A cold bridge (often falsely called cooling bridge) is a range in construction units of a building, by which the warmth is faster outward transported, as by the other construction units. One differentiates between constructional and geometrical cold bridges. Constructional cold bridges result from installations and/or materials with higher heat conductivity or missing thermal insulation, e.g. reinforced concrete compound units, which break through a dammed external wall. Geometrical cold bridges result in itself for example by jumps/corners in otherwise homogeneous construction unit, if a larger exterior surface, by which the warmth flows off, stands for the inner surface opposite.

Within the range of cold bridges the spacelateral surface temperature of construction units drops in the winter. With the dew point temperature precipitate condensation waters (condensation) fall below. At cold bridges the danger of fungus growth exists. This arises not only with condensation water loss, but already with (by the surface temperature caused) a relative humidity of more than 80% at the wall. Cold bridges lead besides to higher heating heat requirement and thus to higher heating costs.

One finds cold bridges in the following construction units frequent:

• Balconies
• Roller-type shutter boxes
• Mauersohlen
• Window framework and
• Heating element attachments in the brick-work
• Heating element niches
• Cover connections
• Corners in the house
• reinforced concrete compound units

At these construction units usually a low heat transfer resistance is present.

Since 2002 stepped the energy saving regulation (EnEV) into Germany into force, cold bridges in stationary and heated buildings must be avoided. Exceptions: monument-protected buildings; "Unreasonableness" e.g. very uneconomically; Building with constantly opened doors, gates or windows; Greenhouses and underground buildings for defense purposes. With the computation of the transmission heat losses the cold bridge addition (0.05 and/or 0.10 w (m K) plays)an important role.

See also: Energy standard

Related links

• http://www.radio101.de/thermographie thermography of buildings
• http://www.bauthermografie-luftdichtheit.de Bauthermografie & air leak test
• http://www.bauthermografie-luftdichtheit.de/downloads/Taupunkt.pdf visualization of endangered ranges by Thermografie
• http://www.energie-schweiz.ch/imperia/md/content/gebudeanlagen/vollzugshilfen/16.pdf cold bridge catalog

Articles in category "Cold bridge"

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Related Websites

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• THE CONSERVATION GLOSSARY
  a cold bridge is formed when there is a poor thermal insulation between the exterior and interior faces of a wall, which encourages condensation to form. ...


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• Thermal Insulation Cold-Bridge Sliding Windows
  China manufacturer of Thermal Insulation Cold-Bridge Sliding Windows.


• Thermal Insulation Cold-Bridge Sliding Windows
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