Ventilated facades

Ventilated facades are described by the reference standard - UNI 11018 - as "a type of facade with advanced screen in which the cavity between the cladding and the wall is designed so that the air present in it can flow by chimney effect in a natural and/or artificially controlled way, according to seasonal and/or daily requirements, in order to improve its overall thermal energy performance".

Dry-built ventilated facades are an innovative and interesting constructional system that allows the following to be obtained:

• Energy benefits
  - Continuity of the insulating layer and elimination of thermal bridges

 

• Architectural value
  - Ventilated facades allow interesting architectural solutions to be obtained that characterise and qualify the building

The benefits of STIFERITE insulating materials in ventilated facades

For application in ventilated facades, STIFERITE FIRE B panel is available  that allow the designer to select the most suitable characteristics and performance features for meeting the specific requirements of the building site.

 

STIFERITE insulating materials are designed to guarantee:

 

The best insulating performance

The main characteristic of STIFERITE insulating materials is their low thermal conductivity that allows high insulating performance to be obtained with small thicknesses. Limiting the thickness and weight of the insulating material permits important construction savings and helps to reduce the environmental impacts of the work.

In the figure, for various insulating materials, the thicknesses necessary for obtaining a thermal transmittance (U) of 0.18 W/m2K are compared.

The thickness required to achieve these performance features using the most common insulating materials is higher by a minimum of 25% to a maximum of 85% than the one necessary with STIFERITE insulating materials

 

Other performances

In addition to the excellent insulating performance, other characteristics of the STIFERITE polyurethanes are particularly important in exterior insulation systems:

• Mechanical properties
  The STIFERITE insulating systems offer an excellent compressive strength performance, and perpendicular side tensile strength and tear resistance. This latter feature allows reducing the number of anchors needed to guarantee perfect fastening to the structure compared with alternative materials.
• Waterproofing

• Good water vapour permeability
• Light weight and workability
• Good fire performance
  Building structures insulated with STIFERITE panels offer the best reaction-to-fire performance which can be obtained by using organic insulators.
• Contribution to the sound insulation of the facade
  Laboratory tests have shown the good acoustic behaviour of building structures insulated with STIFERITE panels (for more see STIFERITE Technical Books "Acoustic Insulation: a new point of view")
• Environmental Sustainability
  Using lightweight, efficient and durable insulating materials helps to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Both Life Cycle Assessment studies and product mapping are available for all STIFERITE products used within LEED certified projects. (For more information, see: "LCA and EPD - Considerations on the environmental impact of insulating materials for the construction industry® - LEED® Standard - Mapping of STIFERITE products")