Analysis techniques, materials, and methods for treatment of thermal bridges in building envelopes

ERDC TR-13-7 Analysis Techniques, Materials, and Methods for Treatment of Thermal Bridges in Building Envelopes Construction Engineering Research Laboratory Benjamin P. Barnes, Axy Pagán-Vázquez, Andrew P. Heffron, Brenda B. Mehnert, Michael P. Case, Ashok Kumar, Jeffrey L. Lattimore, Richard J. Liesen, Larry D. Stephenson, Jonathan C. Trovillion, and Jeffrey B. Allen August 2013 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. ERDC TR-13-7 August 2013 Analysis Techniques, Materials, and Methods for Treatment of Thermal Bridges in Building Envelopes Benjamin P. Barnes, Axy Pagán-Vázquez, Andrew P. Heffron, Brenda B. Mehnert, Michael P. Case, Ashok Kumar, Jeffrey L. Lattimore, Richard J. Liesen, Larry D. Stephenson, and Jonathan C. Trovillion US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) PO Box 9005 Champaign, IL 61826-9005 Jeffrey B. Allen US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Waterways Experiment Station, 3909 Halls Ferry Road Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199 Final Report Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Prepared for Headquarters, US Army Corps of Engineers Washington, DC 20314-1000 ERDC TR-13-7 iv Abstract To meet mandated energy reduction goals, this work developed capabilities to characterize energy losses through building envelopes (especially thermal bridge losses), and to devise potential mitigation strategies using advanced techniques and materials. This report reviews existing thermal bridge quantification and mitigation strategies, as well as Army and building code requirements. It is proposed that, first, additional guidance must be authored to encourage treatment of thermal bridges and, second, that an easy to use thermal bridge catalogue must be composed. To this end, important thermal bridges in Army buildings are identified by infrared imaging and drawings review. Next, several 3-D heat transfer simulations are performed on t