Results of time-checking research of thermal insulation arrangement process for housing construction

Abstract

Raising of problem. Currently the ideas of sustainable and energy efficient building design have become dominant in construction  practice  for  our  state.  Adding  insulation  to  the  building  is  one  obvious  way  to  increase  thermal  resistance  of constructions, but insulation is not effective if there are easy heat flow paths around it. Almost every building, insulated in accordance with building standards, contain such building failures as thermal bridges. However this problem is still insufficiently explored in our country. According to Ukrainian Building Codes a thermal bridge is a localised area of the building envelope where the heat flow is increased in comparison with adjacent areas and thermal resistance of this vulnerable area is lower at least for 20 % than the thermal resistance of the main surface of construction. The effect of thermal bridge leads to higher energy consumption, mold formation and uncomfortable  living  space. Geometrical  or  structural  thermal  bridges  are  a  result  of  the  geometry  (or  shape)  of  the  construction: balcony slabs, columns, pylons, corner junction, etc. So scientific team of PSACEA elaborated and patented own technical solutions in accordance with Ukrainian Building Codes and basing on rich european experiance in eliminating of thermal bridges. Proposed thermal break solution allow to reduce significantly heat loss through thermal bridges in the area "balcony slab – external wall - floor slab". However,  Ukrainian  technical  regulations  don’t  propose  any  standards  of  labour  performance  for  the  thermal  break’s  arrangement. Therefore, time-checking research was carried out during the process of industrial thermal break installation on the site. The obtained data allowed us to calculate the standards of labour performance. Those parameters were used to reveal the efficiency of thermal break (lower cost and reduced labour intensity) in comparison with external insulation of balcony slab. Analysis of recent researches. The technology of thermal breaks installation is described in technical requirements for designers and chief engineers of France. But this document  don’t  specify  standards  of  labour  performance  for  the  thermal  break’s  arrangement. Manufacturing  sequence of  industrial thermal  break  installation  is  represented  by  scientists  of  Building  Physics  Research  Institute  (РААСН,  Moscow). Scientists of Polytechnique school of Switzerland have been indicated another technology of thermal break installation. The methodology of timechecking research and handling of results is represented in a doctoral thesis of PhD Kapshuk O. A. as well as in primary sources. The purpose  of  this  paper  is  to reveal  the  results  of time-checking  research  of  thermal  insulation  arrangement  process  for  housing construction. Conclusions. The obtained standards of labour performance for the thermal break’s arrangement were applied in order to calculate engineering-and-economical performance using АVК-5 sofware.  Then the rational choice methodology was elaborated.