Insulation Specification Class 0 Armaflex

Part 1 - General
1.1 Scope of Work
The work covered by this specification consists of the selection and installation of thermal
insulation applied to the following commercial systems, in accordance with applicable project
specifications and drawings:
1. Chilled water systems
2. Refrigeration systems
3. Air handling ductwork and underfloor air-distribution systems
4. Heating systems (pipe work up to 105C)
5. Air conditioning refrigerant lines (e.g. multi-split and VRV systems)

1.2 Quality Assurance

a. Material shall be delivered in non-broken, factory furnished packaging and stored in a clean,
dry indoor space that provides protection against weather.
b. Installation shall be applied by qualified personnel trained in appropriate installation
methods.
c.

Insulation shall not be applied until all surfaces are clean, dry and free of dirt, dust, grease,
moisture and debris.

d. Work shall be performed at the temperatures recommended by the product manufacturer.

e. The materials, components and completed installation shall confirm to any local, applicable
standards at the time of tendering.
f.

Progressive testing of the systems to be insulated shall have been completed, inspected
and approved by the owners' representative before the insulation is applied.

Part 2 - Materials
2.1

General
All insulation materials shall be:
a. Supplied from factories that manufacture under certified management systems; they should
have an ISO 9001 registered Quality Management System and ISO 14001:2004
Environmental Management System.
b. Shown to have low chemical emissions of both Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs)
and Formaldehyde. Preferably, materials should hold GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality
(IAQ) Certification.
c.

Manufactured without the use of CFCs, HFCs or HCFCs. They should by fibre-free and dust
free, and resist mold and mildew.

d. Made of a closed-cell structure to prevent moisture from wicking, since moisture

accumulation will reduce insulation performance.

e. Protected when installed outside and exposed to weather, with either a suitable weather
resistant finish or metal cladding material.
f.

Installed without a reflective foil covering. If a reflective foil is supplied on the insulation
surface, then the insulation thickness must be increased to avoid condensation that can
occur due to the surfaces low emission coefficient.

g. Installed according to the manufacturers recommendations.

Part 3 - Insulation
3.1

Thermal Insulation
Pipes, vessels and equipment shall be insulated throughout with Class 0 Armaflex, or an
equivalent elastomeric Nitrile-rubber foam insulation that is closed cell, flexible and has a built-in
vapour barrier.
Pipes shall be insulated with Class 0 Armaflex in pre-formed tubes. Pipes that are too large for
tube insulation shall be insulated with Class 0 Armaflex in sheet form.
Insulation must have a thermal conductivity of 0.034 W/(m.K) at 0C and 0.036 W/(m.K) at
20C when measured according to ASTM C 177, ASTM C 518 or EN ISO 8497. Insulation must
have water vapour diffusion resistance of 10,000 or 1.96 x 10 -11 g/(m.s.Pa) according to DIN
13469
Insulation must have an operational temperature range of -50C to +105C (tubes) and -50C to
+85C (flat sheets).
Preferably the material shall incorporate Microban anti-microbial protection to actively inhibit the
growth of mould.
Insulation must achieve the following fire performance:

3.2

BS 476-6:1989 low contribution to fire growth with Fire Propagation Index of

performance (I) no exceeding 12 and sub index (i1) not exceeding 6; and

BS 476-7:1997 - of very low Surface Spread of Flame (Class 1).

Protective Coverings
Protective coverings shall be installed on areas of insulation that are exposed to weather or
subject to mechanical damage. The protective covering shall be:
1. Arma-Chek Silver multi-layer laminate of aluminium, coated with a UV protective film and
backed with a flexible PVC film. The material should be adhered with Armaflex 520 Adhesive
or equivalent, and all joins and seams secured with Arma-Chek Silver Tape. Installation
shall be in all cases to the manufacturers recommendations.
Or
2. High density rubber cladding of the Arma-Chek R type bonded using an appropriate full
contact adhesive with a minimum 50 mm overlap at all butt joints and longitudinal seams. A
weather-proof mastic sealant shall be applied over all seams and joints. All material shall be
overlapped and staggered in such a way as to ensure a watershed is always provided.
Installation shall be in all cases to the manufacturers recommendations. All excess adhesive
visible on the surface of the completed assembly shall be removed using an appropriate
cleaning material.

Or
3. Metal cladding, comprised of coated sheet metal, with all external joints and fixings made
weather-proof with silicone sealant.

