Thermal energy transmittance

of a planar building structures

Samantha Graci, PhD

samantha.graci@gmal.com
 THERMAL PROPERTIES OF BUILDING
MATERIALS concrete

concrete
Thermal Conductivity (denoted by the greek
symbol )
light weight concrete
is the measure of how easily heat flows through a
specific type of material, independent of the
thickness of the material in question. Plasters and mortars

The lower the thermal conductivity of a material,

the better the thermal performance (i.e. the slower gypsum plaster
heat will move across a material). Gypsum and lime plaster

It is measured in Watts per metre Kelvin (W/mK).

cement and lime mortar

cement mortar
bricks, hollow brick,
high mechanical resistance bricks

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 THERMAL PROPERTIES OF BUILDING
MATERIALS

The density, or more precisely,

the volumetric mass density,
of a substance is its mass per unit volume.

The symbol most often used for density is

[kg/m3]

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 THERMAL PROPERTIES OF BUILDING
MATERIALS

Specific heat capacity as an intensive property, an

intrinsic characteristic of a particular substance.
In practice, this is most often an expression of the
property in relation to a unit of mass

It is the thermal energy needed to rise of about 1

Kelvin the temperature of a mass of one kilogram
of material

The units for the specific heat

capacity are kJ/kg K

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 The thermal transmittance, also known as U-value, is the rate of transfer of heat
(in watts) through a surface with an area of one square meter of, when the temperature
difference between the internal and external environment is equal to 1 K
It is expressed in watts per square meter kelvin, or W/mK.

Well-insulated parts of a building have a low thermal transmittance whereas poorly

insulated parts of a building have a high thermal transmittance.

Losses due to thermal radiation, thermal convection and thermal conduction are taken into
account in the U-value.

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

- Rs i,e= 1/ i,e [m2K/W] thermal resistance of the internal (i) and external (e) surfaces
- [W/mK] thermal conductivity of the i-th layer of the building structure on analysis
- s [m] is the thickness of the i-th layer of the building structure on analysis
- s/ [W/m2K] id the thermal resistance of the i-th planar homogeneous layer of the
building structure on analysis
- R [m2K/W] is the thermal resistance of the j-th non homogenoues layer of the
building structure on analysis (for example: air gaps)
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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF WINDOWS

The U-value of the windows is the weighted average value calculated on

the basis of the U-values and on the surfaces of the glass and of the
frame

In case of double gazed windows the heat transfer due to the spacer
between the glasses should be considered as well

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

THERMAL RESISTANCE AND U-VALUE

Building components and building elements -

Thermal resistance and thermal transmittance -
Calculation method.

The Standard described does not consider structures as:

doors (UNI EN ISO 10077-1),

windows and all glazed surfaces (UNI EN ISO 10077-1)
surfaces that have an heat exchange to the ground ( UNI EN ISO 13370)
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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

Thermal transmittance or U-value:

heat flow [W/mK ] through a surface with an

area of one square meter of, when the
temperature difference between the internal
and external environment is equal to 1 K

Thermal
resistance

Thermal transmittance
U-value

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

Thermal transmittance or U-value:

heat flow [W/mK ] through a surface with an

area of one square meter of, when the
temperature difference between the internal
and external environment is equal to 1 K

homogeneous layers

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

a surface exposed to air

presents simultaneously
heat exchange due to convection
and heat exchange due to radiation

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

thermal resistance on the internal surface

thermal resistance on the external surface

Surface resistance values for normal (high) emissivity materials are given in Table 1 EN ISO 6946 : 2007

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

When to use surface resistance values.

surface resistance values in Table 1 can be used for plane surfaces where no specific
information is available on the boundary conditions. Otherwise see procedures in EN ISO
6946 Annex A.
the surface resistances apply to surfaces in contact with air. No surface resistance applies
to surfaces in contact with another material.
EN ISO 6946 consider horizontal as applying to heat flow directions 30 from the
horizontal.
for a roof having a roof pitch greater than 60heat flow is considered horizontal.
for a roof having a roof pitch less than 60heat flow is considered upwards.

