ABSTRACT
The Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) constructor fabricates the SPF product on site in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. Nevertheless, the contractor may select one of many different foam systems, each exhibiting different thermal, mechanical, and fire performance characteristics. Performance of the building envelope component with SPF depends on understanding materials and their interaction with the environment by all people involved in the design, selection, fabrication, and maintenance of SPF systems. Long-term thermal and mechanical performance of SPF manufactured with different blowing agents was carefully evaluated. Study of thermally driven moisture created basic understanding of moisture transport and storage in SPF. The SPF industry can provide bidding documents that characterize long-term performance of SPF in construction systems and predict energy use for many future years. To promote and expand qualified use of SPF in North America, two organizations—the Spray Polyurethane Division of the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. and the Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association Inc.—have established extensive quality assurance programs.
