TABLE OF CONTENTS Ever since the oil crisis of the 1970s, demand for energy-efficient buildings has been steadily rising. Model building codes have already adopted many energy conservation provisions; federal regulations such as the Energy Policy Act of 1992 also emphasize energy-efficient building construction. To set uniform design requirements for energy conservation, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has issued its Standard 90.1,1 that is being rapidly adopted by building codes. The 1999 edition of this standard considers metal building roofs and walls as distinct elements of the building envelope.
Historically, insulation issues have not been on the front burner of the metal building industry. Indeed, inadequate insulation is still among the most often heard complaints about pre-engineered buildings. This chapter reviews some available insulation products, systems, and details to help designers make educated choices about materials and installation methods. It will not delve too deeply into the domain of HVAC engineers, dealing with thermal loads, energy conservation, and equipment selection topics. It will also avoid the matters of mass consideration, annual heating loads, and life-cycle costing for metal building systems that are well addressed in Metal Building Systems by the Building Systems Institute.2
[*]The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to the North America Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) Metal Building Committee for its contribution to this chapter and for permission to reproduce the illustrations from its publications.
Heat loss or gain in a building can occur via...
