Experimental and numerical comparison of internal insulation systems for building refurbishment

n order to increase the knowledge of both local builders and designers about the energy efficiency of internal insulation a test chamber has been realized at the Edilmaster site. The test system features two isothermal chambers separated by the specimen under test. The controlled temperatures guarantee a constant temperature difference in order to measure the heat flux with thermofluximeter techniques. In this paper the uninsulated system is a brick wall of about 50 cm thickness which represents a typical solution found in Trieste. Two internal insulation systems, with wooden and metallic studs, have been tested. The measurements highlighted the different thermal behavior between the area covered by the insulation material and the thermal bridges due to studs. The experimental results have been compared with solutions obtained with numerical and analytical methods.