FOAMGLAS®, incompressible and waterproof insulation

By Primavera - PR Agency Published on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 01:00

The positioning of thermal insulation on the outside of buried walls, in contact with the earth, plays an increasingly important role in the design of thermal insulation for low-energy buildings. Highly exposed to humidity, insects, and load constraints, the insulation used will be chosen based on its performance, which determines the thermal durability of the construction. For this application, the properties of cellular glass make FOAMGLAS® the most efficient material on the market. Rigid, highly resistant to compression, waterproof to humidity, it acts as a barrier to insects and is ecological (100% glass). Composed of airtight, vapor-tight, and watertight glass bubbles, FOAMGLAS® protects low concrete slabs and buried walls, as it maintains both its thermal performance and its compressive strength over time without settling.

for the insulation of buried walls

It has been proven that a significant portion of heat loss occurs at floor level. To avoid any energy waste, FOAMGLAS®, a moisture- and air-tight insulation, provides long-lasting thermal insulation. FOAMGLAS® insulation, rigid and highly resistant to compression, can be installed both horizontally and vertically. Resistant to so many constraints, FOAMGLAS® is positioned as the insulation to use for all floor applications that make materials inaccessible once the work is completed.

An exceptional product made from recycled glass
FOAMGLAS® is composed exclusively of mineral raw materials, including 66% recycled glass from windshields and windows. By recycling glass, FOAMGLAS® follows an ecologically responsible approach. Furthermore, during the deconstruction of structures, the solid cellular glass can be reused. Regarding its thermal properties, they have significantly improved to now reach, with FOAMGLAS® T3+, a lambda of 0,036 W/mK, an exceptional value for a non-combustible and moisture-proof insulation.

A low-carbon production method
For its manufacture, FOAMGLAS® insulation uses a large proportion of clean energy (hydroelectric or wind) in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy and resource consumption: the demand for non-renewable energy has thus been reduced to 20,0 MJ/kg, and greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and ozone) to 1,3 kg CO2-eq and 4,18.10-10 kg CFC11-eq.

Insulation of buried walls
Insulation of floors under rafts, under supporting slabs and in crawl spaces

The rigidity of FOAMGLAS® is ideal for insulate buried walls with complete peace of mind. It allows the earth to be received directly or with appropriate drainage. FOAMGLAS® floor insulation has many qualities for the structure: it is incompressible, insensitive to humidity, acts as a barrier to termites, insects, rodents, and neither its thermal resistance nor its compressive strength vary over time.

In the case of insulation under the raft, FOAMGLAS® panels are laid loosely on a leveling layer (sand, gravel or other) or on clean concrete. The joints are dry and tight before the reinforced concrete slab. The very high compressive strength of FOAMGLAS® (up to 160 t/m2 with FOAMGLAS® F) and its remarkable incompressibility (settlement of 0,5 mm maximum per panel, regardless of its thickness) provide solutions of high structural and thermal quality.

The use in insulation under low-span slab follows the same process. The FOAMGLAS® panels are laid loosely, then covered with the decoupling layer and the lower slab.

For crawl space insulation, the FOAMGLAS® panels are glued and fixed with a thermal break directly under the concrete slab. Here, it is mainly its qualities of incombustibility (A1), insensitivity to humidity and insects which are appreciated.