Masonry generally occupies the largest percentage of the external surface of a building. Therefore, when it is not insulated, it suffers high heat losses. The thermal insulation of a masonry wall can be achieved in 4 alternative ways:
Externally on the concrete elements and on the core of the double brickwork The Energy Performance of Buildings Regulation (K.EN.A.K.) does not require the application of any of the above methods. It only requires compliance with the limit of the thermal transmittance U (formerly k) for masonry. The position of the thermal insulation layer in the three modes affects the result of the calculation in the energy efficiency study, unlike the old thermal insulation study, because the regulation now treats the problem in its dynamic form and not only in its static form, since it takes into account the mass and the specific heat capacity of each material. This is also the case in reality, where both the type of thermal insulation and the position of the thermal insulation material have a significant influence on the thermal behaviour of the masonry. Either way can be considered right or wrong, depending on the application and the intended effect. It is also advisable, whichever solution is chosen, to take into account the co-operability of the materials and to consider the potential for problems arising from their application. It is common for damage to occur in buildings due to the incompatibility of materials. Knowledge of their properties will help in taking appropriate measures and, above all, in avoiding serious errors, which are usually due to the incorrect order in which the successive layers are placed on the building element (development of surface stresses, creation of cracks and delamination, occurrence of moisture, etc.). This solution is preferred in buildings of continuous use (residences, hospitals, etc.), in which a constant temperature is desirable and the maintenance of heat after the heating system is shut down is of more interest than the immediate performance of the heating system. In the case of external thermal insulation, materials that work well with the coating should be used, such as graphite Expanded Polystyrene NEOCOAT THP EPS 60 or 80 and the white Expanded Polystyrene ISOPOR THP EPS 60 or 80 in the appropriate thickness according to the KENAK. The external thermal insulation is applied as a combination of thermal insulation material glued to the entire external surface of the masonry of the building without gaps and a coating applied on top of the thermal insulation layer. It is a system of different materials and components which work together and are called External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) with or without graphite must be suitable for use in external thermal insulation and certified for this application. The boards are necessarily small in size (1.0 x 0.6m), require a special curing process and very strict dimensional tolerances. The thermal insulation layer replaces the first layer of traditional coating, which is also the surface levelling layer, known as the "thick" layer. The coatings of external thermal insulation are special, resinous coatings reinforced with a grid over the entire surface and applied in small thicknesses. Usually 2 layers are required, not exceeding 8 mm in total. The second layer of coating can be coloured or white and can be painted afterwards, as well as in various styles in different grain sizes or smooth. It is preferred in buildings of intermittent use, where the immediate performance of the heating or cooling system is required and the temperature variation after its shutdown is not of interest (public services, schools, event halls, theatres, cinemas, etc.) It is also suitable for holiday homes, which in winter are usually only used at weekends. It can even be used in existing structures, because it is easier to install. In the case of internal thermal insulation, the insulating material must be firmly fixed to the masonry. The best solution for internal thermal insulation from a technical and economic point of view is the use of the composite panel of graphite expanded polystyrene NECOAT and KNAUF INTHERM drywall, known as BETOBOARD, because it achieves very low values of the thermal insulation value. (now U value) with a small thickness due to the thermal conductivity coefficient λ of NEOCOAT so no valuable square metres are lost in the interior and because of the plasterboard no plastering is required but only stuccoing and painting so it stains less. The appropriate thickness is determined according to the KENAK. Learn about the application of internal insulation with case studies from the European Gypsum Association Increasing Energy Efficiency in Buildings with Internal Insulation Thermal insulation in the double-wall core It can be applied to all buildings during construction and to existing buildings in case of replacement of sliding frames with opening or superimposed frames, in which case the gap is filled with thermal insulation plates. In blind walls with a gap in existing buildings, if external thermal insulation is not feasible, temporary holes can be drilled and the gap can be filled with NEOPOR granules using a specific methodology. In double masonry during construction, the two masonry cells must be connected to each other with reinforcing straps (chenaz) at least every one meter in height. These should also be insulated to avoid the formation of thermal bridges, as well as the columns and beams as they are all made of concrete which has 4 times higher losses than brick. It is proposed that the gap between the 2 walls be filled with the thermal insulation material because the concrete elements (columns, beams, chenaz) can not easily be placed more than 5cm of thermal insulation which with the new regulation of thermal insulation KENAK (Regulation of Energy Performance of Buildings) are not sufficient so the worst (larger) k of the concrete elements must be balanced with a significantly better (smaller) in the double brick walls. If an air gap remains, however, it should be on the side of the outer brick and the insulators should be adjacent to the inner brick. Even if all the concrete elements and the masonry are insulated, the thermal bridges are not eliminated as in external thermal insulation, they simply become linear instead of superficial. Graphite Expanded Polystyrene NEOCOAT TX EPS 100 can be used especially if sliding frames are installed (preferably opening or superimposed) so the available thickness for thermal insulation is less or ISOPOR EPS 80 in the appropriate thickness according to the KENAK. When installing them, they should be well fixed on the masonry and touch the two shells of the masonry. Thermal insulation of concrete elements The thermal insulation of concrete elements such as columns, beams and chenaz is applied with all 3 methods of thermal insulation of masonry, internal, external and in the gap, but it is important to mention only the case when combined with the thermal insulation of double masonry with gap. Columns, beams and chenazes must be insulated to avoid the formation of thermal bridges, because they are all made of reinforced concrete which has 4 times higher thermal losses than brick. And in our days when the density of reinforcement is constantly increasing and the concrete surfaces as a percentage of the total masonry surface are also increasing it is even more important. Because reinforcing steel as iron has 25 times more losses than concrete and consequently 100 times more than brick the thickness of the thermal insulation in concrete elements must be greater than that of the gap between the bricks. According to the methodology used in construction, the thermal insulation in concrete elements is inserted in the formwork of the structure before the concrete falls and in practice, due to difficulties, it is rarely thicker than 5cm, the most common being 3cm, although it does not cover the KENAK that is in force from 1/10/10, nor the Thermal Insulation Regulation of 1979. Even if the thermal insulation in concrete elements is placed after concreting and before coatings with adhesive and plugs for mechanical fixing the problem remains. The problem is that in order for the bricks on the outside to be on the same surface as the thermal insulation of the concrete elements, if the thickness of the thermal insulation is greater than 5cm, the brick of the external masonry is necessarily resting to a large extent on the insulation which creates stability problems for the external layer of the double masonry. This problem can of course be solved by constructing a single masonry wall with a brick of 18 cm or more, provided that sliding frames are not installed. At the same time, the placement of the insulator on the formwork makes vibration more difficult, but also does not allow checking after concreting for "nests" on the outside, i.e. points where the reinforcement was not covered by the cement and aggregates. Nests are failures in the concreting that must be repaired to prevent the reinforcement from corroding and compromising the structural adequacy of the building. In the thermal insulation of concrete elements it is recommended to use graphite expanded polystyrene NEOCOAT BT EPS 150, ISOPOR EPS 150 and ISOCOAT BT EPS 80 in the appropriate thickness according to the KENAK.
Applications
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External thermal insulation of masonry
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Internal thermal insulation of masonry
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Double with gap
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and the heat in the summer.
Concrete Elements
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and the heat in the summer.
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