Materials and Structures

Nano-structured lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface compound for energy

efficient building envelope
--Manuscript Draft--

Manuscript Number: MAAS-D-13-00789R2

Full Title: Nano-structured lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface compound for energy
efficient building envelope

Article Type: Original Research

Keywords: cement; perlite; natural fiber; nano metakaolin; thermal conductivity; flexural
strength; reflectivity & energy efficiency

Corresponding Author: Hamada Shoukry, Master

Housing & Building National Research center, Egypt
EGYPT

Corresponding Author Secondary

Information:

Corresponding Author's Institution: Housing & Building National Research center, Egypt

Corresponding Author's Secondary

Institution:

First Author: Hamada Shoukry, Master

First Author Secondary Information:

Order of Authors: Hamada Shoukry, Master

mohamed kotkata, D.Sc.

mohamed morsy, D.Sc.

salah abo-e-enein, Ph.D.

Sayed shebl, Ph.D.

Order of Authors Secondary Information:

Abstract: Cementitious materials are widely used for cladding of the building envelopes;
however, they possess low thermal resistivity, low tensile strength and ductility which
leading to cracking with time. It would be advantageous to improve thermal resistivity of
lightweight cementitious materials whilst keeping their mechanical performance
acceptable/reasonable. This study represents an extension to a work that has
investigated the role of nano metakaolin (NMK) in enhancing the flexural strength of
fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC). An optimum composite of NMK -
modified FRCC was determined. The aim of this study is to develop nanostructured
lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface compounds (NLWFRCC) with
improved thermal properties and reasonable mechanical strength. For this purpose
WPC was partially replaced with different amounts of perlite ranging from 10% up to
70% by volume of cement. The mixes were prepared using standard water of
consistency. The bulk density, thermal conductivity, solar reflectivity, flexural strength,
and capillary water absorption were determined in accordance to ASTM standards at
28 days of curing. The microstructure characteristics of the hardened NLWFRCC were
investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that the density,
thermal conductivity and flexural strength decrease with increasing replacements of
cement by perlite, thermal conductivity at 70% perlite is 6.3 times less than the
composite with no perlite (plain). Even at 70% Perlite; the developed NLWRFCC still
retaining sufficient flexural strength. Incorporating perlite into WPC, led to a significant
enhancement in reflectivity especially in near infrared region, an increase of about 33%
was obtained at 70% perlite. In order to assess the quantitative impact of the decrease
of thermal conductivity of NLWFRCC on the energy efficiency of a residential building,
the building energy analysis program DesignBuilder 3.2 was used to simulate the
annual energy consumption for a typical residential house in Egypt under the climatic
conditions of Cairo.

Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation
Response to Reviewers: All the required amendments as per reviewers have been done

Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation
revised manuscript
Click here to download Manuscript: nano-structured lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface compound for energy efficient bu
Click here to view linked References

