Carlisle, Inc. is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members available on request.
This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.
Thank you!
Energy Use in the Built Environment
U.S. ENERGY USE BY SECTOR
• The commercial real estate industry spends approximately $24 billion annually on energy.
• Energy represents the single largest controllable operating expense for office buildings - typically a third of variable expenses
• Source: www.boma.org BEEP (BOMA Energy Efficiency Program)
The Importance of Good Insulation
• Government and private initiatives call for aggressive reduction of energy consumption
• High-performance insulation is crucial for achievement of these objectives!
Today we will learn about polyiso insulation – a commercially-available, cost-effective material that easily enables construction of more energy-efficient buildings.
Learning Objectives• List the basic characteristics and important
physical properties of polyiso foam board insulation.
• Describe the track record and market adoption of polyiso insulation in building construction applications.
• Explain the benefits afforded by polyiso insulation when used in exterior wall assemblies.
• List the important elements of successful installation of polyiso insulation in exterior wall assemblies.
Learning Objective 1:List the basic characteristics and important physical properties of polyiso insulation.
• Chemistry.• How it’s made.• Properties – Polyiso Spec ASTM C 1289• R-Value
Polyiso Foam• Similar to polyurethane• Starts as pourable resin. 2-component rapid reaction causes
expansion and cure• Forms a rigid plastic, closed-cell foam• In production, reaction occurs in-line, while facers are laminated
on both sides to form boards.
Beads of mixed 2-part resin extruded onto facer
Resin expands and cures, filing space between facers
Boards are cut to size, packaged, cured and shipped
Polyiso – Green Features• No CFCs, zero ozone
depletion potential (ODP)• EPA compliant blowing
agents• Recyclable through re-use or
down-cycling• FSC-Certified wood used on
wood-faced products• Durable, long service life
material• National manufacturing
network - available regionally
Polyiso Insulation Properties• ASTM C 1289 “Standard
Specification for Faced Rigid Cellular Polyisocyanurate Thermal Insulation Board”– Classification: Facer composition,
foam core compressive strength – Physical Properties: Dimensional
stability, flexural strength, water absorption, water vapor transmission
• R-Value– Measure of heat flow through
specimen– Test methods dictated in ASTM C
1289
Polyiso Insulation Facers
• Most roofing applications use glass-reinforced organic felt facers
• Polyiso for wall assemblies has coated-glass or foil facer – Coated-glass facers improved fire resistance, moisture
resistance and dimensional stability– Foil facers improve fire resistance, UV resistance, moisture
resistance and R-Value• Polyiso can be easily laminated to plywood or OSB to form an
insulating nail base
facer
polyiso foam core
facer
R-Value – The Key Property of Insulation
Material R Value
8” concrete 2.3
3.5” brick 0.6
5/8” plywood 0.7
5/8” gypsum board 0.3
18 gauge steel stud 0.0
2” thick pine timber 1.7
0.040” bitumen membrane
0.0
1” of air 5.5
1” of water 0.2
R-value of insulation comes primarily from air or some other gas
R Value of common building materials
R value is a material property indicating resistance to heat flow though the material. Insulating materials have higher R-Value.
How Insulation Provides R-Value
• Foam: Cells are filled with air or other gas
• Fiber: Air is trapped among the fibers
FOAM FIBER
Foam vs. Fiber Insulation
• Plastic Based (combustible)
• Board foam or spray foam• Closed Cell or Open Cell• Closed cell type is an air
barrier• Closed cell type resists
water absorption
FIBER
• Mineral Based (non-combustible)
• Semi-rigid boards, batts or loose (blown-in)
• Permeable to air and moisture
FOAM
R-Value of Common Types of Insulation
Insulation R/ inch (@75°F)
20 psi Polyiso Board 5.6 to 6.7
2# CC Spray Polyurethane Foam
6.0 to 6.7
25 psi Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)
5.0 to 5.5
25 psi Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
3.9 to 4.4
Mineral Wool 4.2
Fiber Glass 3.7
How do Foam Insulations Provide Such High R-value?
