THERMOMECHANICAL STUDY OF TYPHA-BASED PARTICLEBOARD PANELS

This study focuses on the use of cattail in building construction. The overall objective of this study is to contribute to the preservation of our natural resources, which are threatened with depletion, by combating the proliferation of cattail while facilitating the acquisition of affordable housing for all citizens. Specifically, the aim is to design agglomerated cattail panels in order to study their thermomechanical properties. Panels were made using cattail and welded mesh, and structural concrete was sprayed onto the panel at different thicknesses to determine which thickness offered the best value for money. Mechanical (compression) and physical (heat transfer) tests were carried out on the samples. The results obtained are satisfactory overall: mechanical strength of the panels up to 2.81 MPa, which is higher than 2 MPa, the minimum strength required by standard NF DTU 20.1, and thermal conductivity varying between 0.119 and 0.034 W/m.K. Comparative studies have shown that the panels offering the best value for money are those with a typha density of 67 kg/m3 and a concrete thickness of 3 cm, which provides savings of more than 15% compared to conventional construction