PUR-ICF modular elements
Description
PUR-ICF (Polyurethane-Insulated Concrete Forms) modular elements are polyurethane foam blocks with an average density of 45 kg / m3 . A building made up of PUR-ICF offers a very high level of thermal insulation as well as good soundproofing, which makes it suitable for use in the construction of any civil buildings (houses, blocks), industrial buildings (warehouses, factories), swimming pools and thermal accumulators, isothermal vegetable and fruit warehouses, etc. By cladding the walls built of PUR-ICF modular elements with various boards (magnesium oxide, gypsum board, etc.), the construction is adapted according to the field of use.
PUR-ICF modular polyurethane foam elements come in several shapes depending on their role in the overall construction. They generally have an area of 1 square meter (200cm x 50cm x 32cm, 11 kg / element) and feature inside a network of channels through which the steel reinforcement is introduced and the concrete is poured. The result is a lattice-type structure (network) of strength consisting of reinforced concrete columns which is particularly effective. The modular elements are designed to be assembled accurately, with assembly holes, yielding a perfectly flat and straight wall. The floor elements are mounted between prefabricated beams.
Extreme thermal insulation
PUR-ICF modular polyurethane elements are the materials offering the highest level of thermal insulation on the market.
The heat transfer on an exterior wall is less than 5 W / m2 at an indoor-outdoor temperature difference of 40 ° C.
PUR-ICF modular elements have a 50% lower thermal conductivity level than polystyrene . Mineral wool has even lower properties.
A construction of 100 m2 PUR-ICF modular elements has a thermal requirement of less than 1kWh, if the losses through the windows are not taken into account. The level of thermal insulation of the 32 cm thick PUR-ICF modular element is equivalent to:
= 1,200 cm of wooden wall
= 6,000 cm concrete wall
= 40 cm brick wall + 30 cm polystyrene layer
Absence of thermal bridges
Thermal bridges are those areas of the building where heat is lost quickly and unnecessarily. These thermal bridges are caused by a leaky assembling of the load-bearing elements of the building.
The construction with PUR-ICF modular elements eliminates these thermal bridges which means (aside from the contribution to the increase of the overall level of thermal insulation) the elimination of:
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condensation
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mould
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the possibility of bacterial growth.
The elimination of thermal bridges creates extra comfort and health for people living in such buildings . It also prevents the premature degradation of the building's finishes.
Very high reliability
The polyurethane foam from which the PUR-ICF elements are composed is particularly resistant to the action of water, even salt water, parasites and dilution acids. Because the elements are made by casting closed-cell polyurethane foam, permeability to water is very low.
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In the long run, polyurethane foam withstands temperatures between -40 degrees C and +100 degrees C. Experience has shown that 50 years after the manufacture of the first polyurethane foam (German manufacturer BASF), the level of thermal insulation has decreased by less than 1%.
Compared to the polyurethane in the PUR-ICF elements, polystyrene is clearly inferior in terms of weather resistance, especially to the action of water. Polystyrene degrades with the action of water, allowing infiltrations, which gives it an average lifespan of 10-12 years. This remark must be made considering that the most "advanced" construction elements on the market (in terms of insulation level) use only polystyrene. This is the case of using polystyrene for the thermal envelope of buildings (in Romania there was an intense campaign supported by public funds for thermal rehabilitation of buildings using polystyrene boards, an action that proved to be a failure). In addition to not contributing significantly to the increase in thermal insulation, polystyrene decayed in a few years, for the reasons mentioned above.
Another important aspect to note is that polystyrene loses 3% per year of insulation level, and polyurethane loses only 3% of its insulation level in 150 years.
Plating PUR-ICF modular elements with magnesium oxide boards (not with drywall as is currently the case) is an element that contributes to the resistance of the walls to external factors. Magnesium oxide boards are resistant to shocks and water, and can be completely flooded without degradation, compared to drywall, which is brittle and absorbs water, leading to their premature decay.
By mounting the reinforcements and pouring the concrete into the network of holes in the load-bearing walls, a resistance structure of latticed columns is created. This internal reinforcement structure gives allows for the construction of tall buildings in areas with intense seismic activity. The fact that concrete fills the structure both vertically and obliquely ensures an increased resistance in the structure.
The house made of this material is a construction with a high coefficient of durability and resistance to external factors (vibrations, wind action, earthquakes, etc.).
The estimated construction life of PUR-ICF polyurethane modular elements is at least 100 years.
Earthquake resistance
Due to the lattice-type resistance structure consisting of reinforced concrete pillars the structure is particularly resistant to earthquakes.
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The building will have a monolithic structure due to the fact that the concrete in the floors and the load-bearing masonry of one level is poured at the same time.
Easy construction process
The PUR-ICF modular elements and the way in which their assemble was designed allow for a speedy building process, doubled by special precision.
The construction process is very simple. The masonry is built like a "Lego" , the elements centring and merging with each other, obtaining flat and precise walls.
No extensive and expensive works are required to achieve the finishes because the wall is flat
Due to the low weight of the PUR-ICF modular elements(11 kg / element, 200cm x 50cm x 32cm), they are easy to handle. It takes only 4 days for a construction level, at the semi-finished stage (for an area of 100m2, with 4 workers). There is no use of heavy machinery, and given the easy assembly process, the working staff does not require special qualification .
The resulting building is about 300% lighter than a construction that uses conventional materials.
Very good soundproofing
The physical properties of polyurethane foam and the way in which the PUR-ICF modular elements are designed and made, ensure very good soundproofing of the construction. The level of comfort is increased.
Clean
The manufacturing process of PUR-ICF modular polyurethane elements does not generate environmental pollutants .
Construction works with such modular elements are much "cleaner". This is due to the fact that no heavy machinery is required , no formwork is required, noise levels are reduced, packaging debris and other waste are few, little staff is necessary and execution speed is very high.
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Any polyurethane foam waste will be reused in the production process.
Pricing
The price of PUR-ICF modular polyurethane elements is much lower than other similar products on the market that have the same level of thermal insulation. As an example, we mention that a square meter of product similar to thermal insulation on the market, considered the "state of the art" (made of polystyrene) is 90 euros, while a square meter of PUR-ICF costs about the same.
If we add that other such products, although they tend to approach a certain reasonable degree of thermal insulation, do not have by far the other technical characteristics of PUR-ICF elements (namely earthquake resistance, reliability, ease of use, quality and speed of execution, the degree of soundproofing, the lack of thermal bridges, etc.), we conclude without any doubt that PUR-ICF elements have the most competitive price on the market and provide long life.
As an initial investment, the price of the passive house built with PUR-ICF modular elements is comparable to the construction costs of a house in performance class A + (which is lower in energy efficiency than passive houses).
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