AMELIORATION OF PERMEABLE CEMENT BOARDS WITH WOOD FINISH FOR ENHANCING THERMAL INSULATION OF INFRASTRUCTURES

Abstract

Increasing temperatures have served as one of the primary factors causing heat stress and discomfort among many individuals, particularly Filipinos. This has resulted in a pressing need for optimal thermal insulation that meets requirements such as low thermal conductivity, high resilience, environmental and human health safety, and affordability. Existing insulation materials, although durable, are composed of harmful chemicals. For this reason, a natural biomaterial, specifically wood waste, was incorporated into permeable cement boards (PCB) as an alternative. This study aimed to address heat-related issues by examining the effectiveness of PCB with incorporated wood waste (WW) in enhancing thermal insulation for infrastructures and improving indoor comfort for occupants. The study employed an experimental research design to assess the thermal conductivity and durability of permeable cement boards with wood finish. The steady-state method was utilized, along with durability tests including drop, chisel, and water absorption tests. The data were evaluated using the total mean of the recorded temperatures and the formula for water absorption. Based on the conducted tests, the wood permeable cement board (WPCB) exhibited a higher thermal conductivity value of 319.39 W/mK compared to the commercial cement board (CCB), which recorded 44.48 W/mK. In the drop test, the CCB withstood 43 drops, higher than the three drops sustained by the WPCB. However, the WPCB endured more chisel and hammer strikes, with 30 impacts compared to 13 impacts for the CCB. Furthermore, both boards demonstrated 0% water absorption. The results showed that the WPCB had a higher thermal conductivity value than the CCB. However, the WPCB was comparable to the CCB in terms of durability. The use of proper equipment for both production and testing, along with additional formulas, is recommended to achieve standard board dimensions and obtain more accurate results.