Thermal Bridging: Methodologies, Tools, and Advancements in Mitigation
Abstract
Energy codes and standards in Canada are driving toward net-zero energy performance for all new construction by 2032. The building envelope performance required for net-zero construction requires more insulation and mitigation of thermal bridging than conventional practice.
When the Building Envelope Thermal Bridging (BETB) Guide was launched in 2014, the impact of thermal bridges was largely overlooked. Fast-forward to the present and a clearer understanding of the impact of thermal bridging has led to the introduction of comprehensive thermal bridging calculations as a requirement in new codes and standards such as National Energy Code for Buildings, B.C. Energy Step Code, Vancouver Building Bylaw, and the Toronto Green Standard.
This paper delves into three focus areas:
Methods and tools for assessing and characterizing thermal bridging, highlighting past and present research on the subject;
How to account for both thermal transmittance and dynamic response in energy modeling software, and how this body of work has been incorporated into energy standards, and;
Case studies on hygrothermal modeling of thermal bridging and durability analysis: how to use a combination of 3-D thermal, hygrothermal, and energy models to answer questions related to insulating existing buildings and durability.
