Thermal analysis of high performance lightweight concrete sandwich panels

Abstract EN

-This work is concerned with experimental and finite element investigation to determine the temperature distribution in hot weather through the section of the high performance lightweight concrete sandwich panels.

In the experimental work thermal conductivity of unreinforced mortar, reinforced mortar and polystyrene concrete were investigated, then the thermal conductivity of eight series of 1000mm length and 200mm width concrete sandwich panels with two reinforced mortar faces of 20 mm in thickness and core of 30 and 50mm in thickness from polystyrene concrete were calculated.

A nonlinear one – dimensional finite element analysis has been used to conduct an analytical investigation on the temperature distribution through the section of concrete sandwich panels.

ANSYS (version 8) computer programme was utilized and 2-node LINK elements were used.

The experimental results show that thermal conductivity of the concrete sandwich panels is low with average value of 0.446 W/m.K and the thermal conductivity of the panels with similar type and volume content of reinforcement decreases by about 17% when the core thickness increases from 30 to 50 mm.

The finite element results of temperature distribution show good agreement with the experimental measurements.