Nano-structured lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface

1 compound for energy efficient building envelope
2
3 H. Shoukrya*, M. F. Kotkatab, S. A. Abo-EL-Eneinc, M. S. Morsyd and S. S. Sheble
4
5 a*,e
Housing & Building National Research Center, HBRC, Cairo, Egypt
6 b
Semiconductors Technology Lab, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University,
7
8 Cairo 11566, Egypt
c
9 Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
10 d
Specialty Units for Safety & Preservation of Structures, Civil Engineering Department,
11
12 College of Engineering King Saud University,
13 Riyadh P. O. Box: 800
a*
14 E.mail: hamadashoukry@yahoo.com
15
16 Abstract
17
18 Cementitious materials are widely used for cladding of the building envelopes;
19
20 however, they possess low thermal resistivity, low tensile strength and ductility which
21
22
leading to cracking with time. It would be advantageous to improve thermal resistivity
23 of lightweight cementitious materials whilst keeping their mechanical performance
24
25 acceptable/reasonable. This study represents an extension to a work that has
26
27 investigated the role of nano metakaolin (NMK) in enhancing the flexural strength of
28
29 fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC). An optimum composite of NMK –
30
31 modified FRCC was determined. The aim of this study is to develop nanostructured
32
33
lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface compounds (NLWFRCC) with
34 improved thermal properties and reasonable mechanical strength. For this purpose
35
36 WPC was partially replaced with different amounts of perlite ranging from 10% up to
37
38 70% by volume of cement. The mixes were prepared using standard water of
39
40 consistency. The bulk density, thermal conductivity, solar reflectivity, flexural
41
42 strength, and capillary water absorption were determined in accordance to ASTM
43
44
standards at 28 days of curing. The microstructure characteristics of the hardened
45 NLWFRCC were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found
46
47 that the density, thermal conductivity and flexural strength decrease with increasing
48
49 replacements of cement by perlite, thermal conductivity at 70% perlite is 6.3 times
50
51 less than the composite with no perlite (plain). Even at 70% Perlite; the developed
52
53 NLWRFCC still retaining sufficient flexural strength. Incorporating perlite into WPC,
54 led to a significant enhancement in reflectivity especially in near infrared region, an
55
56 increase of about 33% was obtained at 70% perlite. In order to assess the quantitative
57
58 impact of the decrease of thermal conductivity of NLWFRCC on the energy
59
60 efficiency of a residential building, the building energy analysis program
61
62 1
63
64
65
 DesignBuilder 3.2 was used to simulate the annual energy consumption for a typical
1 residential house in Egypt under the climatic conditions of Cairo.
2
3 Key words: Cement; perlite; natural fiber; nano metakaolin; thermal conductivity; flexural
4 strength; reflectivity & energy efficiency.
5
6 1. Introduction
7
8
9 Building sector is one of the major energy consumers, studies indicate that
10
11 buildings in Egypt (residential and commercial sectors) consume about 58% of the
12
13
total energy use concerning electricity; therefore, it is necessary that Egypt should
14 devote more efforts to reduce energy use in buildings [1]. Thermal characteristics of
15
16 the building envelope have a major impact on the energy efficiency of buildings and
17
18 can make a significant contribution to minimizing the building energy consumption
19
20 for heating and cooling and hence in reducing CO2 emissions [2]. The most basic
21
22 property that used for determining the thermal performance of building materials is
23 the thermal conductivity, which describes the ability of heat to flow across the
24
25 material under a specific temperature gradient [3]; Therefore, Improving the thermal
26
27 performance of a building envelope will result in minimizing heat transfer through
28
29 building skins; this will reduce the amount of cooling energy required to maintain
30
31 comfortable indoor air temperature in hot climate, i.e. this will lower the load on the
32
33 air-conditioning system which is responsible for a significant portion of a typical
34 building's electricity consumption [4]. Improving the thermal properties of the
35
36 existing building envelope can be considered as one of the most reasonable solutions
37
38 in order to reduce the building energy consumption. The use of lightweight
39
40 cementitious plastering can enhance the building envelope thermal resistivity. The
41
42 uses of lightweight aggregate in the production of lightweight cementitious surface
43
44
materials can reduce the thermal conductivity and minimizing energy consumption in
45 building [5]. The lightweight aggregate can be classified into organic and inorganic
46
47 cellular materials. Examples of organic cellular materials include expanded
48
49 polystyrene foam (EPS), extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) and polyurethane foam.
50
51 The inorganic cellular materials are produced from natural and artificial such as
52
53 expanded perlite, expanded clay, vermiculite, ceramic microsphere, glass hollow
54
55
sphere, etc. [6]. These materials are characterized by high porosity and contain high
56 volume of voids so their density and thermal conductivity are very low [7-8]. While
57
58 cement pastes and mortars are the most widely used for plastering, they are brittle,
59
60 suffer from cracks and low tensile strength, and exhibit low tensile strains prior to
61
62 2
63
64
65
 failure [9]. In order to overcome these weaknesses, fibers are incorporated into
1 cementitious matrix, and the use of this microfiber reinforcement leads to the
2
3 improvement of mechanical properties of cement based materials [10]. This
4
5 microfiber inclusion will help to delay the development of micro-cracks but it will not
6
7 help to stop or terminate their initiation [11]. The addition of nano particles has been
8 shown to improve the resistance to crack initiation of cement based materials [12].
9
10 Nano-particles are very reactive because of their ultrafine size and large surface area
11
12 and have particular potential in improving cement and concrete properties. The
13
14 changes in mechanical and micro-structural properties of cement mortar due to the
15
16 effect of nano-clay have been considered by many researchers [10, 13, 14]. The
17
18
inclusion of nano-clay to cement and mortar enhances the compressive and flexural
19 strength and result in quite dense, compact and uniform microstructure [13, 14]. This
20
21 study aimed at developing nanostructured lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious
22
23 surface compounds (NLWFRCC) with high thermal resistivity, enhanced solar
24
25 reflectivity and reasonable flexural strength for energy efficient building envelope
26
27 applications.
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 3
63
64
65
 2. Experimental procedure
1 2.1 Materials
2
3 The materials used in this investigation were white Portland cement WPC
4
5 (type I), nano kaolin clay (NK), lightweight aggregate (perlite) and natural fiber
6
7 (linen). Nano kaolin was supplied by Middle East Mining Investments Company
8 (MEMCO), Egypt; the perlite was supplied by the Egyptian company for
9
10 manufacturing perlite & vermiculite (E.C.P.V) and linen fiber was supplied by United
11
12 For Export Co., Egypt.
13
14 Nano metakaolin (NMK) was obtained by thermal activation (calcination) of
