Simple Equations for Predicting Thermal Resistance of Mud-plastered Wall

Simple equations for predicting thermal resistance of mud-plastered wall containing moisture are proposed. These are based upon the semi-infinite body heat conduction theory and a moving moisture boundary model. Standard fire resistance tests are conducted for mud- plastered wall and one dimensional finite difference model for thermal conduction with the effect of latent heat of moisture evaporation is executed to validate the equations. The results show that the equations are able to predict the temperature rise of moisture containing wall with reasonable accuracy and identify the contribution ratio of moisture and thermal diffusivity to the temperature rise. The equations are also able to be used to estimate the apparent value of thermal diffusivity from the test results.