A Study on the Use of Expanded Polystyrene for External Masonry Walls Thermal Insulation

摘要

The thermal protection level for dwellings has constantly increased during recent decades. Therefore, in areas with very low outside temperature during the cold season, very thick thermal insulations are required. When expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for the thermal protection of the external walls made from clay bricks or from autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) masonry, the issue that arises is how this layer influences the mass transfer through the envelope element. The paper presents the evaluation of the global insulation coefficient of a low rise building whose external walls are protected with 15 cm of EPS. The analysis is performed for two different technical solutions for the walls, namely, hollow clay brick (HCB) and AAC masonry. The paper also assesses the EPS layer influence on the mass transfer through the external wall, considered in the same two different technical solutions. Finally, some conclusions are drawn with regard to both the advantages and disadvantages of thermal protection with EPS and the influence of the heat losses through the external walls in the building thermal balance.