An educational performance

A student accommodation building at Christ Church College in Oxford suffered so badly from damp that after seven years - the rooms had to be abandoned. Oxford Asphalt had the challenging task of repairing the problem and turned to FOAMGLAS cellular glass insulation and Permanite Asphalt to help create a solution that could insulate and at the same time provide a waterproof barrier.

Christ Church is a unique institution, one of the largest colleges in the University of Oxford and at the same time the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Oxford. With a university consisting of so many old and historic buildings it can lead to construction issues. An old, badly sealed damp proof course meant one of the main buildings used for accommodation had to be abandoned due to the smell.

Oxford Asphalt was in charge of repair and stripped the 70m2 floor that was failing. A new levelling screed was installed and FOAMGLAS T4 Slabs, 70mm thick were installed in parallel courses and covered by a full bed of hot bitumen. A mastic asphalt floor from Permanite Asphalt provided the final finish to provide a hardwearing, durable surface that will be damp resistant.

"We selected the FOAMGLAS cellular glass insulation as it was the only insulation material that could do the job of insulating and prevent any damp ingress," explained Mark Sulik, Director at Oxford Asphalt. "Due to its construction from recycled glass - cellular glass insulation is totally resistant to the effects of liquid moisture and will protect the building with the designed insulation values remaining constant until the end of the building's life."

FOAMGLAS cellular glass insulation is manufactured by Pittsburgh Corning from 68% recycled glass. It comprises millions of hermetically sealed glass cells, which are totally resistant to the effects of liquid moisture and water vapour. FOAMGLASÒ can be installed with a two part, solvent free adhesive that bonds FOAMGLAS insulation to itself or other surfaces as well as the joints to ensure a completely vapour-tight surface.

In addition, FOAMGLAS will not degrade over time and once installedshould never require replacement. Pittsburgh Corning is also the only insulation manufacturer to offer specifiers a thermal performance guarantee as tests have proven FOAMGLAS will not lose its K-Value for the entire life of the product.

"We completed the repair work three months ago and the student accommodation is now back to being occupied," commented Mark Sulik of Oxford Asphalt.