FOAMGLAS

®
Use of FOAMGLAS®
cellular glass insulation
in new build and
refurbishment of
roof-top car parks and
service decks - THE RESULT
FROM LONG-TERM EXPERIENCE
001
NINIA - Ninove (B). Photo : © Henderyckx - B 8870 IZEGEM

DURABLE CONSTRUCTION
AS PLANNING PRINCIPLE

BUILDING SYSTEMS WITH FOAMGLAS®

in-situ CONCRETE PAVEMENTS
- with and without mastic asphalt wearing course

MASTIC ASPHALT, ASPHALT HOT-MIX

+ GROUTING ASPHALT PAVEMENTS

PAVERS IN A BED OF FINE GRAVEL

PAVING SLAB SYSTEMS ON

SPACER PADS
- for roof-top car parks and terrace roofs

HELICOPTER LANDING PADS

+ SURFACES FOR HEAVY GOODS
TRAFFIC

UNDERGROUND CAR PARKS

- Protection of the concrete against condensation
and stresses due to movement

PLANNING AND DESIGN

REFERENCES
 ROOF-TOP CAR PARKS
PARKING DECKS
SERVICE DECKS
ms

o n S y ste
FOA

a ti
GL l
M

A S ® Insu

T his manual on parking and service decks is the result from many years
of experience in the construction and repair of roof-top car parks and
decks above insulated rooms and other thermally insulated traffic areas
subject to heavy loads.

The book is intended to be a guide for owners, architects and engineers,

providing information on all types of different FOAMGLAS® parking
systems that have been built throughout Europe. It aims to ensure that the
right decisions are made when it comes to the proper, long-term planning
and installation of these structures.

When carrying out renovation work, Pittsburgh Corning regularly comes

across damage reports and recurrent defects, and so we would like to
pass this experience on to you and offer professional solutions that
represent a step towards improved building quality and longer service life.

Safe, durable and largely maintenance-free FOAMGLAS® system solutions

(insulation/waterproofing/wearing courses) are essential.
Waterproofing probems in particular are amongst the most expensive
defects found in buildings today, and this is undoubtedly true for vehicle-
accessed thermally insulated structures.

Additional planning, installation guidelines and technical specifications,

based on our experience of various types and specifications, can be
obtained from the Pittsburgh Corning subsidiaries given at the end of this
document. Pittsburgh Corning’s trained team of specialist advisers is
always on hand to support you in planning and preparing calls to tenders
and to answer any questions relating to the physical requirements for the
building and to calculate the thermal insulation.
Useful information needed for planning, including online calculations,
is provided on our websites.

Your innovative insulation partner

PIT TS B U R G H C O R N I N G E U R O PE
FOAMGLAS
®

Contents
Why FOAMGLAS® thermal insulation for
roof-top car parks and service decks? p. 2
FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof - durable, high-performing, economical ... p. 4
1. Parking spaces as a value-added service p. 5
2. Durable construction as a planning principle p. 6
3. Types and functions of parking and service decks p. 8
3.1 Mechanical stress p. 9
3.2 Thermal insulation p. 23
3.3 Design of falls p. 36
3.4 Load-bearing capacity p. 38
3.5 Fire safety p. 40
3.6 Chemical and biological factors p. 41
3.7 Maintenance and simple repair procedures p. 42

4. Design of wearing slabs p. 43

5. Different types of thermally insulated roof-top car parks + service decks p. 47
Bearing and wearing courses p. 50
5.1 In-situ concrete pavements, with and without mastic asphalt wearing course p. 61
- conventional reinforcement or steel-fibre-reinforced concrete

5.2 Mastic asphalt, asphalt hot-mix and grouting asphalt pavements p. 141
5.2.1 Mastic asphalt p. 144
5.2.2 Asphalt hot mix p. 159
5.2.3 Grouting asphalt pavement p. 164
5.3 Pavers in a bed of fine gravel p. 185
5.4 Paving slab systems on spacer pads for roof-top car parks and terrace roofs p. 211
5.5 Helicopter landing pads and surfaces for heavy goods traffic p. 225
6. Underground car parks p. 235
7. Planning and design p. 251
8. References p. 255

1
Why FOAMGLAS® thermal insulation
for roof-top car parks and service decks?

1. Safety
Because of the level of safety they offer regarding physical properties,
FOAMGLAS® system solutions for thermally insulated roof-top car parks and
service decks are of interest for both planners and owners . The double safety
is the result of the waterproof, compact build-upwith no moisture migration
and the high compressive strength under static and dynamic loads.

2. Physical requirements for buildings

- No moisture penetration
- No absorption of moisture by diffusion
- No capillary attraction.
Vehicle-accessed areas are structures which need a correct risk evaluation in
order to take adequate constructive measures.
With fully bonded FOAMGLAS® slabs according to the Compact Roof system,
a 3-dimensional water- and vapour-proof build-up is created, allowing no
moisture migration.

3. Design
In practice FOAMGLAS® forms, a deformation-free substrate with excellent
bearing capacity for various permissible loadings. This means that the
calculation and planning of wearing slabs is easier and can be optimised.

Why is this publication needed?

This comprehensive guide documents the use of FOAMGLAS® insulation on
parking decks, roof-top car parks and service decks and reflects our international
experience. It covers a wide range of possible wearing courses and provides
succinct explanations.
For the building trade, traffic accessed constructions and slabs must be carefully
planned and can only be installed by specialist companies.
The proposed car park systems should be planned and undertaken by a specialist
contractor.
The present manual on thermally insulated roof-top car parks and service decks
describes our experience and know-how regarding the use of FOAMGLAS® in this
application throughout Europe.

Note on liability
Recommendations about the methods, use of materials and construction details are given as a service to designers and contractors.
These are based on the long experience of Pittsburgh Corning with the use of FOAMGLAS® in this field and the properties of the
products which are known to Pittsburgh Corning. The detail drawings included are meant only to illustrate various possible applications
and should not be taken as a basis for design.
Since Pittsburgh Corning is a materials supplier for FOAMGLAS®, FOAMGLAS® T4, FOAMGLAS® T4-040, FOAMGLAS® S3,
FOAMGLAS® F, FOAMGLAS® FLOOR BOARD, FOAMGLAS® FLOOR BOARD F and FOAMGLAS® READY BOARD and exercises no con-
trol over the installation of the building materials, no responsibility is accepted for such drawings, recommendations or calculations.
In particular, no responsibility is accepted by Pittsburgh Corning for the systems in which FOAMGLAS® is used or the method of appli-
cation by which it is installed. The legal obligations of Pittsburgh Corning in respect of any sale of FOAMGLAS® products shall be deter-
mined solely by the terms of the respective sales contract.

2
“Do it once, but get it right from the start!”

his advice applies for flat roofs in general and is even more relevant for
T flat roofs with wearing surfaces such as roof terraces, green roofs,
or the vehicle-accessed roofs that are discussed in this manual.

We hope that this reference book will act as your guide and prove to be a
source of inspiration for the reliable planning and execution of vehicle-
accessed, thermally insulated roofs. Pittsburgh Corning offers extensive
technical support and consultancy for specifiers, including guidance on
insulation practice and detailed product information for parking roof
applications on specific projects.

Why choose the FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof for roof-top car parks
and service decks?

■ Because FOAMGLAS® is an incompressible and creep free insulation layer,

and it is precisely this rigid layer that allows wearing courses of different
types to be designed and dimensioned in a streamlined, economical way.

■ Because the durable FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof, which is resistant to

water-infiltration,
- can meet all the physical requirements for buildings on
a long-term basis,
- prevents the risk of moisture penetration into the insulation/
waterproofing build-up and thus
- prevents expensive, premature refurbishments, and, last but not least,
- ensures that the kind of damage shown later in this document
will become a thing of the past.

FOAMGLAS
®
3
 FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof provides durable,
high performing and economical solutions for
thermally insulated roof-top car parks and service decks

Reliable, economical OAMGLAS® is a closed-cell insulation material made from

technology requires
experience and innovation.
F cellular glass, which is suited for all building components.
FOAMGLAS® thermal
insulation systems for Over 50 years’ experience with the FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof
parking and service decks in combination with wearing courses have resulted in the develop-
are constantly being ment of high-performing system solutions which offer constant
improved and can offer thermal insulation, durability and a wide range of design options.
some versatile solutions.
FOAMGLAS® products can
The Compact Roof system is characterized
withstand any loads,
from cars to HGV’s and by the following properties:
helicopters.
 no moisture migration because of the full bonding, i.e. fully
adhered and with filled joints, of the insulation to the substrate
and of the waterproofing,
 consistent thermal insulation that is not adversely
affected by moisture absorption,
A reliable system,
with the benefits of :  bearing capacity and stability without deformation of the
 safety, toughness thermal insulation slabs, and so no failure of the wearing
 versatility surfaces as a result of unexpected tensile bending stresses.
 durability for
the structure
Constant thermal insulation and durability are the preconditions
with normal maintenance,
even under extreme loads. for economic viability and sustainability in building –
precisely the qualities that owners are looking for!

Choice of wearing surfaces:

Concrete slab surfaces and Mastic asphalt, hot-mix installation Grouting asphalt pavements.
pavements. and rolled asphalt coverings.

