En Europe, le secteur du bâtiment est le plus énergivore et représente environ 40 % de l’énergie totale consommée. A court terme, la façon la plus efficace de baisser cette consommation est de réduire les déperditions thermiques à travers l’enveloppe du bâtiment en augmentant son isolation thermique, tout en minimisant la perte de surface habitable. Dans ce contexte, les travaux de thèse portent sur l’étude et la mise au point pour pré-industrialisation de matériaux super-isolants composites à base d'aérogel de silice. Le matériau composite étudié fait partie de la famille des blankets aérogels et est obtenu via un procédé de séchage ambiant innovant. Grâce à leur faible conductivité thermique et leurs propriétés mécaniques renforcées, les blankets aérogels sont d’un grand intérêt pour l’isolation thermique qui nécessite de fines épaisseurs d’isolants. Les travaux de thèse visent dans un premier temps à effectuer une analyse des propriétés thermophysiques des blankets aérogels étudiés à la sortie du moule de fabrication et vis-à-vis de leur mise en œuvre lorsqu’ils sont soumis à différentes sollicitations (mécaniques, hygriques ...). Des travaux de modélisation du transfert de chaleur dans le blanket aérogel sont développés afin d’étudier les relations entre le transfert thermique et les paramètres morphologiques du matériau. Dans un second temps, les travaux de thèse portent sur l’étude des performances à attendre d’un système d’isolation basé sur le blanket aérogel mis en œuvre sur un bâtiment, à la fois par l’analyse du comportement thermique d’une cellule test en climat réel, ainsi que par la conduite de simulations numériques de bâtiments prenant en compte plusieurs techniques constructives, configurations de murs, et ce, pour plusieurs climats européens. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les blankets aérogels étudiés ont une très faible conductivité thermique –0,016 W.m-1.K-1– et ont un fort potentiel d’application dans l’isolation thermique du bâtiment. / Buildings are the largest energy end-use sector and account for about 40 % of the total final energy consumption in the EU-28. A short-term strategy to efficiently reduce this consumption is to decrease thermal losses through the building envelope by improving its thermal insulation, while minimizing the reduction of the available indoor living space. In this context, the thesis deals with the study and development for pre-industrialization of super-insulating composite materials based on silica aerogel. The studied material is part of the aerogel blanket family and is obtained by an innovative ambient drying process. With a very low thermal conductivity and reinforced mechanical properties, aerogel blankets are of great interest for applications where they can offer a cost advantage due to a space-saving effect. Firstly, the thesis work aims at performing analyses of the thermo-physical properties of the studied aerogel blankets at the exit of the molding and drying processes, and during application, when they are subjected to different environmental stresses (mechanical, hygric …). Heat transfer modeling is developed to study the relationship between the morphological parameters of the material and thermal transfer within it. Secondly, the thesis work focuses on the study of the expected performances of an insulating system based on the aerogel blanket, by the study of the thermal behavior of an experimental building monitored under actual climate, as well as the use of whole building energy numerical simulations taking into account several constructive techniques, different wall configurations, for various European climates. The results obtained show that the aerogel blankets studied have a thermal conductivity as low as 0.016 W.m-1.K-1 and have promising applications for building thermal insulation needs.

Truancy is one of the problems that exist in schools and affect learners' performance. The aim of the current study was to determine how truancy manifests and also to explore the life world of truants in secondary schools. From the literature review, the two types of truancy, namely blanket truancy and post-registration truancy were described. Various programmes and approaches used in truancy intervention were explored. An empirical investigation was undertaken with a sample of 758 Grade 10 learners from three secondary schools. The results indicated that significantly more males than females engaged in truancy. There is also a significant dependency between learning problems and truancy. The results of the study were analysed and recommendations for intervention and for further study were made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Truancy is one of the problems that exist in schools and affect learners' performance. The aim of the current study was to determine how truancy manifests and also to explore the life world of truants in secondary schools. From the literature review, the two types of truancy, namely blanket truancy and post-registration truancy were described. Various programmes and approaches used in truancy intervention were explored. An empirical investigation was undertaken with a sample of 758 Grade 10 learners from three secondary schools. The results indicated that significantly more males than females engaged in truancy. There is also a significant dependency between learning problems and truancy. The results of the study were analysed and recommendations for intervention and for further study were made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)