Thermal Properties of Common Building Materials

Related Resources: heat transfer

Thermal Properties of Common Building Materials

Heat Transfer Engineering
Civil Engineering and Design

Some of the most important properties of building materials are their strength, weight, durability, and cost. In terms of energy conservation, their most important properties are their ability to absorb and transmit heat. The materials’ thermal properties govern the rate of heat transfer between the inside and outside of the building, the amount of heat that can be stored in the material, and the amount of heat that is absorbed into the surface by heat conduction and radiation. The rate of heat transfer through the building materials in turn determines the magnitude of heat losses and gains in the building. This information is important in order to determine the proper and most efficient design of space heating equipment required to maintain the desired indoor environmental conditions.

Density		Conductivity	Speciﬁc Heat
Material	kg/m³ (lb/ft³)	W/m K (Btu/hr ft°F)	J/kg K (Btu/lb°F)	Emissivity Ratio
Wallboard
Douglas ﬁr plywood	140 (8.7)	0.11 (0.06)	2,720 (0.65)	-
Gypsum board	1,440 (90)	0.48 (0.27)	840 (0.20)	-
Particle board	800 (50)	0.14 (0.08)	1,300 (0.31)	-
Masonry
Red brick	1,200 (75)	0.47 (0.27)	900 (0.21)	0.93
White brick	2,000 (125)	1.10 (0.64)	900 (0.21)	-
Concrete	2,400 (150)	2.10 (121)	1,050 (0.25)	-
Hardwoods	-	-	1,630 (0.39)	-
Oak	704 (44)	0.17 (0.10)	-	0.09 (planed)
Birch	704 (44)	0.17 (0.10)	-	-
Maple	671 (42)	0.16 (0.09)	-	-
Ash	642 (40)	0.15 (0.09)	-	-
Softwoods	-	-	1,630 (0.39)	-
Douglas ﬁr	559 (35)	0.14 (0.08)	-	-
Redwood	420 (26)	0.11 (0.06)	-	-
Southern pine	614 (38)	0.15 (0.09)	-	-
Cedar	375 (23)	0.11 (0.06)	-	-
Steel (mild)	7,830 (489)	45.3 (26.1)	500 (0.12)	0.12 (cleaned)
Aluminum
Alloy 1100	2,740 (171)	221 (127.7)	896 (0.21)	0.09 (commercial sheet)
Bronze	8,280 (517)	100 (57.8)	400 (0.10)	-
Rigid Foam Insulation	32.0 (2.0)	0.033 (0.02)	-	-
Glass (soda-lime)	2,470 (154)	1.0 (0.58)	750 (0.18)	0.94 (smooth)

Sources: Derived from ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, 2001; Holman, J.P., 1976.

Thermal Conductivity Theory, Properties, and Applications
Grashof Number (GR) The Grashof number is used to determine the heat transfer coefficient under free convection conditions. It is basically a ratio between the buoyancy forces and viscous forces.
Heat Loss Through a Wall Equation and Calculator Determine the steady state heat loss through a single wall.
Heat Losses From Bare and Insulated Pipe Heat Loss in Btu/h/ft Length of Fiberglass Insulation and Bare Pipe, ASJ Cover 150??F Temperature of Pipe Horizontal
Heat Loss from Pipe Outdoors Heat Loss from Piping Chart For Piping Intended to Be Installed Outdoors
Heat Transfer Coefficient Calculations This Worksheet will allow you to calculate heat transfer coefficients (h) for convection situations that involve internal flow in a tube of given cross-section. Premium membership required
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients Table Chart Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients Table Chart
Forced Convection Heat Transfer Printed Circuit board with Components Equation