1. This project proposal outlines a study to assess the high temperature and innovative insulation performance of residential buildings. 2. The objectives are to resist heat transfer through walls and roofs and minimize energy losses. Two models will be constructed, one without insulation and one with various insulation materials, and their inner temperatures will be compared using a potentiometer. 3. A literature review found that materials like aerogel and vacuum insulation panels can provide high insulation with thinner layers than traditional materials like fiberglass or polystyrene. The study aims to demonstrate the need for thermal insulation in buildings.

1. 1
Project Proposal
Assessment of High Temperature and
Innovative Insulation Performance of
Residential Building
Submitted by
1. Muhammad Waleed Jan (13BNCIV612)
2. Abdul Ghafoor (13BNCIV 614)
3. Waqar Ghani (13BNCIV 615)
Supervised by
Engr. Waheed ur Rehman
Department of Civil EngineeringUET Peshawar Bannu
Campus

2. 2
Table of Contents
1. Keywords……………………………………..……………… 3
2. Introduction…………………………………………………..3
3. Problem Statement…………………...……………………4
4. ProjectObjectives………………………………………….5
5. Literature Review………………………………………….5
6. Methodology…………………………………………………6
7. Utilization and Effectiveness ofthe Study………...6
8. Work Plan…………………………………………………….7
9. References……………………………………….……………8

3. 3
1. Keywords
Thermal Insulation, Thermal Resistance, Potentiometer,.
2. Introduction
The history of thermal insulation is not as long as that of other building
constructions. Long ago thermal insulation did not form a separate layer in
building construction because there was no need to build in extra materials to
assure the insulating function. The process of building activity appeared when
prehistoric human beings first created shelters themselves. The main reason for
this activity was protection against the natural elements like cold winters and hot
summers. Accordingly we can reasonably assume that one of the most important
requirements for building construction is the necessity of adequate thermal
insulation which is as old as building activity itself and has existed since
prehistoric times.
2.1. What is insulation?
Insulation of buildings is acting on the building envelope and internal elements in
order to reduce thermal losses and avoid acoustic transmissions. Insulation in
your home provides resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your
insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs. Properly insulating
your home not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but also improves comfort.
2.2. R-value or Thermal Resistance
An insulating material’s resistance to conductive heat flow is measured or rated
in terms of its thermal resistance or R-value -- the higher the R-value, the greater
the insulating effectiveness. The R-value depends on the type of insulation, its
thickness, and its density. When calculating the R-value of a multilayered
installation, add the R-values of the individual layers. Installing more insulation
in your home increases the R-value and the resistance to heat flow. To determine
how much insulation you need for your climate, use an insulation calculator or
consult a local insulation contractor.

4. 4
3. Problem Statement
Our problem statement revolve around the following three points
i. Extreme climatic conditions
ii. Energy losses
iii. Economy
Typically, climate change is described in terms of average changes in temperature
or precipitation, but most of the social and economic costs associated with
climate change will result from shifts in the frequency and severity of extreme
events. This fact is illustrated by a large number of costly weather disasters in
2010, Remarkable events of 2010 include Pakistan’s biggest flood, Canada’s
warmest year, and Southwest Australia’s driest year are noted for exceptionally
damaging weather events
Energy is considered to be life line of any economy and most vital instrument of
socioeconomic development of a country. Energy is pivotal in running machinery in
factories and industrial units, for lighting our cities and powering our vehicles etc.
There has been an enormous increase in the demand of energy as a result of
industrial development and population growth, in comparison to enhancement in
energy production. Supply of energy is, therefore, far less than the actual demand,
resultantly crisis has emerged. An energy crisis can be defined as any great
bottleneck (or price rise) in the supply of energy resources to an economy.

