info on exterior insulation/filling material, etc.-1999

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Report A3132.1 Page 1 In-situ Performance Evaluation of Exterior Insulation Basement System (EIBS) - EPS Executive Summary In 1995, the Expanded Polystyrene Association of Canada and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association established a joint research project with the Institute for Research in Construction to assess the in-situ thermal performance of a number of insulation products used as exterior basement insulation in contact with the ground. In October 1995, sixteen insulation specimens measuring 610 mm and 1220 mm wide were installed on the exterior basement wall at Test Hut #1 at the NRC Campus on Montreal Road in Ottawa. These specimens were instrumented prior to backfilling and their thermal performance was monitored over two full years. Soiltemperatures and moisture content were monitored concurrently. Weather events were recorded on a daily basis. Through analysis of the surface temperatures of the specimens, the presence of water was detected at their outer surface through various periods of heavy rain and major thaws throughout the two-year period. Over the same periods, the surface of the concrete on the inside of the insulation showed no evidence of water penetration through the insulation layer through most of the'height of the basement wall. For the conditions recorded over two years of monitoring, the thermal performance of each insulation specimen was found to remain stable. The thermal performance appeared not to be significantly affected by water movement at the exterior face of the insulation. Furthermore, many specimens showed improvement of thermal performance in the second year. The dry summer and dryer soils noted during the second year may have contributed to this apparent marginal improvement. The insulation specimens were retrieved after 30 months of exposure in the soil. Samples were taken from these exposed specimens. Thermal, moisture and mechanical properties were tested in the lab and compared to initial properties. No significant change in properties of the insulating materials was found.