4
1. Parking spaces as a value-added service
Safety and user-friendly design are obvious requirements

reater mobility and the need for individual transport are what charac-
G terize the spirit of the times as far as today’s drivers are concerned.
These trends are countered by THE OBSTACLES:
Traffic chaos and jams, especially in the densely populated inner city areas.
Traffic problems are increasingly taking on a different dimension because
more and more ground is being built on, leaving hardly any room for car
parks, green spaces and playgrounds. It is a fact that traffic density is also
increasing “at rest”, i.e. in parking areas. However serious the intentions of
the car manufacturers are in their efforts to produce smaller vehicles, this
does not solve the greater problem of parking.

THE CONSEQUENCE: In private, public or commercial building develop-

ments, car parks are increasingly being integrated into the building design.
Parking spaces, commercial developments and residential areas exist side by
side.The parking spaces that are no longer available on the street are now
being provided on roof tops, on service decks above insulated underground
rooms, or in underground car parks. However, where the usage is mixed (a
traffic structure plus residential/commercial buildings), the requirement for
thermal insulation is a priority. As parking areas are generally large, heat-
transmitting border areas of buildings, they should not be ignored when
considering, for example, fulfilling the requirements of Energy Saving Regu-
lations (e.g. Building Regulations Part L1/L2 in England and Wales / Part J in Scotland).

Naturally, drivers do not associate a change in the type of parking available

with any restriction on use; instead, they expect availability at all times.
Building developers and operators are looking for durability, economic via-
bility and safety from these parking developments. The profitability or
acceptance of residential developments, office blocks and public buildings
depends largely on the availability of parking.

THE PRIME OBJECTIVE: “Reliability” in terms of both construction and

subsequent operation or use is the main aim for planners and operators.
People need defect-free, easy to maintain highly compatible systems which
build on a limited number of functional layers and which are produced using
proven, foolproof building methods.

The needs of drivers, developers and operators, planners and building work-
ers must all be taken into consideration. The FOAMGLAS® COMPACT
ROOF provides planners with a high-quality system that not only meets all
functional requirements but can also be installed with reduced risks for pre-
mature failure and problem-free use in the long-term.

FOAMGLAS
®
5
2. Durable construction as a planning principle

Sustainability must be a priority
in building
ustainable building aims to minimise the use of ener-
S gy and resources and reduce the strain on the balance
of nature throughout all the lifecycle stages of buildings
(from planning and construction, through use and mainte-
nance to demolition).
This objective can be achieved in combination with
FOAMGLAS® thermal insulation for roof-top car parks and
service decks.
The requirements of today’s world are:
❖ a reduction in the energy consumption and
❖ the planned extension of the service life of products
and building structures.
Users and operators should participate in the planning stage.
Buildings are generally used over long periods of time (50
to 100 years on average).
The time scales for buildings, including roof-top car parks
and service decks, that should be worked with in the per-
spective of ecological and economic considerations should
The costs aspect very often influences the decision-mak-
ing process in the choice of one construction solution or
another.
Basically, it can be said that
the potential for influencing
the running costs of a building is greatest
during the conception or planning stages.
Decisions which have a major effect on costs
are made during the definition of
the planning grid in the start-up phase.
FIGURE 1 from the “Guideline on Sustainable
Building” (page 2) shows how the individual cost cate-
gories are distributed throughout the time schedule for the
building.
Fig. 1
Building conception

Start of planning

be measured against this expectation.1)

building work

Usage time

Demolition
Start of

Building time Usage time

User

Building

Planning costs Building costs Usage costs

increases
The opportunity for influencing
the economic viability
of a building
decreases

1) SOURCE: Federal Ministry for Traffic, Building and
Housing, “Leitfaden Nachhaltiges Bauen”
(Guideline on Sustainable Building).
Order by e-mail from: buergerinfo@bmvbw.bund.de
The cost blocks in the planning, building and usage phase and the
opportunity to influence them.
SOURCE: Handbuch der kostenbewußten Bauplanung: Ansätze zu einem
den Planungs- und Bauprozess begleitenden Kosteninformationssystem
[Manual of cost-conscience building planning: Approaches
for a cost information system as planning and building pro-
gresses]; Schrift zur Ingenieurökonomie (Paper on Engineering
Economy), vol. I, Wuppertal, Dt. Consulting Verlag 1976, p.4, fig. 7,
Prof. Dr. Karl Heinz Pfarr

6
The sustainable building structure:
the vehicle-accessed FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof

The vehicle-accessed FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof: a tough construction, versatile in use

The FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof is a warm roof with

Ecology
exclusive properties. This single-shell, warm roof system
with closed-cell, water- and vapour-proof cellular glass
insulation is designed to give maximum benefit. Fully
adhered to the substrate with hot bitumen and filled joints,
the FOAMGLAS® insulation layer forms an effective
vapour-barrier. In addition, the high compressive strength,
free of settling, is the most important physical property
which allows for the safe bedding of concrete wearing
slabs or other wearing courses for car parks.

With the Compact Roof build-up, there are no discontinu-

ities in the insulation, or thermal bridges. Likewise, there
are no calculated reductions for heat losses from structur-
al joints between the deck and vertical components or
breast walls or deductions due to rainwater cooling, or
moisture absorption resulting from diffusion. Conse-
quently, the operating costs/energy costs of a building
insulated with FOAMGLAS® are lower than they are for
other buildings.
Comparative parameter:
Disposal of product
In addition, the durability of building materials and compo-
nents as a factor in extending the life of the building and
reducing the maintenance and replacement expenditure
should also be borne in mind.

The costs involved at the planning, building and usage A consideration of the trafficked areas and an evalua-
stages and the potential for influencing these are shown in tion of the construction options must take into
the guideline on “Sustainable Building”, mentioned pre- account the investment costs, the repair and mainte-
viously. nance expenditure and the costs of demolition.

Because buildings need to have a long service life, the

potential for multiple use/changes of use should also be
taken into account.

FOAMGLAS
®
7
3. Types and functions of parking and service decks

he following chapter discusses the differences and inside and outside the weatherproofing of the building
T performance limits of thermally insulated roof-top car
parks, service decks and traffic areas from the point of
(according to the inverted roof principle).

view of various stresses and requirements for: The investigation includes practical case studies and
 warm roof constructions using cellular glass insulation and scientific reports.
 roof build-ups with extruded polystyrene boards (XPS),

Warm roof construction with cellular glass insulation Inverted roof with extruded polystyrene boards (XPS)

 In-situ concrete wearing slab  In-situ concrete wearing slab

Structural concrete deck
Structural concrete deck

 Primer  Screed to falls
 Primer (taking into account the latest findings
 FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® insulation with cut-to-fall slabs
 Weatherproofing regarding ∆U and ∆λ supplements
 Weatherproofing
 XPS insul. boards in the dimensioning of thermal insulation)
 Separating and slip layer
 Separating and slip layer
 In-situ concrete wearing slab, dimensioned for  In-situ concrete wearing slab, dimensioned for
the specific project the specific project

 Pavement surface with and without  Pavement surface

additional waterproof asphalt layer

Structural concrete deck

 Full bonding with hot bitumen and filled joints
Structural concrete deck
 FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® insulation with cut-to-fall slabs  Screed to falls
 Top surface blacked out  Primer (taking into account the latest findings
 Weatherproofing regarding ∆U and ∆λ supplements in
 Multi-ply bituminous waterproofing or optionally: the dimensioning of thermal insulation)
 XPS insul. boards
 Bituminous waterproofing combined with
 Separating and slip layer
waterproofing asphalt
 Sand bedding, according to regulations
 Sand bedding, according to regulations  Paving (pavers or interlocking pavers)
 Paving (pavers or interlocking pavers)

8
3.1 Mechanical stress

3.1 Mechanical stress

n the first place, roof-top car parks and service decks

Ifulfil a weatherproofing and protective function for
the building. In connection with their use as roof-top
car parks and service decks, however, additional
stresses occur which make them very different from
roofs that are not used in this way.

In addition to being used by cars, thermally insulated

service decks are often subject to mixed usage, deliveries
or heavy goods vehicles. Special requirements, such as
access for ambulances and fire engines, use by refuse
vehicles or even helicopter landing pads, must also be met
in practice.
The loading assumptions are made, for instance, in accor-
dance with DIN 1055 or DIN 1072.

Moreover, dynamic coefficients (dynamic loads) can

increase the degree of mechanical stress.
FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof For this reason, it is important that carriageways and
Full bonding between all functional layers: access ways on parking decks are specially structured.
load-bearing for wearing surfaces,
safe substrate for weatherproofing.
Integrated Insulation + Weatherproofing System.

