When it comes to building envelope efficiency and environmental stewardship, Passive House is one of the gold standards. At the core of Passive House standards are the use of high performance building materials that minimize energy consumption while ensuring durability and comfort. One such material that has gained popularity in North America over the last five years is foam glass gravel, a lightweight, low embodied carbon aggregate made from recycled glass powder. This material aligns with the principles of Passive House design and contributes to high performance construction goals.
Foam Glass Gravel is a versatile lightweight green building material made for construction and industrial applications. Milled glass powder is heated to 1,500°F to soften it to the point of sintering, at which point it off-gasses and expands, creating a closed cell, pumice-like material. The resulting product is both lightweight and insulating with high compressive strength. This makes it an excellent solution for construction projects that specify energy efficiency and green building standards.
Passive House is a rigorous design standard focused on maximizing building energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint associated with construction and operation. By following Passive House principles, architects are able to design buildings that use remarkably little energy for heating, cooling, and overall climate control. This efficiency is achieved through several key design elements, including airtightness to minimize energy loss, and advanced insulation to ensure that buildings retain heat in winter and stay cool in summer. Passive Houses incorporate optimized ventilation systems that provide continuous fresh air without compromising energy efficiency. These factors all work together to create energy efficient buildings with reduced operational costs and minimal environmental impact, making Passive House the standard for those committed to climate-resilient construction.
Insulation and Thermal Performance: One of the most important factors in Passive House design is the need for continuous insulation around the building envelope. Foam glass gravel offers excellent insulation properties as subslab insulation, reducing thermal bridges in the foundation. The underslab insulation minimizes heat escaping through the building’s base, contributing to consistent and predictable indoor temperatures.
Moisture Resistance: Foam glass gravel is closed-cell and does not absorb water, which is essential for maintaining the long-term performance of a building. This reduces the risk of moisture build up and mold in a foundation, extending the useful life of the building and improving indoor air quality.
Sustainability: Foam glass gravel is made from recycled glass powder. Glavel’s Vermont manufacturing facility uses renewable energy to power operations, further reducing carbon emissions in the manufacturing process. A single foam glass gravel production line diverts over 20 tons of recycled glass from landfills every day.
Foam glass gravel can be integrated into energy efficient buildings through the Housing and Urban Development’s Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME). This federal program provides affordable housing solutions and increasingly focuses on incorporating green building materials into projects. Foam glass gravel is an ideal solution for projects using HOME program funds to align with high performance material selection goals and energy efficiency performance. Projects using funds from the HOME program to build with foam glass gravel provide healthy, well-conditioned indoor spaces for occupants while contributing towards environmental objectives.
Foam glass gravel aligns with Passive House principles; its thermal insulation, durability, and recycled content make it an excellent choice for any green building project. Whether it’s a high-end certified Passive House or an affordable housing development using federal funds, foam glass gravel delivers energy efficiency and environmental benefits.
Breaking the carbon cycle in construction is key to building climate-resilient communities, requiring a shift to low embodied carbon materials and electrified manufacturing to combat climate change.
Foam glass gravel aligns with Passive House principles; its thermal insulation, durability, and recycled content make it an excellent choice for underslab insulation in high performance buildings.
As thermal insulation for subslab insulation systems, foam glass gravel is an environmentally friendly, high performance choice for engineers and architects.