THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF VERNACULAR ADOBE HOUSING: ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO BRAZILIAN STANDARDS IN THE QUILOMBO BARRA DA AROEIRA/TO

Abstract

Vernacular dwellings, such as those made of adobe, are common in traditional communities and are often associated with better thermal comfort. However, they lack technical evaluations that prove their performance against national standards. Therefore, this study evaluated the thermal performance of an adobe dwelling in Quilombo Barra da Aroeira/TO, according to the parameters established by the NBR 15220-3 and NBR 15575-1 standards. To this end, a single case study was carried out, with measurements of air temperature, globe temperature, and internal and external relative humidity, for three consecutive days, using digital globe thermometers. The data were analyzed comparatively with the requirements of the standards. The study showed a maximum difference between internal and external temperature of 2.8°C, insufficient to meet the minimum performance level (M) of NBR 15575, which requires that the internal temperature be lower than the external temperature. The calculations for thermal transmittance (U=4.0 W/m².K), thermal lag (φ=4.29 h), and solar factor (FS=10.4) for the adobe walls did not meet the requirements of NBR 15220-3 (U≤2.2; φ≥6.5; FS≤3.5). The area of ​​openings (7.71%) was below the recommended level (10-15%). Therefore, it is possible to conclude that vernacular adobe housing, in the constructive configuration evaluated by this research, does not provide the thermal performance established by Brazilian technical standards. It is recommended to adopt improvement strategies, such as the use of hollow blocks, low-absorption paint coatings, and increased ventilation openings.