Requirements and Functional

levels
Weather-resistant

Resistant to de-icing products Wearing slab/surface

with separating and slip layer
Load distribution

Waterproof Weatherproofing

Thermal protection Thermal insulation a)

vapour-barrier (and levelling course)

Water drainage
Screed to falls b)
Load transfer

Protection against moisture Structural concrete

Fire safety

a) levelling course if required; no vapour-barrier with FOAMGLAS® insulation

b) or FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® slabs

FOAMGLAS
®
9
3.1 Mechanical stress
a) WHY FOAMGLAS® ?
With its deformation-free high compressive strength
(depending on product type) of 0.70 - 1.70 N/mm2 (factory
standard as specified in DIN 53421), FOAMGLAS® pos-
sesses physical properties that cannot be achieved by any
other range of insulation materials available.
Considering long-term or short-term loading, the design
values, including safety factors, are:
long-term: 0.28 - 0.68 N/mm2, and
short-term: 0.35 - 0.85 N/mm2.
The subsequent thickness of the wearing slab is based on
these compressive strengths, for example, in the case of
“in-situ concrete slabs” (see Chapter 4 below,
Dimensioning of wearing slabs; dimensioning diagram).
The compressive stresses given above should not be
exceeded at the transmission surface between the wear-
ing slab and the insulation layer.
Compressive strength [N/mm2],
for traffic accessed surfaces, e.g. roof-top car park
Compression
10
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION
Destruction of wearing layer due to spring effect
and inconsistent support conditions,
in conjunction with springing, flexing and
rocking of the insulation boards
XPS insulation boards are often not able to cope with the
stress situations that occur. They are deformed by com-
pression depending on the nature and extent of the load
applied, or show a tendency to reduce in thickness after
installation due to thermoplastic material properties, which
may also be temperature-related. They should conse-
quently be avoided.
Long-term compressive strength does not
necessarily mean that there is any safety margin
Normally in design planning, the maximum “long-term”
compressive strength of deformable rigid foam insulation
materials, i.e. materials subject to compression and creep,
is taken as the purely theoretical proof of suitability for use
by cars. There is often no safety margin.
But how reliable are the material limits given, if compres-
sion and deformation do not stop under continuous load-
ing?
Planners and developers need to evaluate the safety mar-
gins, especially as regards the compressive strength of
the insulation materials used. For this, information on sta-
tistics and probability models can also be used.
Corner breaking from in-situ wearing slabs, supported here
on PUR/PIR insulation boards.
 TIME-BASED PRESSURE DIAGRAM FOR A RANGE OF INSULATION MATERIALS
Compression (%)

Duration of loading hours / days

SG = Schaumglas = cellular glass insulation

In addition to the purely “formal significance” of a general

approval certificate, responsible planning approaches can
be built on fractile values and safety factors applied
depending on the load situation.

Because of the critical gaps in the definitions provided by

the various approval certificates, planners have to make
their own decisions in any case.
The various official regulations or guidelines laid down by
specialist associations have long since remained unequal
to the challenge of providing a structural safety net.

Summary
With thermoplastic insulation materials, deformation does
not stop. Continued deformation of all the load-bearing
elements in a structure, or the vibration behaviour in wear-
ing surfaces is the result. Only cellular glass is pressure-
resistant without deformation even under extreme load-
ing.

FOAMGLAS
®
11
3.1 Mechanical stress

a) WHY FOAMGLAS® ? Deformation / shrinkage

Even in the long term, FOAMGLAS® does not show any

deformation under loading or under the effects of temper-
ature or moisture. The insulation can be perfectly laid to
brick pattern and fully adhered to the substrate. Because
the material is dimensionally stable and because of the
technique used for installation, i.e. fully bonded with hot
bitumen, consistent support conditions are given.
This is an important precondition for the load-bearing
capacity and durability of the build-up which distributes the
loads.

Thermal linear expansion

(temperature movement) [mm/m x 100 K]

PUR/PIR

XPS

FOAMGLAS®

Concrete

Full bonding of the FOAMGLAS® slabs to the substrate with

staggered and bitumen filled joints.
Note on thermal linear expansion

FOAMGLAS® cellular glass has almost the same thermal

linear expansion as concrete or steel. This physical prop-
erty allows for the “power-bonding” with the substrate.
PUR / XPS expands by almost ten times as much due to
high temperature movement.

12
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION Research report Professor
Günter Zimmermann:
The fault in the system: flexing, springing
and rocking of the insulation “...Interlocking pavers are
in the trend but there is a
Flexing and warping of insulation materials leads to incon- risk of deformation, espe-
sistent support conditions and includes bending stress cially when laid on top of
and dynamic deformation in the top layers, plus local col- warping insulation
lapsing of the insulation materials in question. These con- (spring effect) with inade-
ditions can be seen in the pictures below. quate drainage, gaping
joints and unsuitable
With warping and flexing foam insulation boards, channels substrate.”
can be formed, which will allow for increased rainwater Offprint from Bau-Zeitung,
cooling and have a negative effect on the the thermal insu- issue 9/97, pages 8 and 9 -
lation value. available upon request
(in German)!

Warping of the insulation

In addition, with foam insulation boards, warping or curving

cannot be excluded, even during storage on site. This is
caused by the inevitable shrinkage after production and
the greater insulation thicknesses required. The problems
with wearing layers on springy substrates, e.g. in inverted
flat roofs, have been discussed, for instance, in damage
reports by Professor Günter Zimmermann, presenting
numerous case studies (see Offprint, next column).

Joints between parts of buildings, ramp crossings or park-

ing crossovers, narrowed carriageways or bends are areas
subject to extreme traffic loads. In these situations warp-
ing of the insulation will inevitably lead to structural dam-
age in short time.
Deformation of XPS insulation boards. The formation of
channels leads to inconsistent support conditions with a
spring effect under loads.

Design principle of the inverted flat roof

Structural concrete deck

 Screed to fall
 Primer  Non-woven filter
 Weatherproofing layer + ballast or
Warping of XPS insulation boards during construction
 XPS insulation boards wearing layer
caused by temperature changes.

FOAMGLAS
®
13
When roof-top car parks weaken from fatigue ...

Corner fragmentation of in-situ concrete slabs due to a soft

insulation laying course.

Heavy vehicles and

off-road trucks use
parking decks too.
The proper planning of
the roof structure and a
pressure-resistant
substrate are therefore
important if the
wearing surface is to
remain damage-free
in the long term.

Often, the load limit of wearing slabs/surfaces is reached

because of insufficient compressive strength and because
the compression limit of the insulation materials used has
“When there’s a shortage been exceeded.
of parking spaces, The consequences of this for the wearing layers on top of
roof-top car parks the insulation are illustrated, e.g., in a report issued by the
turn into off-road BDA Dakadvies B.V. Institute, refering to the long-term
race tracks!” behaviour of parking and roof terrace systems in prac-
tice, using the example of the Autocentury roof-top car
park with paving slabs on spacer pads (Groningen,
Zoontjens system):
“The parking spaces are intended primarily for the loading
of groceries. If drivers drive (too) rapidly, the paving slabs
move and wobble especially near the parking areas
(springy XPS insulation substrate). In the entrance area,
the slabs have been pushed into the XPS insulation by
Corner fragmentation of vehicle manoeuvring.”
precast flag pavings.

Formation of dips in an
asphalt wearing layer on
soft insulation.

With small-format, prefabricated parking and roof terrace

systems, the corner fragmentation often spreads until the
entire slab has been destroyed.

14
3.1 Mechanical stress

Examples of damage to unreinforced, prefabricated vacuum concrete paving slabs, triggered by mechanical
failure, or overloading, caused in some cases by deformations of the substrate and/or the effects of frost and
external condensation.

Failures caused on paving slabs by overloading and danger- Paving slabs on spacer pads, on compressible insulation
ous raising of the edges of the drain cover. (spring effect).

Differences in height and corner fragmentation. Severe slab displacement over large parts of the roof.

Compressible, springy insulation substrate and displacement The displacement of the paving slabs is so extreme in places
of the paving slabs on spacer pads. that wooden battens have been inserted as a temporary
emergency measure. The frost damage is clear.

FOAMGLAS
®
15
3.1 Mechanical stress

Several paving slabs in a row often break. Fractures were Many XPS insulation boards are compressed and damaged
even found at the spacer pads. under paving slabs on spacer pads.

The types of damage are typical of

compressible insulation materials and
have been collected from a large
number of projects.

The damaged surface of extruded

polystyrene insulation drastically
reduces resistance to diffusion.
The consequence of this is far greater
sensitivity to frost or progressive
permeation of moisture throughout
the period of use.
This ultimately means the loss of Lack of compressive resistance to point loading, embrittle-
ment and lack of resistance to oils, fuels, rodents and ver-
thermal insulation capacity. mine are risks for XPS insulation boards under paving slabs
on spacer pads.
The database and the assessment of
the measurements, including
moisture content, show significant
values which will lead to a
critical evaluation of the product for
use in roof-top car parks, service decks
and other traffic areas, no matter
what type of covering is applied.

In many cases the poor condition of the XPS insulation boards

can not guarantee constant thermal insulation in the long-term.
Measurement results on the moisture content of XPS insulation
in inverted roof build-ups are given later (see pp. 26 and following).