Part 4 Installation
4.1

Pipe work and fittings

All pipes and fittings must be free of extraneous chemicals such as corrosive cleaners or
building materials dust prior to the installation of the insulation. The insulation must be clean
and dry prior to installation.

Insulation must be installed in an adequately ventilated area to ensure airflow. It may be

necessary to increase insulation thickness if adequate ventilation is not present. Do not crowd
the insulation; allow for adequate air movement as this can affect condensation control. A gap
of 100 mm (4 inches) is recommended between insulated pipes and from adjacent surfaces.

For pre-formed insulation tubes, insulate each continuous run of piping with full-length tubes
of insulation, with single pieces cut to complete the end of the run. Do not use cut pieces or
scraps abutting each other. Insulation shall be pushed onto pipe, not pulled. All joins and
seams shall be installed by Compression Fitting. Overlap insulation 5 10mm () at buttedge seams and compress the edges into place. There should be no gaps present at any
joins. All seams shall be vapour sealed with Armaflex 520 Adhesive or Armaflex 820 Adhesive
applied to the butt-edges of the insulation.

Insulation seams shall be staggered when applying multiple layers of insulation.

All pipe insulation shall be continuous through wall and ceiling openings, except where firestop materials are required.

At the beginning, at every 4m to 6m, and at the ends of piping runs, the insulation shall be
adhered directly to the pipe using a 50mm strip of adhesive.

All valves, flanges and fittings shall be insulated throughout, using Armaflex sheet or tube
material at the same thickness as used for the insulation of the main pipework. Insulation
shall be mitered, pre-adhered and longitudinally slit inside throat to fit over all tees and elbows
or bends over 90. For additional information, consult the Armaflex Application Manual.

All joints and mitered seams shall be made with full coverage of Armaflex 520 adhesive or
Armaflex 820 adhesive on both surfaces. Insulation shall not be stretched during the process.
On all cold pipe work it is critical that all seams and joints are glued in their entirety to provide
a continuous vapour seal. Butt joints must be fitted under compression, and all seams and
butt joints must be glued in their entirety to create a continuous vapour seal. The adhesive
must be suitable for the operational temperatures of the system.

No additional external water vapour barrier shall be necessary with Armaflex, as the vapour
barrier is built into the insulation material. The insulation material shall have a moisture
resistance factor of 10,000 , with testing performed according to EN 12086, DIN 52615 or
ASTM E96 Procedure A.

4.2

Pipe supports and pipe fixing

Saddles shall be insulated on all insulated lines at clamps, hangers, or locations where
insulation may be compressed.

All hanging and clipping of pipes shall be made with Armafix pipe hangers and pipe supports,
or with pipe supports made from the same material as the pipe insulation with the inclusion of
a PUR/PIR bearing segments to support the pipe weight. The hangers and supports will be
constructed from a suitable material to prevent compression. The pipe supports and hangers
must be glued to the adjacent insulation to provide a vapour seal, and the completed
assembly of suitable construction to prevent thermal bridging. The seams shall be sealed
with Armaflex 520 or 820 contacts adhesive.

Hangers clamped directly to the pipe shall be insulated over the hanger; insulation shall be
fully adhered to the hanger. In addition, hangers with double rods shall be insulated between
the rods. All seams of the insulation shall be sealed with adhesive.

4.3

Duct work

All surfaces of ductwork shall be clean, dry and dust free. For rectangular ductwork, measure
surface dimensions and cut the Armaflex sheet to size. Where applicable, apply all-over
coverage with Armaflex 520 adhesive or Armaflex 820 adhesive to both the ductwork and
Armaflex surfaces in a thin and uniform manner. Allow to touch dry, fit the sheet in the
required position, and apply firm pressure to achieve a good bond.

The ductwork shall be sloped to prevent ponding of water, with at least a 2 angle to the outer
side. Insulation shall be fitted from the bottom up, with the top sheet of insulation sized to
extend over the side insulation. This will form a watershed.

When installing Armaflex sheet to circular ducting, install and process the Armaflex as for
large bore piping. For additional information, consult the Armaflex Application Manual.

All joins and seams shall be installed by Compression Fitting. Overlap insulation 5 10mm
() at butt-edge seams and compress the edges into place. There should be no gaps
present between the material. All seams shall be vapour sealed, with Armaflex 520 Adhesive
or Armaflex 820 Adhesive applied to the butt-edges of the insulation.

Insulation seams shall be staggered when applying multiple layers of insulation.

