Thermal Break Solutions
The significance of Structural Thermal Breaks in high rise fire design and building energy performance
Having introduced the Structural Thermal Break Plate to the market back in 2007 we continue to lead on technical advances and certification:
- Our ETA certified STRUKTRA plates being the highest performing as verified by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute) and responsible way to separate structural thermal bridge connections and prevent condensation and heatles in steel buildings and the building envelope.
- TBF was the first A2 fire rated Structural Thermal Break on the market.
- In supporting the construction industry’s transition to netlabsolute zero without suppressing architectural ambition, we offer home-grown, PhD backed, advanced thermal modeling services aimed at accurately but pragmatically establishing the effects of thermal bridge connections and working with the project team to optimise the design in order to achieve the desired performance criteria..
- Our ongoing R&D programme recently launched Falcon a patent pending concrete to concrete thermal break connector aimed at controlling structural dynamics issues such as ‘bounce’ on long span (up to 4m) cantilevered balconies. Contact us to support you in structurally thermally incorporate into your building.
- Over the last 15 years we have tuned our service to meet the intense needs of the construction industry focusing on a trendly, pro-active service to ensure we deliver on time in and right first time every time.
Structural Thermal Breaks
Application Example
- Column Base Plates / Structural Connections
- Façade Systems
- Balconies
- Steel & Masonry (Linear)
- Balustrades (Point)
Applications
Structural thermal breaks can be incorporated into any detail where there is a calculated or perceived risk of a thermal bridge occurring.
This is typically in details that occur in building envelopes or where significant temperature difference is likely to occur between compartments, such as highly controlled atmospheric environments (plant or server rooms) or warm high humidity environments, such a breweries or swimming pools.
Example are
- Façade system connections to the primary frame
- Brise Solei and canopies
- Roof plant room columns
- Balustrading
- External balconies
- External Staircases
- Man-safe systems
- Sub-structure and basement structure elements
- External to internal primary building element connections
The two principal types of thermal breaks are
Mechanical
comprising of combinations of structural components and compressive insulating materials used to compensate for the poor thermal performance of the continuous steel elements
Solid State Structural Thermal Break Plates
used in conventional connections as a structural ‘spacer’ that also has a high thermal performance.
Energy Loss
Thermal Conductivity values
- Steel – 50.0 W/m-k Stainless Steel 43.0 W/m-k Concrete 2.1 W/m-k
- Farrat – TBL 0.292 W/m-k
- Wood – 0.22 W/m-k
- Farrat TBF – 0.20 W/m-k
- Farrat TBK – 0.187 W/m-k
- Soft wall insulation – 0.02 W/m-k or so
Heat Loss is quantified using three parameters
| Plane elements windows |
U value (W/m2K) | eg, floors, walls |
| Linear elements window/wall opening | W value (W/mK) | eg. Interface |
| Localised elements penetrating through wall | x value (W/K) | eg, structural element |
| Material Properties | Farrat TBF* | Farrat TBK | Farrat TBL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic Compressive Strength, fck (N/mm, MPa) | 355 | 312 | 89 |
| Design value for compressive strength, fcd (N/mm”, MPa) | 284 | 250 | 70 |
| Compresion Modulus (N/mm, MPa) | 5326 | 5178 | 2586 |
| Density (kg/m3) | 2160 | 1465 | 1137 |
| Water Absorption (%) | 0.40 | 0.14 | 0.48 |
| Thermal Conductivity (W/m-k) | 0.200 | 0.187 | 0.292 |
| Colour (may vary) | Grey | Amber | Black |
| Thicknesses available (mm) | 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 | 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 | 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 |
| Maximum sheet size (mm) | 1000 x 1200 | 2400 x 1200 | 2500 x 1250 |
| Temperature resistance (Celsius) | +550 short term (Max) +300 long term (Max) -120 (Min) |
+250 short term (Max) +210 long term (Max) -180 (Min) |
+170 short term (max) +110 long term (max) -40 (min) |
| Thickness tolerances (mm) | +/- 0.5 (TBF 5) +/-0.7 (TBF 10) +/- 1.05 (TBF 15) +/-1.4 (TBF 20) +/- 1.75 (TBF 25) |
0/+0.2 (TBK 5, 10 and 15) 0/+0.3 (TBK 20 and 25) |
0/+0.25 (TBL 5) +0.2/+1.5 (TBL 10) +0.3/+2.5 (TBL 15, 20 and 25) |
Design - Fire performance
Design - Fire testing
BRE Global Test Report
EN ISO 1716 Gross heat of combustion (calorific value) test on Farrat Structural Thermal Break, Farrat TBF.
| Fire Behaviour | Smoke Production | Flaming Droplets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | – | s | 1 | , | d | 0 |
Reaction to fire classification: A2-s1, d0
| Title | CLASSIFICATION OF REACTION TO FIRE PERFORMANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH EN 13501-1:2018. |
|---|---|
| Notified Body No | CLASSIFICATION OF REACTION TO FIRE PERFORMANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH EN 13501-1:2018. |
| Title | 0833 |
| Product Name | Farrat TBF |
| Report No | WF 424837 |
| Prepared for | Farrat Isolevel Ltd Balmoral Road Altrincham WA15 8HJ |