16
 Pavement displacement, rutting
Limits of use for extruded polystyrene boards
The approval certificate issued, for example, to DOW
Deutschland [on 12.9.2000, 3.1.3 Traffic Loads], proves
the point, by defining the limits on the use of XPS insula-
tion boards. “With the corresponding loading and work-
manship (...) inverted roofs may be driven over by cars or
similar powered vehicles up to a permitted total weight of
2.5 t”.
Pavement deformation on an XPS insulation layer and drifting of the
sand fill resulting from the inadequate support of a compressible insu-
lation (spring effect). Some of the joint filling no longer exists. Building:
Ansbach department store, repaired with FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof.
Spreading of the pavement on loose laid XPS insulation
boards in an inverted flat roof.
Behaviour of interlocking paver
on compressible/flexible substrates
When interlocking pavers spread, the zig-zag edge support
that the pavers provide for each other is lost.
The consequences: The interpavers incline, the pavement
shifts and there is point loading on the insulation/water-
proofing courses underneath, ultimately leading to total
destruction of the wearing course and loss of parking
spaces.
Gaping joints between paving stones. The horizontal shear
forces are so great that concrete pavers have cracked
through in the middle in places. The horizontal gaps here are
up to 90 mm wide.
Spreading and sinking of paving stones. The sand fill has
been lost in many areas.
FOAMGLAS
®
17
3.1 Mechanical stress

Paving deformation on an inverted roof. Collapse of drain cover. In many cases, gratings are high
points in damaged roofs which must be driven around to
avoid damage to the tyres and the vehicle itself.

Height differences in the XPS insulation boards, affect the The wearing course is very warped over the entire surface.
wearing course, as can be seen above.

Shear forces from braking and accelerating in the area of the Totally destroyed: jointing sand and laying material have run
access ramp and wheels turning on the spot in the parking out and completely blocked the drain.
areas are the cause of the pavement displacement.

18
No matter which type of pavement block is laid on springy
XPS insulation boards, the problem of spreading of the
pavers with loss of jointing and laying material is frequently
encountered.

Damage at Laborie-Galerie, Paderborn (G). Damage, Kvickly (S).

Research report Professor

Günter Zimmermann:
“...Interlocking pavers are
in the trend but there is a
risk of deformation, espe-
cially when laid on top of
warping insulation (spring
effect) and with inadequate
drainage, gaping joints and
unsuitable substrate.”
Offprint from Bau-Zeitung,
issue 9/97, pages 8 and 9 -
available upon request
(in German)!

Damage.

FOAMGLAS
®
19
3.1 Mechanical stress

Holes and cracks in wearing surfaces

awoll discount supermarket in Salzgitter: serious damage in the wearing sur-

J face laid on XPS insulation boards. Repeated repairs to the wearing surface
were unable to deal with the problem. When the roof was opened up, considerable
damage to the insulation foam skin was found. During the total refurbishment that
was necessary, it was found that the insulation slabs had absorbed over 30% water
by volume; this meant that the original thermal insulation had been practically lost.
This roof-top car park was repaired using FOAMGLAS® cellular glass insulation.
The refurbishment project is described in detail in Chapter 5.1.

Repair using FOAMGLAS®- thermal insulation

20
Allkauf-Markt in Hagen. The serious warping in the carriageway sur- Famila Hypermarket. Parking deck, sheltered, with PUR insulation,
face due to the unstable XPS insulation layer can clearly be seen by the approx. 2 years old; cracks in the concrete surface are already starting
wavy shape of the side section in front of the gravel strip. Frequent to appear.
repairs to the concrete wearing surface were unsuccessful. Finally, the
only remedy was refurbishment using incompressible and deformation-
free FOAMGLAS® insulation.

Roof-top car park on a shopping centre in Hamburg Rahlstedt. In this Serious damage in the wearing surface on XPS insulation boards.
roof, problems had been caused by the concrete/plastic foam sandwich Because of water infiltration into the build-up and damage to the water-
panels. 3 layers of plastic foils had been laid loose under the panels as proofing, rainwater is able to penetrate to the load-bearing slab.
a vapour barrier and had led to inconsistent support conditions and
spring effect, which had triggered the damage.
The roof was refurbished in 1999 using FOAMGLAS® insulation.

FOAMGLAS
®
21
A German surveyor had to report on the damage appearing in a roof-top car park that had been built
as an inverted roof using XPS. His comment:
The one who constructed “blue-eyed” and opted for a “green solution” on renovation ...

. . . now uses FOAMGLAS®.

22
3.2 Thermal insulation

3.2 Thermal insulation

The need for efficient thermal insulation and

no condensation on outer components

It is obvious that thermal insulation on roof-top car parks

and service decks is of vital importance when the effects
of heat-exchanging floor area are considered.
The owners’ expectations have to be met, in addition to
the minimum physical requirements for buildings, to
ensure no condensation occurs in the component cross
section (approx. 4 cm, thermal insulation class 040).
In the interest of global energy saving, efficient thermal
insulation should allow a reduction in the annual energy
consumption for heating.
The German Energy Saving Regulations (EnEV), 2002,
define the primary energy requirement at the system
boundary known as the “building envelope”. That means
that all components, including the HVAC services and their
efficiency, must be considered in the thermal calculation.

The design principles for the future

can be summarized as follows:

 efficient, constant thermal insulation applied to

the shell of the building,

 air-tightness of outer skin of the building,

 elimination of thermal bridges, FOAMGLAS® thermal insulation for the roof-top car park on
top of the library at the Emdrupborg Teacher Training
College, Copenhagen (DK).
 compact design,

 reduction in heat losses from ventilation

by optimized VAC engineering,

 modern heating systems,

 heating of drinking water,

 ventilation with efficient energy recycling,

 passive use of solar energy.

Air-tight build-up, free from thermal bridges, using

FOAMGLAS® flat slabs or cut-to-fall slabs (FOAMGLAS®
TAPERED®) fully bonded with hot bitumen.

FOAMGLAS
®
23
Optimum thermal insulation with FOAMGLAS®
for dense urban developments

Thermally insulated roof-top car park on a residential estate at Rue César Roux, Lausanne (CH). The wearing surface is a
BITUZIM® grouting asphalt pavement.

Thermally insulated roof-top car park on La Rouverai Residence, Lausanne (CH). The wearing surface is a BITUZIM® flexible
pavement, i.e. rolled open-textured asphalt pavement with a cement mortar sludge as liquid binder to penetrate the voids.

24
3.2 Thermal insulation

Use of thermal insulation materials to reduce

thermal stresses on load-bearing structures
(stress insulation)

Thermal insulation materials can also be used to reduce

the thermal loading of load-bearing structures.
The term “stress insulation” is used when insulation is
applied to prevent heating up and thus linear expansion or
contraction of large structural concrete slabs. These slabs
may be part of a roof or a service deck at ground level and
require thermal insulation for thermal requirements of the
building and to protect the structure.

Deutsche Bundespost, Hamburg. Example of a FOAMGLAS®-

The following developments are examples of insulated service deck covering basement storeys, designed
to take HGVs.
the use of FOAMGLAS® for stress insulation:
 Deutsche Bundespost, Hamburg – insulated service
deck covering basement storeys, approved for
HGV use (G.).
 Underground car park, Städtische Bühnen
Dortmund (G).
 Underground car park, Dortmund Labour
Exchange (G).
 Hansaplatz underground car park, Dortmund (G).
 Underground car park for Migros department store
under the pedestrian zone approved for HGVs,
Rue de Locarno, in the centre of Perolles (CH).
 C & A underground car park, under a main access
road, Rue de Romont, Fribourg (CH). The road
structure was designed for a main street with nor-
mal traffic, without any weight limit. It was only Insulation of a concrete slab over the underground car park
later that the street was changed over to a pede- in the street passage in front of the Migros store in Perolles,
Switzerland.
strian zone, with delivery traffic at night.

You will find comprehensive information about the

insulation of service decks or the cover slabs over
underground car parks in part 2 of this document,
which describes in detail FOAMGLAS® system solu-
tions that have been applied to building projects.

UNDERGROUND CAR PARKS :

A cellular glass insulation helps in the battle
against the “dripstone cave” effect.
Underground car park at the C&A store in Fribourg, Rue de
Romont. The concrete slab is covered with FOAMGLAS® cel-
lular glass for stress insulation, and the road-building works
are then carried out.

FOAMGLAS
®
25
3.2 Thermal insulation

a) WHY FOAMGLAS®?

FOAMGLAS® insulating products meet the standards for
reliable thermal insulation in the thermal conductivity
groups 040, 045 and 050. The relevant thermal insulation
value is provided for the entire working life of the building,
without moisture absorption or ageing.
With a compact installation procedure, i.e. fully bonded in
hot bitumen with filled joints, all thermal bridges or air
leaks are excluded through the design.

A : Warm roof structure with B : Warm roof structure with FOAMGLAS® insulation
FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® slabs and and block pavement, with and without
in-situ concrete wearing surface. interposed waterproofing asphalt layer.

Structural concrete deck
Structural concrete deck

 Primer  Primer
 FOAMGLAS® insulation with cut-to-fall slabs,  FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® insulation with cut-to-fall
fully bonded with hot bitumen slabs, fully bonded with hot bitumen
 Weatherproofing  Top surface of insulation blacked out,
 Separating and slip layer hot bitumen coating
 Multi-ply bituminous waterproofing; or optionally:
 In-situ concrete wearing slab, dimensioned
 Bituminous waterproofing in combination
for the specific project
with waterproofing asphalt
 Pavement bedding according to regulations
 Interlocking pavers or suited car park pavers
(PB clay pavers, cobblestones)

A B

IN-SITU CONCRETE: Roof-top car park, both open and PB CLAY PAVERS AND COBBLESTONES IN SANDBED: Hotel
covered, at Migros Bulle SA, Fribourg, Switzerland. and restaurant in Wehrsdorf, Germany - roof-top car park.

