Insulation control

Energy use in the Middle East is now a prime concern and the insulation products used on a project can have a huge impact on its life cycle costs.

As a construction product, insulation provides several functions and benefits. In the Middle East, protecting a structure and its users against excessive heat gain may be the most obvious of these, but minimising energy use; reducing CO2 emissions; and providing a fire safety barrier are also major factors to consider when selecting the appropriate insulation materials for a project.

And with sustainable building at the top of the agenda in the region, regulations on insulation use are being tightened and manufacturers are developing their products to meet the increasing demands of the end-user. So what measures must be taken to meet the correct standards for insulation in the region and what are the latest products on offer to help contractors achieve their goals?

Standard practice?
Poor insulation is now recognised as one of the major contributors to building energy loss. In December 2008 the European Union (EU) Commission estimated this loss as the equivalent of US $700 per person per annum, with a total of $377 billion of wasted energy in the EU alone each year.

The more extreme weather conditions in the Middle East and reliance on air conditioning to provide comfortable indoor conditions make the potential for energy loss even greater, as a lack of quality insulation means more cooling will be needed to maintain comfort temperatures. Regulations concerning the insulation levels required on Middle East projects currently vary across the region.

“Each country in the [Gulf] region has established its own set of rules and regulations on insulating buildings against such extreme heat and temperatures,” explains Knauf technical manager Cem Sungar. “Most of these regulations are controlled and implemented by the regional municipalities. These bodies issue and approve building permits for developers and contractors only once they provide proof of compliance with the required regulations,” adds Sungar.

These standards have been regularly refined to meet new demands for energy use and considering advancements in materials technology. “The advancement and progression in regulations since the Tiger Group came into existence in 1968 is impressive,” states Bernard Nasr, executive director, Tiger Profiles & Insulation (TPI). “The awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting the environment has had major impact over the past few years,” he adds. And this tightening of standards is expected to continue.

“As building material technology advances rapidly and provides better insulation solutions, regulatory bodies will demand that insulation solutions meet higher standards in new buildings,” predicts Sungar.But advancements in standards must be accompanied by increased product quality and installation methods if they are to prove truly effective at reducing energy use.

“The regulation by itself is sufficient. There is the minimum request from the Municipality that has to be covered and the representative buildings often are even insulated with a higher thickness. The problem is the requested values will mostly not be reached because of poor quality of the product or the application,” explains Foamglas Building general manager Middle East Marco Thomas Vincenz.

“Regarding thermal protection, an increase in the thickness of the thermal insulation doesn’t make sense [when there is] technical weakness of the detail. For example, avoiding line or even point thermal bridges, which can lead to a reduction of 50% or even more of the thermal protection you still can see all over the Middle East,” warns Vincenz.

Sustainable moves
The increased focus on sustainability has made a big impact on the insulation sector in several ways. The need for good insulation in buildings is one factor, but the processes by which these products are being manufactured is also an issue to be considered.

“Green building and sustainability concerns are certainly on the rise; consequently, building materials used for insulation must now also be produced through sustainable processes,” reports Sungar. “They have to be environmentally-friendly as well: this means that nowadays insulation materials in general cannot be considered green building materials by default if they contain substances that can harm the environment or if their production process has a high carbon footprint,” adds Sungar.

“Each day brings with it a new awareness of the importance of sustainability, the need to ensure that the health and safety of people are protected by the implementation of rules that ensure only quality prevails,” adds Nasr.
 

“People are now more aware of the benefits and advantages of being classified as ‘green’, whether it is for products, projects or buildings,” states Nasr. Although so-called green building standards are still under development in the region, many firms are following internationally recognised methods such as the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) rating system.

“It is important to adhere to the green building standards that are still under development in the UAE,” stresses Nasr. “The lack of solidly defined regulations has not hindered the search for green products, but rather people are now arming themselves with the proper products and strategies that ensure they comply with the regulations once they are in place.”

Some manufacturers like TPI have become members of the US Green Building Council and TPI itself has developed its existing product line to include green and sustainable insulation products and solutions. The move towards sustainability is “an important step in the right direction” states Vincenz. “Since several certifications for ‘green labels’ are available and buildings are getting certified, also clients or developer are asking for better quality.

