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Corner tests on assemblies of protected polystyrene foam showed that the addition of any covering material having a flame spread classification of less than 150 as measured by the 7.6 m tunnel test was beneficial in terms of reducing the rate of early fire spread. During the formation phase of the fire, this type of assembly posed no more danger than a similar construction using glass fibre insulation. Following flashover, however, the exposed polystyrene foam contributed significantly to the fire whereas the glass fibre did not., Reprinted from: Fire Technology, v. 17, no. 2, May 1981, p. 85-97. ISSN: 0015-2684

The purpose of roads in areas of seasonal frost is to attenuate frost penetration and thus permit the design pavement thickness to be reduced. Early indications from actual use are that polystyrene insulation will meet these requirements. Two 100-ft (32.8-m) sections of street were constructed in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, in September 1964 using 2-by-4-ft by 2-in. (0.610-by l.220-m by 5.08-cm) sheets of extruded polystyrene insulation in the pavement structure at a depth of 16 in. (0.406 m). In the summer of 1965 two additional insulated road sections were constructed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Two types of insulation and methods were used. Extruded polystyrene boards were placed by hand (the same as at Sudbury) at the desired elevation. Polyurethane was foamed in place by spraying the chemicals on the road bed with a specially constructed self-propelled spraying machine. This paper discusses the relative merits of the different methods of roads and, in a broader context, the protection against freezing of underground utilities, such as water mains and sewers.

This paper deals with the design and construction of details pertaining to insulated roofs for new construction and for thermal upgrading of existing ones. Emphasis is given to built-up roofs (BUR) because of their wide use and the particular problems associated with the tendency of the membrane to shrink. Roof problems encountered in current practice are analyzed and practical solutions are suggested. Such solutions may be adopted as principles that can be applied, in general, to the design of practical roof details. Examples of the application of these principles to thermal upgrading of existing roofs are described. Finally, the functions of the different types of joints usually found on roofs and the effects of insulation on their design are discussed.

This note records the use of "Cabot's Quilt" insulated sheathing in a 60 year old Halifax house. Moderate space heating requirements are attributed to careful material selection, detailing and quality workmanship which combined to provide good airtightness.

The urgent need to conserve energy in buildings has increased the use of non-conventional insulating materials such as urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) in Canadian buildings. Although UFFI is not a particularly good insulating material because of its high initial water content and therefore its high volumetric shrinkage and known deterioration with age, it was installed in more than 80 000 Canadian homes before December 1980 when its use was banned under the Hazardous Products Act. The ban was based on an investigation by an Expert Advisory Committee set up by the Department of Health and Welfare Canada. Subsequent studies in the laboratory and in the field have indicated that gases and/or particulates given off by UFFI cause illness in some people. The nature of the problem and some of the studies carried out in Canada to improve understanding and develop methods of reducing exposure to the substances given off by UFFI are described., Reprinted from "CIB 83, the 9th CIB Congress, Stockholm, Sweden, Building Materials and Components, vol. 4, p. 517-527"

Les délibérations du Forum 82 ont porté sur les performances de différents types de murs extérieurs. Les exposés se sont attardés aux dommages causés aux facades, à la condensation dans les murs, la pénétration des eaux de pluie, le rôle des écrans pare-vapeur et pare-vent, ainsi qu'aux exigences fondamentales pour la conception et la construction des murs extérieurs. Les trois principaux types de mur extérieur ont été étudiés: les murs de maconnerie, les murs-rideaux en verre-métal et les murs de panneaux de béton préfabriqués. Le compte rendu comprend les quatre exposés présentés, quelques-unes des questions soulevées lors des discussions et les réponses des auteurs ainsi qu'une bibliographie. ** Table des matières: Introduction -- La performance des murs extérieurs / G.O. Handegord (L. Saint-Martin) -- Les murs de maçonnerie : enceintes de piscines en blocs de béton / K.N. Burn (R. Roux) -- Les murs-rideaux en verre-métal / R.L. Quirouette -- Les murs en panneaux préfabriqués / M.Z. Rousseau et R.L. Quirouette -- Questions et réponses -- Lectures complémentaires **, Forum '82 sur la science du bâtiment : murs extérieurs: causes des désordres, octobre, novembre et décembre 1982, Différentes villes canadiennes

This paper provides industrial laboratories with guidelines for verifying precision in thermal resistance determinations. It deals with both equipment and test procedures, and discusses the development of a calibration program for the heat flow meter (HFM) apparatus used in quality control of low-density mineral fiber insulations manufactured at the Innisfail Plant of Manville Canada Inc. To ensure agreement between the HFM apparatus used in the plant and the guarded hot plate (GHP) apparatus used by National Research Council of Canada, the following elements were incorporated in the calibration program: selection, fabrication and verification of low-density glass fiber reference systems, calibration of apparatus, error analysis of apparatus, maintenance of calibration., Thermal Conductivity Eighteen : Proceedings of the 18th International Thermal Conductivity Conference: 03 October 1983, Rapid City, SD, USA

A two-storey house with basement was modelled using the ENCORE computer program and the climatic conditions of 10 locations in Canada and four different levels of insulation. A direct correlation was found between the above-grade envelope thermal conductance and energy consumption. This correlation could not be reproduced using modified degree-day or variable degree-day heat loss calculations. Modifications to these calculations that would be required to reflect the correlation are discussed.

Building Science Forum '82 addresses various types of performance failures in different types of exterior walls. The papers presented describe facade damage, condensation in walls, rain penetration, the role of air-vapour barriers, and the basic requirements for the design and construction of exterior walls. The three principal wall systems considered are masonry walls, metal and glass curtain walls, and precast concrete wall assemblies. The Proceedings consist of four papers, a selection of questions and answers discussed in the forum, and a reference list. Individual papers are separately indexed., Building Science Forum 1982, Exterior Walls: Understanding the Problems, 1982, Canada

This paper presents one winter's results of two 100-ft city pavement sections insulated with a 2-in. thickness of extruded polystyrene plastic foam in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The experimental results consisted of temperature measurements, frost-depth measurements with methylene blue gages, elevation measurements for frost heave and Benkelman beam deflections following the thawing period. The insulation reduced frost penetration by 35 in. during a 2600 degree-day winter. Thermoconductivity measurements showed that no deterioration occurred in the insulating properties of the insulation. Frost penetration in the control area was approximately 65 in., which compared favorably with the depth predicted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from measurements in granular base course beneath snow-cleared airport runways.

A set of rules is devised whereby the component types of the envelope of a house or an apartment may be chosen from a knowledge of their acoustical properties, their relative areas, the degree of intrusive sound that may be tolerated, and the noise exposure forecast contours.

The fire resistance of steel columns protected with low density insulating materials is examined by experimental and analytical engineering methods. Critical temperatures for failure are derived and methods for calculating temperature rise are described. Simple methods suitable for practical use in the design of fire protection for steel building columns are proposed and their use illustrated by examples., Reprinted from: Engineering Journal, v. 10, no. 3, Third Quater, 1973, p. 82-94. ISSN: 0013-8029