External thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) have been widely adopted for improving the thermal comfort of building facades. Although these systems are commonly subjected to vandalism in ...urban areas, no protocols for the removal of graffiti on ETICS have been yet systematically defined.
In this work, aerosol graffiti sprays (blue and silver) were applied on ETICS with different compositions and then removed through chemical (alkaline graffiti removers) and/or mechanical methods (brushing). The moisture transport properties and the aesthetic features of ETICS specimens were characterized prior and after graffiti removal, aiming at assessing the effectiveness and compatibility of the cleaning action.
Results show that the effectiveness of graffiti removal strictly depends on the type of aerosol graffiti spray and of ETICS surface. The use of chemical or mechanical methods can lead to severe damage on systems with EPS-based thermal insulation layer and/or silicate or lime-based finishing coats, with an increase of the water absorption and alteration of the chromatic coordinates.
•Improve the effectiveness of graffiti removal on ETICS through chemical-mechanical methods.•Assess the compatibility of traditionally used methods for graffiti removal on commercially available ETICS.•Evaluate the effects of aerosol graffiti paints on the aesthetic and moisture transport properties of ETICS.•Define the graffiti removal effectiveness and compatibility based on the composition of the ETICS.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The degradation of the built environment, associated to high maintenance and repair costs, increases the relevance of the studies about the durability of construction elements. External Thermal ...Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are a relatively recent cladding solution with a growing use in the construction industry, due to their advantages. This study proposes a methodology to predict the service life of ETICS, through two computational methods: artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic systems. The proposed models lead to an average estimated service life of 21 years, considering a sample of 378 ETICS located in Portugal, which is in accordance with the empirical knowledge and other studies related with the durability of these cladding systems. The results obtained in this study aid in the adoption of more durable and sustainable solutions at the design and maintenance stages, improving the quality of the adopted construction solutions, and reducing the costs of these elements during their life cycle.
•In this study, computational models are used to predict the service life of ETICS.•In this sense, artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic systems are applied.•378 ETICS systems have been analysed, through visual inspections.•The relevant factors to explain the degradation of ETICS are identified.•The results obtained allow the adoption of more durable and sustainable solutions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Recently, foam glass thermal insulating decorative integrated board has been proposed as advanced external wall insulation. In the present study, the temperature and strain monitoring program is ...designed to investigate the synergistic of the integrated board and the base wall after installation on the building exterior wall. Moreover, variations of the temperature and strain fields of the system in different aging stages are studied. The obtained results show that the foam glass integrated board has an excellent performance in heat and cold preservation. It is found that the temperature difference between the concrete base layer and the finishing layer reaches 40°C. The temperature fluctuation range of the base layer is only 4°C and 9°C in hot-rain cycles and the heat-cold cycles, respectively. Moreover, it is found that the strain fluctuations of the finishing layer are relatively severe, and the deformation range of −1000με～+2500με and the plastic deformation of +1500με may occur in the hot-rain cycle, and the range of −2000με～+1500με and the plastic deformation of −600με may occur in the heat-cold cycle. Finally, the concept of thermal insulation degradation degree (DT) is proposed. The obtained results reveal that DT rises from 0 to 0.23 in the hot-rain cycle and from 0 to 0.36 in the heat-cold cycle. Through the analysis of the strain changes, the synergistic mechanism of the integrated board and the base wall in the aging process is studied. The present article is expected to provide a theoretical guideline to design foam glass integrated boards.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Adhesive used for ETICS provides moisture within the wall and increases moisture transfer resistance.•Simulated temperature and relative humidity profiles agree with the measured ones.•Using ...bio-based insulation may reduce the condensation risk.•The ventilated cladding system design is of high importance regarding the condensation risk.
This work focuses on the hygrothermal behavior of three external thermal insulation systems: one ETICS including EPS insulation and two ventilated cladding systems including either mineral or biobased insulation. These systems were applied on a rendered hollow concrete wall and tested simultaneously between two climatic chambers. Thermocouples, humidity sensors and heat flux sensors allow investigating the hygrothermal behavior of the retrofitted wall at different stages: just after the application of insulations systems, during safe and critical use. The measured data are compared to numerical results obtained by solving a heat and moisture transfer model.
Results highlight the key role of adhesive on ETICS, which provides a significant moisture source during the application and forms an additional moisture transfer resistance within the wall. Results on ventilated cladding systems show that using biobased insulation may delay and even prevent the risk of interstitial condensation. The comparison between numerical and experimental results is satisfying for temperature and heat flow density, but underline the sensitivity of relative humidity to the sorption capacity of hygroscopic building materials. In addition, the systems design has a great influence on the condensation risks.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•The hygrothermal performance of VIP based ETICS was experimentally evaluated.•A new test procedure which includes solar radiation simulation was proposed.•The effect of finishing coat colour on the ...temperature behaviour was assessed.•Solar radiation caused rendering microcracking unlike in standard hygrothermal test.•The VIP thermal conductivity increased 4.5mW/(m.K) after ageing cycles.
