Abstract

Within the framework of the European project Wall-ACE a large-scale laboratory test (EOTA-Wall Test) was performed. Additional a test field in Switzerland was equipped with six different aerogel renders by the project partner AGITEC. Laboratory walls and test field were equipped with sensors to monitor in real-time climate, heat flux, temperature, relative humidity, and at the laboratory tests additional material moisture. The data allow calculating U-values and material parameters as well as drying behaviour of render and substrate. During and after the artificial weathering in laboratory the renders were subjected to visual inspection and mechanical adhesion tests. The performance of the aerogel renders will be assessed and compared with results on conventional insulation renders.

Abstract

Low flammable foam-like materials based on renewable bio-based polymers and sodium montmorillonite clay (MMT) were created using water as a solvent and following a simple freeze-drying process. Composites were formed by adding layers of the previously created gel precursors to a Polyvinyl alcohol / MMT based aerogel. A multi-step and a one-pot processes were followed to make the multi-layered aerogels, and the resultant properties of the different processing systems were compared. Similar adhesion between layers was observed in both processes although the multi-step required a longer manufacturing time.

With the aim of improving the mechanical properties, chemical crosslinking of the Polyvinyl alcohol base was induced prior to lyophilization by immersing the material in a sodium borate solution. It was found that the mechanical response under compression was enhanced in regards to the non-crosslinked systems. A highly retardant composite material was fabricated by superposing an alginate/MMT at the external layer as the most promising system for fire protection

Abstract

Many brick buildings in Sweden today face a large need for renovation measures to prolong their service life and make other uses possible. Conventional thermal insulation materials, such as fibre glass and EPS, demand a thick layer of insulation to reach the energy targets. Super insulation materials, such as vacuum insulation panels (VIP) and aerogel blankets (AB), are thermal insulation components with a 3-10 times higher thermal resistance than conventional insulation materials. In this study, the effect of interior insulation using super insulation materials is investigated, using experiences from a case study in a brick wall from the 1800s. Earlier research has shown that interior insulation decreases the drying-out capacity of an exterior wall and increases the risk for freeze-thaw damages in brick walls. The case study building is an industrial building from 1896 with 470 mm homogeneous brick masonry walls insulated with both aerogel insulation and with vacuum insulation panels. Six heat flux sensors were installed in the wall and used to evaluate the thermal resistance of the wall with and without insulation. The initial measurements showed that the rate of water flow in the bricks is approximately three times higher than that in modern bricks. The average calculated U-value was reduced by 70% for the AB and 81% for the VIP layers, while measurements at the three occasions gave a reduction of 72-83% for the AB and 72-84% for the VIP layers, i.e. in the same order of magnitude.

Abstract

Thermal insulating plasters and renders are becoming a popular solution for the energy retrofit of existing and historic buildings because of their suitability/compatibility with the existing masonry supports. However, as for most of the insulating products, the actual performance of these materials might significantly differ from the one determined with simplified methods (EN ISO 6946 standard) that are commonly adopted by the designers. In this study, an overview of the latest Authors researches that involve three different thermal insulating plasters, containing respectively perlite, vegetal and aerogel aggregates, are presented. The developed plasters were characterized in the laboratory and successively applied in three demonstration buildings. From the in-field thermal monitoring activities, all the analysed thermal insulating plasters showed a decrease in the thermal performance between 25 and 30% if compared to the laboratory measurements.

Abstract

In this paper, two aerogel-based renders are characterized based on in-situ testing of walls prototypes. The in-situ tests to assess the mechanical performance are: pull-off, surface impact tests and compressive strength on collected samples. The physical performance includes the water resistance and thermal conductivity coefficient. The tests carried out to assess water-resistance are: Karsten tube, moisture meter and capillary water absorption of collected samples. The thermal performance was tested based on infrared thermography and thermal conductivity transient method. The combination of these in-situ tests allowed a better performance characterization of the aerogelbased renders and characterized the applied renders. These results were carried out under two national research projects (Nanorender and P2020 PEP).