Air Conditioning Duct Insulation from Fletcher Insulation

Case Study - Hallett Cove Shopping Centre

Project Overview
The Makris Group has significantly expanded Hallett Cove Shopping Centre, Hallet Cove, SA to include a Big W supermarket and specialty shops incorporating car parking and landscaping. The development will help to improve local employment, community activity and strengthen the local economy by generating more opportunity for businesses.

Meeting the BCA Requirements
Changes to the Building Code of Australia to improve the energy efficiency of commercial buildings had to be considered by Hansen Yunken and Bestec Consultants when specifying the materials for this project. This impacted on the selection of insulation used on the rigid ductwork insulation used in the HVAC system.

The minimum mandatory BCA Energy Efficiency provisions require the Total R-value of ductwork insulation to be at least R1.0. The specific requirements are dependent on the climate zone, cooling capacity, and location of the system within the building. (see Fletcher Insulation Technical Bulletin - Duct Insulation to Meet new BCA Requirements).

Whereas traditionally a project such as this would have used 25mm R0.6 insulation for the rigid ductwork, Macey's Insulation and Westside Mechanical used over 1000m2 of 38mm thickness FI22 Ductwrap on this project.

By using Fletcher Insulation FI22 Ductwrap at 38mm, Macey's Insulation achieved a Total R-value of R1.25. This is calculated through the glasswool having a Material R-value of R1.1 and the reflective airspace created by the Sisalation® facing adding a further R0.15 to the Total R-value. This is consistent with the guidelines in the BCA.

The Sisalation also contributes to the integrity of the finished ductwork by providing a vapour barrier that prevents warm air from coming into contact with the metal outer surface of the sheetmetal and forming condensation.

FI22 Ductwrap was easily installed on the ductwork with Fletcher Insulation Vapastop 493 Reinforced Aluminium Foil Tape, a tough, hand tearable tape coated with a high tack pressure sensitive adhesive. Vapastop 493 Reinforced Foil Tape is recommended for use with Sisalation products to provide a vapour sealed join.

Fletcher Insulation's Duct Insulation Range

Fletcher Insulation is Australia's leading supplier of air conditioning duct insulation used in Australia's premier commercial buildings.

To meet BCA insulation provisions ductwork can be achieved with either:

• Internal Ductliner to provide both thermal & superior acoustic control of plant & fan noise
• External Ductwrap
• Ductboard.

Ductboard is an all-in-one pre-fabricated insulated light-weight duct system which eliminates the need to use sheet-metal as a sustainable alternative to traditional rigid duct. Ductboard has been used on some marquee projects including Eureka Tower in Victoria and Casino Tower in Queensland.

Environmental Benefits
Fletcher Insulation's range of glasswool duct insulation products provides significant benefits to the environment. By using the proven performance of glasswool insulation you can be sure that the energy savings that are expected will be achieved and by using less energy our buildings will reduce the amount to greenhouse gas emissions.

Fletcher Insulation glasswool is made using superior clean technology which represents a new era in green manufacturing. In addition, rainwater is captured and used in our process and recycled. Our raw materials consist of approximately 80% recycled glass - much of which cannot be used in other processes and would otherwise go into landfill.

Our plants are committed to operating in an environmentally sustainable fashion and have either received, or are working towards receiving, accreditation to the environmental standard ISO 14000.

Fletcher Insulation glasswool products have been recognised by Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) as being at the forefront in the area of sustainability.

All Fletcher Insulation rigid duct insulation products meet the GreenStar insulant ODP emissions credit requirement, are low in VOC and safe to use in any application.

Recent Projects
FI22 Ductwrap is specified on large scale residential and commercial projects nationwide. Standard thicknesses of 25mm, 38mm, 50mm and 75mm provide the necessary levels of insulation to conform to the BCA - Part J requirements for all heating and refrigerated cooling applications in all Climate Zones.

Other projects recently completed or currently under construction include:

• Lowy Cancer Research Building at the University of NSW
• Hollywood Private Hospital Extension, Perth

The Results
When balanced, the air conditioning system will deliver clean air to maintain constant temperature and humidity throughout the facility. With a proper maintenance schedule, the air conditioning system will continue to operate at its optimum efficiency to deliver comfort throughout its design life, providing a healthy environment for all building occupants.

The exacting specifications and tight construction windows required that the installation of the air handling ductwork go off without a hitch. The vastly experienced crew at Macey's Insulation ensured that these requirements were adhered to and completed the contract in line with the expectations of Hansen Yunken.