Babacar Diouf^1,, Bator CISSE¹, Mariama BA¹, Kadia Thilly¹, Cheikh Tidiane Seck²

The building sector in Senegal faces significant energy and thermal comfort challenges, with approximately 60% of residential energy consumption devoted to cooling in a hot semi-arid climate where urban temperatures regularly exceed 35–40°C. Conventional construction materials such as concrete exhibit high thermal conductivity (typically >1.4 W m^-1K^-1), exacerbating indoor heat gain. This study presents a quantitative comparative analysis of the thermal performance of two beam-and-block floor assemblies: one incorporating Typha australis–earth hollow blocks and insulating panels, and a reference assembly using standard concrete hollow blocks. Steady-state thermal conduction calculations were performed in accordance with ISO 6946 and ADEME guidelines on multi-layer floor systems. Results demonstrate that the typha-based floor achieves a total thermal resistance of R_th = 2.932 K m² W^-1 and a thermal transmittance of U = 0.341 W m^-2 K^-1, compared to R_th = 0.197 K m² W^-1 and U = 5.076 W m^-2 K^-1 for the concrete counterpart. The total heat flux through the typha floor (733.37 W for a 215 m² surface) is approximately 13 times lower than that of the concrete floor (9822.06 W). These findings confirm Typha australis as a high-potential bio-sourced insulating material suitable for sustainable bioclimatic construction in West Africa, capable of substantially reducing cooling energy demand while supporting local circular economies.

Bio-sourced materials, Thermal insulation, Beam-and-block floor, Typha australis, Thermal transmittance, Bioclimatic architecture, Senegal, Hot climate