green building insulation

7/27/2019 Green Building Insulation

1/17

Table o Contents

Executive Summary The Use o ccSPF in Green

Building Page 1Green Building Drivers Page 2

How ccSPF Stacks Up to Green

Building Criteria Page 5

Selection Criteria and Industry

Standards or Green Building Page 8

Green Insulation Choices and Tradeos Page 8

ccSPF Green Attributes and Applications Page 14

Green Building Case Study:

Mississippi Coast Coliseum Page 16

Green Building Case Study:Texas A&M University Page 16

Action Plan: Using SPF or Green Building

New Construction and Renovations Page 17

Sources and Reerences Page 17

Executive Summary: The Use o Advanced InsulatingTechnology in High-Perormance Green Building

For commercial and institutional buildings, sustainability has become an overarching and

highly important project driver Key attributes associated with high-perormance green building

including high energy eciency, occupant comort, material durability and increased

property values have led to the adoption o best practices in construction materials and

methods Among those is the use o more ecient insulation systems, air barriers, and

seamless monolithic roong systems One such system, closed-cell spray polyurethane oam

(ccSPF) is the subject o this white paper Closed-cell spray polyurethane oam has been

shown to oer improved lie-cycle analysis and environmental perormance, in addition to

superior control o the building enclosure and the indoor environment

This paper reviews the current state o high-perormance, advanced green insulation

technology, and the key actors to consider when selecting, speciying and designing a green

building insulation system Attention is given to the selection criteria used or green building,

including lie-cycle analysis (LCA) and the US Green Building Councils LEED systems

Ater a discussion o the eatures and advantages o ccSPF insulation in this context, an overview

is given on closed-cell spray oam products or use in the commercial building enclosure, including

the roo, walls, foor slabs and oundation Two case studies demonstrate the practical application

o ccSPF in green building The technical white paper concludes that ccSPF insulation provides

signicant benets contributing to green building perormance and LEED certications

Green Building Insulation:The Environmental BenetsTo meet green building standards or better thermal protection and energy perormance rom

longer-lasting, environmentally benign building materials, more projects employ closed-cell spraypolyurethane oam (ccSPF) insulation, which provides signifcant benefts contributing to green

building perormance and LEED certifcations..

A supplement to Building design +ConstruCtion


2/17

Green Building Drivers

Volatile and increasing energy prices,

concern over environmental impact, and

occupant health and comort these

are the drivers o green building today

In act, these trends have become o

paramount importance or commercial

and institutional building owners

Many experts in building perormance

believe that the current state o energy

consumption and carbon emissions

in the United States requires a stark

redirection o current design and

construction approaches In the

whole eld o energy conservation

and greenhouse gas emission, our

industry has to stop, hold on, and see

what were doing wrong, as opposed

to running to x small things, says Dr

Mark Bomberg, a research proessor inthe Building Energy and Environmental

Systems Laboratory at Syracuse

University You really have to look

where you can save energy work on

the demand side beore you address

the supply side, and thats through the

rehabilitation o existing buildings

Industrys response to rising energy

prices and increased environmentalimpact o building construction is

apparent The American Institute o

Architects reports that although ve

years ago, less than hal o architects

were incorporating green building

practices, it is estimated that 90 percent

o architects will incorporate sustainable

elements by 2012, and 88 percent

have received some training in green

building In addition, the 2006 McGraw

Hill Construction Survey noted that

corporate respondents to the survey are

willing to pay an average o 4 percent

more or LEED certied buildings, with

31 percent willing to pay more than 5

percent more

Despite increased demand or energy

and environmental perormance,

quantiying the green building benets

o specic technologies and strategies

is a complex process It requires the

evaluation o a long list o criteriain a ull lie-cycle analysis (LCA) to

determine overall product perormance

(related to manuactured products) and

ull system perormance (related to

buildings as a whole)

TheLCAorccSPF

Organizations such as Green

Globes, owned and operated in the

United States by the Green Building

Initiative, have created tools to perorm

LCA or products These methods

include consideration o a complete

range o environmental perormance

actors that impact overall product

selection and application These

actors include: climate change

potential; embodied energy; pollution

and waste production; health actors;

and other environmental risks

A number o LCAs have been

perormed to date on specic

ormulations o closed-cell spray

polyurethane oam (ccSPF), and all

have reported avorable outcomes,

in part because:Installed perormance. Once

installed, ccSPF materials are highly

durable, energy-ecient, and protect

buildings and their occupants rom

such issues as mold and poor indoor

air quality (IAQ)

Manuacturing eciencies.

The production and installation

o ccSPF uses less or equivalentenergy and raw materials to

produce, transport and install as

traditional insulation products

For example, one truckload o

ccSPF material is equal to three


Projected market growth in green construction

Source: 2006 McGraw-Hill Construction Survey

Education

Government

Office

Institutional

Healthcare

Residential

Hospitality

Retail

65%

62%

58%

54%

46%

32%

22%

20%

Signifcant market growth is projected or green building.


3/17

to our truckloads o board stock

insulation

Material sourcing and transport.

In addition, some ormulations use

locally-sourced and both pre and

post consumer recycled products,

adding to the sustainability o the

system

GreenBuildingStandardsandCertifcations

The practice o green building

is becoming institutionalized byorganizations such as the US Green

Building Council through their LEED

Rating Systems LEED stands or the

Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED) Green Building Rating

System, which includes such

categories as New Construction (LEED-

NC) and the renovation o Existing

Buildings (LEED-EB) These rating

systems are highly infuential, though

they have only certied a small portion

o the national building stock roughly

more than 1,250 buildings to date

While it is not the only method

employed to evaluate the sustainability

o buildings, LEED provides a model that

covers the signicant issues associated

with green building These green

building drivers as they relate to the

application o ccSPF ocus on:

Energy eciency. According to

the US Department o Energy (DOE),

buildings demand a growing and

signicant amount o energy the

total is about 40 quadrillion Btu (quads)

per year, with commercial buildings

accounting or more than 40 percent

o overall energy use In addition

to energy consumption, buildings

account or more than 40 percent o

all CO2 emissions in the United States

primarily because o their reliance on

coal-red electrical plants or electricity

supply (See Figure 1 on page 3)

These two actors, coupled with the

rising cost o operating commercial

and industrial buildings, makes

energy eciency a critical driver in

sustainable design and construction

as well as in building operations

Green building criteria address energy

eciency by requiring signicant energy

improvements in existing buildings,

and high perormance ratings on

new buildings The LEED-NC rating

system, or example, requires that

buildings be built to meet the provisions

o ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 901-2004 as a minimum level o energy

perormance (ASHRAE is the American

Society o Heating, Rerigerating and

Air-Conditioning Engineers, and IESNA

is the Illuminating Engineering Society o

North America)

Site selection and sustainability.

