Thermal Performance of Textile Reinforced Concrete Insulated Panels

Abstract

The energy efficiency of construction materials plays a pivotal role in achieving sustainable building practices, where both embodied energy and operational performance define their lifecycle impact. This study presents an energy audit of Textile Reinforced Concrete Insulated Panels (TRCIPs), benchmarked against conventional concrete panels (CPs) and brick masonry walls. The thermal performance was evaluated through laboratory measurements of thermal conductivity using a TPS 2500S analyzer, with corresponding R-values and U-values computed to assess operational energy efficiency. Results indicate that TRCIPs reduce thermal conductivity by 29% compared to CPs, achieving 26–35% higher thermal resistance. Economic appraisal demonstrates that although TRCIPs incur slightly higher initial costs, they achieve payback within 4–6 years under local tariff conditions and generate substantial lifecycle energy cost savings. This integrated energy economic audit demonstrates that TRCIPs are energy smart, providing a replicable framework for evaluating sustainable walling systems. The results highlight TRCIPs as a viable next generation material for reducing building energy consumption and enhancing economic performance in construction.

Introduction

• The construction industry is a major consumer of global energy, responsible for:

  • ~36% of final energy use

  • ~40% of annual CO? emissions

• Concrete is widely used, but Portland cement has high embodied energy.

• Energy audits help assess both embodied and operational energy of materials.

• Wall systems vary in energy performance:

  • Brick masonry: High embodied energy, poor insulation

  • Concrete blocks: Moderate energy use, better with insulation

  • Reinforced concrete panels (CPs): High thermal conductivity and operational energy

  • EPS sandwich panels: Excellent insulation, but poor recyclability

???? Innovative Solution: Textile-Reinforced Concrete Insulated Panels (TRCIPs)

• TRCIPs use textile waste as an insulating core, offering:

  • Improved ductility and thermal resistance

  • Reduced embodied energy and operational energy

• Few studies focus on the energy performance of textile-reinforced systems, particularly sandwich panels.

???? Methodology

1. Panel Fabrication

• Control Panels (CPs): Traditional concrete with wire mesh

• TRCIPs: Textile fiber core sandwiched between concrete layers

2. Thermal Testing

• Conducted using Thermal Constants Analyzer (TPS 2500S)

• Measures thermal conductivity under ISO standards

3. Analysis

• R-values (thermal resistance) were computed to assess insulation efficiency

• Lower thermal conductivity = better insulation = lower HVAC energy

???? Results Summary

• TRCIPs showed 35% higher thermal resistance than CPs of same thickness

• Textile core provides excellent insulation, lowering heat transfer

?? Impact: Cooling Energy & Cost Savings

• TRCIPs can reduce annual HVAC energy demand by 15–20%

• Estimated annual electricity cost savings:
  ? PKR 18,000 per household

• Over 20 years: PKR 360,000 savings (without tariff increases)

? Key Takeaways

• TRCIPs effectively reduce operational energy via superior insulation

• They offer a sustainable, economically beneficial solution

• Textile waste repurposing aligns with circular economy goals

• TRCIPs present a viable alternative to conventional concrete panels for energy-efficient buildings

Conclusion

This study evaluated the thermal insulation performance of TRCIPs against conventional CPs using the TPS 2500S analyzer. The findings clearly establish the superior thermal efficiency of TRCIPs, driven by the incorporation of textile waste as a lightweight insulating core material. The findings of the research study are concluded as: 1) The TRCIP exhibited 29.2% lower thermal conductivity than conventional CPs, confirming the potential use of textile waste as a sustainable insulating core. 2) Based on an average household consumption of 2000 kWh/year for cooling, TRCIPs enable savings of approximately PKR 18,000 annually, equivalent to PKR 360,000 over a 20-year building life cycle. 3) In addition to lowering the panel’s weight, the integration of textile waste cores into TRCIPs contributes to sustainability by reducing embodied energy, reusing textile waste, and enhancing thermal efficiency, making them suitable for sustainable construction applications. These results demonstrate that TRCIPs are not only technically viable but also economically advantageous for sustainable construction applications.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Rohullah Shah, Wajid Ali, Muhmmad Sohaib, Muhammad Usman Khan, Khalid Azam. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.