Finite Element Analysis of Thermal Bridges in Mediterranean Residential Building Using Iot-Based Temperature Monitoring

Abstract

Thermal bridges are localized regions of increased heat transfer that reduce the thermal efficiency of building envelopes and contribute to higher energy consumption. This study presents a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) to investigate the thermal performance of a representative Mediterranean residential building using realistic boundary conditions obtained from in-situ monitoring. An IoT-based sensing system continuously recorded indoor, outdoor, and surface temperatures over a seven-day period, and the measured data were incorporated into the numerical model. The FEM simulations evaluated temperature and heat flux distributions across the multilayer wall assembly, with particular attention to the wall-to-wall, wall-to-floor, wall-to-partition, and partition-to-floor junctions. The results revealed significant heat flux concentrations at structural junctions, confirming their role as critical thermal bridges responsible for increased heat losses. The proposed methodology demonstrates the effectiveness of combining IoT monitoring with high-resolution FEM simulations to identify thermal weak points and support the design of energy-efficient retrofit strategies for existing Mediterranean buildings.