In addition to general considerations

about the building site including theredevelopment o brownelds, the

density o buildings and developments,

availability o mass transit, and pollution

reduction green building drivers


A y by Fak a Aca bh 1992 - th Caav

ey evaa pac pc a th Aav h B

a Cc iy a -cyc aay

ac c ha cc ha h b a ccy, ac y a c ha aa aa.

th y cc ha yha a a av 3.4

Btu aac y 1992, a ca fba

a. th qva 3.3 b cbc aa a,

580,000 ba .

Profile of energy use in buildings

Source: Energy Information Administration

OthersHeating

Water heatLights

CoolingRefrigeration

Wet CleanElectronics

CookingComputers

OthersLights

HeatingCooling

Water heatVentilation

Office equipmentRefrigeration

ComputersCooking

Industry

32%

Transportation

28%

Buildings

40%

Residential

22%

Commercial

18%

1%

2%3%

5%6%6%7%

13%14%

26%13%

5%7%

5%8%

12%

12%31%

4%

11%

Figure


4/17

include the reduction o the heat island eect According to the

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this phenomenon

describes urban and suburban temperatures that are 2

degrees F to 10 degrees F hotter than nearby rural areas due

to the heating o buildings, roads, and other developed lands

Elevated temperatures can impact communities by increasing

peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution

levels, and heat-related illness and mortality, the EPA adds

Strategies to reduce heat island eects include the use o

ccSPF highly refective, or ccSPF vegetated, roo systems

The LEED-NC rating system requires that roo surace area be

covered with at least 75 percent o material that has a Solar

Refectance Index (SRI) o at least 78 or low-slope roos, or anSRI o 29 or steep-sloped roos (See Figure 2 on page 4)

Material and resource use.According to the

Environmental Protection Agency in 1996, more than 78

million tons per year o waste was generated rom commercial

building renovation and construction, accounting or more

than 57 percent o overall construction and demolition debris

To signicantly reduce the amount o material diverted to

disposal, LEED-NC criteria allot credits or buildings that reuse

a large percentage o the existing structure, rather thandemolishing and reconstructing the building Closed-cell SPF

systems, particularly roong systems, allow or recoating in

lieu o complete system replacement, reducing demolition

and reconstruction Credit is also given or use o recycled,

regional, and rapidly renewable materials Some ccSPF

ormulations utilize recycled content, including the reuse o

existing roo system materials, and qualiy or this credit

Indoor environment. Indoor environmental quality, or IEQ,

is o paramount concern in green building, particularly in large

buildings where occupant health and workplace productivity

is critical Issues in the indoor environment include indoor

air quality (IAQ), comort, eective operation and control

o thermal and lighting systems, and adequate occupant

exposure to daylight

The importance o controlling these variables is crucial

or green building Some studies show a direct correlationbetween indoor pollutants and the accuracy o certain

tasks, such as typing; they also show a certain correlation

between perceived indoor pollutants and the perormance

o work tasks Among other notable statistics rom

IEQ studies perormed by Lawrence Berkeley National

Laboratory (LBNL):

By doubling ventilation rates in oce buidlings, occupants

showed a decrease in short-term absences o more than

one-thirdBuildings with above-average ventilation rates show

signicantly less sick-building syndrome (SBS)

symptoms in workplace occupants, with reductions o


Urban heat island profile

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

F C

33

32

31

30

29

Temperature

92

91

90

89

88

87

86

85

84

Rural Commercial Urban

residential

Suburban

residential

Suburban

residential

Downtown Park

NeighborhoodCornerStore

Figure


5/17

10 percent to 80 percent

Workplace perormance decreases signicantly in speed

and accuracy when interior temperatures climb above, or

all below, 71 degrees Fahrenheit

Workplace perormance increases in speed and accuracy

when ventilation rates increase

To address these concerns, green building criteria require

that HVAC systems and the building envelope (insulation and

airtightness) be designed to allow or optimal thermal control

according to ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, which includes

the actors o humidity, air temperature and speed, and

radiant temperature Adequate ventilation rates are required

according to ASHRAE 621-2004 Ventilation or AcceptableIndoor Air Quality In addition, low-emitting materials, including

adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpets, and wood or

ber products are required

Fundamentally, in order to adequately control ventilation

rates, indoor temperature and humidity, the building envelope

must be tightly sealed to prevent uncontrolled air inltration

A ccSPF system allows or superior air sealing, improving the

controllability o the indoor environment

How ccSPF Stacks Up to GreenBuilding Criteria

Closed-cell spray polyurethane oam (ccSPF) insulation

systems are sel-adhering, two-component products that are

spray-applied on site The material is a rigid insulation system

that, once cured, lls cracks, voids, and gaps and tenaciously

bonds to most construction material substrates, includingmetal, wood, plastic, masonry, and the like

In addition, ccSPF has been shown to provide superior

thermal insulation perormance the highest among all

commonly used insulation products Typically, 2 lb/t3

oam is used or walls and 3 lb/t3 oam is used or roos to

provide increased strength CcSPF perormance shows a

design R-value o 62 or ccSPF wall insulation with a density

o 2-pounds per cubic oot at 75 degrees F Similarly, at a

mean temperature o 75 degrees, a design R-value o 67 isobserved or ccSPF with a density o 3 pounds per cubic oot

