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Thermal Insulation Laboratory


The Thermal Insulation Laboratory (UIT) is part of the Building Finishes and Thermal Insulation Unit of LNEC´s Buildings Department.
This Laboratory is accredited by IPAC since 1995 under Certificate No. L0109 and carries out the tests on thermal insulation products for which LNEC is notified by IPQ in the scope of the Construction Products Regulations (CPR).

Additional information can be found at this laboratory's flyer.

Field of expertise

UIT has a wide experience in the concerned fields of activity and is equipped with the technical and human resources required to perform the relevant tests over thermal insulation products for buildings, in particular:

  • Expanded polystyrene foam (EPS);
  • Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS);
  • Expanded cork (ICB);
  • Mineral wool (MW);
  • Self-supporting sandwich and composite lightweight panels.

Testing

UIT performs different tests on thermal insulating products, in particular the following:

  • determination of short term water absorption by partial immersion;
  • determination of thermal conductibility and thermal resistance;
  • determination of thickness, length and width;
  • determination of compressive creep;
  • determination of deformation under specified compressive load and temperature conditions;
  • determination of the apparent density;
  • determination of freeze-thaw resistance;
  • determination of dimensional stability under specified temperature and humidity conditions;
  • determination Of behaviour under point load;
  • determination of compression, bending, shear behaviour and tensile strength perpendicular to faces;
  • determination of water vapour transmission properties;
  • several tests on self-supporting sandwich and composite lightweight panels.

Other Services

Beyond testing activities in support to the technical assessment and approval of thermal insulation materials, products and systems, UIT provides other services, such as:
  • tests subcontracted in the scope of factory production control;
  • research aimed at the development of either indirect or simplified test methods for factory production control carried out by manufacturers.