Thermal bridging

Published on 03 Jul 2021. Written by Akshay

Due to the development in high rise buildings proper method of ventilation is not provided, due to which effective heat transfer doesn’t take place.

Read more..

The load-carrying capacity of the building decreases since proper ventilation is not provided to the buildings

When these types of problems occurred, various types of research are carried out and the idea of thermal bridging is invented.

Thermal bridging is an idea where the materials have low thermal conductivity than that of an area that has relatively higher thermal conductivity.

This allows the heat to transfer easily and effectively from one part of the component to other i.e. easy heat transfer through roofs, slabs, etc.

Conduction is the working principle for thermal bridging

Design methods

• Rigid foam board insulation
• Insulation lapping where no direct continuity is possible
• Double and staggered wall assemblies
• Raised heel trusses that are connected from wall to the roof junctions
• Quality insulation installation without voids or compressed insulation

Applications

1. Loss of heat and performance of energy

• The importance of thermal bridging has increased because the dwellings become better insulated
• It is more significant and shows more effect when the dwellings are well insulated which increases the thermal performance.
• From recent studies, it is obtained that thermal bridging can be responsible for dwelling more than 30% heat loss.

2. Surface temperature, mold growth, and health

• When the risk of the mold growth is not considered it can have many health impacts and the factor which considers the risk of mold growth is surface temperature factor.
• When these types of mold spores are either inhaled or even touched causes allergic reactions such as the runny nose, sneezing, rashes on the skin, etc.

3. Assessment

• The thermal bridge occurs inside the building fabric and due to the presence of high conductivity materials the flow of heat may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional
• There are some situations in which thermal performances, the manual calculation cannot be helpful and need to be analyzed using numerical modeling.

Disadvantages

• The effect of insulation reduces
• The construction of a thermal bridge is not easy

Advantages

• It reduces the conduction of heat
• It helps in reduction of condensation.
• The usage of thermal bridge saves energy
• Thermal bridge helps to protect the environment

Conclusion

It can be seen that usage of the thermal bridges during the summer season can be helpful due to the inward transfer of heat and cannot be useful during the winter season due to the outward flow of the heat and hence forms a u-factor which reduces the overall thermal resistance.

Kit required to develop Thermal bridging:

• NA

Technologies you will learn by working on Thermal bridging:

• NA

Any Questions?