Calculate U Value

Final approval on behalf of BRE :
Final approval on behalf of BRE:

Signed ________________ Date ________________
Mrs H J Cuckow, Director, BRE East Kilbride
BRE East Kilbride
Kelvin Road
East Kilbride
Glasgow
G75 0RZ
Tel : 01355 576200
Fax : 01355 576210
Email : EastKilbride@bre.co.uk
Building Research Establishment Ltd 1999
Examples of U-value calculations
using BS EN ISO 6946:1997
Prepared for:
DETR/BR
By:
S M Doran and L Kosmina
BRE East Kilbride
December 1999 Report No 78129
(revised June 2000)
Examples of U-value calculations using BS EN ISO 6946:1997
S M Doran and L Kosmina, BRE East Kilbride
December 1999
This document illustrates the procedures given in BS EN ISO 6946:1997
1
for
calculating the U-value of opaque elements. The procedures are explained using
examples of U-value calculations for some typical wall, roof and floor designs which
contain repeating thermal bridges.
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Outline of the procedure 2
3. Cavity wall with lightweight masonry leaf and insulated dry lining 3
4. Timber framed wall 8
5. Insulated cavity wall with metal wall ties 13
6. Wide cavity wall with vertical twist ties 18
7. Pitched roof with insulation between and over the joists 21
8. Room in roof construction 24
9. Room in roof construction with limited rafter depth 27
10. Floor above unheated space 31
11. Suspended beam and block floor 34
12. Suspended timber ground floor 38
Appendix : Data tables 41
References 45
1. Introduction
For building elements which contain repeating thermal bridges, such as timber joists
between insulation in a roof, or mortar joints around lightweight blockwork in a wall,
the effect of thermal bridges should be taken into account when calculating the
U-value. At present, Building Regulations specify that U-values should be calculated
using the Proportional Area Method, which is described in the CIBSE Guide, Section
A3
2
. Future regulations, however, are likely to be based upon the method for
calculating U-values defined in BS EN ISO 6946:1997, which includes the Combined
Method for repeating thermal bridges and correction procedures for the effects of
metal fixings, air gaps and unheated spaces. This paper illustrates the use of
BS EN ISO 6946:1997 for some typical wall, roof and floor designs.
Thermal conductivity values for common building materials can be obtained from the
CIBSE Guide Section A3, 1999 Edition (especially for masonry) or from prEN 12524
3
.
For specific insulation products, however, data should be obtained from
manufacturers declared values. A table is provided at the end of this document
giving typical conductivities for some common building materials.
2. Outline of the procedure
The following is an outline of the calculation procedure:
1. Calculate the upper resistance limit (R
upper
) by combining in parallel the total
resistances of all possible heat-flow paths (i.e. sections) through the building
element.
2. Calculate the lower resistance limit (R
lower
) by combining in parallel the
resistances of the heat flow paths of each layer separately and then summing the
resistances of all layers of the building element.
3. Calculate the total thermal resistance (R
T
) from
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
+
=
4. Calculate, where appropriate, corrections for air gaps (U
g
) and mechanical
fasteners (U
f
). Examples of corrections for air gaps are shown in sections 3, 4,
10 and 12 and examples of corrections for mechanical fasteners are shown in
sections 5, 6 and 9.
5. Calculate the U-value from
U = (1 / R
T
) + U
g
+ U
f
The standard permits U
g
and U
f
to be omitted if, taken together, they amount
to less than 3% of the U-value. This has been done in the examples that follow.
3. Cavity wall with lightweight masonry leaf and insulated dry-lining
In this example
a)
there are two bridged layers - insulation bridged by timber and
example). The construction consists of outer leaf brickwork, a clear cavity, 100 mm
AAC blockwork, 38 89 mm timber studs with insulation between the studs and one
sheet of 12.5 mm plasterboard.
The thickness of each layer, together with the thermal conductivities of the materials,
are shown below. The external and internal surface resistances used are those
two thermal conductivities are given for each layer to reflect the bridged part and the
bridging part in each case. For each homogeneous layer and for each section
(expressed in metres) by the thermal conductivity.
Layer Thickness
(mm) conductivity
(W/mK)
resistance
(mK/W)
- -
1 outer leaf brick 0.77 0.132
air cavity 50 0.180
3(a) 100 0.11
3(b) mortar (6.6%) 0.88 0.114
mineral wool (90.5%) 89 2.342
4(b) (89) 0.13
5 plasterboard 0.25 0.050
- -

a)
Due to requirements for sound insulation this wall construction may only be suitable for
102 mm brick (conductivity 0.77 W/mK)
50 mm air cavity (thermal resistance 0.18 mK/W)
100 mm AAC blocks (conductivity 0.11 W/mK)
bridged by mortar (conductivity 0.88 W/mK)
mineral wool (conductivity 0.038 W/mK)
between 38 89 mm timber studs
(conductivity 0.13 W/mK) at 400 mm centres
12.5 mm plasterboard,
conductivity (conductivity 0.25 W/mK)
heat flow
Total thickness 354 mm
U-value 0.31 W/mK
Both the upper and the lower limits of thermal resistance are calculated by combining
as illustrated below. The method of combining differs in the two cases.
Upper resistance limit
considered to consist of a number of thermal paths (or sections). In this example
there are four sections (or paths) through which heat can pass. The upper limit of
upper
, is given by
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
upper
R
F
R
F
R
F
R
F
1
R
+ + +
=
where F
1
, F
2
, F
3
and F
4
are the fractional areas of sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively
and R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
are the corresponding total thermal resistances of the sections.
A conceptual illustration of the method of calculating the upper limit of resistance is
shown below:-
Figure 3.2 : Conceptual illustration of how to calculate the upper limit of resistance
Resistance through section containing AAC blocks and mineral wool
External surface resistance = 0.040
Resistance of bricks = 0.132
Resistance of air cavity = 0.180
Resistance of AAC blocks (93.4%) = 0.909
Resistance of mineral wool (90.5%) = 2.342
Resistance of plasterboard = 0.050
Internal surface resistance = 0.130
Total thermal resistance (R
1
) = 3.783 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.845 (93.4% 90.5%)
external
surface
internal
surface
1 4(a)
2 1
5 3(b)
F
1
F
2
3(a) 4(b) 5
F
3
F
4
3(b)
3(a) 4(a)
4(b) 5
5
1
1 2
2
2
Resistance through section containing mortar and mineral wool
Resistance of mortar (6.6%) = 0.114
2
) = 2.988 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.060 (6.6% 90.5%)
Resistance through section containing AAC blocks and timber
Resistance of AAC blocks (93.4%) = 0.909
Resistance of timber (9.5%) = 0.685
3
) = 2.126 mK/W
Fractional area F
3
= 0.089 (93.4% 9.5%)
Resistance through section containing mortar and timber
Resistance of mortar (6.6%) = 0.114
Resistance of timber (9.5%) = 0.685
4
) = 1.331 mK/W
Fractional area F
4
= 0.006 (6.6% 9.5%)
Combining these resistances we obtain:
=
+ + +
=
+ + +
=
331 . 1
006 . 0
126 . 2
089 . 0
988 . 2
060 . 0
783 . 3
845 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
R
F
R
F
1
R
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
upper
3.450 mK/W.
Lower resistance limit
When calculating the lower limit of thermal resistance, the resistance of a bridged
layer is determined by combining in parallel the resistances of the unbridged part and
the bridged part of the layer. The resistances of all the layers in the element are then
added together to give the lower limit of resistance.
shown below:
Figure 3.3 : Conceptual illustration of how to calculate the lower limit of resistance
The resistance of the bridged layer consisting of AAC blocks and mortar is calculated
using:
mortar
mortar
blocks
blocks
first
R
F
R
F
1
R
+
=
and the resistance of the bridged layer consisting of insulation and timber is
calculated using:
timber
timber
insul
insul
second
R
F
R
F
1
R
+
=
The lower limit of resistance is then obtained by adding together the resistances of
the layers:
Resistance of first bridged layer

