Thermal performance evaluation of a low-cost housing ceiling prototype made with gypsum and sisal fibre panels

Abstract

Social housing needs and constructive demands required new constructive solutions based on the use of innovative materials, aiming energy efficiency, reducing waste, maintains of buildings and pollutants such as CO2. The composites materials with a ceramic matrix and fibres as reinforcement originate materials widely used in building industry. However, the study of the thermal performance of these composites materials as a ceiling prototype panels contributes to the determination of the internal temperatures and thermal comfort achieve by the social house. The present research had the purpose of conceiving and evaluating the thermal performance of a low-cost ceiling prototype panels made of a gypsum composite reinforced with sisal nonwoven (“in nature”), located in Salvador, Napoli, Barcelona and Marseille, by means of computer simulations for testing the improvements of the original gypsum ceiling. Among the composites used in this study are the following conformations: gypsum-sisal-gypsum (GMG), gypsum-sisal-sisal-gypsum (GMMG), gypsum-sisal-gypsum-sisal-gypsum (GMGMG). From obtained results, general guidelines were drawn for improving indoor comfort condition for summer at each location.