Life Cycle Cost Reduction of a Social Housing Building by Using Polyurethane Lightweight Bricks

Abstract

This study examines the ability to reduce the cost of constructing low-income housing buildings by modifying wall material properties. A new clay brick mixed with polyurethane foam was prepared. Different types of tests were conducted -compression strength, water absorption, thermal conductivity. Three types of studies were conducted literature review, experimental study to prepare samples of the different, and comparative study, to compare the construction costs using ordinary clay bricks and light bricks using the ETAB program. The test results showed that adding foam to the bricks in different proportions weakened the compressive strength of the bricks. The optimum percentage of polyurethane additive to the regular brick mixture is 30% by volume. The use of polyurethane foam bricks on building the social housing project showed a 4.15 % reduction of the total cost. It can be said that reducing the cost of the building will be higher than the calculated percentage in reducing the initial cost based on thermal conductivity tests, which will reduce the cost of the building's life cycle by reducing the cost of energy used in conditioning the building.