5. 5
4. Project Objectives
Our project objectives are
 Resist the heat transfer through walls and roof of a building.
 Minimize the energy losses.
5. Literature Review
A number of high performance thermal insulation materials and components have
been introduced to the building market during the last decades which can give the
same thermal resistance using a thinner construction. The properties of aerogel
and vacuum insulation panels (VIP) are described more in [1]. Aerogel for
building applications has a thermal conductivity of around14-16 mW/(m·K)
while VIP can reach down to 4 mW/(m·K). This can be compared to EPS and
stagnant air with a thermal conductivity of 36 and 25 mW/(m·K) respectively.
Aerogel and VIP have small pores in the range of 10-100 nm which means the
gas conductivity is reduced at atmospheric pressure. [1]
The wide variety of insulation materials makes it difficult to determine which
products and techniques are the most cost effective. Fiberglass insulation
products come in batt, roll, and loose-fill form, as well as a high-density board
material. Fiberglass is used for insulating virtually every building component –
from foundation walls to attics to ductwork. [2]
In South Africa climate, where the winter is chilly and the summer hot, a
substantial share of energy goes to heating up the buildings in winter and cooling
them during summer. Al-Homoud (2005) points out that “this heating and air-
conditioning load can be reduced through many means; notable among them is
the proper design and selection of building envelope and its components.”[3]
Fiberglass Batt Insulation Characteristics
Thickness Cost
(inches) R-value ($/sq ft)
3.5 11 0.28-0.35
3.5 13 0.34-0.37
3.5 15 0.64-0.67
6-6.25 19 0.43-0.55
8 30 0.64-0.91
9.5-9.75 30 0.61-0.81
Table-I Recommended Insulation Value (courtesy of WILLIAM.2010)

6. 6
6. Methodology
In this research two models will be constructed. One model will be without any
arrangements of thermal insulation while the second model will be thermally
insulated model of fully applied thermal insulation principles using insulating
material at the walls of the replica model and roof. Then it will be analyzed by
using potentiometer(thermocouple circuit) and compared the inner temperature of
both the models to understand the need of having a building with arrangements of
thermal insulation. To achieve the target of representing our theory a reduced
scale model of an average house will be constructed of a thermally insulated
house building.
7. Utilization and Effectiveness of the Study
Followings are the advantages of thermal insulation of building
i) Reduction of energy consumption for heating.
ii) Creating a comfortable environment for the inhabitants.
iii) Reduction of thermal stress of the framework
iv) Improvement of the architectural look of the building.

7. 7
8. Work Plan

8. 8
9. References
[1] AXEL BERGE and PÄR JOHANSSON, “Literature Review of High
Performance Thermal Insulation,” Report in Building Physics,2012, p. 5.
[2] Book by WILLIAM. (2010). Insulation Materials and Techniques. Chap. 5.
pp.73-74.
[3] M. S. Al-Homoud, “Performance characteristics and practical applications of
common building thermal insulation materials,” Building and Environment, vol.
40, no. 3, pp. 353–366, 2005.
[4] D. Chwieduk, “Towards sustainable-energy buildings,” Applied Energy, vol.
76, no. 1–3, pp. 211–217, 2003.
[5] J. F. Nicol and M. A. Humphreys, “Adaptive thermal comfort and sustainable
thermal standards for buildings,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 563–
572, 2002.
[6] J. O. Jaber, “Prospects of energy savings in residential space heating,” Energy
and Buildings, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 311–319, 2002.
[7] A. Bolatt¨urk, “Determination of optimum insulation thickness for building
gwalls with respect to various fuels and climate zones in Turkey,” Applied
Thermal Engineering, vol. 26, no. 11-12, pp.1301–1309, 2006.
[8] EN 13165: 'Thermal insulation products for buildings - Factory made rigid
polyurethane foam (PUR) products.'
[9] ČSN 72 7012 Determination of Steady State Thermal Conductivity of
Materials, Hot Plate Methods. Heat Flow Meter Method.
[10] Determination of steady-state thermal resistance and related properties -
Heat flow meter apparatus, ISO 8301 Thermal insulation –
[11] Said, S.A. and Abdel rahman, M.A. (1989). Energy Efficiency of a Building
in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: Parametric Analysis with DOE 2.1A,
ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 95, Pt. 1, pp. 147–152.
[12] Al-Homoud, M.S. (1997). Optimum Thermal Design of Air-Conditioned
Residential Buildings, Building and Environment, 32(3): 203–210.
[13] Al-Homoud, M.S. (1997). Optimum Thermal Design of Office Buildings,
International Journal of Energy Research, 21: 941–957.