Foamglas Building

FOAMGLAS®: an insulation material like no other

FOAMGLAS® is made of cellular glass, a type of glass that has obtained a cellular structure through gasification with carbon.

The technique was perfected by an engineer at Saint-Gobain in France, who patented it in 1934. In 1942, a new application was discovered for glass: FOAMGLAS®, an insulation material with exceptional properties.

FOAMGLAS® is an incredibly strong and rigid, lightweight and fireproof material that provides exceptional insulation against heat and cold; but above all it is resistant to the two major foes of insulation materials: water and damp. Since May 1965 thermal insulating sheets and panels for residential and commercial buildings are manufactured here along with blocks and segments for industrial applications.

Unique product properties

Unique properties make FOAMGLAS® an incomparable insulation.

Thanks to its special properties, FOAMGLAS® fulfils even the most stringent requirements for building physics. FOAMGLAS® is the only insulating material in which the vapour barrier, due to its material structure, is already “built in”.

FOAMGLAS® Features and Benefits

1. Waterproof FOAMGLAS® consists of pure glass, it has a truly hermetically sealed, closed cell, glass structure. It is watertight.
Advantage: The close cell structure prevents water absorption, penetration or tracking by capillary action.
2. Vermin proof FOAMGLAS® cannot rot, it is inorganic, its vermin-proof, and can’t support plant growth.
Advantage: It’s the ideal choice for situations where insulation is behind a façade or in contact with the ground.
3. Compressive loads FOAMGLAS® supports high compressive loads without deflection or movement.
Advantage: It is the ideal insulation material for load bearing areas, such as, foundations, floors, walkways, terraces, podium roofs, balconies, vehicle parking, and for supporting M&E equipment.
4. Fire and fumes FOAMGLAS® consists of pure glass, it’s non-toxic and non-combustible.
Advantage: It does not combust, support fire, produce fumes, or present a fire risk in the building structure.
Fire behavior: Classification according to EN 13501: A1, non-combustible; classification according to ASTM E 84, smoke development and flame spread - zero.
5. Vapour control FOAMGLAS® consists of pure glass, it has a truly hermetically sealed, closed cell, glass structure. It is gas and vapour tight.
Advantage: FOAMGLAS®is vapour tight, providing both an insulation and high performance vapour barrier in one material.
6. Dimensionally stable FOAMGLAS® has a low coefficient of thermal movement, in the same range as concrete and steel.
Advantage: It can be adhesive bonded onto the structure, no mechanical fixings, therefore no thermal bridging.
7 Acid and chemical resistant FOAMGLAS® consists of pure glass, it is resistant to organic solvents and acids.
Advantage: It can withstand aggressive mediums and demanding environments.
8 Easy to cut FOAMGLAS® consists of pure glass.
Advantage: It is non-toxic, non-hazardous, it does not contaminate the water table; and is easily cut using hand tools.
9 Ecological FOAMGLAS® is manufactured using minimum 60% recycled glass. It has a GWP < 1,5 and ODP = 0. It is free of environmentally damaging flame retardants and gas propellants.
Advantage: FOAMGLAS® can be recycled or used in landscaping.

FOAMGLAS^® celebrates 50 years in Europe with a book and an interactive website.

FOAMGLAS^®, the industry leader in the manufacture of cellular glass, celebrates its half-century of success on the European market this year. This is definitely a memorable achievement! FOAMGLAS^® has chosen to thank all the users of this unique insulation material by publishing a 180-page hardback book featuring testimonies from leading international architects and photographs of the most renowned projects worldwide. Professionals will receive this reference work free of charge.

The book entitled “50 jaar FOAMGLAS^® “ can be requested for free.