BUILDING INSULATION

BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 1
Building insulation is any object in a building used
as insulation for any purpose. While the majority
of insulation in buildings is for thermal purposes,
the term also applies to acoustic insulation, fire
insulation, and impact insulation (e.g. for
vibrations caused by industrial applications).
Often an insulation material will be chosen for its
ability to perform several of these functions at
once.
Thermal insulation in buildings is an important factor
to achieving thermal comfort for its occupants.
Insulation reduces unwanted heat loss or gain and
can decrease the energy demands of heating and
cooling systems. It does not necessarily deal with
issues of adequate ventilation and may or may not
affect the level of sound insulation.
Sound Insulation is any means of reducing the
sound pressure with respect to a specified
sound source and receptor. There are several
basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing
the distance between source and receiver,
using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the
energy of the sound waves, using damping
structures such as sound baffles, or using
active antinoise sound generators.
Fire insulation is rendering something (structures,
materials, etc.) resistant to fire, or incombustible;
or material for use in making anything fire-proof.
It is a passive fire protection measure.
Cushioning is used to help protect fragile items
during shipment. It is common for a transport
package to be dropped, kicked, and impacted:
These events may produce potentially damaging
shocks. Transportation vibration from conveyors,
trucks, railroads, or aircraft can also damage some
items. Shock and vibration are controlled by
cushioning so that the chance of product damage is
greatly reduced.
Radiant barriers (also known as reflective
insulation) are a type of thermal (heat)
insulations that prevents heat transfer by
thermal radiation. Thermal energy may also be
transferred via conduction or convection,
however, and radiant barriers do not necessarily
protect against heat transfer via conduction
(without airspace facing the heat source) or
convection (perforated).
 FORMS OF INSULATION MATERIALS

Thermal and sound insulation materials may be

categorised variously according to their
appropriate use in construction, their physical
forms or their material origin. Many insulating
materials are available in different physical forms
each with their appropriate uses in building
Broadly, the key forms of material could be divided
into:
structural insulation materials;
rigid and semi-rigid sheets and slabs;
loose fill, blanket materials and applied finishes;
aluminium foil.
Inorganic Insulation
Materials
FOAMED CONCRETE

Foamed concrete with an air content in the range 30

80% is a fire- and frost-resistant material. Foamed
concrete can be easily placed without the need for
compaction but it does exhibit a higher drying
shrinkage than dense concrete. It is suitable for
insulating under floors and on flat roofs where it may
be laid to a fall of up to 1 in 100. (Thermal conductivity
ranges from 0.10 W/m K at a density of 400 kg/m^3
0.63 W/m K at a density of 1600 kg/m^3 .)
LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE CONCRETE

Lightweight concrete materials offer a range of

insulating and load-
bearing properties, starting from 0.10 W/m K at
a crushing strength of 2.8 MPa. Resistance to
airborne sound in masonry walls is closely
related to the mass of the wall.
GYPSUM PLASTER

Plasterboard thermal linings will increase the

thermal response in infrequently heated
accommodation; the effect can be enhanced with
metallised polyester- backed boards which reduce
radiant as well as transmitted heat loss.The
addition of such linings for either new or upgrading
existing buildings reduces the risk of thermal
bridging at lintels, etc. (The thermal con-
ductivity of gypsum plaster is typically 0.16 W/m
K.)
WOOD WOOL SLABS

Wood wool slabs manufactured from wood

fibres and cement are both fire- and rot-
resistant. With their combined load-bearing
and insulating properties, wood wool slabs are
suitable as a roof decking material, which may
be exposed, painted or plastered to the
exposed lower face. Acoustic insulation for a
pre-screeded 50 mm slab ist ypically 30 dB.
(The thermal conductivity of wood wool is
typically 0.077 W/m K.)
GLASS WOOL

A thick stream of glass flows from a furnace into a

forehearth and by gravity into a rapidly rotating steel
alloy dish, punctured by hundreds of fine holes around
its perimeter. The centrifugal force expels the filaments
which are further extended into fine fibres by a blast
ofhot air. The fibres are sprayed with a bonding agent
and then sucked onto a conveyor to produce a mat of
the appropriate thickness. This is cured in an oven to
set the bonding agent,then finally cut,trimmed and
packaged.
Organic Insulation Materials
CORK

Cork is harvested from the Cork Oak (Quercus

suber) on a nine-year (or more) cycle and is
therefore considered to be an environmentally-
friendly material. For conversion into
boards,typically used for roof insulation, cork
granules are expanded, then formed under heat
and pressure into blocks using the natural
resin within the cork.
SHEEP'S WOOL

Sheeps wool is a very efficient renewable

resource insulation material, with a low
conductivity that compares favourably to other
fibrous insulants. It is available in grey batts
ranging in thickness from 50- and 75- to 100-mm-
thick.Wool is a hygroscopic material,that is, it
reversibly absorbs and releases water vapour,
and this effect is advantageous when it is used
for thermal insulation.
CELLULOSE INSULATION

Cellulose insulation is manufactured from

shredded recycled paper. It is treated with
borax for flammability and smouldering
resistance; this also makes it unattractive to
vermin and resistant to insects,fungus
and dry rot
EXPANDED PVC

Plasticised PVC open, partially open and closed-cell

foams are manufactured as flexible or rigid products
within the density range of 2472 kg/m 3 . The rigid
closed-cell products provide low water permeability
and are self-extinguishing in fire. Expanded PVC boards are
used in sandwich panels and for wall linings.The low density
open-cell material has particularly good acoustic absorbency
and can be used to reduce sound transmission through
unbridged cavities and floating floors.(The thermal
conductivity of expanded PVC is typically 0.030 W/m K.)
PHENOLIC FOAMS

Phenolic foams,which have very low thermal

conductivities, are used as alternatives to rigid
polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams, where
a self-extinguishing low smoke emission material
is required. Phenolic foams are produced with
densities in the range 35 kg/m 3 to 200 kg/m 3 ,
but some material is still blown with CFCs or
HCFCs
ALUMINIUM FOIL

Aluminium foil is frequently used as an insulation

material in conjunction with organic foam or
insulating gypsum products. It acts by a
combination of two physical effects. First,it
reflects back incident heat due to its highly
reflecting surface.Second, owing to its low
emissivity, the re-radiation of any heat that is
absorbed is reduced.
Advantages of Building Insulation
1. Properly insulated building reduces energy cost especially on thermal
factors such as HVAC systems
2. Controls specific environmental factors in the building where in it may
improve the way of living of its occupants
3. Insulation may not just control specific environmental factors in the
building but also a protective material on the building's components (e.g.
structural members, utilities,etc.)

Disadvantages of Building Insulation

1. High Construction Cost
2. Environmental Factors and Hazards such as CFCs and HCFCs
3. Plastic is one of the most common insulation material. If not used
properly, it might contribute to waste disposal problems and pollution.