114 . 0
066 . 0
909 . 0
934 . 0
1
R
first
+
= = 0.622
Resistance of second bridged layer
685 . 0
095 . 0
2.342
0.905
1
R
second
+
= = 1.904
Total (R
lower
) = 3.058 mK/W
Total resistance of wall
The total resistance of the wall is the average of the upper and lower limit of
resistances:
4(a)
2 1 5 internal
surface
3(a)
external
surface
4(b) 3(b)
=
+
=
+
=
2
058 . 3 450 . 3
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
3.254 mK/W
Correction for air gaps between the timber studs
Since the insulation is entirely between studs (ie. there is no continuous layer of
insulation) a correction should be applied to the U-value in order to account for air
gaps. The overall U-value of the wall should include a term U
g
, where
U
g
= U (R
I
/ R
T
)
and where U = 0.01 (referred to in BS EN ISO 6946 as correction level 1), R
I
is the
thermal resistance of the layer containing the gaps and R
T
is the total resistance of
the element. U
g
is therefore
U
g
= 0.01 (1.904 / 3.254) = 0.003 W/mK
U-value of the wall
The effect of air gaps or mechanical fixings should be included in the U-value unless
they lead to an adjustment in the U-value of less than 3%.
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
g
(if U
g
is not less than 3% of 1 / R
T
)
U = 1 / R
T
(if U
g
is less than 3% of 1 / R
T
)
In this case U
g
= 0.003 W/mK and 1 / R
T
= 0.307 W/mK. Since U
g
is less than
3% of (1 / R
T
),
U = 1 / 3.254 = 0.31 W/mK.
Note
1. Since the cavity wall ties do not penetrate any insulation no correction need be
applied to the U-value to take account of them.
2. In the above calculation it is assumed that the noggings (or dwangs) do not
penetrate the whole of the insulation. If the noggings (or dwangs) do penetrate
the whole of the insulation thickness they should be included as part of the timber
percentage used in the calculation.
4. Timber framed wall
In this example
b)
there is a single bridged layer in the wall, involving insulation
bridged by timber studs. The construction consists of outer leaf brickwork, a clear
ventilated cavity, 19 mm plywood, 38 140 mm timber framing with 120 mm of
insulation between the timbers and 2 sheets of plasterboard each 12.5 mm thick.
Figure 4.1 : Timber framed wall construction
The thicknesses of each layer, together with the thermal conductivities of the
materials in each layer, are shown below. The external and internal surface
resistances are taken from Table 1 of this document. Layer 4 is thermally bridged
and two thermal conductivities are given for this layer, one for the unbridged part and
one for the bridging part of the layer. For each homogeneous layer and for each
section through a bridged layer, the thermal resistance is calculated by dividing the
thickness (in metres) by the thermal conductivity.
Both the upper and the lower limits of thermal resistance are calculated by combining
the alternative resistances of the bridged layer in proportion to their respective areas,
as illustrated below. The method of combining differs in the two cases.

b)
This construction provides satisfactory sound insulation
Layer Material
Thickness
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
external surface - - 0.040
1 outer leaf brick 102 0.77 0.132
2 air cavity 50 - 0.090
3 plywood 19 0.13 0.146
4(a) mineral wool between timber
studs
120 0.038 3.158
4(a) air space next to mineral wool 20 - 0.180
4(b) 38 mm 140 mm timber studs
at 400 mm centres
(140) 0.13 1.077
5 plasterboard 25 0.25 0.100
internal surface - - 0.130
U-value 0.31 W/mK
102 mm brick outer leaf
(conductivity 0.77 W/mK)
2 12.5 mm plasterboard
heat flow
50 mm ventilated cavity (thermal
resistance 0.09 mK/W)
19 mm plywood
mineral wool (conductivity
0.038 W/mK) between
38 140 mm timber studs
at 400 mm centres
Upper resistance limit
When calculating the upper limit of thermal resistance, the building element is
considered to consist of two thermal paths (or sections). The upper limit of resistance
is calculated from:
2
2
1
1
upper
R
F
R
F
1
R
+
=
where F
1
and F
2
are the fractional areas of the two sections and R
1
and R
2
are the
total resistances of the two sections. The method of calculating the upper resistance
limit is illustrated conceptually below:-
Figure 4.2 : Conceptual illustration of how to calculate the upper limit of thermal
resistance
Resistance through the section containing insulation
Resistance of plywood = 0.146
Resistance of air space next to mineral wool = 0.180
Total (R
1
) = 3.976 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.905 (90.5%)
external
surface
internal
surface
1 4(a) 2
2 1
5 3
F1
F2
3 4(b) 5
Resistance through section containing timber stud
Resistance of timber studs (9.5%) = 1.077
Total (R
2
) = 1.715 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.095 (9.5%)
The upper limit of resistance is then:
=
+
=
+
=
715 . 1
095 . 0
976 . 3
905 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
3.533 mK/W
Lower resistance limit:-
When calculating the lower limit of thermal resistance, the resistance of a bridged
layer is determined by combining in parallel the resistances of the unbridged part and
the bridged part of the layer. The resistances of all the layers in the element are then
added together to give the lower limit of resistance.
The resistance of the bridged layer is calculated using:
timber
timber
insul
insul
R
F
R
F
1
R
+
=
The method of calculating the lower limit of resistance is illustrated conceptually
below.
Figure 4.3 : Conceptual illustration of how to calculate the lower limit of thermal
resistance
4(a)
2 1 5
F1
F2
internal
surface
3
4(b)
external
surface
The lower limit of resistance is then obtained by adding up the resistances of all the
layers:
Resistance of bridged layer =
077 . 1
095 . 0
180 . 0 158 . 3
905 . 0
1
+
+
= 2.783
Total (R
lower
) = 3.421 mK/W
Total resistance of wall (not allowing for air gaps in the insulation)
The total resistance of the wall is the average of the upper and lower resistance
limits:
477 . 3
2
421 . 3 533 . 3
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
Correction for air gaps
If there are small air gaps penetrating the insulating layer a correction should be
applied to the U-value to account for this. The correction
c)
for air gaps is U
g
, where
U
g
= U (R
I
/ R
T
)
and where R
I

