Abstract
A series of two- and three-dimensional computer simulations was conducted for several wood stud and metal frame walls. The HEATING 7.2, finite difference computer code developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), was used to model walls and their components. Eight wood stud and eight metal frame walls were modeled. Several levels of exterior insulation and stud spacing dis tances were considered to compare clear walls thermal performance. R-value reduc tions caused by studs were estimated and compared. A new method of estimating thermal efficiency of insulation material was used to compare modeled walls and to evaluate the effectiveness of the exterior sheathing insulation.
Maps of the temperature distribution in two compared wall systems, in their com ponents (i.e., cavity and studs) and the areas where walls intersect with other building envelope components (i.e., other walls, roofs, floors), were developed. These maps were used as an aid to estimate the areas affected by existing thermal bridges and to calculate R-values for these areas. These R-values were used to calculate overall wall
(average whole wall) R-values and include the effect of the thermal bridges caused by envelope structural coupling details. Several configurations of wall insulation and structural details for wood stud and metal frame walls were examined.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.