(lbs/cu t), according to the standard ASTM C 518 04

Excellent thermal perormance, added structural strength,

nearly zero air permeability and integral vapor retarding

unction makes ccSPF a superior green building product

The expansion o the product once its sprayed on a surace

nearly thirty times the original volume allows it to conorm

to the many irregular spaces that traditional materials cannot

Overall, ccSPF systems are an excellent choice or

green building, as ccSPF systems provide:

Superior R-value as compared to all other insulation products

A complete air barrier, eliminating air inltration, thus

improving energy perormance signicantly beyond

basic R-value and radically improving control o theindoor environment

Improved building durability because it is seamless and

monolithic, reducing water and moisture intrusion and

improving overall building strength

An overall avorable lie-cycle analysis, thanks to: reduced

manuacturing energy used; up to 40 percent operational

energy savings; durability and long installed lie span; and

minimal waste o about 1/2 cubic yard per 10,000 square

eet o applicationMany green building rating system (such as LEED) credits

or energy perormance, reduced energy use in transport,

recycled and renewable material content (see Green

Benefts o Spray-applied Barrier Systemsor more details)

Lie-CycleAnalysis

The building systems incorporating ccSPF have been

shown to provide superior perormance in lie-cycle analysis

(LCA) Many manuacturers have commissioned LCAs or

their specic products, and results vary based on the product

ormulation However, generally speaking, LCAs perormed

show that ccSPF in comparison to other insulation systems:

Increased energy eciency by providing twice the

R-value o traditional materials, along with an

integrated air barrier and protection against thermal

bridging commonly ound in commercial buildings;

energy consumption over the lie o the building, which

has been quantied as up to 40 percent lower than



6/17

with other materials

Reduced landll diversion and

cost, as installation o ccSPF

produces little waste to be

diverted to landll This attribute

also addresses requirements or

reduced construction waste

Reduced transportation cost,

as ccSPF is transported as the

liquid precursors and is thereore

compact and lightweight to

transport

Increased durability whencompared to traditional systems,

as ccSPF provides superior

protection against moisture and

water vapor, as well as increased

racking strength and wind

resistance

Reduced health and risk

potential, as less material must

be produced and transported,less fammable primers are used,

and there is less irritant potential

than with many other common

material choices

Dick West, President o West Roong

Systems and West Development Group,

who has been producing and installing

SPF roo systems or decades notes an

important point in relation to the overall

environmental impact o SPF systems

When we send out a truckload o

ccSPF, says West, its a truckload o

drums Lets say a truckload is 40,000

pounds o product per truckload A

truckload is equal to 120,000 board

eet o insulation It would take 3-4

truckloads o board stock to provide

insulation or the same project that

takes one truckload o ccSPF The

overall carbon ootprint o a ccSPF roo

is substantially lower than a comparable

roo assembly simply because were

shipping it out as a fuid and it expands

30 times upon application

EnergyEfciencyandtheBuildingEnvelope

Energy eciency is a complex

issue that involves nearly every

individual system in a building, as

well as consideration or the entire

building as a whole system However,

engineers and designers versed in

energy-ecient construction agree

that eciency begins with building

envelope perormance A high-

perormance building envelope involves

two signicant actors: high levels o

eective insulation, and a superior and

consistent air-barrier system

Not only does ccSPF provide the

highest R-value per inch o any

insulation system, but it also acts as

an integral air barrier In commercial

buildings, this perormance is

particularly signicant Otentimes in

commercial buildings youre dealing

with steel studs, and steel conducts

energy and heat about 1,000 times

aster than wood or vinyl, says Steve

Easley, a Caliornia-based building-

science consultant specializing in

the commercial sector According

to the Denver American Association

o Architects Committee on the

Environment, thermal bridging in

steel ramed buildings can reduce theeectiveness o insulation systems by

30-50 percent The reduced insulation

eectiveness can lead to lower wall

cavity temperatures, which, in turn,

can lead to condensation and building

envelope moisture problems The

Department o Energy recommends

using thermal blocks to eliminate

issues with thermal bridging, whichcan be done by utilizing ccSPF as

an insulation system, as ccSPF will

continuously cover existing thermal

bridges In addition, because ccSPF


Foam as an insulator

Source: TK

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

R-valueperinch

Closed-cell

SPF

PIR

sheathing*

Extruded

polystyrene

Expanded

polystyrene

Waterblown

polyurethane**

Fiberglass

Mineral

fiber

Perlite

Calcium

silicate

Wood

fibreboard

R-values of insulation materials at 75 F

Today, it is estimated that in residential and small commercial

buildings, over 50% of the energy loss is associated with heat transfer

and air leakage through the building envelope components.

Oak Ridge National Labs

Enovate-blown SPFTypical materials

Lost to air leakage***

* PIR polyisocyanurate** Open cell foam

*** Honeywell estimates

Figure


7/17

systems dont require asteners, thermal bridging is naturally

eliminated (See Figure 3 on page 6)

SiteSelectionandSustainability

According to LBNLs Heat Island Group, the urban heat-

island eect is a considerable issue in metropolitan areas,

where the lack o vegetated ground cover can lead to

temperature dierentials o 6-8 degrees Fahrenheit This

temperature increase dramatically impacts energy use,

mechanical system operation, IAQ, and comort LBNL studies

to reduce heat island eect have ocused largely on cool roos

systems that use light colored, refective roo coatings that

can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent and, i widely

used, can greatly reduce the increase in temperatures in

urban areas

Roong systems using ccSPF provide an excellent

commercial cool-roo solution because they can be combined

easily with high refectivity, low-emissivity (low-E) roo

coatings They can also be used eectively under vegetated

roos to reduce roo surace temperature and increase building

perormance In addition, because ccSPF roong applications

are an extremely eective strategy or re-roong over existingstanding seam metal and other (built-up, modied bitumen, or

single-ply) roo systems, the material provides a sustainable

solution or existing buildings

MaterialandResourceUseandDurability

A signicant actor in green building is reducing or diverting

construction waste, and with this comes the issue o durability

o materials The EPA has estimated that construction- and

renovation-related waste generated in the United States

accounts or 25 percent to 40 percent o the countrys

solid waste Because ccSPF is applied on site by qualied

proessionals who use only as much material as is needed,

construction waste is eliminated or signicantly reduced

More signicantly, increasing the lie o a building system

reduces the need or new resources to replace it Surveys

conducted by Dr Dean Kashiwagi, a teaching proessor at

the Del E Webb School o Construction at the University o

Arizona, have documented the exceptional durability o ccSPF

roong systems The studies have evaluated thousands

o ccSPF roong systems in six US climate zones and

concluded that o all the roos:

