Green building evolution: enhancing energy efficiency and structural performance through innovative rice water and grey clay composite material

In the coming decade, a substantial rise in energy consumption within the buildings sector is predicted to lead to a 30% increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The choice of materials for building envelopes significantly influences the overall energy demand of HVAC systems, which contribute significantly to electricity usage. To enhance compatibility between grey clay and straw, a suggested approach involves using a composite material comprising rice water and grey clay, enriched with a high proportion of rice straw and soaked in rice water. This environmentally friendly technique yields a green construction material capable of reducing energy consumption in HVAC systems by up to 35.6% over a 24-h period. The potential energy-savings of this composite material are evaluated through numerical computations and real field measurements using ANSYS software. Experimental results reveal that the suggested grey clay bricks, compared to traditional materials, exhibit superior physical characteristics such as compressive strength and load stability. These bricks are up to 41.2 mass% lighter than regular bricks due to the incorporation of rice straw, which enhances their mass reduction. As a porous material, the suggested bricks can effectively absorb excess interior humidity, distinguishing them from traditional and fired bricks. The findings highlight the unique mechanical and thermal qualities of the suggested bricks.