Greening Building Cladding System: Geopolymer Concrete High-thermal Performance Panels for Hot Climate

Researchers are studying the emergence of lightweight Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) as a viable alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), representing a substantial advancement in the quest for sustainable and resilient construction materials. The notable environmental benefits of GPC and its cost-effectiveness and performance characteristics make it a valuable and promising solution for meeting the evolving needs of the construction industry. The objective of this research project study is the characterization of GPC cladding panels. This characterization encompasses the assessment of their structural and thermal performance characteristics. However, this research paper investigates the thermal performance of the GPC cladding panel. The GPC constituents were dune, sand, industrial waste material, and expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). To conduct this study, four GPC panel samples were produced using flat cladding tiles formworks specifically prepared for this experiment. The first sample was the control sample for benchmarking, and the rest were GPC with EPS replacing 45% by volume of the solid constituents (tile with EPS, porous tile, and wet porous tile). The GPC panel samples were heat-cured to create inside porosity by depolymerizing the EPS. Thermal indoor experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of produced GPC panels to high heat flux. The results demonstrated that introducing porosity to GPC cladding panels reduces heat transmission across the opposite surfaces, enhancing the GPC panel's thermal characteristics and making it a sustainable solution for cladding application in hot climates.