HEAT LOSS FACTORS FOR BUILDING FOUNDATION INSULATION SYSTEMS.

Insulation of basement walls and floor slabs in most Alaskan locations has become the standard design practice for new building construction. However, it is not generally agreed to the amount of insulation or the method of placing the insulation required to achieve an economically justified energy conserving design. Steady-state and nonsteady-state finite element analyses of the heat loss occurring from basement and slab-on-grade constructions have been performed. The amount of rigid foam insulation was varied on the perimeter of the walls and slab to determine the effectiveness of various insulation configurations. Annual heat loss per linear foot of wall or slab are reported for both Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska weather conditions and soil types using these various insulation configurations.