Background information
The European construction sector has a major environmental footprint, consuming more than half of all extracted natural resources and contributing 37% of total CO₂ emissions. Although energy efficiency measures reduce operational emissions, they often increase embodied carbon in materials.
The CASCO project focuses on developing an ecosystem to support the uptake of local and natural building materials. One of the most promising applications is natural fibre insulation, such as hemp, straw or miscanthus. These fibres are widely available and low-impact, but industry adoption requires better knowledge of their thermal and moisture performance.
MNEXT and its partners are researching these insulation materials, including monitoring real buildings in Delft, Tilburg and ’s-Hertogenbosch where sensors are installed to track performance over time.
Assignment Description
In this assignment, you will compare the theoretical performance of natural fibre insulation with the measured performance from sensor data.
Your tasks may include:
-
Conducting a literature review on bio-based construction and natural fibre insulation
-
Collecting and testing different natural fibre samples (e.g. hemp, straw, miscanthus)
-
Determining thermal and hygrothermal properties in the lab
-
Simulating heat and moisture transport using WUFI
-
Analysing sensor data and weather data from monitored buildings
-
Comparing theoretical simulations to real-world measurements
-
Identifying discrepancies and explaining their causes
-
Providing recommendations for future design and construction of bio-based buildings
-
Writing a structured final report
Research questions
-
How do natural fibre insulation materials perform in real buildings compared to theoretical predictions?
-
What factors explain differences between simulation results and sensor measurements?
-
How can this knowledge be used to improve future bio-based construction?
Desired Skills
We are looking for a student with:
-
Interest in sustainable construction, building physics and data analysis
-
Ability to work independently as well as within a multidisciplinary team
-
Preferably a background in civil engineering, building engineering or building physics
-
Enthusiasm for experimental testing, simulation and analytical work
-
Strong communication and reporting skills
Supervision
The internship will be supervised by Annine Rozema, who will provide regular feedback on your work, data analysis and reporting.
Practical Details
- Compensation: €350 per month
-
Working language: English
-
Location:
-
Avans University of Applied Sciences, Breda
-
Case study buildings in Delft, Tilburg and ’s-Hertogenbosch
-