BS EN 13165

BS EN 13165:2012+A2:2016 is the standard for Thermal insulation products for buildings. Factory made rigid polyurethane foam (PU) products. Specifications covering the relevant European and national harmonised standard applicable to rigid polyurethane foam building products that offer the intended resistance to heat flow throughout the building's lifetime.

BS EN 13165 specifies the requirements for factory-made rigid polyurethane foam (PU) products, with or without facings or coatings, which are used for the thermal insulation of buildings. PU includes both PIR and PUR products. The products are manufactured in the form of boards, it includes PU multi-layered insulation products.

Such products are also used in prefabricated thermal insulation systems and composite insulation products. It describes product characteristics and includes procedures for testing, evaluation of conformity, marking and labelling.

The standard does not specify the required level of a given property to be achieved by a product to demonstrate fitness for purpose in a particular application. The levels required for a given application are to be found in regulations or non-conflicting standards. Products with a declared thermal resistance lower than 0,25 m2⋅K/W or a declared thermal conductivity greater than 0,060 W/(m⋅K) at 10 °C are not covered by the standard and it does not cover in situ insulation products and products intended to be used for the insulation of building equipment and industrial installations.

The standsard does cover this the family of rigid cellular thermoset polymeric insulation products with a substantially closed cell structure including polymer types. it includes the properties of thermal insulation products to measure thermal resistance and thermal conductivity and classes of dimensional tolerances, specified giving measures of length and width, thickness, squareness and flatness. It covers chemical, mechanical and physical properties of factory-made rigid polyurethane foam (PU) products as well as thermal resistance and thermal conductivity as determined through sampling, conditioning and dimensions of test specimens.

Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP) with the compliance of the product with the requirements and the performance determination of product type by type testing and factory production control. Marking, labelling and packaging of the rigid polyurethane foam products for the insulation of buildings are set out in BS EN 13165.

The standard is useful for:

• Manufacturers of thermal insulating products
• Manufacturers and suppliers of thermoplastic polymers
• Polyurethane foam products manufacturers

Overall, BS EN 13165 directs the production of rigid PU products with outstanding compressive strength and load-bearing qualities, as well as strong tensile and low elongation properties.

[edit] What’s changed since the last update?

BS EN 13165:2012+A2:2016 supersedes BS EN 13165:2012+A1:2015. BS EN 13165:2012+A2:2016 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 13165:2012+A1:2015. These include:

• Better harmonisation between the different standards of the package (EN 13162 to EN 13171) on definitions, requirements, classes and levels
• New normative annex on multi-layered products
• Changes on some editorial and technical content and addition of information on some specific items for PU products such as PU product term, dimensional stability, point load (cancelled), water absorption, water vapour transmission
• Addition of links to EN 15715, Thermal insulation products – Instructions for mounting and fixing for reaction to fire testing – Factory made products
• Changes to the Annex ZA.

The basis of this article and further infomation can be found via this relevant BSI page.

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