Gas R/ inch (@75°F)
Air 5.5
Argon 8.1
Pentane 10.0
Dichlorodifluoromethane 15.1
• Foam insulation consist of plastic resin and gas
• Cells in polyiso insulation are filled with a higher-R-value gas than air
CFC, banned for use in insulation production
Most common blowing agent used in polyiso and polystyrene foam insulation
How does Polyiso Compare with other Foam Board Insulations?
Polyiso XPS EPS
R/ inch
$/in
$/R*
Moisture
High temp
Vertical burn
Solvent resist
Sizes/ shapes
* Based on 2” thick board, R-14.4 foil-faced polyiso
Note: all 3 insulation types are suitable for exterior wall applications. The check mark indicates the insulation that is best in that characteristic.
Learning Objective 2:Describe the track record and market adoption of polyiso insulation in building construction applications.
Polyiso History• Derived from polyurethane
chemistry, which first appeared in the 1950s
• Polyiso foam insulation for construction first appeared on the US market in the late 1970s
• Polyisocyanurate Manufacturers Association (PIMA) established in 1988
• More than 70% of all roof insulation used in the USA is polyiso
• Growing use in exterior wall assemblies
Polyiso in a wall assembly
Polyiso directly over steel roof deck
Polyiso Use - Construction
• Polyiso has high service temp – up to 250°F• Unaffected by most solvent-based adhesives and
coatings• Thermoset plastic – performs well in roof and wall
assembly fire testing• High R-value per inch allows thinner board
Roof Wall
Polyiso Heat Resistance and
Dimensional Stability• Heat Resistance
– Polyiso service temp up to 250°F– Can be installed directly under
metal and under roofing membrane
• Dimensional Stability– Won’t shrink or warp with heat and
humidity.
Polyiso boards directly under black roof membrane
Polyiso Moisture Resistance
• ASTM C 209, 2h room-temp water immersion, <0.1% volume
• Closed cell polyiso foam resists moisture absorption from ambient humidity
• Moisture-resistant facers, such as foil and coated glass greatly enhance performance
• Polyiso is suitable for use in above-grade exterior wall assemblies and in covered roof assemblies.
Behind wall cladding
Under roof membrane
Polyiso R-Value Measurements
• Felt-Faced Roofing Insulation– CAN-ULC S770 Long-Term
Thermal Resistance (LTTR)– R-5.6 to 6.0 per inch
• Wall Insulation ASTM C 518– 75°F mean temp– ASTM C 1289 requires 180 day
aging at room temp and minimum 40°F temp difference
– R-6.0 to 6.7 per inch
Coated-glass-faced
Foil-faced
Learning Objective 3:Explain the benefits polyiso insulation affords when used in exterior wall assemblies.
• “Continuous insulation” in building code• High R-value per Inch• Heat & moisture management• Air & vapor barrier• Fire performance
The Colder the Climate, the more Insulation is Required
• USDOE Heating Zones• 8 in the USA• 1 is warmest, 8 is
coldest
Component R-Value vs. Assembly U-Value
• Building Code Gives 2 Compliance Options:– Meet a minimum R value of insulation prescribed for that
type of assembly– Meet a maximum assembly U Value designated for that type
of assembly
Material 1
R1 R2 R3 R4
RAssembly= R1+R2+R3+R4
Material 2Material 3
Material 4
UAssemblyR1+R2+R3+R4
1=
Requirements for “ci”
• Example: IECC 2012 Steel Stud Wall Requirements
• R-13 + 7.5 ci
Stud Cavity Insulation Continuous
Insulation
R-13 in the stud cavity
R-7.5 minimum “continuous insulation”
“ci” is insulation installed continuously across studs.
