Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet

The CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet is an easy to use tool for the calculation of combined U values for masonry walls and other building components including walls, floors and roofs. The spreadsheet includes typical energy performance data for hundreds of different materials and building components and completes the combined U value in accordance with BS EN ISO 6946. Using the default and editable values allows the user to complete the analysis of a complex cavity wall, floor or roof in minutes. The CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet can be purchased below for only £19.99

Or why not purchase our full Masonry Design Suite? The full suite includes all ten of our masonry design spreadsheets at a discounted price of only £49.99 (75% discount). The full suite can be purchased at the bottom of this page.

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U Value

The U Value or thermal transmittance of a material describes its ability to transfer heat energy from one side of the element to the other. In common usage the U Value is used to describe the effectiveness of a building element as an insulator, typically (in the UK at least) containing warm air within a building, relative the cold air outside.

U Values for single materials can be simply tested and long lists of common building materials have been tested with their U Values published in tables by CIBSE and BRE among others. However, determining the U Value of even simple composite elements such as cavity walls can be more difficult as this depends on the U Values of each individual material and the thickness and arrangement of each layer. Even for simple common arrangements such as insulation filled cavity walls, it becomes impractical to physically test and publish results for every common arrangement.

Therefore a method of determining the U Value of a composite building element was included in BS EN ISO 6946. This use the individual U Values of each component together with the layer thickness and their place in a composite element to determine the combined U Value for the element. This U Value can then be corrected for other variations such as thermal bridges, air gaps within layers or mechanical fixings through the layers. The CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet spreadsheet is designed to complete these calculations.

U Value Calculator

The CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet is intended to provide a simple and easy to use tool for the calculation of combined U values for common composite building elements including cavity walls. This includes walls, floors and roofs. The layout of the spreadsheet is designed to be as intuitive and easy to use as possible with all the required inputs highlighted and commonly used values pre-loaded into the spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet comes with a list of hundreds of different building materials and elements with their insulation properties pre-loaded. The typical details are taken from CIBSE Guide A, BRE 443, BS 5250, ISO 6946 and other published references. This allows the user to simply select the required materials and the typical relevant information is used automatically. Using these tools the user can complete simple calculations in minutes, without using any other reverence materials.

The spreadsheet also allows the user to enter their own material and component details if required. This is vital for the design of more complex or non-standard elements such as manufactured elements or unusual materials. In these cases the user can simply enter the details into the spreadsheet materials list and the new bespoke option is included in the spreadsheet drop-down menus. Using these tools the user can complete the U Value calculations for any wall, floor or roof element imaginable.

As well as simple material selections, the CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet also allows the user to complete more complex calculations. Options within the spreadsheet allow the user to model thermal bridges, air gaps within layers and to include the effects of fixings. These detailed options will not be required in many simple cases, but in more complex arrangements the spreadsheet is fully capable of completing all the detailed calculations required to accommodate thermal bridges, fixings or air gaps. By including these detailed tools, the CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet can be used to complete any U Value calculation required.

Cavity Wall U Value

The CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet has been designed to be as simple as possible to use. To this end, the number of inputs required for each calculation has been boiled down as far as possible. In order to complete the U Value calculation, the spreadsheet requires the following inputs;

• Component Type – This can be either External Wall, Roof or Ground Floor. The spreadsheet takes this input and uses it to automatically determine the internal thermal resistance as per the standard.
• Material/Element Type – This is taken from a drop down menu of default options. The spreadsheet comes pre-set with more than 500 different standard materials and these can be added to or customised by the user. The material type can be entered for up to 7 different component layers.
• Material Thickness – Simply the thickness of each layer in mm.
• Thermal Resistance of the External Face – This is set to a default value as per the standard, though can be adjusted in case the surface is protected.
• Thermal Bridge Details – Details of a thermal bridge can be entered if required.
• Air Gap Corrections – Details of any air gaps in one of the layers can be entered here if required.
• Mechanical Fixing Corrections – Details of any mechanical fixings in one of the layers can be entered here.

Using these inputs the CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet can automatically calculate the combined U Value for the component including any corrections required for thermal bridges, air gaps and mechanical fixings. The spreadsheet uses the BS EN ISO 6946 methodology to determine a suitable combined U Value.

CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet

The CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet is a handy tool for any designer working with energy calculations. The spreadsheet can be used to calculate the combined U Value for any common building component including walls, floors and roof elements. The spreadsheet is pre-loaded with standard values for more than 500 materials and can include corrections for thermal bridges, air gaps and mechanical fixings as required. The spreadsheet completes all the calculations as required in accordance with BS EN ISO 6946 and can be used to complete a combined U Value for any building element in minutes.

Buy the CivilWeb Cavity Wall U Value Calculator Spreadsheet now for only £19.99.

Or why not buy our best value full Masonry Design Suite including all ten of our Masonry Design Spreadsheets for only £49.99.