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Thermal Performance

The benefits of light steel framing and modular construction in housing in

terms of thermal performance are:

  • U-values of less than 0.15 W/m2K can be achieved cost effectively by lightweight construction without leading to excessively thick walls.
  • High levels of airtightness (less than 3 m3/m2/h) can be achieved by use of sheathing boards and membranes that are provided in light steel framing and modular systems.
  • Extensive thermal analysis of construction details has led to predictive y-values of less than 0.08 W/m2K in whole building energy models.
  • High levels of insulation and low thermal mass do not lead to excessive over-heating (as heat is not stored over successive hot days).
  • Thermal isolating details have been developed for balcony attachments to reduce thermal bridging.
  • Lightweight systems do not suffer from over-heating in the summer and they are more responsive than heavyweight systems.
  • The off-site nature of modular construction means that higher levels of air-tightness and greater reliability of the building fabric are achieved.
  • Renewable energy technologies may be built-in or attached to improve the energy balance of the building and zero energy design can be achieved.
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