Thermal Properties of Concrete Building Materials

Concrete’s thermal behaviour is governed primarily by its conductivity, diffusivity and heat capacity, all of which determine the rate at which heat is stored and transferred through walls, floors and roofs. Thermal conductivity in conventional dense concretes typically ranges between 1.0 and 2.5 W/m·K, with values decreasing as porosity increases or when lightweight aggregates and air-entraining admixtures are employed. Thermal diffusivity, which combines conductivity with volumetric heat capacity, controls the lag and dampening of temperature fluctuations within structural elements. Specific heat capacity further influences thermal inertia, with denser mixes storing greater amounts of energy per degree of change. Recent advances have shown that microstructural factors such as pore size distribution, moisture content and the nature of aggregate–cement interfaces play a critical role in modulating these properties. As global energy-efficiency regulations tighten, tailoring thermal performance through mix design, supplementary cementitious materials and recycled components has become central to sustainable construction and climate resilience.

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Thermal Properties of Concrete Building Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in thermal properties of concrete building materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Thermal conductivity: A measure of a material’s ability to conduct heat.

Thermal diffusivity: The ratio of thermal conductivity to the product of density and specific heat; indicates the speed of heat propagation.

Specific heat capacity: The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass by one degree Celsius.

Porosity: The fraction of void volume in a material; influences both thermal insulation and moisture retention.

Recycled aggregate: Crushed concrete or masonry waste used to replace natural aggregates, altering thermal and mechanical properties.

References

1. Thermal Characterization of Concrete and Cement Mortar from Construction Sites and Industrial Production Units in the City of Ouagadougou with a View to Standardization in Energy Certification. Engineering (2023).
2. Overview of the influence of waste materials on the thermal conductivity of cementitious composites. Cleaner Engineering and Technology (2021).
3. Thermal properties of cement mortar with different mix proportions. Materiales de Construcción (2020).