All flanges shall be insulated throughout, using Armaflex sheet or tube material at the same
thickness as used for the insulation of the main ducting. For additional information, consult the
Armaflex Application Manual.

Insulation on ductwork supports shall be applied such that ducts are acoustically de-coupled
from the building structure. This can be achieved by the application of a flexible material
between the ductwork and any clips, hangers or supports.

Flange covers shall be insulated with the same material as used to insulate the ductwork, and
fitted according to the manufacturers recommendations.

Part 5 Insulation Thickness Guidance Tables

The following recommendations are given to prevent condensation. Thickness may be increased
above these levels to meet energy saving objectives. When cladding insulation with a reflective
material, such as metal jacketing, the insulation thickness should allow for the lower surface
coefficient of the material.
Tables are also available for hot pipe work, to identify heat loss from copper or plastic pipes and
to provide guidance on insulation thickness needed for personal protection.

5.1

Chilled water systems

The following tables are provided as guidance to the insulation thickness (mm) needed for
condensation control. Calculations are based on chilled water lines at +5C - +7C.
Ambient Temperature: 28C
Relative Humidity

65%

70%

75%

80%

Pipes up to 35mm O.D.

13

13

19

Pipes 42mm 60mm O.D.

13

19

19

Pipes 67mm 140mm O.D.

13

13

19

19

Pipes above 140mm O.D.

13

13

19

25

Ambient Temperature: 30C

Relative Humidity

75%

80%

85%

90%

Pipes up to 35mm O.D.

19

19

25

32

Pipes 42mm 60mm O.D.

19

19

25

38

Pipes 67mm 140mm O.D.

19

25

32

44

Pipes above 140mm O.D.

19

25

32

50

75%

80%

85%

90%

Pipes up to 35mm O.D.

19

19

25

38

Pipes 42mm 60mm O.D.

19

25

32

44

Pipes 67mm 140mm O.D.

25

25

32

50

Pipes above 140mm O.D.

25

32

38

57

Ambient Temperature: 35C

Relative Humidity

5.2

Refrigeration systems
The following tables are provided as guidance to the insulation thickness (mm) needed for
condensation control. Calculations are based on lines at 0C.
Ambient Temperature: 28C
Relative Humidity

65%

70%

75%

80%

Pipes up to 35mm O.D.

13

13

19

19

Pipes 42mm 60mm O.D.

13

13

19

25

Pipes 67mm 140mm O.D.

13

19

19

25

Pipes above 140mm O.D.

13

19

25

32

Ambient Temperature: 30C

Relative Humidity

75%

80%

85%

90%

Pipes up to 35mm O.D.

19

25

32

38

Pipes 42mm 60mm O.D.

19

25

32

44

Pipes 67mm 140mm O.D.

25

32

38

57

Pipes above 140mm O.D.

25

32

38

57

75%

80%

85%

90%

Pipes up to 35mm O.D.

19

25

32

44

Pipes 42mm 60mm O.D.

25

32

38

50

Pipes 67mm 140mm O.D.

25

32

38

57

Pipes above 140mm O.D.

25

32

44

70

Ambient Temperature: 35C

Relative Humidity

5.3

Duct work

The following tables are provided as guidance to the insulation thickness (mm) needed for
condensation control. Calculations are based on duct work with an air temperature of 14C.
Ambient Temperature: 28C
Relative Humidity
Insulation Thickness (mm)

65%

70%

75%

80%

13

75%

78%

80%

83%

85%

88%

90%

13

13

16

19

25

32

75%

78%

80%

83%

85%

88%

90%

13

16

19

25

25

38

44

Ambient Temperature: 30C

Relative Humidity
Insulation Thickness (mm)
Ambient Temperature: 35C
Relative Humidity
Insulation Thickness (mm)

5.4

Raised floor systems

The following tables are provided as guidance to the insulation thickness (mm) needed for
condensation control. Calculations are based on a raised floor system with an air temperature of
+17C to 20C, and insulation applied without a foil facing.
Ambient Temperature: 28C
Relative Humidity

65%

70%

75%

80%

Insulation Thickness (mm)

75%

78%

80%

83%

85%

88%

90%

13

13

19

19

25

75%

78%

80%

83%

85%

88%

90%

13

13

19

19

25

32

38

Ambient Temperature: 30C

Relative Humidity
Insulation Thickness (mm)
Ambient Temperature: 35C
Relative Humidity
Insulation Thickness (mm)