An exploration of the measured and modelled thermal characteristics of structural thermal breaks in UK buildings

Pemberton, Joe

Abstract

This research explores the measured and modelled thermal characteristics of structural thermal breaks (STBs) in UK buildings. Thermal bridging (TB) in building envelopes can significantly affect the fabric heat loss of a building, leading to higher energy consumption for space heating. This study aims to enhance understanding of the effectiveness of STBs in mitigating thermal bridging, thereby reducing energy use and CO2 emissions.

A methodology was developed, which provided a unique combination of experimental measurements and finite element (FE) modelling. The research investigates point thermal bridges created by
structural-point-connection façade penetrations. In-situ measurements were taken under controlled conditions at the Salford Energy House and were used to inform FE models, to provide more accurate evaluations when compared to current practice.
The findings indicate a gap exists between some of the methods of modelling thermal breaks in the UK and in-situ measured values. This “performance gap” therefore should not only be studied to be
further and understood, but also a rigorous methodology should be developed to measure thermal breaks out in the field.

The research contributes the current knowledge in this area by proposing a robust experimental design and validated FE models for evaluating the thermal performance of structural thermal breaks. These can hopefully guide future work in this area not only for researchers and practitioners, but for those developing models and thermal brakes themselves.

Citation

Pemberton, J. An exploration of the measured and modelled thermal characteristics of structural thermal breaks in UK buildings. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 15, 2024
• Award Date: Jul 11, 2024