{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T20:18:11Z","timestamp":1767903491505,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,14]],"date-time":"2022-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1660435200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FEDER","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER 032061"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER 032061"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Buildings"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The thermal performance of Lightweight Steel Framed (LSF) walls could be strongly compromised due to steel\u2019s high thermal conductivity and their related thermal bridges. In this paper, the performance of bio-based (pine wood) and recycled (rubber\u2013cork composite) Thermal Break Strip (TBS) materials, to mitigate the thermal bridge effect originated by steel profiles in LSF partition walls, is evaluated. This assessment was achieved by measurements under controlled laboratory conditions and by predictions using some numerical simulation models. Regarding the measurements, two climatic chambers (cold and hot) were used to impose a nearly constant temperature difference (around 35 \u00b0C), between the LSF partition test samples\u2019 surfaces. To measure the overall surface-to-surface thermal resistance (R-value) of the evaluated LSF wall configurations, the Heat Flow Meter (HFM) method was used. Moreover, the measured values were compared with the calculations by 2D (THERM models) and 3D (ANSYS models) numerical simulations, exhibiting an excellent agreement (less than \u00b12% difference). Three TBS locations and three materials are evaluated, with their thermal performance improvement compared with a reference interior partition LSF wall, having no TBS. The top performance was accomplished by the aerogel super-insulating TBS material. The bio-based material (pine wood) and the recycled rubber\u2013cork composite present quite similar results, with a slight advantage for the pine wood TBSs, given their higher thickness. Considering the TBS location, the inner and outer side present comparable performances. When using TBSs on both sides of steel profile flanges, there is a relevant thermal performance improvement, as expected. The thickness of the TBS also presents a noteworthy influence on the LSF partition thermal resistance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/buildings12081237","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,14]],"date-time":"2022-08-14T21:09:06Z","timestamp":1660511346000},"page":"1237","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Experimental and Numerical Performance Evaluation of Bio-Based and Recycled Thermal Break Strips in LSF Partition Walls"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0134-6762","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo","family":"Santos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ISISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Abrantes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ISISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7537-446X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ISISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Diogo","family":"Mateus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ISISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"EU (2018). Directive (EU) 2018\/844 of the European parliament and of the council on the energy performance of buildings and on energy efficiency. Off. J. Eur. Union, 156, 75\u201391."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107512","DOI":"10.1016\/j.buildenv.2020.107512","article-title":"Assessing the hygrothermal performance of typical lightweight steel-framed wall assemblies in hot-humid climate regions by monitoring and numerical analysis","volume":"188","author":"Zhan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Build. Environ."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2017.04.066","article-title":"Energy efficiency and thermal performance of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction: A review","volume":"78","author":"Soares","year":"2017","journal-title":"Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"03293","article-title":"Energy performance of fire rated LSF walls under UK climate conditions","volume":"44","author":"Perera","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Build. Eng."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ribeiro, T., Santos, P., and Mateus, D. (2021, January 10\u201312). Performance of Thermal Break Strips in Lightweight Steel Framed Walls. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2021), Leiria, Portugal.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-75315-3_43"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yap, E.H. (2017). Chapter 3-Energy Efficiency of Lightweight Steel-Framed Buildings. Energy Efficient Buildings, InTech.","DOI":"10.5772\/62592"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Silvestre, N., Pires, J., and Santos, A. (2013). Manual de Conce\u00e7\u00e3o de Estruturas e Edificios em LSF-Light Steel Framing, 1a, CMM."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"156","DOI":"10.1080\/23744731.2018.1506677","article-title":"Thermal and sound insulation of lightweight steel-framed fa\u00e7ade walls","volume":"25","author":"Roque","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci. Technol. Built Environ."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, C., and Mynors, D. (2016). Acoustic performance of cold-formed steel buildings. Recent Trends in Cold-Formed Steel Construction, Woodhead Publishing.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-08-100160-8.00008-6"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Roque, E., and Santos, P. (2017). The effectiveness of thermal insulation in lightweight steel-framedwalls with respect to its position. Buildings, 7.","DOI":"10.3390\/buildings7010013"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2018.03.069","article-title":"Two new methods for the in-situ measurement of the overall thermal transmittance of cold frame lightweight steel-framed walls","volume":"170","author":"Atsonios","year":"2018","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Santos, P., Lemes, G., and Mateus, D. (2019). Thermal transmittance of internal partition and external facade LSF walls: A parametric study. Energies, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/en12142671"},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Santos, P., Sim\u00f5es da Silva, L., and Ungureanu, V. (2012). Energy Efficiency of Light-Weight Steel-Framed Buildings, European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS). [1st ed.]. Technical Committee 14-Sustainability & Eco-Efficiency of Steel Construction."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100776","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jobe.2019.100776","article-title":"Thermal transmittance of lightweight steel framed walls: Experimental versus numerical and analytical approaches","volume":"25","author":"Santos","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Build. Eng."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"230","DOI":"10.1016\/j.buildenv.2006.07.001","article-title":"Developing a simplified method of calculating U-values in light steel framing","volume":"42","author":"Gorgolewski","year":"2007","journal-title":"Build. Environ."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Kosny, J., Christian, J.E., Barbour, J., and Goodrow, J. (1994). Thermal Performance of Steel Framed Walls, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ORNL Report."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"ASHRAE (2017). Handbook of Fundamentals, ASHRAE-American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. [SI ed.]."