ABSTRACT
The achievement of sustainability in the construction of conditioned buildings inherently mandates consideration of the effect of thermal mass. The thermal mass of the aggregate construction materials allows the structure to absorb, store, and release significant amounts of heat affecting, often substantially, the net energy balance and consumption for the structure. Structures that have been built of concrete and masonry for decades have shown these advantages because of their inherent thermal mass. Absorption and retention of energy for periods of time reduce energy consumption by transferring heat in a natural cycle through a thermal mass building component. The heating and cooling cycles are balanced since mass slows the response time and reduces temperature fluctuations. Effectively, thermal mass enables time transport of heat energy. In addition, a massive building uses less energy than a similar one
4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 89 4.2 Thermal Mass and Energy-Efficient Building Systems .................................90 4.3 Concrete Wall Systems ................................................................................... 91
4.3.1 Precast Concrete ................................................................................. 91 4.3.2 CIP Concrete Systems ........................................................................92
