The ISOQUICK foundation is basically an insulated raft former; it wraps the entire raft foundation in insulation to eliminate any thermal bridges.
The ISOQUICK system was developed in Germany and has been granted Passivhaus approval; as a result it has become very popular in Ireland. Unlike the Viking House or Supergrund System, this doesn’t have a perimeter ring beam; instead it relies on an entire ‘slab’ of high strength EPS 300 throughout. This system is constructed from Peripor (EPS 300 Moulding) modules that join together, resulting in all round insulation; eliminating thermal bridging (ability to achieve a U value up to 0.1 W/m2K) and protecting the structure from moisture.
To gain a deeper understanding of this system it is important to understand the construction process:
Begin by preparing the trench and installing groundworks.
Insert 150mm (minimum) of compacted hardcore, followed by a 6 - 8mm grit layer to ensure a flat smooth surface on which the modules can be laid.
Begin installing the edge modules:
- These are joined together via their moulded dovetail feature (bottom right).
Once the final edge module is installed the structure is checked for squareness.
The enclosed area is then covered with the base and top modules. These lock together via their "egg crate" pattern (bottom left) ensuring a tight a fit. These modules come in various thicknesses (150mm-300mm) dependant on the requirements of the foundation and can be easily cut to size.
These modules are laid until they the whole surface area is covered; ensuring the slab will be wrapped in insulation - eliminating thermal bridging occuring.
Next the damp proof membrane/radon and steel is put into place.
Finally the concrete can be poured.
Here is a simple cross-sectional sketch of the system:
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