Eco-friendly bricks for office building retrofitting: Enhancing thermal performance and reducing energy consumption

Abstract

Climate change and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions have heightened demand for sustainable, energy-efficient building materials. To address this challenge, the present study investigates the potential of lightweight bricks fabricated from treated industrial wastewater sludge (TIWS) to enhance the thermal performance of office buildings. In the first stage, TIWS is incorporated as a partial replacement for clay in fired clay bricks (FCBs) to produce sustainable, lightweight units with enhanced insulation properties. In the second stage, the resulting TIWS-based bricks are evaluated as components in retrofitting strategies to improve the energy performance of existing buildings under different climatic conditions. The developed wall materials show substantial improvements in thermal comfort, evidenced by reduced Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD) values—key indicators of indoor environmental quality in office settings. This innovative approach also yields significant reductions in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions and cooling energy demand. The study employs an integrated methodology combining computational modeling, simulation, and advanced optimization techniques to examine heat transfer, thermal conductivity, and insulation performance. Findings demonstrate that TIWS-enriched bricks can markedly enhance building energy efficiency, lower operational costs, and reduce the carbon footprint. Beyond improving thermal performance, the results have broader implications for sustainable construction practices, offering a viable pathway to greener and more resilient built environments aligned with global climate change mitigation goals.