d)
is the thermal resistance of the layer containing gaps, R
T
is the total
resistance of the element and U is a factor which depends upon the way in which
the insulation is fitted. In this example R
I
is 2.783 mK/W, R
T
is 3.477 mK/W and
U is 0.04. The value of U
g
is then
U
g
= 0.04 (2.783 / 3.477) = 0.026 W/mK
U-value of the wall
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
g
(if U
g
T
)
U = 1 / R
T
(if U
g
T
)

c)
Using Table D.1 of BS EN ISO 6946
d)
In this example R
I
is the same as the resistance of the bridged layer used in the calculation
of the lower resistance limit
In this case U
g
= 0.026 W/mK and 1 / R
T
g
is not less
than 3% of (1 / R
T
),
U = 1 / R
T
= 1 / 3.477 + 0.026 = 0.31 W/mK.
Note
1. In the above calculation it is assumed that the noggings (or dwangs) do not
penetrate the whole of the insulation. If, however, the noggings (or dwangs)
penetrate the whole of the insulation thickness they should be included within the
timber percentage used in the calculation.
2. In this example correction level 2 is appropriate because air may circulate on the
warm side of the insulation. If 140 mm of insulation was used instead of 120 mm
so as to fill the space between the studs, correction level 1 would be appropriate.
3. The additional timbers at the junctions of plane elements, for example wall/wall,
wall/floor, and wall ceiling junctions, and the additional timbers surrounding
openings are taken account of in the treatment of such details and so are not
taken into account in the calculation of the U-value of the wall.
4. The Standard (BS EN ISO 6946) states that if the insulation is fitted in such a way
that no air circulation is possible on the warm side of the insulation then U is
set to 0.01 W/mK. If, on the other hand, air circulation is possible on the warm
side then it should be set to 0.04 W/mK. The possible correction levels are
summarised as follows:
Description of air gap Correction
level
U
W/mK
U
g
W/mK
Insulation installed in such a way that no air
circulation is possible on the warm side of
the insulation. No air gaps penetrating the
entire insulation layer.
0 0.00 0.000
Insulation installed in such a way that no air
circulation is possible on the warm side of
the insulation. Air gaps may penetrate the
insulation layer.
1 0.01 0.006
Air circulation possible on the warm side of
the insulation. Air gaps may penetrate the
insulation.
2 0.04 0.026
5. Insulated cavity wall with metal wall ties
In this example
e)
an insulated cavity wall has stainless steel double triangle wall ties
penetrating the insulation layer. The construction consists of outer leaf brickwork, a
cavity filled with mineral wool batts, 100 mm of AAC blockwork and 13 mm of
lightweight plaster. The wall ties are spaced 900 mm horizontally and 450 mm
vertically.
Figure 5.1 : Insulated cavity wall (fully-filled) with metal wall ties
materials in each layer, are shown below. The external and internal surface
resistances used are those given in Table 1 of this document. The metal ties are not
treated as repeating thermal bridges but instead are accounted for at the end of the
calculation. The third layer contains AAC blockwork bridged by mortar with the
mortar occupying 6.6% of the cross-sectional area.
Layer Material
Thickness
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
2 mineral wool batts 75 0.038 1.974
3(a) AAC blocks (93.4%) 100 0.11 0.909
3(b) mortar (6.6%) (100) 0.88 0.114
4 lightweight plaster 13 0.18 0.072

e)
This construction provides satisfactory sound insulation from neighbouring dwellings
U-value 0.32 W/mK
75 mm cavity filled with mineral wool (conductivity 0.038 mK/W)
13 mm lightweight plaster,
100 mm AAC blocks (conductivity 0.11 mK/W)
bridged by mortar (conductivity 0.88 W/mK)
heat flow
Upper resistance limit:-
When calculating the upper limit of thermal resistance, the building element is
considered to consist of two thermal paths (or sections). The upper limit of
resistance is calculated from:
2
2
1
1
upper
R
F
R
F
1
R
+
=
where F
1
and F
2
are the fractional areas of the two sections and R
1
and R
2
are the
total resistances of the two sections. A conceptual diagram of the upper limit of
resistance is shown immediately below
Resistance through section containing concrete blocks
External surface resistance 0.040
Resistance of bricks 0.132
Resistance of mineral wool slabs 1.974
Resistance of AAC blocks (93.4%) 0.909
Resistance of lightweight plaster 0.072
Internal surface resistance 0.130
Total (R
1
) 3.257
Fractional area F
1
= 0.934 (93.4%)
Resistance through section containing mortar
External surface resistance 0.040
Resistance of bricks 0.132
Resistance of mineral wool slabs 1.974
Resistance of mortar (6.6%) 0.114
Resistance of lightweight plaster 0.072
Internal surface resistance 0.130
Total (R
2
) 2.462
Fractional area F
2
= 0.066 (6.6%)
Combining the resistances in their appropriate proportions the upper limit of
resistance (R
upper
) is given by:
=
+
=
+
=
462 . 2
066 . 0
257 . 3
934 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
3.189 mK/W
external
surface
internal
surface
1 4 2
2 1
3(a)
F1
F2
3(b) 4
To calculate the lower resistance limit the resistance of the bridged layer is
determined by combining in parallel the resistances of the unbridged part and the
bridged part of the layer. The resistances of all the layers are then added together to
give the lower limit of resistance. A conceptual illustration of the method of
calculating the lower limit of resistance is shown below:-
Resistance of mineral wool slabs = 1.974
Resistance of AAC blocks & mortar =
114 . 0
066 . 0
909 . 0
934 . 0
1
+
= 0.622
Resistance of lightweight plaster = 0.072
Total (R
lower
) = 2.970
Total resistance of wall (ignoring wall ties)
The total resistance of the wall is the average of the upper and lower resistance
limits:
=
+
=
+
=
2
970 . 2 189 . 3
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
3.080 mK/W
Correction for cavity wall ties
The method of calculating U-values as given in BS EN ISO 6946 requires that
mechanical fixings, such as cavity wall ties, be taken into account. The following
describes how the effect of the wall ties is incorporated into the U-value. The method
of correction is the same for both fully filled and partially filled cavity walls. The
corrections are only applied where wall ties actually penetrate the insulation. Since
wall ties of low conductivity, such as plastic ties, do not affect the U-value
significantly, the Standard (BS EN ISO 6946) only requires a correction to be made if
the conductivity of the tie, or part of it, is more than 1 W/mK. In practice this means
that plastic wall ties can be ignored in the U-value calculation but metal wall ties
generally need to be included.
In this example the wall ties are of stainless steel (double triangle) and are 3.7 mm in
diameter giving a cross-sectional area of 10.75 mm. They are arranged at 900 mm
3(a)
2 1 4
F1
F2
internal
surface
3(b)
external
surface
horizontal centres and 450 mm vertical centres. Using the procedure in BS EN
ISO 6946, the adjustment to the U-value, U
f
, is given by
U
f
=
f
n
f
A
f
where is the scaling factor for mechanical fixings, which is 6 for wall ties
f)
, and
f
is
the conductivity of the fixings, which is 17 W/mK in this example. The number of
wall ties per square metre which penetrate the insulation, n
f
, is calculated as follows
using the above information on the wall tie spacing.
47 . 2
450 900
000 000 1
n
f
=
=
A
f
is the cross-sectional area of the wall tie, expressed in m, which is
0.00001075 m. A value for U
f
of 0.003 W/mK is obtained using the above formula:
U
f
= 6 17 2.47 0.00001075 = 0.003 W/mK
U-value of the wall
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
f
(if U
f
T
)
U = 1 / R
T
(if U
f
T
)
In this case U
f
= 0.003 W/mK and 1 / R
T
f
is less than
3% of (1 / R
T
), U = 1 / R
T
= 1 / 3.080 = 0.32 W/mK
Note
1. By adding U
f
(0.003 W/mK) to the U-value which would be obtained without any
correction for wall ties (0.325 W/mK) this would imply a U-value of 0.328 W/mK.
The Standard (BS EN ISO 6946), however, permits the effects of mechanical
fixings to be ignored if they lead to an increase of less than 3% in the U-value.
Since the U
f
correction (0.003 W/mK) is less than 3% of (1 / R
T
) the correction
need not be applied. The final quoted U-value, obtained by rounding the
(uncorrected) U-value to two significant figures, is 0.32 W/mK.
2. If vertical twist wall ties are used instead of double triangle ties the correction to
the U-value can be considerably larger than that shown above, due to their
greater cross-sectional area.
3. If instead of stainless steel ties, galvanised steel ties of conductivity 50 W/mK are
used, this will increase U
f
from 0.003 W/mK to 0.008 W/mK.
4. If the thermal conductivity of the tie, or part of it, is less than 1 W/mK, no
correction is applied and U
f
is taken to be zero. This would apply, for instance,
in the case of plastic wall ties.

