Physics of Heat &

Thermal Heat Properties of

Materials

Building Science 1
Sujatavani Gunasagaran
Thermal performance of buildings

This session provides a much needed

analysis of the thermal behaviour of
buildings, considering the means by
which heat flows into and out of a
structure as well as a summary of
relevant control mechanisms.
.
What does this mean to Architects
Improving thermal performance of buildings
through energy efficient design is an
important program to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and global climate change
towards sustainable design.
In other words:

• Through design, reduce the amount of energy used to achieve

comfortable levels of temperature and humidity, and adequate
levels of lighting in buildings.

• (Australian Building Codes Board, 2001)

Thermal performance of buildings
Under all situations, heat flows either
into or out of a building.

Conduction
Convection
Radiation
 What is Conduction?
• Heat energy travels through/transfer between
bodies in direct contact.
• Heated excited molecules bump into and
transfer some of their energy into adjacent,
cooler ones.
• The faster the rate of heat flow, or molecular
interaction at a given temperature through a
material, the higher the conductivity.
 What is Convection?
• Heat is transferred by the bodily movement of
a carrying medium (gas or liquid). Movement
maybe self-generating due to temperature
differences or propelled by an applied force.
• The rate of heat transfer in convection
depends on:
• Temperature difference
• The rate of movement of carrying medium
• Specific heat of the carrying medium.
 What is Radiation?
• Heat energy transmitted from the source
through the space to the bodily contact
without a medium.
• Radiant energy is transmitted as
electromagnetic waves.
• Rate of heat flow depends on:
• Temperature of emitting and receiving surfaces.
• Certain qualities of these surfaces.
• Radiation received by a surface can be partly
absorbed and partly reflected (a + r =1).
 What is Radiation?
• Light coloured, smooth & shiny surfaces
tend to have higher reflectance.
• A perfect reflective surface : r=1, a=0
• A perfect absorber (black surface : r=0,
a=1
• Measurement of radiation = W/m2.
 Thermal balance

Heat may be lost – outwards flow, or

Heat may be gained – inwards flow.

The net result may be either too hot, too

cold, or just right.
 Heat Flow
• Heat energy tends to distribute itself
evenly until a perfectly diffused uniform
thermal field is achieved.
• It tends to flow from high temperature to
lower temperature zones by conduction,
convection and radiation.
• The greater the temperature difference
the faster the rate of heat flow.
 Density Of Heat Flow
Heat Flow Rate Rate

• It is equivalent to Power • In heat calculations – the

– the ability to carry out term is Intensity (which
certain work (energy to is heat flow in relation to
carry out the work) in unit area) is used.
unit time.
• I = W/m2
• J/s = Watt (can be
measured in kilowatt
(1kW = 1000 W)
Modifications to adjust thermal comfort

If it is likely to be too hot or too cold, then:

• Design the building to control heat

flow, and
• Add heating or cooling to modify
temperature.
Three basic considerations of design to
control heat flow

• Consider thermal properties of materials

(insulation or heat storage)
• Consider solar radiation (shading)
• Consider airtightness (ventilation)
 Thermal properties of materials

• Insulation
• Thermal mass heat storage
 Insulation
• Insulation is the use of a material with a
low overall conductance to reduce the
energy flow across another material.
• The insulation acts to retard and/or
reduce the flow of heat, thus it must
have a high resistance (resistance
being the inverse of conductance).
 Thermal Mass Heat Storage
• Solid mass
elements such as
concrete, solid brick,
stone, earth,
rammed earth,
absorb and release
heat slowly.
• The effect is to
stabilize the effects
of diurnal
temperature
changes.
 Airtightness and Ventilation
• Heat may be lost (exfiltration), or gained
(infiltration)
• Control of airflow in and out of a
building is an essential design
consideration.
- Window design,
- vent and opening location
- avoid uncontrollable gaps and cracks
 Conductivity, k-value (M&E Book pg 179)
• In order to calculate heat transfer and to
compare different materials it is necessary to
quantify just how well a material conducts
heat.
• k = rate of heat flow in watts across a
thickness of 1m for a temperature difference
of 1 degree C.
• Or a measure of the rate at which heat is
conducted through a particular material under
specified conditions
• Unit measurement is W/m deg C.
• The lower the k-value, the better the
insulation (good insulator = 0.03 W/m deg.C)
• (tables M&E page 1547 and Metric Handbook page 38-3)
Conductivity and
resistivity of some
materials –
(Book: Manual of Tropical Housing
and Building page 285)
 Resistance (R) and Resistivity

R=t/k m2 C/W
where: R is the resistance of the material (m²C/W),
t is the thickness of the material (m), and
k is the conductivity of the material (W/mC).

