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W I. CCB NO. 169080�TSUME 1M NEMi nvth lle,OR 97128 SuiteD McMinnville, 69 80NSTKUCTION 5/29/14 Attu:Marion County Building Department Re: Alternate Material Request Marion County This letter wilt break down the reason why we at Winsome Construction feel that the InSoFast EX2.5 panel is not only a equivalent to the R-15 code but an improvement on the wall assembly. Documents will be attached that are referenced in this letter. Standard to be met: Current code requires R-I5 for below grade walls(Table 401.1(1)Oregon Revised Specialty Code). Replacement: The InSoFast Panel is an extended EPS product that replaces wall framing,insulation,drain plane while providing electrical chases and a vapor barrier. The product will not grow mold or mildew(unlike wood framing and traditional insulation),and will out perform a traditionally insulated RI 5 wall when framing factors are taken into account. The product is also much easier to install with interlocking panels which reduces the chance of wall failure due to poor workmanship. Testing: Attached is the test report from Stork Materials Technology(2009). Stork has over 180 years of experience in testing all types of materials. In 2011 Stork changed it's name to Element which is one of the worlds leading testing facilities. They are accredited by:American Architectural Manufacturers Association,American National Standards Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency,to name a few. They rated the effective R-Value at 4.45 for 1 inch of material. The panel is 2.5"thick which would give the panel an R-I1.125 cumulative total. The Panel is scheduled to receive an ICC rating in August of this year. astiftcation of Equality: With code minimum needing to be R-15 and the material testing at R-l1.125,here is our reasoning as to why the product meets and exceeds existing code. Framing Factor to adjust R-Value: The table(Table 401.1(t)),states that the R-Values listed are nominal and do not take the whole wall assembly into account(Table 401.1(1)(a)). This means that even though an R-15 material may be installed the framing around that insulation with dramatically compromise the effectiveness of the wall performance. According to ASHRAE(Table A3.1D)a wood framed wall that is 3.5" thick will reduce it's effective performance down to R11.3(including gypsum). If that wall were made of Metal it would drop to R4.9(including gypsum). When you add the gypsum to the InSoFast Panel(R-0.5 according to ASHRAE(A3.1D),the total((- Value goes to R-I 1.625. This exceeds the performance of the standard insulated wall. In other words code allows contractors to install walls that perform well below the stated R-Value. This panel will increase the effective performance from the previously approved assembly. U-Value/F-Value Calculations: Using standard U-Value calculation(7a),the InSoFast Panel would get a U-0.089. Oregon Revised specialty code does not give a U-Value performance requirement. Therefore this calculation cannot be used. Instead the code requires an F-0.565 performance level. An F-Factor is an area heat loss calculation. This is generally used as a slab on grade insulation rating. ASHRAE 90.1-A6 clearly states how to calculate F-factors in slab on grade floors. A more apt measurement would be a C-Factor which is the energy transfer through below grade walls. Neither a F or C Factor can be calculated without indoor air temperatures and ground temperatures. Thus making this an unreliable unit of measure in order to hit an arbitrary benchmark. All we would have to do is adjust the air or ground temperatures to get the numbers we wanted.Since there is no standard for these temperatures a F or C factor cannot be calculated. Installation: With InSoFast panels,it is important to note that the engineered design ensures a perfect insulation job every time with no worries of insulation defects such as voids or compression issues. This continuous insulation with a Lego®style alignment notch combined with a tongue and groove edge around the entire panel,ensures that a wall is insulated completely and uniformly every time. Regards, Aaron Kumnick Project Superintendent Winsome Construction