Density of loose-fill insulation material exposed to cyclic humidity conditions
Test method and round-robin test
This report presents a proposal for a standardised method for creep tests and the necessary theoretical and empirical framework that can be used to describe creep of a granulated loose-fill material exposed to climate. Furthermore results from a round-robin test are shown.
The round-robin test was carried out in collaboration with Norwegian Building Research Institute department of Materials and Structures in Trondheim, SP-Swedish National Testing and Research Institute department of Energy Technology, Building Physics, Ete in Borås, VTT-Technical Research Centre of Finland department of Building and Transport in Espoo and the Danish Building Research Institute department of Building Design and Technology.
For the round-robin test a cellulosic fibre insulation material was used. The proposed standardised method for creep tests and theoretical and empirical framework are limited to cases when the granulated loose-fill material is exposed to a climate that is characterised as cyclic humidity conditions (a constant temperature and a relative humidity alternating between two predetermined constant relative humidity levels).
A better understanding of the behaviour of granulated loose-fill material is provided and a standardised method is proposed. This enables control of the settling and prediction of densities necessary to prevent settling. The Nordtest, Organisation for Testing in Scandinavia funded the Nordtest Projekt 1623-03.