26
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION

Insulation materials that lose their thermal insulation
capacity over years of use as a result of moisture
absorption, to the extent that they are damaged and need
replacement, are not suitable and do not meet the expec-
tations of owners.
These insulation materials are often laid in the roof outside
the building’s weatherproofing and are thus exposed to
the elements.
This design principle is called the inverted roof. Here, the
XPS insulation boards are installed above the building’s
weatherproofing and are covered by the wearing surface.

C : Inverted flat roof with in-situ concrete wearing D : Inverted flat roof with
surface, with and without vapour pressure block pavement.
equalizing layer.

Structural concrete deck

 Screed to falls
Structural concrete deck
 Primer
(taking into account the latest findings
regarding ∆U and ∆λ supplements in the
 Screed to falls (taking into account the latest findings

 Weatherproofing dimensioning of thermal insulation)  Primer regarding ∆U and ∆λ supplements in

the dimensioning of thermal insulation)
 XPS insulation boards  Weatherproofing
 Separating and slip layer or optionally:  XPS insulation boards
 without vapour pressure equalizing layer, with  Separating and slip layer
min. 15 cm fine chippings for laying  Pavement bedding according to regulations
 In-situ concrete wearing slab, dimensioned  Block pavement / Interlocking pavers
for the specific project

C D

DAMAGED INVERTED ROOF WITH IN-SITU CONCRETE DAMAGED INVERTED ROOF WITH INTERLOCKING PAVERS:
WEARING SURFACE: Total refurbishment using the Total refurbishment using the FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof
FOAMGLAS® Compact Roof system. system.

FOAMGLAS
®
27
3.2 Thermal insulation

Adverse effect on thermal insulation caused by

moisture absorption of XPS insulation boards

Wearing surfaces do not actually have a reliable “capacity

to remove or drain away water”. With all types of wearing/
surface designs, water penetrates under the wearing sur-
face to a greater, or lesser extent and thus via the joints of
the boards under the insulation. This moisture does not
actually dry out, but water vapour does diffuse into the
insulation boards.
Water may also penetrate in front of overlapping seams in
the weatherproofing sheets and in deflections and depres-
sions in the load-bearing slab. The difference in partial
vapour pressure to the external environment starts off the
transport of water vapour into the XPS insulation boards.
The film of moisture on the upper side of the XPS insula-
tion boards does not allow any significant desorption of
internal moisture. A progressive increase of moisture is to
be observed and the specified thermal insulation value Seriously damp state of an XPS insulating layer and spread-
ing of the interlocking pavers.
decreases by 50% or more.

Resistance to vapour transmission [µ]

infinite ∞

Moisture absorption through diffusion

Damage caused at PTT Ouchy, Lausanne. The original roof

build-up with an in-situ concrete slab was completely satu-
rated; consequently, the parking area and floors beneath
were unusable for several months.
The roof was refurbished with FOAMGLAS® S3 insulation
slabs and a “Bituzim®” grouting asphalt pavement as the
wearing surface.

* as attested by various expert reports and

field studies

28
 Water content [%vol.]

Thickness of insulation board: 100 mm

CO2 foamed

conventional,
CFC foamed

Time [years]

Development over time of the forecast average water con- Visible wetness of the XPS insulating layer as a result of dif-
tent in % vol. of XPS insulation boards in an inverted flat roof fusion processes in an inverted roof with wearing surfaces
with concrete slab cover. (dense coverings).
H.M. Künzel, Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik, Stuttgart, 1996.

In the specialist publication “Feuchteverhalten von Um-

kehrdächern mit massiven Deckschichten” [“Moisture
behaviour of inverted roofs with dense covering“] pub-
lished by the Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik, the author,
Künzel, states:
“At an interior temperature of 20°C, conventional insu-
lation boards made from extruded polystyrene (e.g.
CFC-foamed products) reach a water content of
approx. 10% vol. after 30 years, whilst CO2-foamed
boards become much wetter, at over 17% by vol.
because of their lower resistance to water vapour
transmission.
Insulation moisture levels of over 20% vol. can occur Areas saturated with water can even be seen on the upper
after 30 years.” side of the XPS insulation boards under the filter fabric.

P.S.: CFC foamed products do not exist in the market now,

but you still find them with roof openings. CFC has now
been replaced with other
blowing agents, HFA,
these have a similar
characteristic in respect
of moisture absorption.

H. Künzel,
Moisture behaviour
of inverted roofs Damaged interlocking paver surface due to springing, flexing
with dense covering, and rocking of XPS insulation substrate.
available in English

FOAMGLAS
®
29
3.2 Thermal insulation

MANY EXPERT REPORTS and scientific studies on roof The same conclusion:
build-ups with XPS insulation boards and various driving
surfaces have recorded symptomatically increased water EXPERT REPORT FROM FRANKEN CONSULT,
absorption in the insulating layer. on the roof-top car park in Ansbach (D):
The large amount of damage recorded indicates that this “With samples 80 mm thick, a water content of
roofing system does not meet the requirements for lasting Uv = 16.7% vol. was determined”.
thermal insulation and load-bearing capacity.

The same conclusion:

EXPERT REPORT FROM BDA KEURINGS

INSTITUTE,
describing the Fish Auction House in Urk (NL):
“Moisture content 33.5%. The XPS insulating
layer was wet”.

The volume of water per sq.m. insulation was : 13 kg

The surface of the insulation board is sludgy and its

structure is clearly destroyed. This board was floating
in water to a depth of 15 mm. Absorbed water dripped
off when the samples were removed. The increased
weight of the board, indicating that water had clearly
been absorbed, was noticeable.
The report giving an expert evaluation of the failing
parking deck at the Kaufhalle in Ansbach (Germany),
including a survey of the refurbishment works using
FOAMGLAS® thermal insulation is available on request.

Copies of all studies and reports are available from Pittsburgh Corning.
H. Künzel A. Eggenberger

30
The same conclusion: The same conclusion:

EXPERT REPORT AMEND + HINRICHS, Hartwig M. KÜNZEL :

Determination of moisture content “Possibilities for the drying of inverted roof insulation
Property to be refurbished: Bildungszenrum Hems- in the summer with different coverings “.
bach (D), accessible/ Offprint from BAUPHYSIK:
terraced roof
Moisture content: 27.5% vol., in XPS insula- “The results show clearly that water-retaining or
tion baords, with ship- relatively vapour-proof coverings prevent the
lapped edges, 8 cm thick drying of the outer surface areas of insulation
Quotation: boards on inverted roofs, in contrast to the con-
“The samples were dried to mass constancy. ventional aggregate ballast ...
The average moisture content was 27.5% vol.” The moisture conditions at the upper side of the
insulation boards could not be improved even
with the use of special drainage layers”.

How much does the insulation value

of insulation boards deteriorate
as a result of water absorption?
When the question is asked about the effect of moisture
on thermal insulation, various studies have drawn the
same conclusions.
For example, EGGENBERGER BAUPHYSIK describes the
influence of internal moisture on thermal conductivity in
the chart below showing an approximation of moisture
dependency.

Approximation of thermal conductivity

of CO2-foamed XPS with a λ initial value
in the dry state of: 0.038 W/mK
Thermal conductivity [W/mK]

The saturated area can be clearly seen at the point of fracture

because of the dark colouring. Around 30% of the cross-sec-
tion on the top was soaked with water.

Approximation of the moisture dependency of the thermal

conductivity of XPS insulation products λsim = λdesign* f (%
vol.) through the function acc. to Hay or acc. to Point. 4.3.
In addition, the linear dependency is also shown. It can clear-
ly be seen that the latter function is not a suitable one since
it gives λ-values that are too positive.

