Thermal Conductivity Testing of Concrete & Building Materials

Thermal conductivity is a critical property of concrete and building materials used in applications where controlling heat transfer directly affects performance, efficiency, durability, and safety. Whether the goal is to limit heat flow through a bio-based building material or understand how concrete behaves in thermally demanding infrastructure, accurate thermal characterization is essential.

In this webinar, we will explore thermal conductivity testing of concrete, cementitious materials, and advanced building materials, with a particular focus on three rapidly developing application areas: bio-based building materials, AI data center infrastructure, and nuclear power plant infrastructure.

For bio-based building materials, thermal performance is often closely tied to insulation efficiency. Materials such as hempcrete, natural-fiber composites, and other bio-derived construction materials can exhibit significantly different thermal behavior depending on density, porosity, moisture content, composition, and environmental conditions. We will discuss how these factors influence thermal conductivity measurements and why representative testing conditions are important when evaluating insulating performance.

For AI data center infrastructure, rapidly increasing computing power is creating unprecedented heat loads and placing greater emphasis on thermal management throughout the facility. Concrete and cementitious materials used in floors, walls, structural components, and surrounding infrastructure can play a role in heat transfer and overall thermal behavior. We will examine how thermal conductivity data can support material selection and characterization for infrastructure operating in increasingly thermally demanding environments.

The webinar will also examine concrete used in nuclear power plant infrastructure, where thermal properties can be important for containment structures, shielding, structural components, and other systems exposed to elevated or changing temperatures. Understanding the thermal conductivity of these materials can help engineers evaluate heat transfer, material performance, and the effects of temperature, moisture, composition, and aging.

Throughout the session, we will discuss how properties such as density, porosity, moisture content, temperature, composition, and material heterogeneity can affect measured thermal conductivity. We will also cover how to select an appropriate testing method based on the material, expected thermal conductivity range, sample geometry, and application requirements.

Attendees will learn practical considerations for sample preparation, testing under representative conditions, interpreting thermal conductivity results, and comparing materials across applications where either heat dissipation or thermal insulation is critical.

This webinar is intended for researchers, material developers, engineers, architects, construction professionals, infrastructure specialists, and testing laboratories working with concrete, cementitious materials, sustainable building materials, data center infrastructure, and nuclear applications.

Keywords: thermal conductivity testing, concrete thermal conductivity, cementitious materials, concrete thermal properties, bio-based building materials, hempcrete thermal conductivity, natural fiber insulation, AI data center infrastructure, data center thermal management, concrete for data centers, nuclear concrete, nuclear power plant infrastructure, nuclear containment concrete, thermal insulation, heat dissipation, heat transfer in concrete, sustainable construction materials, thermal characterization, real-world testing conditions