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Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Building VIII: Integration of Building Envelopes: 02 December 2001, Clearwater Beach, FL

This work is an extension of the project 'Exterior Insulation Basement Systems' (EIBS), a joint research project initiated by Canadian Plastics Industry Association, Expanded Polystyrene Association of Canada, Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association, Owens Corning Inc. and Roxul Inc. This project assesses the in situ performance - above and below grade - of several exterior insulation specimens.The experimental set-up and instrumentation and data collection have been completed. The analysis indicated that the heat flows from below-grade to above-grade portion of the basement wall to outdoors in cold weather. As well, the majority of heat loss through steel studs on the east wall appears to be above-grade. Therefore, a three-dimensional heat transfer analysis has been undertaken and heat loss analysis must be extended above grade and past the guards, in order to assess the magnitude of these heat flows.In the summer of 1997, additional thermocouples set were placed above grade and at the guard locations at the south end of each east and west walls at Test Hut #1. This internal report concerns the analysis of this additional data. This project is outside the scope of the original EIBS project.

International Building Physics Conference (IBPC): 00 September 2000, Eindhoven

This state-of-the art paper reviews the area of environmental control of buildings, outlines some research findings, and analyzes different aspects of the design process with a view to creating a comprehensive stage for the introduction of new ideas. This paper underlines shortcomings in the current design process and highlights areas where the current design and evaluation processes must be improved to enhance innovation in the construction industry. Part II of this work (to be published in JTIBE) proposes improvements based on a holistic approach to the environmental control of buildings.

Methodology for the evaluation of long-term thermal performance of cellular plastics is being developed under a collaboration of North American foam industry with the National Research Council of Canada. The mechanism of this collaboration includes a joint research project between the Society of Plastics Industryand the NRC Canada. To evaluate long-term thermal performance (LTTP) of cellular plastics the agingprocess must be accelerated. This can be done either by means of elevated temperature or by the use of thin layers of the foam. The first approach changes the permeability and solubility coefficients of different gases to such a degree that predicting the foam performance under field conditions is difficult.

Traduit de: Construction Canada 35(2) fév 1993, p. 24-27, Reprinted in La performance et la durabilité de l'enveloppe du bâtiment, colloque technique (NRCC-38991F)

Reprinted in Construction Practice: Selected Applications in Construction Technology Section 3 (NRCC- 35475)

Few construction materials have undergone more changes than thermal insulation over the last two decades, and few products have been so well adapted to fit market needs. But insulation continues to be selected for its perceived field performance, rather than on the basis of accurate laboratory tests and, in many cases, scientists have yet to develop lab tests to simulate the field.

Reprinted in Construction Practice: Selected Applications in Construction Technology Section 3 (NRCC- 35475)

Following a successful application of slicing and scaling techniques to predict the long-term performance of sprayed polyurethane foams, three types of generic boardstock products were examined in this work. The conclusion is that the scaling approach may not be directly applicable to faced or non-uniform boardstock products. The results shown in this report indicate, however, that preparing specimens with a partial encapsulation technique developed during this research and measuring aging curves on these specimens may help in the quality assurance of the boardstock products.

An apparatus to measure the thermal resistance of expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been developed at IRC as one of two elements of inexpensive instrumentation proposed for the quality assurance programs of the EPS industry. The other is a flexural strength apparatus and has been reported in other document. The apparatus reported here was used for testing 16 pairs of specimens selected from a set of EPS experimental products and the results were compared with those obtained on a Guarded Hot Plate (GHP) apparatus.The difference in each of these comparative tests varied from 0 to the maximum of 0.6 percent, while the mean difference was 0.03%. Yet th enew equipment is approximately ten times less expensive than a GHP apparatus and much easier to operate. It is therefore expected that this new equipment will be used by Canadian manufacturers of EPS (and other thermal insulating boards) as a tool for control of the production quality.

An inexpensive flexural strength tester (FST) was designed and built at Plastifab Ltd. In the spirit of industrialcooperation with NRC, this tester was made commercially available to the whole Canadian Industry and one unit was evaluated by the Institute for Research in Construction. During this evaluation, significant differences were observed between results obtained with this FST unit and a Tinius-Olsen apparatus used in accordance with the ASTM test method. The initial design of the FST was therefore modified. Different modifications were tried until an improved design appeared to give satisfactory results. This design of the FST was subjected to further testing which confirmed satisfactory agreement with the ASTM test method.

Studies in Building Physics : Dedicated to Professor Lars Erik Nevander on his 60th Anniversary: 11 November 1981, Lund, Sweden, Series: Tekniska Hogskolan i Lund, Institutionen fur byggnadsteknik : Report

A semi-empirical model for calculating heat transfer in dry mineral fiber insulations takes into account parameters that characterize both the structure of the fibrous material and the boundary conditions in standard laboratory testing. It permits adjustment of experimental data for changes in specimen density or thickness, mean temperature or temperature gradient, i.e., all the uncertainties involved in sampling and testing procedures.

With the growing emphasis on energy conservation, various codes and building authorities have raised the requirements for the thermal resistance of building envelopes. Although these requirements are related to a nominal level of performance, very little is said about the difference between material performance in-situ and estimates established by laboratory measurements. This review discusses how to develop appropriate test methods for evaluating the performance of thermal insulation under service conditions.

This report summarizes results of thermal resistance of cellular plastic insulations following long-term outdoor exposure. In addition to thermal resistance two physical properties: water vapour transmission (WVT) coefficient and specimen density were determined as means of material characterization.