六座测试建筑被广泛地安装了仪器来测量夏季空间的冷负荷。这些建筑都是单室结构，具有相同的平面图和方向。除了墙壁结构，它们是相同的，如下所示:隔热轻质木框架；未隔热轻质木框架；具有外部质量的隔热砌体；未隔热砌体；日志以及内部质量的隔热砌体。位于马里兰州盖瑟斯堡的国家标准局将这些建筑暴露在夏季天气条件下。 当建筑物按以下方式运行时，进行了测试，以调查墙体质量对空间冷却能量需求的影响:室内固定温度设置为65°F（18°C）、室内固定温度设置为76°F（24°C）和夜间通风冷却。将室内恒温器设置为65华氏度（18摄氏度）进行测试的目的是模拟炎热气候下的建筑性能。这项研究最终证明了热质量对夏季冷却能量需求的影响。 引文:研讨会，ASHRAE交易，1984年，第90卷，pt。密苏里州堪萨斯城2B

Six test buildings were extensively instrumented to measure summer space cooling loads. The buildings were one-room structures with the same floor plan and orientation. They were identical, except for the wall construction, which was as follows: insulated lightweight wood frame; uninsulated lightweight wood frame; insulated masonry with outside mass; uninsulated masonry; log; and insulated masonry with inside mass.The buildings were exposed to summer weather conditions at the National Bureau of Standards located in Gaithersburg, MD. Tests were carried out to investigate the effect of wall mass on the space cooling energy requirements when the buildings were operated in the following fashions: fixed indoor temperature setting of 65°F (18°C), fixed indoor tempera­ture setting of 76°F (24°C), and night ventilation cooling. The purpose of the test with a fixed indoor thermostat setting of 65°F (18°C) was to simulate building performance in hotter climates.The study conclusively demonstrated the effect of thermal mass on the summer cooling energy requirements.