Communication & Coordination:

The key to realising low energy building

30th June 2015

Niall Crosson: Senior Technical Engineer

MEngSc, BTech, MIEI, CEPHC

-Introduction

- Better Building- A fabric first approach

- Delivering Better Building on Site

- Summary

- Questions

Presentation Summary:

- Extensive technical support on Airtightness & Insulation

- Building Regulation advice

- Centre of Knowledge training centre

- Airtightness installation DVD

- Site support – Toolbox Talks

- NBS airtightness specification clauses

- U-Values & Hygrothermal Modelling

Ecological Building Products:

Insulation:

Airtight/Windtightness:

Engineered Solutions:

Natural Paint:

Introduction to Ecological Building Systems

Demonstration and Training Centre: Athboy, Co Meath

Low Energy/Passivhaus new and existing buildings

Introduction to Ecological Building Systems

Ref http://passipedia.passiv.de/passipedia_en/

Defining the Building Fabric

•Separates the conditioned living

space from the unconditioned

space

•Lends itself to a comfortable

healthy living space

•Our ethos is to achieve “Better

Building” by adopting a “Fabric

First Approach” using natural

materials

Building Regulations:

A move to Passive/Zero energy

construction

Passive House: Standard Certification Criteria

Why Airtightness – Infiltration and Ventilation

Air Infiltration/Draughts and exfiltration – The

uncontrolled entry or exit of outdoor or indoor air

from the habitable space

Ventilation – The controlled/designed replacement of

stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air

Airtightness – The elimination of uncontrolled air

infiltration

BUILD TIGHT AND VENTILATE RIGHT!

Why Airtightness?

REF: TARGET ZERO GROUP

Airtightness testing and measurement – the

Blower Door Test & clarification on the Q50

Q50 = cubic metres of

leakage, per square metre of

building envelope per hour,

at a differential pressure of

50 Pascals, i.e. m3/(m2.hr) @

50Pa.

Airtightness Quality Control – Wincon

WINCON

... Quality assurance for

airtightness

A draughty, “leaky” building

Clearly define air barrier layer and detail airtightness solutions

Air barrier line

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 8 9

10 11 10 2

12

13

6

2

414

15

Air leakage path

5

Delivering Airtightness: Plan Ahead

The principle of insulation

only inclusions of air that are protected against air movement insulate!

air movement

= heat transport

The principle of thermal insulation: Airtightness

The principle of thermal insulation: Windtightness

Build Quality on site:

Common Gable Wall-Roof junction

Faulty but “common“

airtight connection

of vapour barriers

Infrared picture:

Gable wall-roof

connection

Thermo graphic images of faulty constructions

Ineffective

airtight sealing

of Critical

Junctions

Infrared picture:

Roof window connection

Thermo graphic images of faulty constructions

Infrared picture:

Roof window joint at

negative pressure

The cross shows 6,8 °C,

which is lower than the

dew point

=> Condensation

Thermo graphic images of faulty constructions

Get it right first time!

REF: http://melfranz.deviantart.com/art/homer-scream-65905917

Attention to detail?

Airtight?????

Airtight?????

Site conditions and delivering airtight buildings

Better Building…How?

1.To design for

airtightness

2.Build to achieve airtightness 3.Test for airtightness

Communication &

Coordination

Plan Head!

REF: http://www.theboredninja.com/pictures/plan-ahead/

Ensure everyone on site understands airtightness!

Ensure everyone on site understands airtightness!

PurlinsRidge beams

Internal to external walls

Airtightness must be planned….

Airtightness must be planned….

Airtightness must be planned….

Airtightness must be planned….

Solitex Plus – High tear resistance

while airtight and diffusion open

Separating Floor Detail: SOLITEX PLUS

Positioning of service penetrations critical

Sealing Pipes & Cables

Sealing Pipes & Cables

Window Plaster Sealing Solutions

Include a service zone for more reliable

delivery of airtightness on site

Services and chased areas adequately sealed in masonry construction

Better Building Summary

1. Airtightness lends to better building design and practices

2. The quality of the installation determines the effectiveness of the

thermal envelope

3. Thermal insulation and Airtightness must be planned at design stage

to deliver more efficient buildings

4. A lack of foresight at design and construction stage leads to

increased costs, and poorer results

5. Materials fit for purpose must be used to deliver durable building

fabric

6. Coordination and planning on site central to delivering positive

results

7. To achieve this the materials must be meticulously sealed or applied

to attain optimum performance

8. Knowledge & training from design to site critical

9. The building must be viewed as a system, whose performance will

be determined by the skill of the planner and those responsible for

installing materials on site.

Experience is priceless

Further Training

Thank you for your attention

Questions?

www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com

http://www.qualibuild.ie/