15
16 NK at 750 °C for 2 hours. The oxide compositions of WPC, NMK and perlite were
17
18
determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) as shown in Table (1). The physical
19 properties of perlite and linen fiber are introduced in tables (2) and (3) respectively.
20
21 The SEM micrographs of NMK, perlite and fiber are presented in Fig.1.
22
23 NMK has plate like structure and characterized by large length to thickness
24
25 aspect ratio; it is especially favourable in matrix reinforcement, and the platelet
26
27 thickness is only 1-20 nm, although its dimensions in length and width can be
28
29
measured in hundreds of nanometers, with a majority of platelets in 200–500 nm
30 range after purification [10]. The perlite has a cellular like structure with micro air
31
32 voids. The fiber thickness is less than 200 µm. The natural fiber has a cellular
33
34 structure and its surface is very rough with large wrinkles and longitudinal grooves.
35
36 The fiber is not solid; it is porous, like a honeycomb structure. It has a low mass
37
38 density, yet it has a high degree of strength and stiffness. It has lower density because
39
linen fiber has lots of long tubular running the length of the fiber on the inside.
40
41
42
43
Table (1): Chemical composition of starting raw materials (mass %)
44
45
Oxide,% SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 CaO MgO SO3 L.O.I. Na2O K2O TIO2 P2O5
46
47 WPC 20.65 3.96 0.18 68.30 0.58 2.69 3.49 0.12 0.02 --- ---
48
49 NMK 53.33 32.43 0.18 0.32 0.03 0.039 13.47 0.14 0.04 --- ---
50
Perlite 74.69 9.91 0.58 2.19 0.01 0.04 1.48 5.76 4.56 0.14 0.03
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 4
63
64
65
 Table (2): Physical properties of expanded perlite
1
2 Color White
3
4 Refractive Index 1.5
5 Free Moisture, Max. 0.50%
6 Specific Gravity 0.12
7 Grain Size 0-5 mm
8
9 Specific Heat 837 J/ kg.k
10 Thermal Conductivity At (24 °C) 0.04 - 0.06 W/m.K
11
12
13
14 Table (3): Physical properties of linen fiber
15
16 Color yellowish
17 Length 18-30 in
18
19
Specific Gravity 1.3
20 Tensile Strength (tenacity) 5.5-6.5 gm/den
21
22
23
24 internal
25 a b c
26
27
28
29
30
31
32 Surface
33
34
35
36
37 Fig.1. SEM micrographs of (a) NMK, (b) natural fiber and (c) perlite
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 5
63
64
65
 2.2. Samples preparation
1 Table (4) illustrates the mix design of NLWFRCC. WPC was partially
2
3 replaced by different amounts of perlite ranging from 10% up to 70% (by volume)
4
5
and then substituted by constant amount of 10 wt% NMK for all mixes. The natural
6 fiber was first cut into 2 cm length; fibers were added by 2 wt% of nano metakaolin
7
8 cement binder (90% WPC+10% NMK) since it is the optimum ratio as concluded
9
10 from our previous study [10]. The dry WPC, perlite and short fibers were mixed at a
11 speed of 50 rpm using electric mixer for 2 min for complete homogeneity. The NMK
12
13 particles were first dispersed in the mixing water using ultrasonic bath for 15
14
15 minutes to assure good dispersion and to avoid agglomeration. In this case, the
16 mixture is now ready for blending to make the fresh blended cement pastes.
17
18 The blended cement pastes were prepared using the water of consistency in
19
20 order to maintain a constant degree of workability between different mixes. Three
21
22
groups of NLWFRCC were casted for tests, the first group was casted as bars 4 × 4 ×
23 16 cm3 for flexural strength, the second group was casted as cubes 5 × 5 × 5 cm3 for
24
25 density and capillary water absorption tests and the third group was casted as disks
26
27 (5 cm Dia & 2 cm height) for thermal conductivity and solar reflectivity tests. The
28 fresh pastes were kept in moulds for 24 h, and then de-moulded and allowed to cure
29
30 under water for 27 days.
31
32 Table (4): Mix design of NLWFRCC (mass expressed per 1m3)
33
34
35 Mix Constituents (Kg)
Perlite,% *
36 code NCB Perlite Water Fiber
37 M0 0 1275 0 382.5 25.50
38 M1 10 1069 12 352.8 21.38
39
40
M2 20 885 24 327.5 17.70
41 M3 30 717 36 315.9 14.34
42 M4 40 658 48 302.2 13.16
43 M5 50 514 60 251.7 10.28
44 M6 60 411 72 227.1 8.22
45 M7 70 382 84 217.7 7.64
46
47 *
48 Nano clay cement binder (90% WPC + 10% NMK)
49
50 2.3. Testing
51
52 2.3.1. Bulk density
53
54 The average bulk density of three cubic samples with dimensions of 5×5×5
55 cm3 was determined in oven-dry condition according to ASTM 6426-82 [15].
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 6
63
64
65
 1 2.3.2. Thermal conductivity
2
3 Thermal conductivity test was performed using FOX 50 thermal
4 conductivity analyzer in accordance with ASTM C 518 [16]. Since moisture content
5
6 affects the thermal conductivity, all the specimens were tested in oven-dry condition.
7
8 2.3.3. Capillary water absorption
9
10
Fig.2. shows the experimental set up of capillary water absorption test. In
11 this test the specimens were dried in oven at about 105 ºC until a constant mass was
12
13 obtained. The sides of the specimen were coated with paraffin to achieve
14
15 unidirectional flow. The specimens were exposed to water on one face by placing it
16 on slightly raised seat (about 5 mm) on a pan filled with water. The water on the pan
17
18 was maintained about 5mm above the base of the specimen during the test. The
19
20 weight of the specimen was measured at regular 30 minutes interval up to 2.5hr to
21 get the little absorption variation of water. The capillary absorption coefficient (k)
22
23 was calculated by using formula: k=W/ (A.√t) where, W = amount of water absorbed
24
25 in g, A = cross sectional area [cm2] in contact with water and t = time in seconds
26
[17].
27 Test Sample
28
29
30
31 Paraffin
32
33
34 Seat
35 Water
36
37
38
39
40 Fig.2. Experimental set up of capillary water absorption test.
41
42 2.3.4. Flexural strength
43
44 The flexural strength test was performed on 4×4×16 cm3 bars using 600 KN
45 machine (DARTEC) in accordance with ASTM C348-08 [18]. Three samples per
46
47 batch were tested, and the average strength was reported.
48
49 2.3.5. Reflectivity
50 Reflectivity measurements were performed using double-beam
51
52 spectrophotometer equipped with integrating sphere (Schimadzu UV 3600),
53
54 considering both specular and diffuse radiation according to ASTM E 903-96 [19].
55
56 The reflectivity was determined at wavelength intervals of 1nm from 230 to 2500 nm,
57
58 which is the solar spectrum range with the highest concentration of solar energy
59
60 according to ASTM G 173-03 [20].
61
62 7
63
64
65
 1 2.3.6. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
2
3 The scanning electron microscope (JSM 6360) was used for identification
4
5
of the changes occurred in the microstructure.
6 2.3.7. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
7
8 The phase composition analysis of NLWFRCC was studied by using
9
10 (Schimadzu TGA-50) thermal analyzer. Inert atmosphere with N2 flow of 30 ml/min,
11
12 heating rate 10 ºC/min, analysis range 30–600 °C.
13
14
15 3. Results and discussion
16
17 3.1. Bulk density & thermal conductivity
18
19 Fig.3. shows the variations in bulk density and thermal conductivity of the
20
21 developed NLWFRCC as a function of the amount of perlite. It can be seen that, the
22
23 bulk density decreases with increasing the amount of perlite in the composite. The
24
25 density was varied between 1585 kg/m3 and 575 kg/m3. The significant reduction in
26
27
density is due to the presence of large number of open pores and air voids in the
28 structure as a result of the porous nature of perlite; this will be shown from SEM
29
30 micrographs.
31
32
33 1800 0.8
34
35 1600 0.7

