Thickness Estimation of a Compressed Earth Brick (CEB) Wall Using a Numerical Model of Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer

Numerical modelling of coupled heat and mass transfer within a CEB wall is presented. Drawing on the work of Luikov, a mathematical model governing coupled heat and mass transfer has been established, taking into account the BTC application environment. Temperature and moisture content were chosen as potential transfer drivers. The problem was tackled using a numerical approach (finite element method). Implementing the mathematical model in COMSOL enabled us to obtain results that are specific to BTC. The results show that below a thickness of 40 cm, a wall made of BTC is no longer a thermal or mass insulator. Moisture content and temperature have no effect when thickness exceeds 40 cm.