Experimental study of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) residential building roof implanted

with hollow PVC tubes in weatherproof course - A passive cooling methodology

A. Ramesh Kumar1*, KCK. Vijayakumar2, PSS. Srinivasan3
1*

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Erode Builder Educational

Trusts Group of Institutions, Tirupur 638 108
2

Vivekanandha Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tiruchengode 637 205

3

Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem 637 504

Author for correspondence: Tel: +91 83446 36426, Email: endrumramesh@yahoo.com

During the sunny time, the sunlit roof is the most predominant for heat entering into the
room compared to the sidewalls of the residential buildings. The solar radiation exposing time is
more for the top roof surface (sunlit roof) and the length and breadth of the room is very large when
compared to its roof thickness. Therefore, recent research investigations are carried out in the sunlit
roof to reduce the unwanted heat through the roof. This experimental study shows that, PVC tubes
embedded RCC roof reduces the heat transfer across it. Due to this unwanted heat transmission
reduction, reduce the underneath temperature of the roof and in turn enhances the comfortness in
the room.
Keywords: Residential building roof, heat transfer, solar radiation, PVC tubes, Comfortness

Introduction

Ancient people surely found relief from the heat in the landscape and encircling many passive
cooling practices like, windows, doors, indoor spaces, trees, gardens, water around the building,
high roofs, ventilated roofs, domed and vaulted roofs, etc., to create comfortable thermal
environment in the residential buildings. In the modern life due to more density in population, cost
of living and a smaller amount of floor area, the people are living in the crowded concrete skeleton

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houses and are using electricity (for air-conditioner) as a major energy source to create comfortable
atmosphere. In India, a residential and commercial building consumes approximately 40% to 50%
of primary energy [1]. Energy consumption for cooling represents roughly 40 % of the total
utilization for residential buildings [2]. The quantity of air-conditioned residential floor area is
drastically increased by 2.21 times in India during the year 2006 to 2011 [3].

Passive cooling of residential buildings is the most maintainable technique even many other
techniques are available to reduce the cooling load [4]. The application of passive cooling
techniques in buildings can offer beneficial comfort conditions for the residents as well as the
potential to reduce energy consumption [5, 6]. Heat entering through roof into the building structure
is the most important cause for discomfort in case of non-air-conditioned building or major load for
the air-conditioned building [7,8]. Passive cooling of buildings and in particular solar and heat
protection techniques, and heat dissipation techniques have reached a very high degree of maturity
[9, 10]. Incorporating a secondary roof that allows air to move freely reduces the heat penetration
considerably [11]. A study on solar chimney driven evaporative cooling system that can reduce the
maximum cooling load by more than 10% if a quarter of the ceiling area is replaced with the
passive system[12]. The most of studies clearly indicates the heat gain through the roof is 70% of
the total heat gain in buildings [13-16]. The new developments in insulating materials distinguished
by low cost and are easy to apply [17-20]. Passive cooling methods use non-mechanical approaches
to maintain a comfy indoor temperature and are an important aspect in modifying the impact of
buildings on the environment [21].

The authors have proposed an innovative idea in which hollow PVC tubes embedded in
weatherproof course (WPC) on reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and investigated with
conventional one for an Indian tropical day conditions. The paper investigates the potential PVC
tubes embedded in weatherproof course on RCC roof to improve indoor conditions and comfort of

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low-income households and result shows a very high potential to improve indoor environmental
conditions.

Fig. 1 Roofs exposed to solar radiation

In India, the roof of most of the residential buildings are built with about 150 mm thick RCC
and 75 mm thick weatherproof course (mixture of broken red bricks and lime mortar) is normally
laid over the RCC roof as waterproof layer. The details of the experimental study are discussed in
this paper.

Investigational landscape climate conditions

The city of Tirupur lies in the north central part of Tamilnadu. In general, tirupur is
characterized with insufficient rainfall and a dry climate. It has moderate-dry weather throughout
except during the monsoon season. In March, the mercury gains an upward trend that keeps on until
the end of May. The highest temperature is usually recorded during May. The inadequate showers
during this period do not provide any relief from the sultry heat.