In this paper, a novel laboratory test campaign to assess the hygrothermal performance of an external vacuum-insulation composite system is proposed and carried out on a large-scale specimen placed in a climatic chamber. The experimental procedure includes standard ageing cycles such as heat/rain, freeze/thaw and a new approach to simulate solar radiation conditions, allowing the study of the effect of using different finishing coat colours. Additionally, numerical modelling based in 2D transient heat transfer simulations was carried out and results were compared with those obtained experimentally. Temperatures and heat fluxes were recorded at areas around the centre of the vacuum panels and at areas near the joints between panels. Heat fluxes at the joint area were around four times higher than those measured at the centre of panel. The external vacuum-insulation system was considered to be resistant to hygrothermal cycles, since no blistering, cracking, detachment or loss of vacuum was detected. However, solar radiation cycles were found to be sensitive to the finishing colour and to potentiate anomalies that were not observed with the standard test methods, namely microcracking of the finishing coat layer. Also, the VIP thermal conductivity practically doubled after one month of accelerated ageing cycles.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This paper is the research output of the laboratory ageing of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). This was carried out in order to study the changes in properties of systems ...consisting of combustible and non-combustible thermal insulation materials, and four different types of finishing renders. Four types of the widely used, thin-layer facade rendering systems were subjected to hydrothermal cycles in a climate chamber in conformity with ETAG 004 guidelines. Analysis of the physical and mechanical properties (i.e., variation of temperature, water absorption, bond strength and mechanical resistance) of four types of ETICS are presented. This study indicates that there are no visible defects on any renderings over the junctions between polystyrene foam (EPS) and mineral wool (MW) materials when applied in ETICS.
Rehabilitation of facades may be carried out with the application of External Thermal Insulation Systems (ETICS). Their main contribution is the increase of the energy efficiency of buildings. In the ...literature, hygrothermal, impact and fire performance studies have been carried out on several systems with different insulation materials, such as expanded polystyrene, mineral wool and extruded polystyrene foam insulation. Due to the growing concern with the environment, systems are being developed with more sustainable and ecological materials, such as ICB (expanded cork). These type of boards are responsible for a negative impact in global warming potential, significantly improving the environmental benefits of their use. As these systems were recently introduced to the market, applications on site are very recent and their behaviour over time still unknown. In this research, the durability and global performance of more sustainable systems (with ICB) were analysed through an experimental campaign and compared with EPS (expanded polystyrene) systems. The results show that the systems with ICB obtained satisfactory global behaviour comparable with the EPS systems. The ICB sustainable systems analysed stood out in acoustic performance.
External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are kits applied on the external walls of buildings, especially for increase of thermal comfort and reduction of energy consumption.
Performance ...of these systems is assessed based on ETAG 004, which establishes requirements and test methods. However, the influence of specific characteristics on the compatibility between components of the system (mortar, mesh and thermal insulation) is not covered by this guideline. Understanding the contribution of each component to overall behaviour will help to make better choices of materials and to achieve better performance of the global system, thereby minimizing the occurrence of anomalies on ETICS.
In this sense, the research focused on mechanical compatibility between the components of 15 systems, through bond strength tests between the components of the system (insulation-adhesive and insulation-base coat) and between the bonded system and the substrate (mortar-substrate).
It was concluded that the bond strength between adhesive and insulation was mainly influenced by tensile strength of the insulation material, while the bond strength between adhesive and concrete is usually related to flexural strength of the mortar. It was also verified that some non-destructive tests may give primary indications about bond strength between the components.
•Concrete–adhesive bond strength: cohesive rupture conditioned by flexural strength of mortars.•Mortar–insulation bond strength: cohesive rupture conditioned by insulation characteristics.•ICB and MW when incorporated into systems obtained better results of bond strength.•After hygrothermal cycles, EPS systems generally presented lower values of bond strength.•Modulus of elasticity (non-destructive test) may be used instead of flexural strength of the mortar.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Phase change materials (PCMs) are materials with the ability of absorption of latent heat based on a phase change. PCMs are able to store and release a large amount of energy at certain temperatures ...melting or freezing. The aim of the research is to verify whether this phenomenon (material) can be used within an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS). This is particularly the usage of PCMs in the base coat. The research is focused on two main areas. The first area concerns the water condensation on the surface of the ETICS and the associated phenomenon of algae attack. The second area concerns the warming of ETICSs with the use of dark color shades. Practical experiments showed a positive effect of PCMs on the heat-storage properties of the ETICS base coat. It was also experimentally verified that the PCM sample did not condense water vapor on the sample surface compared to the reference sample.
In Slovakia, since August 2016, a change in the thermal standard STN 73 0540-2 6 has been in force, taking into account the objective of the European Directive, which since 2021 counts on the ...construction of buildings with almost zero energy consumption. One of the objectives of these changes is to reduce energy consumption in buildings min. by 20% till 2020. In this article it is compared the selected structures of the support exterior walls with regard to the criterion of the required thermo-technical characteristics of the building structure - coefficient of heat transfer of the structure U for the ultra-energy building according to STN 73 0540 part 2 from 2016 3, 6. Finally, the most cost-effective structure that meets the required thermal and technical parameters was the masonry structure with an additional by insulating the ETICS (with meaning External Thermal Insulation Composite System).
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