Thermal optimization of two-way joist slabs: A comparative study using finite element analysis
Galal AL-MEKHLAFI, Hussain ALSADIQ, Mohammed AL-HURI, Mohammed AL-OSTA, Omar AL-AMOUDI
Abstract. Efficient thermal management in building structures is crucial for energy conservation, particularly in hot climates. A comparative thermal analysis was presented in this paper on twenty two different two-way hollow block slabs using the finite element method (FEM). The study considered two types of hollow block materials which are normal concrete and clay, each with eleven block recesses configurations. The thermal properties including thermal transmittance, thermal resistance and equivalent thermal conductivity among various slab arrangements were investigated. The obtained results suggest that the number of vertical and horizontal intermediate bulkheads and the constituent material determine the thermal properties of the slabs. Clay-based slabs showed better thermal insulation than concrete-based slabs. This research contributes towards energy efficient building components development as well as informing selection of optimal slab configurations for enhanced heat performance.
Keywords
Thermal Optimization, Two-Way Joist Slab, Concrete, Clay, Finite Element Analysis
Published online 2/25/2025, 10 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Galal AL-MEKHLAFI, Hussain ALSADIQ, Mohammed AL-HURI, Mohammed AL-OSTA, Omar AL-AMOUDI, Thermal optimization of two-way joist slabs: A comparative study using finite element analysis, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 48, pp 181-190, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903414-21
The article was published as article 21 of the book Civil and Environmental Engineering for Resilient, Smart and Sustainable Solutions
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] G.-D. Zhou and T.-H. Yi, “Thermal load in large-scale bridges: a state-of-the-art review,” International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, vol. 9, no. 12, p. 217983, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/217983
[2] J. del Coz Díaz, P. G. Nieto, J. D. Hernández, and A. S. Sánchez, “Thermal design optimization of lightweight concrete blocks for internal one-way spanning slabs floors by FEM,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 1276-1287, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.08.005
[3] A. A. A. Shohan and M. B. Gadi, “Evaluation of thermal and energy performance in mosque buildings for current situation (simulation study) in mountainous climate of Abha City,” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 10, p. 4014, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104014
[4] H. Alsadiq, G. Almekhlafi, A. Alabdullah, S. Alfatih, and H. A. Abas, “Enhancing Thermal Properties in Concrete Blocks Using Styrofoam-Wax Mixtures,” in Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainability: Developments and Innovations, 2024: Springer, pp. 184-192. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-8348-9_23
[5] T. Wei, C. Y. Jim, Y. Chen, A. Chen, and X. Li, “Complementary influence of green-roof and roof-slab thermal conductivity on winter indoor warming assessed by finite element analysis,” Energy Reports, vol. 8, pp. 14852-14864, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.11.019
[6] S. Berrabah, M. O. Moussa, and M. Bakhouya, “3D Modeling of the Thermal Transfer through Precast Buildings Envelopes,” Energies, vol. 14, no. 13, p. 3751, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133751
[7] E. Gil, C. Lerma, J. Vercher, and Á. Mas, “Methodology for thermal behaviour assessment of homogeneous façades in heritage buildings,” Journal of Sensors, vol. 2017, no. 1, p. 3280691, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3280691
[8] J. Sun and L. Fang, “Numerical simulation of concrete hollow bricks by the finite volume method,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 52, no. 23-24, pp. 5598-5607, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2009.06.008
[9] J. del Coz Díaz, P. G. Nieto, J. S. Sierra, and I. P. Sánchez, “Non-linear thermal optimization and design improvement of a new internal light concrete multi-holed brick walls by FEM,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 28, no. 8-9, pp. 1090-1100, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2007.06.023
[10] J. del Coz Díaz, P. G. Nieto, J. D. Hernández, and F. Á. Rabanal, “A FEM comparative analysis of the thermal efficiency among floors made up of clay, concrete and lightweight concrete hollow blocks,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 30, no. 17-18, pp. 2822-2826, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2010.07.024
[11] T. L. Bergman, A. S. Lavine, F. P. Incropera, and D. P. DeWitt, Introduction to heat transfer. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
[12] A. F. Mills, Heat Transfer. Irwin, 1992.
[13] Building components and building elements – Thermal resistance and thermal transmittance – Calculation method, ISO 6946:2017, I. O. f. Standardization, 2017.
[14] J. del Coz Díaz, P. G. Nieto, C. B. Biempica, and M. P. Gero, “Analysis and optimization of the heat-insulating light concrete hollow brick walls design by the finite element method,” Applied thermal engineering, vol. 27, no. 8-9, pp. 1445-1456, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2006.10.010
[15] J. del Coz Díaz, P. G. Nieto, J. S. Sierra, and C. B. Biempica, “Nonlinear thermal optimization of external light concrete multi-holed brick walls by the finite element method,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 51, no. 7-8, pp. 1530-1541, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2007.07.029
[16] X. S. Fan, Y. L. Chen, X. L. Niu, X. C. Wang, and C. F. Liang, “Numerical analysis on hollow EPSRC block and its thermal insulation wall,” Advanced Materials Research, vol. 724, pp. 1526-1530, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.724-725.1526
