Evaluation of Mechanically and Adhesively Fixed External Insulation Systems Using Vacuum Insulation Panels for High-Rise Apartment Buildings

Buildings account for a significant portion of a nation’s total energy consumption. To meet the global demand for greater energy efficiency, many countries are drastically strengthening insulation regulations for buildings. Thus, dramatically thicker wall insulation may be required, which can adversely affect the value of a building by reducing its effective floor area. Hence, high-performance insulation materials, such as vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), are of interest in building design. In this study, external insulation systems using VIPs were examined to determine their effectiveness in high-performance insulation systems for high-rise apartment buildings. A variety of mechanically and adhesively fixed external insulation systems with various insulation layer compositions have been proposed as alternatives to conventional internal insulation systems. The performance of conventional insulation systems and the proposed alternatives were compared through three-dimensional heat transfer simulations. The construction costs and the ease of installation of the various systems were also compared. The overall performance of each alternative in terms of the insulation performance, construction costs, and ease of installation was thus evaluated to determine the most effective alternative.