Thermal bridging, also known as a thermal bridge or heat bridge, refers to a localized area or component in a building’s structure that has significantly higher heat conductivity compared to the surrounding materials. This results in an unintended pathway for heat to flow, bypassing the insulation and reducing total thermal efficiency of building.
To mitigate thermal bridging and improve a building’s energy efficiency, architects and engineers often employ several strategies:
- Thermal Breaks: One common approach is to use thermal breaks, which are materials or components that have lower thermal-conductivity than surrounding structure. These breaks interrupt the heat transfer path, reducing the impact of thermal-bridge.
- Continuous Insulation: Installing continuous insulation layers on the outside of the building can help minimize the effects of thermal-bridging. This layer covers structural elements and reduces the direct contact between them and the outdoor temperatures.
- High-Performance Insulation: Using high-quality insulation materials with low thermal-conductivity can improve the overall thermal-resistance of the building envelope.
- Design Optimization: Architects and engineers can design the building’s structure to minimize thermal bridging by avoiding or reducing use of materials with high thermal conductivity, like metal, in areas where heat transfer is a concern.
- Thermal Modeling: Building energy modeling software can help identify areas of potential thermal bridging and assess their impact on the building’s energy performance. This information can guide design decisions.
- Advanced Building Techniques: Some advanced construction techniques, such as double-wall construction or structural-insulated-panels (SIPs) used for minimizing thermal bridging.
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