Development of an Innovative, Thermally Efficient Masonry Wall System for Accelerated and Modular Construction

加拿大基础设施的新能源需求带来了范式转变，能源和热性能已成为新建筑设计的主要驱动力。 业主、建筑师和工程师现在仔细选择建筑材料，以满足新能源法规要求的更严格的性能指标。 砖石是一种具有数百年历史的建筑材料，尽管其强度、耐用性和能源效率均得到证实，但仍未得到充分利用。 砌体技术未能利用近几十年来材料科学、计算机模拟和建筑技术方面的重大创新。 因此，现代砖石建筑并不具有成本效益：缺乏标准化的模块化砖石系统，无法使用场外施工或预制技术，导致生产率相对较低，而绝缘砖石砌块墙系统以满足当前的能源规范是一项耗时的任务，需要额外的劳动力和成本。 这阻碍了砖石在加拿大基础设施中的使用，也阻碍了砖石在耐用性和热性能方面给加拿大基础设施带来的好处。 该提案的目标是开发一种具有增强热性能的创新砖石墙系统，适合通过模块化和机器人友好的放置来加速施工。所提出的解决方案具有抗损坏特性，可以减轻模块化结构典型的局部损坏和低能量耗散，并且可以使用砌体设计的第一原理进行设计。 这项拟议的研究对于行业来说早就该进行了，它引起了寻求加拿大砖石科学进步的承包商和科学组织（例如加拿大砖石设计中心和加拿大混凝土砖石生产商协会）以及设计界和 CSA S304 标准委员会的广泛兴趣。具有增强热性能的系统可以比传统砌体更快地建造，并且将对砌体施工的安全性和总成本产生直接影响。拟议的研究将提供及时且有价值的实验和分析结果，解决加拿大区块生产商和砖石承包商协会先前确定的感兴趣领域。这项研究在基础知识、设计进步以及高素质研究人员和工程师培训方面的成果将使加拿大成为热效率、承重砌体设计专业知识的世界领导者和推动者。

New energy requirements for Canadian infrastructure have brought a paradigm shift in which energy and thermal performance have become the main drivers in the design of new buildings. Owners, architects, and engineers now choose their construction materials carefully to meet the more stringent performance indexes required by newer energy codes. Masonry is a centuries-old construction material that despite its proven record of strength, durability, and energy efficiency, remains underutilized. Masonry technology has failed to capitalize on the significant innovations in material science, computer simulation, and construction technology that have occurred in recent decades. As a result, modern masonry construction is not cost-effective: the lack of a standardized modular masonry system prevents the use of offsite construction or pre-fabrication techniques causing a relatively low production rate, while insulating masonry block wall systems to meet current energy codes is a time-consuming task that requires additional labour and costs. This hinders the use of masonry in Canadian infrastructure and the benefits that it could bring to Canadian infrastructure in terms of durability and thermal performance. The objective of this proposal is to develop an innovative masonry wall system with enhanced thermal performance, suitable for accelerated construction through modularization and robot-friendly placement. The proposed solution has damage-resistant features to mitigate the localized damage and low energy dissipation typical of modular construction and it can be designed using the first principles of masonry design. The proposed research is long overdue for the industry, and it has garnered wide interest from contractors and scientific organizations seeking the advancement of masonry science in Canada (such as the Canada Masonry Design Centre, and the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association), as well as the design community and the CSA S304 standards committee. Systems with enhanced thermal performance can be built more rapidly than conventional masonry and will have an immediate impact on safety and the total cost of masonry construction. The proposed research will provide timely and valuable experimental and analytical results that address previously identified areas of interest by block producers and masonry contractor associations in Canada. The outcome of this research in terms of fundamental knowledge, design advancements as well as the training of highly qualified researchers and engineers, will set Canada apart as a world leader and driver of expertise in thermally efficient, loadbearing masonry design.