FOAMULAR®-METRIC has proven success in providing effective thermal insulation for cold storage application in America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific. FOAMULAR® - METRIC insulation boards have been adopted for use in cold storage facilities and systems of Coca Cola Plant in Shanghai, Cathay Pacific Catering Services at the Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport, Nestle Ice-cream factory in Guangzhou and Chong Wah Qiao Tai Low temperature Distribution Centre in Taiwan.
Cold Storage applications create one of the most hostile environments to which an insulation can be exposed due to large temperature differentials and associated severe water vapor pressures.
SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
The excellent water resistance properties of FOAMULAR® - METRIC allow it to perform efficiently in all components of cold storage buildings, including:
- Under a load-bearing floor slab
- Walls and ceilings
- Foundation
- Exterior walls
- Interior face
- Exterior face
- Sandwich panel
THE EFFECTS OF MOISTURE
Moisture can significantly affect the thermal insulation performance of a building. The following charts demonstrate the effect of moisture on the thermal resistance (R-Value) and the compressive strength of various insulation products. The Exceptional moisture resistance of FOAMULAR®-METRIC is evident. |
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When Used in Cold Store Floor...
Over a long period of time many insulations in a cold store floor suffer from compressive creep.
excess creep can cause structural damage and lead to a loss in insulation efficiency.
When used in cold store floor, FOAMULAR®-METRIC outperforms better than most other insulation materials Ii supporting the imposed load and maintaining insulation performance. Figure 1 gives a schematic illustration of FOAMULAR®-METRIC being applied to cold store floor.
With its unsurpassed compressive strength, FOAMULAR®-METRIC provides adequate support of the slab by limiting deflection. With its minimum continuous operating temperature of -50º C, the insulation boards can safely be used in these demanding conditions without any adverse affect on its thermal or physical properties.
Installation Notes
- A vapor barrier is laid over the reinforced concrete floor slab
- Joints in the vapor barrier should be sealed as the barrier also acts as a vapor control layer
- FOAMULAR®-METRIC insulation boards should be laid tightly butt jointed or shiplapped in single or multiple layers depends on the thickness required to meet specific U-value designed by the consulting engineers or specifiers.
- Reinforced concrete finish slab can then be placed on top of the insulation boards.
Design Consideration
In designing a floor the total load bearing capacity is dependant upon the specification of the concrete slab, its thickness and the amount of reinforcement present.
Required insulation thickness is determined by the overall assembly U-factor required for the project. U-factor is the measure of energy that will escape through a building assembly per unit of time, area, and temperature difference.
The simple procedure that follows will show you how to determine the total U-value of the system.
Heat loss from ground floors cannot be calculated in the normal manner. Rather than being dependent upon the thickness of the floor slab, the U-value is dependent upon the size, shape and edge conditions of the concrete slab. Figure 2 shows the thermal resistance of uninsulated slab with known ratio of exposed slab perimeter to slab area (P/A).
When used in Cold Store Walls and Ceilings...
The extremely low temperatures in cold stores result in a greater risk of condensation with the additional problem of condensate freezing. FOAMULAR® - METRIC insulation is ideal for this as it absorbs almost no moisture.
When used in cold store walls and ceilings, FOAMULAR® - METRIC with it's rigidity will span between structural members without intermediate supports, This helps substantially reduce costs and installation time.
FOAMULAR® - METRIC is adaptable to all types of wall construction and is suitable for use with single-ply roofing membranes or built up/asphalt roofing systems over steel, concrete, or gypsum roof decks.
Installation Notes:
- FOAMULAR® - METRIC can be fixed to a wide range of substrates in single or multiple layers to achieve the required U-value.
- A vapor barrier should be incorporated within the structure on the warm side of the insulation ie: the outermost face of the insulation in cold storage applications.
- Mechanical fixings may also be used to secure the surface finish of metal or fire protection board cladding.
- Insulation of ceilings can be carried out in a similar manner though savings may be possible if the boards are fixed using the same fittings as those used for the ceiling finish.
Design Consideration
The U-value of cold store walls and ceilings can be calculated in the normal manner. Profiled metal cladding is often used but offers little toward the thermal resistance of the structure. Thus the need for high performance insulation.
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Calculating the Heat Loss
Assume a detached slab of dimension 10m x 10m insulated with 150mm FOAMULAR® - METRIC 350.
Using the equation in IP 3/90*
U = 0.05 + 1.65 (P/A) - 0.6 (P/A)²
Where P = exposed perimeter of slab (m)
A = area of slab (m²)
Uninsulated U-value = 0.61W/m²K
Slab Resistance = 1 = 1.64m²k/W
0.61
Assuming the design temperature of a cold store is minus 35° C, according to the "Cold Store Design Code GBJ 72", the floor total thermal resistance must be not less than 5.55m² .h°C/kcal. Or 4.79m².k/W. Therefore, FOAMULAR® - METRIC XPS Board must be used to contribute: 4.79 - 1.64 = 3.15m².k/W thermal resistance to meet the above code requirement.
The thickness of FOAMULAR® - METRIC XPS Board needed can be defined by the following formula :
T = b x  x R
= 1.3 x 0.029 x 3.15 = 0.119m
Where,
B = design corrective factor of thermal conductivity
(according to GBJ 72 Table 3.3.4)
= thermal conductivity of insulation material, W/m.k
R = thermal resistance, m².k/W
According to the above calculation, selecting two layers of 75mm thick Foamular board for insulating the floor of a minus 35°C cold store should meet the above code requirement. |
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