The short term profit has to step back and the movement into long-term profit is getting more and more important,” he reports. “The green wave is helping to build the awareness and to convince clients to invest in the long-term,” adds Vincenz.

This move towards long-term and whole life cycle thinking is growing partly due to outside influences reports Sungar: “[When Knauf opened] its first fibreglass insulation plant in 1978, energy prices were not at the levels we see today so insulation was not an important concern while designing and developing buildings.

Monthly electricity bills were not a serious factor for clients when deciding to purchase or rent apartments and offices,” states Sungar. “Now everything is changing: developers and contractors are looking for ways to provide long-term, cost-effective and environmentally friendly building solutions to end-users in order to make a difference to energy costs,” he adds.

Insulating a building shell to the maximum possible extent is one of the main factors in developing an environmentally friendly building. Proper insulation can reduce a building’s energy consumption by up to 40%, while providing a comfortable environment for the occupants.

Local considerations
A number of issues must be taken into consideration when selecting insulation for projects in the Middle East, including the climate and need for fire safety, especially in high-rise buildings.

“The vapour pressure compared to the most other areas in the world is invert; this means the thermal insulation has to be protected from the humidity,” explains Vincenz. “This is mostly done by vapour barriers. If this layer is not properly done the insulation can absorb moisture: an absorption of 1% can reduce the performance by 30%,” he adds.

“With the ever changing climate and effects of global warming, the weather conditions in the Middle East no longer demand only high temperature-resistant insulation products, but rather, the need has evolved, requiring products that provide protection from the high temperatures, stand up to the escalating humidity levels and withstand the stormy conditions that have become prevalent over the past few years,” stresses Nasr. “The special qualities that are currently added to the existing ones include the need to be sustainable,” he adds.

Condensation control is one area of particular concern to building owners and occupiers and, as well as the building structure, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services in general must be carefully considered and designed to tackle energy loss.

“Thermal Insulation, especially of pipework, has not been an important issue previously with condensation control being the only consideration; the global message now, including the UAE and Gulf States, is more environmental,” explains Mike Whelan, Resolco International.

“A strong vapour barrier jacket should always be used in conjunction with a closed cell material to ensure moisture vapour is not allowed to penetrate the system. Moisture or moisture vapour ingress can cause huge problems such as building fabric damage, corroded pipes and an inefficient air conditioning system,” stresses Whelan. 

“Pipe supports are often a weak point in the pipework/insulation system. It is recommended that a high density section of phenolic insulation is used at this point which will support the weight of the pipe whilst continuing the thermal insulation, vapour barrier and fire and smoke properties,” adds Whelan.

Faisal Jassim Trading (FJTCO) offers pre-insulated ducts to help tackle the issue of heat and energy loss within air conditioning systems. “The system eliminates the need for insulators and the possibilities of failure from poor insulation due to bad workmanship or future condensation,” explains FJTCO general manager Raphael Khlat.

The firm’s product enables contractors to meet Ashrae standards and its success has led FJTCO to commission a plant to produce the PIR panels in Dubai in collaboration with a European manufacturer.

Fire safety is a further consideration that must be given to insulation products. “It is absolutely critical for the safety of people in any occupied building that fire and smoke safe materials are used,” stresses Whelan. “Not all thermal insulation materials are smoke safe and standards in Dubai in our opinion need to be clearer and enforced to ensure only fire and smoke safe products are used,” he states.

Meeting project demands
One of the first steps in ensuring a high standard of insulation on a project is to procure a high quality product. Various international standards apply to the production of insulation and the quality of the final products varies according to those that are applied at the manufacturing stage.

“Insulation is available in many forms and in varying qualities,” stresses Nasr. “TPI’s operations adhere to three international standards for quality: ISO 9001, ISO 14,001 and OHSAS 18,001. Moreover, TPI manufactures its PU/PIR insulated products in consistency with the United Nations’ Montreal Protocol of 1987 addressing chemicals that affect the ozone layer, as well as mandates set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to meet the requirements of Title VI of the Clean Air Act (Section 602),” explains Nasr.

By ensuring that any insulation materials procured for a project meet such standards and that the products are correctly installed on site, contractors can be sure that their projects will meet any long-term energy goals of the building.