Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Spacers for Building Wall Thermal Bridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermally conductive spacers in building wall assemblies, such as those made of steel, create thermal bridges that hinder the achievement of high insulative performance, as they bypass insulation and reduce the effectiveness of energy efficiency standards.
Innovation Solution
The use of thermally insulative spacers made from fibre-reinforced polymers, specifically pultruded profile sections, which include a support member, base, web, and guide to securely locate and retain cladding components, minimizing thermal conductivity and enhancing insulation efficiency without increasing spacer or insulation depth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel spacers are used to support cladding components, then structural strength and rigidity are ensured, but thermal bridges are created that reduce insulation performance
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is constructed as a composite structure with a steel core providing structural strength and an outer insulating layer (such as foam or polymer coating) providing thermal insulation. This composite design allows the spacer to maintain the mechanical properties needed for supporting cladding while significantly reducing thermal conductivity to eliminate thermal bridges.
2Loss of energy
If insulation depth is increased to compensate for thermal bridges, then insulative performance improves, but wall assembly depth and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating function is extracted from the wall cavity insulation and integrated directly into the spacer component itself. By incorporating insulation material within or around the spacer structure, the thermal bridge is blocked at its source rather than requiring increased overall insulation depth, thus maintaining wall assembly compactness while improving thermal performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The implementation of fibre-reinforced polymer spacers significantly improves thermal insulation performance, achieving higher R-values while maintaining structural integrity and reducing energy consumption, as demonstrated by thermal simulations.
Implementation Method 1
thermally insulative spacers made from fibre-reinforced polymers... minimizing thermal conductivity and enhancing insulation efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A spacer for use in spacing a cladding component from a building component has a support member, a base spaced apart from the support member, the base having a contact surface facing away from the support member, a web connected between the support member and the base, and a guide configured to locate the cladding component on the support member. A plurality of the spacers can be used by resiliently deforming them to accommodate and retain by restorative bias force a corresponding plurality of portions of the cladding component. Thereafter, the spacers are secured to the building component.