This document summarizes a student project analyzing upgrades to the floor of a chapel building. The student analyzed 5 floor upgrade options using software to evaluate heat transfer and energy efficiency. The best performing option was an insulated floor using LECA Insufill materials, which achieved the best U-value and psi value compared to requirements. A breathable floor system was chosen in line with conservation principles for the historically protected building. Ultimately, disturbing the existing floor was avoided to prevent damage to historic flooring and the building structure.

1. Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
Student Name: Jonathan Flanagan
Student Number: G00262330
Chapel Ground Floor Plan
Extension Ground Floor Plan
Inroduction
Cluain Mhuire Campus was built in 1920 and is lo-
cated in Wellpark, on the Monivea Road. It was the
project for this years design and detail module
which saw an upgrade and extension to the chapel.
Its original function was that of a redemptorist
monastery and has now been retrofitted and up-
graded to meet the expectation of the client turning
the space into a 120 seat Theatre/Cinema cum TV
studio with a green room, storage rooms, changing
space and technical support office. The extension
acts as the buildings reception area fitted with disa-
bled and abled toilets. Joining the two buildings is a
light steel framed planar glazed link which allows for
the facade to express the large double dock door en-
trance to the chapel whilst providing a shelter when
navigating between the spaces.
DESIGN AND DETAIL UPGRADE AND EXTENSION TO CCAM CHAPEL
Jonathan Flanagan - B.Sc. (Hons) in Architectural Technology - Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

2. Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
Student Name: Jonathan Flanagan
Student Number: G00262330
Gutex Thermofloor Energy Flow ResultKingspan Aerofloor (EPS) Energy Flow Result
Ballytherm (PIR) Energy Flow ResultExisting Energy Flow Result
LECA Insufill build detail analysed in THERM 6 displaying the Infrared view of heat
being retained by the proposed floor system
Ballytherm (PIR) Build Detail in ThermExisting Build Detail in Therm
Kingspan Aerofloor (EPS) Build Detail in Therm Gutex Thermofloor Build Detail in Therm
Existing Victorian tile and parquet floor
Materials compiled into groups based on their use and function in the solid floor and scored through the ma-
trices, red line indicates choices made for the breathable floor build up
Results of LECA Insufill THERM analysis inputted in-
to excel for calculating Psi Value
Proposed upgrade for a breathable floor design to the chapels interior
Aims and Objectives
 The aim for the project was to analyse, research
and investigate the existing elements within the
building and determine the best possible materi-
als to upgrade it with based upon the findings
throughout the report.
 The element that was agreed upon and assigned
to the author was the upgrade of the existing
chapels solid floor. The floor was made up of
the original parquet flooring and Victorian en-
caustic tiling with a presumed solid floor struc-
ture on a raft foundation. Given the protected
status of the building great consideration was
given to the choice of materials and design so
that they would fall in line with conservation
principles and best practice.
The following were the objectives to be met to
ensure a well informed decision of materials:
 Use the information contained in databases and
other published studies on materials to acquire
the ratings, properties and effects of the materi-
als under analysis. This will be the information to
be put through the matrix.
 Carry out the analysis of said materials and their
assemblies through the use of established and
recommended software to understand the floor
assemblies energy and performance revealing
which floor option would be the best to be cho-
sen.
Analysis
The options for the existing floor upgrades to be in-
vestigated were the existing floor, a Ballytherm poly-
isocyanurate insulated floor, a Kingspan extruded
polystyrene floor, a LECA Insufill insulated floor
and a Gutex wood-fibre board insulated floor with
the various materials within the matrices added to
these options. THERM 6 was the software used to
determine the heat transfer through the buildings
floor and flanking elements. This enables the user to
determine heat transfer effects in building elements.
Evaluating heat transfer through THERM showed
the floors U factor, energy efficiency and local tem-
perature patterns which informed on condensation
and moisture damage.
The LECA Insufill Option build up was drawn up
in AutoCAD, exported as a .dxf file and underlayed
in THERM with each material and its lambda
value added. Internal (20°C) and external (0°C)
boundary conditions representing temperatures
were added to simulate real world environment
conditions. The U factor results that were gener
ated from THERM were then inputted into the
excel document for calculating the Psi values of
the floor and flanking element.
 The Psi value that came close to or achieved a
better psi value than the ones recommended in
Table D6 in the Technical Guidance Documents
Part L for Dwellings 2008 and Table 03 of BRE
IP1/06 “Assessing the effects of thermal bridg-
ing at junctions and around openings” would
then be chosen as the option to use.
Conclusion
From the analysis of the 5 different options for the
proposed solid floor it was decided that the best
floor option to use would be option 4 LECA Insu-
fill Floor. This decision was made based on the fol-
lowing factors:
 LECA Insufill scored the highest out of its insu-
lation matrix along with the Unilit 30 Screed and
using similar floor surfaces such as the Victorian
Mosaic floor tiles and reclaimed parquet floor in
the event of the floors original surface being
damaged upon removal.
 LECA Insufill also scored the best U-value rating
out of all the options when compared to the 0.25
rating for new buildings which LECA Insufill
surpassed achieving 0.231.
A breathable floor design was specified based on
conservation principles and permeability. As existing
protected structures are made from porous and per-
meable materials they allow the building to evapo-
rate moisture over the summer months. As it is im-
possible to fully seal a DPM around an existing
structures floor without disturbing the existing walls
it was decided not to include one in the build-up as
it would defeat the purpose of a breathable floor
system as advised in English Heritages publication
“Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings: Insulat-
ing solid ground floors”. Radon gas would be miti-
gated by installing a radon gas sump.
In the end it was decided to not disturb the exist-
ing floor for the following reasons:
 Many of the tiles and parquet would be damaged
upon lifting and difficult to re-lay in pattern
 Floors excavation could be very disruptive caus-
ing damage to the structure.
 Replacing the floor surface would take much of
the buildings character away.
Ballytherm (PIR) Energy Flow ResultExisting Energy Flow Result
DESIGN AND DETAIL INDIVIDUAL ELEMENT ANALYSIS PROJECT
Jonathan Flanagan - B.Sc. (Hons) in Architectural Technology - Galway Mayo Institute of Technology