• The Magazine of the Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.27-38
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• 2003

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2024

This study investigates the thermal conductivity and density of expanded polystyrene insulation materials collected from buildings under going energy retrofit projects. Due to the absence of initial thermal conductivity data, determining precise long-term patterns was challenging. Analysis based on design documents revealed that expanded polystyrene insulation maintained consistent performance over ten years. Notably, the thermal conductivity measurements of insulation samples of the same grade and age varied significantly. Additionally, the insulation density was found to be substantially below the standard specified in the design documents. The results of the experiment indicate that performance management during both construction and operation phases is lacking. It is crucial to apply building commissioning, which involves performance verification throughout the building's life cycle, to properly evaluate building energy performance improvements, such as building energy retrofit projects.