Analyzing the Thermal Performance of Building Envelope with Bamboo as a Composite Material

Abstract: The mechanical and structural strength of bamboo as a building material has been proven through various studies and its qualities as a green material has been realized globally. It is now being called “green gold” and the “future of sustainability”. India is the second largest producer of bamboo in the world and it has always been a common vernacular material as various species grow all over the country. The study attempts to quantify and validate the importance of choosing appropriate building materials in general, and bamboo in particular for better energy performance. There is a lack of experimental validation & quantitative analysis of the thermal performance of bamboo structures, which needs to be addressed. Firstly, the Sustainability Index of bamboo is calculated using CPWD guidelines and certain modifications in the calculation procedure has been proposed. In the next stages, two bamboo residences in India have been taken up for detailed studies of their wall sections and variations of the same building designs are modelled by altering only the envelope materials & testing the changes in thermal performance. Various wall sections are then identified through literature and case studies, which are analyzed for heat transfer coefficients. Inferences lead to the design of a primary school building with bamboo as the main building material. Simulations are carried out to quantify its energy use & is compared to the thermal performance & energy consumption of conventional brick & RCC buildings & also against the ECBC recommended envelope.