Numerical Heat Transfer Analysis of Reduced-Dimension Masonry Walls under Fire Conditions

Abstract

The evolution of numerical models has become a reliable, precise, and fast alternative to represent real physical phenomena and solve engineering problems. This is of special importance in fire resistance tests, which are notoriously expensive and complex to conduct under laboratory conditions. Thus, the main objective of this study was to perform a numerical analysis of heat transfer in masonry walls made of clay blocks and cement mortar (rendering and joint) under fire conditions. The performance evaluation criterion was heat insulation, as stated by standards. Masonry wall systems were modeled with four different block geometries, each with dimensions of