THE POTENTIAL FOR EMPLOYING SOYBEAN STRAW IN THE CREATION OF BUILDING MATERIALS FROM THE THERMAL POINT OF VIEW

Abstract

Many countries around the world focus on environmental preservation and reducing industry's impact on climate change. Considering that the construction industry accounts for around 40% of global pollution, the majority of which is caused by energy use and more than a quarter by the materials themselves, the building sector offers huge potential for energy saving and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Agricultural residues, on the other hand, are widely distributed worldwide. The kinds of crops that are accessible differ according to the climate. In Serbia, the production of soybeans is quite common. Very little soybean straw is distributed to animals or used as a source of energy. It is quite bulky and usually removed from the fields by uncontrolled open burning, which releases toxic gasses into the atmosphere.
This research reports on an experimental study of a building material made of concrete and soy straw. Measured density, thermal conductivity, and thermal capacity were used to simulate the thermal behaviour of a chosen object and results of a comparison of a brick building and a building composed of a mixture of soy straw and concrete was done using a mathematical model made in Transient System Simulation Tool.