Energy Loss Through Insulation Discontinuity
IR camera image showing thermal bridging
Batt insulation installed between steel studs
Continuous Insulation Requirement
Nominal Stud Size (a)
Space of Framing (in)
Cavity Insulation R-Value
Correction Factor
Effective Framing/ Cavity R-Values
2 X 4 16 o.c. R-11R-13R-15
0.500.460.43
R-5.5R-6.0R-6.4
2 X 4 24 o.c. R-11R-13R-15
0.600.550.52
R-6.6R-7.2R-7.8
2 X 6 16 o.c. R-19R-21
0.370.35
R-7.1R-7.4
2 X 6 24 o.c. R-19R-21
0.450.43
R-8.6R-9.0
2 X 8 16 o.c. R-25 0.31 R-7.8
2 X 8 24 o.c. R-25 0.38 R-9.6
Insulation placed between studs loses much of its nominal R-Value
Source: ASHRAE 90.1, 90.2
Zone 5 & Marine 4
3.8
‘06
‘09
‘12
7.57.5
Zone 6‘06
‘09
‘12
3.87.57.5
Zone 7‘06
‘09
‘12
7.57.57.5
Zone 8
7.57.57.5
‘06
‘09
‘12
Zone 1‘06
‘09
‘12
5NR NR
Zone 2‘06
‘09
‘12
5NR NR
Zone 3
7.5
‘06
‘09
‘12
3.8NR
Zone 4 (Exc. Marine)
7.5
‘06
‘09
‘12
7.5NR
Example – IECC Requirements for “ci”, Non-Residential Steel Stud
walls
IECC version
Min R-value of ci required
R-Value of Common Types of Insulation
• Polyiso has the Highest R-Value per Inch– Use thinner board to comply with minimum code
requirements– Use same size board and put more R-value into limited
wall space
0
5
10
15
20
25
1' 2' 2.5" 3"
POLYISO
XPS
EPS
ROCKWOOL
Benefits of Thinner Insulation
• Reduced cost of insulation• Simplify and reduce cost of cladding attachment
– Shorter fasteners– Larger spacing– More cladding options
Example: Polyiso vs. XPS
• On 10,000 SQ FT of wall, what is the difference in heat loss through the wall, given a ΔT of 30°F?– XPS Wall: 16,216 BTU/h; POLYISO Wall: 12,300 BTU/h
– POLYISO wall presents a 24% improvement
135 4
2
135 4
62
2” XPSR-10
2” Foil-Faced POLYISOR-14.4
Component R-Value
XPS Wall
POLYISO Wall
1 5/8” Interior Gyp
0.5 0.5
2 R-13 w/4”SS 16” OC
6.0 6.0
3 5/8” Exterior Gyp
0.5 0.5
4 40 mil membrane
0.0 0.0
5 2” foam 10.0 14.4
6 1.5” air space 0.9 2.3
7 3.5” brick 0.6 0.6
Assembly U Val.
U-0.054 U-0.041
66
7
7
“ci” on the Exterior Keeps walls Drier during Winter
Wall is dry where insulation is installed on the exterior
Indoor moisture condenses on cold steel studs and gypsum sheathing. Vapor retarder traps this moisture.
Condensation of interior moisture on cold block
“ci” and Air/Vapor Barrier Membrane work Together
Gypsum sheathing
Steel studs and insulation
Continuous insulation (ci) installed over air/vapor barrier
Exterior cladding fastened to structure
• Air/vapor barrier prevents air and moisture transmission through wall, even seals around fasteners
• “ci” keeps steel studs, gypsum sheathing and stud cavity above dew point, preventing condensation
Fully-adhered air/vapor barrier membrane on gypsum sheathing
Polyiso Board Can be Installed as an Air and Vapor Barrier
• Vapor Barrier (ASTM E 96): – 1” board has < 1 Perm w/ coated
glass facer, <0.1 Perm with foil facer
• Air Barrier (ASTM E 2178): – 2010 ASHRAE 90.1 and 2012 IECC
qualify minimum ½” thickness foil-
faced as an “air barrier”
FOIL-FACED POLYISO, FOAM SEALANT BETWEEN BOARDS
POLYISO INSULATION AIR/VAPOR BARRIER – BRICK CAVITY WALL
Reduced cost assembly, but less redundancy than wall with membrane + “ci”
NFPA 285• 2-story wall assembly burn test
• Applicable to Type I-IV Construction
• Simulates an interior fire, with flashover effect through window opening.
• Vertical and lateral fire propagation is evaluated.
• Insulation, cladding and wall membranes can trigger Code Requirement!
NFPA 285 Test Set-Up
Burn room burner
7’ 6” min.
7’ 6” min.
10’
Window burner
Test Wall
18’
Section View – not drawn to scale
1st: burn room burner is ignited
2nd after 5 min, window burner is ignited
3rd after 30 minutes, both burners are shut off.