f)
see Table 3 of this document
The following is a conceptual diagram showing how the effect of the wall ties, where
applicable, is incorporated into the overall U-value calculation:
Figure 5.4 : Conceptual diagram illustrating how the U-value is corrected for the
presence of wall ties. The U-value calculation is firstly carried out ignoring the effects
of the wall ties and an adjustment is then applied in order to obtain the final U-value.
effect of wall ties
U-value in absence of
wall ties
6. Wide cavity wall with vertical twist ties
In this example
g)
a wide cavity wall is fully filled with mineral wool insulation with
stainless steel vertical twist wall ties in the filled cavity. To obtain the U-value
allowing for the wall ties the thermal resistance (R
T
) should first be calculated
ignoring the effect of the wall ties and then a correction should be made for the
presence of the ties. The wall ties are spaced 750 mm horizontally and 450 mm
vertically.
Figure 6.1 : Insulated cavity wall (fully-filled) with metal wall ties
materials, are shown below. The external and internal surface resistances used are
those given in Table 1 of this document. The vertical twist wall ties have a cross
sectional area of 60.8 mm.
In this example there is no distinction between the upper and lower limit of resistance
because all of the layers are considered to be sufficiently homogeneous (for the
purposes of thermal calculations). Strictly speaking, the mortar joints between the
bricks and concrete blocks could be taken into account, however since the
resistances of the mortar parts do not differ from the brick or block parts by more
than 0.1 mK/W the mortar parts may be ignored.

g)
Due to requirements for sound insulation this construction may only be suitable for
detached dwellings
U-value 0.30 W/mK
120 mm cavity filled with mineral wool (conductivity 0.038 mK/W)
100 mm concrete blocks,
(conductivity 1.13 mK/W)
13 mm dense plaster
heat flow
The wall construction may be summarised as follows:
Layer Material
Thickness
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
2 mineral wool batts 120 0.038 3.158
3 concrete blockwork 100 1.13 0.088
4 dense plaster 13 0.57 0.023
Total (R
T
) 3.571
Correction for cavity wall ties
A correction has to be applied to allow for the additional heat loss due to the wall ties.
In this example the wall ties are of metal (vertical twist) and have a cross-sectional
area, A
f
, of 60.8 mm. Using the procedure in BS EN ISO 6946, the correction to be
applied, U
f
, is given by
U
f
=
f
n
f
A
f
where is the scaling factor for mechanical fixings, which is 6 for wall ties
h)
, and
f
is
the conductivity of the fixings, which is 17 W/mK for stainless steel. The number of
wall ties per square metre which penetrate the insulation, n
f
, is calculated to be 2.96 /
m. Note that A
f
, the cross-sectional area of the wall tie, is expressed in m. The
correction to be applied is therefore
U
f
= 6 17 2.96 0.0000608 = 0.018 W/mK
U-value of the wall
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
f
(if U
f
T
)
U = 1 / R
T
(if U
f
T
)
In this case U
f
= 0.018 W/mK and 1 / R
T
f
is not less than
3% of (1 / R
T
),
U = 1 / 3.571 + 0.018 W/mK = 0.30 W/mK
Note
1. If galvanised steel ties (with a conductivity of 50 W/mK) are used instead of
stainless steel ties, the value of U
f
will be 0.054 W/mK. This will give a final U-
value of U = 1 / 3.571 + 0.054 = 0.33 W/mK

h)
2. If the thermal conductivity of the tie, or part of it, is less than 1 W/mK (eg. plastic
ties) the value of U
f
may be taken to be zero and the U-value will be
U = 1 / R
T
= 1 / 3.571 = 0.28 W/mK
3. Strictly speaking, the mortar joints between the bricks and concrete blocks could
be taken into account in the U-value calculation, however it is permissible to
ignore the mortar in both of these layers because the resistances of the mortar
joints differ from the resistances of the bricks or concrete blocks by less than
0.1 mK/W
7. Pitched roof with insulation between and over the joists
Figure 7.1 : Insulation between and over joists at ceiling level
A pitched roof has 100 mm of mineral wool tightly fitted between 48 100 mm timber
joists spaced 600 mm apart (centres to centres) and 100 mm of mineral wool over
the joists. The roof is tiled with felt or boards under the tiles. The external and
internal surface resistances used are those given in Table 1 of this document. The
ceiling consists of 12.5 mm of plasterboard. The roof construction is summarised
below.
Layer Material Thickness
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
1 roof space beneath tiled roof with felt or
boards
i)
- - 0.200
2 continuous layer of mineral wool 100 0.042 2.381
3(a) mineral wool between 48 100 mm timber
joists with 600 mm between centres
100 0.042 2.381
3(b) 48 100 mm timber joists between insulation (100) 0.13 0.769
4 plasterboard 12.5 0.25 0.050
A conceptual illustration of how the upper limit of resistance is calculated is shown
immediately below

