Thermal Efficiency of Insulation in Building Structures—The Impact of Thermal Bridging: Fid-Bau Portal

Thermal Efficiency of Insulation in Building Structures—The Impact of Thermal Bridging

Kośny, Jan / Yarbrough, David W.

In the construction industry, thermal insulations are construction materials used to reduce heat transfer between materials or structures of different temperatures. Theoretically, the exterior building skin should perform a variety of different roles that include keeping the exterior climate outside by limiting the transfer of heat, moisture, and air, which helps with maintaining comfortable interior conditions. A particular role is reserved here for thermal insulation, which is responsible for minimizing the heat exchange between the exterior environment and the interior space of a building. Mitigation of heat transport is the primary reason why thermal insulation materials are being used today in buildings. The use of thermal insulation materials greatly affects the following:

Energy consumed for heating and/or cooling inside the building or houses (HVAC design)

The thermal and hygrothermal performance of specific envelope and construction materials or structures that require thermal insulation such as opaque walls and roofs, damp-proof courses, waterproof membranes, related joints or sealants, and others.

In these applications, thermal insulation is a key component of the building interior fabric or exterior envelope. Often, additional functions provided by thermal insulation include: a visual and daylight connection to the outdoors, reduction of noise transmission, support of structural loads, and aesthetically pleasing appearance on both sides of building envelope. Furthermore, a number of configurations of thermal insulation and heat conducting components, generate thermal bridging effects in various parts of the building skin and architectural interfaces. They can not only significantly impact thermal performance of building envelopes, but also their long-term durability.