Physical performance of industrial and EPS and cork experimental thermal insulation renders

• Published in: Construction & building materials Vol. 198; pp. 786 - 795
• Main Authors: Gomes, M. Glória, Flores-Colen, Inês, Melo, Humberto, Soares, António
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20.02.2019; Reed Business Information, Inc. (US)
• Subjects: Analysis; Buildings; Chemical properties; Physical properties; Polystyrene; Technology; Thermal conductivity; Thermal insulation; Thermal renders; Belgium; Thermal conductivity; Performance; Physical properties; Thermal renders
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.11.151

•Experimental campaign on industrial and experimental thermal renders.•Formulations with EPS, cork, and several binders and admixtures.•Physical properties at fresh and hardened states.•Standard and non-standard specimens and brick-render models. Nowadays, there is a concern in getting buildings with reduced environmental impact and improved thermal and energy performance. The need to use new technologies to comply with the thermal requirements has been driven by the regulation for buildings. With this goal in mind, the use of thermal insulation systems on facades has increased. In this context, renders with high thermal insulation performance have recently emerged on the market. This paper discusses the physical characteristics of four industrial thermal renders, comparing with two experimental render mixtures in which sand is replaced by aggregates with thermal insulating properties (EPS and cork) without any additions or admixtures. It is noticed a need to incorporate high ratios of aggregate with thermal characteristics to achieve thermal insulation renders, affecting other physical properties of the renders at both fresh (workability, air content and bulk density) and hardened (water absorption under low pressure, capillary, dry bulk density, open porosity and drying capacity) states.