Thermal conductivity, W/m.K

36 Density Thermal conductivity
37 1400 0.6
38
Density, Kg/m3

39 1200
40 0.5
41 1000
42 R² = 0.9974 0.4
43 800
44 0.3
45 600
46 R² = 0.9981 0.2
47 400
48
200 0.1
49
50
51 0 0
52 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
53 Perlite ratio, %
54
55 Fig.3. Variations in bulk density and thermal conductivity of NLWFRCC as a function of the
56 perlite percentages
57
58 The thermal conductivity of NLWFRCC decreases with decreasing the density. The
59
60 thermal conductivity (TC) was decreased from 0.76 W/m.K for the plain composite to
61
62 8
63
64
65
 0.12 W/m.K when the replacement ratio of perlite reached 70% i.e. the thermal
1 conductivity at 70% perlite is about 6.3 times less than that of the composite with no
2
3 perlite. The reduction rates of TC values for every mix at 28 days of curing are
4
5 presented in Fig.4, the maximum reduction in TC was 84.2 % for 70% replacement of
6
7 WPC by perlite. The expanded perlite led to a great reduction of TC of NLWFRCC as
8 a result of its porous structure which resulted in the creation of high amount of pores
9
10 in the structure. The air contained in the pores contributes significantly to the poor
11
12 conduction properties of the material. The pozzolanic activity of perlite leads to the
13
14 consumption of calcium hydroxide (CH) crystals and the creation of an additional
15
16 calcium silicate hydrates (CSH) gels. Due to the amorphous and porous nature of
17
18
CSH, it consequently contributes to lowering thermal conductivity [21].
19 Porosity is one of the factors affecting the thermal conductivity of cement and
20
21 concrete structures and enclosed pores reduce the conductivity due to low thermal
22
23 conductivity of air [22]. Reducing the thermal conductivity increases the thermal
24
25 resistance (R value) provided by the lightweight cementitious composite, significantly
26
27 contributing to a reduction in heating and cooling loads for residential and
28
29
commercial buildings.
30 As the core of the natural fibers is porous and air is entrapped, the natural fibers have
31
32 low thermal conductivity; so, make a significant contribution to the insulating
33
34 effect/poor conduction of fiber reinforced cement composites. These might be the
35
36 reasons for the higher thermal insulation characteristics of the developed NLWFRCC.
37
38 Hence; these materials might be considered as building components to reduce heat
39
transfer in air conditioned buildings in order to decrease energy consumption.
40
41
90
42
43 80
44
TC - reduction ratio, %

45 70
46
47 60

48
50
49
50 40
51
52 30

53
20
54
55 10
56
57 0
58 M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7
59
60 NLWFRCC Mixes
61 Fig.4. Reduction rates of thermal conductivity (TC) for all designed mixes
62 9
63
64
65
 3.2. Flexural strength
1 Fig.5. shows the variations in flexural strength of NLWFRCC as a function of the
2
3
perlite percentages at 28 days of curing. Evidently, the flexural strength decreases
4 slowly with increasing the amount of perlite. The flexural strength was decreased
5
6 from 5.2 MPa for the plain composite to 2.9 MPa when the replacement ratio of WPC
7
8 by perlite reached 70% (by volume); i.e. the flexural strength at 70% perlite (M7) is
9
10 about 55% of the flexural strength of the reference plain composite (M0). Even at
11
12 70% Perlite; the flexural strength 2.9 MPa is a significant value that might satisfies
13
prescribed structural requirements. As compared with flexural strength of the
14
15 reference sample (without fibers and without NMK) which is 1.75 MPa [10]; it can be
16
17 shown that NMK and fibers are very effective for covering the loss in flexural
18
19 strength which is caused due to the increase of amount of perlite. Fibers act as bridges
20
21 between cement hydration products and cause internal matrix reinforcement;
22
23 furthermore, the short fibers provide resistance to crack propagation and retains load
24 transfer during tension or flexure [10]. The pozzolanic reactivity of NMK with the
25
26 free lime (CH) which liberates during cement hydration resulted in the production of
27
28 additional amounts of CSH which is the strength responsible phase with a strong
29
30 hydraulic character [10, 13, 14]. Due to its ultrafine size, NMK particles fill the voids
31
32 between cement grains and reduce the capillary pores of internal matrix; furthermore
33
34 they consume the CH crystals that accumulated about fiber surface, reduces the gap
35 between fiber and cement matrix and increase the bonding of fiber with the cement
36
37 matrix; i.e. improving the interfacial zone. Due to the high active silica content in
38
39 perlite, it participates in the pozzolanic reaction; reducing CH crystals and increasing
40
41 the amount of CSH in the cement paste; that is in turn increase the adhesion between
42
43 perlite and the hydrated constituents of the cement paste.
Flexural strength, Mpa
44 6
45
46
5
47
Flexural strength, MPa