(a) Roof 1
(RCC)

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(b) Roof 2
(RCC with WPC)

(c) Roof 3
(RCC with PVC pipe
implanted WPC)

All dimensions are in mm

Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of the roofs under investigation

Investigational set up

The scaled model three identical experimental cells are fabricated with steel structures, each
having dimensions of 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm3 for the experimental investigation purpose.

The Roof 1 is casted by means of bare reinforced cement concrete roof of 150 mm thickness,
Roof 2 is laid using RCC with weatherproof course of 75 mm thick and Roof 3 is laid by RCC with
PVC tubes implanted inside the weatherproof course. The PVC tube is having inner diameter of 52
mm, with 3.9 mm wall thickness and allows air to flow freely. The schematic representation of
investigational setup design is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 Investigational Cell

The experimental setup was made by mild steel structure, elevated by 150 mm above the
ground level using four metal supports, and covered with grass strew and thermo cool sheet to
reduce and keep away from ground radiation. The Fig. 3 shows the experimental configuration of

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the test cells. The sides of the wall are well insulated with 50 mm thick thermo cool sheets utilized
to minimize the sidewall solar radiation. The side faces of the roof are coated with thermo
insulation paint and covered with insulation material to avoid solar radiation through it.

Fig. 4 Solar radiation in May month

The Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 illustrate typical solar radiation and ambient temperature conditions of
the Tirupur city (Latitude 1109' N and Longitude 7766' E) for the month of May, where the
maximum intensity of solar radiation showers on roof.

Fig. 5 Ambient temperature in May month

Material Properties

The material properties of the RCC, Weatherproof Course, PVC pipe and air are

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Material

Thermal
conductivity
(k)
in W/m K

Density
()
in kg/m3

Specific heat
(Cp)
in J/kg K

RCC (1)

1.28

2300

1130

Weatherproof Course
(2)

0.25

1300

800

PVC (3)

0.19

140

1046.7

Air

0.026

1.2

1005

Table 1 Material Properties

Benefits of PVC Pipe

The PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes are environmentally friendly, corrosive resistive, and last
for decades. PVC pipe is ideal for thermal resisting applications as the material of PVC is highly
resistant to thermal conductivity. PVC is made into highly proficient insulation pipes and being
used in insulation applications. PVC pipe is resistant to fracturing. PVC is flexible enough to resist
breaking under pressure. PVC pipe is ideal for underground applications. Fluids pass through PVC
pipes are unobstructed, due to the PVC pipe's smooth interior surface.

Methodology and Measurement

Ambient air temperature outside the room and air velocity was measured with the help of
anemometer (Fig. 6). The temperature at different positions under the roof level has been measured
with no shading on rooms with precalibrated RTD (Resistance Temperature Detectors). A small fan
is mounted inside the room area to provide proper mixing of heat while measuring the room
temperature.

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Fig. 6 Anemometer
Platinum resistance RTDs (Resistance Temperature Detectors) along with data logging system
are used for temperature measurements are shown in Fig. 7. Data are logged once in every five
minutes. For the measurement of roof top and ceiling temperature, hole is made on both top and
bottom surface for about 10 mm deep and the RTD probe is inserted and thermo-paste is filled in
the gap around the RTD about 5 mm height and remaining 5 mm is filled with cement paste. The
RTDs mounted at the middle of the rooftop for the top surface temperature measurement is
illustrated in Fig. 8. To measure room temperature of the test cell, the RTD is placed exactly in the
middle of the test cell.

Fig. 7 Data logging arrangements using data scanner

Fig. 8 PVC pipe implanted Weatherproof Course laid RCC roof with RTD sensor
Results and Discussion
Hour variations of the temperature for typical summer day for the month of May in Tirupur
for RCC roof (roof 1), RCC with Weatherproof Course roof (roof 2) and PVC pipe implanted
Weatherproof Course RCC roof (roof 3) measured at various period of the particular day. The
ambient air temperature is also given to study the effective cooling.

