Experimental Investigation of False Ceiling Height on The Thermal Comfort of Building

Sustainable building design and passive cooling strategies are highly prominent areas of research. This investigation assesses the thermal performance of polystyrene as a false-ceiling material for hot climate of Khulna, Bangladesh. Experiments were conducted to measure temperature of two similar, same-sized rooms (Rooms 504 and 505, Block C, Academic Building-1, KUET, Khulna) were monitored simultaneously to ensure comparable thermal conditions. Polystyrene boards were installed in Room 504 with varying clearance gaps of 25 mm, 76 mm, 152 mm, and 228 mm, while the other room was kept in its normal condition. The temperatures at different points inside and outside the rooms were measured using thermocouples, and a data logger was used to store the data. The results showed that the maximum temperature reduction of 2.675 °C occurred in the room with polystyrene as false ceiling with a 76 mm clearance. The minimum reduction, 0.6875 °C, was observed with a 25 mm clearance. For 152 mm and 228 mm clearances, the reductions were 1.475 °C and 1.9 °C, respectively. The findings suggest that low-conductivity false ceilings with appropriate air gaps between roof and false-ceiling can effectively reduce heat gains and lower indoor temperatures, offering a practical solution for energy demand reduction in residential buildings in the hot climatic condition.