Facilitating the incorporation of VIP into precast concrete sandwich panels

This research focuses on the development of thin, load bearing, composite concrete facade elements containing high performance thermal insulation. A pilot project involving the construction of a detached house has been completed resolving issues related to the construction, production and economic requirements of utilizing vacuum insulated panels (VIPs) within prefabricated concrete facade elements. During the project planning process it was discovered that particular VIP dimensions were necessary for avoiding wasted material and thermal bridging. VIPs produced for facade elements with widths corresponding to architectural modules of 15, 30, and 60 cm and lengths corresponding to 1/3rd of the project height would alleviate these issues. Within the building industry, VIPs are viewed as a viable solution for optimizing the space saving attributes of high performance walls. By correctly sizing mass-produced VIP elements for facade measurement modules, rather than expecting insulation along the border of each sandwich panel to be cut-to-fit, architects can more easily take advantage of the efficiency that VIPs offer when designing prefabricated fa ade panels. Currently, there is a demand for a new market catering to VIP inclusion within fa ade strategies that would facilitate the use of VIPs by architects and planners in building large-scale urban planning strategies. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.