Experimental Comparison Between a Diffuse Insulation Masonry and a Traditional Lightweight Insulated Wall: Evaluation of Internal Temperatures and Thermal Comfort

The thermal masonry blocks are being introduced in building sector to replace traditional external thermal insulation composite systems due to the simplicity of their construction system, being set-up in a single-layer with the elimination of the insulating material. However, it is still unclear whether this new system is energy efficient, or whether the adoption of low thermal conductivity materials reduces the dynamic benefits of the thermal mass. This work presents an experimental study to evaluate the thermal behaviour of a new thermal masonry construction system, compared with a lightweight super-insulated system, by simultaneously measuring the thermal performance of two real house-like test rooms in an intermediate season and in summer. The results show the massive structure makes it possible to decrease the temperature of the internal air by 3.8 °C and 4.4 °C respectively in spring and in summer compared to the lightweight one, and to halve the hours of thermal discomfort.