Thermal Mechanical Performance Mapping of Insulation Material under Extreme Desert Conditions: A Modeling-Based Comparative Study

Abstract:

Lightweight modular buildings deployed in desert environments operate under severe climatic stress, facing extreme daytime temperatures, large diurnal swings and intense solar radiation. These conditions drive continuous heat ingress into the interior and impose thermal fatigue on the building envelope. While insulation materials are typically selected based on steady-state thermal conductivity values, these metrics do not capture transient heat penetration, thermal lag or the mechanical response induced by cyclic temperature loads. This work presents a thermal–mechanical performance-mapping framework that evaluates insulation materials under realistic desert boundary conditions. A multilayer cabin wall is modeled using measured Kuwait summer temperature cycles and solar-equivalent heat flux. Transient one-dimensional heat-transfer analysis is combined with thermo-elastic stress estimation to evaluate polyurethane foam, polyisocyanurate, expanded polystyrene and mineral wool. Dynamic indicators—including interior temperature moderation, thermal lag and normalized daily heat gain—are used to compare performance. The findings reveal substantial discrepancies between laboratory-rated and climate-specific behavior and highlight the need for integrated evaluation when selecting insulation for buildings in extreme climates.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 179)
• Pages: 69-75
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-7Esi1G
• Online since: June 2026
• Authors: Abeer Abdullah Al Anazi*
• Keywords: Extreme Desert Climate, Insulation Materials, Lightweight Structures, Thermal Cycling, Thermo-Mechanical Response, Transient Thermal Modeling

References

[1] J.A. Duffie and W.A. Beckman, Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, 4th ed., Wiley, New York (2013).

[2] ASHRAE, ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals, ASHRAE, Atlanta (2021).

[3] L.F. Cabeza, "Dynamic thermal behavior of insulation materials in building envelopes," Renewable Energy 115 (2018) 1251–1260.

[4] N. Mendes, P.C. Philippi and R. Lamberts, Building Thermal Performance Simulation and Analysis, Taylor & Francis, London (2017).

[5] D. Zhou and R. Haghighat, "Thermal stress development in multilayer building envelopes under dynamic temperature loading," Journal of Building Physics 43 (2020) 319–341.

[6] S. Omer, "Performance implications of thermal loads in desert buildings: A review," Construction and Building Materials 230 (2020) 116–125.

[7] A. Al-Sanea, M.F. Zedan and S. Al-Majed, "Effect of insulation type and position on optimum insulation thickness in hot climates," Applied Energy 88 (2011) 389–399.

[8] M. Santamouris, "Cooling the buildings – past, present and future," Energy and Buildings 128 (2016) 617–638.

DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.07.034

[9] A. Amein and M. Al-Homoud, "Thermal performance of building walls under cyclic boundary conditions," Energy and Buildings 32 (2000) 291–299.

[10] S. Alwetaishi, "Impact of desert climate on building energy performance," Sustainable Cities and Society 34 (2017) 16–25.

[11] T. Kubilay, A. Derome and J. Carmeliet, "Transient heat and moisture transport in multilayer building components," Building and Environment 123 (2017) 661–675.

[12] F. Ascione, N. Bianco, R.F. De Masi and G. Vanoli, "Dynamic simulation of building insulation performance under Mediterranean climate," Energy Procedia 82 (2015) 512–519.

[13] H. Janssen and S. Roels, "Influence of material properties on mechanical stress in insulation layers subjected to thermal cycling," Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering 29 (2017) 04016242.

[14] Kuwait Meteorological Department, Climatological Data Annual Summary, Kuwait City (2022).

[15] H. Chung and R. Park, "Thermo-mechanical fatigue in multilayer foam insulation systems," Materials & Design 95 (2016) 50–60.