4th residual burning is allowed to progress for at least 10 minutes
Thermocouples here cannot reach 1,000 deg F
NFPA 285 Acceptance Criteria
• Measures lateral and vertical propagation of fire• Pass/fail determined by amount and layering of combustible
components.• Mineral wool fire stopping required in stud cavity between
floors
claddinginsulation
Air barrierSheathing
studinterior finish
EXTERIOR: Fire propagation not to occur beyond area of flame plume impingment
CORE: Fire propagation within the wall is allowed only a certain distance above window opening, indicated by thermocouples
Air space
INTERIOR: Temp not to exceed 750 F in 1st story stud cavity and flames shall not reach second story.
Assembly test includes…
•Base Wall System•Approved Exterior Finish•Insulation Material Options•Floor line Fire-stopping•Stud Cavity•Exterior Sheathing•WRB Membrane
NFPA 285 Pass – what does it mean?
Polyiso Performs well in Vertical Burn!!
NFPA 285 test, in progress and inspection after burn
• Inspection– Polyiso
stays in place
– No formation of burning drips
– Protects underlying rubberized asphalt membrane
Polyiso Passes the NFPA 285 Test with Many Types of
CladdingsProjects showing polyiso insulation and aluminum compsite (ACM) rain screen cladding
Class A Polyiso Passes NFPA 285 Even When Applied Over
Open Studs
• Install air, water, vapor and thermal barrier in one layer
• Build a high-performance wall at a reduced cost!
Polyiso Allows Simple Window Details in the
NFPA 285 Test
XPS NFPA 285 Window Detail: Specifies Mineral Wool Pinned across Window Head
• Polyiso passes NFPA 285 without any fire blocking in window opening!
Other Fire Tests• ASTM E 84
– “Tunnel Test”: horizontal burn of material
– Limited applicability to vertical wall performance.
– Standard Polyiso: flame spread 75 or less, smoke 450 or less
– “Class A” Polyiso: flame spread 25 or less and smoke 450 or less
• NFPA 286– Corner burn test– Some polyiso foam/facer
configurations can pass this test– Required if insulation will be left
exposed in interior wall and ceiling applications
ASTM E 84
NFPA 286
Learning Objective 4:List the important elements of successful installation of polyiso insulation in exterior wall assemblies.
• Details and Instructions• Qualified installer• Field quality control• Reliable supplier
Insulation Manufacturer shall Provide Standard Details• Windows
• Foundation
• Penetrations
• Wall-to-Roof
• Inter-Story
• Corners
• Expansion joints
• Termination at existing
Barriers Shown in Details Shall Align
Thermal image showing alignment of wall insulation with window’s thermal break
• Thermal barrier
• Air barrier
• Water resistive barrier
Installation Instructions
• Board pattern
• Joint treatment
• Fastening
• Bonding
• Exposure and Protection
• Installer shall be trained and approved by Insulation manufacturer
• Insulation manufacturer training can be executed through partnership with professional organizations– Trades
– Air Barrier Association of America ABAA
Installer Training
Training Mockup
• Coordination of work
• Mockups
• Air Leakage Test (ASTM E 1105)
• Water Leak Teat (ASTM E 783)
• Visual inspection of Polyiso Insulation (not limited to these things…)
– Tight at joints OR joints are sealed
– Tightly secured to wall
– Weeps and drainage in place
– Insulation aligned with window thermal break
– Penetrations detailed properly
– Termination at grade and at existing construction
Field Quality Control
• Multiple plants for nationwide service (typically within 500 miles of project)
• Financially secure and established in the business
• Dedicated sales and support personnel for WALL APPLICATIONS– Ready to assist with order fulfillment, instructions, product
knowledge training and field technical issues
Select a Reliable Polyiso Supplier
• Specify polyiso, with coated glass or foil facer, for use in the exterior wall assemblies.
• Polyiso is a conventional, commercially-available material with a long, successful track record in construction
• Polyiso provides solutions for modern commercial wall construction – delivers high R-value per inch and passes the NFPA 285 fire test in many wall assemblies
• Several large, reputable manufacturers offer polyiso insulation, produced locally and available at a competitive price.
• Partner with a polyiso insulation manufacturer who is reliable and will provide support throughout the Project for a successful installation.
Recap
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