Fig. 9 Top surface temperature difference in the roof 1, roof 2, and roof 3
The investigation measurements evidently illustrates that the roof 2 (Weatherproof Course
laid RCC roof) which exposed to solar radiation (Fig. 9) shows maximum top surface temperature
as 69.820C, temperature penetration is resisted by Weatherproof Course and results that the
temperature maximum at top surface of roof. The other two roofs shows the maximum top surface
temperatures as 56.260C (roof 1) and 66.790C (roof 3). The bare RCC roof has a lesser amount of
resistance to the heat penetration results the heat entering in the direction of RCC slabs top surface

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temperature is lesser than roof 2 and roof 3. In the PVC treated roof, a significant amount of heat
carried away by air, which is freely flowing through the PVC pipe, minimizes the temperature at the
top surface of the roof. The roof 3 temperature at top surface shows that 10.53 0C and 3.030C lesser
than the roof 1 and roof 2.

Fig. 10 Bottom surface temperature difference in the roof 1, roof 2, and roof 3
The bottom roof ceiling maximum temperature of roof 3 is 30.89 0C and the roof 1 and roof 2
temperatures are 47.140C and 33.940C (Fig 10). By relating, the performance of PVC implanted
roof was found as 16.250C in ceiling temperature than roof 1 and 3.050C than roof 2.

Fig. 11 Room air temperature difference in the roof 1, roof 2,

and roof 3

Air movement is the vital element for the roof 3, which implanted with hollow PVC tubes in
weatherproof course. It increases cooling by increasing evaporation rates. The study undoubtedly
pointing out that addition of weatherproof course (roof 2) reduces the heat transmission by 3.37 0C
when compared to bare reinforced cement concrete (roof 1) and for roof 3 as 4.44 0C (Fig. 11). The
maximum room air temperatures for roof 1, roof 2 and roof 3 at peak hour of the day are about
32.240C, 28.870C and 27.800C respectively.

Fig. 12 Bare RCC roof surface, bottom surface and room temperatures

Fig. 13 Weatherproof Course roof surface, bottom surface and room temperatures

Fig. 14 PVC treated roof surface, bottom surface and room temperatures

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The figures 12, 13 and 14 shows the investigational measured temperatures of bare RCC roof,
Weatherproof Course laid RCC roof and PVC pipe implanted Weatherproof Course laid RCC roof.
In field experimental investigation, PVC laid roof shows better performance than WPC laid roof.
The unrestricted air flow in PVC pipe increases the resistance over the heat transfer through roof
due to beam radiation.

Conclusions

The roof is an important factor of design when it comes to conserving energy because this
part of the building receives the majority of the solar radiation and its shading is not simple.
Experimental investigation on PVC pipe laid reinforced cement concrete roof has been carried out
to explore the possibilities of human comfort conditions. The following are the major conclusions
of the investigation under tropical climatic conditions,

i. The bare RCC roofs thermal conductivity is more and results less thermal resistance, and more
solar radiation penetration inside the room ceiling.
ii. The weatherproof course treated RCC roof gives little more resistance than bare RCC roof.
About 11% of heat reduction obtained compared with roof 1.
iii. PVC tubes are comparatively good thermal insulators, which results in prevention of excess heat
transfer across the roof (roof 3).
iv. About 14% and 4% of heat reduction is attained into the room of roof 3 when compared to roof 1
and roof 2 respectively.

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v. The quantity of heat entering the room is directly proportional to the difference between the roof
bottom surface temperature and the room air temperature. Lesser the difference, lower is the heat
entering into the room, which is preferable. The differences are the largest with RCC roof,
moderate with WPC roof and the least with PVC laid roof.

Hence the PVC treated roof gives two times resistance than resistance of bare RCC roof. The
PVC embedded weatherproof course roof gives more comfort than conventional bare RCC roof and
WPC laid RCC roof.

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