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High compressive strength insulation?


kxi

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Due to use of steel frame for the building structure, we have to sit all windows on a thermal break, strong enough to take the load from them. 250 kg in some cases. 

 

Experience / opinions on suitability of:

 

Armatherm 500

https://www.armatherm.co.uk/products/500-structural-thermal-break-material/

Which we're using elsewhere for steel connections

image.png.8a417d6f0bfd3f56b6f1ba120762a8c3.png

I couldn't find creep numbers for this.

 

 

Compacfoam

https://www.partel.co.uk/product/55/5/compacfoam

 

image.png.91129f60b42e489c85d6cd801119f5ed.png

 

 

Perinsul foamglas

https://www.foamglas.com/en-gb/applications-and-solutions/thermal-bridge/thermal-bridge-solution

 

image.png.b9039e7b9be7906c6cd137617b5d7418.png

 

My biggest concern is durability say over 50 years, and naively I'd assume the perinsul or armatherm is best for that?

 

Some discussion of this at

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16914

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Mechanical fixing for me 

 

I built a peg (150mm long steel dowel into the reveal 50mm poking out to sit the window on ) for wide windows a centre support from structure below. Window reveals fixed in my case to ro the structure 

 

I hate the idea of combining insulation with structure, a mistake in my book 

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I cut down some 50mm GRP grating from ebay,  then added some insulation in the holes. It supports our sliders and doors across the cavity. It was cheap and worked fine. I did some calculations and reckoned it had a thermal conductivity of about 0.065 W/mK with the added insulation. 

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56 minutes ago, tonyshouse said:

I hate the idea of combining insulation with structure, a mistake in my book 

 

Fair enough. 

 

For various reasons we can't support much weight off the sides, and while in principle the support along the bottom need not be continuous (e.g. could have 3 blocks of perinsul and fill in the gaps between with foam blocks) the way the whole thing has been designed requires an insulating & structural block under the whole window frame, which then has things screwed into it and airtightness tape attached.

 

image.png.aea18fc47561d451badce4b9cfe5c39c.png

 

The insulating / structural block is shaded.

TBH I never really looked at this detail until now, hence the question.

Also now obvious that perinsul won't work here since it can't take a screw, and I wonder perhaps armatherm can't either.

 

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