Manufacturer
Chausson Matériaux and ISOLASUP Evolution
an ACERMI-certified insulating formwork block system
This technical innovation developed and manufactured by CHAUSSON Matériaux passes the same validation tests as traditional solutions.
In mid-2012, CHAUSSON Matériaux acquired ISOLASUP, an innovative construction system based on insulating formwork blocks produced from Neopor® EPS (expanded polystyrene). The original system was substantially modified in 2013 to deliver an effective response in earthquake zones by imposing a concrete shell of 15 cm, and to enable the use of standard size joinery. "ISOLASUP Evolution allows us to offer a complete construction system with integral insulation that is covered by a Technical Assessment," explains Range Development Manager Sylvestre Bernat.
But the range also needed certified thermal insulation values to take on the market and convince potential customers. Until 2013, the absence of guidelines designed to assess the thermal value of composite systems like insulating formwork blocks prevented their certification. Aware that the increasingly demanding requirements introduced by successive Thermal Regulations in France triggering the emergence of new construction solutions, ACERMI then created its Springboard Guidelines to support these changing needs.
ISOLASUP
- Formwork blocks
- BASF Neopor® graphite EPS
Polypropylene spacers
15 cm concrete shell - Thermal resistances
- 4.26 (30 block),
6.68 (37.5 block)
or 9.10 (45 block) - λ for the finished assembly
- 0,031 W/m.K
« "We were the first insulating formwork block manufacturer to undergo this assessment. It's perfectly suited to the certification of our system, which combines high-performance and very high performance insulation with extremely low air permeability and structural concrete. At the end of 2013, I was also able to put the required documentation together quickly, thanks to the clear guidance provided in the procedure published by ACERMI. The tests, audits and simulations validated the l target value of 0.031 W/m.K. Based on this result, the CSTB then calculated the sources of heat loss at individual points, such as wall/floor, wall/window/door joints, etc. We then had everything we needed to have our design office conduct a comprehensive thermal study. To the best of my knowledge, we are still the only company to benefit from this combination of ACERMI-certified values and CSTB calculations." »
So the ACERMI Springboard Guidelines now make it possible to assess systems that offer an alternative to traditional solutions and publish their validated performances on the basis of indisputable criteria. Sylvestre Bernat sees this as an essential benefit for "giving an emerging system the opportunity to be compared with traditional offerings on a level playing field. That's essential for gaining recognition in the market and ensuring the growth of our company."