FOAMGLAS
®
31
3.2 Thermal insulation
With the moisture levels systematically encountered in
thermally insulated inverted roof variants for parking decks,
an approximate relationship can be assumed, under which,
in the area up to 10 % vol.: 1 % moisture by volume corre-
sponds to a reduction of thermal insulation capacity of
around 4%.
Even taking a conservative view, 20% vol. moisture thus leads to
a 100-150% deterioration of the thermal insulation value, i.e. 2 to
3 times higher than the assumed thermal conductivity at the
time of planning.
If we ask the question about the level of thermal insulation
that is actually effective in the long term, the deterioration
of the values for the thermal conductivity λ must be cor-
rected by a supplement value of ∆λ accordingly.
Unfortunately, the general approval certificates that have
been issued, e.g. from the DIBt in the Federal Republic of
Germany, do not yet give due consideration to this aspect
and to the results of independent scientific studies.
The moisture absorption mechanisms of the largely diffu-
sion-blocking covering layers, however, have now been
defined, and require ∆λ supplements in addition to the
regulated ∆U supplements (rainwater cooling penalty).
On the basis of the characteristic production values of
DOW and BASF for common CO2-foamed XPS products
used in roof-top car parks, the effective thermal insulation
across the lifetime of the building is relevant.
If we initially consider the moisture absorption processes
and their effect on thermal conductivity, with a 10 or 20%
vol. moisture level, we obtain the following final figure
which describes the thermal insulation, for example, after
10 and 20 years.
Thermal conductivity [λ value]
* reduced λ value in function of moisture absorption
** depending on product type
32
In addition to the moisture absorption processes in the
XPS insulation boards caused by diffusion, supplements
for rainwater cooling must also be taken into account (for-
merly ∆k, now ∆U).
The U value, i.e. the thermal transmittance of the roof
build-up must be corrected by a supplementary value,
since cold water removes heat, or heating energy from the
upper side of the weatherproofing and thus from the heat-
ed building.
The quantity of rainwater to be drained under the insula-
tion which cools the roof deck through heat transfer
depends considerably on the type and quality of jointing of
the specific wearing layers.
With joints which are intentionally open, e.g. in the case of
paving slabs on spacer pads, it is to be assumed that
practically all precipitation will penetrate under the XPS
insulation boards to the level of the weatherproofing and
remove heating energy accordingly.
In the case of coverings with interlocking pavers with
tight and filled joints, a certain volume of rainwater will be
drained on the top surface and consequently the required
supplement ∆U for rainwater cooling is lower.
Even with large-format in-situ concrete slabs which have
sealed joints between them, it must be assumed that pre-
cipitation moisture will penetrate. The joint filling in the
relevant sectional division does not create a water-tight
surface nor drain-off all the rainwater into the roof outlets.
Both H.M. KÜNZEL (Moisture behaviour of inverted
roofs with dense cover layers, IBP Mitteilung 295 publi-
cation) and J.-P. SCHLEE (Thermally insulated roof-top
car parks and service decks, 1998) refer to the necessity
of the ∆λ supplement.
J.-P. SCHLEE, table 3, page 90, illustrates the influence of
different wearing surfaces.
• For interlocking pavers, because of a reduced rain-
water cooling factor, a ∆U of 0.03 W/m2K is assumed.
• In-situ concrete slabs jointed in the area of the sec-
tion division have a rainwater cooling factor of ∆U in
the order of 0.01 W/m2K.
• For precast paving slabs on spacer pads with a
drainage coefficient of almost 100%, we can assume
the conditions of the inverted roof with aggregate bal-
last, i.e. without dense covering, exposed to the ele-
ments and requiring ∆U supplements of 0.05 - 0.19 as
rainwater cooling factor, depending on the climatic
zone.
According to an approved European draft standard to
come into force (document 777), the following equation
provides the definitive solution for calculation of the neces-
sary supplements:
∆U = 0,04 x Ra / Ri x Nd
This obviously makes sense, since, for example, the
regional conditions can be taken into account for the daily
precipitation volumes.
Ra: Thermal resistivity outside the
weatherproofing of the building
Ri: Thermal resistivity inside the weatherproofing
of the building
Nd: Daily precipitation [mm]
If we assume around 90% of the thermal resistivity above
the building’s weatherproofing, the rainwater cooling sup-
plement for paving slabs on spacer pads is 0.076 W/m2K,
rounded up to 0.08 W/m2K (with an average statistical pre-
cipitation level in, for example, Germany of 2 mm/day).
Because of the conditions explained previously and the
internationally confirmed findings, a formal reference to
the general approval certificate applied in Germany (where
∆U = 0.05 W/m2K) is no longer justifiable.
If we go on to define a thermal insulation objective of
0.30 W/m2K (which is achieved by 12 cm of class 040 insu-
lation in the warm roof system), this gives an effectively
achievable U value of 0.5 W/m2K accordingly for a 12 cm
XPS insulation in an inverted roof with closed wearing lay-
ers, including the average moisture level occurring in the
XPS insulation boards in these types of inverted flat roofs
over the course of time (e.g. after 20-30 years).
This means that the thermal insulation of the inverted
roof with 12 cm XPS insulation is 40% less than that of
a warm roof, also with 12 cm thermal insulation in the
λ-class 040.
Put the other way around, the XPS insulation layer in the
inverted roof system would have to be increased by 40%,
or from 12 to ~17 cm, to achieve the same thermal insu-
lation effect after a service life of, for instance, 20 years
as would be provided by a warm roof with 12 cm of insu-
lation.
FOAMGLAS
®
33
3.2 Thermal insulation

Required thickness in cm for FOAMGLAS® insulation and CO2-foamed XPS insulation boards
for different levels of thermal insulation and with different wearing surfaces

λA = initial thermal conductivity value

λL = long-term value after approx. 30 years
1) Currently valid certificates for inverted roofs in Germany, amongst other countries, are time-limited and do
not provide rules on the necessary supplement values which can be scientifically maintained any longer. On
the basis of the practical findings now available, the current supplement values can be regarded as out of
date and thus misleading. The resultant inverted roof insulation thicknesses do not allow the U-value requi-
rements defined for planners or specified in standards to be met. The existing time-limited approval certifi-
cates are in urgent need of revision.
2) Average moisture content likely after long-term use (i.a. according to H.M. Künzel, Eggenberger, Hector and
Krakenberger, etc.).
3) The effectiveness of the vapour pressure equalizing layer in fine gravel is not guaranteed; see [H.M. Künzel,
1997]. According to the latest practical research, from Scandinavia for example, vapour pressure equalizing
layers of this type are no longer considered effective. This means that the moisture content in the XPS insu-
lating layer which is actually likely in the long term should be increased from 10 to 16% vol. and the resultant
insulation thicknesses should be assumed to be similar to “Interlocking pavers on fine chippings”.
4) See, i.a.”Bauschädensammlung” (descriptions of building damage) collected by G. Zimmermann.
5) See W. Zapke, 1998
6) A. Nielsen, E. Paulsen: Moisture content for ventilated prefab paving slabs on support pads, Norwegian
Building Research.
7) For environmental reasons: XPS is CO2 foamed, i.e. cellular gas is air.
8) Resultant average thermal conductivity (design value) for calculation of the insulation thicknesses listed.

34
Reasons for increased
water absorption?
Experience has shown that several factors in parallel lead
to increased moisture values in XPS insulation boards. The
following general conditions can be regarded as contribu-
tory factors:
a) Water film or 100% relative humidity below and above
the insulation.
b) Vapour barrier effect of the covering or formation of a
water-retaining layer of fine particles and particles of
dirt on the insulation due to sedimentation processes.
c) Damage to the skin of the foam by direct contact with
a fine gravel layer.
d) Water ponding under the insulation, in front of overlaps
in the weatherproofing sheets or in deflections and
depressions in the load-bearing slab structure.
(Source: Report by Amend + Hinrichs, 3.2.2000)
DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
PARKING DECKS AND ROOF-TOP CAR PARKS :
 A sufficient fall.
 Few layers.
 Structural measures to prevent water
infiltration.
 Number of joints: as few as possible, but as
many as necessary.
 Joints to be made as simply as possible.
 Parking decks in concrete with special proper-
ties according to DIN 1045 (concrete imperme-
able to water, high resistance to frost and de-
icing agents).
 Surface sealing or coating to reduce dust and
to prevent the penetration of chlorides into the
concrete.

Water ponds on a roof-top car park. Ponding due to deflections of the slab and insufficient fall.

Wet wall underneath a damaged roof-top car park. Failure of the drainage gutter.

FOAMGLAS
®
35
3.3 Design of falls

3.3 Design of falls

Incorporation of a fall
A sufficient fall should be created (according to the
Guideline on Flat Roofs, >2% or to special weatherproof-
ing standards, e.g. DIN 18195 in Germany) in order to
ensure that surface water is drained off and no water may yes yes
pond on the wearing surface.
A fall is therefore both desirable and essential for reliable
use and operation.
However, a fall leads to increasing connection heights at
the edge of the roof, or to other components and storeys.
no

In addition to these purely geometrical considerations, the

incorporation of a fall also has a considerable effect on the
structural loading and the sequence of the building work.
Additional fall layers, e.g. screeds to fall, increase the load-
ing and entail longer construction periods. Obviously, a
screed to fall of this type will also involve extra costs.

Project: Astra Zeneca, Kv. Lycktan, Södertälje (S).

The recommendation is therefore: Planner: Scandiaconsult, Stockholm
Contractors: Skanska, Stockholm + Skanska Asfalt
Fall and insulation in one. Thermal insulation: FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® cut-to-fall slabs
120 - 370 mm; 3.000 m2.

FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® cut-to-fall slabs

36
a) WHY FOAMGLAS® ?
The defined level for the water drainage can be created
using FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® insulation.
In addition to shortening the building time and reducing
static loads, incorporating the fall in the insulation material
can also improve thermal insulation. This gives the advan-
tage of a “streamlined construction” and minimizes the
total built-up height (for component cross-section, see
page 26).
The reduced final thickness, low built-up height and, con-
sequently, smaller proportion of the facade, etc., also low-
ers costs with continuous parapet walls.
With FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® slabs, there is no need for
a separate screed to fall in several directions, which also
cuts costs.
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION
Thermal insulation materials which require additional
screed-to-fall concretes to take further layers of the con-
struction are not recommended. This would include invert-
ed roofs, for example.
In the construction of inverted flat roofs with interlocking
pavers or in-situ concrete slabs, the general approval cer-
tificate Z-22.4-224 dated 12.9.2000 (Germany) requires the
following:
“... in the weatherproofing level and the layers above
it, a fall of > = 2.5% is necessary”.
This will lead, for example, with a drainage length of 6 m,
to additional fall heights of 15 cm in the load-bearing struc-
ture. In addition to the structural, i.e. geometric, difficulties
this would cause, the static loads resulting from the fall
are obviously frequently unacceptable.
Our opinion: If the insulation only functions from a 2.5%
fall with inverted flat roofs, the entire roof-top car park
does not necessarily need to be built on this basis. It is
better and more economical to use FOAMGLAS®
TAPERED® insulation. The water drainage function can
also be carried out with shallower gradients.
Because of the additional weight loading and the long dry-
ing time which will delay building progress by several
weeks to months, labour-intensive, expensive screed to
fall concretes are problematic.
In addition, screed to fall concretes form a porous,
absorbent and water-conducting interposed layer, in com-
parison with structural concrete layers. This means that if
the weatherproofing is damaged, water can spread and
penetrate freely.
FOAMGLAS
®
37
3.4 Load-bearing capacity

3.4 Load-bearing capacity a) WHY FOAMGLAS® ?

The forces due to traffic loading are distributed through
the wearing surface into the insulation layer and then on
into the load-bearing structure.
Beside the fundamental question “is the declared com-
pressive strength of the insulation boards sufficient to
take the mechanical loads?” (cf. chapter on Mechanical
Stress), the deformation behaviour of this interposed insu-
lation layer is of crucial significance for the total behaviour
of the car park build-up and the durability of the wearing
surfaces.
Cellular glass is the only thermal insulation material that is,
in practical use, incompressible and free from deforma-
tion.
There is no local deformation of the thermal insulation
layer due to material creep or fatigue and no undesirable
“springing” effect. “Creep studies” have confirmed the
fact that there is no deformation of FOAMGLAS® insula-
tion products under permanent loading.
From the concluding remarks of the study report “Lang-
zeitverhalten von statisch belasteten Wärmedämmun-
gen” [Long-term behaviour of thermal insulation
materials under static load] by the Department
Erddammbau und Deponiebau [Earth Embankment and
Dump Building] of the University of Karlsruhe:
“Instead, the measurements indicate that after perma-
nent loading over a year or more, only insignificant
deformations are to be expected for FOAMGLAS®, and
these may be considered to be irrelevant in terms of
building requirements.”

For the design principles according to Westergaard, for

example, a modulus of compressibility of 300 or 150
MN/m2 (short-term/permanent load) can be assumed in
connection with cellular glass (see also p. 43).

Because of the rigid substrate formed by the insulation,

the wearing courses, especially in-situ concrete compres-
sion slabs, are supported securely. This results in reduced
compression-bending stresses in the wearing slab from
traffic loads, which means that less reinforcement is need-
ed and the thickness of the slab can be reduced.

An important standard work

for the dimensioning of
wearing surfaces and
wearing slabs:
H. Bangerter, Bemessungs-
tafeln für elastisch auf
WE CAN THUS CONCLUDE:
Dämmstoffen gebettete
Nutzbeläge und Fahrbahn- Because of its high compressive strength, FOAMGLAS®
platten unter Lasten allows wearing slabs to be thinner and more eco-
(Dimensioning tables for
wearing surfaces and wear-
nomical.
ing slabs subject to loading, The rigid, deformation-free FOAMGLAS® substrate
laid on elastic is also of advantage for prefab concrete paving slabs
support using insulation on spacer pads or interlocking pavers.
materials).
Zurich, 2nd edition, 1997. ISBN
3-9520291-0-6
Available - in German - on request from Pittsburgh Corning Europe.

38
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION Similarly, cases are also known in which repairs on weather-
proofing layers lead to inevitable flexing and rocking of the
Springing, flexing and rocking of insulation materials XPS products, with the consequences already described.
and unevenness of the concrete bearing slab are risk These repairs are due to the vagaries of the building site,
factors with inverted roofs if the weatherproofing on the unfinished concrete slab is
Thermoplastic or plastic insulation materials which show a exposed to mechanical stress before the XPS insulation is
tendency towards deformation, or fatigue under perma- applied. In many cases, local damage cannot be excluded
nent loading, or as a result of the introduction of dynamic and “patches” are not applied at the same level after-
forces should be regarded critically in terms of building wards.
practice. The spring effect, which completely breaks up
and destroys the wearing surface is a particular danger.
Quotation from BAUSCHADENSBERICHTE [Reports On
Building Damage], Prof. Dr. Günter Zimmermann, “Beton-
verbundsteinplaster auf Parkdächern” [Interlocking
pavers on roof-top car parks]:
“The support conditions for the wearing course should be
rigid. The reason for failure are generally the laying con-
ditions of the XPS insulation boards with springing, flex-
ing or rocking.”

It is also expressly stated in the certificate for XPS products:

“Surfaces on which XPS boards are to be laid must meet
the requirements of DIN 18202 in terms of evenness. In
the case of vehicle-accessed inverted roofs, the sub-
strates must be levelled, if necessary using fillers and lev-
elling courses, in such a way that there are no deflections
Patched weatherproofing in an inverted roof has led to rock-
or depressions and offer good laying conditions for the ing of the XPS insulation. This uneven substrate carries
insulation, without springing, flexing or rocking.” through to the surface level, causing break-up of interlocking
pavers.

What degree of evenness is specially demanded?

In accordance with DIN 18202, a manufacturer of the XPS
products in question refers to Table 2, “Evenness toler-
ances, Row 4”.
This table states that, with measurement points 10 cm
apart, the limit value of the reference measurement shall
be 1 mm. With the conditions typically found on a building
site, the practical implementation of this requirement can
hardly be guaranteed.

From ZIMMERMANN: “If, in an inverted roof, the extrud-

ed polystyrene boards are laid across the overlaps of a
bitumen weatherproofing layer, they have no good sup-
port conditions as they do not lie flat. They are then sub-
ject to rocking and flexing and this means that the insula-
tion board becomes springy.” Extremely rough surface of the structural concrete slab. This
was unsuitable for the application of a torched bitumen
In addition, the causes of damage are characterised as follows: sheet, and so damage was also caused in this vehicle-
“Moreover to overlapping joints of bituminous water- accessed inverted roof with interlocking pavers. The roof
proofing membranes, folds in elastomer weatherproofing was refurbished using FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® slabs fol-
can also lead to the riding up of XPS boards at two points lowed by a reinforced in-situ concrete slab.
with the consequence , of flexing, springing and break-up
of the paving surface.”

FOAMGLAS
®
39
3.5 Fire safety
3.5 Fire safety
Building products and structures are being examined
increasingly critically by responsible building owners in
terms of fire protection requirements.
Although mineral wearing surfaces generally protect the
insulation materials from above in car parks and service
decks, fire can still reach the level of flammable products
via joints, for example. In this zone, melting can incline the
insulating layer to the extent that top layers become dis-
torted; in some cases, guidelines on emergency exit
routes can no longer be met. The spread of fire and flam-
mable gases (risk of gas phase combustion, smouldering
fire) and the release of toxic gases must be evaluated in
connection with insulation materials.
a) WHY FOAMGLAS® ?
Cellular glass is the only insulation product to be com-
monly classified in European Class A1.
According to national classifications applied to date, the
insulation material is in the fire-resistance rating A1.
This means that FOAMGLAS® “does not represent a fuel
load for the fire”. Despite the use of hot bitumen for
bonding, flame spread cannot propagate via the tight joints
of cellular glass slabs which sufficiently encapsulate the
organic adhesive and shield the roof structure from oxy-
gen supply.
Fire-resistance rating
according to European Class A1
40
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION
Insulation materials that are made from petroleum-derived
preliminary products and other chemical additives are a
less desirable option for use in residential buildings or
those intended for continuous use by many people, both
in ecological terms and also, in particular, from the point of
view of fire safety.
Admittedly, direct effects or the ignition of insulation
materials are less probable with closed wearing slabs, but
there are car park systems with paving slabs on spacer
pads which do not sufficiently protect the insulation mate-
rial from the reach of flames.
Fire safety experts increasingly feel that it is a risk to allow
flammable materials to be used on major building de-
velopments, or those where safety is a priority. A closer
examination of the development and propagation of fires
with build-ups that originally were thought to be safe using
flammable materials has shown that fire risks and uncer-
tainties under real fire conditions are actually far greater
than had been thought.
Fire safety using non-combustible building materials is
therefore advisable in all cases.
Temperature limits
Temperature °C * short term
Because FOAMGLAS® is non-combustible and fire resistant
to high temperatures, there is no risk of flame spread with
the torch application of weatherproofing as it exists, for
instance, with flame-retardant insulation materials.
3.6 Chemical and biological factors

3.6 Chemical and biological factors b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION

The use of car park and service decks inevitably creates
deposits of oil or fuel. Insulation materials that come into
contact with these liquids must be studied in terms of
their resistance.
a) WHY FOAMGLAS®?
FOAMGLAS® is resistant to chemical and biological
attacks. Oils, fats, acids and chlorides (road salt) do not
affect the cellular structure.
The question of the resistance of insulation materials to
oils and fuels is not satisfactorily answered in the case of
plastic foam products.
Dripping lubricants or fuels can reach the insulation boards
through joints in the interlocking paver pavement, open
joints between concrete paving slabs on spacer pads or
separating joints between in-situ concrete slabs or large-
size prefab slabs. Particularly in the area of reserved car
parking spaces, this type of damage can build up and soft-
en the insulation. The result: decomposition and destruc-
tion of the insulation with subsequent formation of re-
cesses in the wearing surface.

