It was a conclusion of the Pretoria
study that “there is a significant energy
cost premium associated with the use
of lightweight partitioning systems in all
three building typologies modelled”. The
Newcastle study found that clay brick
partition walls enhanced the thermal
performance of the insulated lightweight
walled building by 20%.
Full Life Cycle Assessment
Adding further support to clay brick construction’s sustainability credentials are the
findings of the full Life Cycle Assessment
by Energetics in Australia.
The thermal modelling study as part
of the LCA, considered two house floor
plans placed in three climatic zones and
four orientations, constructed with cavity
walling comprising five different walling
material options; the lightweight walling
option being of Timber Frame insulated
weatherboard construction.
As depicted in Table 2 below, both the
double skin clay cavity walled house (wall
R value 0.65) and the same with insulation
(wall R value1.3), on average provide
superior thermal comfort and lower annual
heating and cooling energy usage compared
to the insulated Timber Frame alternate.
On average the double skin cavity
walled house used 7% less energy [kWh]
to achieve target thermal comfort and the
double brick with insulation 14 percent less
energy. This translated into similar savings
in Green House Gas (kg CO2-e) emitted as
reflected in Table 2 below.
When total energy (embodied plus
operational) was considered over a 50
year life cycle the operational energy
savings provided by the greater thermal
efficiency of the clay brick options
translated into the uninsulated cavity
brick buildings having lower total GHG
emissions in most situations and
insulated brick having lower total GHG
emissions in all situations.
LSF SCHOOL TSHWANE – LSF HAS NOT PROVIDED BETTER QUALITY NOR BETTER DAY-TIME
THERMAL COMFORT THAN CLAY BRICK CONSTRUCTION.
A Case for Wide Use of Clay Brick
The evidence of the different research
touched on above makes a solid case for the
wider use of clay brick construction for energy
efficient sustainable infrastructure buildings.
In doing so it presents the marketing speak
of the advocates of lightweight Innovative
Building Technologies as a contradiction in
terms. This contradiction becomes amplified
when one looks at the other important areas
of durability and lowest lifecycle costs.
In Loco School Inspections
When it comes to quality, durability and
lifecycle performance an inspection of
five IBT schools built and h