i)
Using Table 3 of BS EN ISO 6946
insulation joist
U-value 0.20 W/mK
(loft space and pitched roof above)
external
surface
internal
surface
1 4 2
2 1
3(a)
F1
F2
3(b) 4
Resistance through section containing both layers of insulation
Resistance of roof space
i)
= 0.200
Resistance of mineral wool over joists = 2.381
Resistance of mineral wool between joists = 2.381
Inside surface resistance = 0.100
Total (R
1
) = 5.152 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.92 (92%)
Resistance through section containing timber joists
Resistance of roof space = 0.200
Resistance of timber joists = 0.769
Total (R
2
) = 3.540 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.08 (8%)
The upper resistance limit is given by
971 . 4
540 . 3
08 . 0
152 . 5
92 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
A conceptual illustration of the method of calculating the lower limit of resistance is
shown below:-
Resistance of roof space = 0.200
Resistance of bridged layer

769 . 0
08 . 0
381 . 2
92 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
timber
timber
insul
insul
+
=
+
= = 2.039
Total (R
lower
) = 4.810 mK/W
Total resistance of roof
=
+
=
+
=
2
810 . 4 971 . 4
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
4.891 mK/W
U-value of the roof
U = 1 / R
T
= 0.20 W/mK
Note
1. Since there are two layers of insulation, one between joists and the other as a
continuous layer covering the first layer, a correction for air gaps need not be
applied.
2. Since the nails or fixings do not penetrate any insulation, a correction for
mechanical fixings need not be applied.
3(a)
2 1 4
F1
F2
internal
surface
3(b)
external
surface
8. Room in roof construction
An existing loft is converted to a habitable space by inserting tightly fitted insulation
between the rafters in the roof. Timber packing pieces of the same width as existing
100 mm deep rafters are attached beneath the rafters in order to provide additional
room for insulation. Plasterboard, laminated to insulation, is then attached below the
rafters. A 50 mm space is reserved for ventilation above the insulation.
The construction consists of roof tiles, felt, a 50 mm air gap between rafters and
100 mm of insulation between rafters and spacers. Beneath the rafters and spacers
there is an insulation laminate consisting of 15.5 mm of insulation bonded to 9.5 mm
of plasterboard. In this example the rafters are 100 mm deep but 50 mm timber
spacers have been attached below the rafters in order to extend the total rafter depth
to effectively 150 mm.
Figure 8.1 : Roof construction shown as two cross-sections (fixing nails not shown)
The construction may be summarised as follows:-
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
external surface* - - -
1 tiles* 19 - -
2 roofing felt* 1 - -
3 ventilated airspace between rafters
and spacers*
50 - 0.100
4(a) insulation board
j)
occupying 88% of
face area (between rafters and
spacers)
100 0.025 4.000
4(b) rafters (beneath ventilated area)
occupying 12% of face area
(100) 0.13 0.769
5 insulation board
j)
15.5 0.025 0.620
*All layers to the cold side of the well ventilated airspace are ignored in the U-value
calculation and the surface bounding this airspace is taken to have the same resistance
as an internal surface. The internal surface resistance is taken from Table 1 of this
document.

j)
For example, phenolic foam or polyurethane, where the conductivity has an allowance for
ageing and variation in manufacture
Plan at A-A
U-value 0.27 W/mK
A
A
Since the airspace between the rafters is well ventilated, all layers above the
airspace are ignored in the thermal calculation and the airspace is treated as a
surface resistance of 0.10 mK/W.
Conceptual diagrams of the methods of calculating upper and lower limits of
resistance are shown below:-
Figure 8.2 : Conceptual diagrams of how to calculate the upper and lower limits of
resistance
Resistance through the section between the rafters
Effective external surface resistance = 0.100
Resistance of insulation between rafters = 4.000
Resistance of insulation beneath rafters = 0.620
1
) = 4.858 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.88 (88%)
Resistance through the section through the rafters
Resistance of rafters = 0.769
2
) = 1.627 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.12 (12%)
The upper limit of resistance is then obtained from:
923 . 3
627 . 1
12 . 0
858 . 4
88 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
F
1
F
2
external
surface
insulation
plasterboard
internal
surface
rafters
insulation
external
surface
insulation
plasterboard
internal
surface
rafters
insulation
Lower resistance limit

769 . 0
12 . 0
000 . 4
88 . 0
1
+
= = 2.659
lower
) = 3.517 mK/W
Total resistance of roof
The total resistance is the average of the upper and lower limits
R
T
= 720 . 3
2
517 . 3 923 . 3
2
R R
lower upper
=
+
=
+
mK/W
U-value of the roof
U = 1 / R
T
= 0.27 W/mK
Note
1. This example assumes that the rafter depth is 100 mm and that 50 mm timber
spacers can be attached below the rafters. In instances where the rafters are
insufficiently deep (e.g. only 75 mm) there may be practical problems in achieving
the required U-value due to a lack of space being available for the insulation. In
such cases the insulation beneath the rafters may need to be thicker in order to
compensate for the limited rafter depth.
2. In this example the effects of the fixing nails may be ignored since they do not
penetrate the main insulating layer.
3. Since there are two layers of insulation, one between rafters and the other as a
continuous layer covering the first layer, a correction for air gaps need not be
applied.
9. Room in roof construction with limited rafter depth
This roof is similar to that shown in the previous example except that the existing
rafters, which are only 75 mm deep in this case, are not extended in depth but
instead a thicker plasterboard-insulation laminate is attached below the rafters. The
construction consists of roof tiles, felt, a 50 mm air gap between rafters and 25 mm of
insulation between rafters and spacers. As in the previous example the insulation is
tightly fitted between the rafters. Beneath the rafters and spacers there is an
insulation laminate consisting of 57.5 mm of insulation bonded to 12.5 mm of
plasterboard. The insulation laminate is nailed to the rafters and the nails have a
horizontal spacing of 400 mm and a vertical spacing of 150 mm. The external and
internal surface resistances used are those given in Table 1 of this document. To
calculate the U-value a calculation is first carried out ignoring the nails and then a
correction is applied to account for the nails.
Figure 9.1 : Roof construction
The construction may be summarised as follows:-
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
external surface* - - -
1 tiles* 19 - -
2 roofing felt* 1 - -
3 ventilated airspace between rafters
and spacers*
50 - 0.100
4(a) insulation board occupying 88% of
face area (between rafters and
spacers)
25 0.025 1.000
4(b) rafters (beneath ventilated area)
occupying 12% of face area
(25) 0.13 0.192
5 insulation board 57.5 0.025 2.300
*All layers to the cold side of the well ventilated airspace are ignored in the U-value
calculation and the surface bounding this airspace is taken to have the same resistance as
an internal surface. The internal surface resistance is taken from Table 1 of this
document.
Plan at A-A
A
A
U-value 0.33 W/mK
Since the airspace between the rafters is well ventilated, all layers to the cold side of
the airspace are ignored in the thermal calculation and the airspace is treated as a
surface resistance of 0.10 mK/W.
Conceptual diagrams of the methods of calculating upper and lower limits of
resistance are shown below:-
Figure 9.2 : Conceptual diagrams of how to calculate the upper and lower limits of
resistance
Resistance through the section between the rafters
Resistance of insulation between rafters = 1.000
1
) = 3.550 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.88 (88%)
Resistance through the section through the rafters
Resistance of rafters = 0.192
2
) = 2.742 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.12 (12%)
429 . 3
742 . 2
12 . 0
550 . 3
88 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
=
+
=
+
=
external
surface
plaster
board
internal
surface
rafters
insulation
insulation
F2 F1
external
surface
insulation
plasterboard
internal
surface
rafters
insulation