48
49 4

50
51 3
52
53
2
54
55
56 1
57
58
0
59 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
60 Perlite ratio, %
61
62
Fig.5.Flexural strength of NLWFRCC as a function of perlite percentages at 28days of curing
10
63
64
65
 3.3. Capillary water absorption
1 Fig.6. shows the capillary absorption coefficient (k) of NLWFRCC as a
2
3
function of perlite percentages at 28 days of curing. Generally, the water absorption
4 increases with increasing perlite ratio; this is due to the large number of pores or voids
5
6 which have been created in the structure. The perlite aggregates are cellular so, their
7
8 inner cavities are able to accommodate large amounts of water. Furthermore, the
9
10 fibers themselves absorb some quantity of water due to its porous structure. The high
11
12 water absorption and sorptivity will affect the thermal conductivity of NLWFRCC
13
and could be a problem in terms of durability; therefore, when applying these
14
15 lightweight composites for building cladding it is recommended to be used with water
16
17 proof paints to protect against rainfall.
18
19
20 12
21
Capillary absorption coefficient, K

22
23
10
24
25
26
mg.cm-2.sec-1/2

27 8
28 R² = 0.9739
29
30 6
31
32
33
4
34
35
36
37 2
38
39
40 0
41 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
42
43 Perlite ratio, %
44
45 Fig.6.Capillary absorption coefficient of NLWFRCC as a function of perlite
46 percentages at 28days of curing
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 11
63
64
65
 3.4. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA)
1
2
Fig.7. shows the TGA thermograms for the plain composite (M0) and the composite
3 incorporating 70% perlite (M7) at 28 days of hydration, the results are also plotted as
4
5 derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves in order to identify the detected phases.
6
7 Calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) can be seen at 76–89 ºC, while, calcium hydroxide
8
9 Ca(OH)2 was detected at 448–478 °C [23]. From the DTG results, it can be seen that
10
11 the intensity of both C–S–H and CH hydration products decreased with increasing
12
13
perlite content thus agreeing with the decrease in the flexural strength when perlite
14 was used to replace part of cement. The amount of CH can be calculated from the
15
16 TGA curves using the following equation:
17
18 MW𝑪𝑯
19 𝐂𝐇(%) = WL𝐂𝐇 (%) ×
MW𝑯
20
21
22 where WLCH corresponds to the mass loss attributable to CH decomposition and
23
24 MWCH and MWH are the molecular weights of CH (74.01 g/mol) and water
25
26
(18 g/mol), respectively [24]. The plain composite (M0) contains 4.52% CH. The
27 partial replacement of WPC by 70% (by volume) perlite led to decreasing CH content
28
29 to 1.19%; i.e. the amount of CH in the composite (M7) equal to 26% of its content in
30
31 the plain M0 composite. Because of, 70% of the volume of the M7 composite is
32
33 perlite. So; the amount of hydration products in M7 must equal to 30% of its content
34
35 in M0, however, the decrease of CH down to 26% might be attributed to the
36
37
pozzolanic activity of perlite.
38
39 M0 M7
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58 Temperature, °C
59
60
Fig.7. TGA and DTG of plain composite (M0) and the composite incorporating 70% perlite (M7) at
61 28 days of curing
62 12
63
64
65
 3.5. Reflectivity
1 Solar energy, when absorbed by exterior surfaces, can transfer through to the
2
3 interior of a building, raising the internal temperature. An increase in temperature can
4
5 make the interior more uncomfortable and place heavy loads on air-conditioning
6
7 systems. This, in turn, can lead to a rise in associated energy consumption, carbon
8 dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing reflectivity of cementitious exterior
9
10 cladding materials is of great importance for energy efficient buildings.
11
12 Fig.8. shows the reflectivity of the developed NLWFRCC as a function of
13
14 wavelength. Generally, the reflectivity increases with increasing the perlite
15
16 replacement ratio over the whole range of wavelengths. The enhancement of
17
18
reflectivity is significant especially in the near infrared region; an enhancement of
19 about 33% was obtained for the composite with 70% perlite (M7). The increase in
20
21 reflectivity of NLWFRCC is attributed to the great reflectance of the perlite particles
22
23 which have distributed throughout the structure. The perlite particles are characterized
24
25 by high reflectance due to their brilliant white colour.
26
27 Increasing the reflectivity of building skins results in reduced absorbed solar radiation
28
29
and reduced surface temperatures which allow reduction of conduction heat transfer
30 to the building interior, this will decrease the solar heat gain and reduces the thermal
31
32 loads inside buildings which are helpful for the thermal comfort of occupants and
33
34 result in energy savings. High reflectivity of building skins is always good in summer
35
36 and has a little negative effect in winter, because of the reduced sunshine periods.
37
38 Pure Perlite M0 M1 M3 M5 M7
39 100
40
41 90
42
43 80
44
45 70
Reflectivity, %

