Minimization of the Thermal Transmittance of Masonry Blocks by Topology Optimization

A contribution toward the thermal insulation of masonry buildings is given in this paper, assuming the heat flux across any wall to be uniform along its height and seeking the optimal geometry of the cross-section of any block forming the wall. The minimization of the thermal transmittance of the block is dealt with as a topology optimization problem. Constraints on the mechanical properties of the blocks are also prescribed, to allow for the presence of in-plane and out-of-plane loads. A parametric investigation is carried out to investigate the effects of the design constraints and the geometry of the boundary of the block on their optimal layout. The thermal efficiency of the optimized units is also compared with that of standard blocks, showing that topology optimization may be conveniently adopted to improve the thermomechanical performance of conventional layouts.