Armatherm™ Grade 500 Foundation to Wall

Structural thermal break for foundation to wall transitions, which reduces the energy lost from thermal bridging in building envelope connections and reduces potential condensation issues.

Thermal Bridging at foundation wall transitions creates heat loss at the foundation perimeter. This reduces the exterior wall's effective R Value. Foundations are part of a buildings’ thermal envelope. The intersection at a slab on grade to foundation wall and exterior wall to foundation transition are both areas where heat flows out of a building. This is due primarily to non-continuous insulation details.

The linear transmittance (heat loss) at the base of the foundation wall can be reduced by as much as 60% by using an efficient, structural thermal break.

The thermal insulation material (TIM) is a high strength, thermoset polyurethane manufactured in several densities. The material is able to transfer various structural loads with a range from 0.14–27.5 N/mm², enabling designs to keep deflection and creep at a minimum in thermal break connections. It also has a thermal resistance (R-value) of 3.8 per inch (25 mm), superior to the properties of aerated concrete and wood blocking. This can help to meet the BS requirement for continuous insulation, as well as the baseline insulation requirements for floors in refrigerated storage facilities.

Performance (scenarios):

- Exterior wall directly on footing, with 25 mm fibreboard floor to foundation:

• Clear wall R-value: R-10.2 (1.79 m²K/W).

• Slab 1D R-value: R-5 (0.88 m²K/W).

• Slab heat loss: 1.18 (2.04 m²K/W).

• Assembly heat loss: 1.88 (3.25 m²K/W).

• Linear transmittance of wall to slab: 0.309 (0.534 m²K/W).

- 50 mm Armatherm 500 under exterior wall and interior wall, with 25 mm fibreboard floor to foundation:

• Clear wall R-value: R-10.2 (1.79 m²K/W).

• Slab 1D R-value: R-5 (0.88 m²K/W).

• Slab heat loss: 1.18 (2.04 m²K/W).

• Assembly heat loss: 1.74 (3.01 m²K/W).

• Linear transmittance of wall to slab: 0.170 (0.294 m²K/W).

• Reduction in heat loss: 45%.

- 50 mm Armatherm 500 under exterior wall and interior wall, with 50 mm Armatherm 500 floor to foundation:

• Clear wall R-value: R-10.2 (1.79 m²K/W).

• Slab 1D R-value: R-5 (0.88 m²K/W).

• Slab heat loss: 1.18 (2.04 m²K/W).

• Assembly heat loss: 1.71 (2.96 m²K/W).

• Linear transmittance of wall to slab: 0.139 (0.241 m²K/W).

• Reduction in heat loss: 55%.