46
47 60
48
50
49
50
40
51
52 30
53
54 20
55
56 10
57
58 0
59 230 730 1230 1730 2230
60 Wavelength, nm
61
Fig.8. Reflectivity of NLWFRCC as a function of wavelength
62 13
63
64
65
 3.6. Microstructure characteristics
1 Fig.9. shows the SEM micrographs of the hardened NLWFRCC made with different
2
3 ratios of perlite at 28 days of curing. Freshly fractured samples were used for SEM
4
5 examination.
6
7 a b
8 Perlite
9
10
11
12 Cement paste
13 Fiber
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 c d
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38 e
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54 Fig.9. SEM micrographs of NLWFRCC made with different perlite ratios:
55 (a) 0%, (b) 10%, (c) 30%, (d) 50% and (e) 70%
56
57
58 As it is clear, natural fibers and perlite particles are embedded in the hardened cement
59
matrix. The images demonstrated the good dispersion and adhesion/bonding in the
60
61
62 14
63
64
65
 hardened cement paste. Significantly, the degree of micro-porosity increased with
1 increasing the perlite replacement ratio. Also as the amount of perlite increases, more
2
3 water is required to achieve the standard consistency of the fresh pastes than plain
4
5 cement. Increasing the water content in any cement mixture will consequently
6
7 increases the degree of porosity in the hardened cement, which in turn contributes to a
8 further reduction in thermal conductivity.
9
10
11 3.7. Energy simulation
12
13 3.7.1. Base house
14
15 Under the climatic conditions of Cairo city, a base case residential building
16
17 was simulated utilizing the energy simulation program: DesignBuilder 3.2 [25] when
18 the air-conditioning (cooling and heating) is used throughout the year. The role of the
19
20 developed NLWFRCC in minimizing energy consumption inside residential buildings
21
22 has been investigated.
23
24 The house model investigated in this study is typical single-family residential
25
26 building (2 storey) located in Cairo, Egypt. Layout of the building is given in Fig. 10.
27
28
The 2nd storey was selected as the case study (in order to include the effect of walls
29 and roof) and simulated for energy consumption during the whole year. The set point
30
31 temperature of the air conditioning units are adjusted at 20 ºC for cooling and heating.
32
33 The western facade was isolated (set as adiabatic) for the residential model where it is
34
35 considered as an internal wall separates the adjacent flats. The characteristics of the
36
37 architectural system for the house model are shown in table (5).
38 Table (5): Characteristics of the architectural system for the house model
39
40
41 Characteristics Description of the house model
42
43 Location Cairo (30N latitude, 31E longitude)
44
45 Orientation Front Elevation facing North
46
47 Number of floor Two
48
49 Floor to Floor Height 3.5 m (7.0 m for the two floors)
50
51
Floor Area 155 m2
52 Floor Dimension 7.35 * 21.12 m2
53
54 Gross Wall Area 74 m2
55
56 Window to wall ratio (WWR) 10% uniformly distributed
57
58 Type of Glass 15 mm double glazing
59
60
61
62 15
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 Fig.10. Layout of the house model
21
22
23 Building envelope construction typically has a considerable impact on the energy
24
25 performance of residential buildings. Energy simulation programs require many data
26
27 inputs including floor plan, occupancy type, location, walls, roof and floor
28
29 constructions; window area and type; HVAC system type; lighting and equipment
30
31 power density. Many programs have databases that are available for easier input
32
33
through the library and templates. Thermo-physical characteristics of the building
34 envelope for the house model are shown in table (6).
35
36
37 Table (6): Thermo-physical characteristics of building envelope for the house model
38
39
40 Outside wall
41
42 Thermal U-value Thermal
43 Thickness Density 2
44 Construction conductivity (W/m .K) resistance
45 cm Kg/m3
W/m.K (m2.K/W)
46
47 Plaster 2 2000 0.98
48 (cement mortar)
49 2.04 0.49
Cement brick 25 1800 0.93
50
51 Plaster
52 2 2000 0.98
(cement mortar)
53
54 Ceiling
55
56 Concrete 20 2300 2.3
57 (high density) 3.18 0.31
58
Plaster (interior) 2 1000 0.4
59
60 Note: The outside Rso and inside Rsi surface resistances taken 0.125 and 0.055 m2.k/w respectively
61
62 16
63
64
65
 The cooling load, calculated by the simulation program, for the base house is shown
1 in Fig.11.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
Fig.11. Annual cooling energy consumption for the base house
49
50
51 The calculated annual cooling energy consumption for in the base house is about
52
53 17424 kWh. This consumption is resulted from the thermal transmission through
54
55 walls, roofs and the solar heat gain through windows in addition to the infiltration.
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 17
63
64
65
 3.7.2. Impact of NLWFRCC on energy efficiency in buildings
1 Table 7 shows the change in the overall thermal transmittance (U-value) of
2
3 outside walls and ceiling due to the replacement of ordinary mortar plastering with
4
5 NLWFRCC plaster (TC = 0.12 W/m.K). Furthermore, the floor was assumed to be
6
7 covered with a screed layer of the NLWFRCC plaster of thickness 7 cm.
8 Table (7): Thermo-physical characteristics of building envelope for the house plastered with
9
10 NLWFRCC
11
12 Outside wall
13
14 Thermal U-value Thermal
15 Thickness Density 2
16 Construction conductivity (W/m .K) resistance
17 cm Kg/m3
W/m.K (m2.K/W)
18
19 Plaster 2 575 0.12
20 (NLWFRCC)
21 Cement brick 25 1800 0.93 1.28 0.78
22
23 Plaster 2 575 0.12
24 (NLWFRCC)
25 Ceiling
26
27 Floor screed
28 7 575 0.12
(NLWFRCC)
29 Concrete 20 2300 2.3 1.11 0.90
30
(high density)
31
Plaster (interior) 2 1000 0.4
32
33
34
35 As seen, the modification of building envelope by NLWFRCC plaster has reduced the
36
37 U-value of walls and ceiling by about 37% and 65% respectively (as compared with
38
39 the base house). This in turn will degrade the heat transfer inside building, works to
40
41 achieve thermal comfort and then reduce the cooling energy consumption. The
42
43
cooling energy consumption, calculated by the simulation program, for the house