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

thermal resistance on the internal surface

thermal resistance on the external surface

Surface resistance values for normal (high) emissivity materials are given in Table 1 EN ISO 6946 : 2007

Standard internal conditions:

- = 0.9
- hr,0 evaluated at 20C

resistance values Standard external conditions:

- = 0.9
- hr,0 evaluated at 10C
- v = wind velocity 0,4 m/s

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

thermal resistance on the internal surface

thermal resistance on the external surface

hc convective heat transfer coefficient:

horizontal flux hc,i= 2,5 W/m2K

hc,i depends on the flux direction: upwards flux hc,i= 5 W/m2K
downwards flux hc,i= 0,7 W/m2K

hc,e depends on the wind velocity: hc,e= 4 + 4 v W/m2K con v = average wind velocity

v= 4 m/s hc,e= 20 W/m2K

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

thermal resistance on the internal surface

thermal resistance on the external surface

hr radiative heat transfer coefficient: hr= hr0 W/m2K

hr0 = 4 Tm3

dove : is the emissivity of the considered material,

tipically buildings material have high emissivity values, = 0,9
hr0 radiative heat exchange coefficient of the ideal black body at a temperature = Tm
is the Stefan Boltzmann constant, equal to 5,67*10 -8
Tm is the average temperature on the material surface [K]
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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

thermal resistance on the internal surface

thermal resistance on the external surface

hr,e radiative heat transfer coefficient on external surface: hr,e= hr0 W/m2K

hr0 = 4 Tm3 con Tm=10C

hr,e= 4,6 W/m2K

hr,i radiative heat transfer coefficient on internal surface: hr,i= hr0 W/m2K

hr0 = 4 Tm3 con Tm=20C

hr,i= 5,2 W/m2K
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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

thermal resistance on the internal surface

thermal resistance on the external surface

Rse = 1/(20 + 4,1) = 0,04 (m2K)/W

hc,e = 4 + 4v = 20 wind velocity= 4m/s

hr,e = 4,1 W/m2K with Tm=0C, =0,9

Rsi = 1/(2,5+ 5,1) = 0,13 (m2K)/W

hc,i = 2,5 W/m2K horizontal heat, vertical wall

hr,I = 5,1 W/m2K with Tm=20C, =0,9
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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

Ri is the thermal resistance on the i-th component od the building

structure

d is the thickness
of the layer
homogeneous layers
is the thermal conductivity of the material,
it can be evaluated according to the
standards:
- UNI 10351

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- UNI EN ISO 10459
 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

closed air layers

Rg is the thermal resistance of an unventilated air layer
ha is the conductive/convective heat transfer coefficient in air
layers with limited thickness and it is the convective heat transfer
coefficient in larger air layers
hr is the radiative heat transfer coefficient

- T is the temperature difference between the surfaces of the air gap

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- d is the air gap thickness in the same direction of the heat flux
 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

closed air layers

hr radiative heat transfer coefficient

E mutual emittance between the air gap surfaces

1, 2 hemispherical emissivity of the air gap surfaces

typically equal to 0,9 in building materials

hr0 radiative heat exchange coefficient of the ideal black body at a temperature = Tm
in the air gap evaluation typically Tm is set equal to 10C

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

homogeneous layers

Closed air layers The thermal resistance of an air layer depends on the thickness of the
layer and on the direction of the heat flux

The thermal resistance can be calculated or the

values proposed by the standard ISO 6946:2007
can be used.

The boundary conditions for the indicated values

are:
= 0,9 and Tm = 10C for both the surfaces
radiative and convective heat transfer are both
considered

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

Thermal transmittance evaluation for a vertical wall

homogeneous layers
Example 1

Internal surface

external surface

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 THERMAL TRASMITTANCE (U VALUE) OF PLANAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

Thermal transmittance evaluation for a vertical wall

homogeneous layers
Example 2
Example 2
For the same structure as
before the thickness of the
insulation layer needed to
achieve a U-value of 0,36
W/m2K is calculated

insulation layer: rock wool

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