192 . 0
12 . 0
000 . 1
88 . 0
1
+
= = 0.664
Total thermal resistance = 3.214 mK/W
Total resistance (without correction for the fixing nails)
The total resistance is the average of the upper and lower limits
R
T
= 322 . 3
2
214 . 3 429 . 3
2
R R
lower upper
=
+
=
+
mK/W
Correction for the presence of fixing nails
The method of calculating U-values as given in BS EN ISO 6946 requires that
mechanical fixings, such as nails or screws for example, be taken into account. The
following describes how the effect of the fixing nails is incorporated into the U-value.
In this example, the plasterboard-insulation laminate is fixed to the rafters using nails.
The nails are arranged at 150 mm vertical centres and since the rafters are 400 mm
apart the number of nails per square metre of sloping ceiling will be n
f
where
7 . 16
150 400
000 000 1
n
f
=
= / m
The nails are made of steel with a their thermal conductivity,
f
, of 50 W/mK. Their
cross-sectional area, A
f
, is 5 mm or 0.000005 m. The adjustment to the U-value is
U
f
, where
U
f
=
f
n
f
A
f
= 5 50 16.7 0.000005 = 0.021 mK/W.
where is 5 for all roof fixings
k)
, R
f
is the thermal resistance of the insulation
penetrated by the nails and R
T
is the total thermal resistance of the roof.
U-value of the roof
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
f
(if U
f
T
)
U = 1 / R
T
(if U
f
T
)

k)
In this case U
f
= 0.021 mK/W and 1 / R
T
f
is not less
than 3% of (1 / R
T
),
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
f
= 1 / 3.322 + 0.021 W/mK = 0.32 W/mK.
Note
Since there are two layers of insulation, one between rafters and the other as a
continuous layer covering the first layer, a correction for air gaps need not be applied.
10. Floor of heated room above an unheated space
In this example a floor has insulation between timber joists. The floor is situated
above an unheated space such as a garage or an unheated corridor.
Figure 10.1 : Floor construction over an unheated space
The construction consists of 19 mm of plywood over timber joists with mineral wool
insulation (of conductivity 0.040 W/mK) between the joists and 12.5 mm of
plasterboard over the unheated space. The total area (A
i
) of components between
the internal environment and the unheated space is 35 m and the total area (A
e
) of
components between the unheated space and the external environment is 35 m.
Using the procedure in BS EN ISO 6946 for unheated spaces, an additional thermal
resistance, R
u
, is added as if it were an additional homogenous layer, where
R
u
= 0.09 + 0.4 A
i
/ A
e
giving R
u
= 0.490
The floor consists of 19 mm plywood over 150 mm timber joists with 150 mm glass
mineral wool between the joists. Below the joists is 12.5 mm plasterboard forming
the ceiling of the garage. The external and internal surface resistances used are
those given in Table 1 of this document.
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
1 plywood 19 0.13 0.146
2(a) glass mineral wool 150 0.040 3.750
2(b) timber joists (occupying 12%) (150) 0.13 1.154
4 external - - 0.040
A conceptual illustration of the calculation of the limits of resistance is shown below:
12.5 mm plasterboard above unheated area
19 mm plywood next to heated area
150 mm timber joists with
mineral wool between the
joists. Timber fraction is
0.12 (i.e. 12%)
U-value 0.25 W/mK
Figure 10.2 : Conceptual illustration of how to calculate the upper and lower limits of
resistance
Resistance through the section containing the insulation:
Resistance of mineral wool insulation = 3.750
R
u
= 0.490
1
) = 4.646 mK/W
Resistance through the section containing joists:
Resistance of timber joists = 1.154
R
u
= 0.490
2
) = 2.050 mK/W
033 . 4
050 . 2
12 . 0
646 . 4
88 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
2
1
upper
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
Ru
internal
surface
plywood
2(a)
plaster-
board
external
surface
2(b)
F1
Ru
internal
surface
plywood
2(a)
plaster-
board
external
surface
2(b)
154 . 1
12 . 0
750 . 3
88 . 0
1
+
= = 2.953
R
u
= 0.490
Total (R
lower
) = 3.849 mK/W
Total resistance of floor
The total resistance of the wall is the average of the upper and lower resistance limits
=
+
=
+
=
2
849 . 3 033 . 4
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
3.941 mK/W
Since the insulation is entirely between the joists a correction should be applied to
the U-value in order to account for air gaps. The overall U-value of the floor should
include a term U
g
, where
U
g
= U (R
I
/ R
T
)
I
is the
T
the element. U
g
is therefore
U
g
= 0.01 (2.953 / 3.941) = 0.005 W/mK
U-value of the floor
U = 1 / R
T
+ U
g
(if U
g
T
)
U = 1 / R
T
(if U
g
T
)
In this case U
g
= 0.005 W/mK and 1 / R
T
g
is less than
3% of (1 / R
T
),
U = 1 / R
T
= 1 / 3.941 = 0.25 W/mK.
11. Suspended beam and block floor
A beam and block floor consists of blocks of lightweight concrete which are 100 mm
thick and 440 mm wide suspended on T-beams which are 70 mm wide. Above the
beams and blocks is 65 mm of flooring screed and 100 mm of polystyrene insulation.
Beneath the beams and blocks there is an underfloor space over sandy soil. The
beams protrude below the blocks by 75 mm. The perimeter of the ground floor is
35.6 metres and its area is 79.1 m giving a perimeter to area ratio of 0.45.
In order to calculate the U-value, BS EN ISO 6946 is applied to determine the
thermal resistance between the dwelling and the underfloor space.
The construction of the floor deck can be summarised as follows:
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
1 screed 65 0.41 0.159
2 polystyrene 100 0.040 2.500
3(a) light concrete blocks, 440
mm wide
100 0.18 0.556
3(b) concrete beams,
70 mm wide
(100) 1.13 0.088
4 lower surface - - 0.170*
* The internal surface resistance is taken from Table 1 of this document. The surface
resistance for the lower side of the floor deck is taken to be 0.17 mK/W, as this is the
value that applies for downwards heat flow in a non-external environment.
Figure 11.1 : Beam and block suspended floor
U-value 0.24 W/mK
440
100
70
Figure 11.2 : Conceptual diagram of how to calculate the upper and lower limits of
resistance
Since the conductivity of the beams is less than 2.0 W/mK the part of the beam
which protrudes below the blocks is ignored, as indicated in BS EN ISO 6946.
The U-value between the dwelling and the underfloor space is calculated using
BS EN ISO 6946, as follows:
Upper resistance limit (of floor deck)
Resistance through section containing lightweight blocks
Resistance of screed = 0.159
Resistance of polystyrene = 2.500
Resistance of light concrete blocks = 0.556
Resistance of lower surface of floor deck = 0.170
1
) = 3.555 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.863 (i.e. 86.3%)
Resistance through section containing concrete beams
Resistance of beams = 0.088
Resistance of lower surface of floor deck = 0.170
2
) = 3.087 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.137 (i.e. 13.7%)
483 . 3
087 . 3
137 . 0
555 . 3
863 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
=
+
=
+
=
internal
surface
beams
lower
surface
insulation
screed
blocks
underfloor space & soil
internal
surface
beams
lower
surface
insulation
screed
blocks
underfloorspace & soil
Lower resistance limit (of floor deck):-