44 plastered with NLWFRCC is shown in Fig.12.
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 18
63
64
65
 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
Fig.12. Annual cooling energy consumption for the house plastered with NLFRCC
49
50
51 The calculated annual cooling energy consumption is decreased from 17425 kWh for
52
53
the base house to about 11663 when NLWFRCC was applied, i.e. NLWFRCC causes
54 a significant reduction in the air-conditioning load and consequently reduction in
55
56 cooling energy consumption by about 33 %. The decrease in energy consumption is
57
58 attributed to the increase of thermal resistance of building envelope due to the high
59
60 thermal resistance of NLWFRCC plaster.
61
62 19
63
64
65
 1 4. Conclusion:
2
3 Based on the experimental results of this study it can be concluded that:
4
5
6 1. Nanostructured lightweight fiber reinforced cementitious surface compound
7 (NLWFRCC) with great thermal resistance, high solar reflectivity and
8
reasonable flexural strength has been developed utilizing natural fibers, nano
9
10 metakaolin and expanded perlite.
11 2. A reduction of thermal conductivity of NLWFRCC by about 84% was
12
13 obtained at 70% perlite percentage.
14 3. Even at 70% perlite, the flexural strength of NLWFRCC is 2.9 MPa which is a
15
significant value.
16
17 4. Perlite particles have increased the reflectivity of NLWFRCC by about 33% as
18 compared with composite with no perlite.
19
20 5. NMK enhances the bonding of perlite particles and fibers with the hardened
21 cement paste.
22
6. NLWFRCC causes a reduction in cooling energy consumption of a reference
23
24 residential building located in Cairo, Egypt by about 33 %.
25
26
27 5. References
28
29 [1] Ministry of Energy and Electricity “Energy in Egypt Annual Report” 2009/2010
30 [2] Shanks K. B. P, Steve N. G. Lo and Norton B (2006) appropriate energy efficient
31 building envelope technologies for social housing in the Irish climate. J Housing Built
32
33 Environ 21:191–202
34 [3] Morsy MS and Aglan H (2007) Development and Characterization of Nanostructured-
35 Perlite-Cementitious Surface Compounds, Journal of Materials Science. 42:10196-10202.
36 [4] Ahmed A (2004) Energy Simulation for A Typical House Built With Different
37 Types of Masonry Building Material. The Arabian Journal for Science and
38
39 Engineering 29(2B): 113-126
40 [5] Kanchanason Vand Sarigaphuti M (2010) Effect of types of cellular material on
41 thermal conductivity of cement composite. Journal of microscopy society of Thailand
42 24 (1): 29-32
43
44
[6] London AG (1979) the thermal properties of lightweight concrete. International
45 Jouranal of Lightweight Concrete 11(2):71-85
46 [7] Suryavanshi AK, Swamy RN (2002) Development of lightweight mixes ceramic
47 microsphere as fillers. Cem. Concr. Res 32:1783-1789.
48 [8] Ramazan D, Rustem G (2003) The effect of expanded perlite aggregate, silica
49
50 fume and fly ash on the thermal conductivity of lightweight concrete. Cem. Concr.
51 Res. 33:723-727.
52 [9] Turatsinze, A, Bonnet S, Granju, J.-L (2007) Potential of rubber aggregates to
53
modify properties of cement based-mortars: Improvement in cracking shrinkage
54
55 resistance. Constr Build Mater 21: 176-181.
56 [10] Shoukry H, Kotkata MF, Abo-EL-Enein SA, Morsy MS (2013) Flexural strength
57
58 and physical properties of fiber reinforced nano metakaolin cementitious surface
59 compound, J Construct Build Mater 43: 453-460
60
61
62 20
63
64
65
 [11] Nelson, P., Li, V., and Kamada, T. (2002). Fracture Toughness of Microfiber
1 Reinforced Cement Composites, J. Mater. Civ. Eng 14(5): 384–391
2 [12] Bhuvaneswari B, Sasmal S, Nagesh R (2011) Nanoscience to nanotechnology
3
for civil engineering-proof of concepts. Recent Researches in Geography, Geology,
4
5 Energy, Environment and Biomedicine, pp. 230-235.
6 [13] Morsy MS, Alsayed SH, Agel M (2010) Effect of nano-clay on mechanical
7
8 properties and microstructure of ordinary Portland cement mortar. Int J Civil Environ
9 Eng 10:23–27
10
11
[14]AL-Salami AE, Morsy MS, Taha S, Shoukry H (2013) Physico-mechanical
12 characteristics of blended white cement pastes containing thermally activated ultrafine
13 nano clays. Construct Build Mater 47: 138–145
14
15 [15] ASTM C 6426-82 (1982) Standard test method for specific gravity, absorption
16 and voids in hardened concrete. American Standard of testing Materials, 1982; 4: 305-
17
18
306.
19 [16] ASTM C518 – 10 (2010) Standard Test Method for Steady-State Thermal
20 Transmission Properties by Means of the Heat Flow Meter Apparatus
21
22 [17]Bozkurt N, Yazicioglu S (2010) Strength and capillary water absorption of
23 lightweight concrete under different curing condition. Indian Journal of Engineering
24 and Material Sciences 17:145-151.
25 [18] ASTM C 348-08 (2008) Standard test method for flexural strength of hydraulic
26
27
cement mortars.
28 [19] ASTM E 903 – 12 (2012) Standard Test Method for Solar Absorptance,
29 Reflectance, and Transmittance of Materials Using Integrating Spheres.
30
31 [20] ASTM G 173 – 03 (2003) Standard Tables for Reference Solar Spectral
32 Irradiances: Direct Normal and Hemispherical on 37° Tilted Surface
33 [21] Cˇerny´ R, Kunca A, Tydlitát V, Drchalová J, Rovnaníková P (2006) Effect of
34
35 pozzolanic admixtures on mechanical, thermal and hygric properties of lime plasters.
36 Construct Build Mater 20:849–857
37
38 [22] Demirboga R and Gul R (2003) The effects of expanded perlite aggregate, silica
39 fume, and fly ash on the thermal conductivity of lightweight concrete. Cem Concr
40 Res33: 723–727
41
42 [23] Watcharapong W, Pailyn T, Kedsarin P and Arnon C (2012) Compressive
43 strength, flexural strength and thermal conductivity of autoclaved concrete block
44
45 made using bottom ash as cement replacement materials, Mater Des 35: 434–439
46 [24] Jain J, Neithalath N (2009) Analysis of calcium leaching behaviour of plain and
47 modified cement pastes in pure water. Cem Concr Res 31:176 – 185
48 [25] http://www.designbuilder.co.uk/
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62 21
63
64
65
Response to reviewers comments
Click here to download attachment to manuscript: Response to review results.docx
Click here to view linked References

