Here
are some frequently asked questions about the THERMOMASS Building
System in general. Click on the links to the left to read
questions and answers for other topics of interest for the
THERMOMASS Building Insulation System.
If you are having
trouble finding all of the answers to your questions about
THERMOMASS, please contact
our technical services department via email or call us
at (800) 232-1748. We can help
you with the choices involved in building with insulated concrete
panels. |
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What is the THERMOMASS Building Insulation System? |
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Why use THERMOMASS? |
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What is the difference between THERMOMASS and
other insulated concrete wall systems? |
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Why is it important to sandwich the insulation
between two layers of concrete? |
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How are the connectors made? |
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Why can’t the connectors be fabricated
using other materials? |
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Why use a fiber composite instead of steel? |
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Will the alkalinity of the concrete attack the
rods? |
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How do the connectors hold the wall together? |
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How long has THERMOMASS been used in sandwich
wall applications? |
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What building types are appropriate for THERMOMASS? |
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Are there any “special use” type
projects where this system should be a first choice? |
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| The THERMOMASS Building Insulation System
is a patented connector and insulation system for constructing
tilt-up, precast, modular precast and poured-in-place insulated
concrete sandwich walls.
High strength, low conductivity, and chemically resistant
connectors structurally tie two layers of concrete together
through pre-drilled, extruded Dow STYROFOAM® insulation. |
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| THERMOMASS places a high-quality insulation
between two layers of concrete and structurally connects the
three layers in a single construction. This significantly
improves the R-value of the constructed wall over concrete
alone.
An uninsulated, 200mm (8”) thick concrete wall achieves
an R-value of 0.113 m2•K/W (0.64 ft2•h•°F/BTU)
compared to 0.881 m2•K/W or (5.0 ft2•h•°F/BTU)
for only 25mm (1”) of extruded polystyrene insulation.
To be a viable building material in the majority of today’s
energy conscious regions, a concrete wall must be insulated.
The bottom line: the THERMOMASS® Building System provides
building owners with cost-effective, durable, and energy efficient
structures. |
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| The design of the THERMOMASS system protects
the “purchased” R-value by eliminating thermal bridges
created by steel connecting devices and areas of solid concrete
cast through or around the insulation. With the THERMOMASS Building
Insulation System, a concrete wall can be built and insulated
in a single operation, AND it will retain over 99% of the insulation’s
R-value. No other insulated concrete wall construction can develop
a higher R-value! |
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| The concrete layers provide thermal mass.
That is, the concrete is able to store significant amounts
of thermal energy and delay heat transfer through the building
walls.
According to the Fundamentals Handbook of the American Society
of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers,
Inc. (ASHRAE), this delay leads to three important results:
First, the slower response time tends to moderate indoor temperature
fluctuations under outdoor temperature swings. Second, in
hot or cold climates, energy consumption is reduced over that
for a similarly sized low-mass building. Third, building energy
demand can be moved to off-peak periods because energy storage
is controlled through correct sizing of the mass and interaction
with the HVAC system.
Composite Technologies Corporation can calculate the increased
effect the thermal mass R-value will have for your projects
using procedures developed by ASHRAE and other leading energy-efficiency
organizations. |
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| The connectors are made from a fiber composite
material consisting of 76% glass fibers and 24% vinyl ester
polymer. This material has been thoroughly tested and shown
to be extremely durable and strong.
The connectors are manufactured using a proprietary process
where 76,000 glass fibers are pulled through a thermoset resin
bath and a temperature-controlled die. The resin is heated
to induce a chemical reaction that bonds the fibers together.
In a separate process, the polymer collar is injection molded
around the shaft of the connector. |
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| The connector material must be compatible
with concrete. Compatibility will not exist if the connector
is susceptible to alkaline attack, is hydrophilic, or has a
thermal coefficient of expansion that is much larger than that
of concrete. Connectors made from incompatible materials may
cause blowouts in the face wythe. It is even possible that the
connectors will loose capacity. THERMOMASS connectors were carefully
designed to be compatible with concrete. |
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| The fiber composite rod used in the THERMOMASS®
Building System has a thermal conductivity of 0.469 W•mm/h•m2•K
(2.1 BTU•in/ft2•h•°F). This compares to
values of 40.68 W•mm/h•m2•K (182 BTU•in/ft2•h•°F)
for stainless steal and 81.59 W•mm/h•m2•K
(365 BTU•in/ft2•h•°F) for mild steel,
and 2.79 W•mm/h•m2•K (12.5 BTU•in/ft2•h•°F)
for concrete, respectively. THERMOMASS® fiber composite
connectors therefore eliminate the material components that
would otherwise create a thermal bridge. |
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| No. The vinyl-ester resin matrix protects
the glass fibers in the rods from alkaline chemical attack (and
most other chemicals). The composite material is therefore very
resistant to chemical attack. |
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| The notches in the flexible, high-strength
connectors develop a keying action within the concrete wythes.
The pullout strengths of the embedded connectors are over twenty
times the forces experienced in normal loading conditions. |
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| The first building constructed using this
system was a 9-story condominium completed in 1980. |
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| Concrete is a natural and architecturally
significant building material that can take on any appearance.
THERMOMASS allows the designer to take advantage of these strengths
AND provide the owner with a highly energy-efficient facility.
Therefore, the system has been used in a wide variety of building
types since 1980and should be considered for any building where
low construction costs, long term durability, low maintenance,
low fire insurance rates and low energy costs are important.
Completed facilities include commercial buildings, churches,
schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, manufacturing and
warehouse facilities, coolers/freezers, timber kilns, agricultural
confinement structures, residential buildings and sports facilities.
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| In recent years, THERMOMASS has been used
extensively in prison facilities constructed with conventional
precast, tilt-up and modular precast where low operating costs,
fire resistance and durability have been important considerations.
THERMOMASS has also become a leader in concrete cooler/freezer-type
applications where energy efficiency and durability are equally
important. |
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What is THERMOMASS?