• Reciprocal of conductivity is resistivity = 1/k

• Resistivity is a material property and refers to
that material's ability to resist the flow of heat
• Better insulators will have higher resistivity
values
 Conductance, C
• C = is the heat flow rate through unit area of body
(density of heat flow rate) when the temperature
difference between 2 surfaces is 1 degree C.
C= 1 = 1 = W/ m2 deg C
R m2 deg C
W
• Conductivity values are more readily available for
most building materials than resistivity
• Conductance unit is - (W/m²C ).
• Conductance is the inverse of resistance,

C = 1 = k W/m²
W/m²C
R t
 Rt-value and U-value
• Resistance is usually given as an "R" value
which is given as the resistance of one square
metre of the structural element subject to a
one degree temperature difference. R
includes surface air resistances.
Rt = Rso + ΣR
Rn + Rsi m2C/W
• The U-Value is the overall heat transfer
property of a structural element (W/m² K) and
is the reciprocal of its total resistance.
U= 1 W/m²
W/m² C
Rt
 Transmittance, U-value
• The reciprocal of the air to air resistance
is the air to air transmittance or U-value
(use for heat gain/loss calculation)
• U = 1/Rt (total thermal resistance) or U
= 1/Rsi+1/R1+1/R2+….+1/Ra+Rso
• unit is the same as conductance ie.
• W/m2 deg C except that the difference
is the air temperature difference and not
the surface temperature difference.
 Overall heat transfer property
U = 1/Rsi+1/R1+1/R2+….+1/Ra+Rso
• U = U value
• Rsi= standard inside surface resistance
• R1, R2= Resistance of that particular
material
• Ra = Standard resistance of air space
• Rso= standard outside surface
resistance
Transmittance of
some
constructions –
(Book: Manual of Tropical Housing
and Building page 287)
 REFERENCES
• Introduction to Architectural Science:
Steven V Szokolay
• Metric Handbook: David Adler
• Manual of Tropical Housing & Building:
Koenigsberger
• Mechanical & Electrical Equipment for
Buildings: Benjamin Stein
 Worked example 1

Calculate the U value of a cavity wall with a 105mm thk brick

outer leaf, a 75mm unventilated cavity containing 50mm
fiberglass quilt then a 100mm light weight concrete block inner
leaf with a 15mm layer of light weight plaster.

Thermal conductivity, in W/mK, are: brickwork 0.84, light weight

concrete block 0.19, fibreglass 0.04 and lightweight plaster
0.16. The standard thermal resistances, in m2K/W are: outside
surface 0.055, inside surface 0.123, cavity 0.18
 Thermal
conductivity Resistance
Layers Thickness Wm/K (m2K/W)
outside surface - - standard 0.055

light weight plaster 15mm 0.015 0.16 0.0105/0.16 0.09375

cavity 25mm 0.025 n/a standard 0.18

fibregalss quilt 50mm 0.05 0.04 0.05/0.04 1.250

lighweight concreteblock inner leaf

100mm 0.1 0.19 0.1/0.19 0.526

Exposed brickwork 105mm 0.105 0.84 0.105/0.84 0.125

inside surface standard 0.123

Total 2.353

Using U-value = 1 / Rt

= 1/2.353

= 0.43 W/m2K
 Worked Example 2
• A certain uninsulated cavity wall has a U-value of 0.91W/m2K. If
expanded polyurethane board is included in the construction what
minimum thickness of this board is needed to reduce the U-value to
0.45W/m2K? Given that the thermal conductivity of expanded
polyurethene = 0.025W/mK.

Target U value U2 = 0.45

Target Total resistance (1/U) R2 = 1/0.45 = 2.222

Existing U-Value U1 = 0.91

Existing total resistance v

(1/U) R1 = 1/0.91

Extra Resistance Required R2 - R1 = 2.222 - 1.099 1.123

The k-value of the proposed insulating material k= 0.025, so using formula

R=d/k
Thickness of material d = R x k
= 1.123 x 0.025
= 0.028meters

So minimum thickness of insulating board needed to give 0.45 U-value is 28mm

 Tutorial 1
A cavity wall is constructed as follows brickwork outer
leaf 105mm, air gap 25mm, expanded polyurethene
board 25mm, lightweight concrete block inner leaf
100mm, plasterboard 10mm. The relevant values of
thermal conductivity, in W/mK, are: brickwork 0.88,
polystyrene 0.035, concrete block 0.19, plasterboard
0.16. The standard thermal resistances, in m2K/W are:
outside surface 0.055, inside surface 0.123, air gap 0.18.

a) calculate the U-value of this wall

b) calculate the U-value of the same wall sited in a position
of severe exposure for which the outside surface
resistance is 0.03m2K/W