Thermal performance of double brick wall construction on the building envelope of high-rise hotel in Malaysia

Abstract

The study discusses the impact of building double brick wall construction on the thermal performance of building façade in Malaysia. The Sunway Hotel, nestled within the heritage city of George Town in Penang, has been selected as a case study. Characterised by its simplicity and mass-produced construction, special attention is given to its double brick wall façade. The study comprises of two parameters for the façade thermal performance measurement on the west wall façade. The first measurement employs systematic calculation of the wall thermal transmittance (U-values) and proceeds with the calculation of the Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV). This calculation is meticulously undertaken to incorporate the previously calculated U-values for both the opaque and transparent elements of the double brick-wall façade unit. Secondly, the study records variations in the façade average external surface temperature using time-sequential thermography from 1200 to 1800 in response to the diurnal variation in solar radiation. Concerning the results of these two analyses, the finding informs the thermal performance of a double brick wall based on the requirement of the local standards MS 1525:14 and energy efficiency in the tropical climate of Malaysia.