2020 International Conference on Contemporary Computing and Applications (IC3A)

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow. Feb 05-07, 2020

Role of Building Materials in Thermal Performance

A Parametric Study of Vernacular Houses at Lucknow, India

Ritu Gulati
Faculty of Architecture & Planning
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University
2020 International Conference on Contemporary Computing and Applications (IC3A) 978-1-7281-5432-9/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE 10.1109/IC3A48958.2020.233298

Lucknow, India
gulati.ritu@foaaktu.ac.in

Abstract—Indoor Thermal comfort, having utmost effect on
human health relies on the building envelope’s efficient
thermal performance. While numerous strategies play a role in
indoor thermal comfort, the influence of envelope materials are
dominant. Parametric simulation is an expedient tactic in
contemporary times that models comfort conditions with
transforming strategies. This study focusses on assessment of
the comparative thermal performance of selected vernacular
houses at Lucknow. This being a culturally rich city with
typical composite climate has distinctly varied seasons and the
vernacular houses forms have benefitted from combinations of
high thermal capacity materials to combat thermal discomfort.
This study uses Energyplus simulation software to
quantitatively assess the role of construction materials utilised
in the selected cases and establish recommendations for future
usage.
Keywords: Thermal Comfort; Energyplus; Parametric
Simulation; Vernacular Houses; Lucknow; Building Envelope;
Materials.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Thermal Comfort & Performance of Building Envelope
Thermal comfort has been explained as the condition
expressing satisfaction with given thermal environment. Its
significance cannot be underestimated in any climate type as
it is directly related to health issues and also affects the
physical & psychological capabilities of human beings in an
environment. Moreover, with the issues of present day
climate change, designing built forms for thermal comfort
becomes even more important and indispensable. In this
domain the thermal performance of a built envelope assumes
maximum significance in determining the indoor conditions.
As the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures
becomes the most important factor for heat exchange, the
effectiveness of the building envelope in a given climate is
very important. Moreover, the most most controllable factors
affecting the thermal performance of a building envelope
within the architectural premise include its Siting, Location,
Orientation, Form and Massing, Spatial Organization, Open
Built Distribution, Material and Construction Techniques
besides special elements responsive to existing climatic
conditions.
B. The site and Region of Study:
Lucknow is an architecturally and culturally rich city the
Gangetic plains of northern India between parallels 26o 30’
and 27o 10’ North latitude and 80o 30’ and 81o31’ East
longitude experiencing a typical composite climate. Within
this climate type three distinct seasons can be identified
namely the Hot and Dry, the Warm Humid or Monsoon and
the Cold and Wet. Within the transition of these seasons
there are short periods of moderate weather which very soon
lead to the next seasons and therefore an extremely short
spring and autumn season are also encountered within the
annual climate cycle. With these extreme variable seasons,
the expected design of built form becomes even more
challenging. Within this context use of heavy thermal mass
and night ventilation in summers combined with direct and
indirect evaporation; and solar heating in summers form
effective passive strategies for indoor thermal comfort all
through the year.
C. Vernacular House Forms in and around Lucknow
The significance of learning from the vernacular has been
corroborated by a number of scholarships that have also
ascertained that, their responses to prevailing climatic
conditions have been favorable. These lessons are even more
meaningful in the contemporary Indian context, with low
energy resources and the unremitting, escalating needs of an
exploding population. Moreover, learnings from the Indian
vernacular have also established their effective performances
with respect to existing environments especially the hot –dry
cold, and warm-humid climates. In Lucknow region, broadly
three vernacular house types are existent, the core-urban
courtyard type and the bungalow type within the main city
precincts and semi-rural mud house type on the fringes of the
city. All three generic types of vernacular houses are
distinctly varied from each other and appear thermally
comfortable too.
D. Aims and Objectives
After Detailed documentation and analysis of these
houses about ten cases were selected: three from the
bungalow type, three from city courtyard type and four from
semi-rural mud houses. They were monitored by dataloggers
for varied environmental variables after which an occupant
survey validated the presence of indoor adaptive thermal
comfort in the selected cases for the major part of the year.
These houses were then subjected to simulation studies for
quantitative assessment of impact of specific passive
strategies in their improved thermal performance in this
climate type. The aspect of construction materials was taken
as major variable in understanding its role. Within this
premise the major objectives of this study was:
1. To Comparatively assess the thermal performance
of selected cases
2. This study also aspired to quantify the role of
material properties of the selected cases in their
thermal performance by parametric simulation

