Numerical study of thermal stress of a building material based on clay and date palm fibers

Abstract

This work aims to present, through a numerical study, the results of the thermal stress that appears within a construction material based on soil stabilized by date palm fibers (PDF) in a dry climate region. These plant fibers constituting an abundant and renewable natural waste have always been favored to develop and improve the thermal performance of building materials, nevertheless the problem of daily temperature variations in these regions leads to cracks that may cause deformations and damage of building walls. The simulation begins with the generation of 3D structures and then homogenization techniques and finite element calculations (FE) are used to estimate the equivalent coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite. This coefficient varies from 5.4.10-6 per °C for pure clay to 5.9.10-6 per °C for a fraction of 30% of date palm fibers, showing that the content of date palm fibers in adobe and clay brick acts on the thermal stress and stability of traditional construction buildings.