976 percent did not leak

93 percent had less than 1 percent deterioration

55 percent were never maintained

70 percent were applied over existing roos

The oldest perorming roos were more than 26 years old

Fundamentally, the studies proved that the physical properties

o the roos did not diminish over time This conclusion

highlights the sustainability o ccSPF roo systems

IndoorEnvironment

HVAC system design and perormance, human activities,

and o-gassing o toxic compounds rom building components

and urnishings have a dramatic eect on the quality o indoor

air The perormance o the building envelope is paramount to

good air quality A poorly insulated, leaky envelope creates the

perect conditions or condensation and mold growth, as well

as the invasion o outside contaminants into the conditionedspace not to mention reductions in energy eciency

The use o ccSPF helps to improve IAQ because it acts

as an integral air barrier, reducing air inltration to provide a

more controllable conditioned space This also reduces the

incidence o moisture intrusion and moisture-related damage,

even providing an insulation value that reduces condensation

within the wall cavity or on building suraces These eatures

reduce the growth o mold and mildew and allow or improved

ventilation and mechanical system operation, improving indoorair quality

Finally, ccSPF is considered a low-emitting material by

LEED-NC because it doesnt produce toxic contaminants

that aect the indoor environment As critical to indoor air

quality is control o space conditioning The high R-value o

ccSPF and its perormance as an air barrier allows HVAC

systems to work to the best o their expected perormance



8/17

Selection Criteria and IndustryStandards or Green Building

The past decade has seen a huge need to measure and

quantiy the perormance o green products, and green

buildings I use the term high-perormance buildings,

says Syracuse Universitys Dr Mark Bomberg, because

nobody understands what the word green means In act,

the advertising and publicity associated with green building

and sustainable design in the construction and remodeling

industry is seen as nebulous, ill-dened, and unregulated by

experts In response, the Federal Trade Commission held a

working group to determine how to provide concrete guidance

on the acceptable use o marketing terms associated with

green building These recommendations will be incorporated

into the FTCs Green Guides in 2009, making it unlawul to

market using unsubstantiated (and unmeasured) claims about

building or building product perormance

The technical standards to which a green building must

be built have also long been in contest This need has driven

the development or adaptation o a variety o standards orcommercial construction by organizations such as ASHRAE,

the Green Building Initiative (GBI), and the US Green Building

Council (USGBC) Recently, the USGBC and GBI both became

accredited as Standards Developing Organizations (SDO) by

the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and they

both have developed standards that apply to buildings and

building systems

The U.S. Green Building Council: USGBCs LEED or

New Construction and LEED or Existing Buildings providea comprehensive certication program In addition, LEED

provides a LEED or Core & Shell rating system that ocuses

specically on the perormance o the structure, envelope,

and HVAC system only

Green Building Initiative: The Green Globes Assessment

and Rating System and associated tools provide a

comprehensive rating system or new and existing

buildings, a certication process and analysis tools Their

sotware tools allow or building and ull lie cycle analysis

GreenGuard: Created by the GREENGUARD Environmental

Institute, GREENGUARD certication assures that products

and buildings that go through requent testing to ensure

particle and chemical emissions that meet guidelines or

acceptable indoor air quality

Green Seal: Run by a not-or-prot group, Green Seal

tests and certies products that have been evaluated over

their ull lie cycle, starting rom material extraction through

manuacturing and consumer use, all the way to disposal

and recycling

Green Insulation Choices and

Tradeos

Based on the industry-accepted standards and criteria

or high-perormance, sustainable buildings outlined above,

a number o attributes, including ull product lie-cycle

analysis, must be weighed when selecting sustainable

insulation materials In addition to using an LCA or product

evaluation, eective energy perormance and overall air barrier

eectiveness must be considered criticallyEective energy perormance. In addition to choosing

a system with the highest possible eective R-value based

on the eld perormance o commonly installed insulation

products, the overall energy perormance o a building is

signicantly aected by issues associated with insulation

system selection and installation It is important to note that

studies have shown that the real-world (eective) perormance

o insulation systems simply doesnt match up to labeled

R-value Installation errors, wind drit/wash, mechanical

asteners, joints and gaps along with other actors radically

reduce thermal perormance o insulation as measured in

commonly installed scenarios

Because the eective perormance o insulation systems

is so critical to the perormance o the entire building system,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducted a study in

1998 to evaluate the actual R-value perormance o insulation

products when installed, as compared to the labeled R-values

Striking results showed that berglass batt insulation labeled



9/17

at an R-value o 19, showed an R-value

o 17 when correctly installed When

installed as commonly ound in walls

ater installation, the R-value was 137

(ORNL 1998) (See Figure 4 on page 9)

