eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture 2328-3998 2026-05-22 14 3 112 116 10.12691/ajcea-14-3-3 AJCEA20261433 article Babacar Diouf babacar2.diouf@ugb.edu.sn 1 Bator CISSE 1 Mariama BA 1 Kadia Thilly 1 Cheikh Tidiane Seck 2 Institut Polytechnique de Saint-Louis (IPSL), Universit¨¦ Gaston Berger, Saint-Louis, Senegal Atelier Kemit Architectes (AKA), Dakar, Senegal 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¨C40°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¨Cearth 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 Rth = 2.932 K m2 W-1 and a thermal transmittance of U = 0.341 W m-2 K-1, compared to Rth = 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. https://pubs.sciepub.com/ajcea/14/3/3/ajcea-14-3-3.pdf Bio-sourced materials Thermal insulation Beam-and-block floor Typha australis Thermal transmittance Bioclimatic architecture Senegal Hot climate