The need for the development of new, advanced building materials increases every year, especially due to the necessary diminution of energy performance for building structures and for building production itself (including the production of building materials). Along with the energy performance problems in construction, the issue of CO₂ emission associated with building and the production of building materials is also important. In the field of advanced thermal insulation materials, vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) give the best results. However, their high-energy performance and material consumption present a problem. This work represents an initial part of the development of alternative insulators, based on agricultural and textile industry waste usable in the production of VIP. This article recapitulates basic knowledge regarding key thermal insulation properties of developed insulators and their fire reactions, which impact possible usage in building structures.

This study is devoted to the possibility of using advanced insulation materials, such as Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP), in the insulation and reconstruction of buildings, in connection with the green elements that are installed on the facade in the case of the use of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). The use of VIP as part of the insulation system will result in a significant reduction in the required thickness of the insulation layer. In turn, the reduced overall thickness of the system will allow for easier direct anchoring of the elements of the green facade through the insulating layer to the base of the structure. The research carried out proves that, by using VIP in the insulation system (with a VIP thickness of 30 mm in combination with 20 mm of extruded polystyrene XPS), the thermal insulation properties can be significantly improved and, thus, the thickness of the insulation system can be reduced to 1/3 of the thickness of conventional insulation (while achieving the same thermal resistance), thereby enabling the anchoring of green elements on the surface of such an insulation system.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are materials with the ability of absorption of latent heat based on a phase change. PCMs are able to store and release a large amount of energy at certain temperatures melting or freezing. The aim of the research is to verify whether this phenomenon (material) can be used within an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS). This is particularly the usage of PCMs in the base coat. The research is focused on two main areas. The first area concerns the water condensation on the surface of the ETICS and the associated phenomenon of algae attack. The second area concerns the warming of ETICSs with the use of dark color shades. Practical experiments showed a positive effect of PCMs on the heat-storage properties of the ETICS base coat. It was also experimentally verified that the PCM sample did not condense water vapor on the sample surface compared to the reference sample.

Vacuum insulation panels (VIP) are thermal insulation materials with very low thermal conductivity. VIPs are commonly used in a broad spectrum of technical fields; however, they only see a small-scale application in civil engineering. The reason is mainly their high price and difficulty of installation. VIPs are very vulnerable to mechanical damage, which typically causes the loss of their thermal insulation properties. This paper deals with the possibility of effective incorporation of these insulation materials into masonry blocks designed for exterior walls, where VIPs become integrated insulation. This application minimises the hazard of mechanical damage provided the insulation is placed in the block correctly. In this paper, four kinds of materials, applicable as the core of VIPs, are compared. This is a standard mineral wool, commercial VIP based on pyrogenic silica and two experimental types of VIPs based on cotton. Four application possibilities were proposed and thermal properties of individual variants were compared.

Most masonry materials exhibit a relatively high open porosity and water absorption which in case of flooding of the building with water leads to an enormous increase in the moisture content in the masonry, which has a negative impact on its properties and often also on its lifespan. With the modification of the properties of masonry elements and surface coatings as well as the choice of appropriate technology, foundation masonry and brickwork can radically reduce the absorption of the whole structure and largely eliminate the risk of structural damage during the flooding. The paper deals with the development of water-repellent masonry units and construction of watertight and waterproof masonry structures.