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No-fines Concrete Homes: Atypical Thermal Performances

No-fines concrete (NFC) is an open textured cellular concrete obtained by eliminating either fines or sand from the normal concrete mix. This material was used for constructing structural elements, such as walls, of NFC homes in the UK in the 1950s to build affordable homes. Research in the 1950s showed this material to be capable of energy and cement savings and worthy of being seen as a material that would revolutionise the way affordable homes could be built. In today's context, it is argued that homes built using this material suffer from fuel poverty as a result of their thermal performance characteristics. Literature identifies, the thermal performance of a NFC wall ranges from 1.1 W/m2K to 2.0 W/m2K depending on the specification of the external fabric. To improve the thermal performance of the fabric, Social Housing Providers adopt a range of measures to refurbish NFC properties and adopt a broad brush approach, refurbishing a range of non-traditional constructed dwellings under similar refurbishment packages. The findings of this research highlight the heterogeneity of NFC construction. The paper discusses different refurbishment approaches adopted by Social Housing Providers and identifies the variation between individual thermal performances of NFC elements resulting from workmanship and build issues. The findings expose the heterogeneity of individual NFC elements and further suggest that any decision to adopt a refurbishment approach must be based on a detailed consideration of the existing characteristics of the property including location and orientation of the property. This paper is the first to discuss the in-situ u-values of NFC walls in the last 20 years. This research paper will be of interest to Social Housing Providers and Architects planning to refurbish such properties.