As demonstrated in Table TK on

page TK, refecting research by

the American Society o Heating,

Rerigeration and Air-conditioning

Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Oak Ridge

National Laboratories (ORNL), asteners

alone can reduce the eective insulation

value between 15 percent to 315percent, depending on the number and

type o asteners

SPF eliminates thermal bridging by

providing a continuous, ully adhered layer

o insulation over existing thermal bridges

in the roo deck and/or assembly

Signicant impacts on energy

perormance. Thermal drit, thermal

bridging, air movement, and moisture

all dramatically impact whole building

perormance

A thermal bridge is an assembly or

component in the building envelope

that transers heat at a signicantly

higher rate than the surrounding

insulated area Thermal bridging

is created by asteners, joints, and

gaps Thermal bridging can be a

signicant cause o heat loss andunderperormance o insulation

assemblies in commercial buildings,

particularly in metal-ramed buildings

and decking systems

Air movement (inltration and

exltration) account or a signicant

amount o energy loss in commercial

buildings According to a 2005 study

by the National Institute o Science

and Technology (NIST), an energy

savings o up to 62 percent can

be realized by undertaking specic

measures to improve airtightness

In addition to energy loss, inltration

reduces occupant comort, intereres

with ecient operation o mechanical

systems, reduces indoor air quality

and contributes to condensation and

moisture damage in the buildingenvelope system Air movement can

be most eectively limited by the use

o ccSPF as compared to other type

insulation systems

Moisture considerations. Issues

related to moisture penetration and


Figure:LabeledR-valuevs.InstalledR-valuesAttic Thermal Testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Insulation Test Number Insulation

Temerature

Labeled R-

Value

Tested R-Value

(C 1363)

% Labeled

Blown Fiber Glass

@ 14 incehes

1a (low temp) 3801 38 17.7 47

1b (low temp) 38.03 17.7 47

1c (avg temp) 51.75 29.0 76

1d (high temp) 88.97 20.2 53

Low-Density

SPF @ 55 inches

2a (low temp) 3261 198 14.7 742b (low temp) 32.73 14.7 74

2c (avg temp) 48.49 13.6 69

2d (high temp) 93.00 12.1 61

High-Density

SPF @ 40 inches

3a (low temp) 3289 27 22.8 84

3b (low temp) 33.01 22.7 83

3c (avg temp) 48.79 19.8 73

3d (high temp) 93.07 18.1 67

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1998


10/17

control go hand in hand with improving energy perormance

in buildings The reason is that systems improving energy

perormance in the building envelope can prevent bulk

water and water vapor rom entering and damaging building

assemblies Insulation, moisture barriers, and air barriers

are critical parts o the high-perormance building envelope

These systems are instrumental to energy perormance,

but also to helping prevent water vapor rom entering the

envelope assembly, where it can condense and turn into

liquid water a key ingredient in corrosion and mold growth

The properties o ccSPF address the unctions o all o these

systems, combined

Air barrier perormance. Generally speaking, air barriers

are intended to keep air rom moving through building

assemblies walls, roos, oundations throughout the

entire building envelope Although air-barrier and insulation

systems oten involve several components and installations,

the entire air-barrier assembly, ully installed and connected,

must be tested or air leakage to quantiy the perormance othe installed system This testing is done using ASTM E 2357

guidelines, and the results refect the total amount o air that

passes through the envelope The acceptable air leakage o

assemblies, components, and the entire building envelope is

the same, and cannot exceed 02 liters per second per square

meter (L/s/m2) at 75Pa, or 0004 cubic eet per minute per

square oot (cm/t2) at 157 ps In relation to individual air

barrier materials that may comprise an air barrier system or

assembly, the material must have the requisite air leakage

rate when measured in accordance with ASTM 2178

In addition to evaluating the perormance o specic systems

in a laboratory-testing environment, overall perormance

targets or the entire building must be considered Though

many building codes do not contain adequate language to

govern the design and construction parameters or air barriers

in commercial buildings, new standards are being developed

and implemented For example, ASHRAE is in the process o

making revisions to Standard 901 that will require the inclusion

o a continuous air barrier As previously stated, the material

must have the requisite air leakage rate when measured inaccordance with ASTM 2178

0 A supplement to Building design +ConstruCtion

R-valueLossDuetoFastenersinMetalRooDeckAssemblies

Board

Insulation

1 astener per 4 sq t 1 astener per 2 sq t 1 astener per 1 sq t

Insulation

Thickness

Comparison Results: Assumed System Resistance & U-Value vs Actual System Resistance and U-Value

R-Value Loss % R-Value Loss % R-Value Loss %

Assumed Calculated % Assumed Calculated % Assumed Calculated %

1 0 in 585 518 115 585 466 2027 47 345 2649

15 in 835 734 1208 835 657 213 662 475 2819

20 in 1085 951 124 1085 848 2186 854 605 2913

30 in 1585 1383 1273 1585 1229 2244 1239 866 3013

40 in 2085 1816 129 2085 1611 2275 1624 1126 3066

50 in 2585 2249 1301 2585 1992 2294 2008 1386 3098

60 in 3085 2681 1308 3085 2374 2306 2393 1646 3120

70 in 3585 3114 1313 3585 2755 2315 2777 1906 3136

80 in 4085 3547 1317 4085 3136 2322 3162 2167 3148

According to research by ASHRAE and ORNL, asteners alone can reduce the eective insulation value o metal buildings between 1.5% to 31.5%, depending on the number and

type o asteners.


11/17

For more inormation on air barriers, see Insulation

Energy Saving: Key Issues and Perormance Factors [ADD

LINK TO BD+C PAPER HERE, as ollows:] (wwwnconlinecom/uploads/Insulation percent20Energy percent20Savings

percent20Finalpd)

GreenInsulationOptionsorCommercialConstruction

The Insulation Contractors Association o America (ICAA)

recognizes the ollowing categories o insulation in their

publication Recommended Design Considerations and Guide

Specications or Commercial Building Insulation:

Rigid and semi-rigid oam board insulation

Thermal batt and blanket insulation

Spray applied polyurethane oam insulation

Spray applied brous insulation

Loose ll insulation

Many products within these categories can be used to

achieve green building guidelines, but as seen in the sections

above, oam board and spray oam insulation provide

signicantly higher R-values than other insulation types, and

ccSPF provides an integral thermal, moisture and air barrier

that dramatically improve actual energy savings perormance

In addition to energy, moisture and air barrier considerations,GREENGUARD lays out the ollowing emissions criteria or a

product to be labeled under their GREENGUARD Indoor Air

Certication Program or Low-emitting Products (see Figure

using minimal additional resources and diverting very little

material to landlls

Provides superior thermal perormance, including

unparalleled air-sealing which, in turn, improves overall

building envelope thermal perormance and reduces energy

used by HVAC systems Lower energy use in buildings inturn reduces carbon emissions