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3. The objective was also to determine emergent
principles from the study valid for the climatic
conditions of the region.
II. METHOD
A. Simulation: need and Significance
Simulation has been defined as the imitative
representation of functioning of another. It has also been
described as a computerized model of energy processes
within built form that provide an environment that is
thermally comfortable for the occupants and or contents. In
this particular study simulation has become an effective tool
to identify the role of specific strategies in the selected cases.
The parametric study was able to help in identifying the
scenario, load conditions and temperatures which could not
have been done otherwise.
B. EnergyPlus: Selection & Operation
A variety of energy simulation programs are available in
the present times. They have been critically analyzed for their
assessment of thermal performance after which Energyplus
has been identified as most useful and accurate besides being
efficient. Energyplus - DOE’s fully integrated building;
heating; ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and
renewable simulation program is one of the most robust
simulation tools available in the world today. It models
building heating, cooling, lighting, ventilating and other
energy flows, as well as water. The program comprises of
numerous innovative simulation abilities such as time steps
of less than an hour, modular systems and plant integrated
with heat balance based zone simulation, multi-zone air flow,
thermal comfort, water use, natural ventilation, and
photovoltaic systems.
III. CASE:
A. City Courtyard Houses
The city courtyard houses, organized as introverted
centripetal inward arrangements, consist of one or two
courtyards depending on the socio-cultural and primarily
religious aspects. They open from narrow shaded streets
within dense built contexts having minimal vegetation,
absence of water bodies and flat topography with square or
rectangular plan forms having varying orientations and
limited solar access, all city houses have one to three shared
walls with neighboring houses. Being partially double or
triple storied in most cases, flat terraces on all floors are
invariably present even with limited fenestrations opening to
the outside and optimum ceiling heights. Spatial organization
consists of one or two bays around the courtyard(s) while
external material finishes are normally matt stucco plaster.
Construction materials utilized for walls are brick with lime
surkhi mortar plastered with mortar or stucco of total
thickness upto 600 mm whereas roofs made of jack arches
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with brick, mortar plaster and mud phuska total upto 300mm.
On the other hand, floors are brickwork with lime surkhi and
plaster finish. Within this generic type, three varied cases of
Jannat ki khirki, Farangi house and Narhai house were
selected having different thicknesses and proportions of
materials and finishes. (Refer to Fig 1 and 2).
B. Colonial Adapted Bungalows:
The colonial adapted bungalows are detached houses
organized in centripetal outwardly manner, located amidst
large shaded landscaped estates with negligible water bodies
and flat topography. Usually single storied, the generic
bungalow form is an organization of six to eight rooms
connected to each other and enclosed by verandahs on two to
three sides. Predominantly possessing a rectangular or square
plan form having varied orientation, bungalows do not have
shared walls with any other structure imparting unobstructed
solar and wind gains and losses. The construction materials
of walls are modular bricks with lime surkhi mortar and
plaster adding up to 600mm while the high roofs are made of
jack arches of brick and plaster finished with mud phuska
adding to 400mm. On the other hand, floors are made of
brick and lime surkhi mortar and plaster tiled with stones. In
this generic type variants in form of David House, Majithia
House and Rachna House are selected for comparative
analysis. ( Fig 1 & 2).
C. Semi- Rural Mud Houses:
The third generic type of vernacular house present in the
region are semi-rural mud houses located on the fringes of
the city. Situated amidst large fruit orchards and agricultural
lands, these houses are present in form of clusters of upto
thirty houses grouped on basis of occupation or caste.
Constructed in square or rectangular form, from avalaible
materials like clay, thatch and bamboo, these settlements are
located on large non-undulating sites with abundant solar
and wind access. Being diversely oriented, this generic type
has shared walls with neighbours and are usually singly
storied organised around courtyards with one or two bays of
narrow rooms. Low, sloping Verandahs are invariably
present to the outside while inner transition from rooms to
courtyards are sometimes without them. Windows are very
less with most of them opening to the inside courtyard and
asymmetrically placed doors acting as means of light and
ventilation. The materials utilized for wall construction are
locally available clay mixed with straw and finished with
mud and cow dung slurry adding to 700mm while roof is
made of bamboo purlin framework, finished with thick clay,
straw mud and cow dung slurry. Floors are mud finished
with similar slurries whereas verandahs had thatch roofs. In
this type four different cases namely Raj-Mahendar House,
Rumesh House, Pradhan House and Small Mud House were
selected for detailed analysis
Fig. 1. Selected vernacular Houses at Lucknow- Plans, Sections, 3-D model and actual image

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Fig. 2. Selected vernacular Houses at Lucknow- Plans, Sections, 3-D model and actual image

