Parametric study of thermal mass property of concrete buildings in US climate zones

Abstract

Considering the ubiquity of concrete's structural, architectural, and environmental applications in buildings, a research study was carried out to determine how the thermal mass property of concrete could improve the energy performance of buildings. The results have shown that extreme climate zones can better exploit the thermal mass property of the material. This article initially reviews the fundamental concepts of thermal mass. It then specifically explores the impact of thermal mass concrete on building energy performance in six U.S. climate zones through Energy Plus simulation and analysis. The building occupancy types (office and residential), window-to-wall area ratio, and height are chosen as the parameters to evaluate the impact of thermal mass on building energy performance. In addition, the annual heating and cooling energy demands are selected as the measurement indices of building energy consumption. This article presents the results of the study, interprets them, and draws conclusions about the potential benefits of thermal mass for both residential and office occupancies, which are deemed to be important to researchers and design professionals. These results indicate that other influential design variables such as slab thickness and thermal mass distribution could also be taken into account to demonstrate broader implications and benefits of thermal mass in different climate zones.

Keywords:

• thermal mass
• heating and cooling energy
• energy efficiency
• sustainability

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research Board (Award No. 10109). The authors are grateful to the Board for the financial support, which made this study possible.

Notes

Courtesy of Professor Rick K. Strand.

Adopted from American Concrete Institute (2002).

Adopted from Mazria (1980).

Adopted from Mazria (1980).

Adopted from Mazria (1980).

Adopted from Mazria (1980).

Adopted from Bahadori (1985).

Adopted from Willoughby (2002).