ABSTRACT Among the popular construction materials used in the UAE are Insulated Concrete Blocks (ICB). This block is a combination of a unique block design and insulating inserts that enable this block to be highly energy efficient. This paper aims at investigating the thermal performance of this block during different climatic seasons. An experimental model was constructed in the emirate of Sharjah, mainly using this block. Its thermal behaviour was thoroughly studied over the course of one year by using Continuous Method (CM) and the Infrared Technique (IR) method. The main thermal parameters were focused on the Decrement Factor (DF), the Temperature Differences Ratio (TDR) and the Time Lag (Tg). It was found that the ICB does not perform similarly in all seasons, and/or in all orientations. The results show that ICB will perform best in Autumn with an average DF of 0.23, and with an average TDR of 0.56. The biggest value in terms of the Tg is found in Spring with 14.85h. Wind fluctuations can also affect these three parameters. In addition to wind, rain also affects the thermal performance of the ICB. Calibration between the CM and IR methods will be discussed, and detailed analysis will be provided.

中文翻译：

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阿拉伯联合酋长国 (UAE) 沙迦保温混凝土砌块的热性能：连续监测和红外评估

摘要 在阿联酋使用的流行建筑材料是绝缘混凝土砌块 (ICB)。该砌块结合了独特的砌块设计和绝缘插件，使该砌块具有很高的能源效率。本文旨在研究该地块在不同气候季节的热性能。在沙迦酋长国搭建了一个实验模型，主要使用这个区块。通过使用连续法 (CM) 和红外技术 (IR) 方法，在一年的时间里对其热行为进行了彻底的研究。主要热参数集中在递减因子 (DF)、温差比 (TDR) 和时滞 (Tg) 上。发现 ICB 在所有季节和/或在所有方向上的表现都不同。结果表明，ICB 将在秋季表现最佳，平均 DF 为 0.23，平均 TDR 为 0.56。就 Tg 而言，最大的值出现在 Spring 中，为 14.85h。风的波动也会影响这三个参数。除了风，雨也会影响ICB的热性能。将讨论 CM 和 IR 方法之间的校准，并提供详细分析。