088 . 0
137 . 0
556 . 0
863 . 0
1
+
= = 0.322
Resistance of lower surface of deck = 0.170
Total (R
lower
) = 3.321 mK/W
Total resistance of floor deck
The total resistance of the floor deck is the average of the upper and lower resistance
limits
402 . 3
2
321 . 3 483 . 3
2
R R
R
lower upper
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
U
f
= 1 / R = 1 / 3.402 = 0.294 W/mK
This gives a U-value (U
f
) for the floor deck of 0.294 W/mK. It should be borne in
mind that U
f
includes the surface resistances for the upper and lower sides of the
deck.
Resistance of the remainder of the floor
For determining the resistance of the remaining part of the floor, Table 4 of the
Appendix is used. This table gives the U-value of an uninsulated suspended floor,
U
0
, where the U-value of the floor deck has been calculated using standard
assumptions about the thermal resistance of the floor deck and the surface
resistances at the upper and lower sides of the deck. Since U
f
, calculated above,
already includes surface resistances the surface resistances need to be subtracted
from U
0
.
The overall U-value of the suspended floor is then calculated using the following:
+
=
lower , si d uninsulate , deck upper , si
0 f
R R R
U
1
U
1
1
U
where R
si,upper
is the surface resistance of the upper side of the floor deck, equal to
0.17 mK/W (see Table 1 of this document), R
deck,uninsulated
is the thermal resistance of
a notional uninsulated floor deck, equal to 0.20 mK/W (see CIBSE Guide A3, part
3.5.5.2), and R
si,lower
is the surface resistance of the lower side of the floor deck,
equal to 0.17 mK/W (see Table 1 of this document).
The remaining calculation is now carried out below, showing how the resistance of
the remaining part of the floor is combined with the U-value of the floor deck
calculated above.
The U-value of the floor in the absence of floor insulation is
U
0
= 0.76 W/mK (see Table 4 of this document)
The U-value of the suspended floor is therefore
( )
( )
K m / W 24 . 0
17 . 0 2 . 0 17 . 0
76 . 0
1
294 . 0
1
1
R R R
U
1
U
1
1
U
lower , si d uninsulate , deck upper , si
0 f
=
+ + +
=
+ + +
=
Explanatory note:
The value of 0.2 used in the above equation is based on the CIBSE Guide A3
(3.5.5.2) and represents the thermal resistance of a notional uninsulated floor deck.
R
si,upper
and R
si,lower
, which represent the surface resistances of the upper and lower
surface resistances of the (notional) floor deck are obtained from Table 1.
Summary of floor details
exposed perimeter (P) 35.6 m
floor area (A) 79.1 m
perimeter to area ratio (P/A) 0.45 m
-1
wall thickness (w) 0.3 m
soil type sandy
ventilation parameter () 0.015 m/m
12. Suspended timber ground floor
Figure 12.1 : Suspended timber floor
A suspended timber ground floor consists of 19 mm of chipboard over timber joists.
The timber joists are 150 mm 48 mm at 400 mm centres giving a 12% timber
fraction. Between the joists there is 150 mm of tightly fitted mineral wool (with a
conductivity of 0.040 W/mK) suspended on netting. Beneath the floor deck there is
an underfloor space over clay soil. The perimeter of the ground floor is 40 metres
and the area is 100 m. BS EN ISO 6946 is applied to obtain the thermal resistance
of the floor deck.
(mm)
Thermal
conductivity
(W/mK)
Thermal
resistance
(mK/W)
1 chipboard 19 0.13 0.146
2(a) glass mineral wool on netting 150 0.040 3.750
2(b) timber joists (occupying 12%) (150) 0.13 1.154
lower surface - - 0.170*
*The internal surface resistance is taken from Table 1 of this document. The surface
resistance for the lower side of the floor deck is taken to be 0.17 mK/W, as this is the
value that applies for downwards heat flow in a non-external environment.
The methods of calculating the upper and lower limits of resistance are illustrated
conceptually below:-
Figure 12.2 : Conceptual illustration of the methods of calculating the upper and
lower limits of thermal resistance
U-value 0.22 W/mK
underfloor
space and soil
lower
surface
mineral
wool
chipboard
joists
upper
surface
underfloor
space and soil
lower
surface
mineral
wool
chipboard
joists
upper
surface
Upper resistance limit (for floor deck):-
Resistance through section containing mineral wool on netting
Resistance of chipboard = 0.146
Resistance of mineral wool = 3.750
Resistance of lower surface of floor deck= 0.170
1
) = 4.236 mK/W
Fractional area F
1
= 0.88 (i.e. 88%)
Resistance through section containing timber joists
Resistance of timber = 1.154
2
) = 1.640 mK/W
Fractional area F
2
= 0.12 (i.e. 12%)
The upper limit of resistance is:
560 . 3
640 . 1
12 . 0
236 . 4
88 . 0
1
R
F
R
F
1
R
2
2
1
1
upper
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
Lower resistance limit (for floor deck)
=
154 . 1
12 . 0
750 . 3
88 . 0
1
+
= 2.953
Total (R
lower
) = 3.439 mK/W
Overall resistance of floor deck
The resistance of the floor deck is the average of the upper and lower resistance
limits
500 . 3
2
439 . 3 560 . 3
2
R R
R
lower upper
T
=
+
=
+
= mK/W
Since the insulation layer is entirely between joists a correction should be applied to
the floor deck U-value in order to account for air gaps. The overall U-value of the
