A FEM comparative analysis of the thermal efficiency among floors made up of clay, concrete and lightweight concrete hollow blocks

This paper presents a comparative non-linear thermal analysis for a total of eighteen different in situ cast floors varying both the constituent materials of the hollow blocks (clay, concrete and lightweight concrete) and the shape and number of recesses (six different block types) using the finite element method (FEM). Based on the non-linear thermal analysis of the different configurations by FEM and considering both upward and downward heat flows, it is possible to choose the best candidate floor from the thermal point of view. Mathematically, the non-linearity is due to the radiation boundary condition inside the recesses of the blocks. The comparative analysis of the floors is carried out from the finite element analysis through the two important parameters: the average mass overall thermal efficiency and the equivalent thermal conductivity. Finally, the results and conclusions reached in this work are exposed. ► The nonlinear thermal complex analysis of different floors. ► The selection procedure of the best candidate block. ► The influence of the different recesses in the block's thermal performance. ►The thermal efficiency of different constituent materials.