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Journal of Engineering Research

Journal of Engineering Research

Abstract

The climate of Egypt is characterized by high temperatures. Clay bricks, the most common type of building bricks in Egypt, are one of the main reasons for increasing the heat gain of buildings. The absence of suitable environmental alternatives for clay bricks calls for an attempt to find and evaluate effective alternatives.This research aims to manufacture wall claddings that meet the environmental requirements and thermal comfort needs of buildings in Egypt through recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW). Multiple proposals featuring different mixtures of cement, sand, water and CDW (crushed concrete and crushed bricks) were tested to determine the most suitable mixture in terms of thermal insulation. After comparing the results of each proposal, the best performing samples were further tested and applied to clay bricks to assess their performance and effectiveness in achieving thermal comfort. These tests yielded promising results, as the best performing wall claddings succeeded in reducing heat gain by up to 86%. Results revealed that the application of CDW wall claddings could significantly reduce the energy consumed for cooling and air conditioning. Furthermore, wall claddings have a relative environmental advantage over clay bricks commonly used in residential buildings in Egypt as they represent a safe way to dispose of construction and demolition waste that is normally disposed of in harmful ways with a negative impact on the environment. The researchers recommend examining different materials and alternatives that can be manufactured from construction and demolition waste, as the available capabilities remain numerous and not sufficiently researched.

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