Oil and fuel leakage from vehicles ... not a problem with the Destruction of the plastic foam insulation caused by petrol
FOAMGLAS® warm roof design! and oils. Warping of up to 5 cm was found in the pavement.
The extruded foam had collapsed.

Resistance to solvents

Damage on
inverted roofs:
Lubricants and fuels on
wearing courses with paving
or concrete slabs have nega-
tive effects on insulation
materials not resistant to sol-
vents. The roofs and service
decks were repaired using
FOAMGLAS® insulation.

FOAMGLAS
®
41
3.7 Maintenance and
simple repair procedures
3.7 Maintenance and
simple repair procedures
On accessed roofs, damage to the weatherproofing causes
even more serious problems than is found on inaccessible
roofs. If the origins of leakage have to be detected, the
wearing courses have to be removed first, before the
search for the damaged area can start.
If there are several layers above the weatherproofing, e.g.
with green roofs, the Guideline on Flat Roofs for example
requires that “no migration of water shall be possible in
the event of leaks”, or that the damaged area should
be located without too much difficulties.
The consequences of loss of use and building repairs are
unacceptable for roof-top car parks. The “worst case” of
water in the roof - should be avoided. The alleged advan-
tage of the inverted roof system, i.e. easy access to the
weatherproofing, is a poor consolation.
It is better to avoid damage from the outset and to ensure
thermal insulation.
No extended water infiltration because of the compact adhesion of all
layers. Easy repair, the renewal of the waterproofing, leaving the insu-
lation in place or the exchange and rebonding of individual insulation
slabs at a specific position are possible at any time.
42
a) WHY FOAMGLAS®?
According to the Guideline on Flat roofs, the FOAMGLAS®
insulation/waterproofing system is an ideal solution.
With the compact, fully bonded build-up of all layers, the
requirement for limitation of damage is met. Only in the
Compact Roof is the continuous waterproofing function
over various layers of the construction carried out.
The waterproofing membranes, the bitumen for adhering
the sheets, the hot bonded FOAMGLAS® insulation slabs
with bitumen filled, staggered and butt joints and the hot
bitumen poured onto the deck form a build-up that is
water- and vapour-proof and excludes water migration
between the different layers.
Possibility of repair /
change of use
yes
no no
* only if totally demolished
b) TO AVOID RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION
Insulation materials that are not water- and vapour-proof
can absorb and transmit moisture in liquid or vapour form.
The same applies to installation: only full bonding with
filled joints will ensure that water infiltration beneath the
wearing surface will not extend into the roof, causing
extremely unfavourable conditions for any repairs.
4. Design of wearing slabs
Design of wearing slabs
In contrast to asphalt wearing courses and interlocking
pavers, it is possible, with vehicle-accessed large concrete
slabs (wearing slabs) to determine proof of the slab load-
ing as a function of the substrate - in this case, the insula-
tion. The degree of loading of the insulation materials in
connection with in-situ pressure distribution slabs is also
clearly defined.
To determine the thickness of pressure-distributing wear-
ing slabs and to determine the pressure on the insulation,
the individual load and the associated support area must
be known (wheel load).
The quality and properties of the insulation materials are
important for determining the thickness of the wearing
slab. In addition to thermal and physical factors, informa-
tion must be available on compressive strength and the
elastic limit of the insulation materials, so that the wearing
slabs can be dimensioned and, ultimately, failure-free use
guaranteed.
In the past, the slab thickness was determined using the
pressure cone method. With a load application angle of
45-60 degrees (depending on the wearing surface), the
various test criteria had to be fulfilled.
La Boursidière roof-top car park, Le Plessis Robinson (Paris, France).
10.000 m2 of FOAMGLAS® TAPERED® slabs in combination with in-situ concrete wearing slab.
Today, wearing slabs are calculated on the principle of
“subgrade reaction”. This design method considers the
settlement of all functional layers in proportion to the load.
It also considers the auxiliary load bearing effect of sur-
faces that are situated outside the direct support area of
the wheels, for example.
The slab rigidity and the modulus of subgrade reaction are
important factors for the compressive stress on the slab
and the insulation or substrate. Calculations are made for
individual slabs which are 25 - 30 times the slab thickness
for various positions (middle of the slab, edge, corner of
slab).
According to Westergaard’s method of calculation, the
durability of the roof structure is then tested in four ways:
1. Compliance with the permitted flexural stress in
state 1 (cross-section not cracked)
2. Determining the necessary bending reinforcement
according to DIN 1045 for state 2 (cross-section
cracked)
3. Compliance with the compressive stress limit for
the insulation material (target pressure).
4. Proof of puncture resistance of the concrete slab.
Depending on the time assumptions (short-term or per-
manent), the modulus of subgrade reaction for the entire
system is determined on the basis of the insulation product
data (modulus of elasticity or modulus of compressibility).
FOAMGLAS
®
43
4. Design of wearing slabs

Although the dimensioning of wearing slabs is often Results read off the dimensioning diagram
undertaken by specialist engineers, who determine the Material Required Reinforcement
precise building-specific marginal conditions with the aid - wearing slab required*
of computers, the “Dimensioning diagram” shown here Type of loading thickness [cm] kg/cm2
is an estimate and an initial guide for the dimensioning,
calculation and specification of wearing slabs. FOAMGLAS® T4, S3
Short term 13 8
Permanent load 15 8,5
A SAMPLE OBSERVATION assumes vehicles in bridge
class 9 / 9. For short-term loading (including dynamic coef-
XPS, 40 kg/m3
ficient γ = 1.4 or permanent load), the necessary wearing Short term 19 9,9
slab thickness or the proportion of reinforcement can be Permanent load 17 9,9
read off.
The crucial results are printed in bold. * on average

44
 This 190-page
It can be seen that FOAMGLAS®, unlike the design option specialist book by
“Roof-top car parks with XPS insulation” requires a much Jens-Peter Schlee:
thinner wearing slab and less reinforcement. “Thermally insulated
roof-top car parks,
Details on the methods of construction and calculation service decks and
other thermally insu-
methods are given in the corresponding specialist litera-
lated traffic areas”,
ture. As an example, we would refer to the publication by
for design and
Jens Peter Schlee: “Wärmgedämmtes Parkdach, specification can be
Hofkellerdecke, wärmegedämmte Verkehrsfläche” obtained from IRB
[Thermally insulated roof-top car parks, service decks Verlag, or is available
on request from your
above basement storeys, and other thermally insulat-
nearest Pittsburgh
ed traffic areas], issued by Fraunhofer IRB Verlag. Corning office.
The book is available in German on request via your near-
est Pittsburgh Corning office.

The following illustration shows the load

Design advantages for distribution by the wearing layer onto the insulation
traffic-accessed wearing layers
The design advantages of FOAMGLAS® basically apply to
all types of wearing slabs/layers. With pavings, cobbles,
large-size concrete slabs and asphalt finishes too, operat-
ing reliability and durability are improved by the rigid,
incompressible cellular glass substrate.

Interlocking pavers are laid on a bed of approx. 5 cm fine

chippings/sand (compacted). The important factor for a
lasting paving pattern is a rigid, compression-resistant sub-
strate and proper filling of the joint with sand, which
means that the individual interlocking pavers are support-
ed along the zig-zag edges against each other when the
wheels roll over them. The stress distribution and the
compressive loading into the insulation layer can then be
calculated with a load spread of 45 degrees.

In connection with prefabricated concrete paving slabs

on spacer pads, the compressive stress is transmitted
directly to the insulating layer via the spacer pads. Engineers
must determine whether the wheel load, including dynamic
coefficient, exceeds the maximum compressive stress lim-
its for the insulation material.

In general, asphalt wearing courses are made up of

approx. 2 to 3 cm thick layers (asphalt waterproofing/
asphalt wearing surface) above a weatherproofing that is
suitable for asphalt works. The bearing capacity of a mastic
asphalt layer depends largely on the loading time, the SOURCE : J.P. SCHLEE, P. 58

ambient temperature, or the intensity of sunlight. Force diagram of load distribution by the wearing surface:
max. compressive stress on insulation falls from 1 or 2 to 5,
Depending on the marginal conditions, mastic asphalt
with the wheel load being distributed over a larger area.
allows more or less direct load transmission. If sunlight
will be a factor, the mastic asphalt layer is either protected
by a load-distributing concrete slab, or additional paving.

FOAMGLAS
®
45
46