Recognising the importance of insulation’s long-term thermal performance in the energy efficiency of buildings, insulation manufacturer ROCKWOOL® has released a Technical Bulletin on the durability of its stone wool insulation.
Summarising the results of several studies and real-world testing, the Technical Bulletin concludes that ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation can retain its insulating properties for more than 65 years in external wall systems.
The Technical Bulletin outlines the definition of durability when it comes to the as-built performance of insulation and how ROCKWOOL products were assessed. Evidence includes the findings of an independent study conducted by the European Mineral Wool Manufacturers’ Association (Eurima) on mineral wool insulation, including real-world testing for ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation specifically.
With the latter, the Bulletin summarises a study by the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) on ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation materials recovered from a hangar building at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) originally constructed in 1958.
Commenting on what the Technical Bulletin means to specifiers and designers, James Francis, Product Manager for General Building Insulation at ROCKWOOL UK, said: “This Technical Bulletin provides designers with credible evidence when considering the long-term performance of buildings post-occupancy. Insulation has an important role in reducing active heating and cooling requirements of our buildings but it’s not just about performance in design or at handover; it’s about how insulation delivers in the decades after too.
“To ensure the Bulletin is actionable for specifiers and designers, it translates the findings into modern building design and considers how durability aligns with current standards.”
The ROCKWOOL Durability Technical Bulletin can be downloaded at rockwool.link/durability-bulletin