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"425","DOI":"10.1590\/0370-44672021740024","article-title":"Heat transfer analysis of the vertical closing system in light steel framing using the isothermal planes method and finite element method","volume":"74","author":"Muzzi","year":"2021","journal-title":"REM-Int. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"342","DOI":"10.1177\/1744259115572130","article-title":"Lightweight steel-framed thermal bridges mitigation strategies: A parametric study","volume":"39","author":"Martins","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Build. Phys."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1177\/1744259113499212","article-title":"Thermal performance of lightweight steel framed wall: The importance of flanking thermal losses","volume":"38","author":"Santos","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Build. Phys."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1703","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2017.11.069","article-title":"Numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis of a steel framed internal insulation system","volume":"158","author":"Manzan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"(2017). Thermal Bridges in Building Construction-Heat Flows and Surface Temperatures-Detailed Calculations. Standard No. ISO 10211."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2018.10.021","article-title":"Laboratory and in-situ non-destructive methods to evaluate the thermal transmittance and behavior of walls, windows, and construction elements with innovative materials: A review","volume":"182","author":"Soares","year":"2019","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2016.10.043","article-title":"Inferring the thermal resistance and effective thermal mass distribution of a wall from in situ measurements to characterise heat transfer at both the interior and exterior surfaces","volume":"135","author":"Gori","year":"2017","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Santos, P., and Poologanathan, K. (2021). The importance of stud flanges size and shape on the thermal performance of lightweight steel framed walls. Sustainability, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/su13073970"},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"(2019, February 05). ThermaChannel. Website \u2018ThermaChannel-Energy-Efficient Steel Framing\u2019. Available online: www.thermachannel.com."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1016\/j.protcy.2016.01.108","article-title":"Improving Thermal Performance of the Wall Panels Using Slotted Steel Stud Framing","volume":"22","author":"Lupan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Procedia Technol."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"V\u00e1radi, J., and Toth, E. (2009, January 1\u20134). Thermal Improvement of Lightweight Fa\u00e7ades containing Slotted Steel Girders. Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing, Funchal, Portugal."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101693","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jobe.2020.101693","article-title":"Experimental assessment of thermal break strips performance in load-bearing and non-load-bearing LSF walls","volume":"32","author":"Santos","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Build. Eng."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1016\/j.istruc.2020.12.060","article-title":"Quantification and prediction of the thermal performance of cold-formed steel wall assemblies","volume":"30","author":"Kapoor","year":"2021","journal-title":"Structures"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102893","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jobe.2021.102893","article-title":"Evaluation of thermal bridging mitigation techniques and impact of calculation methods for lightweight steel frame external wall systems","volume":"43","author":"Kempton","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Build. Eng."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1016\/0378-7788(94)00913-5","article-title":"Thermal evaluation of several configurations of insulation and structural materials for some metal stud walls","volume":"22","author":"Kosny","year":"1995","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Santos, P., and Ribeiro, T. (2021). Thermal performance improvement of double-pane lightweight steel framed walls using thermal break strips and reflective foils. Energies, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/en14216927"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110769","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2021.110769","article-title":"Reflective thermal insulation in non-ventilated air-gaps: Experimental and theoretical evaluations on the global heat transfer coefficient","volume":"236","author":"Bruno","year":"2021","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2015.03.024","article-title":"Low-emissivity materials for building applications: A state-of-the-art review and future research perspectives","volume":"96","author":"Jelle","year":"2015","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2018.10.003","article-title":"Investigating the performance of reflective insulation and low emissivity paints for the energy retrofit of roof attics","volume":"182","author":"Fantucci","year":"2019","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"(2014). Part 1: Heat Flow Meter Method. Thermal Insulation-Building Elements-In-Situ Measurement of Thermal Resistance and Thermal Transmittance. Standard No. ISO 9869-1."},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"THERM (2019, February 14). Software Version 7.6.1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Berkeley, CA, USA, Available online: https:\/\/windows.lbl.gov\/software\/therm."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"ANSYS Workbench (2020, June 08). Software Version 19.1. ANSYS, Inc.: Canonsburg, PA, USA. Available online: www.ansys.com\/products\/."},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Gyptec, I. (2022, February 10). Technical Sheet: Standard Gypsum Plasterboard. Available online: https:\/\/www.gyptec.eu\/documentos\/Ficha_Tecnica_Gyptec_A.pdf."},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"(2022, February 10). Volcalis. Technical Sheet: Alpha Mineral Wool. Available online: https:\/\/www.volcalis.pt\/categoria_file_docs\/fichatecnica_volcalis_alpharollo-386.pdf."},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"Santos, C., and Matias, L. (2006). ITE50-Coeficientes de Transmiss\u00e3o T\u00e9rmica de Elementos da Envolvente dos Edif\u00edcios, LNEC-Laborat\u00f3rio Nacional de Engenharia Civil. (In Portuguese)."},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"(2008). MS-R0 Test Report. Test Report Ref. 5015 PE 1977\/08-Determination of Thermal Conductivity (Acousticork MS-R0). Departamento de Engenharia T\u00eaxtil, Universidade do Minho."},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"Proctor Group (2022, February 10). Spacetherm\u00ae CBS Specification. Available online: https:\/\/www.proctorgroup.com\/assets\/PerformanceSpecs\/SpacethermCBSPerformanceSpecification.pdf."},{"key":"ref_45","unstructured":"(2017). Building Components and Building Elements\u2014Thermal Resistance and Thermal Transmittance\u2014Calculation Methods. Standard No. ISO 6946."}],"container-title":["Buildings"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-5309\/12\/8\/1237\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:08:31Z","timestamp":1760141311000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-5309\/12\/8\/1237"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,14]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8]]}},"alternative-id":["buildings12081237"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/buildings12081237","relation":{},"ISSN":["2075-5309"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2075-5309","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,14]]}}}