Thermo-mechanical optimization of porous building materials based on micromechanical concepts: Application to load-carrying insulation materials

In this paper, a multiscale model for the prediction and, finally, optimization of mechanical (elastic) and thermal (heat conductivity) properties of porous building materials is presented. These technical composites are characterized by the increase of porous space in the respective material system, resulting in a reduction of Young’s modulus, on the one hand, and in an increase of the thermal insulation capacity, on the other hand, yielding either a load-carrying insulation material or a structural material with enhanced resistance to heat transfer. Determination of engineering properties within the proposed multiscale approach departs from the underlying material composition, on the one hand, and the intrinsic properties of the constituents, i.e., the material phases, on the other hand, employing homogenization techniques based on continuum micromechanics.