floor deck should be adjusted by adding a term U
g
, where
U
g
= U (R
I
/R
T
)
I
is the
T
the element. U
g
is therefore
U
g
= 0.01 (2.953 / 3.500) = 0.007 W/mK
U-value of the floor deck (U
f
)
U
f
= 1 / R
T
+ U
g
(if U
g
T
)
U
f
= 1 / R
T
(if U
g
T
)
In this case U
g
= 0.007 W/mK and 1 / R
T
g
is less
than 1 / R
T
the U-value of the floor deck is
U
f
= 1 / 3.500 = 0.286 W/mK
Since the floor perimeter is 40 m, the area 100 m, and the ground of clay soil, the
U-value of the floor ignoring insulation is
U
0
= 0.65 W/mK (using Table 4)
( ) ( ) 17 . 0 2 . 0 17 . 0
65 . 0
1
286 . 0
1
1
17 . 0 2 . 0 17 . 0
U
1
U
1
1
U
0 f
+ + +
=
+ + +
=
= 0.22 W/mK
Note
The value of 0.2 used in the above equation is based on the CIBSE Guide A3
(part 3.5.5.2 of the 1999 edition) and represents the thermal resistance of a notional
uninsulated floor deck. The figures 0.17 and 0.17 represent the surface resistances
of the upper and lower surface resistances for the same notional floor deck (taken
from Table 1 of this document).
Appendix : Data tables
Table 1 Surface resistances for roofs, walls and exposed floors (mK/W)
from BS EN ISO 6946
Direction of heat flow
Upwards Horizontal Downwards
inside resistance 0.10 0.13 0.17
outside resistance 0.04 0.04 0.04
underfloor space* - 0.13 0.17
*These values should be used for the upper and lower surfaces of the underfloor
space according to BS EN ISO 13370:1998
Table 2 Air space resistances for roofs, walls and exposed floors (mK/W)
from BS EN ISO 6946
Direction of heat flow Thickness of air
layer (mm) Upwards Horizontal Downwards
0 0.00 0.00 0.00
5 0.11 0.11 0.11
7 0.13 0.13 0.13
10 0.15 0.15 0.15
15 0.16 0.17 0.17
25 0.16 0.18 0.19
50 0.16 0.18 0.21
100 0.16 0.18 0.22
300 0.16 0.18 0.23
Table 3 Scaling factors for ceiling fixings and wall ties
from BS EN ISO 6946
scaling factor () type of mechanical fastenings
5 roof fixings
6 wall ties between masonry leaves
The following table provides U-values for suspended floors without insulation. For a
detailed calculation of the thermal resistance below the deck of a ground floor the
reader is referred to the procedure in BS EN ISO 13370.
Table 4 U-values of uninsulated suspended floors
(from CIBSE Guide A3)
Soil type and ventilation opening area per unit perimeter of
underfloor space (in m/m)
clay/silt sand/gravel homogeneous
rock
perimeter/area 0.0015 0.003 0.0015 0.003 0.0015 0.003
0.05 0.16 0.17 0.19 0.20 0.27 0.28
0.10 0.27 0.29 0.32 0.33 0.43 0.44
0.15 0.36 0.38 0.42 0.43 0.54 0.55
0.20 0.44 0.46 0.49 0.51 0.63 0.64
0.25 0.50 0.52 0.56 0.58 0.70 0.71
0.30 0.56 0.58 0.62 0.64 0.76 0.77
0.35 0.61 0.63 0.67 0.69 0.81 0.82
0.40 0.65 0.68 0.72 0.74 0.85 0.87
0.45 0.69 0.72 0.76 0.78 0.89 0.91
0.50 0.73 0.76 0.79 0.82 0.92 0.94
0.55 0.76 0.79 0.83 0.85 0.95 0.97
0.60 0.79 0.83 0.86 0.88 0.98 1.00
0.65 0.82 0.85 0.88 0.91 1.00 1.02
0.70 0.85 0.88 0.91 0.94 1.03 1.05
0.75 0.87 0.91 0.93 0.96 1.05 1.07
0.80 0.90 0.93 0.95 0.98 1.06 1.09
0.85 0.92 0.95 0.97 1.00 1.08 1.11
0.90 0.94 0.97 0.99 1.02 1.10 1.12
0.95 0.96 0.99 1.01 1.04 1.11 1.14
1.00 0.98 1.01 1.03 1.06 1.13 1.15
Table 5 Thermal conductivity of some common building materials
Density Conductivity
(kg/m) (W/mK)
Walls
Brickwork (outer leaf) 1700 0.77
Brickwork (inner leaf) 1700 0.56
Concrete block (medium density) 1400 0.57
Concrete block (low density) 600 0.18
Concrete (medium density) (inner leaf) 1800 1.13
2000 1.33
2200 1.59
Concrete (high density) : 2400 1.93
Reinforced concrete (1% steel) 2300 2.3
Reinforced concrete (2% steel) 2400 2.5
Mortar (protected) 1750 0.88
Mortar (exposed) 1750 0.94
Gypsum 600 0.18
900 0.30
1200 0.43
Gypsum plasterboard 900 0.25
Sandstone 2600 2.3
Limestone, soft 1800 1.1
Limestone, hard 2200 1.7
Fibreboard 400 0.1
Plasterboard 900 0.25
Tiles ceramic 2300 1.3
Timber (softwood) 500 0.13
700 0.18
Steel 7800 50.0
Stainless steel 7900 17.0
Surface finishes
External rendering 1300 0.57
Plaster (dense) 1300 0.57
Plaster (lightweight) 600 0.18
Roofs
Aerated concrete slab 500 0.16
Asphalt 2100 0.70
Felt/bitumen layers 1100 0.23
Screed 1200 0.41
Stone chippings 2000 2.0
Tiles (clay) 2000 1.0
Tiles (concrete) 2100 1.5
Wood wool slab 500 0.10
Floors
Cast concrete 2000 1.35
Metal tray (steel) 7800 50.0
Screed 1200 0.41
Hardwood timber 700 0.18
Softwod timber, plywood, chipboard 500 0.13
1000 0.24
Insulation
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) board 15 0.040
Mineral wool quilt 12 0.042
Mineral wool batt 25 0.038
Phenolic foam board 30 0.025
Polyurethane board 30 0.025
Note: If available, certified test values should be used in preference to those in the
table.
References
1. BS EN ISO 6946:1997; Building components and building elements Thermal
resistance and thermal transmittance Calculation method. British Standards
Institution, London, 1997
2. CIBSE Guide A3, Environmental design : Thermal properties of building
structures; Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, London, 1999
3. prEN 12524 Building materials and products Hygrothermal properties
Tabulated design values

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