Impact of Phase Change Concrete on Thermal and Mechanical Performance: A review

Energy consumption in building is the key issue that needs to be addressed nowadays. Concrete is good recipient of thermal energy but it does not emit energy when surrounding temperature is low. The integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) is having high attention as this material can adjust temperature of the surrounding ac-cording to its usage. By adding PCM one can successfully change thermal behavior of structure in positive way but at the same time maintaining concrete structural performance is the important task. There are various types and methods of usage of PCM in concrete but being outsider material its effect when added to concrete can help in improvement of concrete performance. This paper describes fundamentals of PCM, its types, specifications and integration methods for successful application in concrete and mortar. Furthermore, this paper compiles and summarize findings of different studies examining impact of addition of PCM on both thermal and mechanical properties of concrete.