Ecodesign of a “vapour and air barrier membrane – insulator” system, following a cradle-to-cradle approach – ATISOL C2C

Buildings account for 40% of the total energy consumption of the European Union. This sector is growing, as its energy demands. The construction sector is also one of the most important contributors of waste generated at the EU level (up to one third).
The European directive on the energy efficiency of buildings requires the members to put on the market solutions for insulation of buildings that are simple, effective and last-ing, but also respectful of the environment and of the users.
A low energy consumption house requires to be thermally insulated and to have an ef-fective ventilation. To reduce energy losses and to guarantee the durability of the thermal insulation, it is necessary to have a vapor and air barrier on the warm side of the building, situated between the thermal insulation and the inside. Hence the passage of moisture in the building is reduced, preventing condensation problems in the insulating material. Cur-rently, the implementation of an insulation system combined with a vapor barrier presents three major problems: an important time for placing, a random durability in time (durabil-ity of tapes of junction, adherence to the existing walls, punching resistance), and finally a low disassembly and re-use level.
As part of the improvement of energy performance of buildings, the ATISOLC2C pro-ject aims to develop a complete solution (insulation + vapor barrier + coating), with the lowest environmental impact on its whole life cycle. The solution combines a renewable vapor/air barrier combined with ecological insulation. The solution can be used both in new construction in timber or during renovation. The constructive system will be validated in both existing building and new construction.
Compared to the state of the art, the solution that is developed is unique and innova-tive by its simplicity in terms of materials by integration of a vegetal self-adhesive binder to the spunbond reinforcement of the membrane, itself obtained from renewable re-sources. The material is appropriate for application on the different wall coverings exist-ing in a building. Due to the self-adhesive characteristics, the implementation is made easier in both common surfaces (walls, roofs and ceilings) and to the level of detail such as corners and junctions. In addition, the application of a natural top coating on the membrane completes the offer.
The constructive system can be dismantled at the end-of-life of the building and the various elements are recovered and valued in a cradle-to-cradle perspective.
At the level of the consortium, the development and commercialization of the ATISOL solution is achieved through the close partnership between Derbigum and Sioen Felt & Filtration, and with the scientific and technical support of the University of Liège, Cen-texbel and the Belgian Building Research Institute. A life cycle assessment supports the whole project to quantify the environmental impacts of both raw materials and processes (manufacturing, installation and dismantling). The aim is to ensure that the selected solu-tion is the most sustainable and that it is environmentally better than existing products on the market.
This project is supported by the GreenWin Competition Clusters and subsidized by the Walloon Region (BE).