Why is it important to sandwich the insulation between two layers of concrete?
The concrete layers provide thermal mass. That is, the concrete is able to store significant amounts of thermal energy and delay heat transfer through the building walls. According to the Fundamentals Handbook of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), this delay leads to three important results: First, the slower response time tends to moderate indoor temperature fluctuations under outdoor temperature swings. Second, in hot or cold climates, energy consumption is reduced over that for a similarly sized low-mass building. Third, building energy demand can be moved to off-peak periods because energy storage is controlled through correct sizing of the mass and interaction with the HVAC system. Composite Technologies Corporation can calculate the increased effect the thermal mass R-value will have for your projects using procedures developed by ASHRAE and other leading energy-efficiency organizations.
