Ground Floor Insulation via Subfloor Tunnels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for insulating a ground floor supported on soil in buildings are inefficient, requiring significant reconstruction or disruption, such as removing and re-laying the floor covering or excavating tunnels, which are time-consuming and costly, and often restrict the thickness of insulating materials.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of tunnels beneath the ground floor by removing soil at specific locations, followed by the insertion of thermal or seismic insulating materials, such as polyurethane foam, to reduce thermal conductivity and enhance insulation without the need for extensive reconstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If insulating material is placed on top of the base layer, then insulation effectiveness is improved, but the floor covering must be removed and the upper level is raised which causes problems with opening doors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from placing insulation horizontally on top of the base layer to placing it vertically in tunnels below the ground floor. This dimensional change allows insulation to be installed without affecting the floor level or door operation, while still achieving thermal insulation of the ground floor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the ground floor into multiple sections by creating separate tunnels at different locations below the floor. Each tunnel is insulated independently, allowing the insulation process to be performed in segments without requiring complete floor removal or level adjustment.
2Ease of operation
If insulating material is placed below the base layer, then disruption to the building is reduced, but the ground floor including the base layer needs to be removed and reconstructed which requires a lot of reconstruction activities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the insulation process into separate tunnel formations below the ground floor, allowing insulation to be installed without removing or reconstructing the base layer or ground floor. This eliminates the need for extensive reconstruction activities while still placing insulation below the base layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the insulation placement process from the floor construction layers and relocates it to the soil layer below the ground floor. By taking out the insulation installation from the floor assembly process, the base layer and ground floor remain intact and do not require removal or reconstruction.
3Loss of energy
If multiple tunnels are formed below the ground floor, then insulation coverage is improved, but the number of steps and time required for the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ground floor insulation task into multiple separate tunnel formation and insulation placement steps. By segmenting the process into discrete tunnels that can be treated independently, the overall insulation coverage is improved while allowing flexible scheduling and potential parallel execution of tunnel treatments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary soil removal to form tunnels below the ground floor before placing the insulating material. This preliminary action creates ready-to-use cavities that can be efficiently filled with insulation material, streamlining the overall process despite multiple tunnels being required for adequate coverage.
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
This approach allows for effective insulation of the ground floor with minimal disruption, reducing energy loss and maintaining structural support, while allowing for the use of suitable insulating materials that can fill the tunnels and support the ground floor.
Implementation Method 1
The building may loose considerable energy through its ground floor, which is supported on soil, to the underlying soil, when the building is heated. Therefore, a desire exists to reduce energy loss of the building through its ground floor.
Implementation Method 2
EP 2 553 176 A2 discloses a method for insulating a ground floor of a building, the ground floor being supported on soil, the method comprising removing soil at locations below the ground floor thereby forming a plurality of tunnels below the ground floor and providing an insulating material in each of the tunnels.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2
AI summary
A method is provided for insulating a ground floor of a building, the ground floor being supported on soil, the method comprising the steps of: a. Removing soil, which is arranged for supporting the ground floor, at first locations below respective first area parts of the ground floor, wherein the first area parts are spaced apart from one another in a first direction, thereby forming a plurality of first tunnels below the ground floor; b. Providing an insulating material in each of the first tunnels; c. Removing soil, which is arranged for supporting the ground floor, at second locations below respective second area parts of the ground floor, wherein the second area parts are spaced apart from one another in the first direction, thereby forming a plurality of second tunnels below the ground floor; wherein the second locations are different from the first locations in the first direction; d. Providing an insulating material in each of the second tunnels, wherein the steps a. and b. are carried out before step c.