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 IV. SIMULATION PROCESS:
A. Input Data
Like most simulation software the accuracy of results
was directly related to input data in Energy-plus. For this
particular study first the Google Sketch-up models of each
house was created after which the inputs to the Energy-plus
model version 8.0 were made. The zone in which simulation
was to be performed was highlighted and input data for that
zone was duly entered to achieve the parametric results. The
details of siting, hierarchy of envelope, solar distribution,
schedules, ventilation and equipment, shading, fenestration
were filled as input data and weather file for Lucknow was
loaded for reference application. Zone air flow became one of
the most important input after which the parametric models
were calibrated against real time data collected by way of
mean bias error and cumulated value of root mean square
error.
B. OutPut Values:
After the refinement of parametric models of all cases,
simulation was conducted for variable conditions. First a base
case was made with existing materials of each house and a
variable case then for conventional materials including brick
230 mm with cement mortar and plaster along with 150 mm
concrete roof. Then variable cases of all selected houses
were simulated for the two settings and their thermal
performance was adjudged comparatively. The output models
were compared for summer, winter and monsoon seasons
along with the peak hottest day, average hottest day, most
overcast day, least windy day, peak coldest day and average
coldest day. These were identified on basis of existing
weather files for Lucknow in Ecotect Computational Tool.
The temperature outputs were measured in ºC and the results
were then synchronized with variations represented first
within each type and then across generic types of houses.
V. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
The results show a significant increase in indoor
Temperatures in hot months (both summers and monsoons)
whereas even more significant variations were visible in the
Peak and Average hottest days. In bungalows mean increase
in indoor temperatures without existing materials was 1.7ºC
(SD = 0.7 ºC) with the Majithia house showing a maximum
increase in indoor temperatures without existing materials
being 2.7ºC (SD = 0.9 ºC). David house followed second
with an average temperature hike of 1.5ºC (SD 0.9 ºC)
whereas Rachna House was last among bungalows yet
showed mean addition of 0.9 ºC in indoor temperatures with
the modified conventional materials (SD=0.5 ºC). On the
Hottest day with variation in materials Majithia House
displayed maximum rise in indoor temperatures being 3.6 ºC.
Then again, the city houses on an average showed
minimum utilization of thermal properties of materials
among all generic types. Despite being least, the average
increase in indoor temperature minus the high thermal
capacity materials was 1.2 ºC (SD = 0.7 ºC), with Farangi
house showing maximum effectiveness at 1.8 ºC (SD = 0.9
ºC) increase in temperature. It was followed by Jannat house
and Narhai House exhibiting an addition of 0.9 ºC (SD = 0.6
ºC) and 0.8 ºC respectively without existing materials.
Expectedly The Hottest day showed a more significant
increase in indoor temperatures displayed by the Farangi
House again. On the other hand, Mud houses showed the
maximum increase in indoor temperatures in all cases on
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modifying it with conventional materials. The mean increase
in this type was by 2.6 ºC (SD =1.1 ºC) whereas within all
mud houses the Pradhan house showed maximum
effectiveness of materials with mean temperature hike of 3 ºC
(SD= 1.4 ºC). This was ensued by Rajmahendar house having
a temperature rise of 2.6 ºC (SD= 1.2 ºC) with changed
materials. Small Mud House was a close next with increase
in indoor temperatures at 2.4 ºC (SD = 1 ºC) whereas
Rumesh House displayed a mean rise of 2.2 ºC (SD= 1.1 ºC)
without existing materials.
Here it is important to note that these results validated the
utility of high thermal mass material assemblies with
sufficiently low conductance values in Lucknow region even
with contrasting seasons. While generic houses of one type
have similar construction assemblies of materials, minor
variations in their performance was due to diverse thickness
and thus different conductance values. Mud houses, display
maximum increase in temperatures after changing to
conventional material assemblies substantiating the collective
effectiveness of mud and thatch. Even in monsoons when the
desirable conductance in materials is more these materials
perform well with minor decrease in temperatures with
respect to summers. This can be attributed to the conductance
of heat through opaque surfaces (especially those exposed to
radiation) depending on the thermal properties of materials,
its heat transfer coefficients, area, thickness and difference in
temperatures including sol air temperatures and internal
temperatures. In this study however the other parameters
remain fixed and only material properties of the structural
elements like walls & roofs are modified in the simulation
validating the role of only their thermal properties.
VI. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
The simulation results have already exhibited radical
deviations in indoor temperatures of all selected cases, the
maximum of which was evident in mud houses (mean rise of
2.6°C) followed by bungalows (1.7°C) and then city houses
(1.2°C). The case most affected with change of materials to
conventional type from existing has been Pradhan Mud house
showing average raise in indoor temperature by 3.0°C with
modified constituents. On considering mean values of all
cases, hike in indoor temperatures has been 1.9°C which is
remarkable for the climate of Lucknow. Within context of
afore-mentioned findings the study gave following
recommendations useful for the region’s climate:
1. Within premise of thermal performance, it is the
combined chemistry of multiple strategies and sub-
strategies that function together resulting in
comfort conditions within a built form. Attributing
the thermal conditions to a single parameter or
technique in isolation is incomplete and
questionable.
2. Material properties, especially high thermal mass
have been established as a very useful strategy for
this climate type reducing the indoor temperatures
to a very large degree.
3. Courtyards with smaller proportions and singly
loaded rooms have emerged to be beneficial in the
existing conditions. However, investigation of
selected cases architecturally also indicates that
sufficiently shaded larger courts might be
advantageous for ventilation and winter gains
 while double bays rooms with scope of ventilation
could also be used in this varied season climate.
TABLE I. INCREASE IN INDOOR TEMPERATURES OF EACH CASE IN
DIFFERENT SEASONS WITH MEAN VALUES AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS.
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