Empirical and computational evidence for thermal mass assessment: The example of insulating concrete formwork

Abstract

Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) is a site-based Modern Method of Construction (MMC). As a MMC, ICF has several advantages; increased speed of construction, cost and defect reduction, safety, among others. Moreover, the ICF wall construction method has similar benefits to any other heavyweight structure (such as strength, durability, noise attenuation). However, its thermal performance is not yet well-researched and understood. Using computational analysis and empirical evaluation, the aim of this research was to analyse the thermal performance of an existing ICF building; and to develop evidence about its transient thermal behaviour and how the latter is affected by the inherent thermal inertia of the concrete core. The results demonstrated that the ICF fabric showed a slow response to changes in boundary conditions, providing a stable internal environment. The concrete core of ICF was found to act as a buffer to the heat flow, reducing the transmission losses by 37%, compared to a lightweight wall with equivalent insulation. The analysis showed that although ICF is mostly considered as an insulated panel, the element's thermal mass is not as decoupled from the internal space, as has been thought the case.

Balancing daylight and overheating in low-energy design using CIBSE improved weather files

“…The case study is an actual two-storey, three-bedroom house with a treated floor area of approximately 250 m 2 , located in the wider area of Guildford, in a rural settlement called Gomshall. 32 The low-energy building, displayed in Figure 1, was designed to achieve near Passivhaus standard.…”

“…For more information about the building, the thermal properties and the calibration process, please refer to Mantesi et al. 32…”

The impact of climate change on the thermal-energy performance of the SCIP and ICF wall systems for social housing in Brazil

“…3 Despite that, there is a growing adoption of the construction methods called: structural concrete insulated panels (SCIP) and insulated concrete form (ICF), due to their advantages in reducing construction time, and cost. 14 , 15 The SCIP wall system, also referred to as a sandwich panel system, comprises two concrete layers with a layer of wire mesh each and one modular prefabricated expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels between the two concrete layers. 14 The ICF wall system consists of EPS panels and cast in situ concrete, in which, the panels are assembled on-site and the concrete is poured between two panels.…”

“…For the envelope, EPS stands out for numerous advantages, such as being 100% recyclable, its lightness (98% composed of air), easy application, prevention of mould and moisture and it does not spread flame. 14 , 15 Note that the EPS can be used as a passive design strategy to reduce heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy demand. At the same time, high levels of insulation could promote overheating in hot regions, unless appropriate measures to improve thermal comfort are adopted.…”

“…14 The ICF wall system consists of EPS panels and cast in situ concrete, in which, the panels are assembled on-site and the concrete is poured between two panels. 15 Both systems can provide very low U-values and high levels of air-tightness (if installed correctly), due to the EPS panels that act as insulation material. For the envelope, EPS stands out for numerous advantages, such as being 100% recyclable, its lightness (98% composed of air), easy application, prevention of mould and moisture and it does not spread flame.…”