Provides moisture protection, reducing IAQ issues and

increasing durability

Adds structural integrity to the building, urther increasing

building durability

Is renewable, particularly in applications like commercial

roos where ccSPF can be recoated vs tear-o and

replacement o traditional roo system every 10-20 years

Is durable, as ccSPF has a serviceable lie o more than


Figure:R-ValuesocommonInsulationMaterials

Insulation Type R-Value per inch o thickness

Fiberglass blanket or batt 29 to 38 (avg 32)

High perormance ber glass blanket or batt 37 to 43 (avg 38)

Loose-ll ber glass 23 to 27 (avg 25)

Loose-ll rock wool 27 to 30 (avg 28)

Loose-ll cellulose 34 to 37 (avg 35)

Perlite or vermiculite 24 to 37 (avg 27)

Expanded polystyrene board 36 to 4 (avg 38)

Extruded polystyrene board 45 to 5 (avg 48)Polyisocyanurate board, unaced 56 to 63 (avg 58)

Polyisocyanurate board, oil-aced 7

Spray polyurethane oam 56 to 63 (avg 59)

Source: U.S. Department o Energy/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, July 2007


12/17

30 years and can be recoated easily, at a minimal cost,

using minimal additional resources and diverting very little

material to landlls

Is sometimes made with recycled materials, and with

materials that are locally sourced and manuactured

Rates very well in lie-cycle analysis

Joseph Lstiburek, PhD, PEng, a principal o BuildingScience Corporation and an internationally renowned building

scientist believes that insulation products capable o achieving

green building standards need to handle water, air, vapor and

thermal control in one material All o these actors, says

Lstiburek, are very important in the undamental perormance

o a building You want a water, air, and vapor control layer

coupled with a thermal control layer A lot o technologies are

able to collapse three o those our unctions, whereas ccSPF

can actually collapse all our into one application In otherwords, normally you have a water control membrane thats

also an air and a vapor barrier and you install insulation over

it With ccSPF, that one layer o oam sprayed on the outside

o the building actually does all our things Its a product

thats unique like no other the only product available in the

industry that can provide our o the major undamental control

unctions o the building enclosure

This undamental act is the cornerstone and unique

value o ccSPF to green building ccSPF systems addressall o the core issues associated with energy, moisture, and

durability perormance o buildings in one system, in addition

to providing added benets that can be used to achieve other

points in green rating systems

AchievingUSGBCLEEDorNewConstructioncreditsusingccSPF

Closed-cell spray polyurethane systems provide benets

that can allow designers to qualiy or points in the USGBCLEED rating systems The ollowing table outlines the areas

where it may be possible to achieve points using ccSPF:

Closed-Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam:Green Attributes and Applications

For those wanting more detail, ollowing is an overview

o the attributes and applications o ccSPF Briefy, ccSPF

is an insulating oam that is sprayed in or onto construction


Figure:GreenGuardEmissionCriteriaFor use with GreenGuard Certication ProgramSM or Low

Emitting ProductsInsulation-Applicable to: Building insulation, Basic mechanical

insulation and Air handling (HVAC) insulation

Properties ASTM Test Value

Individual VOCs1 < 01 TLV < 01 TLV

Formaldehyde < 005 ppm < 0025 ppm

Total VOCs2 < 05 mg/m3 < 025 mg/m3

Total Aldehydes3 < 01 ppm < 005 ppm

Respirable particles

(or HVAC ductwork)

< 05 mg/m3 < 05 mg/m3

Listing o measured carcinogens and reproductive toxins

as identied by Caliornia Proposition 65, the US National

Toxicology Program (NTP), and the International Agency on

Research on Cancer (IARC) must be provided

Any pollutant regulated as a primary or secondary outdoor

air pollutant must meet a concentration that will not

generate an air concentration greater than that promulgated

by the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (US EPA,

code o Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 50)1Any VOC not listed must produce an air concentration level no greater than

1/10 the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) industrial work place standard (Reerence:

American Conerence o Government Industrial Hygeinists, 6500 Glenway, Building

D-7, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-4438).

2Defned to be the total response o measured VOCs alling within the C6-C

16

range, with responses calibrated to a toluene surrogate.

3Defned to be the total response o a specifc target list o aldegydes (2-butenal;

acetaldehyde; benzaldehyde; 2.5-dimethylbenzaldehyde, 2-methylbenzaldehyde;

3-and /or 4-methylbenzaldehyde; butanal; 3-methylbutanal; ormaldehyde;

hexanal; pentanal; propanal), with each individually calibrated to a compound

specifc standard.

Source: GreenGuard Environmental Institute

Its the only product available in the industry

that can provide our o the major undamental

control unctions o the building enclosure.


13/17

assemblies When it contacts the application surace, it

immediately increases in volume by as much as 30-40 times

The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) notes that

the various SPF ormulations provide a broad range o physical

properties that are suitable or a variety o applications and

climates Closed-cell SPFs (ccSPFs) are suitable or both

interior and exterior insulation because o signicantly higher

structural integrity and waterproong characteristics Foam


Sustainable Sites

SS Credit 61-62: Storm water Design:

Quantity and Quality ControlUse o vegetated roo systems over ccSPF roo systems can qualiy projects or

points by minimizing impervious suraces

SS Credit 72: Heat Island Eect: Roo Use o highly refective roo coatings over ccSPF roos, in addition to vegetatedroo systems, can qualiy or points by reducing roo surace temperatures and

thereby decreasing the urban heat island eect

Energy and Atmosphere

EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy

Perormance RequiredUse o ccSPF signicantly increases energy perormance in buildings through

superior R-value and air barrier perormance Points may be gained or

overall building energy perormance because o improved building envelope

perormance In addition, ccSPF is a non-Ozone depleting technology, ccSPF

roos can to integrated into photovoltaic solar energy systems , and there is

reduced energy in manuacturing ccSPF as compared to traditional systems

EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Perormance

Materials and Resources

MR Credit 11 - 12: Building Reuse:

Maintain 75% - 95% o Existing Walls,

Floors & Roo

Use o ccSPF roo systems allows or application o new coatings instead o

complete roo tear-o once the systems useul lie is reached Points may be

gained or reuse and recoating o the existing roo structure

MR Credit 41-42: Recycled Content Some ccSPF ormulations utilize recycled content and may qualiy or points

MR Credit 51 -52: Regional Materials Some ccSPF ormulations utilize regionally sourced and produced materials and

can qualiy or points

MR Credit 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials Some ccSPF ormulations utilize agricultural products, such as soy, and sugarbased polymers that are rapidly renewable

Indoor Environmental Quality

EQ Credit 41: Low-Emitting Materials:

Adhesives & SealantsCcSPF is not considered a volatile organic compound (VOC) by the US

government, and its use reduced the use o caulks and adhesives

EQ Credit 71: Thermal Comort: Design CcSPF can help building envelopes meet the requirements o ASHRAE Standard

55-2004, Thermal Comort Conditions or Human Occupancy

ID Credit 114: Innovation in Design CcSPF oam can contribute to innovation credits or acoustical perormance,

reducing construction waste while being sustainable and durable


14/17

used in exterior applications must be covered or both UV and

protection rom the weather

Because ccSPF shows little degradation over time, SPF

roong systems have been in place or as long as 30 years

and are easily renewable ater that time by just re-coating the

surace which provides UV protection Cracks or punctures in

ccSPF roo systems up to 3 inches in diameter can be xed

using simple elastomeric sealants or caulk; damage o a larger

size can be resolved with reapplication o the spray oam in

the aected area The combination o ccSPF roo insulation

and waterproong system with elastomeric, aggregate, or

vegetated coverings to protect the ccSPF against UV ratings

provide and highly desirable green-roo solutionSeveral types o ccSPF are used or building envelopes

high-density closed-cell SPFthat is extremely resistant to

water intrusion and oot trac, medium-density closed-cell

SPFor interior applications

ViewsonSpray-FoamInsulationbyGreenBuildingExperts

Bill Rose, a research architect at the University o Illinois at

Urbana-Champaigns Building Research Council, has conducted

signicant research into thermal and moisture perormance o

buildings, and served as a consultant on historic buildings and

museums For obvious reasons, his work in museum projects

has ocused on the critical building perormance actor o indoor

temperature and humidity control According to Rose, There is

simply no way to control temperature and particularly humidity in

a building thats leaky Especially or larger museums, the eort

to improve the indoor climate and make it more stable hinges on

the ability to prevent air leakageRoses experience shows that existing buildings can have

signicant issues in air leakage that cant be solved using

traditional materials These leaks pose signicant problems to

energy and indoor environmental perormance As ar as I can

tell, says the research architect, there really isnt any product

that compares to spray-applied urethane oams or blocking air

leakage The rst thing we do is look at the wall roo junction

Oten where the wall goes up the roo engages the parapet

continues up rom that its just a giant chimney or air leakageThe question o making the indoor environment workable or not

comes down to the question can we oam these holes shut?

Syracuse Universitys Dr Mark Bomberg believes that spray

oam will play a signicant role in reducing energy demand

and environmental impact o buildings Bombergs decades o

experience with buildings and building perormance research,

as well as the spray oam industry, has made him passionate

about systems that behave as a system, rather than component

products and materials Spray oam is a material or now and

the uture, not or the past, because in the past we were dividing

building and materials and everyone was selling miraculous

solutions called product A, B, or C Now because we are looking

at energy, durability, sustainability all these green things we

have to deal with building as a system Spray oams uture issecure because it allows tailoring to whatever needs you have in

your system

RelatedGreenBeneftsoSPF

Though not directly measured by commonly accepted

green building criteria, the ollowing related benets o using

ccSPF systems should be considered in any green building or

remodeling project:

Saety: ccSPF insulation and waterproong systems addstructural integrity to any building particularly in roo

systems that are impacted by wind uplit in severe weather

areas In act, a 2007 study at the University o Floridas

Department o Civil and Coastal Engineering showed that

ccSPF roo systems have the potential to increase wind

uplit capacity by more than three times that o traditional

construction using a continuous layer o ccSPF on the

underside o the roo deck

Highly refective (cool) roo surace: Heat on a low-slopeblack roo surace can surge to 190 degrees Fahrenheit

in the summer Much o the heat generated in summer

months is absorbed into the building, radically impacting

eciency by impact to heating and cooling loads Highly

refective, low-E roo coatings and membranes are now

widely available or the UV suracing o ccSPF roo

systems, and have proven to reduce roo temperatures to

a ew degrees above ambient temperature on common

roo assemblies In addition, highly refective ccSPF roo

systems have been shown to reduce the energy needed



15/17

to cool a commercial building by as much as hal As an

alternate green-roo strategy, a vegetated-roo system can

be installed on top o a ccSPF roo system

Solar photovoltaic roo SPF systems: Once energy

conservation measures are employed and the building

consumes as little energy as possible, generating power

onsite rom renewable energy sources is an excellent green

building strategy A ccSPF roo system that employs highly

refective coatings, coupled with roo-mounted photovoltaic

(PV) panels can provide ecient operation and oset energy

costs The ccSPF roong systems create a waterproo,

monolithic, and lightweight roo structure that allows or the

addition o PV systems without concerns about roo weightVegetated roo systems: Vegetated or true green roo

systems employ vegetative roo cover to replace a bare

membrane, gravel, shingle, or tiles A vegetated roo system

can provide signicant benets, including stormwater

runo management and urban heat island eect reduction

Although a vegetated roo system can be installed on any

type o low-slope commercial roo, ccSPF systems are

ideal, because they:

Provide signicant insulation value, reducing thelikelihood o water on the roo rom cooling the building

during the winter or heating it during the summer

Are lightweight Any additional systems placed on the

roo o a building add weight to the structure, and the

lightweight nature o ccSPF may allow designers to

speciy vegetated roo systems without the need to

reinorce the roo to account or additional weight

Are continuous, monolithic, sel-fashing and are easily

tapered to slope and drain properly ensuring that water

rom the vegetated roo system doesnt enter the

building envelope

Are durable and have a compressive strength o (45-

50psi) - double that o polyisocyanurate board stock at

(20-25psi) This added durability improves the roos

ability to withstand oot trac and abuse

Adhere to irregular suraces and ll penetrations unlike

any other product, ideal when a vegetated roo system

design uses stanchions or other structural assemblies

A critical note or green building systems such as solar

photovoltaic and vegetated roo systems is made by Dick

West Youre taking a part o a building thats basically

designed to insulate and waterproo the structure, thats

it Anything you put on that roo is detrimental to that goal

so when you start putting rootop mounted equipment up

there and you have penetrations going through the roo to

support the solar collectors each one o those penetrations

is a vulnerable point or water intrusion Because ccSPF is

sel-fashing and conorms very easily to irregular shapes and

penetrations, the cost o the roo assembly doesnt go up as

a result o all o the additional assemblies and penetrations

needed to support a PV system The other reason that ccSPFlends itsel to these additional systems is the act that ccSPF

is probably the lightest weight roo assembly you can install

on a building A buildings roo capacity is limited I you want

to make the load capacity greater, you have to bee up the

structure itsel, which is expensive I youre going to add PV

or vegetated roo systems, thus adding weight and can add a

lighter weight roo system instead o reinorcing the building,

thats a clear benet

Green Building Case Study:Mississippi Coast Coliseum

Building: Mississippi Coast Coliseum

Location: Biloxi, MS

Prole: Biloxi, Mississippi is a tough place to be a building,

particularly a roo Since 1979, Biloxi has been hit by more

than 15 hurricanes, with high wind speeds between 110mph and 115 mph According to the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 28 signicant hail events

with gol-ball-sized hail, 28 tornadoes, and 100 high-wind

storms have braced the area All told that equates to more

than 175 days o severe weather since 1979

Built in 1977, the Mississippi Coast Coliseum was

constructed with an ccSPF roo Ater Hurricane Katrina, the

coliseum was still standing with little damage to the SPF roo

system Contractors removed a inch o the SPF and replacedit, along with a new elastomeric coating A NIST report titled



16/17

Perormance o Physical Structures in Hurricane Katrina

and Hurricane Rita: A Reconnaissance Reports showed

that SPF roos perormed signicantly better than average

in hurricane conditionsThe increased durability o SPF roo systems provides

a sustainable solution or commercial buildings, reducing

the need or replacement or signicant maintenance and

maintaining building perormance attributes over time

According to sources such as the Oak Ridge National

Laboratory and Franklin & Associates, durability is a key

component o lie-cycle analysis, or LCA a key component

o green building Providing good wind uplit resistance and

enhanced structural strength o building assemblies, ccSPF hasbeen shown to contribute to sustainability over the long term

Green Building Case Study: TexasA&M University

Building(s): Texas A&M University

Location: Biloxi, TX

Prole: With over 7 million square eet o ccSPF roongsystem on their buildings, Texas A&M may be the best

example o proven sustainability and energy eciency o

SPF systems

In the 1970s, the universitys physical plant department

was looking or alternatives to their traditional built-up roo

systems, which had suered signicant leaks ater only a ew

years o service

SPF roo systems were used on many o the Texas A&M

buildings, with energy savings being monitored on 27

buildings that had been retrotted with SPF roos between

1980 and 1984 Results showed a payback in energy

savings o an average o 45 years

The systems, many still in place today, boast high energy

savings, low maintenance and replacement costs, and

minimal disruption in occupant productivity, as the systems

can be applied without disrupting the building interior

Action Plan: Using ccSPF or GreenBuilding New Construction andRenovations

Use o ccSPF systems or green buildings will become

more commonplace as building designers and owners seek

cost-eective means to achieve new building codes and

green building program requirements For that reason, we

recommend the ollowing:

1. Focus research and solutions development and

measurements on whole-systems solutions, rather than

component parts. Syracuse Universitys Bomberg believes

that the industry should strive or systems solutions that

are measured and veried as whole systems, rather than

component parts

2. Understand and evaluate the application and

perormance o dierent ccSPF ormulations or specic

applications. There are many dierent types o oams

and applications and building teams must evaluate the

perormance o each ormulation and application As Bomberg

refects, A tailor can use very dierent textiles to make

dierent pants Hes not saying I use only one textile to makeall pants The oam industry needs to look at their products in

a similar way

3. Further veriy the perormance o ccSPF systems

according to traditional LCA models. While lie-cycle

analysis has been perormed on ccSPF systems that

refect good perormance, additional evaluations are

orthcoming that will urther strengthen the case Clearly,

in such areas as energy conservation and durability,

ccSPF is a good lie-cycle choice


A number o spray polyurethane oam (SPF)

roong systems were observed Some o

these roos were estimated to be about 20

years old. With one minor exception, all were

ound to have sustained Hurricane Katrina

extremely well without blow-o o the SPF

or damage to fashings. NIST


17/17

4. Push the requirement o high thermal and air-

barrier perormance in the design and construction

o all buildings. Fundamentally, building codes and

standards are not stringent enough to create a solution to

building-related contributions to greenhouse gas emissions,

unsustainable energy consumption, and signicant negative

environmental impact New codes and legislation should

be developed and enacted that reduce consumption and

improve positive environmental impact

SourcesandReerences

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quotedinthedevelopmentothisWhitePaper.BuildingDesign+Construction

thanksthesegroupsortheirwork.

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Corporate Sponsor Honeywell

Honeywell has been a key supplier o fuorocarbon

insulation or more than 40 years. Throughout this time,

Honeywell has been a global leader in developing and

commercializing products that meet the needs o the global

oam market, as well as the most comprehensive technical,

regulatory, health, saety, and environmental support, which is

critical in ensuring sae and eective use o these products.

green building insulation

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