Experimental Study on the Thermal Performances of Innovative Material for Building Construction

Improving the thermal insulation and energy efficiency of building envelopes has become a key objective worldwide, with significant progress achieved in recent years. This study aims to evaluate the influence of integrating eco-friendly components and passive strategies on the energy performance of buildings. An experimental investigation was carried out on a novel earth-based composite incorporating processed volcanic rock to examine its effect on thermal behavior. The developed material consists of soil reinforced with volcanic rock at incorporation rates of 5% and 10%. The objective is to characterize the thermal properties of these composites. The obtained results indicate that increasing basalt content progressively reduces thermal conductivity while enhancing heat capacity, thereby improving the overall insulating performance of the material. These findings emphasize the potential of locally sourced volcanic resources for the development of sustainable building materials with enhanced thermal efficiency.