Response to Review Results

1
2
3 Reviewer No.1
4
5
6 Comment Corrective action
7
8 1. Authors responded well to
9 the reviewer's comments.
10 Moisture content will affect
11 the thermal conductivity of
12 NLWFRCC, hence rainfall would
13 affect the analytical results
14 Has been done
15
because capillary absorption
16 coefficient increase with the
17 increase of perlite ratio as
18 shown in Fig.6. Comments
19 regarding this should be
20 given.
21
22 2. In the Conclusions 3, "Mpa"
23 Has been done
should be "MPa".
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
 1
2
3 Reviewer No.4
4
5
6 I have to apologise, but the
7 paper still should be amended
8 by some important information.
9 First and of utmost
10 importance: The Table 2
11 (formerly Table 3) was changed
12 now, indeed. However, the
13 information in the table has
14
significantly changed. The
15
16 mixes given in Table 2 are
17 different mixes than those
18 given in the former Table 3
19 (Table 3 had a constant mass
20 or volume of NMK in each mix,
21 in Table 2 the NMK mass or
22 volume changes with every
23 variation in the proportion of
24 perlite. Without explanation
25
by the authors, as to which
26
27 table finally contains the
28 "real" mixes, it is impossible
29 to approve the table.
30 Furthermore, the quality of
31 the table has not changed at
a clear table with mass for all constituents,
32 all regarding transparency.
33 The mixtures are still not including water, in [kg/m3] has been added
34 reproducible for an external
35 person, since the most
36
relevant information is still
37
38 missing, the densities of the
39 NMK and the cement used, or at
40 least information about the
41 assumptions the authors have
42 made for those.
43 Obviously NCB and perlite were
44 mixed in different volumetric
45 proportions, however, the
46 water to binder ratio is given
47
in percent by mass (otherwise,
48
49 the values might be too low).
50 The fibres are also given in
51 percent by mass. This is
52 confusing, and neither the
53 text, nor the reference to the
54 other paper by the authors
55 provides the relevant
56 information.
57 There is no need to hide
58
information or let the readers
59
60 guess your thoughts about the
61
62
63
64
65
 mixture composition. Please
1 generate a clear table with
2 mass for all constituents,
3 including water, in [kg/m]
4 including the specific
5 gravities of the materials (or
6
the assumptions made), or -
7
8 better - provide it in l/m³,
9 or - even better - both
10 [kg/m³] and [[l/m³]. Why not
11 giving a table, which provides
12 specific gravities of all
13 materials used, as recommended
14 before?
15
16 The mixture composition table
17
should be clear and contain
18
19 all relevant information for
20 the reader to be able to
21 reproduce the mixes that were
22 done.
23 Furthermore, the fibre content
24 is related to the NCB. As a
25 result, with increasing
26 perlite contents, the total
27 fibre amount in the mixtures
28
is reduced. This has
29
30 implications for the
31 structural behaviour of the
32 entire structure. In this
33 context, it is of no relevance
34 that the authors found in a
35 former paper that 2% fibres
36 related to the NCB yielded
37 optimum performance, since
38 with reduced NCB content and
39
increasing perlite content,
40
41 this optimum might shift (do
42 you know whether the optimum
43 is related to NCB or total
44 solid volume?). This section
45 is still not satisfying.
46 Please provide a discussion
47 how the change of the total
48 volume of fibres with each
49 perlite addition may affect
50
the structural behaviour. It
51
52 is sufficient to have a
53 hypothetical discussion but
54 this at least should be given.
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
 1
2 Associate Editor
3
As pointed out by the
4
5 reviewer, the mix design
6 details have been changed. It
7 is not clear how the
8 inferences remain similar but
9 for different materials used.
10 The paper should explain such
11 that the reader can reproduce The detailed mix design table has been
12 the results or else the work
13 cannot be verified or added
14
understood well.
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65