Assessment of the Thermal Behaviour of Rammed Earth Walls in the Summer Period

Laura Balaguer, Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares, Camilla Mileto and Lidia García-Soriano
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Laura Balaguer: Institute for the Heritage Restoration, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
Fernando Vegas López-Manzanares: Deparment of Architectural Composition, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
Camilla Mileto: Deparment of Architectural Composition, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
Lidia García-Soriano: Institute for the Heritage Restoration, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: The constructive solutions characteristic of vernacular architecture are the result of the convergence of geographical, cultural and climatic factors that bring about constructions characterised by adaptation to their surroundings. However, at present, Spanish regulations do not contemplate the properties of traditional materials, such as those found in earthen constructions, whose great thermal inertia is ignored despite their thermal gains and compensations. Given these limitations, the purpose of this study is to assess the thermal behaviour of traditional earthen architecture adjusting to its real performance and original surroundings. This work thus examines a methodology to assess the thermal behaviour of rammed earth walls based on on-site data specifically collected in the summer in a case study located in La Serranía, a region in the northwest of the province of Valencia (Spain). The results show the evolution of exterior and interior surface temperatures of the earthen wall, quantifying its variation frequency and thermal energy transmission. Based on these data, the thermal transmittance of the wall is calculated and compared to highlight the difference from the normalised value, showing that a review of the Spanish regulations applied to earthen architecture is needed.

Keywords: thermal behaviour; rammed earth; vernacular heritage; earthen architecture; thermal transmittance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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