The Effect of Basement Insulation on the Depth of Frost Penetration Adjacent to Insulated Foundations

Abstract

Insulating house basements is becoming a popular method of reducing space heating energy consumption and improving the basement environment. With a reduced heat flow to the surrounding soil, the soil temperatures are lowered and the depth of the frost penetration increases. Insulation strategies must be considered carefully, otherwise foundations bearing on soils that experience volume changes upon freezing can be shifted and building damage may occur.

This study reports on frost penetration measurements adjacent to nine dif ferent house basement configurations. The maximum depth of frost penetra tion against the exterior wall and 1.5 m (5 ft.) from the wall are reported for a number of winters with a range of freezing indices from 1249°C days to 2409°C days (2248°F days to 4336°F days).

Initial observations show that only shallow, highly insulated basements with both wall and floor insulation have frost depths extending below the footings.

Keywords

Insulation basement foundation frost frost depth house soil temperature.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Preserved Wood Foundations, Canadian Wood Council, CWC Datafile WB-4 (1983).

Penner, E. and Burn, K.N. , "Adfreezing and Frost Heaving of Foundations," Canadian Building Digest, 128, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada (1970).

Crocker, C.R. , "Moisture and Thermal Considerations in Basement Walls," Canadian Building Digest, 161, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada (1974).

Burn, K.N. , "Frost Action and Foundations," Canadian Building Digest, 182, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada ( 1976).

Tao, S.S. , Bomberg, M. , Hamilton, J.J. , Glass Fibre as Insulation and Drainage Layer on Exterior of Basement Walls , ASTM Special Technical Publication 718, American Society for Testing Materials ( 1980).

Goodrich, L.E. , An Introductory Review of Numerical Methods for Ground Thermal Regime Calculations , Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, NRCC 20742 (1982).

Farouki, O. , "Evaluation of Methods for Calculating Soil Thermal Conductivity," CRREL Report 82-8, U.S Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (1982).

Johnston, G.H. , Instructions for the Fabrication of Thermocouple Cables for Measuring Ground Temperatures, National Research Council of Canada , NRCC 7561 (1963).

Penner, E. and Crawford, C.B. , Frost Action and Foundations, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, NRCC 21089 ( 1983).

10.

Daily Soil Temperature Data 1977-1983, Atmospheric Environment Service, Environment Canada, ISSN 0703-6523.

11.

Goodrich, L.E. , The Influence of Snow Cover on the Ground Thermal Regime, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, NRCC 20588 (1982).

12.

U.S. Corps of Engineers, Addendum No. 1, 1945-47, to report on Frost Penetration, 1944-45, Boston (1949).

13.

Brown, W.G. , "Difficulties Associated with Predicting Depth of Freeze or Thaw," Canadian Geotechnical Journal , 1 (1964).

14.

Crawford, C.B. , Frost Penetration Studies in Canada as an Aid to Construction , Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, NRCC 3573 (1955).