortar and 8% aggregate in plaster were selected to be integrated into a bio-based wall, which was numerically simulated using the heat transfer equation. The obtained results prove the wall’s thermal ability to reduce the average heating and cooling energy loads by 13 kWh/m2.year calculated over the four orientations (north, east, south, and west) which is equivalent to 6.47 $/m2 of energy savings and 5.64 kgCO2eq/m2.year of avoided CO2 emissions.