Technical and economic analysis on masonry materials of exterior walls for building energy conservation

Abstract

In recent years, resource saving and energy conservation have attracted a growing attention across the globe, calling for technical and economic analysis of energy efficiency of exterior walls in buildings. Targeting an actual building project, this paper introduces the energy-efficient design software PKPM and the cost analysis software GBQ to the technical and economic analysis of the energy efficiency of exterior walls respectively made of three masonry materials: sintered porous bricks (SPBs), autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks and ceramsite aerated concrete (CAC) blocks. The analysis shows that the exterior walls made of the CAC blocks achieved the energy conservation requirements with the simplest structure, easiest construction and lowest cost. The application of the CAC blocks in exterior walls can save resources and reduce building energy consumption, achieve excellent technical, economic and social benefits, and should be promoted in building projects.