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Residential Thermal Mass Construction
Abstract
The southwest has long known the
value of building homes with high mass
materials. The ancient Pueblo Indians
found that by using "adobe" they could
capture the energy necessary to
survive the harsh desert climate. Our
ancestors knew that a heavy, dense
wall (internal or external), or floor
could store collected heat or
coolness, retain it for long periods
of time, and then slowly transfer it
to its surrounding.
Due to rising construction costs
and increased competition, modern
homebuilders have completely shied
away from high mass construction
practices. In an attempt to
revitalize the use of high mass in
residential construction, we have
designed a special "Thermal Mass
Block." This new block incorporates
the use of modern construction
techniques with the value of high
mass.
This paper describes the
environment surrounding the
development of this high mass block.
It examines the research foundation
used to validate the benefits of high
mass construction.
Citation
Thieken, J. S. (1988). Residential Thermal Mass Construction. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6504.