Elevating thermal comfort with eco-friendly concrete roof tiles crafted from municipal solid waste

Developing eco-friendly construction materials is imperative from an energy and environmental standpoint. This technical study investigates the sustainable utilization of municipal solid waste incinerated fly ash (MSWIFA) as a substitute for M-sand in construction materials. This study primarily focuses on reducing landfill waste and promoting waste reuse in the construction sector. This study evaluates various thermo-physical properties of MSWIFA-based concrete, including solar reflectance index, slip and skid resistance, straightness, flatness, rectangularity, water absorption, wet transfer, and thermal performance metrics such as heat flow values for thermal comfort and solar emissivity. The proposed concrete tiles have suitable thermal emissivity (0.87), solar reflectance (0.8), and solar absorption (0.26), which are appropriate for eco-friendly building techniques. The use of MSWIFA tiles lowered the indoor temperature by 2 °C when compared to conventional roof tiles at similar ambient conditions. MSWIFA-based concrete roof tiles are promising in terms of thermal comfort, energy efficiency, environmental conservation and waste reduction and promote a more sustainable approach in the construction industry. This research emphasizes the potential of waste-to-resource strategies in achieving sustainable development goals and reducing the ecological footprint of construction materials.