Polystyrene foamed
Polystyrene foam is a modern, environmentally friendly material, which gives not only high thermal insulation and fire safety, but also significant economic benefits.Expanded polystyrene is indispensable for the heat insulation of underground parts of buildings, foundations, basement walls and ground floors where the use of other types of insulation is unacceptable due to capillary rise of groundwater, and it protects the waterproofing from the harmful effects of the environment.
This is confirmed by its water-resistant qualities, as well as its lightness and durability.
Foam polystyrene plates almost weightless, easy-to-transport and place, durable and reliable.
Their guaranteed life in the Far North conditions is at least 50 years!
Maintaining comfortable conditions during the upkeep of buildings constructed of traditional building materials, requires a high consumption of fuel resources, which ultimately has no positive effect on the unsatisfactory environmental conditions in the regions and especially in large cities.
It is discovered that the total heat loss through the walls, coverings and windows makes 70% of the total heat loss through the building envelope.
That’s why, by the Order of August 11, 1995, № 18-81 of the Ministry of Construction of Russia the required level of thermal resistance (resistance to heat transfer) of walling is significantly raised.
The required thermal resistance is established regardless of the used materials and constructive solutions. (SNIP II-3-79 * «Building thermotechnics»).
Thus, there arose a question about using more efficient building envelopes.
One of the most promising ways of heat loss prevention is the use of polystyrene foam.
The use of EPS in exterior walls of houses allows reducing heat loss several times, as 12 cm of polystyrene foam is equivalent to 2 m brick wall and 4 m of reinforced concrete wall.
Today construction sites located in different climate and geographical zones desperately need foam polystyrene.
Foam polystyrene is environmentally friendly, non-toxic heat-and sound-insulating material used in construction for the past 40 years and has proved the most cost-effective, easy to use and having low thermal conductivity and vapor permeability.
If we compare indices of thermal conductivity of foam polystyrene with other materials, then a plate of foam 50 mm thick is equivalent by its insulation properties to a dry layer of mineral wool of 110 mm, dry foam concrete of 500 mm, wood of 195 mm, and brickwork of 850 mm!
Thus, the use of these plates reduces construction and operating costs 20-50 times!
In the production of foam polystyrene the harmful for the atmosphere gas – Freon is not used.
Foam polystyrene belongs to the group of plastics, which when burned give exactly the same gases as wood or cork.
Modern foams are produced fire resistant.
Moisture does not affect the heat insulating properties of this material and does not cause bacteria and mold growth, which allows extensive use of polystyrene foam also in the food industry.
Foam polystyrene is used:
In the construction of roofs and walls
Whether it is flat or sloping roof, wall or floor of residential or public building, but the heat and the cold, dryness and humidity, snow and wind load from the outside, and humidity inside the premises affect them continuously and equally.
Foam roof insulation is laid, depending on the design of the roof, between the rafters or free, glued or mechanically fastened to the base.
On the walls the outside masonry bearing is covered with a layer of foam, and the top is covered with either special plaster, or ventilated facing shell for the external environment protection.
Also foam is set inside the hollow brickwork on special pins.
Another system of thermal insulation is the use of foam molded parts for the exterior walls of buildings.
Shaped blocks are laid dry, fixed with metal armature and then filled with concrete.
Recently, heat and noise insulation of roofs, walls and floors of buildings with the use of foam polystyrene concrete (a mixture of foam pellets with liquid concrete) becomes more and more popular.
In facade facing
Penetration of rain and melt water in the internal space behind the facing does not affect the functionality of foams.
The system of external heat insulation and decoration of facades with foam slabs retains heat and keeps the surface of the walls in their original form for several decades.
FOR FLOOR INSULATION
As heat insulator polystyrene is laid in the floor between the lags.
To achieve effective noise insulation quarters are faced with slabs of foam polystyrene and covered with a seamless (eg cement), or dry floor, which, by its bottom layer acts as a system spring - mass and can freely fluctuate, thus preventing the penetration of sound into the construction.