The Australian Modern Building Alliance (AMBA) is an interest group of companies established to represent the use of polymers in the Australian construction industry. The group is part of Chemistry Australia, and all participants are also Chemistry Australia members.

Pacific Urethanes is pleased to be a member of AMBA. We strongly support their goals as advocates for the use of polyurethanes and the benefits they bring to the construction industry.

In Australia, heating, cooling and running buildings makes up around 19 per cent of total energy consumption – producing greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide) in the process.

Increased insulation in today’s buildings greatly reduces energy consumption.

Polyurethanes used for building insulation are lightweight, have a rigid foam matrix with either an open or closed cell structure and high crosslinking density. As a result, rigid polyurethane insulation (PUR) and polyisocyanurate insulation (PIR) have superior insulating properties compared to other types of insulation.

This increased insulation saves the need for excessive use of the heating and cooling systems, reducing energy consumption which in turn reduces the amount of greenhouse gases produced. This is especially true when considering the application of Spray Foam Insulation, which provides continuous insulation of the building, sealing it in a tight envelope whereby temperature control is made much easier.

With the ongoing drive for energy efficiency, it remains a priority to select the right materials to ensure we are building sustainable, efficient housing.

As such we are proud to announce the new additions to the AMBA technical resources, information sheets 7 and 8.

• Information Sheet 7 covers continuous insulation for low energy houses.
• Information Sheet 8 details condensation control in energy efficient Australian Residential Buildings.

The benefits of continuous insulation and the problems associated with condensation are easily overlooked when buying, renovating or building homes.

The purpose of these information sheets is to raise awareness of underlying problems in the current construction industry and offer solutions which pave a way forward to a more sustainable, energy efficient market.