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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 31 Insulation P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y S O P R EM A the structure and provides all the required properties of a high-performance building envelope using a single product (closed cell spray foam), which func- tions as an all-in-one insulation, air barrier, vapour retarder, and water resistive barrier. X-Wall System is an answer to the ever-increasing requirements for con- tinuous insulation (CI), which have led to many buildings now being insulated on the exterior. The continuous insulation application of X-Wall System enables better R-value and U-factor performance, as the thermal bridges are reduced. Steel studs can then be thinner and empty, leaving room for electrical systems. Duzyk goes on to note the certification of Huntsman's Coatlok product line. "Coatlok Coatings are non-toxic, fast-drying products that can be applied to vir- tually any shape to create a monolithic containment barrier," he explains. "They are an excellent solution for substrates such as wood, concrete, metal, geotex- tile, and polyurethane foam. Coatlok products are suitable for the protection of metal, steel, polyurethane foam, and concrete structures because they offer exceptional mechanical properties and chemical resistance. They are highly resistant to impact, abrasion, and weathering, and suitable for waterproofing basins, foundation walls, and reservoirs for agricultural, industrial, and civil engineering structures including water mains." Soprema's line of Sopra-XPS extruded polystyrene panels continues to evolve by becoming more environmentally friendly: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from materials employed in the construction of buildings can be reduced with Sopra-XPS, which uses a blowing agent with a GWP of less than 1. Sopra-XPS panels are used for thermal insulation in residential and com- mercial buildings, and civil engineering structures; the product can be used in a variety of applications such as foundation systems, walls, parking decks, and inverted roof systems, including plaza decks and green roofs. The panels are manually installed in one or more layers flat on or against the surface being insu- lated. Once installed, their high density and closed cell structure provides one of the highest compressive strengths on the market and make the panels exception- ally resistant to water and moisture. It is also resistant to climatic variations and freeze-thaw cycles. Soprema also made headlines in 2022 for its new plant in Woodstock, Ontario: designed by the architecture firm Lemay and using its rigorous Net Positive framework as guidance, the new plant has achieved a global standard of green building with a LEED v4 certification. The Woodstock location's operations use 40 percent less water and avoids the emission of approximately 505 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of removing 153 vehicles from Canadian roads. As a result, the plant's carbon footprint is 12 per- cent lower than that of a comparable structure, resulting in 11 percent less of an overall environmental impact. Closed-cell spray foam has become a mainstay of the insulation sector, and Johns Manville (JM), a leading global manufacturer of energy-efficient build- ing and industrial insulation products, recently announced the addition of JM Corbond IV, a fourth-generation, closed-cell spray foam made with a hydrofluo- roolefin (HFO) blowing agent, to its complete line of building insulation products. JM Corbond IV has been engineered to meet the stringent regulations prohibiting the use of materials that have a high GWP, and it is designed to Sopra-XPS extruded polystyrene panels.

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