Comparative evaluation of the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of traditional H10 and H15 red clay blocks manufactured by the ceramic industry from San José de Cúcuta, Colombia

The traditional blocks of baked clay represent 15% of the total production of the ceramics cluster in the Norte de Santander region, with a product typology whose dimensions, shape, weight and price are the most demanded of the market. Its positioning becomes a molding element of the materiality of the architectural covering in the metropolitan area of San José de Cúcuta. This research focuses on the study of two of the most economical and used products in building materials constructions in the city: the blocks manufactured by extruded H-10 of 6 rectangular cavities with market dimensions L: 300 mm, W: 100 mm, H: 200 mm and H-15 of 9 rectangular cavities of size L: 300 mm, W: 150 mm, H: 200 mm and seeks to report its physical-mechanical characteristics to compare the impact of the variables in the units thermal behavior in the enclosure system. This work is carried out by applying 2 methods: in the first phase tests are carried out at the laboratory level using the Norma Técnica Colombiana 4017 and the Norma Técnica Colombiana 4205 to determine the qualitative properties of the building units in each format, and a simulation of temperature distribution and heat flux by finite element method in software ANSYS R16 evaluating the incidence of variables in the heat transfer in a traditional masonry system, evaluating the thermal performance in extreme temperature conditions of 33 °C typical of the region. The results show a difference of 0.709 °C between the thermal behavior between the formats, with a reduction of final thermal energy by the approximate increase of 50 mm in the thickness, this variant presents an opportunity of development to minimize the impacts of the loads of temperature in the envelope, favorable for warm tropical climates.