Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ASSESSMENT OF THERMAL SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (EFB) FIRED CLAY BRICK MASONRY MODEL USING INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY (IRT)

R. Deraman, M. H. Hamzah, A.A. Kadir, A.H. Abdullah, S. Nagapan and R. Yunus

Abstract

In Malaysia, 45% of the average household electricity consumption is by air conditioners. This high energy utilization is, to a large extent, related to poor thermal performance of the building envelope. To enhance the energy efficiency of buildings, it is therefore imperative that low thermal conductivity bricks be used. Numerous research has been conducted on the potential use of agricultural waste as a thermal enhancement additive in building materials. The aim of this study is to measure the thermal surface temperature of a constructed empty fruit bunch (EFB) clay brick masonry wall model over a period of time as an assessment of the effectiveness of EFB waste as an agent for brick thermal insulation. Two types of brick, namely 5% EFB and CB (Control Brick), each measuring 1.00 m long x 0.102 m width x 1.00 m height, were subjected to thermal surface temperature test using thermal imaging infrared camera. Data was recorded sequentially at regular intervals using the infrared camera, allowing the researchers to record the dynamic value changes of wall surface temperature. In addition, physical, chemical composition and mechanical property tests were carried out to identify the performance of EFB clay brick and CB. The results reveal that the 5% EFB brick minimizes the thermal conductivity as well as reduces the thermal surface temperature of the constructed masonry wall model. The outcome of this research suggests clearly that EFB waste is a potential additive material for thermal property enhancement of the building envelope.