Fabric insulation, thermal bridging and acoustics in modern earth buildings

Buildings account for nearly 40% of the energy consumption in the UK, producing almost half of the CO2 emissions at a national level. Using appropriate insulation is a cost-effective way to substantially improve the energy efficiency of any building and reduce the overall contribution to global CO2 emissions. This chapter focuses on cavity insulation with an overview of insulation material types and physical properties. Examples of cross-sectional construction detailing for typical stabilised rammed earth (SRE) cavity walls are given. It also provides an insight into established research of 2D and 3D modelling of thermal bridges, and the relevance of acoustic properties in relation to thermal mass. Finally, the more widely available software products for both acoustic and thermal bridge simulation are evaluated and summarised.